For another year

I took the tree down and packed away the ornaments one more time.  Kind of a bittersweet feeling...glad to have my living room back to normal.  But miss the lights and sparkle.

Carolina Wren

If I could only choose one bird as a favorite, it would more than likely be the Carolina Wren. 

Coca-Cola

I had forgotten taken this picture...just ran across it by accident.  I always want to capture some of the unique mailboxes we see, but so many times they are places where we cannot stop.

2010 photo

This was taken in December of 2010...while we don't have this much snow, we still have what fell Christmas day.  I don't think it got into the teens even yesterday.  And is all of 8ºF here this morn.

Does anyone remember these?

I don't know if we ever had one for sure...but I do remember them from somewhere in my life.  I may have seen one at someone else's home.

Photo by daughter...

Daughter sent me this photo a couple weeks ago...I love her mantle, but notice the kitty sitting staring into the fire!  Below shows her mantle in its entirety.

From the fall

I always take a photo or two of corn...almost religiously.  I am never really satisfied with them.

Love notes....

Though Lorelei is here now, she left these words behind the last time she was here.  I did not really notice that she had written 'I ♥ my Grandma' till thus the other day.  It gives such a lift to my spirits and puts a smile in my heart when I find these little notes here and there.

Nothing like this snow from 2005

These are from 2005....just love to look at them and remember the day.

I bet that creek was cold...

Just a beautiful, snowy day...

I hope you have enjoyed the views.

Favorite bird photos...

I think we all have favorite photos...so here are a few of mine...might be fun for you to click on them and scroll through them.  This Red-tailed hawk was always hanging out at this farm last winter.  I hope  he returns to post sitting again now that it is winter.

Not the best technically, but from the only time we saw Sandhill Cranes this past year.  Just love to see them coming in for a landing.

I hope I live to see Snow Geese like this again.  It was the most awesome morning...


I normally don't put videos here but thought maybe I would share.  It is not the greatest but you can get a feel for how it was.

This one from our yard....

The Ring-necked Pheasant is so beautiful!

Peek-a-boo from my front porch...

I hope we see him again, but so far no such luck.  This was this past spring.

Another pheasant...later in the year.

A pair of Trumpter Swans...

Love seeing Great Blue Herons...

I am only going to post a couple from this photo session of the Bald Eagle...

Every time I see this photo, I feel so, so sorry for him.  He would just set there with his head hanging down.  You know he had to be absolutely miserable...

That is my favorite bird photos from the first half of the year.  I hope you enjoyed them.

I wish this were mine...

I don't know why, but love, love, love old crocks, etc.

From October...

This little barn sits near the West Union Covered Bridge in Parke County.  Everything at this place is well maintained.

We saw this barn on the same drive....but not sure it is in Parke Country.

Not sure what the true color of this barn was...this is through the window or windshield, I think side window though.  And I have not altered the color but I do not remember it being this color.  I remember it standing out...being bright. 

Barn Collective

Do you smell what I smell....

We seen her among a herd back near the end of November.  I thought I took more pics of the cows than showed up.

This is the  only other decent shot I got.  Notice the heart on her head....

A bit of color....

Ran across this the other day....

Lorelei

Just have to post this little update....Lorelei is on her way home this morn!  Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! 

Lorelei

 Photo from January, 2016

Our Lorelei is in the hospital with pneumonia.  She was admitted yesterday evening, and has to stay at least tonight and will see what tomorrow brings.  She felt bad Monday, then she her fever began...she did not throw up or anything like that.  Just a temp and wheezing.  She looks sick,  does not look horrible.  Her oxygen level is not normal.

The dr. was in this afternoon while we were there, and she was looking at the oxygen level and pulse rate and at Lorelei, and said you would never guess how sick she is by looking at her.  And she doesn't complain...teases and jokes with all the nurses, and whoever comes in, and cooperates and does whatever they ask.  So we will see what tomorrow brings.  Hoping she doesn't have to spend a third night, but if she does, we are thankful for the care she gets

I am posting this same post at both blogs...

Blue, blue skies...

Three photos,

of the same scene...

I couldn't decide on just one. 

Remember Mabel... .

I always told Lorelei that she was Charlotte's cousin that moved to the city.

 We watched her grow all one summer.

She grew....

And grew some more...

The first photo was taken on Sept 3 and the last one on October 11....I have watched for relatives every summer since that year but so far no luck. You know she had to leave lots of children behind with that body of hers!

One snap and this post sitter was gone...

I don't know what kind of hawk this is...I thought it was this one that I used to see out at the strip pits, but when it flew it did not have the white on the tail feathers.    I am thinking it is a Red-tailed hawk.  When it flew, I could see red at the base of the tail feathers on the back. But other than that bit of red, his back was dark.  The way he flew I did not get a good look at his underwings...  He was a pretty good sized hawk.

Edited to add:  Take a look HERE at the Red -tailed hawk...then scroll down and look through all the other photos, got numbers 8 and 9.  To add to the confusion, go HERE and then scroll down and look at the dark morph of the Swainson's Hawk.  I still believe it is a Red-tailed because there are so many in the area and we are just east of the range of the Swainson Hawk's area.

Barns

We passed this little barn back in October...at least I am classifying it as a barn.  I think in reality it might be a workshop.

Or maybe a woodshed.

Now the one below is a barn for sure...

Look at that blue sky!  Isn't it glorious?

I like the play of shadows on the front, too.

Linking to the Barn Collective. 

A little beauty

From a few years ago...

From 4 years ago...

Does it look cold enough?