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FULL DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVE NO INCENTIVES, MONETARY OR OTHERWISE TO PROMOTE THESE TOOLS TO YOU. I'M OFFERING THEM MERELY TO HELP YOU FIND THE JOY AND SATISFACTION I'VE FOUND IN TRACING MY ROOTS.  What Does "Tis the Season" Mean to You? It could be time for a trip to Grammas attic to see what photos and forgotten treasures you can                                                 discover like this one a new friend shared with me Every year starting at Thanksgiving, I set aside time to reconnect and give thanks to those in my life who have blessed me. A few years ago, I discovered "Finding Your Roots," the PBS television show with Dr. Henry Louis Gates and I realized how thankful I am to have discovered genealogy research. The incredible ancestors I discovered awaken my spirit and inspire me, but also new friends I've made and what has trickled down has been extremely rewarding. It had always been in the back of my mind to find out how and when our famil

For The Love of Bloopers!!! To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity. William Arthur Ward As we were digesting our holiday dinner we discovered, https://za.investing.com/magazine/most-expensive-news-bloopers-and-fails-in-history-2 and had a lot of laughs scrolling through them. FULL DISCLOSURE! I AM ON NOBODYS PAYROLL AND HAVE SOLICITED NO ENDORSEMENTS, CASH OR OTHERWISE FROM ANY SPONSOR(S). As we were laughing, it reminded me of when I was being taped for an HGTV television show. I slipped up to the restroom while they were working on video in another area. I began talking to myself, coaching myself, refreshing my memory, and doing…….. well, you know what people do in a restroom. Luckily, the sound man broke in fairly early and says - I'm sure as casually as he could, "ummmmmm Miss P, are you aware your mic’s still on?" I was mortified, to say the least and I’m not sure exactly why I so quickly blur

                                        Hannelor Osfolk in 2010, Bier Garden Owner  Anton and Hannelor Osfolk never expected to provide home and haven to a ghost when they left Germany to make a better life for their growing family in America.  Hannelor said she loved to cook and people would always compliment her concoctions, so recipes and talented husband in tow, they took a chance and opened the Bier Garden in Olde Town Portsmouth, VA in 1997.  She said her husband was skilled in all the brick and mortar aspects of the restaurant so they ultimately added a charming outside garden which butted up against an old courthouse and jail. To add to the intrigue of their endeavor, they learned that the historic jails lawn had been the areas execution grounds for prisoners. Executed prisoners ranged from sailors in the wrong place at the wrong time to turncoats, murderers, and everything in between during this historic prisons heyday. Along with all the challenges one encounters when startin

This haunted waterfront town is filled with curious ghostly tales and centuries of engaging history so obviously it's one of my most favorite to visit in October especially. Even as far back as Captain John Smiths recounts of his explorations, he mentions Portsmouth, VA in 1608 when he writes of a Native American village in the now "hospital point" area of the city.  FYI! Visiting it after sunset is even more exciting, so go for it and let your curiosity and imagination take over. The city's havoc-filled history includes the famous and the infamous such as traitor Benedict Arnold and famous Brit, General Cornwallis.  The strategic port city was even headquarters for the British forces in 1781. Besides the many elaborate church steeples adorning the skyline, I think my most favorite is a building completed in 1845, with an unusual and intriguing connection to its adjacent structure so read on.  It's the old Norfolk Courthouse and is in the "prison square area&

  KIDS AND BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH  This month is set aside for people everywhere to remember the heroes who battled breast cancer and won. And those whose lives were tragically cut short, and the lives of their families and friends that were forever altered by this terrible disease. It’s never too early to educate and encourage our kids and October is the perfect time to investigate which non profs and which salons in your area will give you the special haircut that can make the burden of chemo just a little lighter. It's possible to wade through the daunting specifics and do it at home, but we decided it was also the perfect excuse to go to a salon.   This is Laina. When she was 13 she decided to finally part with her long locks and get a haircut. It was a hard decision for a young girl about to start high school and face the challenges and anxieties that go along with that first day. In the process of talking about her cutting her long beautiful hair, I asked if she’d

                                            Victims of the Alligators of Carolina WARNING: THESE PHOTOS MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN OR THOSE  INDIVIDUALS SENSITIVE TO ANIMALS HUNTING AND FEEDING ON OTHER ANIMALS                                                  RELAXING IN SOUTH CAROLINA If you embrace the hypothesis that the relationship between the numerous alligators that populate the south and shore birds is mostly symbiotic, this may shock you.  It's true that many of the birds in the southeast prefer to build their nests over water and alligators resultantly cruise those waters preventing racoons and snakes from getting to the birds eggs and chicks. That would indicate a relationship that benefits both.  That doesn't by any means however prove that alligators actually choose to protect those species, and that the sea birds are programmed to build their nests to lure food for the 'gators. Read on. If I've learned anything about predicting animal behavior from s

This was the gist of the ticker that caught my eye on tv during WPDEs news today.  Occasionally alligators make their way into the ocean, which of course makes the news so I wasn't completely surprised. Scientists hypothesize they do this to shake off the barnacles, while others think it's to find food. So this ticker today was no surprise, also taking into consideration that a lot of people get pets for their children to enjoy during vacation.  Then they let them go, presumably to "thrive" in the wild, though thriving is usually not what happens.   There's no end to the unusual but logical reasons a Boa Constrictor would be found on a SC beach. Turns out however, that I missed "Ford," which followed "Beach," but making this headline even more intriguing.  Even more interesting was that the snake was identified as a rare Albino Boa from South America, according to WPDE.  Curious for the details, I visited the WPDE website for the full story and

