Gloria
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rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Gloria
@rideintothesunset.bsky.social
1.5K followers 1.2K following 630 posts
Retired to ride horses in Shawnee National Forest, Illinois.
All photos (and a lifetime of memories) are mine.
Alt text is my friend now.
Please no DMs.
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rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · Apr 5
Alt text = “the rest of the story” for me. When I’m cruising along liking pretty flowers and birds, I don’t always check their alt text, but when I see something extraordinary that needs to be clicked up to full screen, I always hope to find out more about where, when, why, etc.
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
View from a kitchen window.
Round stained glass featuring a red rose with green leaves on a blue background hangs in a window that looks out on the deck and back yard and pasture.
November 14, 2025 at 10:23 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Yum, that milk was good.
Amelia the gray striped tabby cat with her long pink tongue curled up licking her whiskers. She is on the gray deck after just finishing off her small daily portion of milk. Contented kitty.
November 13, 2025 at 9:26 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Finding beauty even though wind chill made it feel like 14F/-10C yesterday. Didn't stay outside long.
A dusting of snow gathers in cupped leaves of evergreen shrub. Unusually early for snow in southern Indiana. Temps warming up to near 70F/21C by the weekend.
November 12, 2025 at 10:40 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Seasons changing. First snow of the year. Fortunately, just a dusting in southern Indiana.
White snow on green fern leaves November 10, 2025.
November 11, 2025 at 9:18 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Little shaky tailed cat keeps watch on me, always asking "Whatcha doing now?"
Lady Day, a small black cat twirls around in front of me as I'm walking down the sidewalk on a foggy morning November 4, 2025. Sometimes I think that if I had an Apple Watch on, it would sound a warning that I must be having some sort of serious medical issue because I swerve and stagger so often when walking outdoors to avoid stepping on cats. Lady Day the tiny black cat on the deck doing her halloween cat hunch back look while giving her tail her signature shake. Fall colors on trees still visible through the deck railing behind her on an overcast afternoon November 8, 2025.
November 10, 2025 at 9:57 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Lone bee hanging on in the marigold patch yesterday. Temps falling all day towards 23F/-5C by morning. Tomorrow winter cleanup starts. Spring will return soon, right?
A small bumblebee sits very still for a long time on an orange marigold flower still blooming profusely November 8, 2025. Green leaves soak up the sun of a nearly 70F/21C day before first hard freeze of the season tonight pauses the color for a while.
November 9, 2025 at 9:39 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Odd light just before sunset on a stormy day.
Two horses graze in pasture ringed by trees showing their autumn orange and yellow colors. The setting sun highlights the tree tops while clouds on clouds, white on dark gray, broodingly cover the eastern sky.
November 8, 2025 at 10:20 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Pointing to the sunset on a clear and warm fall day.
A red and gray metal cupola silhouetted by the setting sun against a brilliant blue sky is topped by a weather vane featuring a running horse. The arrow points in the direction of the letter "W" with the backwards letter "E" on the opposite side. Tree tops showing fall colors barely peek over the metal barn roof. Another fine day comes to an end.
November 7, 2025 at 11:24 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
How the Red Oak earned its name.
Just before sunset yesterday, November 5, 2025, sunbeams lit up the leaves of a small Northern Red Oak tree (Quercus rubra) growing beside the driveway in southern Indiana. Appreciate beauty wherever you can find it.
November 6, 2025 at 12:42 PM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Dawn waking the world. Sunlight beams through fog. Autumn colors revealed. Horses.
November 4, 2025. 7:42am EST. Southern Indiana. Magical morning. Sun lights up the tree it rises behind. Fog catches sunbeams revealing orange fall tree leaves and some already bare branches. Gema and Georgie, Paso Fino mares, enjoy cool, dew damp grass in the pasture. This is what I see when I walk out on the back of house deck in the morning.
November 5, 2025 at 11:41 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Sunshine on my shoulders...
Maple leaves seem to catch the very essence of the sun shining down on their golden yellow/orange leaves November 3, 2025 in southern Indiana. Playing around with my new phone testing out the zoom telephoto lens feature. Like it!
November 4, 2025 at 9:43 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Blue sky peaks through clouds over muted fall colors.
Wind and rain blew a lot of leaves off the trees around the house yesterday. The sun did not make an appearance all day, subduing the oranges and yellows of the autumn leaf colors. Just as the sun was setting a few patches of blue sky became visible in the eastern sky. The grass of the front lawn seems to like this weather and is still a perky green.
November 3, 2025 at 10:02 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Amelia is glad I'm home and the sun was shining yesterday morning. We got some deck time. And I started using my new phone with the very much improved camera!
Amelia the gray tabby cat naps while laying on me in the sun 11/1/25. The texture and subtle black/gray/tan colors of her shiny coat and her precious pink nose really pop using my new iPhone 17 Pro Max. Looking forward to many improved pics to come!
November 2, 2025 at 11:39 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Walked out of the house yesterday and said, "Wow!". Rising sun caught the tree behind the barn in a spotlight. Stunning day for fall leaf color in southern Indiana.
