2026

Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to OCTOBER. My header photo this month shows a gorgeous picture showing beautiful Autumn Colors God's Blessings to YOU for an awesome month.

Friday, March 15, 2013

George's Birthday - March 9, 2013

On March 8-10, 2013,  George and I spent his Birthday Weekend near Fort Payne, Alabama.  On Friday,  we visited the Little River Canyon area.  Click HERE for more information on the area.  Then, on Saturday and Sunday,  we visited DeSoto State Park.  Click HERE for information about this wonderful state park.

Our goal (other than to just have fun) was to see lots of waterfalls (we saw 12 total during the entire weekend) and do some good hiking.  We hiked about 2.8 miles on Friday,  5 miles on Saturday, and 3.5 miles on Sunday.

Saturday was George's 71st birthday---so today's blog is all about Saturday.  I'll blog at other times about our Friday and Sunday experiences..  All in all,  we had a fabulous weekend.

The picture above was taken on our hike to find Lost and Laurel Falls.  There were so many interesting rock formations along our trail. Be sure to click on the photos (especially the collages) to see them larger.




Here is a collage of George at 5 of the waterfalls we saw that Saturday.  All of the waterfalls were pretty,  but DeSoto was definitely the largest one.  Sometimes I enjoy the smaller ones better because of the rustic area around them.  But DeSoto is a marvelous waterfall.




When we got to DeSoto Falls (note photo above),  we could only see it from the SIDE---so we couldn't get a good shot of the entire falls.   Therefore---we hiked/bushwhacked around the ridge of the mountain to see if we could get a good photo of this waterfall... AND-we DID!!!! Hope you like it.  (Click HERE for more information about DeSoto Falls.)




This collage shows my photographer at work on his birthday.   These were taken on the trail to Lost and Laurel Falls.




I do anything I can to get my man on his KNEES.  Maybe he was trying to get away from me by crawling under that big rock!!!!!!!   NAH---doubt it.  No telling what is sleeping under there!!!! Yipes!




I love this collage of George bushwhacking through the brambles --just to get a better photo of the waterfall.   I was sitting on a rock watching him---so why not take some pictures of my MAN working hard!  ha ha




George is following the path around some very big rocks..  This was a gorgeous area --and the trail was in good shape, although not marked as well as it should have been.




Here is a picture of MY HERO..  He was holding that big rock up so that his "Bride" could walk under it!!!!!!  Wonder where the red carpet was????? ha ha....  What a GUY...  (See how much fun we have!!!!!)




That evening,  we had a delicious Catfish Dinner at the restaurant at DeSoto State Park and then went back to our motel (Holiday Inn Express in Fort Payne) to open his cards and enjoy some birthday cake.

The collage above shows you his delicious  German Chocolate Birthday Cake,  complete with 71 (7 + 1) candles that he had to blow out---after making a wish of course.  Then he opened his cards  (bottom left was from his bride,  and the ones on the right are a funny card from our friends, Judy and Charlie)..   After that we both had a piece of that German Chocolate cake..... (Even I had a small piece.  YUM)




Finally,  here is a photo of the two of us taken at Lost Falls. We had such a fabulous day together ---and highly recommend this area to anyone who enjoys being out in nature.

If you missed my Wednesday blog  (my new Photo Blog),  be sure and check it out.  Click HERE.   And be sure to sign up to follow that blog.  Thanks!

Have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you on Monday.

Hugs,

Monday, March 11, 2013

Backyard Birds on a Snowy Day

Eastern Bluebird
We have had quite a bit of snow off and on recently.  My backyard birds flock to the feeders most every single day,  but on a snowy day,  they come even more so!!!!!  SO--I got the camera out and took a few pictures to share with you recently.  Be sure to click on the pictures for enlargements.



Female House Finch,  Goldfinch,  Male House Finch

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Eastern Bluebird

American Robin

American Robin

Male House Finch


Female House Finch

Goldfinch

Downy woodpecker

Carolina Wren

Mourning Dove hogging the plate feeder

Pileated Woodpecker --thinking about getting to the feeder!


And a COLD, PUFFED UP Tufted Titmouse

There were other birds (Cardinals, Chickadees, Nuthatches)---but they escaped my camera this time.  Anyhow-- hope you enjoyed seeing more of my wonderful Backyard Birdies...

On Wednesday,  I will publish a post on my new PHOTO BLOG.  Be sure to click HERE to see the Wednesday post.

We had a fabulous weekend hiking and searching for waterfalls at the Little River Canyon and at DeSoto State Park near Fort Payne, Alabama.  This was George's big 71st birthday weekend celebration --and we had a BLAST.  Here's a picture of George blowing out all 71 (7 + 1) candles on his German Chocolate Cake.... I'll do an entire post about his birthday weekend on Friday.  SO be sure and tune in!!!!!!  

Hugs,