New Babies

Several months ago, Randy added an outside wall to our carport - probably I should say bikeport, but that sounds funny. We park our bikes under the carport, and he figured closing it in would help protect the bikes during bad weather, and it would also give us some more storage space, since he added shelves to the inside of that wall.
A few weeks later, he was changing out some parts on the bike, and left an empty box on the top of one of the shelves. Then one day, I was working in our living room and looked out the window onto the carport and noticed a bird was carrying twigs and leaves. As I watched, she went into the box, the box shook a bit, and then she popped back out. I kept watching over the next day or so, and she eventually finished the nest she was working on.
I've worried about the nest, because we have two cats who like to play in and around the bikes; one actually takes a nap on one of the shelves. At one point, we thought the nest had been abandoned, but when Randy picked the box up to throw it away, the bird came flying out of the box - I don't know who it startled more, Randy or the bird.
Then over the weekend, Randy picked up the box to see if it was still being used, and guess what he saw? Three little mouths open wide, waiting for lunch.
I'm still a bit nervous about the cats- they are champion hunters, and love to go after noisy little animals. But hopefully the mama bird is watching them, and the box itself is in a spot that would be hard for the cats to reach. I'm just going to trust that God will keep His hands on the babies until they can get out on their own.

Moon in the Trees

Moon in the Trees
Originally uploaded by bethmrogers

I don't know why I'm so enthralled by the moon, but I will chase images of her for more time than my husband likes to think about.
I was walking Cookie the shih tzu last night before bedtime, and I looked up and saw the moon among the limbs of this pecan tree. The clouds were slipping over it, like the tide over shells in the sand. I spent about 40 minutes trying to get just a few images of the moon while she appeared from the clouds.
As I said in an earlier post about the sunsets I see most days, I have such beauty in my own yard. My sister-in-law, Linda, feels the same way- she's got a beautiful place in the county, and I'm sure she could spend hours just walking around her own yard, seeing beauty in hidden places within a stone's throw of her backdoor.
I found a lovely picture of the moon during a lunar eclipse and it's pushed me even harder to get good images of the moon and the night sky.; Phil Hart is extremely talented and I want to learn from his lovely work.

Lucky Me...

Water Tower #2
Originally uploaded by bethmrogers

I'm one of the most fortunate people I know. I live in a beautiful area of southern Alabama, and within a ten mile radius of my house, I have wonderful country to photograph. And this beautiful view is what I can see every afternoon, just by standing in the middle of my front yard.
I got this shot just last week; I was walking by a window while getting some work done, and happened to look out- and there it was.
The only thing that could make things better, would be to have a beautiful lake in my front yard. While that's not going to be possible, one of my dreams/goals for this year is to put in a small goldfish pond in front of my house, and turning it into an outdoor living room- I've got all kinds of beautiful plants that can be moved around it, including confederate roses, grapevine, hydrangeas, wisteria and all kinds of day lilies.
It will take some planning to get all this done, because I want to make sure we don't mess with any water lines, but I know it can be done.
If you've got dreams, write them down- and turn them into plans, by writing down all the details that will have to be done to make it a reality. The more real a dream is to you, the more likely it will become a plan.

Rutledge Loop

Early Morning Lake
Originally uploaded by bethmrogers

If you ever wonder why I call my blog (and my website) Around the Loop, here's the reason - I live near the Rutledge Loop, in Crenshaw County. It has got some of the most beautiful scenery you can imagine. Pastures with cows and horses, old homesteads and barns, beautiful flowers (including a lovely garden of cannas at my friend Charlotte's house), and a great woody swamp complete with a wooden bridge. I get the urge to drive through and just ride with my window down, looking and listening. This morning I took a short trip through and found some butterflies and wildflowers (see my flickr page for more).
This area is such a pretty place, and I'm so thankful I live here.

Take a Chance

If you’re like me, you pass through towns all the time, headed somewhere else. They’ve got some interesting place, store or park, but you tell yourself, ‘I’ll stop next time.’ And of course, the next time, you don’t stop either, because you’re headed somewhere else, and you just don’t want to take the time.

Well, Florala is one of those places to me. Our oldest son and his family live in Crestview, and we usually either go through Florala going down or coming back. Every time we pass through, I’ll tell HB (Honey Bunny, aka my dear husband) “One of these days, I’m going to stop and look around, especially that wetland area on the lake.”

I finally took the step – I had to bring two of our granddaughters back to their mom, so we decided to meet in Florala at the Wetlands Park, which is about half-way. As we started down we noticed two bikers coming up behind us, so L’il Red (youngest daughter, who just got her permit – Yay!) got out the camera and took a few pictures of them- they noticed and of course, had to speed up to check out who was holding the camera…

After we got the girls swapped over, L’il Red and I headed over the walkway. It’s a very simple wooden walkway, with handrails, running through the wetlands area. The walkway itself is anywhere from one to two feet above the ground, so the plants and water run under it and aren’t damaged by people passing through. Although some folks have dropped trash, for the most part, it’s a lovely spot.