Trees dressed in fall colors of vivid orange, yellow and green surround a red with gray trim barn. Gravel driveway curves down from the road and continues past barn to a home in Indiana.
November 1, 2025 at 11:25 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Guardian of the camper door. Home now, but campsite is being watched over. Camouflaged?
A common walking stick insect (diapheromera femorata) clings to a slick white camper door. Oak trees surround the camper and are a more likely home for this guy. He stayed very still trying to blend in with the black decorative stripe on the door maybe?
October 31, 2025 at 10:40 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Hayes Canyon on a rainy day. Yes, the rocks were slick. That's why the tree I was holding on to partially blocked part of the image.
October 30, 2025 at 10:55 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Water flows over a small waterfall just behind camp site in Hayes Canyon horse camp. On rainy days, the horses stand in their covered pens fixated on the sight and sound of water just above this waterfall visible from camp.
October 30, 2025 at 10:39 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Rainy day walk in the woods.
Oak tree leaves in orange and green 10/29/25 just a few steps from campsite in Hayes Canyon Campground, Shawnee National Forest, southern Illinois, on a rainy day. White water tumbles over rock lines with moss, lichen, and small, bent, lichen covered trees. Top of Hayes Canyon is visible from the west end of Hayes Canyon Campground, a horse camp in southern Illinois. Such vibrant shades of green. Moss grows amidst fallen tree leaves west of Hayes Canyon Campground near Eddyville, Illinois.
October 30, 2025 at 10:24 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Took advantage of a brief lull in rain yesterday to hike a short path behind camp. So much beauty. So close.
So much beautiful moss and lichen on the rocks and trees just west of Hayes Canyon Campground, a horse camp in southern Illinois Shawnee National Forest. The colors seemed extra vibrant after several days of rain showers and sprinkles finally turned into a good rain yesterday. Lichen mingles with green moss putting up purple sporophyte stalks. Fallen tree leaves in earthy fall colors seem to float on top. Tiny maple tree showing full autumn color as it tries to grow on solid rock surrounded by moss and lichen. A fallen tree limb nurtures life in the form of small shelf mushrooms and lichen. A sprig of grass shelters underneath and wet autumn tree leaves provide a solid covering for the forest floor.
October 30, 2025 at 10:12 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Short last hike to Double Branch Hole yesterday on a rainy day.
Frothy water streams over smooth rock. Moss, lichen, and muted fall colors in tree foliage surround the landmark Double Branch Hole. Water from the eastern branch flows into Double Branch Hole. Moss, lichen, and a small tree with yellow leaves add color 10/29/25. Small double water fall on the south branch flowing into Double Branch Hole. Trees drip with rain. Moss grows prolifically on solid rock that is dry much of the year. Mighty if small stream of water tumbles down a rocky chute from the south on its way to Double Branch Hole. Colorful green moss and lichen and red autumn tree leaves line the deep slippery channel.
October 30, 2025 at 9:57 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Saying goodbye to the campground for a while. Put the shower in the cabin bathroom yesterday just in time to turn off the water and winterize camper and cabin. Going home tomorrow when it quits raining.
Sunset 9/16/25 at far west end of Hayes Canyon Campground. A red pickup truck and white horse trailer sit in front of a cabin that is still a work-in-progress, shed with white door to the left holds hay and tack, carport to the back of shot covers camper that will hopefully be sold in the spring when the cabin will be completed and ready to stay in next season. Georgie's blue tarp-covered stall will be moved under the carport with room to park the truck under cover, too. Lots to look forward to next year!
October 29, 2025 at 1:08 PM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Made a wish at the wishing well. Hope, health, healing in the season ahead for the earth and humanity.
One of many old stacked stone wells dotting Shawnee National Forest, last remnants of old homesteads. This one is in a small clearing and has a trail named for it, the Wishing Well Trail, in the Lusk Creek Wilderness area. Fallen tree leaves top a small fern growing down from the top edge of the well 10/25/2025.
October 28, 2025 at 10:06 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Rainy day stump decorating campground for fall.
Mushrooms, some small and aged in shades of brown and tan, some larger with green tints to newest and largest white ones at the top of a stump in front of our camper at Hayes Canyon Campground, Eddyville, Illinois.
October 27, 2025 at 11:33 AM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Georgie giving the trail her full attention. Yesterday was likely her last trip down the trails in Shawnee National Forest for the year.
A small trail lined with ferns and trees showing green and yellow foliage 10/25/25 in Shawnee National Forest, Lusk Creek Wilderness, southern Illinois. Bay Paso Fino mare, Georgie, is a good and steady trail partner.
October 26, 2025 at 12:09 PM
rideintothesunset.bsky.social
Looking down on Lusk Creek and Salt Peter Cave bluff line.
Trail 483 in Shawnee National Forest runs above a drop off straight down a rocky bluff to Lusk Creek where it runs in front of Salt Peter Cave. Strange fall, not much color. Trees stay green until leaves turn brown and blow off in a good breeze to carpet the trails.
October 26, 2025 at 12:04 PM