my life my art my journey

In Memory Of Sondra Walling 4/03/2023

2023-04-05T11:06:00.004-04:00

It is with regret that I announce the passing of my sister Sondra. She passed away at home Monday Evening April 3rd. I am so glad I was able to be here with my sister these past 6 months. My sister was very appreciative of the people who read her blogs and interacted with her. I know she enjoyed meeting some of you over the years during her travels. She was a free spirit and independent thinker. I wish I had half the grit and determination she had and her mechanical mind! She loved all her travels to many places in the USA and even Canada. I learned so much from my sister about nature, birdwatching and animals. She rescued many animals throughout her life and nursed them back to health and released them back into the wild or found homes for many of the dogs she rescued. She kept 2 dogs from the last group of 7 dogs she rescued, Annie and Flossie. Annie is still with us and she will be going home with me when I return to Colorado. I am posting a link to my sister's obit below and appreciate anyone adding a memory or sharing an experience or interaction you had with her over the years. She was a strong supporter of the equine rescue network that helps save horses, mules, donkeys and burros. I know she would love any donations to that rescue. She is on to her next journey whatever that is. We love you Sis.

https://powersfuneralhome.net/tribute/details/4298/Sondra-Walling/obituary.html#tribute-start

Thank you,

Her Kid Sister Marsha

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

spring on the way

2023-03-15T17:57:00.001-04:00

sorry for all lower case letters this one thing i would ask computer design engineers to work on...cheap lap tops for people who suffer from occupational or hands trouble...like put some upper case letters bars on the land middle and bottom row bars with some larger keys and in easy to read colors grey backgrounds and bold white letters embossed in black or with red embossed letters. i am only able to type with one finger on the right hand

there maybe such computers already on the market i need to check out for sure

until then i wont be making regular posts unless something spectacular happens.

i will do my best to reply to your posts

and please all of you keep me informed and have a great spring.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

2023

2023-01-15T10:45:00.003-05:00

did i mention i can only type with one hand my left elbow has what i call a pinched nerve and due to that its constant pain and i cant use my walker so no walking

i went to a pain mgt clinic and he shot it with lidocaine and steroids id like to say it was good but only for 48 hrs i have go back next week hope i have better results this time

hope all of you are well...thats it for now.

happy new year

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

December Update

2022-12-16T15:06:00.000-05:00

i guess i need to update want to thank you all for nice message you have left much appreciated. my a walking is little less strong my hands shake and its hard for me to type...but i will try. my Appetite has improved back to more solid food maybe i will regain some weight. My sister is happy for that she wants me eating 3 solid meals at least..which has been a huge challenge.

my sis and went car birding at bramblewood it was fun so i really enjoyed that. and the front yard birds are paying daily visits. Annie is doing good some scratching but i think she will get past she was to go to the mobile vet for shots and they cancelled it for the 18th...

i hope all who visit are doing good & trying to get thru December. I know I am. I have the van up for sale wish me luck.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Episode

2022-11-20T10:06:00.002-05:00

Over the week end i was to have another cat scan so had to drive in super early very difficut for me but we made it happen.. right after i got on the table I blacked out they called Code Blue on me but it seems I had another seizure.. they took me to the ER,, I was awake then and had no memory of the event. they did eventually do the ct scan and an MRI..but the labs showed I was low on red blood cells and so After 2 units of blood and some other stuff to beef up to my system I began to feel better....so Im back home today and glad to be. the scans did not show any improve but actually my tumors are getting worse so I hardly see the sense in continuing chemo it actually caused the anemic episode so its hurting me rather than helping

so at this point i see no improvement. The neurologists said its spreading.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Todays post...

2022-10-07T00:00:00.001-04:00

Today is Thursday and I have to make the long trip to Lexington Med center for a recheck on my leg which is not doing all that well. Its a revolving door Im now stuck in one I've avoided my entire life...

But it finally caught me like a fly in the ointment...I am enjoying my daily emails and photos from friends and family and the birds out side the window...and reading your blogs when you update..

Looking for little things is the answer...

