Hawk

A hawk is hanging out in the apricot tree.  I noticed him a week or so ago.  I tried to take a picture but that is rather had through the window.  But, he has been returning, and the other day I say he was eating another bird of some sort.  He just sat there in the apricot tree pulling feathers off the little bird he held in his claw.  Saturday morning we watched him try to catch another bird.  It managed to get lost in the cherry bushes.  He perched in the aspen tree and I got a much better picture of him.  I guess because we have so many birds around the bird feeders, he thinks it's okay to eat around here too. lol.  He is such an exciting bird to have hanging around.  I believe he is a red tail.  Quite large about a foot long I would guess.  Also, we have had a big fat looking flicker hanging around too.  He sometimes raps around on the eaves.  The little birds are wrens, and sparrows and the junkos have finally shown up.

And here is what my feet look like now the swelling has gone down.

Dr. Visit-

Today I head for the Drs.  I think he will be taking stitches out of my toes and the heel.  The nail looking pins have to stay for six weeks, I think.  Walking is getting a bit easier.  I am not on pain pills anymore.  I read, and play on the computer to pass the time.  I think about things too.  I look out at the snow and think a  beach in mexico would be nice right now, lol.  The birds thump on the windows now and then to keep me alert.  The village is encased in what looks like fog so I seem to be floating on a great white something up here.  The little hawk that has been hanging around here was not in the apricot tree yesterday, so I don't know if he will be back.  I had a flicker pecking around on the dining room yesterday.  It makes blueberry go crazy.  I had thought I might work on a quilt, but the pins in my toes probably will keep me from crawling around on the floor to pin it together.  I am going to try to machine quilt it if I ever get so I can work on it.  I hope my feet will be in great shape by end of Feb. for my las vegas escape.

Feet in the Air and Snow

Today, as I sit with my feet propped up, watching more snow, and it is lots of snow for us to have at one time looking close to a foot at this time and still falling, watching the birds quarrel over the seeds in the bird feeder, I wish I could go out and play in the great white stuff too.  It seems like the extra hard winter is here early and that it is going to be a long one.  The little birds are about the only thing lively in or about our area.  Bubba is really not into the snow, nor is Blueberry.  I the sub zero weather is not very pleasant for anyone!  Maybe the sun will come out soon and the sleigh riding and snow man making will be fun for the young ones.

Journal Page

AT the hospital, one of the guys was kind enough to print off one of the Xrays of OP's hand.  I put it in one of my journals.  Here is a scan of it.

Cookies and Bread

On Monday the littlest car girl and I made cookies.  We had lots of fun!

Last week I made cinnamon buns. Tuesday I made bread.  If I don't watch out, I might become some kind of cook!  Then what would the chief cook and bottle washer do to entertain himself?

Today, the wind and cold were fierce.  I spent the day making a mobile and some crows.

For My Artsy Kids/Grandkids

For those of you who love art and who likes spooky things, here is a couple of this month's art efforts.

Today, I had three flickers, a blue bird and the wax wings visiting.   I set the cactus out with seeds so we could watch them from our chairs.  So far... not one bird has found the seeds.  I guess they will eventually. The birds are very cagey up here, and suspicious too.  I saw a lonely squirrel on the rock wall and even he was staying away.  I have decided that the cactus looks somewhat like an upright human with big arms upraised so maybe that is why they are not visiting it yet.

Gone

Most of the birds have headed to the land of warmer airs, I guess. Only one blue scrub jay hands out here and a few sparrows. The group of robins seem to have gleaned everything they found delicious in the garden and about. No hawks, either, flying by the windows. I did get a glimpse of a lone magpie this morning, that's about it. Now, I don't know if I am slow or what, but I just moved the cactus over to the west so I could see the birds feeding in the bowls on it's tips and now they are all mostly gone. Cheez! Maybe some new ones will find us and I will have a new model for another painting, like the Flicker above.

Sticky Flies!

