a little goodwill find

From a few weeks ago.

I saw it...it was $6, I decided I didn't want it that badly....went home...thought about it endlessly and went back two days later....saying "if it is still there it is mine".

Under the harsh lights of GW it was too bright and I felt needed 'painting', but at home in my less nutty light...I like it as is. I might do a white wash on it later to make it look old, or some dark wax....we shall see. For now it sits on my GW Entertainment center that wonders when I am ever going to paint her.

Beauty even after a storm?

A week ago we had a pretty bad storm. I don't know if they ever decided if there was a Tornado touchdown in our nearby town, but if there was the path it took ran about 1/2 mile south of my farm and lost power for a few days. We were lucky, as was our whole area, no humans were killed or even hurt.

We pulled several limbs off of our fence, had a friend come and tack down some barn roofing that blew up and generally cleaned up alot of branches here and there.(here my ancient girl, Reckless, surveys the damage)

Somehow I find beauty in the work of nature, though, dead trees tumbled so that new ones can get light in the canopy, so termites and other wood-eaters can have a meal and so little animals will find shelter.

I wonder if the grasshopper thinks a tulip poplar branch in his backyard is good or bad?

We found this feather, we think Hawk laying among the downed branches. Without the storm, would I have ever found it?

Another unsung beauty of crisis...PEOPLE....everyone had SOMEONE out helping them, people were stopping each other to ask how they fared, and people were just generally NEIGHBORS on our road, more so than usual.

When was the last time you admired a green acorn? SO high in the trees, hidden by leaves? NEVER? SO I took this photo just for YOU!
However, feet, mere feet from that downed tree that Reckless was sniffing is my bluebird box safe and sound. This is the second set of eggs (that I have noted). The first set fledged about a month ago. I will go back in a few days and see if she had MORE or if they have yet to hatch.

Also this nest in a tulip poplar came down. It was likely uninhabited. It is some unknown species. everyone keeps saying hummingbird, but those are HUGE tulip poplar leaves and the nest is bigger than them...so something else builds cup nests covered in Lichen? Anyone know?

Back to School

It is very quiet around here today. I took the day off from grooming and Duncan has been dropped off at school. I can literally hear crickets.... I think it is lovely!

Here he is ready for his close-up.

A turtle summer

I don't know if turtles are making a come-back, if we just had alot of rain, turtles are suicidal or what, but I have moved A LOT of turtles across roads this summer.
I did not photograph them all. I have moved MOSTLY Eastern Box Turtles. All male but two...and all pretty typical sized. Actually the one above trucking across I didn't touch, b/c he/she was nearly across the road I just parked near her and made sure she didn't get hit.

The one in this above picture I photographed b/c my friend Rachel is a fellow turtle rescuer and it was her birthday...so this was her gift! :D

I found one very small one....smaller than the cupped part of my palm. I don't know why they are about, my guess, since most are male is the typical male preoccupation with ES EE EX (not spelling that on my blog so I get all sorts of searches).

This one I found YESTERDAY. SHE (female) was near alot of construction on one of our main roads I took her into the place I buy feed so the casheir could take her to their pond. She is a painted turtle and I had never seen one so large, hence the water bottle for comparison sake.

I did not count turtles this summer, my estimate is 20....just me. There were two already killed I got off the road, one I hit myself on a highway and one that died of an upper respiratory infection in my care. (waiting to get the the wildlife rehabber).

There is also the dove I found hit on the interstate, now living in an undisclosed location with some quail in an aviary....she had a broken wing.

What kind of summer was/is yours?

Found!

These guys (plus a few with no panes) were in my barn loft. I had begun hosing them down before I took the picture, but wanted to leave some cobwebs for your viewing pleasure!

I don't know what/where they are going, but I am IN LOVE. I wish I were talented I would build a cool cabinet for the tall skinny one!

Bing

This was Duncan's other B'day present. His name is Bing.com We have Google.com and now Bing. I figured right now people say "what?" but in a few months those ads will get crazier and Microsoft will have people typing Bing.com more than anything so what the heck, I went with it.

Isn't he KYOOT? He is very sweet and kind of 'stupid'. He has managed to get his leg injured because he thinks our horse, Jake's tail is a toy. We think he got stepped on accidentally. Dr. Martha says he will be fine, but may have a little crooked leg if it included his growth plates. Alas....should have named him "lucky".

Gifting myself

Usually I resist buying cut flowers, it seems so wasteful. I like to grow flowers, but never remember to plant really good "cutters" before it is too late.

I went to Kroger and bought a few bouquets. I spent a little less than 11 dollars. (wow aren't I ridiculous?) LOL

They definately make me smile.

Duncan goes back to school in two weeks. I have tons of new pictures and stuff to blog about. With him in school I can also finish some projects...I hope I will have more time to blog. :D