Thursday, March 04, 2010

a new "hair do"...

As most women know - the way your hair looks can put you in a bad mood (as in a bad hair day) or it can lift your spirits and define you as elegant, no-fuss or playful. The bluejays above and below are modeling the "classic" crest - the everyday look we associate with bluejays which can also be quite elegant looking.
For a more "serious" look this one models a slicked back style...
and this one is modeling the "I just wanna have fun" spiked look.
The attention seeker usually chooses a look you can't miss like this wild mohawk...
or if you are a little mischievous or overly dramatic...
the "Bart Simpson" look might be the one to make your day.
Which look are you going with today?

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

newborns...


I got to visit a couple of newborn colts today at J's brother and sister-in-law's stables - they were just too cute! I looked in at the darker one and he was busy nursing so we spent some time watching the lighter one as he explored the pen on wobbly legs. By the time, I got back to the first one he was fast asleep - a typical newborn :)

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

sightings...

Other than the usual backyard birds I have not had any opportunities to spot much else in the way of wildlife lately. I was thrilled to finally see some deer on Saturday - only wish I could have gotten some better shots.
The smaller of the two was easily spooked when we stopped the truck...
but at least one posed for me.

30 degrees today - WHOO-HOOO! We actually had some melting of snow in the sunshine...I am so ready for spring :)

Monday, March 01, 2010

Mosaic Monday...Happy Birthday Tammy!

Wishing a wonderful day filled with love and joy to my beautiful daughter-in-law, Tammy! I chose pink as a color to highlight because...
  • she can really rock a pink boa
  • she had the first pink wedding cake I had ever seen
  • and pink is a color that makes me smile...just like she does!

Happy Birthday Tammy - we love you!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Outdoor Wednesday - thinking spring

When my views outside the front and back doors today (and for the last three months) look like this...
and this - one can only "think spring" inside.
I've been thinking spring in the warmth of my home for the last couple of weeks by looking online for seeds & plants and working on a few garden projects in the basement. In my visits to other gardens and blogs, I keep an annual "wish list" of plants I want to add to my own gardens. Below is Lamb's Tail Joey, a plant I saw several times last summer at Munsinger gardens and fell in love with.
In the same garden, I spotted these Amaranthus Red Towers and loved the electic look as well as I knew they would be bird magnets as the amaranthus love lies bleeding is.
In this post by my blogging friend, Bonnie, at Flower Bed, I loved these mumsy marigolds. She told me she got them through Park Seeds so last week I went online and ordered them in yellow, gold and orange. While browsing their site, I found they had the lamb's tail joey and the amaranthus towers and many other flowers I fell in love with so before I knew it my order reached 24 packs of seeds! They arrived this week and I was very surprised to learn in reading the origin of the seeds only 2 of the 24 came from the USA. The seeds of Lamb's Tail Joey, a plant native to Australia came from Germany, the seeds of the Amaranthus Towers came from Holland and the Mumsy Marigolds are a product of France.
The tally of the 24 was 2 from Germany, 1 from Japan, 11 from Holland, 4 from France, 4 from England and the 2 from the USA, cleome sparkler bush and Van Gogh sunflowers. By the way, do they really think pasting a sticker saying "packed for 2010" on top of the printed "packed for 2009" will make me believe them?
Did you notice the table the seeds were sitting on? Another friend, Debbie from Mountain Breaths, goes to the annual MacKenzie-Childs barn sale and shows us many of the beautiful pieces she as seen there as well as purchased in this POST. Looking at the MacKenzie-Childs website I spied this cute little table for $3,200.00. It must be popular as it is currently on backorder - here is my almost free little version from an old piano bench and two cans of paint (though I just noticed it looks like I forgot the polka dot corners). It will find a home in the garden next summer.
I have had these 2 little chairs that some garden angels are having a conversation on for many years but decided they needed some freshening up as well...
another little M-C makeover as long as I had the black and white paint out.

The drop cloth is out so I have plans for some birdhouses, feeders and a few new additions and makeovers to Pixie Hollow. By the time I get done with everything...spring should finally be here!

Have a wonderful Outdoor Wednesday and head on over to Susan, A Southern Daydreamer to see all the other's participating.

Monday, February 22, 2010

mosaic Monday...eagles

It is always such a joy to spot eagles close to home which until the last couple of years was a very rare site. Yesterday, we were able to spot the one above taking off at a nearby lake and Jeff took the photos below last week as one sat on the railroad tracks right alongside the highway near our hometown. He has since seen it twice flying over the highway - we assume looking for roadkill.
Not great shots in either mosaic but still wonderful memories!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

steeple Sunday...

Since I am late with my Steeple Sunday post I give you not one but two steeples...
St. Margaret's Catholic Church, Lake Henry, MN.


According to the cornerstone it was built in 1922.
I love the double steeples but only one housed a bell.
Hope your Sunday was a good one!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Outdoor Wednesday...6 month flashback

I haven't blogged for a few days because I am sick of winter and the only thing to take a photo of is the birds. Yesterday, I took the camera with me in the car hoping to see some wildlife but all I found to show you was what our road looks like...with the snow banks higher than the road it doesn't take much for the wind to fill it in. We had so much snow on our roof that today the guys scooped it off and my patio view is this (snow piled as high as the frame for our canvas gazebo) but it is still better than ice jams and a leaking roof.
Today's view of the backyard showing the rock fountain...
and flashing back 6 months to July 17th. We ate dinner under the canvas gazebo and our view was the rock fountain and a lush garden.
No ground covered in white - only color...glorious color!
July 17th happened to be one of the days, I staged a photo shoot to catch birds at the "His hands" feeder...
and I got more than birds on the rock!
How I miss the COLOR and watching birds bathe on the flowing water...
I am so easily entertained by their twists and turns but at least this week I have figure skating to watch.
One more flashback...this one 50 something years ago today! The day my husband was born, when a mother had to wear a mask to hold her own baby and stayed in the hospital for a week after a normal delivery.
Happy Birthday Jeff! I love you :)

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing all my readers a wonderful holiday!
My beautiful little niece sent me this valentine because the puppy pictured especially reminded her of Hershey...I thought it was only fair that Hershey reciprocate the sentiment...
except she sits still about 1/20 of a second if there is no food involved...we tried :)

Thursday, February 11, 2010

chickadees...

The curious little chickadees are one of my favorite birds but also one of the hardest to photograph.
With their dark eyes in their black caps, I can't get a clear enough shot to show them clearly unless the sun is shining and reflecting a glint in their eye.


I was thankful for yesterday's sunshine and their willingness to sit still long enough for a few shots as today is snow flurries and clouds once again. These little guys are the busiest birds at the feeders, they fly in, take one seed and fly back off to the grove to eat it over and over again. The energy they expend just to eat is amazing!