Images of Spring

In the ``Wizard of Oz'', Dorothy clicked her heels together and said there is no place like home. She was on to something as all of these images were taken in our yard expect the one of the stream and woods which is on Linton Road. Summer arrives in Eldersburg and Maryland on Tuesday, so I thought I would share some more images of spring. The photograph of the frog doesn't do justice to the little fellow. He blended into the banister on the porch and looked white. I almost didn't see him and called for Shirley to see the frog of a different color. I love nature and the images show that with the flowers and birds. We were able to watch some birds take their first flight from the nest. When the lilac bloomed I thought nothing smells better than that and then the magnolia tree blooms and I think nothing smells better and then the jasmine. Well, you get the picture. There are a couple things I haven't seen much of this spring and that is butterflies and bees. I hope the butterflies appear as they are fun to watch as they go from flower to flower.

Prayers answered

A lot of prayers in the Welty family were answered last Sunday. I was waiting for the Liberty senior class to march into McDaniel College gym for graduation when I received a text message from my sister. It read ``John is stateside. He is home from Afghanistan!'' Our nephew had returned. I called Shirley and asked if she had seen the message. I was so happy for his lovely bride and son along with my brother and sister-in-law. They have had some very long days since he was shipped overseas. It's funny, that while he has a wife and son, I always tend to remember him as a little kid with a big smile. That's while I included a photo from his youth. Now he's a man with a big smile. I have had his picture on the bed stand since he's been away. Now we can't wait to see him and welcome him home.

Feeling my Age

The past week was a reminder of getting older or maybe it was a movie or book I wandered into. It started at the Memorial Day parade in Westminster. I was shooting for westminster.patch.com and before the event started I was wondering how many of the parades have I attended. I figured it was around 53 or 54, which wasn't too bad for an event that was marking it's 144th celebration. Anyways I am shooting pictures when I hear a voice go ``George, how are you.'' It was Sgt. Maj. Melvin Hoffman, a Westminster High School classmate. Our class is planning our 40th reunion this summer. Then it hit me, Melvin was the keynote speaker for the exercises in the cemetery. That's for the older veterans in the county, wait a minute we are older. We are now the people we listened to after the parade. This was heavy on my mind as I drove to Sykesville for another Memorial Day event. During the week, Becca, Shirley and me were busy moving mulch and mowing the yard. We have three birdhouses full of birds. We got to watching one of the houses, as the little ones were making a lot of noise. We took a break and was able to watch them take flight for the first time, as they left the nest. Becca had mentioned how sad to watch them leave home and the parents were off looking for food. Food  for their babies that wouldn't be there when they returned. Getting older and leaving home. Next was the annual fire muster Saturday for the Westminster Patch site again. I am watching the parade and when I start to realize I had shoot a few of the equipment in action and in the case of the two from Westminster, I sat on as a little kid. My grandmother lived next to the fire house and my Uncle Floyd Gamber was a fireman. The fire house seemed to be Uncle Floyd's second home and I have a few memories of our time together when I was little. He would take me down to the fire house and let me sit and ring the bell on the Amercian LaFrance trucks and there they were in the parade. Then the Pleasant Valley's engine went by and now I was really feeling older. Besides seeing the engine in action, I saw it go by the house on Murkle Road  many times answering calls in the Pleasant Valley area. At the muster, I found out Mike Stewart, who owns the engine with his family as grandchildren. Put that together with seeing units from Manchester, Reese, Sykesville, Pleasant Valley and Westminster and I was feeling my age. If they were antiques, what does that make me. I also shot Century, Liberty and South Carroll graduations this week and got to see the students start a new chapter in their lives.

Viewing nature

This post is heavy on nature and no sunrises. We visited Assateague Island during our stay in Ocean City, which to me is one of the highlights of the trip. I said we, as Shirley and I was joined by my sister Jane and a friend of hers. On our visit to the island we took two of the three nature hikes which were great to take pictures. I have fished by the island before, but last fall was the first time I had been on the north end of the island. I had been to Chincoteague, VA on the south end. One of the things I like to photograph are the horses. You can't visit the island without thinking of ``Misty of Chincoteague.'' I also like the new visitor center. There aren't many fish in the aquarium, but they are fun to shoot. There are rocking chairs inside and out to take a break during your visit. We went to the island twice during the visit and can't wait to return in the fall.