The Nesting Colony May 4th, 2013

Heres our little nesting colony! The wood storks are the most numerous. What a ruckus the babies were making!
When I figure out how to "fix" photos on this computer I'll post some close-ups. The little storks are so goofy looking right now! CUTE!

Need to take some more shots when the sun isn't so bright. The feather details get "washed out".

You have to Remember, Life is Good.

   "What the heck is up with you ?" chuckle  Thats my interpretation of the look on Hermoine's face this morning.  Well, you know.... its been a little rough lately. Lots of repairs to do. Not enough money to do them, (so whats new? haha) The washing machine broke. I dropped my camera. Once I got it working again it was quite clear to me that it shouldn't be making those weird noises when I use it! Certainly never did before!!!  Oh well, I can take photos. Thats the important part. My back keeps threatening to go out on me. And EVERYTHING is a mess around here.   THERE.... I bitched, pissed and moaned and do I feel any better?  Actually, a little bit!!!!
   Seriously, sometimes you have to blow off a little steam. Kind of like the tea kettle on the stove. Just let out a scream.... but only a little one. Don't want to freak out the neighbors... too badly anyway.  The "secret" is to really release it. LET IT GO.  Hand it up to whatever Higher Power you believe in. And then go on with your life. If you dwell on the negative, you'll get stuck there!!! If you keep looking back and complaining about stuff thats all ready over with... you'll miss all the good stuff thats right in front of you. Or you'll trip over something and hurt yourself.... even more than you all ready are with all the negativity.
    We have free will. We can make a choice about how we approach the things that happen in our lives.  Heck, some people don't have a washing machine at all. So mine's broken. Thats not the end of the world. I'll figure out a way to get another one. I'm still moving around, puttering in the yard... a lot of folks can't say the same.  So I'm grateful. I'm even grateful when things break or go wrong. It gives me a chance to count the blessings I do have. And to always remember, Life is Good.    
    Y'all have a Wonderful Day!!!!

Poor Potted Plants.

   My friends have been landscaping their backyard. That managed to inspire me enough to start repotting some of my porch plants. Actually the whole porch needs to be worked on! hahaha  But I'll stick with the plants for now. Of course, it would have been nice if I'd had enough potting soil to do all the plants! Oh well, this was an unplanned action on my part. Got several done, then I picked up one of the ones that had been in a bouquet for my mother while she was ill. Talk about rootbound!!!
   Finally go all this mess apart and put some in a medium sized pot and then two smaller ones. (Because of the potting soil shortage!) They'll look better once they perk up and realize their roots have some room to spread out a little. And once the weather clears up a bit I can head out to the local garden center and bring home some more soil.   Paying for dirt! What a totally bizarre concept.

 

Opened Up My Mailbox and There It Was.

   Oh no! Guess what came in the mail yesterday? A seed/plant catalog!!! What temptation!  This year has been so hectic. Physically and emotionally wearing. I was almost glad that I didn't recieve my usual deluge of catalogs this Spring. But then..... this late comer showed up at my doorstep. Noooooooooooo!!!
    Well, maybe. Its awfully late in the season for Florida, but the prices are dirt cheap. Pardon the pun.  And they have some of the things I was wanting to try the most. The kind of climbing rose that I wanted to plant for my proposed  "courtyard" area. Some of the fruit and nut trees that I wished I could put over on the corner lot. Liatrus, aka Blazing Star, which the bees just ADORE!!! And they work out to less than a penny a plant. So, I could plant a tiny field for the bees, right? They have the cultivated elderberries. I mean ~ darn near everything that I'd wished for. And in the purely for show department, they have a "dragon blood" wisteria. What a color!!! Honestly, I don't know if I can resist. I'll have to sit down and go over my budget. Maybe I can fit in a couple of plants. Or three..... or...... oh!
    On a more grounded note, my friend John came up with a good idea for revamping the chicken pen. It involves framing out and enclosing part of the old blue shed as the henhouse. Then fencing in a run for them. Leaving me plenty of room to turn the rest of it into my jewelry workshop. Its a win-win situation!   Now all I have to do is CLEAN OUT THE SHED!!! shudder!

Egg Hunt at Mae Mae's.

Just have to post a photo of this cake! Wanted something all flowery and Spring like. Didn't have the time to do it myself, so my friend Sue made it using some gum paste flowers she had ordered. WOW!

Of course the Easter Bunny hid eggs in and around the mulberry trees! Went with just plastic eggs this year... sad, but true. Between possums, coons, cats and wandering dogs I felt it was much safer. For the eggs!
And since my grandaughter doesn't eat candy, the eggs always have a little money in them. She LIKES that!!! hahaha

I guess the old fashioned woven basket has gone the way of the Dodo bird too. But hey, Spiderman is always cool. And a plastic bucket probably holds up better under the strain of a two year old boy!

Its all about finding the eggs! Do you see the one that we missed? Its was in plain view and  got overlooked! (And I hid the darn things!!! STILL missed it!!) I guess everyone was caught up in the excitement of the hunt!

 

Almost Forgot, its Still Winter!

   A little gust of Winter is visiting! The mulberry trees made it through all right. The berries themselves, not so much! haha  The wind blew all the ripe and semi-ripe off the trees. Oh well, there are plenty of green ones left on. We had a few light rain showers, but mostly wind, wind and more wind!! And  let me tell you, the temperatures were a whole lot chillier than we've been having!

  Of course the skies have been gorgeous! Winter skies in Florida are the prettiest blue. At night you can see the stars so much better. Just that lowering of the humidity makes a huge difference.

The End to My Rosebush Drama.

WEEP!!! SOB!!!!!  Here is my Windermere. I've always disliked the task of pruning rosebushes back. I KNOW its whats best for them. And they always come back strong and healthy. But for some reason it makes me fret. Especially when they're covered in buds and blooms.  I only cut it down to my chest height, but doesn't it look sad?
Wanted this picture for reference. Will do a comparison shot come Summer. That should make me feel better!

All three of the mulberry trees have berries galore that are getting ready to ripen. Heres the one out on the corner lot. Took a photo from the southwest corner so you could see how some of the limbs are lying on the ground! What a wonderful tree!!! It has so much Spirit!

A ripe one. YUMMY!!!