Reveling in Summer

People think I must have a magical garden...I don't. What I do have are numerous pockets of beauty around our rather plain yard, and I try revel in the magic each pocket contains. And when all else fails, I turn my eyes skyward. Living thus, I find myself amazed by my surrounds...and so I feel compelled to share my daily joy. I hope you don't mind...

 This post features our yellow lilies

 And our double orange lilies!

Along with this pic of our other orange lilies, which continue to be spectacular!

 Grape tomatoes

Clouds

 The moon!

 Daisy Nation, trimmed hedges, Heather the Sheep, and our own good flag

 And the Occasional Squirrel

 Shaping up nicely!

Almost full Supermoon!

This may be the best shot I get of the Supermoon, as it is partly cloudy today...we shall see.

 Finally, Pinky, the two-tone pet geranium

 And the moody Supermoon!

 Being shy

Of Shot Towers and Sore Legs

On our way back to Ohio from NC, we stopped at the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower for a pit stop and a stretch break. So often, we are in a hurry or it's late in the day or whatever, so we have never actually climbed the tower. Well, now we have, and boy howdy, did it give us a workout! Seventy-six steps up, with the steps becoming taller and steeper near the top...

The Shot Tower

How it worked

Impressive stonework!

Historical significance

Looking down into the hand-dug 75 foot deep well into which the shot dropped

Looking up at the 75 foot tall tower above the well

Almost to the top!

Great view!

Love this old barn...we've seen it many times from I-77

Hey, it's hay!

Route 52 bridge over the New River

The Bug!
There's a glass plate covering the drop shaft...protection for those below who might be looking in the well when someone above decides to drop a coin or some such!

Steep steps!

The long drop

Jackson's Ferry was here

I-77 bridge over the New

Trestle built for the New River Train, lawd, lawd...

Now a riding and walking path!

The creek under the trestle

The beautiful New!

Classic rail cut...restrooms are one mile thataway

Heading back the way we came (where there also are restrooms)

Lovely!

The road goes ever on and on...in this case, past the now collapsed access tunnel by which workers retrieved the shot, etc., from the bottom of the well

But we must go back up to our car

It was a steeper trail than this looks

Bug!

Flutterby!

Ah, sweet Daisy...crank up the A/C and take us to the barn (still five hours away)