I went for my #WednesdayWalk with @Tattoodjay earlier this morning. You can see his post here read all the rules guidelines, then you can join too! Mine was short and sweet, so this shouldn't take too long. Let's start here, in the front yard, where the flowers are basking in the extra nutrients the rainwater has provided. Or maybe it was the sprinkler? Toss a coin.

These really caught my attention a few years ago, sitting in the nursery, down on the bottom shelf, all by its lonely. I immediately put them in my cart, wanting to take them home and give them a piece of real estate to call their own. Somebody probably put them down there to save them for later, or not? I couldn't tell and so, they are mine - and I love these cheerful little beacons of sunshine.

Red Maples dot the landscape in this area. In the case of newer neighborhoods, they grow fast enough to feel established, all the while keeping their dainty good looks. I take the winding walk that goes around the water, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Mallard ducks that were born under my pine tree on the side of my yard. Every day or so, I can still spot them wading the waters. They are adults but band together as they seem to be bachelors. Of course, I hope they find the right mate come October/November. Mallards have seasonal monogamy. That means they stay together for the season and then, poof! They are done. Next season, their green head gets more colorful and they find another. Hello? Who's your daddy?

I love the huge trees surrounding my life. Oh, hug a tree today and embrace its size. I think of how this mighty oak was but a tiny acorn once upon a time. Nature never ceases to amaze me. They do their due diligence and give off oxygen, all the while making our earth a more beautiful place. I love my neighborhood, as most people love where they live. When I think about moving, I wonder if I will find this kind of peace surrounding me? Will I want to spend hours meandering about? Will I find new cows to talk to? More importantly, if I try hard enough, can we lose the bull?

It is a short walk through the woods as I make my way to one of the Civil War Battlefields. Virginia is littered with battlefields and historical landmarks. I love living here where it is steeped in history and always has something going on.

When I first moved to the area, I noticed the unusual fences. This fencing surrounds most of the Civil War Battlefields and was used in that time frame. You will see it used throughout Virginia, Maryland, and some parts of Pennsylvania. I haven't noted any in Ohio, but, somehow, I am sure there is some.

I was never really fond of its look, however, I have come to appreciate its significance as part of a historical landmark of a time. It wasn't that I thought it was ugly, I just didn't understand the history of it. I guess it is all in how you perceive things.

We all know how this story ends, right? I love the fact that this is so close to my house when I need a little bit of Green Acres in my life. My house has few farms surrounding it and it always pleases me to take in such a nice view when I get too much city in my eyes. It happens! This is truly the best of both worlds. Peeking in, I see only the cows, no bull... I run through the pasture because it is a shortcut!

Don't forget to look up! You might miss the best part of your day! Lift your head and turn your eyes upward.

Thank you so much for joining me on my #WednesdayWalk. I had a wonderful time showing off what makes my day in this area. There is so much to see, so much to do and truly remarkable people to do it with. Life is good. Embrace it! Love is all around you!

I have never felt at a loss for culture nor the farming community. You can have both within minutes of any city here. Literally. It is one of the redeeming things this area gives you - after taking in the fact that the traffic is normally horrific. You can't have everything. But you can have a #WednesdayWalk! And just that quick, this show is over. Tag me and I will visit you too! Thank you for allowing me to muse about and as always, I wish you a wonderful day! Before we run off, let me just say that for me, there is #alwaysaflower to color my world. Perhaps you too?

All I have are my words, armed in my mind, written in pen, stand by stand. Oh, yes. Still by hand. It has a different feel. Altered not by keys, backspace, and delete, I write, erase, tear it to pieces and start all over again. And again.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course untrimmed:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st,
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Shakespeare