Seeing Red

What a beautiful day!  It was about 75 outside, but quite windy.  I'll take the wind since it will help dry out the rain from yesterday . . . maybe I'll be able to mow tomorrow.

After doing what all running around I needed to do, I decided to just sit outside and read, but have my camera handy since I'd filled the bird feeders and put out peanuts for the Blue Jays.  I'm re-reading a book I'd read back in junior high about the 1913 Dayton Flood, called "Promises in the Attic."  Mom and I are going to a library presentation tomorrow about the flood, so I wanted to see if the book was as good as I had thought way back when.  I think it's held up pretty well.

Yes, I got to take a few bird photos while I was at it.  Those darn cardinals remained camera shy though.  Saw a couple of them, but as soon as I moved to lift the camera, they were gone.  Oh well.  Will just have to keep trying.

Yes, the requisite mourning dove was pigging out on the seed.  They are pretty, and I love the coo-ing sound.  They also seem to be more tolerant of humans, which gives me some good opportunities for photos.

Yup, I manage to feed the cowbirds, too.  So far they aren't hogging the seed, so maybe enough of us have feeders out to manage it all.

And of course, the common house sparrow was out in abundance.  I love these little guys, at least most of the time!  Sometimes they do get pushed out of the feeders, but they have a ton of perseverance.  If they didn't like to perch on these branches that are stacked near the house, the branches would be gone . . . but, it's a nice little spot that's slightly sheltered and off the ground.

I had seen several of the sparrows over at the feeder with the peanuts, but was completely surprised to look up to see a red bellied woodpecker at the peanuts!

The first woodpecker I've seen in the yard this year, and it wasn't where I expected to see him!  I'd like to know why they call this a red bellied woodpecker, though.  He has a red head, not a red belly.  Regardless, he's beautiful, and I'll have to stock up on the peanuts and woodpecker suet to keep him hanging around.

I got to spend a good portion of the day reading outside and watching the backyard birds.  Doesn't get much more relaxing than that for me!  Now if I could just catch a Blue Jay or two . . .

Plans??

I had such wonderful plans for today . . . and the part of the day I was most looking forward to?  Postponed.  Bummer.  I had been looking forward to a short road trip w/ a high school friend to meet another high school friend and just hang out for a while.  But, life intervened again, I didn't get my way.

It's a icky rainy day here in SW Ohio, but I was looking forward to being w/ some sunny dispositions and laughing over stupid little things that girlfriends can find to laugh about.  I did get a little of that in, but not enough!  Met up w/ a group of ladies for lunch at Applebee's, which was a nice mix of personalities.  There were 5 of us, and 4 of us had gone to high school together (yes, 4/14/2012 must be high school not quite reunion day); I hadn't seen one of the ladies since we'd had a Spanish class together way back when.  Another of the ladies was the high school friend I was going with on our road trip . . .

But, fate intervened.  On my way to Applebee's, I was just buzzing along, singing w/ the radio, when the dreaded "Check Engine" light came on.  Since the last time I'd had that experience, the alternator went out, I started assuming the worst.  Fortunately, I was almost at Applebee's and the dealership that now services my Saturn Ion was just about 1/4 mile further down the road.  So, I had lunch w/ the lovely ladies, and then drove the car on over to the service department.

And just what wonderful news awaits me at the door to service?  They are only open until 3 p.m., and that's when we were supposed to be meeting our friend about 45 minutes away.  It was almost 1 p.m., so chances of making that happen were slim.  Crappity crap crap CRAP.

So, I called my friend in Indiana and explained to her what had happened, and we agreed to meet up again after she got moved and a few other things out of the way.  By that time, the other friend arrived to meet me, and I told her we'd have to reschedule.  The good news is that neither of us really wanted to be driving in the crappy weather, especially since the weather in Indiana was worse than what we were experiencing.

Instead of hanging out with friends and talking and laughing, I sat at the dealership with a few other people I didn't know who maintained their own little bubble of privacy (I'm a people watcher, especially if I don't have a book to read!).  I sat, and sat, and sat.  I drank a Diet Mt. Dew (I may regret that later tonight).  I tried to connect to the wi-fi via my phone, but couldn't get the connection to stay connected.  I had not planned the visit, so I didn't have my boredom busters with me!  Two hours later, I was finally out the door.

The best news?  I just needed a new gas cap.  It was leaking.  Whew.  At least it wasn't the alternator or something major going on.  Can't say it was exactly a cheap fix.  But at least it was easy, and not as expensive as some of the other possible issues.

