Simple Sunday?

Just a simple weekend here in my world...chores etc...
Irene brushed by us and headed northward--glad she didnt hit us..been there done that and dont want to do it again thank you!..

SHE pushed some cool clouds into our area..

That made for a more dramatic sunset

Last night it was so clear the stars were out in force... so I crept out to try and get a long exposure...my Kodak doesnt have anything longer than 20 seconds..so this is what I got--

Last week on a cooler day I took a walk around my area checking for signs of fall--- I FOUND it!

Polk

                                                                              Goldenrod


                                                                            

    WE NEED SOME RAIN !!

 

PEACE



WBW-40 Humming along...

No new birds to report so Ill share some of the recent hummer shots I managed to get...They are very busy getting fattened up for the long journey in about 45 or so days...we have many young ones feeding along with the adults....stay tuned all the way to the bottom for a bonus shot, 

I like this shot cause this bird was on sentry duty guarding one of the feeders and she is exercising that long tongue!!!

Here she is again check out the tiny dainty lady feet!  These feet are no good for walking...only for perching!

This is a defensive maneuver...

                                 One of the young...I think a female--but the ruby throat develops slowly...

MY SHUTTER speed was not fast enough to stop the action on the wings but you can see the blur created by this female with her beautiful speckled throat...

This male is showing off his throat-and fanning the tail in warning..Not the best photo --he is so FAST! HE flashed me and then ZOOMED away--

Time to enjoy lots of great birds shared by bird lovers the world over..at World Bird Wednesdays and the Pine River Review..ENJOY
and in the words of Doug Gardner..its not just the photography its the outdoor experience!

PEACE

 here's a bonus do you see what I see?  I didnt see it till I pulled it up on my computer screen!

State of me...

My Blog has really suffered since I went back to work...Well not that it was ever much of a blog/life anyways...Someone asked me why I call my blog My Life My Art...well to me its like My Life is my Creation and when you create thats art---kinda korny I know but it seemed to work well at the time...Before the re-entry I did have some time for day trips etc...now I have weekends and there are those chores and errands that have to be done! EKK...So Im sweating it out --not just the working bit but the summer heat...sultry heat..if thats a word that doesn't seem to have an end in sight...

The economy is taking yet another dive and today I got this 1/2 inch thick introduction to Wells Fargo Bank..they bought out Wachovia  Bank where I keep my little dab of the good life--NOW the big change is in..I have free Checking...OH let me say I HAD FREE checking..I didn't see one  single Free Checking acct in their 300 page introduction booklet...Like I'm gonna read all that--FOR heavens sake, I don't think so! I am thinking I'm gonna need a day off work to go shopping for a new bank--or better yet under the mattress is starting to sound better and better to me..

They keep saying things are going to look up....

 

Annie Say Yada Yada Yada-

The World has watched the US govt show its butt and the rest of the World has summed us up as unreliable Cant say as I blame them...lets see

•  CUT taxes in 2001 
• Keep 2 Multi Million Dollar a Month Wars going since then -
• Run out of Money 10 yrs later.
• Seems pretty logical to me that we ended up with
• Nada in the Knox.
  
                    
  
                                                Flossie what about Wall Street?

Well I'm happy that I am back in the ranks of the employed, just wish it wasn't so hard physically...
I did no less than 50 deep knee bends/squatts  today...(oh my aching buttocks)  Upholstery is a very physical and strenuous job.  I did it for 30 yrs so I know!

I ended up moving to a Credit Union and it's GOOD there!

PEACE

WBW 37-ITs a Long Story!

OK Im not going to complain about the heat anymore...I went through some of my photos from last yrs trip to the Western US and found some interesting birds to share--And whats special about them is they have something LONG...like this black billed magpie...check out the longgg tail.

And look at these Boat Tailed Grackles..showing off those beautiful tails and glossy black feathers!!

And the Scissor Tailed Flycatcher has a REALLY long tail and if you catch him in flight you can see why its called Scissor Tailed! V

This Stellers Jay has a long tail and a LONG TUFT on his head he looks Punked!

And the Scrub Jay...this one came to beg at our picnic and we shared...HE has a really long tail and a beautiful mix of blue and grey feathers.

AND last but not least this NON native bird he has BIG eyelashes....

Check out other birds from around the world at Springmans Meme and add your to the mix too!! World Bird Wednesday.



PEACE

Just Stuff--

I caught her!! YEP the female house finch with the eye infection!  I was able to just sneak up on her while she was on the bird feeder-- reached out and grabbed her! SHE was not too happy..but she will be happy in a few more days when HER sight is returned to her!  Look at the poor thing the first day...and then with Only ONE day of treatment--

I was off work today for one reason or another and we spent the entire morning bleach cleaning all our feeders, water stations, and suet holders too...Although I dont think the problem is here...They just appear suddenly like that! The poor Goldfinch was only passing through he was here for One day only wish I had been able to catch him...
Meanwhile Check out this very bug-eyed butterfly who enjoyed some of my potted plants on the deck..

                                                                Palamedes Swallowtail


THE heat is still on...all of us are panting as we go about our Daily Chores in the outdoors....

AND NOW I know what's happening to my Hosta Plants!! THIS freeloader has outstayed his welcome!!

                                                                        CHEWED UP!


