Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Monday, July 29, 2019

ROSES Just for YOU

Melody Parfumee Rose,  6/1/19
Hello Blog Friends!!!!   Hope you enjoyed  JULY... We had a hot couple of weeks --but this past week has been marvelous here with lower temperatures and lower humidity.... I think we had a 'touch of Autumn'.....   BUT--the Summer heat will return!!!!

For those of you who have been following my  "Dealing with A Fib" Story since early 2018,  I have some really good news!!!  My 6 week visit to my Heart Physician after my Ablation was,  for lack of a better word,  AWESOME.   I am doing great,  am in Normal Sinus Rhythm,  am off of all heart meds now (except for my blood thinner, Xarelto),  and have NO restrictions as to traveling or hiking. My Doctor said:  "Do what you feel like doing"...   SO --just in time for my upcoming 77th Birthday, we will be 'hitting the road' soon... YEAH RAH!!!!   (I will say that A Fib and Diabetes are similar in that there is NO CURE.  The A Fib may show up again sometime.   IF it does,   I'll keep fighting.  I will not give up!)   Thanks for all of your love and prayers.

Today ---I will share with you more pictures of some of the beautiful ROSES in our yard... All of these pictures were taken between June 1 and June 9, 2019.      Sit back and enjoy the beauty!!!!



Something Special Rose,  6/1/19




My Caroline Rose,  6/1/19




Queen Elizabeth Rose, 6/2/19




Fragrant Cloud Rose, 6/3/19




Soft Whisper Rose, 6/3/19




Radiant Perfume Rose, 6/3/19




Peppermint Splash Rose,  6/4/19




Perfect Moment Rose,  6/4/19




Francis Meilland Rose, 6/8/19




Strike It Rich Rose, 6/5/19




Wildfire Rose, 6/4/19




Chicago Peace Rose, 6/5/19




Elegant Lady Rose,  6/8/19




Paradise Rose, 6/9/19




Touch of Class Rose,  6/9/19




Bewitched Rose,  6/1/19
My question to you:  "What are your favorites in this group"??????   It's hard for me to choose since they are all so pretty... BUT--when just looking at these pictures,  I'd pick  Soft Whisper and Wildfire....  

Have a fantastic week ahead!!!!

Hugs,





Monday, July 22, 2019

A Hike I will NEVER Forget

My Favorite Picture that day --as we hiked on the String Lake Trail in the Tetons (9/13/18)
Dear Friends,   Today I am re-living a rough day I had on Sept. 13, 2018.....  George and I were on our West Trip to Montana and Wyoming (from Sept. 6-17)---and even though I had had a rough year with my heart medications and my rapidly beating heart,  I had been doing fairly well on that trip until this day.....

Since I had been feeling pretty good,   we decided to take a SHORT hike  (or at least we 'thought' it was going to be short) around String Lake.   To say it bluntly,  I wasn't prepared for this hike AT ALL.  What turned out to be a one to two mile hike became a FIVE mile hike.... Of course,  we hadn't prepared to get lost,  and have to turn around a couple of time... AND ---since it was only going to be a short hike,  we didn't even have any water with us on that very warm day in September.    GADS--we weren't ready for that hike!!!!!

The directions we had been following deceived us ---BUT it was our fault for not doing enough research ahead of time.  I love the hikes in the Tetons  --but those trails are not marked very well and ONE has to know where they are going .....  We obviously did NOT!!!!!!

The backside of that trail didn't go directly around the lake  (like we thought it would) ---but headed up into the mountain behind.  At first,  we thought it was SO pretty back in there.   And --as you'll see below,  we got some great pictures that day.  BUT---once up in those mountains,  there were several different trails (unmarked)...   It got very confusing  --and the GPS didn't help at all....

With A Fib and with the medications,  one HAS to stay hydrated.... That is hard when I'm sweating and  hiking that far with no water.   I got extremely weak  and light-headed---and was barely making it....  I was also scared because I thought I was going to faint... (Luckily I didn't!)

After we got about as far as I could go,   I convinced George to go ahead  to the car to get WATER....   He didn't want to leave me --but I insisted. Needless to say,  he walked MORE than five miles that day --going to the car and then coming back to find me.... Bless his heart.  He is truly an amazing guy!

We didn't see many hikers on that trail that day ---but I did meet a couple of younger ladies.  They shared some of their water with me (which helped)....   There was nowhere to sit down, so I kept walking (albeit VERY SLOWLY) ---and finally got BACK down to the lake --and found a bench....

