Catching Up at the End of the Month

I am trying to type this as I listen to the Oscar's Red Carpet. 

You know you are old when you only recognize about a third of the 

people walking. 

Honestly, who ARE all these people? 

I told you I was going to start posting more often, 

but instead, I have posted less in the last two weeks.  I am sorry for that, I truly enjoy posting, but I am also struggling with the things that have to be accomplished after losing 

Keith.  Some are not pleasant, and that's all I'll say. 

I have had a few chances to take pictures. 

Oddly, I have two cameras over at the Ag, but am not getting much on them. 

I don't know if I have simply forgotten how to run the darn things, or what! 

I'll sit down tomorrow when I am there, and see if I can figure it out. 

I'm no longer putting all the pictures willy-nilly into the computer, I 

actually sit and look at them on the card, before I import.  Saves a LOT of 

space on the hard drive.  This raccoon was in the woods. 

Yep, I'm still going daily to take care of my friends at the Ag. 

I was absolutely blessed on Thursday, because Lee, who will be leaving 

the Ag at the end of this week, and my grandson, Chris, cleaned the 

entire henhouse for me!  Woo hoo!

Then they bedded the whole thing down with wonderful sweet-smelling fresh straw.  

I am still wearing my splint on my broken wrist, and see the doctor on 

Wednesday of NEXT week to make sure it has healed.  I still go to 

therapy, too, for another week. 

Gosh, I love birds, and I really love crows! 

I'm always glad when I get a good look at one! 

This red-winged blackbird was on the back deck this morning.  I know spring is coming, when the red-wings come back. 

I have taken the suet hanger off the deck, the starlings... ugh.   A mess! 

I am slowing down the feeding, it makes such a mess. 

We walked the dogs at Angel Falls on Thursday afternoon. 

Our temperatures veered from 80 to 39 in two days. 

These happy, golden moments.  

Jaxton's third grade class had their spring program on Thursday night.  It was a patriotic program, and one of his classmates designed the "Of Thee I Sing" tee shirts that the kids wore. 

They closed with "Taps"... sung... and grandma couldn't help it, I cried through the whole thing. 

I went to church Saturday afternoon, since I took Chris home to Garnett on Friday. 
I came across these two red-shouldered hawks... one could have been last year's chick. 
I had the smaller Canon camera with me, got out of the car, and gave it a shot. 
I should explain... I can't really SEE through the site of this camera, I have to 
guess, usually.  I was stunned that the pictures came out well. 

I looked for them again today, but did not see them. 

You can see the red belly on this red-bellied woodpecker on the deck, though. 

And this little guy with his nut. 

I'm watching this every few days now, to see when this year's 
clutch will be laid. 

I will TRY to post more often... life keeps intervening. 

A Good Picture Day!

The addition of extra peanuts to the Back 

Yard Blend I am using in the flat feeder at the 

old house has really enticed the birds to come. 

Do you think I'm crazy to get so much pleasure from 

watching these birds? 

This calf was out in the middle of the road about 

10 seconds before I snapped his picture. 

His Mama was in here  

By the time we went the second time to shut the birds up, 

someone had gotten him back in. 

Someone beat me to calling the sheriff's office, I'm telling 

you that people in Leavenworth County are on TOP of it. 

The geese are loving the higher temps (35)... the ponds are 

thawing again. 

I'm loving them loving it. 

Can you see the hawk in this picture? They were EVERYWHERE today. 

Up high. 

And down low. 

I saw at least a dozen of them. 

Including our juvenile with the droopy wing.  He's not flying very high, but he IS flying. 

One more redbird picture! 

C'mon, Lilly Ann, time to go home! 

Yesterday and Today

First off, I have the crud.  I don't want to say it's flu, but 

it FEELS like flu.  Headache, stomach upset, aching all over and little chills. 

No fever...yet. 

Crossing my fingers. 

This... is NOT A NORTHERN FLICKER as I said yesterday on Facebook. 

It's a red-bellied woodpecker, and yes, I know he has a red head. 

He is not a red-headed woodpecker. 

Here is a Northern Flicker, in our yard today...

Not even close, Mary Ann. 

Thanks to Teresa Perrin at Eden Hills... if you have never read her blog, you are missing a treat.  I'll tell you more about Teresa sometime this week. 

I also have GREAT bird support from my friend Jill, whom I can't thank enough. 

These beautiful peacocks are at my friend Roxane's... she has milked goats for 

years, and they are on the roof of her milk storage house.  See the little goat peeking out? 

Roxane is on a list to get bread from a bread store here.  She has been called 

3 times in the last few weeks... she gets a huge load for 24.00.  She does not have many birds right now, and she let me know to come and get some.  She sells 30 loaves for 5.00. 

So.... I have gone over there several times to get bread and take it...

To my friend whose chickens I am caring for.  She feeds bread at night to her poultry. 

It was in the high thirties - low forties today, but is PLUNGING as of tonight. 

The dogs had a great time running around in the good weather. 

I found a door hanger from the tree-eaters last Friday at the 

old place.  Yesterday when I came to do evening chores, I found this. 

Actually, the cedars were still standing, and the two workers asked me if I wanted them down.  I said "YES"... they overgrow fencelines so. 

Here is the view today:

They had the debris picked up by 9 AM. 

Keith will cut these stumps down to the ground, along with the only other one left to the left of these. 

This beautiful red tail was on the levee at County Road Five this afternoon. 

Notice the color of this hawk's head. 

He flew across the road in front of the car near my friend's this morning. 

Now look at the red tail above it. 

Here's a closeup: 

See the bands on wings and tail, and the lighter head? 

This is a juvenile red tail, the only one I have seen hunting around here, though there 

must be many more, since it is the most prolific hawk in this area.  

I have been seeing many, many bluebirds drinking on the porch.  I'm going to take care to keep that heated water bowl full for the next few days, as we dive down into single digits again. 

I have to admit that this is the FIRST bunny I have seen on the porch camera! 

Plenty of kitties, though... look at the eyes BEHIND this one!  

I've switched the camera view around so you don't have to see all the junk still on the porch. 

The wheels of remodeling move slowly. 

Keith has been kind enough to run out and check on the birds tonight and fill the water bowl on the porch for the wildings as I am so under the weather. 

Thanks, honey!