Water

lovely sunset along the Washington state coast in the Olympic Peninsula
The "sticks" at the edge of the beach are actually tree trunks washed up on shore.  This is a very wild place!


Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny is so much fun!  This week our assignment is the letter "W."  Come see other submissions HERE and join in the fun!

photo by me © 2015  all rights reserved

Gardens

detail of friends' garden--lovely pond in the backyard

Sunny Point Cafe, Asheville, North Carolina--kitchen garden detail

A young boy dreams in beautiful Krutch Park, Knoxville, Tennessee.  Whimsy, a sculpture by Pamela Reithmeier is on the right.

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny is so much fun!  This week our assignment is letter "G."  Come see others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!




photos by me © 2013 and 2014

whimsical

more photos from my last vacation...

The I ♥ ARUBA sign was on the beach across from where I was staying.  It was fun to watch people stop by, arrange themselves, and take photos.  One morning, I had a bit of fun taking photos for people.

uummm....what WERE they thinking when they named this business?  (Aruba)

love this sign!  Watch out for the frog men and women crossing the road!  (Bonaire)

Trees are growing through the roof!  (Aruba)

Banana Bus, Aruba  See the frogs on the hood?

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny is so much fun!  This week our assignment is letter "W."  Come see others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!


photos by me © 2015    all rights reserved

vacation

a few random photos from my last vacation...

Malmok Beach, Aruba.  This is near the northern part of the island, a favorite spot for kite and wind surfers.

1000 steps, Bonaire--a wonderful place to scuba or snorkel (I snorkeled.)  It not quite a 1000 steps down to the beach, more like 70.  It's coming back up with tons of gear that makes it seem like 1000!  The world that awaits below the sea is a wonder!

the beach at the bottom of 1000 steps

back to Aruba's southern end at Baby Beach, so named because the water is very calm

ahh...nothing like watching the sun sink into the water at the end of the day!  If you look closely you will see a pelican floating in the water just below and to the right of the sun.

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny is so much fun!  This week our assignment is letter "V."  Come see others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!


photos by me © 2015    all rights reserved

sea

northernmost part of Aruba's wild eastern side

“My soul is full of longing
for the secret of the sea,
and the heart of the great ocean

    sends a thrilling pulse through me.”       

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week out letter is "S."  Come see others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!



photo by me © 2015   all rights reserved

"adopted" pets

On a recent trip to Aruba, I "adopted" a few new pets!  First, there was a small herd of kitties who came to hang out on our deck and entertain.  Most were about 6 months old. 

These kitties were very sweet and friendly.  Hubby was so enthralled, he brought them tooona which they lapped up greedily.


On Eagle Beach, a little dog frolicked in the sand, running back and forth, bouncing and jumping, full of joy.

And then on Bonaire, we enjoyed the company of a mockingbird and a lizard both of whom visited our patio repeatedly.

This is a Whiptail Blue Lizard (Cnemidophorus murinus ruthveni), endemic to only Bonaire. 

It was fun to enjoy these adopted pets while missing our kitty at home.

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week out letter is "P."  Come see others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!


photos by me  © 2015   all rights reserved 

ocean

Malmok Beach, Aruba, Netherland Antilles

Malmok Beach

near Arashi Beach, Aruba (north of Malmok)

Eagle Beach in Aruba is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. The sand is powdery white, turning pinkish beige when wet.  The water is gorgeous liquid aqua, lighter or deeper in color depending on light and time of day.

along Queen's Highway in Bonaire.  There are numerous sites to shore snorkel or dive along this road.  (drive by shooting--see the wiper blade and the rectangular glare in the sky?)

Baby Beach, Aruba (southern end)

smell the sea, and feel the sky
let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic...  

~Van Morrison 

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This post is for the letter "O."  I didn't submit it to the link-up in time, but you can see others' submissions HERE.  



photos by me  © 2015   all rights reserved 

nap time!

Snoozing is one of life's best joys according to Oliver, be it

in a sun puddle

on a warm lap

on his favorite blanket

or under the furniture.

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is  "N."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!  


photos by me  © 2014-2015   all rights reserved 

magic

Mossy Magic

Late January.  A gentle snow had frosted the landscape with a sugar-ice coating.  Eight friends embarked on a hike through a gorgeous forest enjoying the Wintery loveliness.
(hike to Natural Bridge, Red River Gorge, Kentucky)

Butterfly Magic

A young girl marvels at the loveliness of the pretty butterfly landing on her fingers.
(The Butterfly Farm, St. Martin)

Sunrise Magic

I rarely see sunrises, and this one from an airplane was awesome!

Kitty Magic

Oliver is so charming as well as the sweetest!

Flower Magic

Two black eyed susans grew together creating this strange and curious flower.  The other side (which you cannot see) looks exactly like this side.

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is  "M."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!  




photos by me  © 2014-2015   all rights reserved 

Zabriskie Point

Death Valley badlands

"The otherworldly badlands around you are deathly silent and still.  Yet this arid scene is often the result of the violent action of water and earthquakes."
(~sign on site)

Long ago, shimmering lakes filled the valley.  Silt washed into the lakes creating thick deposits of clay, yellow sandstone, and tan siltstone.  Flung into the lakes, hot mud, lava, and volcanic ash caused streaks of color.  This created the Furnace Creek Formation.  Seismic activity tilted the once level layers.  Rainstorms cause gullywashers that continue to carve out this strangely beautiful landscape. 

In July of this year, hubby and I began our visit to Death Valley here.  Unlike much of Death Valley which is at or below sea level, Zabriskie Point is 713 feet (217 meters) above sea level.

Borax, a combination of the element boron and various salts, has been mined here.  (The last of the mines closed in 2005.)  Borax can be found in laundry detergent, cosmetics, insulation in walls and roofs, fire extinguishers, ceramic dishes, and the glass in electronic touchpads.

looking down on the parking lot

LINKS:
mining in Death Valley, National Park Service
hikespeak 
National Parks Traveler  interesting!
The 20 MuleTeam borax brand spawned a radio show that later became a TV show.  Called Death Valley Days, it ran for many years.  Ronald Reagan appeared on this show!  (link includes a clip of this show but don't know if Reagan is in it.) 

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is  "Z."  Come visit others' submissions HERE  and join in the fun!  

PS:
uses of Borax:
"Borax is well known as an ingredient in high efficiency laundry detergents, but it's most important modern use is in the production of fiberglass and borosilicate glass. The element Boron has powerful abilities to stengthen, toughen and make fire-resistant glasses, metals, wood, and fibers. It is used in appoximately three hundred high-tech products. A few of its uses are as soldering flux, in welding rods, as preservatives for wood and fabric, as fire retardant, in insecticides, in pottery glaze, as antiseptics, in hybrid fuels, and in experimental fuel cells." ~from National Park Service site

photos by me  © 2014   all rights reserved