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

69 candles

2022-09-30T00:00:00.007-04:00

Thursday is my Birthday and its my first day of Chemo! This was supposed to happen a month ago...but someone in the Lexington Medical Center Lab didn't get my Biopsy shipped to The Lab In Cambridge Mass on time so the entire process was delayed! Its so strange how one person you don't even know can put your life on hold...just like the Linda who was holding up my at home PT...

Then there is those ones like, Amy who bend over backwards and go out of their way to have your back...so just be own advocate when you need to be...

I am not looking forward to this part at all and don't have any idea how the side effects will be...but its every 3rd Thursday...wish me luck...I will hopefully post a comment afterwards if I can to update....

PEACE

Every day is a new Challenge.

Special Bullentin

2022-09-24T12:57:00.000-04:00

Please wish my friend Karen Roy, One of the Kindest people I know, Safe Harbor as Fiona bears down on them at Cape Breton Island, New Brunswick, Canada...the last report I saw was 500+ out of power trees are down and they asking people to shelter in Place...

Hang in there Karen!

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

6 Decades FALL is here

2022-09-23T00:00:00.043-04:00

This was a busy week we did yet another Walmart curbside pick up turns out that is a good thing for me Hope they never do away with it, we have one more store a Food Lion that does it neither deliver in my area...so It does have to be picked up.

I made Flossie a nice headstone...and I hope to be able to decorate Casey's stone as well...I just never got around to doing that for him...but now I see how it brings comfort to see her name in writing and I want the same for him...and it was a nice DIY project I know even a cheap professionally done stone is way more than $80. I have to have projects or I will go batty.

I had Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy this week and Thursday is Finally Chemo planning Day I will go once weekly on Thursdays. Not that I'm looking forward to it I hope I can do the Immuno-Therapy its not Chemo...but its the one shot I have due to the location of the Lung Tumor.

My lil sis has gone back to take care of her life and I am forever in her debt and would do the same for her, hope she never needs it, and big sis is now here doing the same for me! So GOOD to see her and so happy she had a safe trip over...

Thanks to everyone who sends their well wishes both family and friends it means so much..

I continue to see huge fluttery butterflies on my Lantana which recovered from the weird deer attack early on they don't normally bother it and I am hopeful for an appearance of RB Nuthatch since I see them reported in other counties of the state...they are always amazing to watch...AND I have a Zuke to pick and a Bell pepper...and some tiny tomato if they get some sun to ripen...if not I may pluck them in a jar of water and bring into the window to ripen. The dogwoods are now a-flash with their red berries so the squirrels are busy collecting them...soon a Mockingbird will lay claim, which is the norm.

On my 60th Birthday I broke both my arms remember? My Family was to the rescue, and now my 69th is in about a weeks time!!

IF I survive this decade of my time on Planet Earth It will be an Earthly miracle for sure. Life on my homestead is right in tune with where it should be.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

WOW

2022-09-18T15:29:00.001-04:00

I put one
Basal plant in this small pot and the rest of my Basal I dried and chopped up in my coffee grinder its great to have some dried and some fresh...so this is the north facing window...Check out how tall and healthy this plant is..

and in these pots I'm sprouting Cilantro...

I did successive plantings so they don't all come up at the same time I found it lasts longer this way...

PEACE

Every day is a new challenge.

30 DAYS in

2022-09-16T00:00:00.001-04:00

Finally the van is back....IM still experiencing sticker shock...since normally I do my own repairs...but unable to at this point in time...Glad I had a good mechanic to turn too wish he wasn't so expensive.
Issues I'm facing: So I cancelled that PET Scan, Just putting myself thru that trauma was not in the cards for me I would have been Radioactive for 18 HRS and IM already suffering Radiation sickness due to the 20 treatments I had. Sometimes the best word to use is NO. AND now that opens up a sooner date to begin the treatment for the lung tumor which I dread but hopefully its going to be immunotherapy...no chemo!!
I am continuing to improve my mobility which is a big thing...And my leg is not swelling to the degree that it was so I think healing is happening.
Physical Therapy: so this gal named Linda...OMG. She has done all she can to make my PT not happen...First off she lied she said she does not do her own schedule! She would call me at 8PM tell me she is coming the next day and this has been going on awhile at first I had all those out patient visits to deal with and I was unavailable I cant be in two places at once! I told her the days I was free, She stalled. Then one of the visiting nurses told me she is the PT intake supervisor that she does do her own schedule...and That did it..SO I called to complain...NO PT is gonna visit till she does the eval...so due to this ONE person...I am not getting the PT on my leg as promised...so I was told she will be here Thursday morning and if for any reason she is NOT...I am to report it...I'm just not in the mood for any BS!
NEW bird feeder: My sis got me a new bird feeder squirrel Proof (we hope) for my upcoming birthday...ITS sooo cool. I love it.
Speaking of Sis: What an Angel...she has worked so hard getting my yard back up to snuff along with helping with my day to day living she's got my back in every way...💓and soon my Big sis is arriving...so I look forward to time spent with her...I just want to Wish her safe Journey as she makes her way east, Big Road Trip!!
So 30 days. My D-Day was Aug 7...

