Hello it’s me

Did you think I’d fallen off the face of the earth? I’m sorry, my friends, that I’ve been so absent. I think that, for a long time, blogging was such an escape for me. It also enabled me to connect with people and to make new friends. But I loved that iIt gave me something to do while in the same room with my husband, who was either watching tv or resting. And now that it’s just me . . . maybe I don’t need it for an escape anymore.

I still enjoy sharing my photos with you and apologize that it’s just on a weekly basis anymore. It’s true that May and early June were extraordinarily busy for me at work. Being busy is fine but when you couple it with the weekend housekeeping chores, I feel like I hardly have time to just chill.

 

My favorite thing to do to relax these days is to take photographs of the birds at the feeders. I’ve built this weird perching system at the edge of the patio, trying to mimic the one my husband built that was knocked down by snow and winter storms.

I have several shepherd’s hooks with flowering baskets and bird feeders hanging from them. I have two bird baths. But I also have 2 old and large tree stumps. Attached to them are a series of long tree branches, and across some of the branches, I’ve tied other branches for perches. It’s a work in progress. So – on the whole, it’s kind of weird-looking. (I’ll show you some day). But for bird close-ups, it’s nice.

 

 

There’s this, which I think is terribly cute.

The tufted titmouse really likes the fruit & nut seed mix, so when I’m taking photos,

I fill up this little seed holder. It almost looks like he’s found a friend.

 

 

A downy woodpecker.

At least, I think it’s a downy. Could be a hairy, which is a little bigger. But it’s hard to tell without the other to compare it to.

 

What I was really waiting ever-so-patiently for was this fellow - a red-bellied woodpecker. I can sit outside for an hour or more and catch a few good shots, but this guy waited to show up immediately after I left the patio to go back inside. I’d been waiting for him because I could hear him for quite some time in the trees. I shot this image through the screened windows of the breakfast nook which is why it looks grainy like this.

 

I haven’t been just sitting at home on my free time.

My son came down from NYC and we went to a family graduation party in NJ yesterday. That’s the Delaware Memorial Bridge you see there.

 

I also took a boat ride with friends last weekend to say goodbye to another good friend and co-worker who has retired. I’m happy for her that she’s moving to NC to be closer to her children, but sad that I won’t be able to see her as much.

And finally . . .

 

I am heading to Maine again. With my sisters this time! All four of us will be staying in a cottage I rented. I had booked with the same agency last spring because my husband wanted to go see Maine again one last time. But about a month after I booked it, he began failing quickly and I had to cancel. I couldn’t get my money back, but the realtor told me I could transfer the rental to the following year. I not only did that, but I chose a bigger place so that all of my sisters could come with me. They’re coming from California, Florida, and Pennsylvania. And I cannot wait.

 

I’ll keep you posted . . .

 

Enjoy your week, my friends and thanks for stopping by today.

Affirmation

 

 

To see the world,

 

things dangerous to come to,

 

 

to see behind walls,

 

 

draw closer,

 

 

to find each other,

 

 

 

 

and to feel.

 

 

That is the purpose of life.

To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life.

― James Thurber

 

 

I haven’t had a lot of words lately; don’t know why. School ended yesterday and, when summer hours begin, this will free up some of my time. Although I’ve been really busy, I haven’t stopped taking pictures, and I’ve had these images sitting in this draft for a couple of weeks. I added the words just now from a quote I found.

Here’s to summertime ~

Dog and buttercups

For the record, I did not ask the dog to pose for these shots. I happened to be walking by and saw George sitting among the buttercups in the shade of a tree so I told him to stay and went inside for the camera.

He really does seem like he’s posing though, doesn’t he?

 

 

 

 

 

We had some nice weather this week and then some rain. And by the time I’m writing this post, the grass has been cut and the buttercups are gone. It is beautiful outside and today was perfect, although I spent much of it doing indoor chores that needed to be done.

Early last night, I sat on one of the Adirondack chairs on the front lawn in the waning light. George was with me and lying on the grass about 10 feet away from me when from the darkness of the woods, a deer slowly emerged. It continued to get closer and closer to where I was sitting as the night started to come full on. Fireflies had begun to appear and I whispered to George to ‘stay’ and told him he was a good boy. It was so peaceful.

And then George decided to get up and sit right next to me. The deer startled, giving a huge snort, and took off back into the woods with its tail raised high. What a nice memory.

