In Between the Raindrops

I know the weathermen here have to be getting tired of the 

pattern of rain, rain and more rain.  Oddly enough, our 

little bit of the area has only had drips since Saturday night, 

though ten miles away, were raging deluges. 

Saturday at noon, my son's family, and I, and Cheryl, 

my daughter in law's mom, all went to see Paiton in her dance recital. 

I'm going to tell on myself, and on Cheryl, too. 

We can't deal with the highway lane changes to get to where 

the school is.  

We rode with Jim and Amy.  Pitiful, that's it come to that. 

However, it was a fun hour seeing all the sweet girls in their costumes, 

and I was amazed at all the big daddies who dissolved into tears when their 

little ones came out on stage. 

Paiton's class of five had the least flashy costumes, but they 

all looked cute. 

Jim and Jax rushed from the recital to the ballfields, where a tournament was 

being played.  This picture was taken after 3 games, which the Crushers won. 

The other team voted for MVP... and you see the proud boy here. 

I was worn out that day and did not go to the tournament, but 

I'm so glad for him. 

We had a little sun that night, and I looked out and saw our tiny friend

eating at the feeder.  The hummers love to come in the evening, we 

can often stand in the window and watch them. 

Lilies are really abloom now at the old house. 

And the waysides are still beautiful. 

Yesterday as the dogs and I were headed home from 

chores, I saw a bird running ahead of me on the gravel road. 

This is in between two vast hayfields.  I looked ahead... and saw what 

looked like a turkey was also crossing, about 50 feet down the road, and 

then back to this bird, which I thought was a quail.  She took off at that point, 

flying fast to the east. 

It's a female prairie grouse, and I realized it when I got home. 

I am going to go back over there in the next week and sit for a while outside my car, and see if I can see her again. 

I had no idea there were any in this area.  

Please excuse the picture, sometimes it is so hard to get a good picture against the road as background. 

Their time is almost over... they are diminishing and going into the west. 

This morning, at the old house. 

Likewise. 

I worked about an hour or so in the two big garden beds, pulling weeds. 

Yesterday afternoon, I had a doe jump out in front of me for the third time in a week. 

This particular doe trotted ahead of me across a bridge, and into the woods on the left side. 

Today, I came upon her again.  I had actually slowed down, hoping I would see her. 

She calmly watched me watching her, and I shushed the dogs. 

She had a few more bites of the tree. 

And then slipped into the woods, still chewing. 

If you biggify that first photo, you'll see she's got a bunch of ticks on her 

face and legs, especially up by her eyes.  Ticks don't hurt... but they carry disease. 

Troy cut the grass yesterday and weed ate all the bed walls.  God Bless him! 

He cleaned the vegetable garden up, too, I'll take a picture tomorrow. 

I had my little Worx weedeater with me, but after 5 minutes of weed whacking, I 

ran out of line! 

Okay, I see this little creature almost every day.  He comes out in the road and eats, and runs back into the grass.  Is it a rat?  His tail is not long... nor is his body... this is an adult, and he's very small, but much bigger than a field mouse.  I ask this on purpose, because we have one living here, 

on our hillside.  It does not look like a Norway rat.  Does anyone recognize it? 

I'm seeing scores of these, but this one worried me.  It did not move, even when I stopped the car and rolled down the window, to take it's picture.  I watched in the rear view mirror, and it was still standing there when I left.  I wonder if there were babies near there. 

And finally, yes, I had to play with this picture, because of the background... we were finally getting some clearer skies, but it was still so dark I had to balance this picture artificially.  It's nice to see some hawks again!