It was cooler by the water ---and I started feeling some better mainly just being able to SIT for awhile and because those wonderful ladies had shared their water with me.   I walked some more ---and George finally got back to me.  We were SO glad to see each other.... This part of the trail along the lake was fairly flat and there were benches here and there, and it was shady... We both finally made it back to the car..... What a hike!!!!!!   As I said in my title --this is one I will never forget...  AND --it's one that taught me to take water with me NO matter where I am going.... Duh!!!!!

NOW---forget all of that story and sit back and enjoy our beautiful pictures from the coolness of your home!!!!!!!   I would do that hike again sometime  (IF I could) --so that I could enjoy it much more...




The beginning part of the hike,  as we walked along String Lake



When we first started heading up the mountain on the back side of the lake



It was very pretty back in the woods....



I was amazed at how huge some of these Evergreen Trees were



George's gorgeous picture of the Tetons 



At this part of the hike,   I felt okay --and was enjoying it.



Look at  how lush and healthy those Lodgepole Pines are --as we hiked along,  on the trail



My Sweetie is STILL smiling at this point..... As I said,  we both loved the first part of the hike...



 A little hint of FALL along here



Yeah ---we can now see the lake from the other side



Now we are up higher ---and this is one of the areas where we turned around!!!!  BUT--we did come back after finding out that we had been on the correct trail all along...



You can see how high up we were by now---but it was good to even see the lake!!!!



This ELK was hiding from me!!!!!   There was evidence of MOOSE --but we didn't see one.  



I didn't take many more pictures that day (one reason I'd love to go back) --but did get a good picture once I was back down to the lake.  This shows some of the areas UP there where our hike took us.



After almost getting back to the car,  we saw a Mule Deer grazing .  Look at those big ears.... 
Well Friends ---see how beautiful that place is!!!!!   I knew that I loved hiking on the Taggart Trail several years before this trip ----but this one was gorgeous also!!!!!   That's why I'd love to go back sometime (now that we know to be prepared)....

Have a great week --and drink plenty of WATER.... We are having a hot SUMMER here in Tennessee so far!

Hugs,

Monday, July 15, 2019

Come and Take a Walk with Us

Beautiful Day for a WALK at the Biltmore House and Gardens,  Asheville,  NC,  5/7/19
Hello Blog Friends,  Last Monday I showed you the gorgeous blooms inside of the Conservatory at Biltmore.   Today I invite you to take a walk with us from the conservatory to the lake and back... We took pictures along the way of all of the pretty blooms --among other things.... Sit back and get some exercise while sitting at home!!!!!!


Love the blooms in this bush



Here's a close-up of these fuzzy white blooms;  Anyone know what the name of this one is???  I think I used  to know but can't remember!



Love the RED  Rhododendron Blooms



This is a Dawn REDWOOD tree.   As many times as I've been at Biltmore and on this path,  I don't think I've ever seen this one before....Who needs to go to California?  We have our own Redwood here!!!!!! ha



Most of the AZALEAS were gone --but we did get to see some beauties still blooming.



Such a beautiful walk on a pretty Spring Day



Sometimes when we walk,  we forget to LOOK UP.... The grounds of Biltmore have many old (and HUGE) trees... I couldn't even get all of this big Evergreen Tree in my picture....  So amazing!



George also enjoyed this walk.... Don't you love the little bridge?



Looky there!!!!!!  They even have a pretty little cascade JUST for us!!!!!!



Lily of the Valley blooming at Biltmore;   I love this plant since my mother used to have some in her yard.  I tried to grow some one year to no avail.



Azaleas blooming along the lake; So pretty!!



It was so peaceful walking beside the lake.  See the bridge in the background?



Little IRISES blooming along the water!!!  



Heading back,  I snapped this shot of NEW  Spring GROWTH....Look at the tiny little pinecones being formed!!!  



Love the color of these pretty flowers.  



One more picture of the Azaleas still in bloom



We just HAD to stop and pull out the tripod for a picture of us together on this walk..
Hope you enjoyed today's walk in Biltmore...   We hope to get back there in August and check out more of the Summer Blooms.

Have an awesome week, my Friends.   AND--get outside and do some walking!!!!!  Not only is it healthy,  you will feel better for doing it.

Hugs,