“Discovering this idyllic place, we find ourselves filled with a yearning to linger here, where time stands still and beauty overwhelms.” ~Unknown
Swallowtail on a butterfly bush
Tennessee
Head up!
“Always hold your head up, but be careful to keep your nose at a friendly level.” ~Max L. Forman
Final journey
For many years, the Illinois Central carried passengers through West Tennessee on its journey between Chicago and New Orleans. Watching the trains pass through our small town, as a child, is a little piece of local history that I recall fondly. Sadly, these two old passenger cars, sitting on the side tracks at a local scrap metal recycling facility, have made their final journey. Somehow, I can’t help but wish that they had met a kinder fate.
Life is like a journey, taken on a train
With a pair of travelers at each windowpane.
I may sit beside you all the journey through,
Or I may sit elsewhere, never knowing you.
But if fate should make me sit by your side,
Let’s be pleasant travelers; it’s so short a ride.
~Unknown
Great Egret
“Calmness is the graceful form of confidence.” ~Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach
Red-Winged Blackbirds
A male and female Red-winged blackbird sitting in a marshy area near the Mississippi River.
The marsh, to him who enters it in a receptive mood, holds, besides mosquitoes and stagnation, melody, the mystery of unknown waters, and the sweetness of Nature undisturbed by man. ~ Charles William Beebe
Honey bee
“A work of arte; and yet no arte of man,
Can worke, this worke, these little creatures can”
~ Geffrey Whitney, 1586.
Clothed in white
White is not a mere absence of color; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black. God paints in many colors; but He never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when He paints in white. ~G. K. Chesterton
Northern Flicker
I saw this stunning bird sitting in the yard using her curved bill to dig for insects in the ground. Though I was quite thrilled with my encounter, others didn’t share my enthusiasm. I was told that while beautiful, flickers can also be a nuisance — pecking holes and doing damage to both trees and houses.
“I am, as I am; whether hideous, or handsome, depends upon who is made the judge.” ~Herman Melville
Young sparrow
Waiting patiently …
Finally, some food! …
Any more??? …
Where’d you go? …
I want some more!!!
“Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.” ~Barbara Johnson
White-marked tussock moth caterpillar
The White-marked tussock moth caterpillar is easily distinguished by its red head, black stripe down the center, four white tuffs near the front and two red dots toward the back. Though its bright colors make it pretty to look at, it is best to avoid any contact, as its stinging hairs can cause an irritating rash.
“Our best decisions are often what we choose not to get involved in.” ~Doug Cooper
walking on a country road 