Miscellaneous Monday Shots

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Everywhere you go... including the Fambrough home!
Yes, folks, it is true...last Saturday night we had a fire. In our fireplace. Our first fire in our fireplace, I might add, for roughly about 2 years. The fire crackled, popped, snapped, and while we loved the sounds and the heat, I couldn't help wishing that it would be colder than 62 degrees outside. Still, it was lovely. And here is a picture for proof. Nice, eh? But wait, there's more...

A favorite figurine is set out, to warm our hearts with its tender kisses blown our way.
And ... the tree. The 7 foot Douglas fir tree that we bought at Lowe's, due to tradition. We bought quite a nice tree this year. Mom, Kim and I always head on over there, and this year was no different, except that we had two cars and met up there. So this year we put the tree in the Bullet's trunk, and Kim and I sang along with the radio going home. We sounded better.
It never fails to amaze me how sappy, no I mean, SAP on me, I can get just picking up a tree, putting on lights, crawling under it, and just touching it. I had sap on me going to church the next day. It was on my hands, in my hair, and I was super sticky. These lights didn't help...they were the reason I was touching the tree at all. But, hey, it was worth it! :D
Because after Paulina K., Kim and I decorated it, the tree looked like this!!! Ours is not a themed tree, with a certain color, professional bows, glass balls, or an old-fashioned one with popcorn, cranberries, tinsel and cotton. Ours is a family tree. With family ornaments...with family memories attached. And it makes a lovely tree. Every. Single. Time.

The Fambrough Christmas Tree 2008.
One of our family ornaments.
And even though Christmas music is playing, we are decorating a tree, and wearing long pants, our window is open to the 70 degree breeze wafting in the kitchen window, to wisp by some flowers still blessing us with color from Thanksgiving. Ahhhh, December in Florida. :)

Now I have something truly exciting to share with you all. My friend, Sarah in England does not think it exciting at all. But it was. Is. Today I looked out our front window, and there was a little black racer snake sunning itself (and looking for prey) on the top of one of our bushes! I could scarcely believe it, as I have not seen this happen in quite some time, with such a great view! So, I grabbed my camera, and my zoom lens, and stepped outside for some shots with our friend.

Here's one from inside, back when I thought he would move.

And here he flattens himself out thinking I am going to eat him, which, actually, did not cross my mind at all. He was only a little 2 footer, and quite cute.

I kept moving around, quietly, slowly, and soon was within a foot and a half to two feet of his little head. He was cautious, wary, but not inhospitable, as my camera memory card will tell you. I took 55 pictures of him in about 15 minutes. I know you are going to be happy when I tell you that I am only sharing eight with you. Ha ha.
Focusing on the coils of his length whilst he anchored himself to the bush.
Peeking through little lines of cobwebs, he was rather unhappy that I was closer here.
Awww...this shot just kept reminding me of a little baby...Hello, little thing! Of course, some of the cuteness left when I thought of what he probably had just been eating. Still. Cute!
Here, my kissable 70-300mm lens zoomed up to see the rigidity of his head, the sleekness of his scales, the gold-brown of his eyes, and in them the absolute glare saying - "Go away!".
But not before I share just one more! This was one of my favorites. Well, did you like that? I did! It was a real treat to have something rarer than birds, lizards, squirrels, Mopsie, and bugs to photograph. Thank you, Lord, for this little snake. And for little joys in life.
As seems to become the case, when outside with my camera, I want to spend all day out there, taking pictures of absolutely nothing and quite everything! Our Chinese tallow trees all change a little bit after the other, so while one is a winter tree.

The next one over is a fall tree! You gotta' love FL, haha! Oh, and if these look a bit strange in the way they are on here, well, I was laying on my back on the driveway, so that's why they are that way. Concrete is comfortable. As long as you are on your back. :D
Another new fall favorite. I can't believe the lovely colors God blessed us with this year! Wow.

A brilliant yellow, lit by the afternoon sun.

As I walked down to the end of our street, I couldn't help but notice this raspberry-look-alike
berry framed between the orange tree branches.
And prayers for a bountiful and fruitful (no pun intended) harvest of citrus for the farmers!

And on the way back...a flowering loquat tree gave me a whiff of sweet perfume, which this bee I'm sure was tasting with fervor.
And then proceeded to give me my favorite and best shot of the day. Oh, sweet simplicity.
And returning home, I see a lizard. Now, I very much dislike lizards. But as I saw the white stone, and blue barrel in the background, I couldn't help but whisper "Okay, I know I hate you little lizard, but just stay there for a minute while I get this shot. Ooh. Thanks.". :D No, really.
And another one, that has absolutely nothing to do with anything, 'cept that I like it.
It gives me joy to share my day,
even in the smallest and simplest of ways,
a photo here, some laughter there,
everyday blessings of a God Who cares.

Okay, that might have been cheesy, but I wrote it in 15 seconds flat, so who cares? :D Take care, ya'll, and come back soon!

Under God's care,
Jean Marie