ABC Wednesday - X is for XX

X is for XX..........




 

I am really stretching it this week - after nine rounds, my "X" vocabulary has dwindled considerably.

My youngest will be turning twenty years old this year, leaving the teens behind to begin a new decade.

And to represent the number twenty in Roman Numerals, one uses the capital letter "X" two times.

Ten for each "X" equals twenty.

XX = 20.

Really stretching the X for this week, and I hope it qualifies!

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

The Happiest of Holidays to All

Happy Holidays!




 

However you celebrate this holiday season, here's wishing it is a happy one!

Season Greetings and Happy Holidays to our friends all over this big wide world.

Hope it is special for each of you in it's own way.

 

ABC Wednesday - W is for Winter Solstice

W is for Winter Solstice..........




 

Winter doesn't officially arrive until 12:30 am on 12/22/11.

On this Winter Solstice day, the Earth's northern axis, or North Pole, is pointing the farthest from the sun as it will get.

That makes it the shortest day of daylight in the year - the area above the Arctic Circle will have 24 hours of darkness.

Then, the next day, the day's light will start getting longer.

Granted, it is only by minutes, but I bet those who reside in the Arctic Circle region are awfully happy about that!

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Summer Ocean View - Our World

  Summer Ocean View - Our World



 

It is different in this spot each time we visit it at the ocean.


Different flowers for each season, and even though they are wild flowers, they change each year.


Which makes me think that someone must clear them out.


A couple of summers ago, it was overrun with milkweed and thistle.


There have been none of these plants there since.


I kind of miss the fluff and little Goldfinch birds that love the thistle seeds.


Glad we were able to see it when it was there!

ABC Wednesday - V is for Verdant

V is for Verdant..........




 

So green and lush is this field in the spring.

Quite a contrast to the brown of the fall that has yet to be covered in snow.

The hope of the spring is what keeps those of us, who are not too fond of winter, going.

I will say, it has been nice to not be covered with that snow yet.

But it will come as it always does.

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Rocky Shore

Rocky Shore




 

New England has some beautiful sandy beaches.

But this scene of rocky shoreline becomes more the norm as one travels further north up the coast.

Maine is known for it's rocky coast, and this is a typical view of a Maine beach.

Still quite beautiful.

Hopefully we will be able to retire to a spot such as this in the next few years.

Surely looking forward to it!

 

Not the Same Old Slim-Fast

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Slim-Fast for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Slim-Fast has been around for many years.

I first tried it almost 25 years ago when all that was available was the powder that was added to milk to make a shake.

From what I remember, it was pleasantly tasting, and I did loose weight.

But like most people who are constantly fighting the weight issue, it didn't  stay off.

I have been up and down with the weight over the years, and at this point in my life, as long as I eat right and keep up with my exercise routine, I feel that is what is important.

But, sometimes, the urge to loose weight comes back around, especially at this time of the year when a few extra pounds are sure to find their way to my hips.

So when I received a coupon in the mail to try the new Slim-Fast 3-2-1 Plan, I thought I would give it a shot.

I purchased the Chocolate shake drink, and was surprised to see they were already premixed and ready to use.

That certainly makes it much easier than the powders I used to use.

The 3-2-1 Plan includes eating three of the Slim-Fast delicious snack bars, fruit, nuts, or veggies.

Two of the shakes or meal bars are also consumed.

And by eating one 500 calorie balanced meal that includes half a plate of veggies, and a quarter each of protein and grains, the food consumed provides the necessary nourishment for the day.

I found my Slim-Fast 3-2-1 products in my grocery store, but they are also available at Wal-Mart and Target and online at Amazon.com.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the extra holiday goodies won't find their way to my hips with this diet plan.

"Like" Slim-Fast on Facebook and check out their sweepstakes to win $10,000.

Pile of Leaves

Pile of Leaves




 

Mother Nature sure made someone's job pretty easy.

She blew all the leaves in the park right up against the fence.

Ready for the leaf vacuumer to come and get them - with little effort on their part.

They are all gathered around a cleat for large boat to tie up to.

I have not seen these cleats used in years, but I remember while growing up they always had a thick rope around them, keeping a large boat in place.

Not much has changed at this place since those days, but I suspect that someday, those boat cleats will be removed and sold for the heavy metal that they are .

.

 

ABC Wednesday - U is for Unblinking

U is for Unblinking..........




 

He stares straight ahead.

Unblinking.

Totally ignoring the black clicking thing that sometimes gets too close for his liking.

 Not letting anything get to him, he held this pose as I closed in on him.

He could only stand it for so long though.

After the click, he just had to get up and leave.

I do appreciate the cooperation that he so sparingly bestows on me though.

Every once in a while I can get a decent photo of our feral cat, Rusty.

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - T is for Tubes

T is for Tubes..........




 

We travel this back road each spring in our search for our delicious fiddleheads.

We pass several streams and several farms in this beautiful region.

But upon passing this farm beside a stream, we noticed these strange white tubes following alongside the river's edge.

We couldn't figure out what they could possible be, and decided to take a look inside of them.

Not wanting to be spotted by the landowner, we made it quick and were surprised with our find.

Inside each one was a tree seedling.

Not sure what kind of trees they were protecting, but each one was a single stick.

It's hard to see in the photo, but there are hundreds of these tubes all along the river.

It will be interesting when we go back this spring to see how they are doing.

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - S is for Snow

S is for Snow..........




 

Dawn was breaking on this slippery morning as we traveled along the back roads.

After a quick snow storm a few hours before, we caught the sun as the clouds began to part.