PEACE

Every day is a new Challenge.

Meanwhile back at the Homestead...

2022-09-10T09:59:00.000-04:00

Things continue to trickle back into my life slowly...I was able to sit by Flossie's Grave side and have a heart to heart visit with her...and I was able to fill some bird feeders...and spent some quality time on both Porches one included a bowl of Ice cream!!

The weather is like fall, cool; and today we have some rain so won't be going outside but maybe the Screen porch...not sure on that yet...we have plans to give Annie a shed groom and trim her nails she needs a spa day.

Still no word that the van is ready looks like a bad BUS or computer and honestly I worry the wiring harness may also need to be replaced...I hope he doesn't come back with any unfinished work...y'all know I prefer to do my onw car repairs when I am physically able so it's hard to fork out $$$ for something I could have done myself in about an hours time!!

I continue to walk a little bit better with the walker of course and I'm trying to visualize that hole in my bone re-growing, cant hurt to try...

I want to thank everyone who is making my life better, my sisters and my brother in law for for his love and patience doing without his companion during this time!! Life is harder on your own for sure, and all of you who are leaving me comments so much appreciated...in such a narrow window on the outside world.

Now the bird migration is beginning I had an email from Cornell Lab...so will be fun to listen and look for what may come our way.

And there is now Limpkin in Congaree Natl Park... I really hope the van gets back in time my sis needs that for her life list...

We change the guard on the 21st as my other sis arrives to relieve Little sis so she can get back to her life she has some upcoming Quilt shows and its very important...that she get back home...one in Denver and the other in Salt Lake!! So if your in the area look for her booth Fabric Corner Store.

Now its pouring down...so we have a sleepy easy day on tap...I plan to stay as far away as possible from any 911 memorials that bring back bad memories and PTSD for me.

I was so sad to hear of the Queens passing she was a grand lady!! I look forward to watching the Royal regroup with King Charles III it will be the first Crowning of a new King in my life time...

PEACE

Every day is a new Challenge!

Flossie July 4, 2008 - Sept 6, 2022

2022-09-07T07:49:00.001-04:00

2008

Flossie was laid to rest yesterday right beside Casey My heart is Broken....but now she is at Peace...she was 14 1/2 yrs old...

PEACE

Every day is a new Challenge

Labor of Life

2022-09-02T13:14:00.001-04:00

Just a short update..

MY Van broke down..so had to tow it to Garage...ugh Really didn't need any more bad luck...but it seems my Karma is way out of whack...ITs been nice to have 3 days at home no Hospitals or treatments and I get 3 more days off till Chemo am totally afraid of that but hope its not as dreadful as I think...if anyone has been thru it give me some tips....

I'm mostly resting...and doing small chores in between like making my lunch, filling the salt n pepper, and watching Youtubes!

Hope you all have a fine Labor Day and be safe.

PEACE

Every day is a new Challenge

Week 3

2022-08-24T09:29:00.000-04:00

So far I've had 5 radiation treatments and have 5 to go will be happy when that is over its a daily ride of 3 hrs then Chemo will happen after labor day here in my town only 6 mile ride...

I got the staples out of the right femur yesterday status post the rod implant and I can walk with the aide of a walker so that is good but I cant go far....so just an update Im still here for now! Im being pampered like a gueen my sisters helping here and emotionally as well...Im a very lucky woman.

