Sky Watch Friday - Summer skies

July 23 - Clouds and tall grass

July 23 - Cloud rising through clouds

July 23 - Storm clouds approaching

July 27 - Clouds over Greenbrier Lake

July 29 - Clouds to the east at dusk

Window views - Old windows?

The houses are old, but what about the windows? If you look closely at these windows, you will see a striking difference between them.

The windows in the log house have been replaced with what appears to be vinyl frames and new glass, while the other windows show aging and layers of paint. Also note the halves of the hinges that once held shutters.

My World Tuesday - At the lake

View of the lake

Monday we took our second trip with the grandsons to Greenbrier State Park for a picnic lunch, swimming and generally enjoying the outdoors. Greenbrier is about 30 minutes from home and was a favorite spot for Marianne and the boys' Dad when he was their age. The park also has a kayaks, paddle boats, bath facilities, and miles of trails, including a portion of the Appalachian Trail. (Second and third image taken on July 27, the others taken July 22.) For some more shots around the lake, see Marianne's post and my post last October.

Marianne and the boys

In the water

View through the trees

And a card game to pass the time

Odd shots - Room for one more

I spotted these flies on the bird feeder support waiting for the birds to spill some food. A late comer tries to find a spot.

To see more Odd Shots, start at Katney's Kaboodle and follow the links.

PhotoHunt - Kitchen utensils

Although red is the kitchen theme, Marianne has kitchen utensils of various colors.

Sky Watch Friday - July skies

Cloud over pergola, July 19

Cloud under pergola, July 19

Cloud and hawk, July 19

Sunset over Catoctin Mountain, July 21

Sunset over Catoctin Mountain (wide view), July 21

Window Views - Empty windows

Empty windows like this are a sign of the times. This was the show room of a Nissan/Oldsmobile dealer and its demise preceded the current auto sales decline. It closed after GM dropped the Oldsmobile line. (I had bought an Olds here back in the 80's.) The service area was behind and to the right of this building. It has been empty for quite a few years.

My World Tuesday - Feeding birds

These first two images were taken in Connecticut from Big E's dining room. She has quite a flock of finches and other small birds that visit her feeder throughout the day.

Marianne had ordered a hummingbird feeder as the flowers we have were not attracting the birds like last year. After seeing the finches at Big E's, we also got a second feeder to attract them. They have been slow to find the feeder and Sunday was the first male goldfinch that I saw. Marianne has seen two humming birds, but I have only seen one. They only stay at the feeder for a couple of quick sips. If the camera is not within reach there is no image to post

Odd shots - Where are the birds?

We have several neighbothood cats that wander through our yard. I just happened to be looking when this one was thirsty.

To see more Odd Shots, start at Katney's Kaboodle and follow the links.

PhotoHunt - Big, beautiful rocks

Half Dome from Glacier Point

In 1990 we visited Yosemite National Park. It is a place that I had wanted to visit since I saw Ansel Adams photos as a kid. There is much beautiful scenery in the park: water falls, lakes, river, mountains, trees, wildlife, and some large rocks! (Images scanned from prints and enhanced.)

Marianne beside a rock in the high country

Rocks beside Tenaya Lake

Sky Watch Friday - Afternoon blue

The sky on Tuesday was blue, with a scattering of white clouds drifting overhead, low humidity and below normal temperature.

On Thusday the heat is back and the sky is hazy, but the view through my window is still nice.

Window Views - Window separation

Only the window separates these two from a good chase! The squirrels have demonstrated they are much faster than the neighborhood cats. (Ours are indoor cats and only get to watch, and perchance to dream of catching the squirrel.)

My World Tuesday - Close to home

Bench and yard - late afternoon July 7

New rose bed - early morning July 7

Backyard and field - early morning July 14

Odd shots - Odd eyes?

It was odd to see the neighbors walking a goat in the street in front of our house. And I thought the slit in the eye odd. Marianne posted the story behind the goat.

To see more Odd Shots, start at Katney's Kaboodle and follow the links.

PhotoHunt - Burning garbage

Frederick and Carroll counties are considering a joint waste-to-energy project, using garbage as fuel to generate electricity. There has been a lot of opposition to the project, including this poster on the side of a two-story house. Both county governments recently decided to go ahead with planning for the project. There are a number of hurdles to jump before the project gets going: funding, state permits, federal approvals and continuing political opposition. It will take several years before the plant goes into operation if it clears all the hurdles. There are several waste-to-energy plants in operation in Maryland, including one in Montgomery County just to the south of Frederick.

Sky Watch Friday - Clouds without rain

June 30 - Moon over clouds

June 30 - Long thin cloud

July 6 - Fire in the clouds

July 7 - Western sky at dusk

July 9 - Clouds over farm

Window Views - New roof top windows

A few days ago I spotted some new windows atop this old building in Frederick. Back in January I took the photo below of this vacant, old building when I saw renovation in progress. In addition to the windows on top, it looks like dormer windows are coming to the lower portion of the roof.

Here's a cropped view of the windows.