The View from Here

Hose Wrangling

 

 
Yes, folks it’s that time again- time to drag out the hose and water the flowers. Some of my daisies were actually drooping their little heads today, in dire need of relief. The anticipated rain has not arrived, so I accommodated them with a few sprinkles.

 

 

Meanwhile Gary started that other ritual- lawn mowing. At least this year he is doing it on our new lawn terminator! No more pushing, pulling, or walking in the hot sun—well, maybe a little around the edges.

 

Just so happy to have warm sunlit evenings, birds singing, and flowers blooming.

Enjoy!

Worth the Wait!

 

Today was a day to celebrate.

It was a birthday of sorts.

Each year it’s on a different day and I wait ever so anxiously.

Today was the day my grandmother’s iris bloomed. I don’t care that the stem was too long or that it toppled over into some grass at the base of my bird bath. I don’t care if it even opens completely. I just care that I dug it up out of my grandmother’s yard fifteen years ago and its offspring have never failed to bloom.  There are at least three still living here (and more at my old house) and they are a sweet reminder of happy times at Della’s house.

 
 

Today I also have tulips!! Yes! Worth the wait…

 

 

 

Peace

 

Gary and I went to the wildlife refuge yesterday in hopes of getting some photos of birds. What we got instead was peace and quiet. I marveled at how undisturbed the inner areas of the refuge were. Even though we could see a vehicle here and there, I could still hear the scurry of little feet in the brush piles and chirping of birds on nearby limbs. When one of the turtles dove into the water it made a loud splashing sound that caused both of us to turn around. I could hear my feet crunching on the gravel. I stood on the bridge for several moments just enjoying the chatter of the ducks and the indignant squawking of the hereon as we disturbed him. Even though we live in the country the peace is often disturbed by the howling wind and the passing of trucks on the nearby highway. There in the woods next to the river there were no such distractions.

I was reminded of my wanderings through the fields and woods as a child. I’ve always liked quiet places- the desert, high mountains, forests, deserted beaches. I like the way the quiet of nature quiets my mind. I breathe easier and feel a deep sense of calm.

I hope that no matter where you live, there is some quiet place you can go to once in a while that restores your inner sense of peace.

A very, very good team...

 

 

Gary and I went to the Tishomingo Wildlife Refuge this morning. Even though it was overcast and there weren’t many critters out and about, we managed to find a few willing subjects near a little bridge. We were able to sneak up on the turtles- something we can’t do at home on the pond. Gary got some great shots of them. I got a few of the ducks. He photographed the heron after I spotted it hiding in the brush. We make a great team. I have the creative eye and art training. Gary has the technical knowledge and photography training. Together we are a force to be reckoned with…

 

 

 

Now if we could just afford a second camera!

Out of Shape

 

 

 

 

I have been chasing butterflies today and I'm out of shape. I wasn't particularly happy with these shots, but at least you can see that I had a good time! Have to practice holding steady and being patient.

 
 

Tastes Like Chicken

 

Gary asked me about my “fake burger” and I said, “tastes like chicken”. That’s what my mother always said about dove, frog legs, squirrel, duck, rabbit, and any other strange thing she wanted us to eat. That’s what a friend told me about snake. That’s what the waiter said about alligator. Lol However, I am finding that “fake meat” tastes good, especially if you don’t compare it to anything else. Just judge it on its own taste and texture. Already finding my favorites.

 

 

Still feeling great and sleeping like I haven’t slept in years!!

 

Spent a lazy afternoon just strolling around and watching the birds. I even sat on the step for a while and they didn’t seem to mind. Although I must say that the chickadee was difficult to photograph. They flit around almost as quickly as a hummingbird! The bluebirds are working on their nests. Haven’t seen the wren yet.

More lazy days ahead. Enjoy yours!

Happy Birthday to Robert!

Don't cry...you're not 40 yet!

 

Spring Break, Day One

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Something new...

 

Gary and I were having coffee yesterday morning when I looked out the window and saw a very large head bobbing in the pond. I grabbed my binoculars for a closer look, then got the camera. These photos are posted strictly for “proof” not quality. I can’t wait for sunrise so I can see if he/she is still around. I wasn’t even aware that there could be an otter on the pond until I read about them on this Oklahoma wildlife site. I will post more photos if I get an opportunity to take them!

 

This is the beginning of spring break! I stopped by after school and bought ten bags of mulch, two bags of soil for my herb boxes, a new lilac, and a new forsythia. I don’t want to buy very many plants until the beds are ready.  More daffodils are blooming, the fruit trees have blossoms, and the tulips are up but not open.

 

Our weather forecast is 70+ and 10-30% chance of rain each day for the next week. I’ll take that. lol

I have a few projects and plans for this week, but there is a lot of time for spur-of-the-moment actions, so let’s just see what happens!

Lots to pray about today.

Have a good one….

Life

Joy and sorrow, joy and sorrow. That’s the roller coaster we ride in life.

Billie Nickles, father of a dear friend, and icon of Caddo, will be laid to rest this morning. It seems we have lost far too many good people lately. My thoughts and prayers will be with the family as I go through the motions of the day.

Preston and June Sampson will celebrate 70 years of marriage tomorrow.  That’s an incredible number to even begin to think about. And they have such a sweet family. We used to live near one of their daughters.

Like most things that happen in Caddo, both events will affect nearly everyone in town. We even have ties to the Nickles family way back when, because Bill’s mother was a Felmet and my great-somebody was a Felmet and our mutual relative was a soldier in the Civil War. But in a small town it isn’t the ties by blood that bind people and cause them to share the joys and sorrows of life, it’s the daily interactions. We see each other and work side by side and go to the movies and ballgames and graduations. We kiss the new babies and hug the grieving widows and help the stranded neighbor. We hear from a friend of a friend that someone isn’t well or needs a place to live or has a puppy to give away. We bump into each other at the post office and chat about the week. And yes, we gather together on Facebook just like the rest of the world and keep in touch through technology. I love living in a small town. I love the people. I love sharing our lives…even when it means sharing sorrow.