Today we are going to take a look at some of the babies TC and the smart feeder caught on film this Spring:
Those babies sure can be needy!
Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop this week!
6/9/26
6/8/26
Italy Adventures - Wrapping Up Roma
For those who didn't see
(this posted in error last week)
Happy Italy Tuesday! Thank you for joining me as I re-cap our trip to Italy. It's funny, some things I am discovering for the first time as this trip seemed to fly by so fast that I didn't have the time to appreciate all we were experiencing!
Today, we explore the Colosseum and take a walk along some of the streets of Rome. Just to remind you, we only spent one whole day (along with the previous evening) in Roma, we could have spent so much more time soaking up all the history it has to offer.
Anyway...off to the Colosseum:
One can't help but be in awe, and maybe a little sad, when they come upon the Roman Colosseum. It is the largest standing elliptical colosseum and, in it's prime, could seat 50,000 to 80,000 spectators. Completed in 80 AD this travertine, granite and Roman concrete structure was used for...well, in my opinion, horrible things including "hunts", gladiator battles, and other violent shows of power.
Our guide kept reminding us that this was a different time, and Romans consisted of mainly warriors who
thrived on these types of "entertainment". Above, you can see the only remaining marble seating area that may have been used for some of the more elite warriors.
You can see the "seating area" on the far left of center. The "stage" would have spanned the top of the oval warehouse area (used to store everything from battle supplies to slaves and animals). I will say again, despite what the colosseum was used for, the architecture was absolutely amazing. It has withstood major earthquakes and 2000 years of wear and tear and, although in rough shape, it is still standing.
We did get to glimpse the Circus Maximus, where you could close your eyes and imagine a Ben Hur
type chariot race being held!
Now, let's move back to the City of Rome and see what other historic beauty we can find....
I could gaze at these quaint cobblestone streets. earthy building colors and textures all day. The wrought iron gates and street lights just added to the ambiance!
The Palazzo Montecitorio built in the late 1600's, is now home to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Italian Parliament.
The obelisk above once held the Horologium Augusti or Sundial of Augustus. Originally built in 10 BCE, it was excavated in the 1500s. The sundial itself is said to have been destroyed, but the obelisk now stands next to the Palazzo Montecitorio
Here is the the Pantheon, an ancient Roman Temple built in the 2nd century AD. The Pantheon has been a Catholic church called the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs since the early 600s.
The Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome. The fountain has been featured in the movies Roman Holiday and Three Coins in a Fountain. Unfortunately it was closed for the collection of all those coins while we were there. Then again, without the water "fountaining" you can see just how detailed the stonework is in this snap.
Trajan's Column - Thie detail on this was amazing (check out the video for more footage). The column is full of carvings depicting the victories of Emperor Trajan in the Dacian War (during the early 100s AD).
Here is the video I put together of both the Colosseum and our Rome meander:
We'll end tour visit to Rome with this snap.
The view reminded me of a Billy Joel song from back in the day...
6/7/26
ArCee Aaaawws
We went on a surprise ArCee trip last weekend...
We'll tell you more about it Thursday!!
6/4/26
June in Our Yard
Welcome to Nature Friday where we get to meet new friends and share a picture or two of what nature looks like around Blogville. Rosy here, reporting on what nature looks like in our very own yard on this first Friday in June.
The skies are bluer than blue most days but, since rainy season is here, the clouds sometimes move in later in the day. We have even had some of that wet stuff (aka rain) fall from the sky!
The rain has kept the fountain full....
Mama likes seeing the tiny bubbles in the fountain (she's easily entertained).
As I mentioned Monday, Larry the Lizard and all his buddies (and buddettes) have woken up...
This Summer I just know I'll get to taste one of Larry's friends....YUM!!
Anyways....our flowers are still blooming too!
We have yellow day lilies....
Chocolate Daisies (every morning when we walk outside the smell of chocolate is everywhere)!
...and a favorite of Mama' s and the butterflies, red valerian is all over the front yard!
I am standing in my favorite tree/bush, the Desert Willow. The pink blooms are everywhere!
I hope you enjoyed this little nature tour of our yard. What kind of nature are you seeing in your yard so far this June?
We hope all our friends get to enjoy some nature this weekend!
Show us your nature! It can be flowers, your current weather, a scene out of your window, or maybe a picture from a vacation, walk or other journey! Any kind of nature picture will do! If you don't see a link below, click HERE to go to our Hoppity Page.
6/3/26
Pillow Thankfuls
Today, on Thankful Thursday, I am very thankful for my yellow couch pillow. Every girl needs a pillow to rest her head while she is napping, don't you think??
6/2/26
BWW - Enjoying the Sun
It has been a while since we have had a Hawk stop at the watering hole. Not that we mind too much, they scare all our other birdies. TC caught this Juvenile Cooper's Hawk when he stopped by for a short bath.....
Our favorite part of his bathtime was when he spread alllll his feathers out to dry in the warm sun.
Such pretty feathers, don't you think??
Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop this week!
6/1/26
Italy Adventures - Vatican City
The second day of our trip was amazing and jam packed. By jam packed, I mean we saw almost all the key attractions Rome had to offer in one day! Today, I'm going to show you both St. Peter's Cathedral which we visited early in the morning, along with the Vatican Museum which we saw later in the day.
Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state in the world. The Vatican and the Holy See are interesting and would take the whole post to explain fully. Feel free to read more HERE, Above is an outside shot of St. Peter's Basilica. If it looks familiar, it might be because this is where Pope Leo greeted the public after
being elected (along with other many other appearances)
We arrived at St. Peter's Square first thing in the morning and were lucky enough to beat most of the crowds.
The Basilica is called St. Peter after Jesus's trusted apostle who is buried under this altar. An altar on which many Popes, including Pope Leo, have held mass.
The dome was amazing, as you can see. Michelangelo, Giancamo della Porta and Domenico Fontana, all had a hand in its design and construction.
The Swiss Guard, established in 1506, is the oldest military that has been in continuous use. They may have a whimsical and renaissance feeling because of their uniform, but don't underestimate them. They are well trained in counter-terrorism, hand to hand combat and are an elite force not to be reckoned with.
I could go on...and on....and on about St. Peter's, but let's take a look at the Vatican Museums.
Looking down on the modern "Bramante Staircase" designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932 based on Donato Bramante's original double helix staircase.
Mars of Todi - Thought to be a life-sized sculpted bronze warrior from the 4th or 5th century BC.
Sculpted puppy ;-).
Laocoon and His Sons - Discovered in Rome in the early 1500's, the amazing detail of this sculpture made it a favorite of Michelangelo.
Another beautiful view of the Modern Bramante Staircase, this time shooting from below.
Here is a movie showing some more of Vatican City:
Thanks for joining us as we explored Vatican City. Next week, I'll wrap up Roma with a look at the Colosseum and some fun "around the city" shots.
5/31/26
Happy June
June is one of my favorite months, can you guess why???
Look who is awake and ready to run, Larry the Lizard (and all his friends)!!!
I just love a good game of Chase the Lizard, don't you???
We're also joining Comedy Plus for the
Awww Monday Blog Hop!
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