America The Beautiful - Happy Fourth of July!

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In the summer of 1893, an English instructor named Katharine Lee Bates from Wellesley College went west to teach a short summer course at Colorado College. And one day a group of teachers took a covered wagon ride to Pikes Peak. Miss Bates was worn out from the wagon ride and the walk to an observation deck at the pinnacle. But when she looked out and saw the sight, she was so thrilled and inspired that she pulled a piece of paper out of her bag and started writing a poem which she called Pikes Peak to be published two years later in the Fourth of July edition of The Congregationalist newspaper. The poem has been engraved on a monument at that viewpoint.

We were lucky enough to be able to visit Pike's Peak last year. It is beautiful up there!

Ray Charles is one of my favorite musical artist. My town, Albany Georgia, boast of being his birthplace. When I listened to the different versions of America The Beautiful on You Tube that Ray Charles sang, this version is the one that I thought really brought out the "soul" of the song.

Friday Shoot Out - Celebrate Life!

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Doreen of Little Pockets of Happiness chose the theme Celebrate Life! for this week's challenge.

One definition of celebrate: to mark a happy occasion by engaging in some pleasurable activity.

It gives me great pleasure to take photos of things that give me pleasure to look at :-)

I love bright colors and butterflies. My heart jumps when I see a beautiful butterfly... not just because I want a photo, but because it is beautiful and brings beauty to my heart and soul.

I dont' say often "yuck a bug!" because I find beauty in them too. This assassin bug is very colorful upon the azalea petal with lot of pollen abounding... I celebrated its beauty too.


I like the subtle color of a small Orchard Spider. I watch the miracle of it spinning its web and I celebrate.


Frank gave me a gift this week.. no special occasion. A gift that he knows will bring me great pleasure. A step-up ring so I can use the filters for my Sony f717 camera with my Sony A700 camera. I celebrate Our Love.
(this is the only photo I took this week for the shoot-out, the rest of the photos are from my archives)


I celebrate food. Baked sweet potatoes are so nutritious and taste so yummy! (don't you wish you could capture the odors of some things)


The color of a tomato. I love tomatoes! My Mama says that I should be about made of them because I've eaten so many. I celebrate my taste for them and the beauty they are for the eyes.


I have a sweet tooth. So I celebrate a time I made a Pecan Carrot Cake.


Who can help but celebrate the birth of an animal be it bird...

Carolina Chickadee


Northern Cardinal


or Calf and Pigs


I celebrated when I saw a Dad playing with his baby girl....


I celebrated when a dog gave a toddler a sweet kiss behind the ear.




I celebrate Family even when it is a hot August day and it is 113° outside and not much cooler inside the church social hall. Amazing how fast family can eat and visit when it is hot.

Tomorrow I will celebrate our countries birth at home quietly thinking about the great things about our country.

If you would like to join in go to Friday My Town Shoot Out for more information and a list of participants.

Not Much Happening Today

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Yesterday was grocery shopping and a headache day. Today has been a quiet day for the most part.

Frank cooked dinner, we ate, and I washed dishes.

Then off to physical therapy. Chip put heat on my shoulder. I really started to get hot by time the ten minutes were up. Then some loosening maneuvers and I get to do a few exercises with weights. Then I get the bike... it operates by hand or feet. Since it is my arm that needs the exercise I use my hands and am told to let my right arm do the work and just let my left arm go through the motion... for only three minutes. This is a machine I would like for home. But the price is Too Much.



An hour passed quickly and it was time to go home.

This afternoon I put a few entries into my genealogy data base and I did a few changes to a web site I take care of. I worked a bit on my post for tomorrow. Now it is time to relax.