Peace & Joy

Wishing You Peace & Joy for the Holiday Season

Winter Solstice

On this day that marks the first day of winter, robins, who usually herald the beginning of spring, arrived in our yard in a big flock. It was amazing to see them! As winter days often are, today was partly sunny, partly cloudy, and mostly cold!!!

One of the Many Robins in Our Yard Today

Crepe Myrtle Berries Against a Cloudy Sky

Turkey Vulture Enjoying the Sunshine

Wishing You Joy on the Shortest Day of the Year

Seasonal Art

More of my miniatures ...

Christmas Chipmunk

Fox in Snowy Woods

Silent Night

Cat's Coming!

Night Flight

Aurora Skies

Season of Sharing

Flower Close-Ups

Red Christmas Cactus

African Violet 1

African Violet 2

African Violet 3

White Christmas Cactus

First Snow

We awoke to our first snowy day … everything sprinkled in white.

Trees Dusted with Snow

Hungry Titmouse

Festive Shanti

Wintry World

Snow Covered Branches

Winter Sunrise

Though winter won't officially arrive until the solstice on December 21st, it looks and feels like winter already. Dawn in wintertime can be especially beautiful. The sky ranges from bright vivid colors to gentle subtle ones. To see the bright orange sun peek over the horizon, heralding a new day, is always spectacular!

Gentle pastel colored sky as day breaks

A golden, fiery sun peeks over the horizon

Glorious morning sun

Merry & Bright

The holiday decorating continues ...

Season of JOY

Woodland Santa

Grinch & Friends

Christmas Cactus in Red & Green

Squirt, the Otter, Sports a Santa Hat

Wildlife Close-Ups

Yellow-Bellied Sap Sucker

Chipmunk on our back porch

Mourning Dove

Silver's Photo Shoot

Silver in profile

Silver in Action

Silver Up-side Down

Silver Stretched Out Lounging

What Shanti Thinks of Silver's Photo Shoot :)

Holiday Decorating Begins⛄

Festive Hutch

The Animals Christmas

The dining room is the first room of our cabin to get holiday touches. There are candles here and there. Their golden glow adds warmth and makes things magical. 

December's Arrival

The month of December arrived in a dense cloud of fog. It's a very gray day in our mountains today … a good time to begin holiday decorating to brighten things up :)

Scene to the side of our cabin

Front View

Back View

Stretching into the Holiday Season

"Winter Welcome"

All of a sudden, the holiday season is upon us. Stores have had their Christmas displays up with holiday goods to sell since Halloween. The hustle and bustle has already begun at the shopping centers. Advertisers everywhere are hawking their wares. It's easy to get wrapped up in the mania of commercialism at this time of year and almost forget the most precious gift of all ... the love we give one another.

The traditions of the holidays and the merry making are enjoyable, especially so if we don't lose sight of what's most important. A warm smile and a kind word are priceless. The love you share with others will long be remembered after all the holiday trappings are whooshed away from the store shelves to make way for a new shopping "season." 

May your Thanksgiving be blessed by gratitude and remembered with love

... and ...

May all your holidays be happy days!!!

Natural Beauty

Young doe highlighted by sunshine

Typical November Day

Gray Skies

Bee Balm & Black-Eyed-Susan Seed Heads

View through the trees returning as leaves fall

Bright berries lend color ...

As do maple leaves yet to fall

Praying Mantis still out and about

Wooly Bear Caterpillar curled up on oak leaf