On the Level

 What do you do when you have restrictions?

I take pictures, lots of them...

from the house,

from the deck,

from the truck windows...

 Restricted to level surfaces during recoup

since mid-May when the ferns were unfurling

and the apple blossoms were full, 

only God knows when I can cut loose on the lawn,

has turned me Stir-Crazy!!!!

 I have had plenty of entertaining 

friends drop by, like this curious female

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.  I think

she's wondering why I'm taking her picture

from the house on such a beautiful day.

 From the deck I can see my Bleeding Heart.

I received this clump and another from Mel,

my sis across town, down the road and 

around the bend.  They are swaying over 4 ft. 

tall in the warm, moist soil.

 I'm always happy to see our 

pollinators, the bees, busy as ever.

 From the distance, my grandlove shows me

the new growth of the pinecones.

 The Heliatrope planter on the deck

gives me whiffs of vanilla scents with each breeze.

 The Song Sparrow sat still on the feeder

for the longest time, like he knew I needed

to adjust my lens...thanks fella!

 Restrictions haven't stopped me from rising

at 5 a.m. to see our gorgeous sunrises 

the Lord provides...unreal beauty~~~

 Bring it on Mr. Hairy Woodpecker.

Entertain me.  He spent a good half hour

flitting from the birdfeeder to the tree

busily stuffing seeds under the bark.

I wonder how many he will remember

where he put what???

 Way down the driveway,

the Mourning Doves were filling

their crops with gravel...it makes

for a bird's roughage, ya know.

 One day I braved the uneven walk down the driveway

to get the mail and spotted these mushrooms.

Does anyone know what they are?   They were first

much like a puffball but opened into flat surfaced,

close-gilled, black bottomed, straight stalks.  I cannot

bend yet, so I was unable to pick one and do a spore count.

I also could not find them in my Audubon field guide 

for North America.  Any identifier out there?

Can you tell I'm getting bored???

 More entertainment is out in our 1/2 acre garden.

Bill dug a 100 ft. trench for a couple of the Grandloves

to plant their Birdhouse Gourd seeds...

Do you think we will have enough?  LOL

 Yep, ya know I'm bored when I'm 

turning clouds upside-over (like the wee ones say)

cuz I thought they looked like waves...

Calgon, take her away~~~

 This is my view of 2 of the gardens

from the deck.  I must say, Bill is doing

a wonderful job keeping up with all of 

my duties plus his own.  I Love that Man.

 It's only 4 p.m. and I'm ready to see the moon.

One day real soon,

I will share what Bill did for me today.

Oh, What a Relief.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

I'm going to.

BlessYa

Gasp~~~Careful Where You Tread

Feeling poorly, like I've hit a glass door, smack!!!

 feeling weak and breathless,

 gasping, failing fast, until,

 remembering very little, if anything,

it seems for hours, days, but then~

  still in a daze, but coming around,

 I've lost a few feathers, and I'm sleepy,

but wait,

 I think I will make it.  

I feel stronger every second, until~

 I've made it to the other side of the mat,

and I can move slowly, until~

 Yes, I've regained strength, and

flight once more.  Back to my perch,

my safety zone, my home.

 Poor Goldfinch but he is fine and flying once more.

Not much unlike what I have gone through

this past month.  Only, my 'glass door' was

major back surgery.........again!

This hardware was removed from surgery #1 from 10 yrs ago.

It was replaced with new movable parts and a very much 

' then some.' like, cages, bone grafts from my hip, fusions,

more instrumentations. 

Keep this up and I soon will be the new Bionic Woman.

All kidding aside, I am recovering nicely.

The walker has been cast aside and I'm getting

stronger each day.  My list of restrictions is unreal,

quite literally not allowing me to do much of anything.

Another year from now and I will be ' more better.'

Now, if only I could take a shower without the brace....

I wouldn't be such a crank!

Don't ever mess up your back.