  At first glance, it appears this huge bee is sneaking up on this tiny spider and will surely devour her. It's  one of those times when only a photograph will do to preserve the honesty, fragility, and reality of our wild world.  I discovered her in Greenville, SC.  As I stopped and studied, I wondered if the spider had perhaps stumbled into another insects trap or perhaps their egg case, having never seen either one.   At first, I didn't know if she was devouring the strange beige blob or if she was stuck in it and it would devour her.    This is one of those times when I join my wildlife photography cohorts in reveling in the beauty and the value of capturing the mystery and importance of nature's reality moments.  I was new to the area and had never seen such a spider but I was impressed with her vivid coloration and artistic, perfectly  geometric pattern, not to mention her possible predicament. Despite my reservations, I was compelled to get close to her to get a good

Sometimes you only need a photo to tell a story.  This is one of those times.   Scientists have been studying whales and dolphins for years, debating to what extent Cetacea may seek to foster a social relationship with humans, and also with each other. On several occasions on my whale watching jaunts I have seen whales seeming to purposefully interact with the humans in boats, so while I don’t have a proven scientific theory, I am convinced they seek us out – in one way or another.   On many occasions, they swam leisurely back and forth, coming close then swimming away and circling under the boat as if enjoying the excitement and laughter of its human occupants.  Frequently whales have suddenly surfaced literally out of the blue; meandered at the surface to the edge of the boat and blown a thick stream through its blow hole with its pungent, rotten fish smell all over the humans standing excitedly close to the edge. One has to wonder if it's truly a mistake.  It’s almost as if th

  CONTEMPLATING IMMORTALITY IN THIS HEAT WAVE  Wood Storks, Reflecting on This Day Where They Normally Hunt Stress Free  They may also be contemplating their immortality as an alligator arrogantly cruises, just a little too close. It wasn't long ago that this species of storks was declining in numbers because their habitats were dwindling due to development. Now, increasing in numbers in SC, little did they know developers weren't their only enemies. Even the relentless heat wave in the country now pales in comparison. Wood Storks also have very rigid requirements for raising their young, passed down from generations so imprinted in their DNA.  They insist on being near water, preferring to make their nests directly over water.  If a draught happens or water dries up or they determine conditions aren't just perfect for raising their young they will abandon eggs, nests, even young chicks so it's no wonder their species has such a hard time surviving. This was a good day

         Just a grey chunk of rock, or an intriguing mountain with mysterious stories of history and hauntings? This is Superstition Mountain with a host of interesting history and hist-stories of its own. Its shape is curious, but from a photography perspective, unless you wait for just the right time of day to shoot it, position, and contort your body for the perfect angle-as I did here, it shoots as just another huge grey chunk of rock sitting alone in Arizona. For me, the west presented a whole different mindset for great photos because- as most of my friends know, I'm more of a purist. We did a wonderful exercise at cnn using software to enhance our photos, but since they're "news" they would only post things raw; completely unaltered in any way. For that reason, I guess I prefer to show reality in our natural world vs a computer generated work that's not really relevant to anything is my view. That said, the challenge of using what nature offers us with ligh

  ODE TO "RADAR" On July 2, 2014 Radar was a beautiful and healthy Great Egret A few years later, Radars age and perhaps his lifes work took its toll Admittedly, this isn’t the norm for my nature photographs as there’s no intriguing background artistically colored by the setting sun; no special textures in the shot, or unique behaviors displayed. In this case however, it's an important photograph that documents what this Great Egret ultimately sacrificed for our fragile ecosystems.  Egrets are popular here, but this one is probably like none you’ve ever seen or will ever see.  This Great Egret became an icon to everyone who saw it. If you’ll look closely, you’ll notice thin wires coming out of his back and in this shot, a transmitter implanted under his feathers is visible.  Radar did his part. He's the perfect example to explain to children how humans are working with wildlife to help preserve our fragile environment. This was also the last time we saw this Great Egr

The insect on this Hosta bloom is the perfect example of symbiosis between plants and insects, but it's not the only one.   Gardening became especially popular when Covid suddenly forced us to become more mindful, and we realized how unimportant shallow, useless things we'd been pointlessly chasing actually were.  Most of us were given more downtime than we ever wanted, and we were more less forced to look back at what made us happy, fulfilled, and stress free, not what we were told would make us happy.  That's when nurseries and gardening centers suddenly grew in popularity and they ran out of so many items because people were suddenly remembering how therapeutic "playing in the dirt" was again and began gardening in their own backyards. Some of us extended the gardens we'd established, while others spread their creative wings for the first time. And most found the benefits of this new physical activity was surprisingly rewarding.  The satisfaction we felt

Plein Aire Art at its Finest The Impressionistic Ardea Herodias   It’s become a personal goal – to be perfectly candid, to get our natural world inside, and the staunch and the trapped insiders outside. Whether it be a national, state, or city park or your own little natural piece of the world outside your window, there's always something to discover and delight in our real world.  The Masters such as Picasso and Monet knew it centuries ago, and recent studies prove when we view just the mere suggestion of nature with things colored green, it improves our moods, dispositions, and our psyches. I'm currently considering other outlets, and this photo opportunity seems perfect to expand my horizons so I'm exploring textile art, which I've been admiring lately. Stay tuned.  Bringing nature indoors so it can be enjoyed all year round, and preserving what may be g