Well, now what to do with the rest of my day?  Need to bake some cookies, but forgot to take the butter out of the freezer, so that's gonna be a while.  I can play around w/ some pictures of it raining.  Nothing catches the mood of an icky rainy day like pictures of an icky rainy day.

Yup.  Pulled out the camera and turned the kitchen chair around to look out the back door at a couple of puddles.  Tried a few things.  Like some better than others.  But I know a couple of things I don't want to do next time, and have some ideas of a couple of different things to try.  First off would be using the mono-pod or tripod . . . experiencing weather induced sinus headache issues is not typically a time of clear thinking.

I was SO looking forward to the day I had planned this morning.  But, looking back at it all now, it's turned out pretty good after all.  I did get to spend some time with friends and completely enjoyed it.  Although the Check Engine light freaked me out, it was a reasonable problem that was easily remedied.  Missing hanging out with other friends wasn't so great, but I got to catch up on a couple of things around the house, try a recipe for cookies using cake mix, and still have a batch of sugar cookies waiting to be made.  And, I can't forget the opportunity to try to catch some pictures of the rain.

I guess today was the forget the plan and go with the flow day.  Not too hateful after all.

Friday the 13th

For many years I considered myself a dog person, and turned my nose up at the thought of ever living in the same house as a cat.  Then, after losing my best friend of 14 years (yes, a dog, named Sweetheart), I tried several different pets, but just wasn't making that connection I needed (and had moved into an apartment that did not allow dogs).  So, when a co-worker told me their barn cat had kittens (again) and she was looking for homes for them, I caved in.  That was the last time I thought I'd never have a cat, and it was 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, I've had to say goodbye to two wonderful furballs in those 20 years, but am grateful for the years I had with them, and for all they taught their staff of one.  They taught me so well that I don't think I'd last very long without a finicky feline running rampant through the house.

I had lost my 14 yr old Abyssinian Cleo, and was looking for another cat to keep my almost 2 year old Bandit company.  I had gone to the local Humane Society web page to look through the photos of cats available for adoption, and saw a beautiful grey male.  I figured he'd be adopted pretty quickly, but absolutely fell in love with him.  A few days later I went to the Humane Society, looking for him, but he wasn't there.  I assumed he'd been adopted (who wouldn't want this beautiful creature??), so it was off to PetsMart to see what pets they had available from the different local rescues.

I stopped at the one in my home town, but none of the cats (or kittens) tugged on the heartstrings, so it was off to the PetsMart closest to my apartment.  I stopped and played through the cage with a couple of the kittens, but even they didn't make that emotional connection.  Then, I turned the corner around that group of cages, and stopped dead in my tracks.  I almost gasped when I saw my boy all stretched out carefully watching what was going on around him.  I think I almost ran to find someone to help me (and I NEVER run).  The clerk took him out of the cage and let me hold him, and from that moment, I was his.  That was another Friday the 13th; one of the best days of my life, and definitely the best Friday the 13th ever.

It wasn't until we got home and I took a closer look at the paperwork that I realized this was the same cat I'd seen on the Humane Society web page.  I knew then beyond any shadow of a doubt that we were supposed to be together, and wasn't quite as worried about how this new guy was going to fit in with Bandit.  Sure enough, after a day or two of Bandit hissing, and the new guy hiding, they were playing, chasing, fighting, and grooming each other.  It was probably halfway through the first day that I decided on a name for the new boy.  Since I already had Bandit, the one name I refused to give him was Smokey (nope, not gonna have a Smokey and the Bandit!!).  The two boys are pretty much polar opposites, so since I had a Bandit, I figured the opposite would have to be some kind of famous police type figure.  Elliott or Ness just didn't fit, but all of a sudden, the perfect name came to me.  Pinkerton (as in the Pinkerton Detectives
Agency).

Since we moved from the apartment into the house, Pinkerton has become more social, although he's still very shy.  He's a very loving boy, but selective in showing it.  He's now comfortable showing affection to me, but takes a while to warm up to other people.  A couple of weeks ago I had an open house, and Pinkerton didn't hide in the family room or bedroom the entire time; he didn't beg for attention, but he did watch a lot of what was going on, if from a distance.

I still feel very special when Pinkerton comes up to me while I'm on the computer, puts his paws on my leg, and meows.  Usually he'll jump up on my shoulders and finally settle a little while I'm trying to type or play games.  But the head bumps and rubs I get from him are certainly special.  Bandit is so much more affectionate and demanding of attention that the little pat or head rub I might get every once in a while from Pinkerton seems like a treasure.  I love both of my boys, but seeing the trust Pinkerton is able to extend now to me, and just a little to visitors, is amazing.

