Appreciating the Fall Colors: Today’s Nature Walk

10726818_10202176535569586_205909727_nThere is a trail that runs behind the laundromat here in Binghamton, NY. They call it the rail trail and it is a paved trail on the old rail line that is great for walking, biking, and roller-blading.

While I was waiting for my laundry to dry today, I headed out and decided to get some walking in as the weather was gorgeous and the day mildly warm.

And little did I know…

There are some nature trails that branch off the main trail!

10721402_10202176529289429_368447150_nI’m a country girl by heart and grew up walking the trails next to my house. So this felt like a dream and a gift to me. There is nothing more magical than the woods…surrounded by trees, fresh air and the sound of leaves crunching underfoot.

woods1I saw deer scampering away from me as I wandered on; a few bunnies, too, and everywhere there was the rustle of chipmunks, birds and squirrels scurrying away from the path. Even though this little sanctuary is wedged between two highways, and you can hear the distant sounds of trucks and cars rumbling along the road, it is amazing to me how life manages to flourish anyway in the small, forgotten places of the world.

And I stumbled upon this beauty:

10721259_10202176531649488_1045797590_nA Great Egret, stopping to rest in the swamp here as it migrates South. They are usually pretty rare in this area. (I wish I could have gotten a better shot, but my crunchy steps on the leaves scared it away.)

I was amazed at the vastness of the landscape…such a small woods, but so many mysteries, so many great surprises.

10723530_10202176534209552_1183297525_n

10721290_10202176530009447_1936874047_nI am a Summer girl through and through, but Fall is such an amazing time of the year for me. It feels like a season of great reflection, to remember to appreciate the beauty of the things around you before it goes away for a while.

10728665_10202176533209527_1977863149_n 10719034_10202176533849543_454068244_n 10721077_10202176530089449_584952512_n Such a great day! And I was very pleased with the shots I got. What do you love about Fall?

Is it the food? The weather? The colors? Comment below if you want!

Happy Writing Everyone! 🙂

Ah, Summer…

Well, May passed by in a blur! Can’t believe that it is June already! But, as I am a June baby (my birthday is next week, June 7th! Yeah, baby!) I love that Summer is just about here and all the things that come with it!

I love the heat, the lightning bugs, the sound of a screen door slamming shut; the hum and croak of bull frogs in the pond next to my house, the crickets singing in the grass.

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Pine Cradle lake. A camping trip a few years ago…

Ah, Summer

I love that it is the time of flip-flops and tank tops and shorts and sun-glasses. A time where sweaty socks are forgotten and tucked in the back of an underwear drawer somewhere, and you can slap, slap, slap, your way through cold, air-conditioned super markets. There’s something satisfying about the feel of feet slapping across a smooth, solid floor…

I love the food of summer time: hotdogs, and jello, and pasta salads; pies and watermelon, strawberry short-cake, ice cream, s’mores and iced tea.

And with all these delicious foods come the outings: picnics, cookouts and camping and trips next to the lake…

My girls! ❤

Nights out on the town with girlfriends in the sweltering summer heat, drinking rum-and-coke, and moving with a freedom that doesn’t happen in winter. Your body is like liquid and moves where you want it to, finally released from the burden of bulky winter clothes…a summer breeze that caresses bare shoulders, like a soft blanket…

Everything is life, life, life and the world is humming, waiting to be explored!

Summer is exciting! I love it when everything comes back to life again and myself with it! Although I have been rather busy with work lately, I look forward to the time spent with friends and the mini-vacations that we have planned! (Still need to post updates on past trips!) Exciting days ahead! 🙂

Went to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon with one of my girlfriends memorial day weekend! :) So Beautiful!

Went to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon with one of my girlfriends memorial day weekend! 🙂 So Beautiful!

My goal is to post here at least once a month, although I certainly want to post more with pictures of trips and adventures and such! Hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather! Got any exciting plans?

Happy Summer y’all!

Ramblings of a Distracted Writer

Glider at Harris Hill, NY.

Well…was thinking about what to post…(I know I’ve been rather quiet lately.) But I do have some good news!

Got a job interview next week at the airport near me and I hope everything works out fine. The job doesn’t have many hours to it, but I figured what the heck…it’s something and NOT retail!

Also, I hear there are some pretty good flight benefits working for an airline…so that’s something! And it will give me something to do…(been sooo bored lately!)

Wish me luucck!

This weekend has been another busy one for me, so will probably not get to post again until Monday. Been thinking about the purposes of this blog and I realize I have been distracting myself. The idea is to help advertise myself and my writing, not use the blog to distract me from writing! (Oh, the woes of a distracted writer!)

I want to focus more on writing itself and getting this book together. Not sure how much time I’ll get to spend on here, if I do get this job, but I am very excited nonetheless. My goal is to make writing a full-time career of mine, but there is nothing wrong with it being a part-time job as well! 🙂