I actually turned in a ebird list of my yard birds and that felt normal. Hope all of you are in good spirits

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Released 8/17

2022-08-18T12:11:00.001-04:00

💓

So thankfully I only had to do 9 days in the hospital and now Im doing out patient treatment and Im at HOME which is wonderful. Without my sister's help it would never have happened what a Jewel. So just to share, this goes under the heading of My Life, My Journey, no art unless you consider having the mental capacity to demand to be released.

not the Art I preferred, as we don't really get that choice in the end. I have no idea how my progress will go...or if any will be made but I had 2 choices at this point...

I will say I am trying to deal with it, but it's no way easy....I have a long rod in my leg now which means I am starting to walk again slowly of course...but that is progress and I had an excellent Surgeon who I named the Bone Doctor...his Initials worked out for that...

I am not allowed to drive because I had a seizure so I don't know if my driving will return and we shall see. There will be 9 more Radiation treatments and I will do one round of Chemo in my local hospital as an out patient, so that will be easier less travel than driving to Lexington for the radiation..My hair will fall out I was told.

I wish life was all rainbows and birds and nature but we have to work the hand we are dealt...and nothing is forever...I hope this finds ALL of you in good spirits and when my attention span can make the jump, if it can, I will try to keep visiting when possible. All my best to everyone who reads...

One bit of advice I can give is to make your wishes known have a dear friend or family as advocate for you as you will need all the help u can get in this type situation when your Brain is affected....

PEACE

Every day is a new Challenge

Life Changes

2022-08-11T17:49:00.002-04:00

Life has changed for me in a big way I am currently in the hospital I found out on Sunday I had to call an ambulance and because my arm went totally paralyzed and so I went to my local emergency room and had a CT scan and found out that I have brain cancer I know this is crazy and you probably don't believe me because I've been fine up until a while ago but it all started out with my hip you know I had this trouble with my hip and so come to find out when they did the Cat Scan they found out that I had have had lung cancer or a lung tumor that has metasticedides to my hip my leg and of course to my brain so now I'm in Lexington Medical Center Columbia South Carolina and I have to go through radiation therapy for my brain I'm probably going to have to go through chemotherapy for the other cancers that are in me so anyway right now I had to have a rod put in my leg because I had bone missing in my leg and that's why I was having all that trouble with my hip had a big hole of bone missing in my hip and they put a rod like at least a 18-in rod going all the way from my knee up to my hip so now I'm in the hospital trying to get ready for these other tests and other treatments and eventually I'll be released back to my town to continue my treatment with oncology so anyway I just thought I'd give you guys a wrap up I probably won't be visiting your blogs for a while I asked my laptop to be brought over and maybe I'll be able to so it just depends on how I'm feeling under a lot of medication and everything the life can toss monkey wrenches we just have to work with it my sister is here helping me thank God and she has been a blessing so anyway for now we'll send you a good tidings if you wish but I'll probably won't be able to answer them I'm just using my cell phone which is hard to converse on anyway just wanted to keep everybody who cares in the loop take care

Out to Lunch...

2022-07-10T20:57:00.004-04:00

Hi Friends, this has been a trying week for me, so no trips out in nature or even in the yard...been having buckets of rain and severe thunder storms for days now and we are dealing with a fallen tree in the yard that is a mess along with the extreme heat and humidity. Still my hip injury keeps me from enjoying being active in any way...so until things are more favorable to being blog worthy I'm taking a little break could be a week a month or how ever long it takes to reset my Karma. I hope to continue to visit your blogs when you update...Hopefully the rest of July will be better. Maybe you would enjoy reading back through the blog archive to some of the better times I've had on my Blog...

Till next time...

PEACE

Shake Rattle Roll...

2022-07-01T00:00:00.193-04:00

ITS JULY!

2021

My Beautiful sisters arranged for a Scholarship in our Mom's Honor, to be awarded to a student who met the qualifications, and that student had to write an essay and this young lady, Averi Berry, won the scholarship and will be enrolled in Lander University (Liberal Arts, Science, Business Administration, Nursing) the fall. She wishes to be a Dermatologists. Education was always a KEY factor in our Mom's way of thinking she never had the chance to graduate Highschool, but she made sure each of us did....she felt education is the pathway out of poverty...

Congratulations!!

