Merrry Christmas!

Christmas Collage Sheet #2 for You!

Here is the second collage sheet. Have fun with it! Have a great Christmas Eve!

A Christmas Collage Sheet for You!

Today and tomorrow I am posting a collage sheet for all of you. I am printing these on card stock and cutting them out and using them as place cards at my table this year. I hope you find something creative to do with them!

A Christmas Thought - Card

Just two more days till Christmas. Can you believe it? I made it to the mountains yesterday. Saw a couple of the boys last night for dinner. It was so good to see them.

It is wet with some snow on the ground. Today I move into the cabin I have rented for a week. I am so excited. After I unpack my car it is off to the grocery store. Then once my new nest is set up I am going to be lost to the outside world for the next week or so. I have brought lots of art supplies and plan on using them. Hope you are all finishing up your last minute preparations.

Merry Christmas Postcard #7

Sunset on the Island - Digital Photograph

A good sunset is worth a million words. I walked out from dinner night before last and this is what awaited me. It was one of those total jaw droppers. I love the reds and pinks. I used the new fish eye app frome my iphone for this one. Hope you are all enjoying wonderful sunsets!

Happy Christmas Postcard #6

Holiday Madness

This is the Christmas tree when you first get to the island where I have been staying. I am so sorry for not posting since I got here. The house where I am staying has internet it just does not have enough juice to let me upload photographs or publish a post.

I am a little leary of going to Starbucks or McDonalds to upload. I am not sure what information they retain on those public sites. I am posting a bunch of beach things tonight. I hope you enjoy them. I have been walking on the beach everyday it hasn't been raining, eating great food, visiting with wonderful friends and their family, shopping with girlfriends for our families, and reading lots of books. I had to put off reading while packing, sorting, and moving.

Journaling is about the only art I have done the past few weeks. Of course, I have been taking pictures like a mad woman. My five year old phone died and I replaced it with the new iphone and every camera app I could find. A new world...

I am hoping everyone is shopped and wrapped, decorated and starting their cooking. I am off to the mountains for a week or so to see my boys. A good time and good food is planned by all. Snow is expected!

ps the tree was photographed with my iphone

Merry Christmas Postcard #5

Beach Food - Lunch

Thought I would share one of my favorite lunches here at the beach with you. This is fresh Tuna with roasted vegetables and a fresh salad. Love the blue cheese crumbles. One of the perks of living here is not just the Pelicans get to eat fresh fish!

Good Wishes Christmas Postcard #4

Pelicans

"Sitting on the dock in the bay."

This fellow and some of his friends are not very shy and tolerate me taking pictures of them. Pelicans are such big odd looking birds. Of course this time of year without all the tourists and the migration of so many types of birds, you really notice the Pelican.


This is a group of Brown Pelicans and King Pelicans hanging out behind my new favorite fish shop. I like to come watch them during low tide. The pelican on the lower right has just caught some large squidy looking thing.

Pelicans are something you just sort of take for granted here at the beach. They cruise by in groups of five to nine flying low over the water looking for food. Then all of a sudden one will dive into the water and come up with a fish. Swallow it down with a gulp or two and then fly off to join his friends. They are quiet birds for being so big. They are also protected birds under the wildlife act.

Here at the beach where I am staying someone has been killing them in large numbers. As many as 20 to 60 have been discovered in the past few weeks. It is so sickening. I will never understand the mentality of these people. Harming such magnificent creatures. I am hoping they find these people, quickly. Meanwhile, I am enjoying watching them and learning more about them.

Merry Christmas Postcard #3

Walking on the Beach

The view every morning as I get to the beach. The moment I hit the dune I start to relax.

Most mornings and afternoons it is just me and the birds. The first few weeks I shared the stroll with a couple of pods of dolphins. They made lots of noise and would fight the birds for fish.

These were pretty scary stairs to go up and down to the beach. However this flock of northern Blackbirds hung out here for almost two weeks. They would get all excited as I approached. I think they were hoping I had food for them. Instead I just took there picture.

Here is one of the curious souls. He followed me, flew around me, would light on the stairs, and ended up almost letting me touch him. He is the one in the previous picture on top of the stairs.

This is the beach as the sun starts to go down. It is so early now for sunset. I miss the long summer afternoons.

The group of Northern Blackbirds waiting for my return.

Merry Christmas Postcard #2

Digital Photograph - The Loner

This is a most beautiful tree from the Wildlife Refuge. As I drove through the refuge I saw this tree with a large bird sitting in it. I stopped...took a picture...drove closer...stopped...took a picture this went on for some time till I arrived at the tree. I got out and started to take pictures of the tree and the bird. As I zoomed in on the bird I realized the rather large bird was not a Vulture but a large male Bald Eagle who was keeping an eye on me. He graciously allowed me to take several pictures before he flew off - screeching - to wow me with catching a fish.

I have submitted one of the photos to a photo contest or else I would share. Keep your fingers crossed that I get atleast a honorable mention. The background for this photograph I gleaned from DJ Pettitte. Thank you DJ.

Merry Christmas Postcard #1

A Look Through My Camera Lens...

swan refuge

Thought I would share a look through my camera with you. I took over 900 photographs yesterday. It was a day filled with Eastern North Carolina. I can not wait to go through them all and edit them so I can share them with you. It was an amazing day...