The flies get obnoxious this time of year! I keep a fly swatter glued to my hand as I cannot bear to have them flying around me or landing on me! I have done this like forever! This year I have run into a problem, grrrrrrrrr. I seem to have lost a bit of my coordination... I don't know what it is but I have been quarreling with the same fly for two days! I keep the flyswatter where can grab it easily, and when he lands, SLAM, I swat him a good one. But, unfortunately I miss him. I am really getting agravated-with him and my self! At least he is not as big as the fly I took a picture of last summer when I was walking along the rock wall, lol. That one was an inch long!

More Bird Art

This is mostly just a doodle... but it was fun. One of those things I do while watching boring TV!

Birds

Today, first thing this morning, a flicker, or what I have always called a wood pecker, was hanging around (this is not the first time either) the house. All at once it lit on the bar of the big window and stayed there for me to view him for a minute. He has an orangy undertail, but the rest of him is black and white. Then he flew to the other side of the house and lit on the bird feeder hanger and pecked at the metal bird there. Later, I saw him, and one of the scrub jays out by the pines have a few cross words with each other. Evidently, what he had to say won, as the scrub jay left. We also have had a flock of young robins here for a week or so. They are pretty busy. We always have the sparrows too. And the big mouthed blue jays have a big mouthed friend, a magpie, that hangs with them. I see and hear him almost daily.

I have been doing some wood batiks of the birds I see here, I like the batiking and the bird theme. Funny, the little hawk lit on the bird feeder and pecked at the metal bird too a while back. How odd is that? Perhaps the shape of the bird entices them?

Sunday Morning Breakfasts

In thinking about breakfast Sundays, DH and I were talking about pancakes. I bought a package of pancake mix to take to camp but that did not happen so now we have to use it for Sundays which is the only day we ever cook breakfast. We delightfully remembered the applesauce pancakes and the corn pancakes we used to make when our kids were small. They liked them! We thought we should try that again this winter. I spent some time looking for the corn pancake recipe in Granny's old cook book. The applesauce pancake recipe just came about through evolution. Some one gave me some apples, I made applesauce that no one wanted to eat, so I started using it in the pancake batter one time when I was a bit short on milk and the batter needed a bit more moisture. We all liked the pancakes and it was a great way to use the applesauce.

We like to have Sunday breakfast with any of the willing to eat family members. Jack's family, for instance, just comes up whenever they can and we all pitch in and help-the men cooking, the women waiting patiently, lol. The menu is usually whatever we have on hand. I think the idea is not so much what we eat, as it is a way of getting together as an extended family.

Anniversary Time

This time of year I really think lots about anniversaries. J&D in July, D&M Oct 1 (TODAY and Happy Happy One I hope) mine and DH Nov 1, and my Mom and Dad's was Nov 2. I remember how we had a big combination anniversary and pheasant hunt years ago. All the families would group at Granny's house and the men would go pheasant hunting and the women would play and cook. Usually after dinner we would play cards. The kids would play underfoot somewhere. Those were fun times for the most part and good memories. Sometimes I would go pheasant hunting with the guys. I used to like to do that, hunt. And doves too. Now, that I have learned that doves mate for life, I couldn't shoot one. And pheasants I think are pretty much a thing of the past as far as public lands go. But it is nice to have sweet memories, don't you think? Maybe I should stick a pheasant in my drawing above... just for old times sake!

Hawk Bath

On Monday, I went to the door to let Bubs out. As I glanced out the door, I saw one of the little hawks sitting on the edge of a big flat bowl we have sitting by the BarBQ for the animals to drink out of. I immediately froze and stood there to watch him. He was about the size of a pigeon but chunkier. Suddenly, he hopped right into the middle of the bowl and began an entertaining ritual of bathing! I fluffed out his feathers and wings and splashed and wallered in the water for several awe inspiring moments. I noticed the feathers on the back of his head actually give the impression of two big owl looking eyeballs. He was kind of a grey and white almost checkered over all. He also had a friendly magpie with him that strutted around cawing and generally watching him too. Finally, he and his friend magpie flew off into the sky. I felt lucky to have the chance to view this guy from about seven feet, as he bathed and enjoyed himself! I believe he is the same young and inexperienced hawk that has sat on the humming bird brackets in the kitchen window, in the ash tree, and on the bird house just off the deck. I hope this is not the last I will see of him!

