32 posts tagged “flickr”
The first squirrel to come up into the yard appeared yesterday. Sadie was SO excited - she did her little happy dance at the back door while whining and squealing. I, of course, had to come see what the commotion was about:
I took some quick photos of the yard this morning...everything is so darn green since the rain we've had (I know, such a tough problem to have) that some of them are hard to get much definition in them, but they give a general idea of what's been happening around here:
On Saturday morning Neil and I headed out to get some photos of the trestle bridge in town and whatever else caught our eye.
This is how I have been feeling all week. Tired. Sick of things in general. Bored. Slightly ill? (Really, Marly is just yawning here, but her expression is priceless and the perfect one to represent my mood!)
My manager broke it to us today that we will most likely be having to travel every week starting after the first of the year. *sigh* Even if it is only overnight...being gone two days a week like that is too much for me anymore, especially now that I have Marly. The travel was supposed to be waning...things were supposed to be changing to allow us more time at home/office time. But, they aren't. And I have to say, the changes that are causing the need for more travel are good ones. They are exciting ones for our department and the company, but they are no good for the members of our team at this juncture since we have all been at this well over two years and the majority of us have hit our limit with the travel part of what we do. I am afraid these new changes are going to mean a good portion (if not all) of our team moving on to other things in the near future.
Que sera sera...
This weekend my goal is to get the house and the yard cleaned up. The house looks like a bomb went off in it...the yard? Well, it needs weeding desperately. Why is it that the only things that look good with the drought we've been having are the weeds? And they don't just look good, they are flourishing! Darn them! Oh yeah, and tomorrow the truck goes in for its regular maintenance. That should be fun - at least it will be a little down time where I can read while I wait.
Project 365.45: Breakfast Nook - Yesterday I spent most of the day cleaning (vacuuming up animal hair - despite this cold snap, they are all shedding like they are going to go bald!) and rearranging/reusing furniture. I have been looking for a hutch or cabinet to put on this wall in my kitchen for cookbook storage as well as possible china and stemware storage. The problem is that everything that I love is way out of my current price range. Instead, I changed gears. I took the bookcase that was in my office to use in the kitchen for the time being and found a new and bigger bookshelf for the office. Essentially killing two birds with one stone and saving me bunches of money since I needed more book storage in the office too. I will be going to get the new bookshelf for the office tomorrow and then this week painting the wall it will go on so I don't have to move it again once I get it situated.
You might note in the photo here that the kitty dishes are on the breakfast table. This is to keep the dog from chowing down on kitten food. Also, the big blob of paint on the wall is indicative of my loss of steam on the painting project front. Eventually the kitchen will all be that color.
I am personally fascinated with vultures. They may not be the most beautiful of the avian world, but they intrigue me. They are very social birds (wild vultures will come hang out at the vulture aviary at the center) and to watch them fly...well, I have never seen anything more graceful soaring on the thermals in the summer. I am particularly fond of the black vultures - no offense to Sadie here.
Sadie has a condition called leucism that causes her unusual light coloring (she is NOT, as I have learned, albino which is an entirely separate condition). She was a big show-off for the cameras while we were there which made her really fun to shoot!
Chilly, but gorgeous morning...the goldfinches are back in full force today. There was a flock of about ten or so on the feeder and in the tree this morning. Some of them haven't lost all of their grey winter feathers yet (like this guy) and others are in their full, bright yellow glory.
Dudley is the unfortunate example of what happens when people do not respect nature. He is now a resident of the Carolina Raptor Center because he has imprinted on humans and can no longer survive on his own in the wild.
A couple more birds for you!
King Arthur - Golden Eagle: He was found under power lines in 1993. His left wing had to be amputated due to electrocution injury. I must say, his missing wing didn't reduce the magnificence of this bird in the least. He was full of spunk. In particular, he really, really didn't want the tether around his ankle - he was determined that he was going to fly!
Russell - Red Tailed Hawk: Russell was found on the side of the road with a bruised back and eye trauma. Probably the result of a car collision. He is now unable to see well enough to hunt.
Well, stage one of the garden effort has been mostly completed. The veggies I purchased have been planted in their respective pots. Of course, after all the weather checking I did before buying them, now they are predicting below freezing nighttime temps for the next week or so starting on Thursday. Grrr. I will have to cover them (and then uncover them during the day so they don't cook).
I think if I am careful, though, they will be just fine. In another week or two I will look into the cucumber plant and the bush beans. I can't wait to have fresh veggies!!! I also still need a couple hotsas for the front porch.
Last night Sadie and I hung out on the patio and enjoyed the lovely weather. The daytime highs are supposed to dramatically cool off for a bit again too. Mid 50's to 60's...which the Northwesterner in me will like, but at the same time, I was getting pretty used to this 70's and 80's weather! Here's a full view of the patio with the plants and new furniture...
The grill (and house) is just out of the photo to the right. You can also view my beer there on the table. Ha! Good old RedHook IPA...reminds me of back home.
In just four weeks Mom will be out here and the real garden/yard planning will begin. I have some ideas that I want to try to do while she is here, or at least get some hands-on advice for - like laying pavers to extend the patio area. But mostly, we are going to just draw up plans and get stuff mapped out. I am fine with the execution, I just don't know where to start with any of it. Over the next couple years though, my neighbors are going to be shocked - I am determined to surpass a certain neighbor who currently looks down upon me because I haven't jumped right into beautifying my yard. Won't they be sorry! Once I am comfortable on the inside the ouside is scheduled to look just as nice if not nicer. SO there!