Resting my hip is so boring...I try to stay busy and each time I try to do something physical it reminds me of WHY Im resting it in the first place. For the most part there is little change. :0( I'm reintroducing some light stretches...just a wee bit.

2021 Fox Visit

We are in an event that is the first in our recorded histroy! An Earthquake Swarm. It's a seismic event that began on Dec 27, 2021 with a 3.3 mag Earthquake and since then to date there have been 40 events in this same epicenter 25 miles Southwest of my home...

We HAD more Earthquakes TODAY, (Wednesday) 3.5 Magnitude, at 2:43pm and then another one 3.6 Mag. 7:04 pm and it really shook my house. We had one Tuesday of 3.4 and in between there we've had 7 aftershocks of 1.9 -2 Mag. in strength...ALL in the last 3 days! These quakes are at a depth of about 3-4 miles into the Earths Crust...

the epi center is the yellow star

this is the shake zone...

This is from the Seismograph located in TX, TX31, and TX32 are the ones I keep seeing that are recording these events...this one shows 5 second intervals of the shake event...

By California Standards, it's nothing, but up until the past 7 months I recall having one an earthquake in 1974 And maybe one in the 80's but now we've had 40+ since Jan of 2022!! The range from 1 to 3.6 so far. The epicenter was 25 miles southwest of my home. IT sounds like a BIG truck coming by BUT faster than the speed of any truck...then a BOOM and the rattles begin. The Tuesday one woke me up, it occurred at 1:30 am, woke most everyone up in the area as the news had reported...and was felt as far away as Charlotte, NC which is 85 miles north of me.

This shows the Quakes of the USA from the last 48 hrs.

My location is the one on the lower right off the east coast.
SC, faults have been mapped, but not as much is know about them...the USGS says there are many faults that lay deep in Earth. A Level 2 you will feel the shake, Level 4 things will fall, Level 5-6 cracks in walls, foundations, windows, etc, 7-8 severe structural damage is expected and at 10 it's Complete destruction!!

Eastern Quakes can be felt for greater distances than Western Quakes, due to less bedrock and its more heavily fractured The website says the best tracking of the faults underneath is the earthquakes themselves, so I would say it's a safe bet one is UNDER Elgin/Lugoff in my County! The last one knocked the power out in the small town of Pontiac for a while.

We had four aftershocks from the 7:04 pm event, One was 2.3Mag.

the recent shock waves all cluster in this area.

We had one last month that was farther away but louder it was a 3.2

It almost makes me think a warmer planet will have more seismic activity. Charleston was destroyed by a huge quake in 1886 a 7.3 quake, so this 3.6 only has to double in intensity...to be severely destructive. Its been getting steadily stronger each time...and lasting longer too.

To be honest there is NOTHING we can do about it, the only warning I got on the 3.6 was I was watching the nightly weather report and my TV suddenly lost the antenna reception then the BOOOM and the shaking began...it lasted upwards of 20seconds and I could see the windows in my house shaking and could hear the whole place creaking and shaking! My house was built in the late 40's or early 50's then moved to this location in 1977.

So does this mean a big one is on the way? Experts say, "Do we expect it, NO, would we be surprised if it happened, NO." Okay so much for expert advice..

I have had more deer attacks and my plants are pretty much beyond help at this point. I may get some cucumber, and squash, the beans are gone, the peas are gone, the tomato has been ripped up Even tho I had it in cages, the squirrel got in thru the 3 inch squares...and the peppers are shredded. Sometimes life is like that I wish there was a rainbow everyday--- but...at least we have some gentle rain today which we need so bad we are in a moderate drought.

Hope to get a couple of winter butternuts..

Twins 2007

Last years peppers...

Tomato:

My virtual garden memories since this year is not going so well...it makes me feel good to know Maybe It can happen again!

More Human Nature:

Roe is gone....but we will prevail...the "Never Hillary's" are probably still denying their part in this horror story....

The J6 Hearings are showing PROOF of Trumps crime against US,

NO justice no Peace!

All the photos in this post are from the achieves. Since no outings this week. Hopefully I see you next week.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Easy come easy go...