AND I have to give a PLUG to SNAPFISH if you enjoy producing your OWN cards and photobooks, (Like I do) try Snapfish! They also make prints and they run some very cool specials too...(like 99 prints for 99c) I ordered these greeting cards made from some of my favorite photos--I always put a cool message inside each card and the back is marked with MY own Logo! The only complaint I have is I wish there was an easier way to order from my saved projects,....you have to order each one separetely...they cost 1.99 each and that includes an envelope..they do combine the order and you pay  only a very small shipping fee---

HEY you cant get a "Designer" card for that price... a good Hallmark Card is $3.50.  Before you order google up a Coupon Code and you can probably find one for a discount or free shipping or something like that...i found one that gave me a $5.95 discount on my order.  Get on their mailing list and they will email you all kinds of special deals...Like now they have buy one 8 x 11 photo book get 2 free!! WHAT a deal eh? Great for scrapers.

Here's my cards..I laid these out on my bed so you can seee how cool vibrant the color is Each one is Perfect!! ....I've used Snapfish before for photobooks, notecards, and greeting cards, and am very pleased with the price and the quality for the buck! These cards are 5 x 7 and printed on nice heavy glossy cardstock--

For the curious these were taken on my travels the past couple of yrs.
left to right

1. The White Foal ( Navajo Lands, AZ)
2. Monument Valley, AZ
3. Lake Powell, AZ
4. Monument Valley, AZ
5. Maroon Bells, CO
6. Betatakin Ruins, Navajo National Monument, AZ
7. Sheep in the Road, AZ
8. Canyonlands NP, Utah
9. Antelope in Utah
10. Mt Sopris, Carbondale, CO
11. the Delicate Arch, Arches NP, Utah
12. A Vintage Shoppe in Basalt, CO

Hope your week has been good THE heat is REALLY on for us this weekend..SO I'll probably be laying low in the AC..AGAIN!

PEACE

Extreme

Theres not much new in my life to blog about it gets old talking about how its EXTREMELY HOT it is right now at over 100 degrees every single dayyyyyYYYY...and how that makes the time Im off work extremely BORING--I feel like I'm doing Hard Time....cause its way too hot to get out and ramble around in nature!! SO I have to keep trying to draw nature to me!! I found this caterpillar--its extremely fuzzy n white and it has the look of soft hair, I dont have a clue what it is so if any of you do-- please id it for me..I have placed it in BugNet.com hoping for an ID along with one I found last fall that has me stumped.

                                         

This  Skink came rushing out from under last years leaf cover to scare the H outta me...he may not look it but he's extremely longggg at LEAST 8 INCHES ...practically a snake~~o:<

AND I know ya'll are probably sick of my humm'N birds but this female ruby throated was resting up in an oak tree and its kinda fun to see her size compared to this acorn shell...she is extremely small

Did you know Coleus is so extremely easy to grow from seed or to start from cuttings?  I grew these from seed and in the winter I will take cuttings place them in an old jar half filled with pebbles and water.  I pinch off the lower leaves and submerge at least one of those leaf buds below the water, and soon roots appear...keep them in a south facing window and you will have seedlings to plant directly in your pots or flower beds after frost danger is over..THIS way you dont have to keep buying bedding plants! They look beautiful planted near caladiums (lucky for us if we mulch caladium well it will come back yr after yr) impatients like the shade with the coleus and caladiums some more color in the yard now is from the extremely BIG Frying Pan sized  Hibiscus--the bud's before and after opening are a work of art!!

 

Some kind of pest made this extremely lacy pattern out of the leaf I kinda liked it.  Lace bug?

...Well I can only wait and hope for better weather. Cant travel out of it cause its EVERYWHERE within driving distance of me right now...So just have to wait it out, and realize our weather can change at any given time...Right now Ive got some extreme thinking going on...better--stay cool where ever you are!!

PEACE



WBW 35-Reality Show

NOT a lot of birding going on in my life right now...so only  birds that come to me are being enjoyed at this point..hopefully as the weather cools (whenever it does) I will find something more interesting but until then these are a few of the birds I see right here in my yard... 

WE have a bumper crop of hummers here this yr.  This is the ruby throated male to the left and the female above, we've had 4 females and 2 males - regulars at the feeder so much fun watching them as they zip zap around and bombard each other to try and keep the feeder under their control...Then they rest---take a snooze then back at it again in 15 minutes!!  They are drinking a bottle a day almost.

And this brilliant American Goldfinch came by for a visit... then I noticed he had a problem...see the eye? He has conjunctivitis and he will go blind without treatment...which I can offer if I could only catch him..BUT he can hear me and the other birds tipped him off so he flew away..there is also a female house finch with the same infliction in the yard and I failed to catch her too...so Im kinda bummed out about it~;o(

He is such a beautiful bird...

here's a very healthy female House Finch..thank goodness.

We had a rare treat in the yard this week..no photo to share but a Northern  Bobwhite Quail came streaking through the yard!  We haven't had one around in many years--so that was exciting...HE seemed to be a lone bird and no second sightings so far. And when I went to photograph a grave for a requester I found this pretty tattered Variegated Fritillary  in the cemetery on some wild verbena.  Saw three rabbits and a deer out in the field today!! So wildlife is on the move looking for water I presume and the tender shoots where ever they can find it.

HOPE YOUR WEEK IS A GOOD ONE--

VISIT OTHER WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY BLOGS BY CLICKING HERE

PEACE