Red Door

Well, whaddya know? Desperate for something different I found this shot I had forgotten about. This is a side door of St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge. The red reminded me of my mother and daughter, since both are drawn to the color like a magnet.

In other news, the sticky boards underneath our cars are history. When I left for an outing yesterday afternoon, Double D called to tell me that a sparrow had fallen victim. Can you imagine how horrified I was? Well, I was pretty sad and depressed. Later on I read a comment and helpful link on that post from a very dear blogging friend, and realized I had made a terrible mistake by allowing the sticky boards in the first place. I was never comfortable with the idea, but I also couldn't afford any other needless car repairs. For anyone I may have offended, I am truly sorry. I do not recommend sticky boards as a way to deal with wildlife. The link is here should anyone else have a problem with squirrels or other rodents causing damage to property during cold weather. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for that link!

Stop the presses!

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for a special announcement: IT'S FALL, Y'ALL! The post which was scheduled for today has been delayed in order to bring you our fall color; otherwise, you would be seeing these shots late in December. I can't dance, but I'm doing a happy jig right now. I'm thrilled to finally see real fall colors, even if it's scattered here and there. These were taken on W. Lakeshore Dr. on the LSU campus, November 14.

Chinese tallow tree

Snowy egret on a bald cedar

The wind was kicking up quite a bit, so I know this is not in complete focus, but I was hoping someone
could help identify this tree. Since I took this shot last week, all these trees are completely red now.
UPDATE: Using an app called Leafsnap, I was able to identify this as a Willow Oak!

I will be in Mississippi fishing at Lake Okhissa today, so I'll catch up when I return. Y'all have a good one!

Linking with Our World Tuesday.

Coneflowers and a gift

One more post before I leave on my trip. The violent thunderstorm that rolled through here at 5AM bestowed three extra hours on my day. :) I hope all my friends in North Texas are okay, as I learned they had some pretty severe storms, too. Prayers still going out to Oklahoma and the Midwest.

Yesterday I made a quick dash to the arboretum to see what was blooming. Actually, I was hoping to see butterflies, but only saw a clouded sulphur that refused to light. The purple coneflowers were beckoning, so I obliged.

Isn't it sweet how the tall coneflower seems to be sheltering the little one?
It makes me think of the teachers in Oklahoma who sheltered the children from the tornado.

I have no idea what that snowflake-looking thing is in the upper right of the photo.

A sweet surprise awaited me when I returned from the botanical garden. My sweet friend at Gone Country had knitted me a beautiful red scarf! I purchased one from her in January and loved it. I meant to blog about it, but for one reason or another didn't get around to it. She has since learned a new method of creating the scarf and wanted me to have the 'new and improved' version—her words. Although I thought the first scarf was super nice, I must admit the new scarf is very full and luxurious. The yarn she uses is so soft, too. She has recently embarked on The Pink Scarf Project to help women fighting breast cancer. She's got a big heart and mad talent. :) Thank you for blessing me with this unexpected gift, and for remembering that my mom's favorite color was red.

I'd like to leave you with this:

Torn paper by French Kiss Textures
Butterfly by JoesSistah

Lake Martin, LA

I really have a good man with which to live out my days on earth. Nearly every weekend Double D drives me to various swamps, bayous, marshes, etc. to indulge my photography habit. And since I bought him a pair of binoculars, he is becoming quite a birding enthusiast himself. He even went to a hummingbird talk with me one evening last week. What a good sport!

These are from a couple of weeks ago. I've been knee deep in ibises, pelicans, and wrens so these photos haven't had a chance to make an appearance. I think they've waited long enough.

Anhinga - Lake Martin, LA

Lest you think I take only bird photos, here are a few landscapes of Lake Martin.

Marshy swamp filled with algae

A boardwalk at Cypress Island Preserve on the south end of Lake Martin

Gimme a C!

More algae

Notice the little snake peeking from behind the sign. Didn't see that until it was on my monitor.

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