Belted Kingfisher, July 29, 2015

Wild Bird Wednesday, ABC Wednesday, and Signs

Wild Bird Wednesday

Belted Kingfisher, Lee county, Mississippi, USA, July 8, 2015

I don't know what alarmed this Kingfisher, but it was calling and flapping its wings.  I think it is a female; perhaps she has a nest nearby.

Belted kingfishers live near lakes, ponds, and streams where there is an abundance of food:  small fish and other aquatic animals. 

ABC Wednesday
C is for The Copper Still Wine and Spirits

The Copper Still is a boutique wine and spirits store in Gallatin, Tennessee, USA.

We spotted their truck at Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Corinth, Mississippi.

Signs, Signs

Tupelo, Mississippi, USA, July 18, 2015

Honey Bees are busy making honey

Have a beautiful day!

For more bird photos, visit Wild Bird Wednesday:  Click Here!

For more on the letter C, visit ABC Wednesday:  Click Here!

For more signs, visit Signs, Signs: Click Here!


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Brown-eyed Susan, July 27, 2015

Lee county, Mississippi, USA, June 12, 2015

I think this is either Brown-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia trilobia or Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta.  I forgot to pay closer attention to the stems and leaves in order to make a positive ID.

I hope you have a beautiful week!

For more macros photos, visit Macro Monday 2:  Click Here!

For more photos featuring the color Yellow, visit Monday Mellow Yellows:  Click Here!


NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

Scavenger Hunt, July 26, 2015

This week's Scavenger Hunt prompts are:

Selfie, Rows, One word, I Love This, and White on White.

Selfie



 

I like to spend as much time as possible outdoors.

Rows

A Zinnia's petals are in concentric rows.

One Word

Pretty!

I Love This

I love this garden ornament, and I love the friend who gave it to me.

White on White

Night-Blooming Cactus

Have a wonderful day!

For more Scavenger Hunt fun:  Click Here!


NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

Deer, July 25, 2015

Camera Critters and Saturday's Critters

White-tailed Deer in a soy bean field, Prentiss county, Mississippi, USA, July 16, 2015

 

Scenic Week-Ends

Jackson, Tennessee, USA, July 22, 2015

Have a wonderful week-end!

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Sky Watch Friday, July 24, 2015

Jackson, Tennessee, USA, Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Happy Sky Watch Friday!

To check out the weather around the world, visit Sky Watch Friday:  Click Here!

NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

South Spring Street, July 23, 2015

Tupelo, Mississippi, USA, July 18, 2015

This fence acts as a screen between this small park in Tupelo and the railroad tracks.  The various panels tell a bit of the city's history.

Tupelo was the first city to receive electric power from the Tennessee Valley Authority.

The Golden Wave is the name of the high school sports teams.

Tupelo's main claim to fame:  Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo on January 8, 1935.

Gum Pond was Tupelo's original name.  The name was changed to Tupelo after the American Civil War and it was incorporated as a town in 1870.

Mill Village was built to house employees of the cotton mill built in 1901.  The old mill and the houses around it are being preserved as an historic district.

Tupelo, Mississippi, USA, July 18, 2015

Here is a wider view of the area.  The railroad track and decorative fence are just outside this photo to the left. This small park makes great use of the narrow strip of land between South Spring Street and the railroad tracks.  The chain-link/wire-mesh fence on the right encloses a basketball court on the other side of the street.

Have a wonderful day!

For more fence photos, visit Good fences:  Click Here!

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Buttonbush, July 22, 2015

Wildflower Wednesday, ABC Wednesday, Signs, and Wednesday Waters

Wildflower Wednesday

Buttonbush, Lee county, Mississippi, USA, July 8, 2015

Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis, is a tall shrub with dark green leaves that come to a point at the tip.  It likes moist soil so it is most often found in marshes or near streams, ponds, and lakes. 

In the Summer, it produces Ping-Pong sized balls of tiny flowers.   Bees and butterflies sip the nectar and pollinate the flowers.  The seeds are eaten by ducks, geese and shorebirds.

Dragonfly, Lee county, Mississippi, USA

I did not see any bees or butterflies on the Buttonbush, but this dragonfly was darting around. I watched and waited until it lit nearby.  I hope it was catching mosquitos!

ABC Wednesday
B is for Bottle Art:  Bottles converted into works of art.

Jackson, Tennessee, USA, July 9, 2015

We went to the Summer Celebration at West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson, Tennessee. The theme was Bees, Birds, Butterflies, and Bottles.

If this is too massive for your garden, how about something lighter...

...like these small bottles filled with colored water.

 

Or perhaps, a bottle tree is more your style.

 

Signs, Signs

Summer Celebration at Jackson, Tennessee, USA, July 9, 2015

The mess didn't seem to bother this Dragonfly!

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Wednesday Waters

Pickwick Lake, Mississippi, USA, July 6, 2015

If you ever wanted to own a paddle-wheel riverboat, here's your chance. The Pickwick Belle is for sale by Captain's Choice Boat and Yacht Sales in Iuka, Mississippi.  (If you are wondering how to pronounce Iuka, it is  eye-you-ka, and it was the name of an American Indian chief).

Have a Beautiful Day!

For more wildflowers, visit Gail at Clay and Limestone:  Click Here!

For more photos featuring the letter B, visit ABC Wednesday: Click Here!

For more photos of signs, visit Lesley for Signs, Signs:  Click Here!

For more water photos, visit Gemma for Wednesday Waters:  Click Here!


