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Bird's Eye View

So I thought we may have a fox living in our woods--saw something cutting across the top fence row of our pasture and into the woods.  Too far for me to get a clear look though.

We set up the trail cam to cover the area between the pasture and woods.  Checked it this morning to see what may have traveled that way in the past week.  No fox.  And very surprised it did not capture any deer as they usually are all around our house.

Did get one cool pic though.

Where did Spring go???

 Spring has sprung!

Wish someone would tell Old Man Winter!

 

 

“It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it,

you want—oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly

makes your heart ache, you want it so!”
― Mark Twain

Sweet Summertime Dreams

A reminder of summertime that still seems rather far off.

The sunshine outside today seemed to hint at the warmer days that are sure to come.

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” 

 
― John Steinbeck (Travels with Charley: In Search of America)

 

A Thief in the Night

We have had a very snowy winter and my feathered friends have been daily visiting my feeders.  However, there have been days where I thought they must have voracious appetites as the seed disappeared rather quickly.

 

Occasionally, I see a squirrel shimmy up the skinny pole of the shepherd's hook and help himself to some seed.  And he can really do a number on it if I don't spy him soon enough and chase him away.

This morning, though, just as day was breaking, I happened to be going out to the kitchen for a coffee refill and saw this just outside the dining nook window.  

Caught ya!

Now these guys are back looking for breakfast...

I'll have to go fill the feeders again so they have something to fill their bellies.  They're going to need some sustenance to help them stay warm through the coming snowstorm.  

 The forecast has another 4-7 inches on the way!  Gotta keep telling myself...

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.

--Proverb

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Thanksgiving????  What's up with this??

Determination Wins Out

Looked out my kitchen window today and saw this determined fellow...some folks put forth alot of effort to reach their goals!  ;)

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." Michael Jordan

Country Life

I love the country life!
I love summertime!
I love surprises!

When you put them all together, you get something that looks like this:

You look out your kitchen window and see this strutting just off the side of your deck...

or you see these cute babies...

with Mama not far behind...

keeping careful watch...

  

or you find these yummy bites of nature freely growing behind your shed and you envision the scrumptious cobbler that will result...mmm-mmm.  Sorry, no pic of the cobbler--I didn't think of that until it was half gone, then it wasn't nearly as pretty!  ;)

Berry pickin' 2013 

 

or while picking "said berries", you hear little sounds coming from the back of the shed.  You search a little and find this cute face looking up at you.  We had only seen what was obviously Mama once, just the day before, in our front yard.  Not sure where she came from and why she chose us--but they are adorable.  Our two-year-old granddaughter enjoyed peeking in at them.  As they were mewing, she said, "Awww, they want their mama."

 

or as you poke around in the gardens, pulling a few weeds, you find these hiding in those cucumber vines :)  Can't wait to get enough so I can make some refrigerator pickles...stay tuned for that recipe...

and did you catch this glimpse of Mama in the garden pic above?  She was sneaking past the garden beds when I took this pic this morning.  How appropriate that I could include her in this.

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So who else loves the country life?  I'd love to hear from you!

"A country life is to be preferred, for there we see the works of God." - WILLIAM PENN

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Life's so fast

Summer Eye Candy

Riverbank beauties....

 "Earth laughs in flower."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sundrops--an appropriate name, don't you think?

A couple little visitors to our yard one evening--Mama was lurking in the woods keeping a watchful eye.

I love the happy "faces" of pansies!

Beauty in a Mother's Day basket!

I purchased this sign years ago at the estate sale of an elderly neighbor lady from my childhood.  I remember waking in the mornings and hearing her outside tending her flowers and always whistling--really loud for a wisp of a lady--dear Mabel--a sweet old soul.  This picture is a very appropriate tribute to her and her lovely flowers.

A bit overgrown but lots of pretty lilies...

One of my favorite fragrances of spring/summer--Mock Orange!

Can anybody identify this flower for me?  It was along for the ride in the pot with another perennial I purchased at a Garden Club sale several years ago...

You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt.

~Author Unknown

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Who else loves gardens?  And the free therapy that goes along with tending them?  :)

Hope Springs Eternal

So, is anyone else soooo ready for spring?  Take a look at these photos from Feb. 27 looking out at our back yard...

 

This was during a 15-minute white out...the deer seemed unfazed by it all--kept eating away while the snow piled up on their backs.

And maybe you remember this post from earlier in February?
 
Well, this is what I saw when I looked out my back window today.

 

The deer are coming out more now that there is actually some grass showing.  We have been seeing anywhere from 4 to 20 morning and evening.

 Yesterday, it was sunny and warmer, about 50 degrees, so my 2-yr-old granddaughter and I were outside for a walk and decided to make this--using sand shovels and a sand bucket.  Not the most conventional-looking snowman but we had fun.

 
 Hopefully he doesn't stick around too long.  :)