Where else but in small rural areas can you get such a large crowd out to watch a parade that consists of vehicles of all sizes, a few floats and a horse, or two, or more. On June 18th, our little town held their yearly parade. The parade is fairly short but there is plenty of enthusiasm and excitement that line main street in anticipation of a parade. One thing our little home-town parade is not short of, is CANDY, candy being tossed out from anything that moves. It’s fun watchin the children scramble around getting every last bit of candy their little fisted hands can hold, and place it in a bag. Just a few photos to let you see a real, hometown parade………..
I have a mixed row of white and red peonies out my back door. Every day I step out the door, I am amazed at how beautiful they are. This year, they are big, beautiful and vibrant……Ahhhhhh!
I have a pretty glass bowl that is just big enough to hold one large peony. Each year, I bring in one peony at a time, cut it off close to the bloom, put water in the bowl and float my peony. I look forward to doing this each year……bringing a bit of nature (God’s Gifts) into our home.
Last year, a mamma kitty adopted our home as her home. When I first noticed her, she was really wild. She rarely came near our home and when she did, the minute we touched the door handle to go outside, she was off and running. Then one day I came home, got out of my car, and noticed her sitting at the corner of the house. She didn't move so I ignored her, kept walking towards the house while very softly calling "Kitty, kitty, kitty". A few days later, I sat on our back porch with a slice of cheese. I threw a piece of cheese in her direction and to my surprise, she came and got it. With each piece, I placed it closer and closer to where I was sitting. Eventually, she came up on the porch to get the cheese I had placed next to me. I did this for some time then reached out to touch her. At my slightest touch, she ran off but kept returning for more cheese and each time, she let me pet her for longer periods of time. Now, she is a pest.......always wanting to be petted and weaving between my legs while walking.
Last week, on Sunday, June 12th, mamma kitty had baby kitties. They are so darling and today was the first time I picked them up. Even at this tiny stage of their lives, these little kitties were spitting at me. Not literally spitting, but making a spitting sound that wild cats make. Now they have their eyes open, I will make it a point each day to go out and pet/hold them so they will get used to humans. They are so cute.........love baby kitties.
On Memorial Day weekend, besides going to the cemetery, our family also took a ride up the Mine Hill. Driving up the Mine Hill is one place I never get tired of. It is so beautiful up there with all the pine trees and the peaceful quietness. And the view………………OMGoodness ……breathtaking. Just look at the view of our little town, nestled right in the valley below.
When you get near the top of the Mine Hill, there is this little cabin standing there that was owned by the Ausich family, the earliest know residents of the cabin.
There is a sign that stands off to the side of the cabin, giving you the know facts and its history.
On June 13th, my husband and I celebrated our 36th anniversary. We didn’t do a big fanfare anniversary, but kept it very simple. After our evening meal, we drove to town, picked up a couple of malts/shakes and headed to the Mackay Reservoir. It was such a nice evening just sitting in the car, relaxing, talking and looking out over the beautiful, blue water. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!
I went to town today to start taking Piano Marvel computerized piano lessons. Some ladies in our ward started this and by the end of our lessons, we are supposed to be able to play all the hymns out of the "Hymns Made Easy" piano book.
As I was pulling into the parking lot, I got to see something I have never seen before. I sat and watched barn swallows gathering mud to make their nests.
Just look at the mess on my windshield…………….. Really, is that a robin egg. Robins lay blue eggs, so that is what I am thinking. And I’m also thinking this is not going to be an easy mess to clean off.
I thought this quite unusual, that a bird would just happen to lay an egg in flight. Do things like that really happen? After thinking about it, I decided to look it up on the internet. It stated that birds do not lay eggs in flight and if you see an egg like this, it means that an egg has been taken and dropped by a predatory bird, like a magpie. That goes to figure, since our place is basically overrun with magpies. It seems like every tree has young magpies hopping from branch to branch. Magpies really are a pretty bird……..if they weren’t such a menace, they would actually be fun to have around.
On Memorial Day weekend when we went to the cemetery, we saw 3 baby owls….one had just climbed over the chain link fence and was walking out in the brush…another one was way up in a pine tree…and one was climbing the chain link fence. I was able to get photos of the one in the pine tree, and the one climbing the fence. The one climbing the fence was using his beak, and feet to climb while flapping his wings.
After reaching the top, he sat on the fence for a bit……
Then flew to the tree next to the fence and sat there…..and was still sitting there when we left.
This was pretty amazing to watch.
