Friday Fotos 2026 #6

Photo by Designecologist: https://www.pexels.com/photo/image-of-river-on-smartphone-1398339/

Friday Fotos is a post where I can dump some photos from the previous week. The goal is to make me more aware of the beauty and fun in my everyday life. 

On Fridays during Lent, I pray the Stations of the Cross at my parish's Outdoor Stations. There's a lot of noise from the road, but it's easy to block it out.

This made me smile. I just picture a mom with her kids, who were enjoying the warm weather, stopping at this tree to play with the kids' meal toys. Hopefully, they came back for them later.

Dogwoods are coming to life!

Laika is hanging in there. She's doing pretty well since the vet prescribed some anti-inflammatories for her hips. She even got into the creek on the day this picture was snapped.

My neighbor's Kwanzan Cherry Tree

The women's group at church just finished our latest session. This was the first time I was the facilitator. We watched a series on The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. We learned a lot and had some incredible discussions.

These red maple pods kind of reminded me of the fuchsia in Ireland. Not nearly as pretty, but the way they drooped down!

Bat houses are all over the park. Hopefully, it will take care of all of the bug problems!

The 5th Sunday of Lent: Everything is veiled, even in the little chapel. In my parish, this happens on the 5th Sunday; some parishes wait until after the Holy Thursday Mass 

Stained glass windows and the Stations of the Cross (found in every Catholic Church) are not covered. Why do we veil everything else? The short answer: to remind us of the importance of Holy Week (the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday) and to keep us focused on Christ's Passion during this last week of Lent. 

Thanks for taking the time to see what I saw beauty in this week!

Friday Fotos 2025- #1

 

Well, here we are in the 4th month of 2025 & I've decided to once again revive Friday Fotos. Friday Fotos is a post where I can dump some photos from the previous week. The goal is to make me more aware of the beauty and fun in my everyday life. 

This picture was from last week but it's too pretty not to share. The blossoms are spent this week...they just don't last long enough!

I love seeing the redbuds against the dogwoods; the tree in the front makes it that much prettier.

Wildflowers are covering the fields in the park.

Flowers are also in the woods.

This was taken just after a storm. It reminds me of Psalm144:5 
Lower your heavens and come down, 
touch the mountains; wreathe them in smoke.

I don't remember seeing these plants before so I checked on Lens: They are trillium.

YS & his fiance took me to brunch for my birthday. Honey Lavender Latte, plus all kinds of amazing goodness from Potchke Deli.

Friday Fotos 2024 #6

 Friday Fotos is a post where I can dump some photos from the previous week. The goal is to make me more aware of the beauty and fun in my everyday life. I guess I took a bit of an unplanned and then planned hiatus since the last of these posts on April 5th, but I'm back...at least for this week!

The magnolias are blooming! This is from a big magnolia in the park next to my house.

I had a nice quiet evening on my back porch, sipping some Northern Irish Whiskey and listening to '70's music.

The "baby magnolia" in the park is just starting to bloom.

The landscapers did a great job repositioning my daddy's amaryllis...I thought I only had 2 and this is the best they've looked in years.

I don't know why I didn't think of this before. I haven't found anything that will grow in this area on my front porch. Last night the thought came to me to get beach rocks & put them in there. It ties in the dry creek bed that the landscapers put in my front yard. (see picture below)

This isn't from this week, but this is the dry creek bed that the landscapers put in to help with drainage in the front yard.

Until next time...

Friday Fotos 2024 #3

Friday Fotos is a post where I can dump some photos from the previous week. The goal is to make me more aware of the beauty and fun in my everyday life. 

Trees in the park were budding at the end of last week.  I love the sign of new life, spring, and warm weather!

This is a horrible picture of a hawk. I hear them all the time in the park but rarely see them. This is a red-shouldered hawk. I hear them in the park, and then red-tailed hawks circle in the field across from my house. They are magnificent birds!

I think this is a red maple. I noticed its color while on a walk. Just beautiful.

This is the same tree as the first picture, but a few days later. 

This pretty little flower is a bunch daffodil. So small & delicate!

One of the signs in the rival town of the Small Town. How many times have I driven by this sign and not read it? I need to learn to slow down and take time to read some of the history that's in my backyard.

I hope you're taking the time to enjoy the beauty that's around you every day. Until next time!

Friday Fotos 2024 #2

Friday Fotos is a post where I can dump some photos from the previous week. The goal is to make me more aware of the beauty and fun in my everyday life. 

There's nothing like running into your sister when you go out to eat lunch! It was completely unplanned, but so nice!

I captured this rainbow one evening. It was just stunning!

The Lenten Roses are blooming in the park.

Gurl Dogg enjoys her daily walks, even when it's windy.

My lone daffodil in my yard. Every year I look at it and think I need to plant more. 

We had a couple of very windy days. This tree (and the bridge) in the park were casualties.

Look what I heard in the park one evening! I heard a couple of owls that evening and a few days before I heard one that sounded like he was very close to the house. Owls & Hawks are just the coolest birds! I think this was the first time I heard a Kinglet around my house. The Merlin app is so interesting!

Until next time! 

{Friday Foto Friends} Amazing Nature

I'm linking up with Deb at Breathing in Grace for another Friday Foto Friends. 

I'm proud of not killing this plant over the last 4 years I've had it!

My hibiscus bloomed for the first time since I put it outside. It blooms in the winter when I have it inside, but didn't bloom last summer at all. Not once, but about a week after I brought it in when the weather started getting cooler, it bloomed. Go figure.

Flowers from 1 of my Daddy's gardens.

I've been taking Laika & "Gurl Dogg" down to my parents' in the evenings to give them a chance to get out some of their energy. I walk around the yard, looking at what's blooming, and reminiscing.

Never in my life!

I have never seen a squirrel with a white tail! The picture is a little blurry...I didn't have time to grab my big girl camera and I zoomed in to get this guy. I've seen white squirrels in Brevard, NC, but nothing like this!

Rainbow on the 4th

My brother and SIL almost always host a family gathering at their house on the 4th. We had some clouds, rain, and sun, which was perfect for a rainbow. This picture doesn't do it justice: the colors were so vivid. It was just beautiful.

Beginning of rainbow

This was the first rainbow that I've seen the beginning of it. If you look closely under the arrow, you can just make out all of the colors.

Jose has a new home

My daddy made this; it used to sit on their back porch. My brother had the perfect spot for it next to his pool. Some of the blades were missing (and my brother thought he lost them) so he used an old license plate and made blades for him. This was the first 4th without my daddy; we had a good time, but I definitely felt like something was missing.

She has found a safe place!

Did you really think I was going to get through a FFF post without a puppy picture? 😀 Gurl Dogg found her "safe place": under our bed. She stayed under there when fireworks were going off (even though it's illegal in the Small Town).

Irresistible!

Last puppy picture...for now! Who could resist that face? I just love when she comes up to me and rests her little head on the couch. Such a sweetie!