Take special care of where you tread.

and

BlessYourHeart

R & R

 I've been enjoying the intensity of the colors around me, 

lately, my Daffodils and the grasses, even the stones have 

been shining through with each touch of dew and rain.

 The sunsets are gorgeous, seeming more vivid than ever~

 turning brighter, more sharply edged,

 as it sets, Until~WOW!  What a Gift!

Rise early to see the Sun Rise, 

wait late, to see it Set quickly, before your eyes.

It's time I take a bloggers break.

I will be  bird-watching, sky-gazing

and day-dreaming for a while.

Have a bright summer.

from

my heart to yours.

God Bless

In 2013 We Took A Little Trip

In 2013, We Took A Little Trip

Past the Dutchman's Breeches 

 and the Whitetail's famous Flip

 The Yellow-Winged Blackbird's singing

on the wire up above~~~

 and the White Crowned Sparrow chirping

his melodic song of love~~~and,

 far in the field, a Sandhill struts his stuff,

as we swing the gate open, 

 open wide, to get by, 

 to check on the growth of the slow growing

winter rye.

Past the log barn and ol' yellow truck 

 back home to our waiting field

to plant pumpkins,  and with luck~~~

 a piece of Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

after the work is done.  

Not two pieces, dear, for you, only one.

Ok, that was corny, don't blame ya if you're laughin,'

but the pie was good.

BlessYa

' OutStanding'

We have been Very patient waiting for our weather to warm, and the snow to ' just stop, already,' but it has not stopped Bill from gettin' er' done!  He was in the storage shed working on the lawn mower when intermittent snow showers fell this weekend.  I could barely see 3 of the grandboys helping out.

The weather has also NOT stopped my guy from working outside.  He is 

'outstanding' in his field, with a rake and a shovel, removing potato-size rocks.  So far he has hauled away 3 dump trailer loads...big trailer loads.

It gives him something to do, I suppose, while waiting for the ground to finally warm enough for planting.  This year, in our little 1/2 acre that's plowed along the edge of the field, we will be planting Pumpkins, Decorative Gourds, Indian Corn, Squash and Potatoes.  Let's hope for a great growing season...because we are beginning to run out of growing days in our Zone 3 gardens.  With luck and a radio, maybe the deer that are munching away behind the tractor, will leave the garden alone.

I think we will have to spray the edge with blood meal.  So far, that trick has kept the deer from eating my Hostas and Lilies for the past 2 yrs.  so it sure should work around the gardens.  Time will tell.

I'd like to wish each of you gardeners a productive growing season with just the right amount of warm rain and plenty of sunshine.  And, also for you, no deer, bunnies or mice eating your labor intensive produce.  Definitely, NO late or early killing frosts!

Have a wonderful week filled with dirt under your nails and on your knees, sweat on your brow and a handy drink of water.

Awwww, Life Is Good

Thanks God

Blessings One and All

when they say~~~~

Mother's Day Flowers,

 a chocolate treat and comfort for the bath,

brings happiness and smiles,

but,

most precious of all is when 

they say,

"I love you, Mom."

Happy Mother's Day to All Moms of your Hearts.

Have a wonderful weekend adding memories.

and

BlessYou

Spring~On the Rise

Though the Sunrise was so nice to imagine as 'warm' ~

 as it quickly rose above the tree line,

 filling the sky with hues of golds and yellows,

 it didn't take long before it shone so brightly rounding the bend,

 that the sunglasses and visors were a necessity.

 The ice is still on our waters up north in WI., 

and deep in our woodlands, but ~

 it has not deterred the birds from 

'twitterpating'

 as the trees begin to force their buds,

 and the Bears find their way out of hibernation 

in search of food for their cubs.  

Funny thing about this picture,  I actually did NOT see the bear

until I loaded it to my pc.  On close examination, YES, it is a bear 

and he was busy ripping apart a birch log in search of breakfast.

This photo was taken at 6 in the morning on our way to a distant 

appointment.   What a catch.  

(Remember to click any photo for closer enjoyment.)

BlessYourHeart