Just Hanging Around

Smile pretty for the camera
Who needs a hammock

Just a little fella

The Path to Craggy Pinnacle

The Sheltered Path
Standing Guard

Twists and Turns

The path to Craggy Pinnacle, Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville North Carolina

Waves Upon the Land

Layers of mountains undulating across the earth
The blue waves cresting to the sky

The pinnacle

The winding road

A recent trip to Asheville, North Carolina was good for the body, mind, and soul

In the Garden

The first blackberries from the bush i planted this spring
Squash blossoms are not only pretty, but pretty tasty as well

Can't wait for BLTs

Addicted to the River

I have been kayaking on the Allegheny River every chance i get. I find it both relaxing and exhilarating. If i could do this every day i would.

Wildflowers along the shore are just one of the beautiful wonders to behold. I have been fortunate to see my favorite bird, the heron, on all of my trips on the river at least once. Like a statue standing along the shore patiently waiting for the unsuspecting fish and then majestically flying to the sky when I've come to close. I've tried unsuccessfully to photograph this magnificent animal, but my camera is not so great and by the time i get my camera ready its too late. One of these days I'll get a good shot.

On a trip down the river someone commented how this driftwood looked like a woman sprawled out. This trip i decided to snap a pic. Hmmm, not to be crude, but they were mistaken its a man !

On the Water

I have been enjoying life on the water this summer, although not as much as I'd like. After years of wanting a kayak I finally have one. In fact the name of my blog was inspired by my desire to be on the water. I may not use an oar, but I thought it had a better ring to it than Paddles in the Water. I've put on 20 lbs the last couple of years so maybe I can just paddle my ass off !

,I spent a lot of summers camping at Willow Bay with my family as a child. Dad would take me and my sisters out on the the boat and we'd zip along the water, the spray hitting our faces on hot sunny days.

The pace in the kayak is mostly mellow, but not always. This is my friend Tina Riel Philips going for another round over the fast water we encountered on the Allegheny River. She was amazing- her first attempt landed her in the cold water, but she kept her sunglasses, paddle, kayak, and her composure. I hope to have many more adventures on the water this summer. Now if only i had a good water proof camera to capture the herons and other glorious sights along the way.

Visitor to the Garden

I think this visitor enjoys my hydrangeas as much as I do