Photo Blogging Challenge (May 2017) - Look up - Himself

Himself was inspired by the theme for this month, Look Up, had some great shots.  Actually, he took a ton of excellent photos that I have been enjoying as backgrounds on my monitors. 

Harriet was a young wife who died in the mid 1800s at the age of fifteen.  Her tombstone collapsed recently in a local cemetery containing many old graves including those of Revolutionary War veterans.  Harriet was looking-up at a bouquet of daffodils earlier this month which someone planted near her grave.  I’ll be looking-up the local cemetery caretakers to see if we can raise up her headstone.

It seems every time we looked up this spring, down came the raindrops.  One of our redwood trees caught a few drops before they could reach the ground.

Various pollen seeds challenged the raindrops for supremacy of the skies this year.  Here’s a dandelion that did about all it could to contribute to the aerial combat.

A retired farmer recently donated his land to our county park system.  This is one tree in the many acres of trees which we now enjoy thanks to his generosity.

We’re looking up from the bottom of our favorite sledding hill.  It is deceptively peaceful on a quiet spring morning.  A few winters ago we terrified a cousin’s daughter from Florida with her first sled ride down the back of the beast.    

To see more, visit A 'lil Hoohaa

AMDG

Photo Blogging Challenge (May 2017) - Look up - Me

When I saw the topic, Look Up, I had every intention of taking a lot of photos throughout the month.  The full moon was beautiful.  Birds have been very active and I have seen some interesting ones, including a Pileated Woodpecker and a Great Blue Heron.  But, of course, I didn't have my camera when I saw all of these. 

The Hairy Beast was itching for a second walk last evening, and what he wants he gets.  On the way out I grabbed the camera and just started snapping.  Given that we just celebrated The Ascension of the Lord this past weekend, the clouds made me think of one of the readings at Mass.

When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, "Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven."

Acts 1:9-11

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AMDG

And Then There Were None

Three nests.  Nine eggs.  Two babies. 

 

 

One raccoon. 

 

No birds!

 

  😢   

 

A couple of weeks ago, I found the nest of a pair of Mourning Doves in one of the bushes I was about to chop down.  It was wrecked and the two white eggs smashed on the ground. 

Last Saturday night or Sunday morning a raccoon found the Robin's nest in the Blue Spruce and had himself a meal.  We discovered that the eggs were missing later in the day when we noticed that the mama bird was nowhere to be found. 

 

Since two of the Cardinal eggs had hatched in Alberta Spruce, we were particularly worried.  Himself went out after dark, looking for the offending creature.  He happened upon it and scared it away.  Tuesday evening I borrowed the rodent trap from my dad, hoping to catch the beast.

 

For a couple of days it stayed away.  We hoped we were in the clear.  The baby birds' eyes opened, they were getting feathers and were very vocal when it came to feeding time. 

 

Then on Friday morning, first thing after I got up, I went to check the nest.

 

And found it on the ground.  Empty.

 

If anyone ever tries to tell you that raccoons have some, any, even one, redeeming qualities, don't believe them.  It's a lie.

 

 

AMDG

WIP (#6) - Bushes and Birds

WIPs lately have moved from inside to out.  Over the last couple of years I have been redoing the landscaping in the front of the house.  Shrubs that were supposed to be slow growing and small (2-3 feet) grew well past six and seven feet.

I started cutting down and digging out the last of the Gold Thread Cypress and Yews.  I still have a few more to do, but a mama Robin and a mama Cardinal also have their own WIPs in two of the bushes!  Thankfully Himself found the well hidden Robin's nest before I chopped that bush, ironically called a Bird's Nest Blue Spruce.

Robin's nest

Mama Cardinal 

AMDG