Thistle, Bees and Butterflies

I shot these pics this past Friday afternoon.

I realize that thistle is a weed, but I think it's pretty.

Our honey bees are lovin' it too.

Our two colonies of honey bees are located right beside that field so

I am assuming that some of these beauties are from our hives.

There is also a shot of a bumble bee (the last one) and one of a butterfly.

Enjoy!

Sheltie Love...Scarlett and Willie

Scarlett and Willie are two Shelties that I care
for in my Pet Sitting business.

They are quite photogenic, don't ya think?





Big Meadows

Big Meadows, in Shenandoah National Park is one of my favorite places to be.

It has meaning to me, not only beacause of it's beauty,

but because it was the home of my Great Great Grandparents,

 Benjamin Franklin and Emma Sue Weakley.

The ruins of their homestead stands just inside a wooded area

on the edge of the meadow. I love to hike out to it and sit...and think..and just be still.

Just a short walk over the hill from the ruins of their homestead,

is the small, peaceful cemetery where they rest.

I shot these pics of the meadow in October, 2008.

Enjoy.

Winter on my doorstep...Spring in my heart

Ok...while I am glad that we are not buried under 20 plus inches of

 snow (that nasty, four letter word!) like last year,
I am still not lovin' the cold.

I am definitley NOT a winter time chickie!

I love colorful flowers, green grass and being barefoot.

I guess it will come soon enough. In the meantime, here are some

spring and summer shots of flowers from my gardens,

and the cherry tree blossoms from our front yard.

Enjoy!

Fields of Contrast

I love spring, when the fields are freshly plowed

and planted. I am fascinated with the contrast in colors and

directions of planting in each field when they are side by side.

The deep green of the trees also came into play in this shot, to

further enhance the contrast. Of course I had to play around a bit

with spotlight and sepia toned versions...always do. 

Although the sepia versions do not highlight the contrast

which entrances me so, I do think they have a

simple, peaceful feeling all their own.

Enjoy!



New Blog, First Post, Cute and Fuzzy

Welcome to the Impassioned Lens Blog!

My first post features some of the cute and fuzzy faces here on the farm.

These are Scottish Highland cattle. The babies are a bit smaller than

other breeds and they grow at a much slower rate, so they remain

cute, fuzzy and small for quite a while.

I think their "fuzziness" makes them cute even as adults though.

These shots were taken last May.

The little grey calf was only 3 days old.

Enjoy!!