Spring Has Sprung

I'm back. Did you miss me? Well. That Polar Vortex of a winter we had just about did me in. I do believe all my cognitive function was frozen, rendering me into a state of hibernation. I mean, unless you are a Polar Bear, one can only take so much of the cold…ice…snow…bleak...grey winter. This Texan has had enough. And then, day by passing day, there would be little hints of spring: It's not going to snow today-hooray! It didn't get into the single digits last night…yippee! Hey-- I actually left the house without needing to wear a coat…joy! You start to notice the sun setting later and later with each passing day. You recognize the cheerful chorus of birds singing from the trees above. Along with that lovely musical chorus comes the daily deposit of bird poop on your windshield…but hey, I'll gladly take that over snow, ice and freezing temperatures. Suddenly you notice lush new green grass springing up through the deadness of winter. Plants and trees are all slowly awakening to make their colorful spring debut. And I will tell you that I have never seen such a welcome sight in my life. Hallelujah!

Spring...

Has...

Sprung!!!

 Gorgeous yellow Dandelions are sprouting up everywhere. And driving around town you see the Cherry Blossoms and Plum Blossoms in all their glory--beautiful white flowers and various shades of vivid pink-gorgeous!

A colorful Forsythia bush springs to life 

Nothing says spring like lovely, fragrant Hyacinth blooms…and the Easter Bunny, of course!

Vivid bursts of spring color every where 

We've had such great weather lately with temperatures in the 60's and 70's 

and sunny clear blue skies that everyone just wants to be outside to soak it all in. 

I ventured to the Capitol recently to get some shots.

So there I am strolling along when I hear the roar of a plane flying overhead. I gaze up to the sky and lo and behold, there flies a C-130….pretty cool!

The grounds of the Capitol are budding with white, pink and purple blooms and pops of colorful flowers, but a lot of the Walnut and Beech trees are just starting to bud with new growth.

Gorgeous spring blossoms

A dramatic shot of Ol' Abe with Capitol dome in the background

I don't know the name of this one, but it's pretty

And then as I was getting ready to leave, I decided to take a few shots of the Capitol dome with my 55-300 mm lens. As you can see, it makes for an eye catching subject against the backdrop of the blue sky. This 293 foot gold dome is actually 5 feet higher than the dome of the U.S. Capitol. The entire dome is gilded in 23 1/2 karat gold leaf applied to the copper and lead roof in tiny 3 3/8 inch squares.
Beautiful detail!

So there you have it. Some cheerful "spring-y" photos to brighten your day and a few Capitol facts.

Happy Spring, Y'all!!!

Hello Kitty

It has been a little over a month since we lost sweet Tyler. The house has been so empty and quiet without our furry friend to greet us at the door or to follow us around the house like a faithful shadow. There is something comforting about having a pet around to lay by your feet and to love on. We had considered getting another Golden Retriever puppy before Tyler died, but it just never happened. But in his absence, we have really been motivated to get another dog. So we have searched for local breeders and come across a couple of them who are expecting litters in April and May. So by the time the pup would be weaned, it will most likely be mid-summer before we bring a new little bundle of fur home.

In the meantime, I got to thinking…why not get a cat? Haha. Yes this is the same person who, after a string of unsuccessful "cat relationships" about 10 years ago, adamantly stated, "I will never own another cat." Well. If there is one thing I have learned about life--especially in the last year--it is NEVER SAY NEVER. Because karma has a way of biting you in the butt and what you say you will NEVER do is EXACTLY what happens!

So off we go to the local animal shelter to browse for the perfect feline friend. Only, not so much. Let's just say their cat selection left a lot to be desired.

Next, the boys and I hit Petco. We saw a pretty calico named Priscilla that we liked. An then there was a cute orange tabby named Roscoe. We took them out go their cages and tried to play with them but nothing really "clicked" between us and them. Neither were quite the right fit.

Then we met a sweet little 6 month old tabby named Lola.

