Saturday, September 26, 2009

Cherish what you have today, it may not be here tomorrow. Before I decided to start a blog, I was introduced to the world of blogs by first one mom, and then another, who were dealing with a child (sometimes children) with critical illnesses.

As is often the case, the illness was a complete surprise to the family, and so many of the posts had to do with taking time each day to celebrate what you have, because it may be gone in an instant.

So on to this post.......this has been my best summer for Hummingbirds ever.....they came earlier, and in better numbers and were in a location where I could watch them for hours. Once I got my camera, I kept thinking, "oh I need to get pictures of them".

Several of them would hover, staring into the living room through the sliding glass door.....and I kept thinking, "I have plenty of time, I'll do it later".......(yes, I do channel Scarlet O'Hara).....

One Monday a couple of weeks ago, there were hummers in great numbers at the feeder....then by the next day they were gone. So the above is the only picture of my summer humming visitors. Yet another lesson on cherishing things now.


Saturday, August 15, 2009

Green Week Continued!












So the theme of the week must have been Green as we had another 'Green' visitor. This little lizard (the same one in all 3 pics), who at times was Brown, came to visit one afternoon. He stayed much of the afternoon, in various places, including the Christmas Cactus, rail, and lattice. Amazingly he could change from a brilliant green to brown in about a minute's time.

In our location last year, we had much larger visitors from Mother Nature, which would travel or hang out on the patio. At various times there was a fox, a ground hog, and a possum, as well as daily visits from Canada Geese, and various Ducks.

I had been sad that in our new place we would not have such wild friends, but in truth we have had quite a few, they're just smaller!

Sunday, August 2, 2009




This is a Cicada, or as known to Halle B, the cat, PREY. Halle spotted her prey tonight on the patio, and tried to encourage it to come in through the screen door. I decided to go out onto the patio to water plants, and in the blink of an eye, Halle was out the door, grabbed her prey and made it back into the house with it......after some discussion about the advisibility of having a large green bug in the house, I was able to relocate it to the patio again.....where it waited patiently as I took its portrait. Since it might be an endangered species, I shut the glass door, and Halle had to be content with trying to get at her prey through the glass.


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The Road Less Taken

One of my favorite anthems is "The Road Less Taken" by Randall Thompson, which is Robert Frost's poem set to music for chorus. On the weekends my path turns to the road less taken as the path by the river becomes crowded with people who are only able to enjoy it on the weekends. This path is tranquil and reminds me of my younger days when I would have been on a similar path, only on horseback.

For part of my journey today, I was joined by a Siamese mix male cat. As Siamese are prone to do, he followed along, almost as a dog would. Then as cats do, the time came for our paths to part, and he followed a trail that led to a house backed up to the path.
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Saturday, August 1, 2009


Today started out like any other, in front of my computer with the patio door open to let in the sounds of nature from outside. Suddenly I heard what sounded like a very small kitten, meowing in the non stop way that kittens do.......as I listened I thought, is that a kitten or a strange bird?


Yet with birds my experience is that they call, and stop, and that the call changes from time to time. This sound was continuous and the same. So outside I went to find the kitten......a neighbor was outside also.......she was puzzled in the same way.....bird or kitten?


We narrowed the sound down to a particular tree, and I remarked that it seemed if it was a bird it would move or fly away with both of us standing there....but the sound continued.......


We moved around the tree trying to get a better look, and finally she said, there it is, it's a bird.....


So some of you may have guessed already what it was......it was a Mockingbird........I've heard many bird calls from Mockers, and even that they may sound like a cat, but this was a ringer for a tiny kitten......a real first for me......

So it starts












An introduction.......my intent is to have a blog that will bring a smile to the face of anyone reading, if not an outright laugh, as we journey through and past middle age along the river......the mighty Arkansas.....as well as to share the gift of being able to find joy and humor in the little happenings and coincidences of life, aka The Good Times, let em roll.