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Gloria

@rideintothesunset.bsky.social

1.5K followers 1.2K following 540 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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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.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 20h

Deer duo at dawn.

Two white tail deer, about an 8 point buck on the left and a younger 1 or 2 point on the right. Haven't seen as many deer around lately. Neighbors report finding several dead in creeks from blue tongue disease (EHD). Morning sun rising behind trees and pic taken through dirty window give a misty glow to the scene.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 1d

Confidence. The Laila strut.

Black barn cat, Laila, patrols her territory. Red and gray barn behind is her castle. 10 pounds of attitude.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 2d

Thanks

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 2d

www.goenhance.ai/photo-effect...

Free Photo to Painting Converter: Turn Photos Into Paintings

Free photo to painting converter online. Instantly transform any photo into a painting with one click. Fast, simple, and easy to use

www.goenhance.ai

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 2d

I had never heard of photo painting before I saw what you've been doing. I tried it out for the first time yesterday and it's fun. Thanks for cluing me in to an interesting way to upgrade my simple phone snapshots! I posted my first effort today.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 2d

Inspiration from fellow Blueskyers led me to look up "photo painting". Found a free site and popped a quick pic from two days ago in. Nice. Pretty girl doing her favorite thing is now artistic.

Photo painting from picture taken in early October in southern Indiana. Gema, the bay pinto Paso Fino mare, grazes on delicious looking grass. Brush strokes add texture to her hair and the grass in foreground. Brushstrokes smooth out as front pasture dips then rises toward the fence at the road. Wildflowers and fall leaves add highlights to the green grass. Ordinary snapshot of a typical morning transformed. Interesting. I like it.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 3d

Puffball popup, sunset shadows.

A pure white, smooth, round puffball mushroom nestles in grass beginning to turn brown with a few fallen tree leaves behind October 2, 2025.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 4d

Lovely reminder of the harmony and beauty nature and humans (builders and keen eyed photographers) can achieve. Like so many of your images, it touches the soul. Thank you for sharing your vision.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 4d

Southern Indiana and Illinois should expect possibility of frost first week of November. Varies though. Last year I was still picking tomatoes mid-November.

Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 4d

October star still shining brightly with colorful friends.

Purple and white star petunia blooms with multi-color impatiens behind. I do like color, lots of it.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 5d

Absolutely wow!

Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 5d

Stripes on stripes with a side of stripes. Cats teach those who listen how to totally relax.

Amelia the tabby cat naps on the deck in the shade of a potted fern as the evening sun begins to set casting long shadows from the deck railing. Enjoy quiet moments of warmth and peace whenever you can.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 6d

Fall rose.

Red rose. Green leaves. Seems like there are fewer petals now than earlier in the season. Still pretty. Still trying hard to survive. September 30, 2025.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 7d

Catching early morning sun.

White mushrooms glow at sunrise. More solid ones contrast to ethereally topped variety that seem to catch the light like an incandescent bulb filament. A few fall leaves provide color.

Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 8d

Autumn colors.

Tiger Eye Sumac Tree leaves are turning from green to orange and purple. Evening light creates a glow. Blue sky peaks through above. A very healthy crop of weeds grows below.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 9d

New fern grows from old roots after September rains break drought. Life goes on.

Japanese painted ferns had a die back during mid-summer drought in southern Indiana. This small one looked completely dead as seen from the blackened frond lying on the mulch. Then rains came mid September encouraging new dark green growth to pop up. They are resilient and send out roots to start new plants in random spots in the fern and hosta shade garden.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 10d

Morning dew. Wonder as you wander in nature.

Early morning sun streams through trees, lighting up grass covered in dew drops. So glad I can still find joy in simple things in nature.

Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 11d

A red, red rose.

A rose blossom opens pure red on new leaves green outlined in shades of red. Red on red. Nature saying goodbye summer but not ready to give up yet.

Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 12d

Chicory so fresh and blue.

Blue chicory flowers open in September. Their green foliage blurs behind. Focus on the small joys in life.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 13d

Rain yesterday brought a salamander? to the house.

Tiny one inch long shiny creature, black with very faint lighter spots, bulgy eyes, long tail, and translucent fingers on its four stubby legs. It appeared on the aluminum door sill yesterday after a pretty good morning rain. Is it a salamander?

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 14d

Something about lavender. It makes me stop and bend close every time I walk by.

Light purple flowers of a lavender plant open atop pale green thin leaves. Can't you just smell the lovely, light fragrance? Not a large or overly profuse patch of it, but it is still trying hard for September after a hot and dry summer.

Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 15d

Christmas tree in September. That was my thought when walking by this pine tree adorned with maple leaves that glowed like ornaments in the setting sun.

A pine tree growing underneath a maple tree is covered in fallen maple leaves. This was taken September 19, 2025. The maple leaves did not turn their normal glorious colors before falling in October or November as is usual. Leaves started turning brown and falling straight off the first week of September. It has been very hot and dry for the past few months in southern Indiana and Illinois.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 16d

Colorful companions in the garden.

Marigold flowers mix with red cherry tomatoes putting on a late season mid-September push. Everything gets a little messy by this time of year, but that's OK.

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Gloria @rideintothesunset.bsky.social · 17d

A field of Blue Mistflowers greets the morning, waiting for the sun to top the trees and shine down on native beauty.

Conoclinium coelestinum, or blue mist flower. Small soft and fluffy lilac colored blooms wait for butterflies, bees and other pollinators looking for a late season meal. They fill an unused front pasture between barn and road with subtle joy.

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