The last photo of Pinkerton I'm going to share today is of him yawning.  If you're not used to seeing cats yawn, or haven't seen a picture of them in mid-yawn, you will probably be at the least startled.  It's a crazy look, and I often can't make up my mind if they're laughing at me through the yawn or threatening . . .

I couldn't resist this picture on Friday the 13th.  Not quite the cute and cuddly picture most people post of their pets.  But then again, I like to catch the unexpected or unusual . . .

Captured in Time

Way back twenty-some days ago when I started blogging, I featured a picture taken when friends were having a pole barn raising for their alpaca farm.  I'd forgotten how many pictures I took to chronicle the event for them (I ended up keeping about 400 of the shots I took). 

It was a fun day, and a wonderful opportunity for me to do a little experimenting.  I'm in no way, shape, or form a morning person, but since they were beginning the day early to get as much work in as possible, I grumbled my way to their house until I saw what I've come to think of as the canvas before me.  I was quickly excited by all of the possibilities for many different kinds of pictures (artistic, geometric, action, setting, etc.).  It lasted pretty much all day.

The fog was pretty heavy when I arrived . . . it took several
hours to clear up and start warming up.

I liked the lines created by the braces, as well as the pointy pieces
(no, I do not think that is the technical term!).

Posts in place in their holes, getting things ready to start the real work.

Sharp.  Amazing tool.  I best keep my distance.

This is to hopefully prevent one of my pet peeves.  Concrete  was
used in the post holes, NOT cement.  Cement is an ingredient
in concrete.   That's a lot of concrete, too.

I liked the almost silhouette look.

Then, I turned around for some reason,
and saw this.  I must have taken about
10 shots, but this is the best.  I loved the way
the beams of light broke through the fog
and trees. 

It's kind of silly how excited I was to capture the "action" of the
wood falling here.  I'm still very glad I caught it!

There were plenty of angles and geometric shapes to catch.

But I couldn't forget the setting around us!

Every time I found myself starting to think I was getting the "same old pictures," I would turn slightly or catch a movement, and I'd notice a more intriguing angle, or a beam of light that I'd swear wasn't there before.  Or, I'd yawn (I told you, I'm not a morning person!), and then I'd notice more of the nature around the work being done . . . a few minutes photographing it, and my eyes were ready to "see more creatively."

This was a long day for everyone, but it was also fun, and it helped to stretch my creativity.  There were several "God moments" throughout the day that had me unable to do more than soak in the wonder of His creation (man, nature, animals).  It was a challenge to chronicle the day in a way that showed the totality of the experience.  Not only was this the physical construction of a pole barn, but it was also the expression of friendship and love by all who participated.

A photograph captures a moment in time.  I go for the pictures that capture the mood of that moment in time as well.  Sometimes that happens in a single picture; those are the pictures I cherish.  That's why the following picture is my favorite shot of the entire day (and why I'm sharing it again).

Duck vs. Duct

I love Duck tape.  Or is it duct tape?  Specifically, it's the Color Duck Tape made by Duck Brand that I am so highly addicted to!  I guess that makes it Color Duck Tape Duct Tape.  The photo above is my current supply, although there are a few colors/patterns I do not have.  My birthday is not far off, so maybe that situation will be remedied before summer.

What surprises most people is that I actually decorated in my kitchen with it!  I've moved back into my childhood home, which was built in 1957; we're the 2nd family to live in it, and the house still "boasts" the original metal w/ enamel finish kitchen cabinets, along w/ the wonderful 1950 Formica counter-tops.  The cabinets were impossible to keep clean, and after the few years of family use, rust spots and stains appeared.  I'm not a fan of stark white, but needed to be able to "undo" the decorative process when necessary.  I will say that this attempt w/ duct tape definitely falls into the "Happy Accident" category.  Choosing to use a blue tie-dye pattern could have been a disaster; it must have been a good thing that I wasn't trying to create a pattern or match anything up . . . because it definitely worked out in my favor!

I have the Hello Kitty Duck Tape as part of the collection and have used it for a couple of interesting things. One was to put on the cap of mom's bottle of Tylenol to make it easier for her to grip (seriously, she does love Hello Kitty) and open.  Another was to create two loops to hang from the shower curtain rod to support the shoe caddy that I re-purposed into a towel holder (hanging between the curtain and the liner).

I have a "draft dodger" on the bottom of the front door to the house that kept coming loose where the adhesive had given out.  The door is white and the strip is clear plastic, so I used my paint splatter tape across the width of the door to keep the plastic in place, and the drafts out, plus add a little splash (pun intended) of color.

