Green & Purple

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Spring!

Today I am thankful for spring break! We haven't been anywhere and the temps haven't felt particularly spring like but it has been so great spending more time with the boys...we've watched a couple of movies, went out for lunch and just hung out being lazy...today Dalton is going to his girlfriend's house (she's been out of town all week) and Braden is at a friend's house so it's just me and Ozzy for the day but I think I'll use that time to clean up Christian's old room!

Oh, I'm also thankful for Tom over at Back Roads Traveller he is taking over Willy Nilly starting tomorrow! Thank you Tom and thank you to everyone for participating...I'm just having a rough time keeping up with it so Tom is nice enough to host it for us!! Thanks again Tom!!

Linking up with Michelle's Thankful Thursday

Willy Nilly Friday 5 No. 167

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1)
Devil's Backbone
Right outside of Eagle Rock...everytime we pass there is a flag on the rock...we went through a week or so ago and didn't see a flag but it's up to nice volunteers who just take the treacherous hike and do it themselves..depending on the weather I'm sure... CLICK HERE to read a story about 2 young women who have changed the flag out and some great pictures! And CLICK HERE for another story along with the history!

2)
Dal Nita Hills . Troutville . Botetourt County

This is one of my favorite trees! We lived in this neighborhood for a few years before moving into the house we are in now...this tree was at the entrance and always reminded me of The Tree of Life...

3)
Colors of spring!

4)
Another favorite tree of mine at Greenfield...see that clump of trees up the hill to the right? That is where the slave cabins used to be...don't even get me started on that ha...if you don't remember all the controversy around it, type "slave cabins" in my search bar and there will be plenty o' reading haha...short version, the county moved them from their original home to turn this beautiful area into an industrial park...$ always wins right? :(

5)
More spring!!

That's my 5 this week!! I hope you will join in too! Post 5 randoms, link back and visit others!! Thanks for joining friends and have a great weekend!!



By the way, thanks for all the info about my picture storage problems!! I will look into getting an external hard drive...I had no idea!! What would I do without you all?!!

Black & White Wednesday

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Pittsburgh . PA

This was back in 2013...I have mentioned that I'm going through my archives...my computer is so low on memory right now so I just keep deleting photos that I should have deleted years ago to try and free up more space...it's making me not even want to get out and take pictures because I have no storage space to download them :( I really need to fix this situation ASAP!

On another note, we have a snow day today! Crazy weather! I went to pick up Dalton from work at 10 last night and it had started snowing while I was waiting for him...it was fun and we stopped at Kroger to pick up a few things for their "snow day"...wasn't really concerned about the roads because the weather people have been saying it's not going to stick on the roads, just grassy areas like our last snow...finished shopping and the parking lot was covered in snow when we came outside! The roads were awful trying to get back home...I slid a few times but thankfully no other vehicles were near me...I'm not going to lie, it was a little troubling!

First day of spring ha!!

Overdressed

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Hickory, NC


“Do whatever makes your spirit glow out loud.”
― TemitOpe Ibrahim

Linking up this week with Mersad's Through My Lens

Willy Nilly Friday 5 No. 121

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I'm going to show you some springy-ness that's popping up around my house:
1)

My front porch and the neighbor's pretty white tree...

2)

Looking down the street at another pretty white tree...
(I have blooming tree envy as none of my trees in my yard bloom at all...we've been here almost 2 years and I need to plant a few pretty blooming trees!)

3)

Forsythia across the street...

4)

One of my favorite views along Mountain Pass Road

5) I took these on Thursday afternoon as I was heading out to do a few errands...it was a pretty day, blue skies and warm weather but that's all supposed to change over the weekend, maybe even some snow, yikes! I'm so worried that everything that has bloomed will die and spring will be ruined before it has even had a chance to be spring!

That's my 5 this week! I hope you play along too! Post 5 randoms, link back, visit others! Have a great weekend :)


I'm linking up with Photo Friday

Pinks, Whites & Greens

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JMU Arboretum

Today I am thankful for seeing signs of spring popping up everywhere! I've seen Forsythia blooming, Daffodils along the side of the road, my Daisy bushes that I trimmed way back have little leaves sprouting and I can see huge buds on all the trees! Although our winter has been mostly mild spring is such an exciting season to me and I can barely wait each year! The photo above was taken back in May of 2015 on a visit to see Ashlyn.

Linking with Michelle's Thankful Thursday

Through My Lens - DC

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Heading to lunch

The view from our hotel room

Buying tickets to ride the Metro. My flash went off and freaked people out...

Night view from our hotel room

Some spring colors

Linking with Mersad's Through My Lens

Happy Monday!

Through My Lens - The Cherry Blossoms

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My best friend from San Diego whom I have been friends with ALL my life, was in DC this week on a field trip with her son and his 8th grade class. With her being so close, we drove up for a short visit, and to see the Cherry Blossoms!

Our normal 3.5 - 4 hour drive to DC took us 6 hours. We were wondering what was up with all the traffic.

3 words: Cherry Blossom Festival. That's why all the traffic. And all the people. I have never seen DC so crowded. I want to say there were millions wandering around but I tend to exaggerate so I'll just say, "many thousands of people". Driving, walking, standing...ugh...I don't like big crowds. It was hard to move around, it was hard to take pictures.

But look at all those beautiful blossoms!

We wanted to walk over to the Jefferson Memorial but....

quickly changed our minds. It's stressful walking through millions thousands of people.

These people had the right idea.

Because of the crowds, we decided to just leave our vehicle parked at the hotel and use the metro to get around. That was fun, and easy...well, easy once you figured out how to use it, which I never did understand...thankfully Nick caught on quick!

Our ride back home ended up only taking us the normal 3.5 hours. Next time we come up to see the Cherry Blossoms it will not be during the festival that's for sure! But my visit was more about seeing my friend, which we managed to catch up in the hotel lounge and talk for a while & had breakfast together the next day before she was loaded back on her bus for more sight seeing!

Linking up with Mersad's Through My Lens

For more info on the Cherry Blossoms CLICK HERE

Good Fences - Coaling Road

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Coaling Road . Troutville

“I think trees should bloom earlier in the spring. They act like they are on a schedule. It’s not like they have anywhere to go.”
― Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not FOR SALE

Linking with Tex's Good Fences

Happy Thursday!

Through My Lens - Tree Lined Streets

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Streets like this make me happy!

I love that house and notice the old style flag they have hanging? These were all taken in Salem on Saturday....rainy afternoon...I only had my phone with me and had to snap quick shots in between the windshield wipers as my husband drove lol...My husband works in Salem but it is not an area I visit often...usually only when the boys have a sporting event there....but seeing these pretty old houses and streets makes me want to make a point to go back over spring break and walk around with my camera!

Linking with Mersad's Through My Lens