APED - A Picture Every Day

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Wednesday's Bird 10-14-15

Hello and happy Wednesday. Today I have a bird I found in the Puffin Exhibit at the Asheboro Zoo in North Carolina. He or she sure is a cutie standing on that rock posing for me. Sometimes I just get lucky. I do enjoy a little luck every now and then. I'll bet you do as well.

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Tuesday's Angel Tree and Resurrection Fern 10-13-15

Hello on Tuesday. Recently I visited the Angel Oak in St. Johns Island, SC. I thought I'd show you a different view of this very old and humongous tree. Sometimes when I look at trees, I can't help but wonder at their ability to survive and reach for the sun. Also, what you're seeing on the limbs along with the moss is something called a Resurrection Fern. This is an epiphytic fern, meaning that it grown on top of other structures or plants or, in this case, trees. It just uses the other structure for a house, I guess, but it has its own nutrient system so it's not dependent on the other for life. It's called the Resurrection Fern because it is able to survive in a drought. It can actually lose 75 to 95% of its water content. When that happens it turns brown and basically looks dead. However, when the rain comes and it replenishes itself it returns to a nice green, lush looking foliage. Pretty cool!

I hope you had a replenishing Tuesday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Butterfly Monday 10-12-15

Hello and happy Monday. Let's pretend that we lived our weekend in a nice, cozy cocoon and emerged back into the world today a beautiful butterfly full of whimsy and curiosity (and hunger). Now that we can no longer live in our cozy little world, we have make the best of the days we're given (which, if you're an actual butterfly, you have an average life span of about a week to a month).
So, let's just know that life is short in the butterfly world and we need to fly about and visit all the flowers we can.

I hope you had a magical Monday. I hope you had time to stop and enjoy some flowers along the way. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Sunday's Kayak Wishing 10-11-15

Hello and Happy Sunday. I want to go kayaking! Above is the perfect place. I just wish I was there. Well, I can't be there today, but soon. Soon I will get to go kayaking here. If it gets too late into the year I have some cold weather gear, so no worries. I can't help but look at this and think, "what if". What if I were out there right now? What if I could spend all day on the water taking pictures and paddling? What if I could have the choice to paddle every day? Hmmmm. Yep. I enjoy the dream.

I hope you've had a great Sunday. Thanks for looking and dreaming with me. See you tomorrow.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Saturday's Space Bird 10-10-15

Hello and happy Saturday. NASA anyone? It seems it's for birds of all kinds. This bird went there yesterday and had a great time. Private companies have now partnered with NASA for space exploration and no tax dollars fund the space center visitor center and museum. Since our government spends less on NASA, the cost to visit is somewhat higher, but worth it. Of course, the last time I was here was in the 1990s so, given inflation, comparatively, it may actually not be more expensive. Visit their website, www.nasa.gov and decide for yourself. When you visit the Kennedy Space Center, remember to take the bus tour and tour Atlantis and take part in a simulated lift-off. Many astronauts gave input into the "lift-off" ride to ensure a real life feel for what they went through when they lifted off toward space. This ride is actually called the Atlantis Launch Simulator and is a fine, fine experience and is part of the price of admission.

I hope you had a sensational Saturday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Friday's Sunrise

Hello. Happy Friday. Today I had the opportunity to take some sunrise pictures at St. Augustine Beach in Florida. Since it's getting later in the year - I can't believe it's October already - I can actually get out of bed a little later to catch a sunrise. I guess there is one good thing about the shorter days and the coming cool/cold weather.

I hope you had a great Friday. Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Thursday's Dead End 10-08-15

Happy Thursday. After several days of rain, it was a beautiful day. And since it was beautiful, it was a great day to take a day to drive, ride, and explore in South Carolina. So, we're riding along in our automobile, crossed the bridge over Lynches River near Lake City and look at what we found! "Dead End"! Ya think?! Even stranger (as you can see below), was the fact that the sign was on a road named D.O.T. Avenue. I guess you know we had a good chuckle over that. Who doesn't feel like a trip to the D.O.T. is a dead end? But seriously, the flooding from the recent storms and Hurricane Joaquin is tragic and devastating for many people who live both near and far from coastal areas. We are now a couple days beyond all the rain and still many people are without power. There have been many dams that have failed and roads have collapsed and washed away. Just today we had a detour because a bridge was out and another, longer detour because I-95 was closed from Florence, SC to just below Lake Marion. (Exit 135 to Exit 90 going South). A long drive to get where we were going, but a wonderful day anyway.

I hope you had a terrific Thursday. Thank you for looking. See you tomorrow.