Rest and Wait...

Who's that resting on the deck rail,

 basking in the summer heat?

The Mourning Doves are plentiful under the feeders this year,

and in the gardens, snipping bean tops and stealing seedlings.

 In fact, they have become so comfortable that 

they even sneak a few shut-eyes just outside the door.

 It doesn't seem to bother this teenager at all,

as I step out to take a few images of her. 

 Finally she feels more secure way up high

in the spruce tree, looking down.

 I wonder if she lost trust in me?~~~

 or the young buck and his sister, watching

traffic as they wait their turn to cross the road.

 On second thought, lets head back across the field

and wait...

This time of the year, the young and old does

are cautious, as they hide their spotted fawns

in the middle of the fields, at the woods edge, or under the 

rhubarb leaves in plain sight for all to see.

The mothers graze all day, but never straying

out of the sight or hearing distance of their babes.

We have yet to see this young doe's fawn or are 

there two this year?  She will NEVER lie them in the same place.  When they are plenty big enough

to run like the wind, she will show them off.  It is late for such a show, so we wonder~~~have her fawns met their demise at the hunger of the wolves or the bear?  They too, have young to feed....

Until then, we wait.

Spring has gone, summer is here as we continue to~

Wait....

Stroll with Me

Everything is lush with the heat and rains...

even under the steps~ 

 Honey Mushrooms

 Our 33 yr. old Bridal Wreath

 Wood Violets in purple and yellow

 brilliant Cinnamon Ferns~already 5 ft. tall

 a closer look of the Bridal Wreath

 the last of the Allium and Bleeding Hearts

 Dame's Rockets on the rock pile

 even decayed Maple leaves and new

wings of new Maple seedlings are a beautiful sight.

 Mama Bluebird has her eye on me constantly~

 she doesn't want me too close to her birdhouse

on the corner of the garden...

 the slightest move and she's on guard!

 OK folks of baby Blues, now Pa has his eyes peeled on me too...

his plumage is always brighter while she does the work...

her feathers are ruffled from keeping her young warm~

to be fair, they both take turns feeding, back and forth, 

back and forth.

 The beginning of the Mohican Viburnum~

love these~

 the beginning of the new Spruce cones...

 mid-stream growth...

plump new cones~in the making~

 not sure what kind but this moth caught my eye...

 as well as this spider nest high in the Maple with leaves tucked tight around her nest...my guess, maybe a Wood Spider's nest???

 Finally, confident I mean her family NO harm,

she flies back to her babies.

Thanks for tagging along.  I hope you enjoyed it

as much as I enjoyed your company...

Nature is so much a part of my life and

my family as we learn something new each venture.

Blessings One and All

a Treat that Can't be Beat

~click on Any photo for a closer look~

A few days ago, I promised to show you what Bill did for me...

 He said, let's take a ride...

so through so much fall, winter, spring growth,

we rode down one of our less traveled paths 

in our woods,

past thick poplar growth, 

 so thick, we had to weave our way 

carefully past, so as Not to scratch the truck...

(not that it doesn't already have it's share of nicks.)

 The first food plot was already so thick

and in great need of it's first mowing

so the clover comes thick for the deer.

 He even stopped so I could zoom in on

a patch of orange and yellow Hawkweed, 

 and a hillside of Bunchberry blossoms.

 Bill's been so busy with the field work that

when rain was in the forecast, I was happy

to get out of my daily routine and

 ride along up my favorite less traveled drive

up and down the hills,

 around the bends, oh,

 to my favorite place in the world, 

our retreat that we have not retreated to

as often as we would like to.  No one ever

told us that retirement would be so busy.

 A calm comes over both of us the second we see 

our lil' cabin in the woods.

 Right next to the deck is a nice patch of

wild strawberries in full bloom.  I cannot 

wait to pick.  They are so intense in flavor,

Far better than any other...yet so tiny.

 He started a fire to enjoy while we listened 

to the creek and the birds enjoying it with us.

 There are always ' projects,' like the new seat

for the bench that did not get replaced last year,

and trees to harvest that strong winds had taken down.

Bill calls that, ' easy firewood.'

 My reclaimed Pink Rock shines since Bill dug

it out of the brush for me.  It's the size of our 

dining room table with one leaf in.  :)

 I'm not sure why, but somehow, 

everything looks so much brighter,

more intense, in the woods.

 I can never get enough of Murray!!!~

 Murray Creek, that is, 

 as she twists and turns...

 waiting, just waiting for the trout to jump,

or the frogs to jump off the shore for a swim.

 The rainbow colored area rug dries in the sunshine...

it once was under my Grandmother's rocker,

now it's the first thing my feet touch upon

getting out of the log bed when staying the night.

 One more look at Murray,

one more listen.

 Oh, no!  Take me back.  It's too soon to leave

our ' Creekside Retreat ' in the woods.

I always hate to admit it, but

we have to leave so we can come back.

Bless Ya

Come Back Again and Again