She immediately came up to us and crawled into Mason's lap and started purring, much to his delight. Yep-that's the cat for us! Felines are known to be independent and sometimes finicky by nature, so when you come across a friendly kitty with great lap-cat potential, you gotta go with it ;-)

She had no problem settling right in and making herself at home.

Mason has wanted a kitty for some time now so it didn't take long for him to bond with Lola!

Lola…the purr-fect cat!

Sayonara, Winter

Dear Winter,

This is a hard letter to write…(ok, not really)

You came into my life right on the heels of a beautiful fall, ushering it out in good time. I can still remember the thrill I felt when I woke up that first November morning to a world blanketed in a beautiful white wonderland of snow. I excitedly dressed in all my winter gear and then ventured outside to bask in the wonder of the quiet, icy beauty. After all, we don't get to experience winter of this magnitude back in Texas! Yes, I was as giddy as a child to go out and play in the fluffy white snow. Did I mention that that first snowy day that I so fondly recall was a brisk day back in NOVEMBER? Yes indeed, we had a beautiful white Thanksgiving, followed by a few snowy days in December.

And then came January and February. Wow. All I can say is that it is a darn good thing that I have always welcomed the cold with open arms because otherwise, this Texan would be running from the WV hills at full speed. I mean, I do love the cold and all, but temperatures in the teens and single digits? That's just downright brutal!

So here we are - MARCH 1st.  I don't think Mother Nature got the memo about March being the month that ushers in spring! And they are forecasting that this region of the country is expecting a "winter ice storm" on Monday. Joy. Now we did have a few beautiful sunny days last week when it got up into the 50's and 60's-oh, happiness! I'm taking that as a sign from mother nature, saying, "Hang in there--spring is right around the corner." From what I have heard from the locals, that is typical for this time of year--a tease of spring and then BAM-more snow!

Winter, I just gotta tell it like it is: I want to break up with you.

Yes I admit it was all giddy and new and romantic and cold and white and snowy in the beginning. But that was then. This is now.

If you have sensed a certain "chilliness" between us, you are right. Somehow I can't help but give you the "cold shoulder" when I have to endure day after day of this cold stuff!

Enough is enough.  I need a certain someone with more of a "spring" in their step. Someone with a "warmer" personality.

No offense Winter--I'm sure I will be glad to see you in the full evolution of the seasons this time next year, but for now, it's time to hit the road, Jack Frost!

Beautiful Babcock State Park

We ventured out in the snowy weather recently to capture the winter picture of the Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park. The grist mill was built in 1976 and is a fully operable re-creation of a mill which once ground grain on Glade Creek long before Babcock became a state park. The mill was created by combining parts and pieces from three mills which once dotted the state. The Glade Springs Grist Mill is a living monument to the over 500 mills which thrived in West Virginia at the turn of the century. It provides freshly ground cornmeal which park guests may purchase depending on availability and stream conditions. This grist mill is iconic in this area-if you've seen pictures, postcards or calendars of the scenic beauty of West Virginia, chances are you've seen the famous gristmill shot.

We ventured to the park last fall to capture the mill surrounded by fall foliage.
We were past the peak leaves, but it was still beautiful, nonetheless.

And here it is in all it's wintry glory.

Beautiful! And cold. It was snowing like mad and 20 degrees. There was at least a foot or more of powdery snow-perfect for snow shoeing. Wait--did you say snow shoeing?! Well, by golly, we just so happened to bring ours--let's put 'em on and hit the proverbial snowy trail, shall we??

Talk about GINORMOUS icicles!

Taking shelter in an icicle cave.

Happy snowy trails to you!

Beautiful…just like a postcard!

Anyone up for a brisk dip in the river?

All that powder makes a great beer chiller!

I love this photo--the boys are enjoying a jolly moment. Michael….not so much!lol 

The snow finally stopped and I was able to capture the perfect wintry moment!

There comes a moment when you realize that you are DONE  with tromping through the snow.
I do believe we have reached that point!

Babcock State Park in the winter--a must see for everyone!