2022-06-24T00:00:00.013-04:00

Another very lay-low week for me, I have this hip issue still and it is only a wee bit better but I have a plan! It's called Hip Flexor Tendinitis, so you can google it up...if you wish. I actually did this while trying to hook up my trailer when it was loaded with the limbs of the Ice Storm we had back in February. I planted my feet into the ground and Pulled....NOT smart. Trailer did not move, my bones, tendon, and muscles did.

Another thing I did wrong was try to get back at it too fast...I had a relapse...I was stretching, and doing too much walking and pushing myself, because Im impatient. BUT what I was not doing was listening to what my body was saying. So I am limiting my daily activity...using RICE --Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate. Well I can't compress my hip but this flexor tendon goes all the way to the knee so I compress that when walking, and I can elevate my hip when reclined by using a pillow...AND no more stretching till it heals.

How could I possibly think I could budge that heavy trailer, (maybe 10 yrs ago, yes) Im currently having to use not one, but two canes, in order to walk without searing pain, and that is part of my plan to stop denying I don't need some assistance...like the cane! At least till this thing heals..Meanwhile I have watched most of the hearings, or listened to them in the background while I worked on some internet projects....I for one am not surprised as I stayed on top of the news in real time....But I will say if heads don't roll we MUST Demand Justice!!

Tulip Poplar Tree

The weather was up and down 100's then 80's and so I did go out on one day...Didn't see a lot but I will share what I found..

On that day the community was having a kayaking event...and these people enjoyed some time on the water...

Very Colorful...

And more color in the Painted Buntings,

They were busy feeding on the tall grasses, the young are out the nest and out in the world now,,,

The Bee Balm filled the air with that wonder aroma and the bees were so busy on it who can blame them?

This Eastern Bluebird really showed off his wings and tail in this shot while grabbing a bug from the ground...

White against blue as a Great Egret flew over...

Some dragonfly were out and I was happy they sat still for a while...

Back at the homestead here is Mask I don't think she has birthed yet she is getting bigger she may have twins!

She was watching some friends near the fence line, one of these does has her fawn already but I could not get a clear shot of him I could not tell if this doe below is Tulip...could be.

Got come cukes coming on in my Fort Knox Garden...

Unfortunately the deer attacked my plants and they took a beating...so nearly all of the ones I shared last week that were not under lockdown got hit pretty hard

Good thing it will grow back.

Before

after

What's happening in your neck of the woods?

PEACE

Every day is a new Challenge.

Hot Week!

2022-06-17T09:11:00.001-04:00

This is one of those weeks where the heat kept me inside...so I have only a little to share in my post...
This Doe has been helping herself to my plants...here she ate down the Red Sedum don't know if it can regrow in time for blooming...so unfortunate cause pollinators love it..I tried putting some unused wire planters over it to stop her next attack!!

Fortunately she didn't eat the Phlox, the Susans' or the Zinnia...(yet)

And she doesnt seem to bother this old soap wort

Or the Jalapeno peppers, but she has eaten the leaves off the cowhorn peppers!

There is one Butternut Squash already on the vine, I will try to protect it by wrapping some mesh fabric around it...once the bloom falls off..

And I have my Zucchini and cucumber under wire for protection! They have lots of bloom on...

The Big Hump Backed Whale Hosta she doesn't normally bother but the squirrels will rip the leaves up and bring into their nest If I don't keep them in check!

I think she has either just given birth or she is about to...

Her face is so dark...So Im gonna call her Mask! She has one small notch on her (r) ear but I have a deer named Nacho in Colorado so that name is taken!

She is precious but I wish she would stay in the field...she attacks the yard just at daybreak...my lazy dogs are no help...they are always stretched out in the AC since its been over 100 all week!!

This is Nacho from 2017, in CO He is a mule deer.

Eastern Kingbird on a clear blue sky day from last week...todays post was late, we lost our power yesterday when a strong storm hit, and so I had to finish getting it up this morning. More and more severe weather wreaks havoc on mankind--are we prepared? I leave you with that burning question. Ciao.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Lazy Week...

2022-06-10T00:00:00.039-04:00

This has been one of those weeks where nothing went according to plan that happens sometimes...

no....not again with the R'coon troubles!

These female Ruby Throated Hummers are not bothered by the shovel that slipped on the wall and ended up right at their feeder...they are so brave and fearless...the squirrels chewed all the perches and some of the flowers off my new feeder, it's in pretty rough shape!