The walkway runs close to the water’s edge, and is under shade for its entire length. Some trees have moss, and there is also lots of other plant life. I didn’t see any animals, but I’m sure there must be some there. Four or five gazebos are spread through the walkway, so you can stop and take a break, if you like.

I did get to take a few shots, but my camera batteries are getting old, so they ran down before I was ready to quit. The next time I go back, I’ll be more prepared.

The town also boasts a lot of interesting shops, too. I’ve seen Elvis standing in front of one building, just waiting for someone to come up and take his picture. The store he represents is supposed to have all kinds of goodies inside – I’ve heard their ads, and I’d like to browse for a while – not enough time this trip – again, maybe next time.

We did eat at a little café called Corbey’s Ice Cream and Deli- it used to be a drugstore, and the sign is still hung on the back wall. They’ve got old-fashioned metal stools and high tables; the food is great. They had some wonderful homemade potato salad, and the ice cream is great too! I asked if they were ‘biker friendly’ and the lady told me that she and her husband ride when they can – she said if the bikers behaved, so would she!

There’s also a bike shop in town called Biker’s Choice- the sidewalk in that part of town is actually higher than the street level, and they’ve got bikes parked right outside the shop, on the sidewalk. Makes an eye-catching display- you really don’t think about the sidewalk being up that high, and your first thought is ‘how did they get that bike up there?’

So, I took a step and stopped in Florala – now I know what I want to see the next time I’m down there…

Before the lawnmower

Before the lawnmower
Originally uploaded by bethmrogers

I know, I know - I'm crazy for even taking pictures like this. And DH agrees- imagine a grown woman laying in the grass, shooting a picture of weeds!
LOL- that's OK- I see beauty in all things, even weeds. God did such a good job creating all things, even weeds... of course, there are some things I don't quite see the reasoning behind, but that's OK - God knows why He does all things, and I'm going to praise Him for it. Even weeds that make a crazy lady happy.

My Main Ride...

Our part of Alabama has been under some pretty dry conditions for most of this year, and we were behind on rain last year too, so I'm always thankful for rain. Hurricane Faye really poured it on us late last week, and the ground is still damp; meanwhile, we're expecting Gustav to visit us early next week.
All this to say that between the weather and tasks around here (plus some minor health problems), I haven't been able to ride my bike as much as I'd like for about a week now. That's not to say that I don't ride in the rain - I love the smell of wet asphalt rolling under my wheels. I just had no desire to scrape myself and my bike across the road during some of the rain we had last week. My husband drove home behind a guy on a bike one afternoon, and even though he was riding on a straightaway, his bike was leaning like he was in a long curve.
I hope that changes in the next few days and weeks - Colors for the Cross is this weekend, and we plan on going over early Saturday morning and spending the day.
Then September 13 is our group's fall benefit ride. We'll tour Crenshaw County on a poker run, with registration at the park. For more information on that ride, see our site. The ride will benefit a 'families in crisis' fund that will help families in and around Crenshaw County who need assistance.
Then in November we'll head out for a weekend trip to somewhere in Alabama. Right now we're talking about Ave Maria Grotto, but nothing is set in stone yet. That's one thing about riding- most of the time, it's about the ride itself, instead of the destination. To see some pictures from last year's ride, see this page.
Of course, I won't wait til those organized rides to get some miles in- sometimes I just have to ride around town to get my mind back in gear.
Meanwhile, I need to go out and crank my bike- she's been pouting the last few days, and she needs to know that I haven't forgotten her. For those of you who don't ride, a bike is different than any other vehicle - most bikes have a name, and most are considered either male or female.
My SUV is just a truck, as far as I'm concerned, but my bike? well, she's my bike- she is mine, and I am hers. Vroom! Vroom!!!!

Go Tigers!!!!

Well, it's almost here. School started a couple weeks ago, and our first football game is this Friday night. Our biggest rivals, cross-county Brantley Bulldogs will host the game this week. Luverne has not been able to win in the last 5 years, but I'm hoping and praying we can take a winning team to the doghouse this Friday night, and show them the HAND!!!
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One another note, I'm working towards getting my new website up and ready to go. I've decided, after much thought, to change the basic setup of my business. When I started out 6 years ago, I was geared towards building websites for smaller businesses and churches. At first, I didn't think I even wanted to get involved in the graphics side of the business, but that side has grown more and more, moving into logo and banner ads.
My interest in photography as also grown, and I'm developing a portrait line.
I've also branched out into print design, creating print ads, wedding invitations, book layout, business cards, letterhead and flyer design. I'm also encouraging my younger daughter, Little Red, to join me in designing custom handmade notecards and art pieces. I'm waiting anxiously to see if she'll agree.
I may have more news later today.