Beautiful Day

          Sitting and relaxing, I have missed this.  My life has gotten so busy the last couple of months, I failed to take any time to stop and smell the roses.  More accurately, failed to notice there were any roses at all as I whooshed passed them.  Between tests, papers, reading (tons of reading!), working, and house-sitting, I have let one of my very favorite months nearly slip away.  The trees are all changing into their amazing array of reds and golds, the days are cooler, the nights are cold, and much needed rain has started to make an appearance.  *Sigh* so beautiful.  I have reached the halfway point in the semester, and I know there will be many moments of stress and craziness over the next eight weeks, but I do not want to let life slip by in a stressed frenzy.  Life is too short not to have fun.   

And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.  Genesis 2:2

A Bit of Blue

Three new Robin eggs!!! :D

Another Empty Nest

          The baby robins have grown and gone!  Last Monday the robin parents spent the majority of the day flying around the front garden trying to coax their four fledglings from the nest.  Their adolescent offspring spent their day ignoring the parents.  I finally gave up checking to see if they left, but Rachel was vigilant and at dusk she saw them take flight.  The front feels so quiet now.  I hope they decide to return next year, I can’t imagine a spring without baby robins in it!      

Getting crowded.

Mama robin watching from the nearby pink dogwood.

Daddy robin being the bread -- I mean-- worm winner!

Ignoring their parents.

Getting a little more adventurous.

Almost dusk!

Good luck robins!!!  :D

Do You See What I See?!?!

Grey Day

          Today has been a quiet and grey sort of day.  So far, only a smattering of rain has come down allowing for a brisk healthy walk in the cold air.  

           Rachel let the chickens out a little early today.  They were quite disappointed my camera was not something for them to eat, but they quickly moved on.

          Bingo and I also checked out the bird's nest from last year.  Yesterday, a pair of robins, likely the same ones from last year, was seen repeatedly flying around the hydrangea bush.  Today, I noticed their repair work on the nest.  The first nest picture I took yesterday, the next two are from today.  They have totally relined the inside and repaired the outside.  I look forward to hearing baby birds again!   

 

          Even grey days can be beautiful, and the yard is certainly arraying herself in some amazing colors.  I just heard thunder!  And now rain.  It looks like we will be settling in for quite a springtime storm.  I see a cozy fire in my future, and maybe a cup of cocoa.         

Pops of Pink

Spring and the Unexpected

          Today took an unexpected turn when I noticed Bingo rubbing at his mouth and hanging it open after eating from his food dish.  Dad and I took him to the vet after discovering blood in his mouth -- which he appeared unable to close.  It turned out to be a tooth ready to fall out.  The loose tooth had shifted preventing him from fully closing his mouth.  Thankfully, it was a very simple procedure and we were able to pick him up two hours later, minus one tooth.  All his other teeth are perfectly fine, and he is very healthy.  Bingo was very happy to be home again, and we are all so glad he is back safe with us.  I did manage to capture some pictures today before our trip to the vet.  Spring is officially here!   

Fa La La La La!!!!!

Blue Moon

          Have you seen the moon?  The special blue moon, the full sturgeon moon, the green corn moon, the grain moon?  If you haven’t, step outside and take a look!  I walked up to my house without needing a flashlight under its incredible bright, red glow.  I tried to take pictures, but some things just cannot be saved, only experienced.   

Captured

           My brain is not cooperating tonight, so my words will be brief.  Today was a strange day full of ups and downs, pain, excitement, and disappointment.  But amidst all that, I managed to capture the hummingbird.  

Enchanted August

          As far back as I can remember August has been that dreaded time of year when the temperature rises, the garden burns, and mom talks about moving.  But we always tell her to hold on till September when things will stop sizzling and the leaves start to change from green to gold.  This year, however, August has shocked us all with its warm days and cool nights.  I have been tempted on more than one occasion to grab a sweater after the sun finally slips away.  Of course I have always run cold and continue wearing jeans throughout the summer, and I am usually the first person to pull out the sweaters in the fall. 

          Autumn is my favorite season, the colors, the fragrances, if I could capture the smell after the first rain in a bottle it would probably become my favorite perfume.  Usually I am ready to speed through the end of summer and rush into late September, but this year I feel like drifting my way through August.  Time is a constant companion, unfortunately the longer we are acquainted the faster time seems to rush along. 

          I spent a good half an hour this evening attempting to capture a picture of the hummingbirds constantly buzzing around our mimosa tree.  I did not have the best camera on me (the batteries were dying to boot), and unwilling to exchange it for another due to the quickly fading light I kept stubbornly snapping away.  I finally resorted to “sport mode” and managed to capture this.

          The quality is not great and I had to do a bit of post picture tinkering, but it’s a hummingbird.  There are seventeen more days left in this month, and I am happy to say I am looking forward to each and every one of them.  And next time I plan on having sunshine and the better camera aiding me in my hummingbird endeavor.                  

Summer Recap: Backpacking

          Hello again!  I really did not intend to let three weeks slip away without at least some sort of update, but with August already well established I need to get typing or I will have some serious summer catching up to do.
          July 22-26 the college/career group from my church headed into the High Sierras for five days away from civilization and technology.  We encountered some crazy weather, (thunderstorms, heavy rain, and hail!) but we did see some of the most beautiful lakes and mountains within our state.  There is something so awe inspiring about great mountains towering over you.  Setting up camp and kicking off my hiking boots was my favorite part of each day.  My feet have always been one of my greatest weaknesses, but a quick dip into the snow-fed lakes was usually enough to numb away their aches and pains.  By day five I was ready to come home.  I enjoyed slipping away from civilization for a short while, but I missed my family terribly; and I was definitely ready for some modern conveniences, specifically hot running water!  It is great to be home again, but my camera sure enjoyed taking in the majestic scenery.

Walk Softly

          A couple springs ago we saw some evidence of a nest being built in a camellia bush along the walkway leading to the front door.  Now, as with most front doors, there is a lot of comings and goings which can be quite noisy, so the building site was abandoned.  Last spring, a pair of blue jays spent a couple weeks building the nest into a large structure, but anytime someone would walk by they would fly away in a panic so they also gave up on the nest.  Last week, two robins discovered the fixer-upper nest and went right to work, they would watch us with a careful eye when we walked by but they did not fly off in a panic like the previous tenants.  A couple of days ago Rachel was able to peek into the nest while the birds were away and saw a glimpse of blue.  Since then the mama bird has been sitting faithfully on the nest, keeping an eye on us as we walk by; it has been a good reminder not to slam the front door.  So, if you stop by, be sure and walk softly.  And if you walk slowly, you may be able to catch a glimpse of the mama bird sitting on her nest.

Glimpses of Color

Do not get lost in a black and white world, stop and see the colors.