Ive been in misery for a couple months with my hip and finally am getting some help from a chiropractor....it is really out of whack and hopefully with a couple treatments it will be as good as new, or good as OLD can be.

a couple of shots I took of the Pileated Woodpecker he was on the dead dogwood tree in the front yard...I don't want to cut the tree down cause it's always a great landing spot for birds and it's full of insect activity so that means protein for them too.

Summer haze

I thought this was an interesting look at a Yellow Throated Warbler...

Red Winged Blackbirds are so fun to listen to and watch, especially the way they flash those red shoulders!

Pitcher plants are fully grown and ready to go to work trapping the unwary insect...

This Blue Jay was so quiet and still

While this Grey Catbird jumped up and sang a song for me...

We have thunder, sure hope we get some rain. Our chances are 50%. Its been a very dry April and May! The south has to have rains or the lush green disappears...

Anhinga at Bramblewood

The Lazy weather has arrived where it's hitting the 90's school is out, and the fish are jumping and the skeeters are biting and the ticks are begging to catch a ride. Two weeks till summer.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

June-->already?

2022-06-03T00:00:00.009-04:00

Feels like August around here! Already the tropics are misbehaving...
not a lot to write home about! ...A stop at Goodale SP offered me a look at this dad with two of his new arrivals out learning the ropes...

Eastern Bluebird---Can't think of anything cuter to see!

GIMMMeeee a worm.

Also a young gator was out...He was about 2 ft so maybe he is 2 yrs old?

the lily pad is not quite big enough...why do GATORS Always look mad?

And a young Mud Turtle was crossing the trail...

More Babies at the Bramblewood Ponds...

On the Homefront

The Carolina Wrens fledged their second brood, 3 more wrens for our yard...here is one of the babes clinging to the screen porch wire trying to figure out where to go...with his little nub of a tail...

And this doe, was hiding behind a tree in the field beyond my front door, but I think she either just gave birth or is about too. She has milk. I wish she would drop her fawn in the field how cool it would be to see that...I saw one crossing the road!! He was so small I thought it was a cat...unfortunately I had no camera with me...

my veggie "pots garden" is doing fair...too early still for any squash I have bloom tho, my garden plants are like fort knox to keep out Squirrel! Im continuing to get a handful of sugar snap peas and green beans daily and the asparagus seems to be all but done, and the Genovese Sweet Basil is doing good I had to move it into the screen porch to keep grasshopper off it, ..I just pluck off what I need..

Hope all is fine on your homesteads!

Happy Platinum Jubilee to Queen Elizabeth!

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Rains

2022-05-27T00:00:00.309-04:00

So sorry for those who lost loved ones in TX, and in every other state in this sick Union.

GUNS are the ISSUE...You can walk into a gun store in any town....where are the free mental health clinics for all these afflicted people to walk into? OUR so called leaders have pointed out the problem, it's not guns it's lunatics, so where is the help for that? A nation denied proper health care due to Corporate Greed, armed with weapons fueled by Corporate Greed, and led by Corrupt Politicians backed by Corporate Greed - how could we possible go wrong? If prayer is such a good thing to do then why is it not working??? A gun shop on every corner, a church on every corner, and if there is any mental health care it's so well hidden NO ONE CAN FIND IT ON ANY CORNER!! Sell guns to everyone, preach to the soul, and offer good health care only to those who can afford it, then hope for the best? Your thoughts?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thankfully I am still alive, I have not been gunned down --YET!!

It's been a very quiet week here in my shrinking world the one that gets smaller every single day as I withdraw more and more from this society...The days are humid and we're having afternoon storms daily which is the norm for this time of year. The dogs do not like it. They really do think I control the Weather! LoL.

This is how Gods get created.

Somehow I control the Thunder, the Lightening and the Rain! I trekked off to Bramblewood on Saturday, I saw quite a variety of birds, some waders, some warblers, and some>>>

female Painted Bunting. I am happy to know these colorful birds have expanded their range northward to our area.

Its a pallet from the Primary color wheel.

The river level is about average for this time of year, it may get higher as the rains have started now...

A Cattle Egret looks small in comparison to these reeds and cattails...