The road was a sheet of ice, but worth the trouble to stop and grab a shot.

Within a couple of hours, the snow was completely gone.

As if it was never there.

But we have the proof!

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

A Garden Helper

A Garden Helper




 

This past summer I had a helper in my pot of basil.


She hid under the leaves during the heat of the day, and in the evenings, she would appear on top of the leaves.


The spray from the watering hose would send her scurrying back under, but as soon as it stopped she reappeared.


She wasn't afraid of me, and I didn't bother her.


She worked at keeping the pesky bugs away.


My basil grew beautifully, and she had her family in the hosta plants below the basil pot.


We both lived peacefully with each other - being that she stayed outside.


If she had been inside, well, I can't say she would have raised a family.


Everything works well when we all respect each other's space!

ABC Wednesday - R is for Rust

R is for Rust..........




 

Driving by a large construction site for a bridge over the bay, I saw this pile of pointed metal pipes.

They had been sitting there long enough to get a layer of rust built up on them.

We stopped to grab a quick photo, and ended up talking with one of the workers about the project.

Never did find out what theses are used for, but I thought the coloring was interesting.

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - Q is for Quest

Q is for Quest..........




 

We are going to my most favorite place to be - the Ocean.

And you had better believe I will be on a quest.

A quest to fill the memory card in my camera will lots of photos.

And my husband will also be on a quest.

The bait is extra smelly and ready to be used on the fishing pole.

Hopefully he will catch the "big one" and I will have the photo to prove it!

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Something Different

Something Different




 

I use Twitter to help promote my site and occasionally do some tweets that I get paid for.


I am picky, so I choose things that I think are interesting, and hopefully my readers do too.


I use a service called Sponsored Tweets to do this.


They are having a deal now, and this post contains a link to that deal.

I have also posted this widget at the bottom of the blog, so once this post gets buried, it will still be available.

Just trying something different to see how it works out.

If you're in the market for some sponsored tweets - the deal doesn't get any better than this!

ABC Wednesday - P is for Path

P is for Path..........




 

This is a popular garden in my home town of Portsmouth.

Set in the historical district of the city, along the water's edge, the beautiful Prescott Park has brick walkways and bubbling fountains.

Gnarled old trees drape gracefully over the colorful flower beds.

The old brick paths meander between the gardens.

A relaxing spot to sit and think a bit - especially in the early morning when there is no one else around.

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Yellow Maple Leaf - Our World Tuesday

  Yellow Maple Leaf - Our World



 

We are now completely covered in snow - 23 inches on Saturday evening.

It broke a 145 year old record of three inches.

I don't see it leaving any time soon either.

Good thing some of the leaves had already fallen from the trees.

The weight that they held with the snow had them breaking branches and coming down all over the region.

This was one record breaking storm we could have done without!!

 

New Feature for Facebook

New Feature for Facebook




 

I host my images for sale on a site called Smugmug.

They just introduced a new feature that allows me to post my images to Facebook with a link to them on my website.

That was a great addition that makes it really easy to post.

I have to manually go onto the site to do this, but it only takes a second to set it up for a selected image.

And it includes a link that allows one to purchase the image in any size they want.

It makes it really easy for the customers, and easy for me too.

Don't hesitate to check it out - I post a couple of images a day to my Facebook.

ABC Wednesday - O is for Ocean

O is for Ocean..........




 

It's my most favorite place to be - the Ocean.

And this shot was taken on a hot summer day.

The tide was coming in, and by the time we left, none of the dark rocks were showing.

I have never seen these Maine waters look so green as they did that day.

Usually they are dark blue like the waters further out in the background.

A gorgeous day, a beautiful photo, and a great memory!

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - N is for Nimble

N is for Nimble..........




 

Nothing like a good round of exercise to make one feel nimble.

The beginning is rough though - nothing nimble or even remotely feeling good about it.

But once it becomes routine, when a day gets missed, you feel it in another way.

You miss the ease of movement it gives you.

You miss the feeling of well-being it gives you.

And it really can lift a mood.

Mother Nature's own medicine - try it - you'll like it!

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - M is for Munchies

M is for Munchies..........




 

Come about three o'clock in the afternoon, they set in.

The munchies.

And my snack of choice - why chocolate, of course.

Most go for the salt, or perhaps the fatty snacks, but a sweet piece of chocolate is just right for me.

And it doesn't matter the form - semi-sweet, milk, with nuts, caramel, or simply plain.

They are all so delicious, especially when you let it melt in mouth to keep it around as long as possible.

I think it is time to go search for some, even the chocolate chips will do at this point!

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Red Maple Leaves - Our World Tuesday

  Red Maple Leaves - Our World



 

The peak leaves are beginning to arrive in our corner of the world.

 

These brilliant red-orange leaves are set off against the water background of the lake.

 

Try as it might the camera cannot capture the rich glowing hues of the colors.

 

They will only be here such a short time, but autumn's colors are the best!

 

ABC Wednesday - L is for Ladder

L is for Ladder..........




 

The ladder - covered with tiny icicles after an ice storm last season.

Had to go out quickly with the camera after it stopped icing from the sky.

Those little ices didn't last long when the sun hit them.

Won't be long before this scene is here again.

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Layers of Autumn - Our World Tuesday

  Layers of Autumn - Our World



 

Layers of autumn colors at the ocean.

There were bright bushes along the edge of the rocks that lead to the water.

The wispy clouds and the blue sky complete the perfect fall display.

The beauty of Autumn in New England is hard to beat!