Walking with Nature!

 While I have not written or blogged in more then a few years, I never put down my camera. More often then not when I go walking I take my camera with me. Jill and I often plan trips just so we can take our cameras. We don't walk as fast when we do a camera walk but we figure we are still getting our exercise because we walk longer, farther, and we do a lot of bending, squatting, even laying on the ground to get the shots we want. 

This is Jill.

Both Jill and I and a praying mantis.

It is more fun then exercise and the treasures we bring home is the best part of it all. 

   Spring is trying very hard to show her pretty head here, and winter is doing its best to hold on just a little bit longer. Typical for this time of year, but I still wish it would just get warm and stay warm. 
  We had a little warm up this past week and I made sure to get out and enjoy. Jill and I took our cameras and hit the Boy Scout trail in town. The minute you walk onto this particular trail you forget that your in the middle of town. (A small town but a town just the same.) Jill and I never chose the easy path we look for the one that is going to make us climb up and down, we look for hard to handle paths, and it always pays off. We find some of natures prettiest gifts every time. Ducks, geese, even a snow goose or two. 

One of my favorite shots is this white leaf, it held on all winter long, even when the snows came down so heavy this spring that trees everywhere where broken even lifted out of the ground, this leaf held on.

  On the warmest day so far this spring I went with the Garden Club to Longwoods Garden. 
Longwoods garden
We just got lucky with the weather as the trip was planned 2 months in advance. Since spring is just now popping there was not a lot in the gardens, and the fountains weren't turned on yet, but there was still plenty to see.

 I opted to stay outside in the beautiful warm weather and that glorious sunshine, rather then go into the buildings where even more flowers and plants were blooming. It is a big place and you need lots of time to see it all that is for sure. The random stairs to no where caught my attention more then once as well as the stairs that actually took you some where.

 All in all it was a fun day. I walked with a women I know from different clubs, and we got to know one another as we enjoyed the beautiful landscape and some very pretty spring offerings.

  I could go on and on about walking in nature with my camera, and probably will again some other time. I do after all have just shy of 5000 photos on this computer, so I have more walks to share for sure. For now I will just leave you with a pretty picture, a smile and a wish that you have a wonderful day.