Here's Some Fun Mac Shots

Mac Photo Play

Hide Out

The cat likes to hide here... ???

Deer Photos

Deer Visitors

This morning DH woke me to come see the deer!  Ten or so, in the immediate area, wandering, it seemed, aimlessly.  Two or three got into the garden area where the turnips are, and had a taste.  The nibbled on the cherry bushes then went on across the road to the orchard where they tried the grapes and the apricot trees.  One was right up to the water tub by the fausett.  What a fun group of visitors to watch. Eventually, they went south out of sight.  I wonder where they hid out for the day?

 Another couple of visitors in the pictures too!

Snap Shots to Share

Had the card reader out and downloaded the new pics so thought I would share them here! More to come soon!

Usual Friday Activities

I went off the hill to hit the yard sales. Wow, I was surprised at how many there were today! I did not bring much home as I don't really need anything anymore. Little surprises for the car girl visits and I usually buy little pieces of ephemera I can use in my art is all.
Our Monkey cat is missing! Larry locked her out when he came up to the mountain, and I guess something happened to her. :>((
Yesterday I made scalloped potatoes (trying to keep a bland diet still.) They tasted yummy.
I have been trying to wear shoes all the time. A very difficult task! The shoes make the bottoms of my feet sweat and kinda burn, but I guess wearing them does make the heel a bit less painful. What a fun choice, Grrrrrrrr! I hate being old!

Home Again Home Again

The camp out with family was such an enjoyable activity. My guts have been reminding me of it since coming home. An attack of diverticulitis. I looked it up on the net, and guess what? A person with diverticulitis should not eat fried foods, no spicy meats, no spicy foods, nothing with nuts or seeds, (remember all those yummy dutch oven fried potatoes, eggs, sausage, bacon, enchilada's, boston baked bean candy, chips, doughnuts, well, the camp food in general) because they irritated the divers. I think under normal circumstances, all this good food would not have bothered me, but just a month ago, after taking some drugs which caused me to have the divers, I had a major attack. So, guess the ole bowels were already sensitive and the food was just too good. I have been on a bland diet since coming home to counter act the feeding frenzy I was on at camp. Today, I am not quite as sore in my abdomen so guess laying off eating much is good, lol.
We are going to sell the camper. (At least I think we are, since I am never sure about what DH will do.) He is talking seriously about a better one. I don't think he will ever buy another one though, but we will have to see.

Interesting Article

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more.
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Gifts

There are many kinds of gifts.  I get gifts everyday from mother nature.  The special visitors we get here are gifts too.  We have a couple of loud mouthed large sized blue birds that have been here for a week or two.  They caw rather like a crow.  They are a very pretty blue and rather entertaining.   The gentle doves are fun to watch too, they behave rather like chickens.  And the bright colored yellow birds that hang up side down on the sun flowers are fun to see too.  A flock of crows have been hanging out north of the house everyday. Interesting birds.  There are so many other things that are gifts, like good health, having enough food, a nice home, love of your family, sharing time with your family, etc.  This week end DH and I have been gifted with the opportunity to spend time with the car girls and parents.  What could be better?  

Just A Reminder

Is October Breast Cancer Awareness month...?  Seems to me like it is.  They do that so everyone will remember to get their mammograms.  Have you had yours for this year?  If you are one of my descendants you need to do this.  Cancer runs in families and since my Mom had it, and all of her kids have had some form of cancer, I assume that running in families is a truth.  Well, even if you are not a descendant do it! It is not that hard to be checked.  And if something develops the sooner you find it the better and easier it is to treat!  Make your appointments ladies!  

Hawk Pictures

I thought I posted these once, but guess not.  How awesome is this?