Ahh My Little Chickadee

Sometimes I get a little carried away with my camera.  A couple of days ago, between the raindrops, I heard the chickadees, they have a very distinctive chirp, so I slowly, slowly walked out to the backyard with camera in hand.  Spotted him first on the neighbors sad dead tree.....

I have a couple of bird-feeders in the back yard but the chickadees sometimes are skitish to come to the feeder when there are so many others flocking around.  He sat there observing the possibilities of how to partake in those yummy sunflower seeds.  I can see his little mind thinking...."oh what the heck, I'll just go down and check it out. "

OK, now I am here, but it looks like most of the seeds have fallen on the hosta leaves....

Ahh, here they are....thank goodness these leaves are big enough to hold me while I forage for food.

Suppose there are more over there?

Are you watching me?  And by the way, your siding really needs a good power wash.

After a few more bites he was back to the tree, looking rather stuffed and sleepy. Probably nap time. I totally agree that after lunch is a good time for a nap.

Saturday was gorgeous, blue skies, pleasant temps so I took advantage of the nice day and worked in the garden, transplanted a hosta from back to front, planted 3 ferns....I really love ferns but I haven't had very good luck with them.  The new variety I bought is called a Christmas Fern and it is supposed to thrive in dry shade which is exactly what I have in the front yard.  Keeping fingers crossed, if they survive I will have them on my nursery list for next year.  My front yard garden is surrounded by a maple, a honey locust, and a silver maple and between those 3 they drink suck up all the water leaving my poor garden so dry.  This year has been a different story with all the rain. Right now, it is raining again...what can I say.

Stopped at TJ's after church to stock up since I am hosting Bunco tomorrow evening.  Had to buy some fresh flowers, don't you always buy flowers when you go to TJ's?  Found these beautiful red gerbera daisies and thought I would share them with you.  They look mighty purty on the back porch!!

Must go, watching Poldark and the Crimson Field on PBS, I enjoyed them both last week so anticipating good things tonight.  Happy Sunday!!  Hope you have a joy field-week, 13 days until Paris but whose counting.

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.  ~ Maya Angelou

Until next time.....

A Day in My Life

Yesterday and today were picture postcard gorgeous, both days sunny and in the 70's with low humidity.  That is darn near perfect weather.  Worked in the garden most all of yesterday afternoon planting flowers and transplanting a huge hosta.  Now that transplanting is a big deal, digging and lifting and then digging and lifting some more.  I really had serious doubts that I would be able to step one foot in front the other this morning, but no problems.  Gardening must be good for your body and soul. And since I don't do yard maintenance any more (best decision I ever made to hire a landscaping company to handle the weekly yard chores, mowing, trimming, cleaning up) I now have more time to spend in the gardens, which is my true love.

Today was B&N coffee time with my gal pals, but 3 of them are leaving for their summer places and won't be around much if any this summer.  Insert sad face here....!!  And then off to the final 1st Wednesday Book Club luncheon and book review for the summer.  We don't gather again until September, another group I will miss seeing this summer.  We enjoy a nice lunch and after lunch one of the members presents a book review.  During the winter after a pleasant lunch when we are all bundled up in cozy sweaters and jackets, many have a tendency to dose off during the presentations, which unfortunately I have been guilty of in the past.  I have volunteered to be a presenter next year during the winter-time, I wonder how I am going to feel when I look out on my audience and see heads bobbing...hmmm.  My choice for lunch today was a summer salad made with grains, (quinoa, never knew how to pronounce that word until recently, I wanted to pronounce it quin o aa but I think it's pronounced keen wa...who comes up with these names?) fava beans (reminds me of Silence of the Lambs) chickpeas, and kale. Since I don't eat well at times I thought this would be the healthiest choice.  It was very tasty but with all those beans I have been having frequent reminders of them ever since. Decided not to go to summer Bible study this evening for just that reason. (snort!) And yes, I was wide awake the entire time, in case you wondered.

Sitting on the back porch this evening I spotted two Mourning Doves (Love Birds) landing on the dead tree branches in my neighbors back yard (another story) and grabbed my camera for what I hoped would be a "love" shot.  Not so much, they must have been in a disagreement because they turned their backs on each other and never spoke.  Obviously a lover's spat.

My roses are blooming.....yea!!!

And I still have peonies yet to bloom.... (and just because I have a little bit of fence in this shot, I am joining Theresa at The Run*A*Round Ranch Report for her Good Fences on Thursdays.

I love summer.

"Summer: Hair gets lighter. Skin gets darker. Water gets warmer. Drinks get colder. Music gets louder. Nights get longer. Life gets better."  ~  Author Unknown

Until next time.....

Me, the Kids, and the Meter Reader....

Hmmm, since it's been so long since I have really written down my thoughts I seem to be a might lax in coming up with something blog worthy.  My world remains pretty much the same....kids are fine, sweetie is still with us and now almost 4 years August 1st in a care facility, thrilled that summer is here and I envision long afternoons and evenings enjoying the screen porch.  In fact the sun is shining brightly right now and the temps are warming up so I plan on making this post rather short, so I can enjoy the outdoors.

I have a couple of peony bushes on the side of the house where absolutely no one can enjoy them unless you happen to walk thru the front yard into the back yard which only me, the kids, and the electric meter reader possibly see.  And I doubt the kids or the meter reader have any idea just how beautiful pink peonies are.  It's almost impossible for me to choose between the multi layer petals of the ranunculous, the beauty of the rose, or the huge, gorgeous, perfumed scented petals of the peony as to which is my favorite.  Right now and because they are in bloom, it's the peonies.  And because they are positioned and growing where they are, I cut them to enjoy their short life and photograph the heck out of them, so you, the kids, and the meter reader can enjoy them.

And these scissors you see in the pic below, those were a "must have"....I saw them all over instagram and blogs and being just like a kid, I had to have them.  Last winter I ordered them from Etsy, along with another pair and to this date I have photographed these twice, and the other pair never.  How many times do we do this, think we have to have what everyone else has only to find out we really and truly didn't "need" it at all.  In my 70's and still have that child mentality, but they do add a nice addition to the image. (this is me convincing myself that the purchase was camera worthy)

"You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along 

the way."  ~  Walter Hagen

Until next time....