The Goslings almost out of baby stage and moving into adult stage...they are well protected...

This is a Blue Winged Carpenter Bee..

Homestead Front:

Eastern Bluebirds are out and about as they are learning to hunt but still nearby their nest site...and family

Im picking a few Sugar Snap Peas and some Green Beans, I have pulled the last of the Spring Onions already and plucking leaves of fresh Basil to add to my cooking which is not really happening much these days. I had a better crop of asparagus this year so far still it's a spear here and there...maybe 6 one day was my best...but the 3rd year is coming next season. There is lots of Zucchini bloom so hope to get a few to pick and I have hot peppers, and a couple of Winter Squash. The tomato got off to a slow start with the cool spring but now it has a few green ones coming on, the Cherry 100. I have an Heirloom Tomato that I grew from seed it's tall and growing well.

And a bunch of my Oregano I've picked for drying....

On Crusty Italian Bread YUM! Basil, cherry tomato,
(The last of the store bought ones I hope) spring onion and olive oil.

See ya next week, hopefully.

People don't need guns to live their best life....Bullying in School seems to be in the background of many of these disturbed individuals...if we taught tolerance in our HOMES, Schools, Churches, while pointing out that YES we are all different, BUT SO WHAT??? Wouldn't it be a better society? I think ONE student per day should have to live as another person just so they can see how it is be a bit different.
Bringing the light to the darkness is the answer..

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Is this the world we want?

2022-05-20T00:00:00.046-04:00

War, Violence and Hate don't belong here...why do we tolerate that?

This weeks episode of MY Life is a couple roams around my neck of the woods, literally, and the birds I saw and some other bits of nature...including this Celestial Event.

The Moon Shot: Jumped out of bed at 11:30 pm to take a few shots of the Blood Moon Eclipse...

I did not hear a wolf howl but I did hear the Eastern Whip-0-will...

I enjoy quietly listening...you can learn so much by listening, a practice I should put into play more when dealing with humans, but to be honest at this season of my life...I'm not impressed with humans...my family and my few friends on the web is perfect, anymore outside of that circle is well...

Black Water Snake

Scary to be honest. Stephen King says stick to what you know he is a pretty scary guy so he should know....I agree so I just try to expand on what I know, this leaves me mostly in a place of peace!

This is a wood-zee-pond that sits back off the road a little is a beautiful spot It is however on Private Property I trespassed for just a few minutes and plucked a Yellow Throated Warbler out of the canopy...while he plucked a caterpillar off a branch...

A Prothonotary was singing loudly also as he came to scold me for trespassing,

I hung around there for about 20 minutes before moving on down a nearby dirt road to this field that is one of my new birding stops...

It's on private property as well but I stay on the county maintained road...and bird the edges... with my binoculars I can see pretty far without going on the land...This Eastern Towhee came out to sing his solo for me..

And quietly giving himself away is the Blue Grosbeak, sitting high on a stalk checking out his hunting grounds...thick conical beak, and rusty wings..

the Brown Thrasher hid up in the leaves so he could get the upper hand on viewing me, sneaky but I still grabbed a shot of him when he looked away for a second with his keen yellow gold eyes...notice the chevron specks on the chest..

They are mimic birds that repeat other bird songs but unlike the Northern Mocking bird, they only repeat it twice like TWEE TWEE, KISS, KISS, etc...so that's one clue as to what you may be hearing.

The Red Eyed Vireo repeats the same thing over and over it sounds like "Here I am Where are You?" These can easily be mistaken for Tennessee Warblers, since they look alike, so the song is a key ID feature...and the eye of the Tennessee is dark like almost black.

Later in the week I went to Sandhills, it was the last of cool days in the forecast of the week....so I left early...packed a sandwich and arrived in time to find a Spotted Sandpiper walking the pond edge looking for his breakfast...there ended up being 3 Sandpipers only one wanted his photo taken...

This area has thickets of plum and blackberry and so that means fruit loving birds like the
Orchard Oriole are abundant...

And with many snags to build in and feed on Red Headed Woodpeckers are also abundant..

Eastern Bluebird

And lastly the Carolina Wren who is another great singer and a small dynamo!

I hope we can learn to be tolerant of each other but never tolerate hate!

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.