Surrounded by Beauty

I’ve been blogging about the Faith a lot, but I wanted to share some beautiful pictures of our drive/hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway here in Southwest Virginia this past weekend. I’m always amazed at the beauty in our world.

On a related note, as we drove by these huge, expensive (new) neighborhoods tucked behind small ranch homes that were likely built in the 1950′s, as well as a few mobile homes, I remembered an article Elizabeth Scalia wrote about beauty in our Catholic Churches, and how the poor deserve to be surrounded by beauty, as well. Well, God certainly does His part, doesn’t He?

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Wordless Wednesday: In Which I Reveal I Can’t Sleep Late on Vacation

I was up for the sunrise most mornings on vacation. I don’t know why. I can’t get up early if I try most days at home, especially if I need to be up.

Ah, well. Here are a couple of sunrise shots, taken from our (screened-in) balcony in our vacation unit. Others can be seen here, at my MobileMe gallery.

Wordless Wednesday: Sun-Dappled Mountains

I took these as a storm was rolling in. I loved how the sunlight was illuminating parts of the mountains! (Note: I didn’t retouch these at all, it was just that pretty.)

Wordless Wednesday: Golden-Dusted Azalea

You can see the full-size version of this (where you’re able to see the pollen on the petals, pistils, and stamen) in my macro photostream, here.

Wordless Wednesday: Dandy-Lion King in My Garden

I went out and took some pictures of the blooming flowers in my garden yesterday. Pioneer Woman ran a photo contest with macros as the theme, so I decided to enter a couple of shots. Here’s one of my favorites, though it’s not the one I entered. Click on through to see the others, if that’s your kind of thing.

More here, on my Flickr account.

Wordless Wednesday: Surprise Pair

I was sick enough Sunday morning that I missed Mass. Palm. Sunday. Mass. Big Girl sought out an EMHC to bring Jesus to me (I cried when the family was leaving as I asked), but while I waited, in the just-after-the-rain I saw a beautiful cardinal in the tree.

No, not that kind of cardinal. The bird.

Anyway, I had gotten my camera out earlier when I was trying (unsuccessfully) to snap a shot of the red-breasted robins’ red breasts, and so I took a few pictures. Partway through, I realized that I’d also gotten his mate, who was barely visible in the branches below him. This was the first shot I snapped that, when I looked, I saw her.

Here are a few more shots of the cardinals, in case you like that sort of thing.

I played around a bit with color on this one, and cropped it in close.

I actually did NOT touch this one up at all. Straight off the SD card. Honest Injun!

I did finally manage to get a robin, red breast and all, so I cropped in and boosted the color a tiny bit. (I’m only working with iPhoto here – no Aperture or Photoshop Elements or Photoshop – so I’ve only got some basic customizing I can work with. One day, I’ll get some fancier stuff.) I love his beautiful red breast and the tiny, bright-yellow beak. Robins are some of my favorite birds because they are heralds of Spring.

Wordless Wednesday: Big Girl’s Photo Edition

Big Girl has been taking my camera and taking pictures lately. Here’s a sampling of some of her work.

Taken from sitting in a swing, looking up.

Wordless Wednesday: This Bud’s for You!

Robins are around again, the trees and lilac bushes are budding, and the weather is warming up. Spring is right around the corner! And that means Easter is almost here!

We’ve Got Snow!

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Yeah, big deal. So does half the country. But…I’ve got beautiful pictures of the snow!

I decided there’s only so many “kids building a snow fort” pictures I can take, so I started playing around with the snow on the trees and the scenery. Hope you enjoy these photographs!

The view from our kitchen.

These are the neighbors’ willow trees. They are beautiful in snow and ice.

I love their twisty boughs.

Building a snow fort.

I was traipsing around the front yard when I noticed that the inner boughs of the evergreen tree had these snow patterns on them. Beautiful!

Al the Snowman™, who wields the Staff of Global Warming™.

Another view of the woods on the hill behind our home.

Snow Pictures!

Did you hear about the blizzard? (Of course you did!)

Well, here’s what things looked like yesterday in our neck of the woods.

Little Girl didn’t know I was taking her picture here. She was just making a snow angel, which later was covered up by the snow we shoveled off the driveway and sidewalk.

Our neighbor came out with his tractor and scraped both his and our driveways clear of most of the snow. We love living here!

The beginnings of our igloo.

You know, we never DID get our mail yesterday. Hmph!

We walked up the street, where I took this picture of the mountains just south of us.