Monday, March 2, 2009

Taking a ride

Now that gas prices have gone down a little - we are paying 1.79 a gallon most days - Don and I have started taking rides again - it is one of our main entertainments - don't go to the movies - don't eat out much - and we have nice chats along the way - such a pleasant way to spend a sunny afternoon in the winter. . . or summer . . . or fall . . . just about any time.

Our main destination was to a spot where we can have extraordinary views of some of the mountains in our area. . .


The Three Sisters - when we first moved here we were confused as to the name of this group - sometimes called the Three Brothers - so now we just call them The Siblings. There is a nice spot in the road to pull over for a view.

Getting closer - there is a lot of snow blown off some of the rocky mountainsides . . .

Even closer . . . those are some fine mountains!

And the best view of all - I am thinking of entering this photo in a local contest for calendar photos - what do you think?

Then on the way home we decided to take a road that goes along the back of the big lake. There isn't much traffic and we can daudle all we want. We saw this road sign and our minds were busy with thoughts of how it came to have this name. Was it older than all the other lanes in this area? Did older folks live down this lane? Did someone named Older live down here? Oh the fun of the imagination!!

And a new sign - what a dandy one!

A log with wonderful fungi on it - amongst the old leaves from last fall . . .

The fun things you find on a slow, old road - someone's great mailbox . Across the road from this was a house and a very old hamburger stand - all saggy and worn out - but at one time you could buy hamburgers along this road behind the lake. I can just see the kids gathering around in their bathing suits - waiting for their hamburgers and milkshakes - ahhhh summer.

And what is this? We saw it on this tree stump - out in the forest. At first we thought it was a strange bird - but at closer look . . .

We still don't know what it is. Sometimes it looks like a rock - how did it get way up there? This stump is about 20 feet all. Sometimes it looks like a package wrapped up with string - how DID it get up there?

Ohh a Green Man spirit on this fabulous mossy tree. Maybe two - do you see them?

Then - out into the sunshine along the lake - and these fabulous bird houses - can't you just see them in the summer, full of nesting birds.

It was a great ride - thanks for coming along. Where do you like to take rides and what do you look for?

10 comments:

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

Yes, enter the picture, I live in Illinois, flat land corn fields after corn fields, your mountains are breathtaking, thank you for sharing.

YankeeQuilter said...

Great photos! We have lots of farmland around here and I like to go out and find the roadside stands. Here they sell everything from Pecan and peanuts to gourds and pottery. (It is bonus if I get to see some horses!)

Jocelyn said...

Joann,
I love your mountain picture. Yes you should enter it in the Calendar contest. It is so beautiful.

Thanks for taking us along with you on your ride.

Jocelyn
http://happycottagequilter.blogspot.com/

Julie said...

That is a great set of mountain pictures! Do submit the one. Since I go for "rides" every time I go to town I don't go just for fun usually. However, I never remember to take my camera! I am not big into photography like my kids all are. All of your pics were great.

Moon Daisies said...

Lovely ride, I really enjoyed it, and your mountain photos are beautiful, you must enter them for the contest.

Melanie said...

I've always said ,'It's never the building that makes a great house -- it's the love you give it..." I'm completely enchanted with the mailbox and birdhouses....

Dorothy said...

Wonderful photos JoAnn, especially the mountains. Sorry to read you got the snow dumped on you again. We've had a bit of a reprieve, it's just really cold!

Browndirtcottage said...

What a wonderful 'ride-along'!!!
It just ended too soon joann. The
mountain pictures remind me of big
chuncks of chopped chocolate dusted
with powdered sugar...yum...yum!!
And I do think you should enter your photo in the contest...that
would be fun!! Thanks for letting
us all go along for the ride...I'm
just glad there was room in the car
for all of us!!

Julie said...

Love your green men and moss and Older Lane!! Too funny!

Do you think they actually meant Firwood, or Firewood??

limpingalong said...

Ok, I didn't see a Green Man -- is it for real or is it a joke?

I loved the mountain photos -- here it is flat, flat, flat! Before we lived here we had a lovely mountain down the middle of our town and it made for wonderful viewing in all types of weather.
I miss mountains! Sure, enter it in a contest -- Perhaps Weather Warriors?