I love perusing the ideas on http://www.duckbrand.com/, although friends and family might consider it dangerous.  I did see three new prints that I didn't know about before, bringing my Duck Tape Wish List to at least 6.  I also enjoy seeing what participants come up with to enter the Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest.  I do tend to be a little more practical with my creative use of Duck Tape, so clothing is not a likely future project!

Duck Tape, it's not just for ducts anymore . . . which is good since you never know where I might find a use for it!

It's for the birds!

I love my backyard birds.  I don't often get to grab a shot of the cardinals; they're pretty shy.  But, since I usually have about 6 feeders full of bird seed most of the time, plus suet feeders, I get a LOT of other visitors!  Fortunately, I've only seen a skunk once (and I don't go out after dusk so I don't run that risk again!). 

No, my little backyard sanctuary and retreat is often turned into the squirrelbatic arena!  Several of my neighbors put out peanuts specifically for the squirrels; I put out peanuts to attract Blue Jays.  Still haven't seen the first Blue Jay of the season, but I've seen plenty of squirrels!

They really do annoy me when they keep finding ways to get into the bird feeders (and as I mentioned yesterday, they have figured out how to open and crawl INTO one of the feeders).  But, they are cute, and definitely creative thinkers, so I can't hate on them too much.  They do keep me entertained when I'm relaxing out back, even if it's moments after I chased them from a feeder while swearing at them!

Love to watch them scamper along the top of the fence - how do they do it?
One of these days I'm going to catch a pic of one the shadow of one of them
running across the telephone line; the shadow falls perfectly on the garage
of my backyard neighbor!

This little guy was checking out what was under my little grill;
it was cool, hadn't been used in days.

Loved the way the tail was up and all fluffy!  Looks like a feather.

I guess I AM ready for my close-up . . .

And now, the "fun" day when I discovered the darn squirrels had learned how to bend the metal lid and pry it off of the one feeder . . . dumped the food out, and then went back to the feeder to eat out of it (I guess just 'cause he could, the little show-off!).  That feeder is now history . . .

If you look at the feeder on the left, you'll be able to see
the tail of the squirrel that pried the top off the feeder.
They must work in teams!

Yes, I put the lid back on the feeder, then watched to see
what they might do next . . . 

This little guy was ready to jump out of the tree at me . . . I swear I could hear his Dirty Harry imitation . . . Go ahead, make my day . . .

And I did.  I shot him.  With my camera.

Feed them and they will come . . .

Beautiful Blue Jay, summer 2011

Downy Woodpecker, summer 2011

I want to see these beautiful birds in my yard again already, instead of just hearing them close by.  I guess that means it's time to fill the bird feeders.  Fortunately, there was a great sale on bird seed this week, and I picked up 40 lbs.  That should last about a week, maybe two.  Guess it's time to start making the homemade suet that REALLY draws the birds in!

I pulled out 3 feeders and filled them tonight.

One afternoon when I was a little frustrated by  the rain getting to the seed and spoiling it, I added an  umbrella!

However, during one of the several  storms we've had, the wind picked up the umbrella
(which was duct taped to the feeder), the top 1/3 of the feeder pole, AND
both feeders, carrying them a few yards.  Umbrella was trashed.  End of experiment!

This feeder is GREAT at foiling the squirrels.  Now if it were only larger and
didn't have to be filled quite so often.

This feeder was new at the end of last summer.  My neighborhood
squirrels are smart enough that they figured how to open the
lid.  I saw one sitting inside of an empty feeder one day
(and unfortunately no camera handy!!)  Duck Brand duct tape
to the rescue!  They have not figured out how to get past it.
Last year I used yellow, this year is orange (for some reason it
photographed yellow in this shot).

My neon orange duct tape!!

Tomorrow I'll be pulling out the hummingbird feeders, giving them a good cleaning, then filling them in anticipation of my first sighting!  Last year was the first year I'd seen regular visitors to the feeders, so I keep learning more and more tricks to attract them.  I put out nesting materials for them, too . . . hopefully that will have them nesting closer as well.

Although the squirrels irritate me with their constant attempts (and too many successes) at devouring the bird seed, they are cute little buggers, and quite imaginative!  Think I might have to blog about them and their antics soon . . .

I'm anxious to sit outside again and listen to the birds chirping away while they're at the feeders or in the trees nearby, and watching the squirrels performing for me.  It's my own little concert and gymnastics meet in my little backyard!  It's a great stress reliever to be out there listening and watching the critters.  Since I planted more hummingbird and butterfly attractant plants last year, I really hope to be able to get more butterfly pictures, and improve on the hummingbird pictures.  Love the ones I got last year, but it makes me want to get even better ones!

Such diversity and beauty visiting me on my small plot of backyard.  Love it, and am looking forward to sharing it all with you.