Busy Week

So this week I decided Im ready to take the bike beyond the yard.  

Safety First

I went to Sandhills, it's quiet, no cars, or rarely and there is Paved  dirt and gravel roads to practice on as well so my first day ended up being like a 10 mile day!  But I didn't like pedal to metal do 10 miles, I did it in 4 different section rides including 2 dirt/gravel roads...I did about 5 miles of each. 

I absolutely need a new front gear shifter.  I tried to buy one on Amazon, but they insist on putting Amazon Prime in my shopping cart so I dumped the whole damn thing right there in the virtual aisle.  WTH, that should be illegal.  Lately Im just grumpy and my patience has worn not thin...but out.  So I went to Walmart.com bought the thing free shipping and no dirty tricks. 

IT was so good to be moving through the air with the only sound is the gentle click of the wheels I really enjoyed it and I want to do that again.  

Red Headed Woodpecker

Brown Headed Cowbird

I took a muddy hike to see the Pitcher Plants up close they are in bloom now.  These ones get quite tall and they love this boggy hillside.  

This Wood Duck pair had 2 ducklings, so very cute..

And the Geese had some Goslings  from the opposite side of the pond.

The Orchard Orioles have arrived and I added a new FOY bird...

Another day I went to Bramblewood and took a nice long walk around...The Clover is in bloom and it's so pretty.  

It attracts some cool insects, 

And the big mature hardwoods bring in some migrants.  

The Painted Bunting, 

The Prothonotary Warbler, 

The greens along the edge of the river soooo inviting. 

Red Winged Blackbird 

And around the yard some good going's on...

Floss "show your surprised face." 

A new Guard at the door, 

The Myrtle Yellow Rump in the trees, 

Along with a singing Black and White Warbler 

 

And a brilliant Prairie Warbler

The Red Breasted Nuthatch still in the yard...a pair actually.

And a new Rose Bush Inspector...

And my latest project is UP in the Air! 

Barn Owl Box!!

That was a full week we have a cold front passing through then some rain we actually need it even tho we had a rainy winter the air is very dry right now...AND one more the lady RB Nuthatch 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

RIP Little Bunnies 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

New Beginnings...

As mentioned in my last post Im going back thru old posts replacing photos when I can find them...but the  years, 2013-15 seem to be the hardest hit area...so MANY of those posts will remain like the frame  of a house burned down...thank you greedy YAHOO. 

 This digital world; easy come easy go eh?   

                                                    saw this in the mechanics junk yard

So my van's in the hospital and won't be let out till I pay the ransom That's why I don't like dropping off a vehicle to a mechanic at an end of a week, but that is how it goes.  So I went nowhere.  Its been gone a week today...It took 4 days just to tell me, it needs some work and he has  to order the parts and Monday was a holiday so that slowed the process. 

Im currently working on a Florida 2016 post  It was good to remember that trip with Casey riding shotgun with me...I sure miss him.   Every single time I walked him in FL someone would warm me about small dogs and alligators.  I guess I looked stupid to them...lol So I've been jumping around in the old posts...found a few old photos in Facebook..,here is one. 

                                                        
                         he was so small and vulnerable...but he had the heart of a lion
                                           and the soul of  an ancient gentle butterfly.

Around the Homestead

Annie yesterday 

Annie today

Thank you Annie, but you keep it...

She chews up stix for fun

and bark sometimes

The sun brings out the cold blooded herps...

Spring is not far off the Plants are ready 

Daffs creeping up thru the leaves

Flossie

 I have more photos of Annie than Flossie, because she follows me around, Flossie has mobility issues so she stays put more..

Her chronic leg troubles from the old ACL tear and now even a front leg seems gimpy and gives her pain. They are in their senior years now and they are happy to just lay around out in the yard and bark at the occasional things going by on the road, sometimes it's a horse and rider, sometimes its a walker with a dog off leash and sometimes its the UPS man they always bark at his truck whether he stops or not...Fed Ex too,  Dogs are so smart. 

                                                                   
                                                                            Flossa-rator last spring 

I nicknamed her Flossarator cause she is like the terminator when it comes to stubbornness, She never gives in...she just defiantly grins and walks away.  

The yard is a buzz with birds getting ready to hi tail it in a couple months...I'm going to miss these little Red Breasted Nuthatches and the little squeaky call...the sunny day brought them all out to the feeders.  

It's good to have them around.  I've started getting the yard cleaned up for Spring... my fruit trees are all setting buds, I guess I should fertilize them now, Give a boost to hopefully bloom...If the deer don't come to browse on them all will be good.  

Peach tree Sapling

The Purple Finch female still looking gorgeous

The last time I went to what I call the Sparrow Fields, they had put in a sign in book in a mailbox here's what I found when I opened it,,,

                                         

                                                                 Click middle to play

The inauguration went very well I thought, I hope all learned a lesson, when someone is obviously lying, NO One should agree with that, IT has to be called out for what it is, this includes the news media.  Extremists from both sides need to realize we live in a bubble, it will never be perfect; harmony is the one thing we can hope to achieve.  A call to action that harms one over the other is NOT the way. We dodged the Fascists bullet this time.  We got a taste of what a Dictatorship would feel and look like, LIES and half the voting population actually fell for it.  I hope there is a reckoning for them to come out from under that veil of lies. 

there she goes again..

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Home all week...

This week I went no where fun or interesting.  Lots of new birds arrived at my house...and that was fun...I have been involved in a project and it has keep me very busy.  

The Hermit Thrush teased me into stopping to go in for the camera.

take my picture

I'm replacing the interior ceiling in my van the old stuff which was put in when it became a conversion van is saggy, rattles, and keeps me from being able to stand up in the central area.  So Im changing that...took out the old, that was hard.  I will post some photos when Im all done...

 the Dark Eyed Junco's are here...

I shared the Golden Crowned Kinglet last post so this week it's the Ruby Crowned Kinglet 

This is one of the  oaks on the homestead..

the Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers, 

more Chipping Sparrow,  

Several Red Breasted Nuthatch visited  I was happy to catch one with the camera...I  had been hearing them in the woods all week long...hope they hang out with us this winter. 

Northern Cardinals are beautiful year round in my yard..but especially when the leaves are matching colors...

A little Downy Woodpecker wonders which limb to explore next..

The Camelia's  are blooming early...

Look at this beetle I found when I split a piece of old wood...poor guy I took him out of his winter hiding spot..hope he will make it I put him back on some old wood but I don't know if he can find his way back into the center of it...Notice the false eyes.

Eastern Eyed Click Beetle

And yet another Red Breasted Nuthatch shot soooo cute..

Annie getting a walk about...

Fly Over

 And I'm changing the name of my van...
something Celestial is what I'm thinking..

And check out the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker as he enjoys a ripe American Persimmon that didn't fall off the tree....yum yum. 

Press Play

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.