Thanks for stopping by, my friends ~

A beautiful morning

It’s early Saturday as I write this and I’ve just spent some time outside enjoying my coffee on this stellar morning. It rained all day yesterday and at times, it was a total downpour but by late afternoon, it had all abated and the clouds began clearing.

May is always particularly busy at school with the winding down of the year while having admissions for the following year in full swing. This week was super busy with all the final preparations for our school’s 125th anniversary celebration on the campus today. We have entertainment in the outdoor amphitheater, a small museum set up in our beautiful lobby, an alumni baseball game, a 5K run this morning, and a carnival-type atmosphere outside with tents, food, and drink. Plus we’re having fireworks at dark! Each of the faculty members has a 2-hour time slot to work and I chose to be the docent at the museum in the lobby from 6-8 tonight. It should be fun and I’m really looking forward to it.

 

I took some images yesterday evening after the rain stopped and then played with them in Photoshop last night. This is a spent dandelion that I applied a texture to and a little saying that I like.

 

Another spent dandelion. Today the air smells sweet, the sun is shining, and the weekend looks to be a promising one. I have chores to begin soon so I’ll sign off now.

 

But before I go, I’ll share one last photo of a cedar waxwing that visited the property last weekend. I have never seen these birds here before, and am glad I ran inside to get the camera. This isn’t the best photo, I know. But I was excited to have one visit, although I wondered why he was alone because they usually travel in flocks. Sure enough, when he flew away, several more that were hidden in the tree went along with him.

A treat to find in your binocular viewfield, the Cedar Waxwing is a silky, shiny collection of brown, gray, and lemon-yellow, accented with a subdued crest, rakish black mask, and brilliant-red wax droplets on the wing feathers. In fall these birds gather by the hundreds to eat berries, filling the air with their high, thin, whistles. In summer you’re as likely to find them flitting about over rivers in pursuit of flying insects, where they show off dazzling aeronautics for a forest bird. ~Cornell Lab of Ornithology

 

And now to start my chores.

Hope your weekend is off to a great start. Thanks for stopping by today ~

This evening

I sat out on the back porch this evening and watched the rain that had begun to fall. It was such a nice ending to a busy day.

 

The sun was slowly setting.

 

 

You can’t see the rain but it was falling at a good clip.

 

 

I got some mulching done this weekend.

And put together some planters.

 

 

I need to put down some grass seed in those bald spots.

 

 

There’s a lot to do yet.

Or I don’t have to do any of it.

We’ll see ~

 

 

Pretty sky tonight . . .

 

:   :   :

 

Hope all is right in your world.

Thanks for coming by.

Wordless Wednesday at my place

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that’s all I have to say about that.

 

 

{thanks for stopping by}

Life is beautiful

Ok, calm down now. I know posting three times in one week is something that’s a little out of the ordinary for me right now. But there was a time in my blogging life that I wrote on a daily basis taking off only for weekends.

Speaking of weekends . . .

 

Last weekend I went to Alisa’s senior thesis at the university she attends in Philadelphia. She’s studying photography.

Alisa is the granddaughter of my friends, Jeff & Karen.

 

She is a great kid.

Very talented.

Very cool.

 

I am not a fan of crowds. I could handle them much better when I was younger but it really gets to me now. The place was packed and full of tiny rooms. After I visited Alisa’s exhibit and looked around a little, I found a quiet place outside in a little courtyard. The wall to the back of me was full of plants and a fabulous tree that kept me dry in the rain. The other three walls were hallways with glass walls that framed the courtyard. I could sit there and people watch while the rain fell softly around me.

It was really nice.

 

Then we drove to a bar to meet up with other friends who were already there to celebrate Alisa’s accomplishment. The bar was across from the Keswick Theater in Glenside.

Several women came in from the show across the street and mistook my friend, Karen, for a wild, zany woman who sat near them at the show. They had the wild and zany right and Karen just went along with playing the persona of who they thought she was. They gave us tiaras because they were so taken with Karen.

 

And then she kissed everyone.

It was a fun night.

 

Our breakfast the next day.

Oooo lah lah.

It was so nice to have a bloody mary (or two) on a lazy Saturday morning.

 

 

This evening, taken from the front porch.

 

Life is beautiful.

 

And that’s what I have to say about that.