199/366

Houseplant

I love houseplants.  This one is turning out to be a beauty.  It needs to be repotted though. I already purchased the soil so now I have to be on the lookout for a bigger pot.

It's Saturday and it's 101 F.  right now.  By Wed it's supposed to be 108 F. with no rain in the forecast. This is too tedious and it's really

No Fun At All.

My heart is grateful for:

air-conditioning

115/366

Beautiful Nature

Seen in a back yard of an acquaintance in upstate NY.  How I've missed this...

My heart is grateful for:

the respite of being someplace "green" for a few days

335/365

Sunset at the Lake

I'm not usually out at sunset.  Tonight I was at the lake and this beautiful sunset happened.  The colors were so intense and for once I was able to capture the beauty.  

My heart is grateful for:

beautiful sunsets

218/365

Adirondack Chairs and Fountain

Seen outside an eating area.

My heart is grateful for:

being able to take a short nap this afternoon

213/365

Hope for the Future

This is a small section of a beautiful sculpture seen on the campus of the Abilene Christian University in Abilene, TX.  The entire sculpture is of a mom and dad kneeling on each side of the baby, holding her skyward.  The inscription plate reads:

Hope for the Future

Gift to ACU from

Mr & Mrs Gayole Potter & others

1989

I'm grateful for:

The hope we have in God's providence for our future

166/365

The Rainbow

I'm falling behind on the "daily" photo again.  It's so frustrating.  Partly because some of my days seem to fall apart but largely because there just doesn't seem to be anything worth my effort to photograph.

I know that isn't really a thing.  I could set up a scene in my house, I could travel to areas where I haven't been for a while, I could find inspiration online...

Anyway, I was at my daughter's the other day when it rained and then there was this beautiful rainbow.  I had my grown-up camera with me, but I took this with my phone, so it's not as good as it could have been, but it's pretty awesome nonetheless.  It's been a very, very long time since I've been anywhere where I could see the entire rainbow from end to end.  

My heart is grateful:

for the rainbow as God's promise to His people

146/365

Coleus in Black and White

Seen at the Sarasota Botanical Gardens.  I was practicing with the bw setting on my camera and took this photo as a test shot. When I looked at my camera, I KNEW this was a keeper.

My heart is grateful for:

the beauty that surrounds us if we but have the eyes to see

144/365

Miniature Carnations

Beautiful blooming miniature carnations.  It's been fun watching them open slowly over the past few days.  

My heart is grateful today for:

a peaceful, cooler morning at home

137/365

Sunset at the Beach

After walking through town and having a delicious ice cream, we wandered down to the beach and saw this beautiful sunset.  I've never been good at photographing sunsets, but I tried again.  

This is just an average image, but being near the ocean soothes my soul.

My heart is grateful for:

the opportunity to spend some time near the ocean with a good friend 

135/365

Wall Art

One of the newer burger places in town is in a complex with other food businesses.

Wherever there's a garbage bin area, the bins are surrounded on three sides with a cement wall and the walls are decorated with beautiful wall art.  

What a great way to provide some beauty to hide an ugly (but necessary) sight.

My heart is grateful for:

being able to celebrate Mother's Day with my daughter and her family

118/365

Blue and Gold Macaw

This Macaw is a resident of the Abilene Zoo.  He/She is on one of the branches of the tree almost all the time.  I don't think I've ever heard it talk, but maybe he's just not motivated when I'm there.  

These large parrots eat seeds, nuts, fruits, palm, fruits, leaves, flowers and stems as well as a large variety of vegetables.  They can live up to 60 years and often outlive their owners.  Macaws bond for life and are monogamous.

My heart is grateful for:

so much beauty in the animal kingdom 

64/365

Just a Bouquet of Blue Sunflowers

Someone was done with a bouquet of colorful flowers even though they still looked pretty vibrant.  I boldly asked for them and spent some time trying to get a good shot.

It was fun and I didn't feel as exhausted setting this up as I did the other day.  There were some pretty yellow sunflowers and some Chinese asters but for some reason I liked this one best.

I'm grateful today for:

clean drinking water at the turn of the tap

56/365

Pink Lily

My daughter had a bouquet of flowers on her table.  She always seems to have fresh flowers in spite of the cost of buying a bouquet almost every shopping day.

There were two or three of these pink lilies.  I couldn't resist getting a photo of the most perfect one.  I couldn't really stage it the way I wanted to, but I think it's still beautiful.

My heart is happy today:

rejoicing in the beauty God has created for us to enjoy

33/365

Winter

A few years ago when I relocated to central Texas from upstate NY, one of my major thoughts was that I'd never have to deal with winter/snow/freezing temperatures again.

Well, the joke's on me.  I had no idea that parts of Texas would deal with such intense winter conditions.  I sometimes compare our temps with those in Fairbanks, AK, and sadly, we're often colder (it's only for a short time but still.....)

So our garbage is collected every Monday and Thursday mornings.  This trash can has been at the curb since Monday.  It's Thursday morning and there hasn't been a collection yet.  I'm not complaining, just stating a fact.  When I went out there this morning, I saw the icicles hanging from the lid and had to get a pic before I destroyed the beauty of them.  If someone had designed this, they couldn't have done a more beautiful job.  

The driveway and streets aren't icy anymore but the grass and trash can haven't thawed yet.

My thankful for today:

Homemade soup in the fridge for dinner tonight