• Bridgeton Mill,  nature,  Sycamore,  travel,  writing

    #AtoZChallenge: Sycamore tree (in celebration of Earth Day)

    April 22, 2017 / 16 Comments

    Sycamore tree in winter. Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. Happy Earth Day 2017! This winter, while walking beside Big Raccoon Creek near the Bridgeton Grist Mill in Bridgeton, Indiana, my friend and I noticed this beautiful, notty white-barked tree. It’s leaves were long gone but hanging from the tree were one-inch woody balls attached by small branches. Upon research with Google, we discovered this beautiful tree was a Sycamore, and the balls were actually the fruit of the tree that ripened in October and broke up into many small seeds throughout season. Sycamore “fruit”. Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. There were still very large leaves gathered at the bottom of the tree,…

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  • Greek ruins,  Italy,  Paestum,  photography,  travel

    #AtoZChallenge: Paestum, Italy

    April 19, 2017 / 1 Comment

    The Poseidon Temple, built around 450 BC, boasts 36 fluted columns. Photo © Diane Weidenbenner On my trip to Italy, with a close friend, we visited the must-see places in Rome, Florence, Pisa and Tuscany. We rented a car while we were there and drove down the Amalfi Coast one day, on our way to Paestum, in the Campania region. The guide book mentioned that at one time, Greek ruins second only to Greece could be found in the small coastal town at the end of the peninsula. The guide book cautioned us that the three great Doric temples were mostly rubble, but it was worth the trip if you…

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  • friends,  nature,  owl,  Scottish Festival,  travel

    #AtoZChallenge: Owls

    April 18, 2017 / 4 Comments

    Owl from a bird rescue at the Scottish Festival in 2012, Columbus, Ind. Photo © Diane Weidenbenner I’m not quite sure how it happened but for some reason, I got it in my head that my friend liked owls. Collected owls. Okay, loved owls! We were at a country store and she bought a card with a picture of a barn owl. She also has a solar-powered owl on the dash of her car. Are you seeing a theme here? I was. We attended a Scottish Festival in Columbus, Ind., last year and it was wonderful. We got to see sheepdogs herd sheep with just the swell of a whistle!…

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  • Amish,  friendship,  nature,  photography,  rural,  travel,  writing

    #AtoZChallenge: Junket

    April 12, 2017 / 2 Comments

    Photo © Diane Weidenbenner My friend, Sandy, and I venture out of town whenever we can when the weather is nice. We’ve gone Amish Hunting, which sounds a lot more painful than it really is (at least for the Amish). We love to discover antique stores, barns, civil war graveyards and farms with lots of great animals including but not limited to sheep, cows, goats or the boutique miniatures that have become popular. We both remember when our parents and grandparents would go for “Sunday drives” and laugh at how we like to do the same. We’ve both traveled out of the U.S. so perhaps this is our way of…

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  • Il Paretaio,  Italy,  travel,  writing

    #AtoZChallenge: Il Paretaio B&B

    April 11, 2017 / 5 Comments

    Photo of Il Paretaio from TripAdvisor website. Many moons ago, my friend and I planned a trip to Italy. We mapped out Bed and Breakfast inns in Rome, Venice, Florence and Tuscany, in hope that we’d have a more authentic, local experience. We chose Tuscany because Karen Brown recommended Il Paretaio as a relaxing choice that also offered one of the top riding stables in Italy. We thought it would be neat to go horseback riding, as well as visit beautiful countryside. Preparation for our trip included us taking English riding lessons at a stable near Elizabeth, Colo. We learned how to saddle up the horses, ride them (posting with…

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  • #atozchallenge,  Cataract Falls,  creativity,  nature,  photography,  travel

    #AtoZChallenge: Creation, creativity and Cataract Falls

    April 4, 2017 / No Comments

    Lower Falls during spring. Photo © Diane Weidenbenner When I spend time among nature’s beauty – thick greenery, wooded forest, trickling streams and rushing waterfalls, I’m reminded how incredible God’s creative designs are. Cataract Falls State Recreation Area, in Owens County, Ind., is one of my favorite places to enjoy the Architect’s best laid plans. I’ve visited the Falls, which are the largest in Indiana, with my mom, my friend Sandy, alone – and in most of the seasons. The trip has always been a peaceful, inspiring experience. The creativity of nature reminds me of the writing process. There are times when I struggle to put two words together and…

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  • Indiana,  Lincoln,  photography,  travel,  writing

    Visiting Lincoln’s boyhood home

    November 5, 2016 / 3 Comments

    I’ve lived in Indiana for more than 11 years and didn’t realize that Lincoln’s boyhood home was a few hours south of me. I’ve heard all about the memorial in Illinois and plan to visit it in the future but I hadn’t heard about our own historical jewel. My friend and her husband let me tag along on their trip. Lincoln spent his formative years in Indiana, having moved with his family from Kentucky when he was 7 years old. He lived in Indiana for 14 years, until he was 21, when the family moved to Illinois. We enjoyed the Memorial Visitor Center, the introductory film, bookstore and museum exhibits.…

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