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Double Day Lily, July 20, 2015

Prentiss county, Mississippi, USA, June 30, 2015

A celebration: this is my 500th post!

Have a Wonderful Day!

For more macro photos, visit Macro Monday:  Click Here!

For more photos with a little or a lot of Yellow, visit Monday Mellow Yellows:  Click Here!

NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

Squirrels, Birds, and Bridges, July 18, 2015

Camera Critters and Saturday's Critters

 City Park, Booneville, Mississippi, USA

The most common squirrel here is the Grey Squirrel.  This one didn't want to yield the walking track to me!  I was able to get really close before it scampered off.

City Park, Booneville, Mississippi, USA

This Grey Squirrel has a genetic variation that scientists refer to as a color morph.  The Brown Morph causes its tail to be brown instead of grey. 

I'd Rather B Birdin'

Mockingbird, Booneville, Mississippi, USA, June 29, 2015

Always take your camera with you - birds are everywhere!  This Mockingbird was hopping along a hedge bordering a fast-food restaurant's parking lot.

Saturday Silhouettes

Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge across the Tennessee River, June 14, 2015

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Have a wonderful week-end!

For more Camera Critters:  Click Here!

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Canna Lilies, July 17, 2015

Orange and Floral Friday

Canna Lilies, Jackson, Tennessee, USA, July 9, 2015

I don't know which is prettier, the orange blooms or the delicately striped leaves.

 

Sky Watch Friday

Corinth, Mississippi, USA, July 11, 2015

We had beautiful blue skies for Green Market Day in Corinth last Saturday.

 

Have a wonderful week-end!

 

To check out the weather around the world, visit Sky Watch Friday:  Click Here!

 

For more photos featuring the color Orange, visit Orange You Glad It's Friday:  Click Here!

 

For more flower photos, visit Floral Friday Fotos:  Click Here!

 

NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

 

 

Barn with Fences, July 16, 2015

Lee county, Mississippi, July 13, 2015

How many fences do you see?

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Did you notice the barb-wire fence in the foreground?

There are two white fences running alongside a road.

Then there are fences near the barn.

 

Have a Great Day!

 

For more fence photos, visit The Run A Round Ranch for Good Fences:  Click Here!

 

On Sunday, visit Tom The Backroads Traveller for The Barn Collective:  Click Here!

 

NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

 

 

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, July 2015

Northeast Mississippi, USA zone 7

Begonia, Nonstop Mocca White

I'm sure you've heard, "It's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time."  Well, that was true for me last Thursday.  We were coming home from a trip to Jackson, Tennessee, when we stopped at a garden center south of town.  Just on a whim, just to look around.  At the end of one of the plant tables was a small garbage can full of discarded plants (in full bloom) - I couldn't believe my eyes!  I asked if I could have them, and after consulting the manager, the answer was Yes, I could.  I rescued 17 Begonia plants!  When I asked why they were discarding them, they said they just weren't selling, and they did not want to keep watering them. 

Begonia, Nonstop Pink Shades

Most are white, but there are four in various shades of red, and one dazzling yellow.

Begonia, Nonstop Mocca Yellow

And the leaves are so pretty!  The plant tags describe the color as 'deep chocolate.'  They were in tiny pots, so as soon as I got home I re-potted them. They look so happy to have more room to grow.  I gave four plants to a friend, and four more to another friend.  Now I have six white Begonias, two pink ones, the yellow one, and two very appreciative friends!

Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

To see gardens around the world, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens:  Click Here!

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Hibiscus, July 14, 2015

Our World Tuesday and Ruby Tuesday Too

Hibiscus, Jackson, Tennessee, USA, July 9, 2015

Last Thursday a friend and I went to a Master Gardeners' Plant Sale in Jackson, TN.

I've read in gardening catalogs about flowers as big as dinner plates, but I always thought they were exaggerating just a little.  No exaggeration, these Hibiscus blooms are larger than dinner plates!  I just stood there, astounded, while my friend walked around looking at all the other plants for sale.

The red Hibiscus were not as large as the pink ones, but very eye-catching.  I didn't buy one, did not even look at the price tag, just stood there admiring.

I hope you find beauty in your world today!

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Mushrooms, July 13, 2015

Shiloh, Tennessee, USA, July 6, 2015

City Park, Booneville, Mississippi, USA, July 5, 2015

Happy Monday! Have a great week!

For more macro photos, visit Macro Monday 2:  Click Here!

For more photos featuring the color Yellow, visit Monday Mellow Yellows:  Click Here!


NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

Scavenger Hunt, July 12, 2015

Scavenger Hunt and Scenic Week-Ends

This week's Scavenger Hunt prompts are:
Down the Street, Beneath my Feet, Faceless, Blurry, and Red White and Blue.

Down the Street

My street is a country road, and at a small pond down the road lives a Great Blue Heron.

Beneath my Feet

Beneath my feet is a mushroom village.

Faceless

Faceless self-portrait. I was amazed at how small the doors were in this log cabin built in 1860.  I could barely walk through without bumping my head.

It is near a walking trail at Bay Springs Lake, Tishomingo county, Mississippi, USA

Blurry

In twenty-four hours we had 9 1/2 inches (24 cm) of rain - an amazing amount of rain for our area.  This is the view through the car windshield on July 4.

Red, White, and Blue

"One nation, under God."

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

For more scavenger hunt fun, visit Ashley Sisk for Scavenger Hunt Sunday:  Click Here!

If you enjoy scenic photos like the log cabin, visit Scenic Week-Ends:  Click Here


NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.