Are You Sick of Birds, Yet???

Gosh, I promise I'll get a few other subjects in quickly. 

I just have some more bird pictures to share! 

Ooops... Not a deer. 

These ladies crossed in front of us yesterday morning... no, Sunday morning on 

my way to church. 

Shot through the windshield, so blurry. 

They don't always jump. 

Can you see them watching me from the pasture before they turned to go? 

I jumped out of the car at the bluffs to snap a picture, I am trying to take at least one picture a week there. 

Then I saw something wondrous, but I could only shoot it through the windshield.  I had to pull out on a horribly busy road to get it, and by a miracle, no one was coming from either direction. 

This is a scissortail flycatcher, I just do not see them very often.  He posed for me, almost. 

But of course, shooting through the windshield just did not get a clear picture. 

I'm stalking him now. 

I saw something move away back behind the big ditch. 

There they are a little closer.  Three geese in the weedy pasture. 
It was just... strange. 

I guess I expected to see turkeys that usually hang out there. 

Oh, wait, I did see some around the corner.

I have seen a large group of goldfinches at the park lately. 
I was lucky to have the camera close by on Sunday and got their pictures.

So, look whom is visiting our feeder on the back deck! I did not have it 
ready for orioles, though. 

He kept trying to find a way to get some sugar water. 

By the time his missus came by, I had some jelly out for them. 

I looked at an oriole feeder yesterday, by the way... and decided I could serve the purpose by 
the jelly dish.  I also removed a bee guard or two.  
However, tonight, I added another dish of the size above, full of sugar water, 
and cut an orange in two and put them all on the railing. 

She appreciated it! 

Another Hot Summer Day

We went over for a swim yesterday morning, first thing. 

All the white things you see on the water are pieces of "cotton" from the cottonwoods 

around Troy's pond. 

She had a good time trying to get the frogs jumping ahead of her in the pond. 

This morning was hot and muggy, and Lilly disappeared for a while again.  Pretty soon I saw her coming... she was wet again... but at least she is coming right back after her dip.  In the old days, she would have taken off. 

The walk gate in the fence is not hooking... it needs to be fixed, so I tied it with bale wrap yesterday, obviously not well enough. 

Jester doesn't want to wade, but he likes to walk in a few inches and get a good drink. 

Hangouts.... vulture style. 

Grandson Jacob had his last baseball game last night, and his mom, and Keith and I were able to go.  Many were rained out and rescheduled this year, and in fact, Jax 

was also scheduled to play and it was cancelled.  It was a strange season. 

Jacob's team won handily, and have been winning all season.  

He looks pretty intent in this picture!  

I saw a scissortail flycatcher again last night... aren't they beautiful? 

These pictures aren't the clearest, because they are cropped way down. 

See it's beautiful tail and red wing patches? 

I love to watch them. 

Today, I did something really stupid. 

We did not go to the old house until 1 PM. 

It was very hot out and humid. 

I decided to walk down to Beau's tree in the pasture to see if there 

were mulberries left. 

I took Jes, but Lilly turned back. 

Do you see what I put him through?  

He had to sit down frequently, and I had the big camera.  I should have carried him. 

I finally had to hold grasses down for him to come through, he was really having a time, and 

when he got out... he was worn out and breathing way too hard. 

No more.  We either go in the early morning, or the dogs don't go. 

The pasture is full of beauty. 

I heard from Troy, our good neighbor out there... he is going to finish cutting the pasture this week. 

God bless him! 

There's a new sheriff in town with the bathing beauties. 

And he did not hesitate to take his place in the bathing line this afternoon in the heat and humidity. 

The ponds still look so beautiful at the foot of the hill... but it's hard to get to them through the tall grass! 

I Catch the Scissortail Flycatcher!

This is the bird I have been trying to photograph for two weeks! 

On my way home from church tonight, I came across country, and as 

I came down this road, I could not believe my luck. 

I saw it first up on the electric line, but it soon flew down to 

the fence line. 

It made my day! 

Our beautiful girl ran down in the pasture this morning, and came back wet and covered with hundreds of seeds. 

The iris show is nearly over at the old house. 

There is still a lot of water in the creeks around here, but we are supposedly going to have about 4 days of sun! 

I just know this is a turtle.  I didn't go closer. 

I did not get good pictures of this, but the hawk was eating something.  His head is curled down, he was pulling it apart, it was held between his talons.

He was not happy, and quickly....

Flew away! 

We are about to have a drying out period... and I am hoping our neighbors in Oklahoma and Texas experience the same blessing. 

Maybe I'll get the grass cut!