Bren over at Ryan Photography blog has a ‘Photo For the Week’ challenge and the topic for this week is China.
Here is my photo of the Li River taken on an early morning cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo.
Wishing you all a splendid weekend.
It’s good to be home again after our summer meanderings. No sooner had we returned from South Africa and England, than we were off on a road trip up to New Jersey to visit our family. There was just enough time to get the laundry done and for hubby to hurriedly tidy up the patio area which had become a bit weedy during the six weeks we were away. Several orchids were in bloom, which was a lovely welcoming sight.
Our son was taking the last week of the school holidays off work and as he had a business meeting in Virginia on the Thursday before, suggested that it would be nice if we travelled up earlier than we’d planned, picking him up on the way so that we could have him all to ourselves on the five hour drive home. We of course jumped at the opportunity and were soon on our merry way. It’s just over twelve hundred miles from door to door, so we made two overnight stopovers, the first in Port Wentworth GA, known as ‘Savannah’s Front Porch’ and the second night in Fredericksburg VA, very handy for meeting up with him in Middleburg the following lunchtime.
In St. Augustine we stopped to buy some novelties for the three grandchildren, a pretty shell-covered trinket box for each of the girls and a real alligator head for Max. He was over the moon with it, but his mom seemed less than enthusiastic to keep finding it on her kitchen top and absolutely banned it from the dining table. She should just thank her lucky stars that the big alligator wasn’t for sale.
On the second day, at South Of The Border, we made our usual stop for Quesadillas and Chimichangas at Pedro’s restaurant.
Our son and daughter-in-law had organised tickets to an afternoon matinee on Broadway to see Aladdin, which was a real highlight for us all.
The family are all taking tennis lessons, so of course we had to go to the first day of the US Tennis Open. It was a really hot day, with very little shade and hordes of people with the same idea, but once we’d managed to get in, we enjoyed watching a few opening games. Thankfully I’d had the forethought to put sunscreen on, but hubby who is very anti-cream, got his knees and arms rather burnt.
A visit to the Metropolitan Art Museum the following day, had us all marvelling at the wonderful exhibits displayed there.
My personal favourite was this exquisite 1923 Tiffany window, titled ‘Autumn Landscape’ made solely from leaded Favrile glass with no paint added.
After being there for a week, we decided to leave for home a couple of days early because of the Dorian hurricane forecast which at that time included Florida in its path and we did the journey in two days instead of three. The last day was quite grueling, especially for hubby who did all the driving, but we had this friendly-looking cloud creature to cheer us on our way.
It was, as always a relief to get home again, and even more of a relief when Dorian didn’t visit our area at all. I think we’ll just spend some time right here in our comfort zone before we go off on our travels again. It’s far more relaxing.
Wishing you all a splendid weekend.
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Saw this guy at the US Open.
Men’s Final today. Will you be watching?
We have just returned from a road trip to visit our family in New Jersey. Just before we left, I took this photo of my Vanda orchid coming into bud over the fish pond. I’ve had this orchid for five years and it flowers very frequently, always with more flowers than previously. It really is the gift that keeps on giving.
Now the gorgeous purple lady has thirteen flowers and two more stems with more than a dozen buds bursting to come out. It was a lovely welcome home.
I’ll tell you more about our trip next week. Happy weekend to you all.
The join in Cee’s ‘Flower of the day challenge’, just click the link.
On my nature walk this morning, I came upon this feather someone had stuck in the boardwalk guard-rail. A Forrest Gump moment which made me think of this quote,
“I don’t know if we each have a destiny, or if we’re all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but I think maybe it’s both. Maybe both is happening at the same time.”
Happy Sunday everyone.
The Gray-headed Swamp Hen, a vividly coloured bird in the Florida swamp, shows off his gaudy outfit. How many of you could get away with wearing his colour combination of cherry red hat, iridescent sky blue, aquamarine, indigo and violet suit, together with school-bus yellow leggings and footwear? He really is a flashy dresser
Wishing you all a splendid weekend.
For XingfuMama’s ‘Pull Up A Seat Challenge’, here are a few seats which my grandchildren have enjoyed playing on in recent years.
The local mall has a play area for when they come to visit us in Florida.
It’s always wonderful to see children enjoying simple pleasures.
Who of us doesn’t remember the thrill of playing on the swings in the local park? Some things never change.
When Sienna came to visit us in Johannesburg she wasn’t too old to enjoy the playground swings.
Likewise with the rides in the shopping mall.
A few years ago, this was my teenage grandson’s favourite seat as he wobbled around on his unicycle which he’d bought with our birthday money. He actually became quite proficient on it, but alas such fads blossom and then die, so it now languishes in a corner of the garage.
Thanks for looking at my nostalgic photos. To join in XingfuMama’s ‘Pull Up A Seat ‘ challenge, just click the link. I hope you’re all having a good day.
‘Woody Wood Stork’ and his backing group ‘The White Ibis’, singing in the rain. Another amazing scene through my bathroom window.
Hope your Sunday weather is brighter than this.
