Western Tanager/Yellow Warbler

Thursday, I was sitting at the kitchen table putting Blue Bond stamps in books.  I heard a thump at the window and looked up just in time to see a bird making a dive for the ground.  We put new, tinted windows around our home a few years back and they play havoc with the birds.  I guess they act like a mirror, imaging the outdoors.  We have birds flying into our big dining room windows all the time.  Usually, the birds hit the windows, leave a worm or a feather or two, then fly off.  But every once in awhile, they hit the window then fall to the ground.  As I saw this one fall to the ground, I went outside to see how bad it was hurt.  It was just sitting there, doing nothing.  I kept talking to it and petting its little head.  I didn’t want to overdue it so I went back in the house, came out a bit later and it had moved to another area.  I went back in the house and started getting our evening meal before deciding to go back out to check and see how the bird was doing.  Yeah, it was gone, so I’m assuming it flew off.  I hate to see the little birds get hurt by flying into the windows.  My sister and I have looked, looked, and looked again at the pictures I took, trying to figure out what kind of a bird it is.  As far as we can tell after thinking of several birds it could be, we narrowed it down to a female Western Tanager or a female Yellow Warbler.  My best guess, though, is the female Western Tanager.  Still don’t know for sure but at least it seems to be OK – Ah!  As you can see in the photos, it looks like it hurt it’s beak when it flew into the window or else it has some kind of bird beak disease and now I will probably come down with the bird flu, or something.  Ha - my luck.

Flowering Crab Tree & Family

Yeah……..our flowering crab tree bloomed, once again, this year.  That’s two years in a row with a tree full of bright, hot pink blossoms.  In the past, it seems that it has only bloomed heavily every other year.  This is my happy tree.  Other than the happiness it brings to our family, it brings happiness to our little valley.  We get oodles of comments about our tree as people drive up the valley and see it standing tall…..so beautiful.

As I was taking these pictures last week, I noticed the moon peeking through the top branches.  Loved the combination of the faint moon above the bright pink blossoms.

The sad part about this beautiful tree is that it only blooms for a short time.  It lasts about a week from start to finish.  Monday as the family was sitting by the tree having a hotdog roast, the wind was blowing and the blossoms were coming down pretty heavy….making it look like pink snow. 

It was under this tree last year that we took a family photo.

But, since that time, we have a new little addition to our family.  Oh, the wonderful change in our family!

Shark Steam Mop & Scenery

I was talking to a friend and we were talking about mopping floors and I told her about my Shark Light & Easy Steam Mop.  I love this mop.  It has saved me so much time when mopping my floors.  All I do is put water in an 8oz. water reservoir, plug it in, and start mopping.  Where it uses steam to clean, you’d be surprised how far your 8oz’s of water goes.  She had showed interest in purchasing one so I told her before she bought, I’d bring mine to her home and she could try it out.  She liked it, too.  I think it is going on her “to get” list.  I got this picture off of the 1saleaday site….the same place that I purchased my steam mop.

On my way home, I was coming around the corner towards the river bridge when I noticed the scenery out my window.  This place is just (I’m assuming) a place used for pasture (I have seen cows here) and that someone wouldn’t usually stop and take pictures, but I thought it was really pretty.  After I had passed it up, I stopped, backed up and got out of my car to take a couple of photos.

Off to the right of the above pictures is a tree that some red-winged black birds kept landing on so of course, I took a picture of one of the birds, too.

Beautiful Tulips

I was asked to help at the Primary Elections this year and a few days before the elections, we met at the City Hall to go through everything.  Before entering the building, these beautiful tulips were in front of the building.  Not much to write about but just something beautiful to look at!  I can’t grow tulips at my home because the deer think the tulips are candy.  I wished they wouldn’t have a liking for tulip candy…….or any other flower candy, for that matter.

Elk Spotting – Twice In One Week

In the 34 years of marriage and tales of all the elk in the area, I had yet to see one.  Around the 12th of this month, I was in another room of our home when I heard my husband yelling my name and saying “quick, get in here”.  I ran (well, lumbered ran) into the dining area and looked out the window where he pointed out the two elk standing in our field.  Eureka – elk at last!  It was around 9pm so I was unable to get any photos.  But then, this past Thursday, May 15th, a little before 7am, I headed out past the reservoir a few miles to see if I could see the elk that a friend of mine kept telling me about.  It was my lucky day.  Two elk sightings in one week.  Happy Camper!  Now for the perfect shot of a male elk with antlers……probably another 34 years away….but, there’s always hope!  After typing that last sentence, I’d have to have lots of hope cause by that time I will be in my early 90’s and then I will be too old for that kind of stuff – ya think?!

Just as I was getting ready to take this next picture, a skein of Canadian geese flew overhead……fun.

These next pictures have nothing to do with elk, but needing to come off my elk high, I meandered my way back home, taking photos along the way……….with a little detour of my favorite spot for photos.  My sister will probably say “I’ve seen these pictures many times before”.  But to me, I never tire of taking pictures in the same spot because I see a new kind of beautiful each and every time.

Dunking Mallard Ducks

Last Thursday, May 15, 2014, I went to the Mine Hill Bridge to see if the ducks were swimming around.  The female wasn’t there but there were three males.  I love the heads on the males…..oh, that bright green.  It’s fun watching them dunking the top half of their bodies under the water and having their tails stick straight up in the air.  Yep….easily amused.

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Mother’s Day Drive – part 2

As stated in my previous blog, I took a Mother’s Day drive.  I was actually gone close to 4 hours and didn’t go any further than a few miles, in either direction of my home.  Sometimes I think to myself – wow, I really do live here….a place with so many scenery changes with short driving distances and just…ahhhh – BeAuTiFuL!.  And since I took so many pictures, I will keep my writing very minimal.  Sharing my drive……………….

Views along what we call “the dump” road.

Cemetery and close by:

 

 

Views from the edge of town:

Going to and coming back from mine hill:

Going around Houston Road:

 

Passcreek Area:

I know, that was a lot of photos but hey………………….. can’t help myself.  And would you believe that I actually took a lot more than I posted?!  It was a wonderful day.