Savannah Georgia April 2017

Brenda and I rented a car from Hertz to drive to Savannah and Charleston.  The midsize car we ordered online was unavailable because it appears many Uber drivers are renting cars from Hertz.  We ended up with a Toyota Yaris with Texas plates.  The gas mileage is great, but we would have been happier with our original plan.  Next time we will go back to the airport and get a car there.  We left for Savannah about noon April 25th and arrived about 5 p.m. after stopping for a long lunch.  I resorted to taking pictures of the flowers at the hotel for my 365 picture of the day.  That was the good news about our Travelodge stay.  When we arrived the office was being renovated, it was all torn up.  The renovations were still going on the day we left.  We had planned a four day stay but left after the 3rd night.  The website pictures must have been several years old as the actual room looked tired and worn down.  The kicker was the ants and palmetto bugs.  Cleanliness (other than the sheets and towels) was not apparently a priority.

However, we did enjoy our carriage tour with the Historic Savannah Carriage Tours on April 26th.  We were the first tour of the day at 9 a.m. and the only passengers so we had the carriage and tour guides to ourselves.   Michele was guiding us and Elizabeth through the route that their company follows.  Elizabeth was an experienced driver that was learning the company's route to drive for them.  Elizabeth drove and Michele told us about the history and squares.  Elizabeth chimed in occasionally.  Batman, the horse, behaved like a perfect gentleman despite all the traffic.

One tidbit was especially welcome as Michele told us about Leopold's Ice Cream Shop.  They actually make their own ice cream and Malts which Brenda likes but has difficulty finding. Not very much call for Malts these days.  After the tour we wandered around town and I took pictures.  Click on Savannah

Thursday we went to the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens. It is owned by the University of Georgia and is open to the public for a nominal fee.  We didn't take advantage of the pick your own strawberries but it was available while we were there. Photo Album Botanical Gardens

Embroidery Challenge for Myself

This year I decided to stop thinking about doing hand embroidery and actually do it.  I looked around online and found Pin Tangle.  She created TAST  (Take a Stitch Tuesday).  Each Tuesday is a different embroidery stitch to learn or play with if you already know it.  Here is my January take on it.  First TAST was the "running stitch."

Second TAST stitch was the "blanket stitch." I added it in different hues of gold to brown, as the ground below my addition of more running stitch as a stem on more leaves.  I also used the blanket stitch to create the flowers in peach.

 

3rd TAST stitch was the "Fly stitch", I added it under the blanket stitch in  a dark brown and to create the lavender flowers.

4th Stitch was "Detached Chain stitch."  I did it in purple.











The 5th TAST stitch was the "herringbone stitch" that I added in light and medium purple.

Finally, I finished the first month's stitches with the addition of beads and by using  it to make a project bag. 

Atlanta in April

I arrived in Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson Int'l airport Saturday night April 22nd (Earth Day).  I missed all the Earth Day and March for Science Activities since I left for the Airport at 8 a.m. MDT and didn't arrive in Atlanta until  6:30 p.m. EDT.  My sister, Brenda, met me at the baggage claim and we took the MARTA train to Midtown which is where Georgia Tech is located.  We were there to see Quinn, her grandson, and the campus before he graduated.  So much for plans.  It rained the 2  full days we were there. So we ordered an Uber and went to a shopping center with a Walmart and TJ Maxx.  I bought a blouse and Brenda found a swim suit after looking for 3 years. Sunday night we ate with Quinn at Marlow's Tavern.  Good food and atmosphere.  Monday we ordered another Uber to go to Atlantic Station to see the movie "Gifted."  It was a good movie and after it the rain had stopped saw we walked around and found a Publix to buy some supper and snacks.  It was close enough that we could walk back to the hotel.  The great thing was that we discovered what the high rise building we could see from our hotel was. It is the Atlantic which has lights on the top floor at night that make it look like a crown on top.

The Atlantic as it rains.

Buildings we could see from our hotel

Nighttime view from our balcony at the Courtyard by Marriott.

Rose we saw on the way back from Atlantic Station

Oregon grapes - common name - as it loses its berries.

Gustav Swanson Natural Area.

This evening I went to Gustav Swanson Natural Area for my 365 photos.  I have to select one for the 365 project so I picked this one.   However I like these others as well.

Riverbend Ponds Natural Area at Sunset

Earlier in the day I took some pictures in the back yard and then went to knit at Lambspun. 

 

When I left there I drove over to Riverbend Ponds to see if I could get some sunset pictures.  Much to my disappointment the clouds didn't turn a beautiful golden, pink or red color.  

This is what I managed to get at Trout Pond and closer to the Cache la Poudre River. 

 

Golden Hour at Horsetooth Reservoir

My Meetup Group "NoCo Amateur Photography" met at the Northern Boat Ramp of Horsetooth Reservoir at the 'Golden Hour'.  

 
 
This is the time just as the sun is setting (or after it rises) and the light makes everything softer and redder.  Almost everyone was prepared with their tripods, except I didn't bring mine.  I took pictures of the lake with shadows, the kayak that put out form the boat ramp and the sun disappearing behind the foothills.

This morning I took this picture of my pussy willow blooms.

My Yard in February

Exploring the yard today for photo taking ideas has resulted in these pictures.

  
With the unusually warm weather my grape hyacinth has come up in the front yard.

Fallen nest in the flower bed.



Chinese Elm bark on the tree in the back yard.

 Dried catalpa leave in the front yard.

 Dried poppy plant next to the back fence.

Chinese Elm tree branch.