Branches

I'd be lying, if I said I preferred trees without their leaves.  Nevertheless, I think there is an eerie beauty to these bare branches

Fall Beauty

The leaves aren't the only ones sporting bright colors.

Icy!

With high summer temperatures and even higher heat indexes, this icy sparkle is more than tempting.

Beat The Heat

If the heat and humidity are weighing you down, close your eyes and dream of being here!

Summer Memories

Soon schools will be closing for summer vacation.   I still remember the heady feeling of sunshine, nature and long days of freedom to do as I pleased.

Ruffled Feathers

I grew up in northern mountains, where summer temperatures rarely reached ninety and the plentiful breezes were the only air conditioning that we needed.

Signs Of Spring

Spring fever is in the air.

Warm and Friendly Giveaway

This post brought to you by QuadraFire. All opinions are 100% mine.

The utility bill arrived the other day and I could see my daughter frowning at it.  We believe in green living and part of that lifestyle includes keeping our thermostat set low during the winter.   Despite our efforts at conservation, the electric bill does climb during the coldest months. I've often wished there was a way to stay warm, while reducing our carbon footprint and our utility bills.

Turns out that there is a way to do just that.
Keep reading to learn how and to participate in a notebook giveaway.

Winter Wedding

Remember the Teddy Bear’s Picnic song?  I always envisioned a summer picnic, but why not a winter one?

Snow Lover

The grass is still green and the leaves are just beginning to turn, but a couple of frosts and a chill in the air tell me that snow will be in the not too distant future.

Fruit Of The Vine

When I lived in western New York, we devoted one fall weekend each year to visiting the Finger Lakes region.  The foliage was breathtaking and the scent of ripened grapes in the vineyards made me wish I could stay there year round.

Cool

Hot weather getting to you?  Here's a bit of winter to help you keep cool.

Summer Pleasure

Ahh!  Nothing beats dipping your feet in the waves, particularly after a walk across sun-soaked sands.

Daffodils

No matter what the groundhog says, I know that spring is arround the corner, when daffodils begin to bloom. Alas, I have not spotted any this year.

Butterflies

Our short reprieve from cold weather has ended, so I thought I'd add a little summer warmth with this pretty monarch butterfly in its colorful setting. I used to work in a high-rise park that had a beautiful park in its center. One of its features was a butterfly garden - a bed planted with flowers that attract butterflies. I was a bit skeptical the first time I heard about it, but once the flowers were in bloom, it had a continual array of colorful butterflies. I can't believe that I don't have one picture of it.

Frosty's Relative

Nothing beat the first snowman of the year. Or the hot chocolate and cookies that my mother served after we can in from play.

Snowfall

Snow has fallen twice in the last week. Here in Memphis, it doesn't last long, especially when it is interspersed with rain. My granddaughter has never seen the kind of snow I experienced as a child and I hope that someday, she will get to build more than a mini snowman.

Apple Season

It's that time of year again. My daughter brought home apples the other day and they have already disappeared. Macs have a crispy crunch and a tart taste in the fall. By spring, I'll have left them behind for Granny Smith's which tend to stay tart for a longer time.

Sadly, we couldn't move our apple trees with us from Georgia. When we have a more permanent residence, perhaps we can plant some more.

Vermont Foliage

An aunt, who visited our Vermont home, was amazed by the brilliance of the foliage. She took lots of pictures to show her friends. They were skeptical, however, claiming the pictures had been altered. On her next visit, she skipped the photos and collected leaves instead.

Hint of Autumn

When I lived in Vermont, it was not unusual to see a few touches of color grace the higher elevations at this time of year.

The temperature is in the low 80's today. Last night we turned off the air conditioning and let the night air cool the house. That's the only hint of autumn here in the south. We'll have to wait a couple more months for our leaves to change.