A contemplative look? Well...yes, I suppose it is. I'm just thinking of how perfectly beautiful you all are, and I'm trying to find the right words to express my gratitude, for the way you have all attempted to comfort me, over the loss of my twin. Frankly, I'm at a loss. I've never been on the receiving end of such empathy before. Just know that I love you, each and every one!I thought I would share some more photographs I took around my place a few weeks ago. These were taken about two weeks before peak fall color. I have some that were taken during peak color, but they were nearly all taken while driving into Richmond, to see my sister. I may show some of them later on. You can click on each pic and re-size it to your liking.
Mi Casa!
An eastern view across the pond, towards the dam.
Another eastern view of the dam, slightly more to the left. There is a beautiful dutch colonial log cabin, back up in that small clearing on the left. Unfortunately, it is mostly obscured by the trees that have grown up around it. It was still being constructed, when I moved in almost 17 years ago.
Another view, more to the north east.
Ripples on the pond. Probably from a bass, or blue gill coming to the surface. There are lots of fish in the pond. My next door neighbor once caught an eight pound large mouth bass.
And yet another eastern view.
The south bank of the pond at the north end of my property, facing west.
The path to Grandmother's house.
The woods on the way to Grandmother's house. Thankfully, no big bad wolf today!
A pen the former owner built, for his guinea hens. They all flew the coupe, and now it is being slowly, but inexorably reclaimed by the jungle.
More of the path to grandmother's house. (No.....not really, silly! Its just the path down to the pond, from my back yard, but a girl can dream, can't she?)
Can you see the squirrel on the branch? Click on the picture to enlarge then re-size if you can't. He and his friends are beginning to become fairly tame, now that my cat has been gone for several years. I still can't feed them by hand, but by next summer I hope to have to have their confidence. I've been putting out crusts of bread and pieces of fruit for them since last winter, and talking gently to them when I see them. They no longer freak out and run up behind a tree, the moment I emerge from the house. 
Heading out of my driveway to the road out front.
Never be ashamed to be called a pansy! Pansies are beautiful! Just like you!
See?Love,
Melissa XX
9 comments:
I love sepia! Add a beautiful subject and voila, a great portrait. This captures you very well.
Since I'm a daisy, I'll let you be a pansy. Nice pics, especially around the pond. Very good color.
Melissa, how can we not want to be nice to you? You have won the hearts of evryone you have touched. Long live the Internet.
I too like the sepia look. I was wondering what you looked like without specs on! You've got a good little camera - the squirrel was pretty clear, considering the apparent distance from where you were. More, please!
I have to say you live in a lovely part of Virginia. I've never been to the States, and this region of lakes and woods has a lot of appeal. You can easily imagine how it might have been hundreds of years ago when the local Indians were the only people, and the place was teeming with all kinds of wildlife. Now I don't want to sound too partial; woods and lakes draw me because it's like my ancestral home in Sweden (another place I've not yet seen and must), so there's a call-of-the-home-country reaction going on in my mind of course! I'm sure that the deserts of Arizona, the bayou coasts on the Gulf, the prairies, the Rockies, the surf coast of California and all the big cities each have a huge amount that I really ought to sample. As soon as I have my new passport I will be looking at the costs of that US/canada trip I've mentioned before. Can't wait to go, but I must preserve enough cash for (in due course) at least the surgery and a replacement car. We'll see.
Lucy
Melissa,no need to thank us, some of your reply's are so thoughtful, you are like a lovely lady, the pix sweet, especially the walk to the house?
The picture of you is great, your nose is so slim and femme, mines a little thick and rounded, too many punches on it from my younger days lol.
Here's my mail btw
jenny030408@yahoo.com
Love Jen xxx
Love this new 40's glamour look, very sultry. Vignette just pulled it all together. how can we compete?
good to see our Melissa back.
Caroline XXX
Ok, that's it...break out the guest bed...I'm moving in with you...lol. It's amazing how much your area looks like mine. One big difference is that our peak fall colors are still several weeks away. I love the pond and I love to catch the wily bucket-mouth bass. I did manage to pick out the squirrel even without resizing the pic. My wife has always been amazed at my ability to pick out animal life while driving down the road...lol.
Sepia serves its purpose but I like your full color smile better.
Looks like you're putting that new camera to good use...;)Suzi
@ Lucy
The land looked far different back in Indian times, than it does today. When the original settlers came here, back in the 1500's, There was old growth forest from the coastal plane, all the way out to the great plains, way beyond the Mississippi River. Those old growth forests looked far different than the wood surrounding my place today. The trees were all very big, and their canopy shrouded the forest floor, preventing any significant undergrowth. You could literally ride a horse through those forests, without worrying about bumping your head on a low hanging limb. Those forests were all felled by the early settlers, to provide timber to build their settlements, and firewood to heat their homes and cook with. In fact, those forests have been cut several times over. The land that I live on was cut about 50-60 years ago. What you see in my pictures, is all regrowth. In fact you can still see the ruts of an old logging road, running directly through the woods on my property. You have to go up to the mountains, to see forests similar to what used to cover the entire eastern half of the US. Think of what the forests looked like, in the movie, The Last Of The Mohicans.
Melissa XX
Melissa.. I am with out words.. I thouht you were lovely already.. but take off those glasses.. my, my..
You are a very sweet person, who gives of herself, to all who need..
Goddess bless.. Naukishtae OXO
Sweets to the sweet! You're an extraordinarily loving and sweet woman, so it's no surprise that you would either attract the same kind of friend, or bring out those qualities in another, or both! Lovely pictures. They would make really nice postcards. I think I'll make one of them my new desktop wallpaper. Thanks for sharing them with us! :)
Melissa, that is really an outstanding picture of you. I really like the more relaxed and casual look.
I like getting up in your neck of the woods, down my way we have very little left of even second growth woods. I am not sure about the Blue Ridge area, but in Shenandoah National Park is at least one area of original growth.
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