Perpetual Summer

This is the conservatory at the Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, MI.

It is also my idea of heaven on earth. I used to have a greenhouse years ago, and though it wasn't nearly as spectacular as this, it was sheer joy on a cold winter's day to open the door and have that earthy smell to greet me. Sigh. Perhaps some day I will have one again........

In The Mushroom Forest

I don't usually recommend crawling around on your belly, but it's a whole 'nother world down there! Hope the neighbor wasn't in his deer blind! He already thinks I'm a bit loopy.....

Roadblock

I guess there are worse traffic jams we could face while out on the road.............

Yellowstone Sept 22,2009

Nice Curves!

Bighorn Canyon, Wyoming/Montana border-Sept 2009

Wise One

Though they terrorized the garden, I still love the rabbits. This one looks as though he has wisdom to share. That, or he's plotting his next move!

Luncheon Date

Don and I stopped for lunch at a stream outside of Thompson Falls, Montana and were joined by a friend. Sorry, Subway-she didn't like your sandwich much either!

Magnificent Montana 2009

Northwestern Montana has some drop dead gorgeous scenery. If I lived there, I would never get much done-I would be too busy staring at the mountains all day. Not that there's anything wrong with that..............

Flower and Friend

Snapped a few quick photos of the garden before leaving on vacation--guess this little guy was giving me a send-off!

Coming Attraction

Fall is just around the corner and frankly, I'm thrilled. I love the colors, the cool and crisp air, the winding down of the outdoor chores and the preparations for the coming winter.
This is the maple tree at the end of our lane, taken last September. What a knockout!

The Puffin-My Arch Nemesis!

Majestic Montana

My husband and I go through Montana at least once a year-it is without a doubt his favorite state. Alas, in order to keep him retired, he couldn't live there-too pricey!! Those aren't just million dollar views................

Ross Lake, Cascades of Washington

The first time I saw this lake, I was floored. It was the most beautiful shade of blue-green ever.

Strange Bird in our Birdhouse

This adorable little guy spent last summer in our bird feeder. I hope he comes back!

California Dreaming

The coastline of Northern California is gorgeous. I love this picture with the fog drifting in.

Windswept Prairie in North Dakota

The feeling of isolation standing here was overwhelming, yet it was also quite calming. The only sound was a slight wind. I could have stayed for hours.

Cash, the dog

Meet Cash. He was the neighbors dog. We came home from the bank one day, and there he was, laying in the kitchen. The contractor working on the house said he just showed up, walked right in like he owned the place. We tried all day to contact the owner (he had a tag with a phone # on it). While we had him, he was a great dog. All personality. And what a face!

Storm Brewing in Nebraska

I love Nebraska. If it weren't for 96 degrees and oppressive humidity in August, I would live there. It has some wonderful wide open spaces, and some of the friendliest people we've come across in our travels. This old abandoned house is northeast of Valentine. If I had a lick of common sense, I'd have moved to the left just a wee bit and eliminated the telephone pole.
It's not always just the camera......sometimes it's the person using it that makes a bad shot!!

Ocqueoc Falls, Onaway, Michigan

Rainy days mean no working in the yard. So, we went to see the lower peninsula of Michigans' only named waterfall (according to "A Guide to 199 Michigan Waterfalls"). What a pretty setting it was in.

Oregon Coast -Rocky Paradise

In September of 2008, we headed out west with the intentions of seeing Yosemite. We had heard that the Oregon coastline was uncrowded and quite beautiful, and decided to see for ourselves. Wow! We spent a week working our way down the coast, stopping at every park and turnout. Talk about gorgeous. Oregon definately made our list of favorite states.

Yellowstone in November (2007)

This is when I regret not having a really good camera. We had the nicest surprise going through Yellowstone in November....the wildlife was down from the mountains and without the crowds, they were much more accessible. We were supposed to have chains on our truck and did not, so one part of the trip through the park was a bit scary but the amount of animals we saw made it worth it. We'll do it again for sure.

Trail Town, Cody, WY

This is Trail Town in Cody , WY. I just love old weathered buildings. My husband has his foot permanently poised above the brake pedal....I'm always yelling "STOP!" at the sight of weathered wood! Poor man.....this explains his nervous twitch!

A Horse is a Horse, Of Course........

My husband and I travel to Montana once a year.......not so much for the scenery(Well, that TOO!!), but for antiques. Montana Country Antiques in Bozeman is our favorite spot and this horse has been there for the past three years. The gal will not sell him. Though I know I will never get it, I still go there yearly. I'm a glutton for punishment. Sigh............

Swamp in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

I love swamps. I have no idea what it is about them.....they just fascinate me. Maybe it's the quiet. This one was on Forest Road 16 near Mass City, MI. We lived there for a year. I miss all the quiet places up there. I do not miss the lack of decent produce!

Bryce Canyon 3-31-2007

I never knew I would fall so hard for Utah. It was a wonderful surprise. It was part of our "Rocks" vacation -March 2007. I try to pick a "theme" for our trips: rocks, trees, birds, etc., and we go to places that would reflect that. Pink rocks-my favorite!

Bar Harbor, Maine May 20,2006

Maine is awesome-the water is so blue on a sunny day. Again, this may be because its NOT Illinois! I was just fascinated by all the boats. I do not like Lobster though, and this seemed to be an endless source of shock and amazement with the residents.

In the Beginning.............

I bought my first digital camera in April of 2006. My husband was retiring (yea!!) after 30 years of building tires for GoodYear and we were going to head out travelling, hoping to find a place to call home. I knew I didn't want to mess around with film and developing while out and about. My #1 pal had been trying for YEARS to get me to make the switch to digital. Well, she finally won. I went to the local Staples store and asked the young man for the SIMPLEST, MOST IDIOT-PROOF camera on the market. He steered me to the Kodak EasyShare Z730. I spent the next couple of days snapping pictures of such exciting subjects as my compost pile and my cat (Ooooooooo). A week later, we hit the road.........................

My very first vacation photo. Dull, huh. But, I was so excited by this picture-really, I was. It was NOT the cornfields of Illinois.

This blog is just going to be a glimpse of some of my favorite photo's taken over the past 3 years. It will be a snapshot (haha) of what interests me. It won't be in any particular order.....just what suits me that particular day that I'm posting. But, I do hope to prove that sometimes, even cheapy cameras can do a decent job. Not great. But good enough.