Blue Heron

This handsome fellow was fishing on a beautiful summer morning. We see these big birds frequently this time of year, either looking for food like this one, or flying high above. They're easy to recognize; first, there aren't many birds in Ohio that big. Also, they fly with their legs stretched straight out behind, very gracefully moving across the sky.

For a friend

These goose youngsters were hanging out with their parents at a beautiful golf course last Wednesday. I had the pleasure of spending a day on the course with members of my work department with the official duty of taking pictures of our crowd golfing.
This was fine with me for two reasons. First, I tend to avoid any sport which requires use of ball. Second, I have my new camera to play with! While I did perform my duties as assigned and took lots of pictures of the golfers, I still had plenty of time to seek out the birds in the air and on the ground.
And so today I wanted to share this photo of young geese having a good time with (hopefully) many good bird years ahead. Maybe seeing a picture so full of life will help ease my friend's pain about the death of one of his birds.

Ollie

Oliver is one of our boys who came to live with us in April 2006 after he was discovered living around a dumpster. We thought his white fur, which was a bit dingy from his life on the street, would need a bath, but Ollie cleaned it up himself in no time. He is a beautiful cat and his tuxedo now is spotless. Ollie is a vocal cat and his meow is rich and plaintive; it tugs at my heart when I hear him, as he always sounds mournful. Regardless, he seems to be happy living in the Sheffield Cottage, and has become quite a buddy of Shackleton, his brother cat. His sweet personality (and operetic voice) are part of what makes home such a sweet place to be.

Dinner

This is a scene that you will see every day in our kitchen around 4:30 PM. Because it happens daily, it would be easy to overlook how precious it is to me, and for that reason, it needs the spotlight as a daily gift.
As is probably the case in most homes, everyone has her own "spot" for dining. In the foreground, Winnie's bowl is in front of the broom closet, Mistie's is in front of the stove, and Lady dines in a little alcove behind the stove. Both collies like their food and wait somewhat impatiently for us to scoop out the dry food and then mix in a can of wet food shared between the three. Mistie's enthusiasm can only be defined as frantic. She dances, prances and all but turns inside out waiting for that bowl to hit the floor. Winnie devours her dinner, Mistie eats steadily, putting each kibble on the floor, then eating it, and Lady is a slow eater, sometimes leaving a portion of her food for later. Mistie will take advantage of this if we don't immediately pick the bowl up, and will help herself to what she perceives as fair game. After they are finished, everyone goes outside and bowls are put away until tomorrow when three hungry dogs gather again for the serious business of dinner.

Only a year ago

At this time last June, my mother, 4 brothers, sister, their spouses and children, and my husband and our kids were on a cruise ship in Hawaii. We went to celebrate my parent's 50th wedding anniversary, a gift given to us by Mom and Dad. Unfortunately, Dad hurt his back and wasn't able to go at the last minute, but he insisted that Mom and the rest of us go and have a good time and that he would be there in spirit. We did go and to say we had a wonderful time was an understatement. Anyone who has been to Hawaii can attest to its natural beauty everywhere you look. We experienced the thrill of watching red hot lava spewing from a volcano; we swam with green sea turtles and played in the waves; we watched glorious sunrises and sunsets.
For me, the best part of all was spending a week with my family. Every morning we developed a routine where we would all wander up to one of the top decks to eat breakfast and watch the morning start. We'd sip coffee, eat good food and just visit. No one had to rush off to work or to drive kids anywhere. It was a glorious week of leisure and getting to know each other on a daily basis, something my siblings and I hadn't done since we were kids at home. That was the most priceless memory of all.

Silly parrot

Given this is Friday, I thought that this goofy bird suspended by a spring from our dogwood tree in the back yard would do perfectly as "light news".

So there he is. And here ends another week.

Egretta alba

This morning as I rode my bike to work, I passed the wetlands area where Red-winged Blackbirds, Canadian Geese and other native birds are plentiful, at least in the spring and summer. Occasionally a Great Blue Heron will be standing motionless. This morning, there were two egrets fishing in the shallow water. Although it may not be apparent in this small photo, and quite by accident, the picture has an impressionistic quality, especially the greenery surrounding the bird.

Fuschia

-sweet little flower-

-glows in the morning sunshine-
-colors of summer-

Winnefred

This is Winnie, one of our beautiful tri-color collies. She's almost 11 years old, and came to live with us when she was 3, after having spent the first part of her life living on a farm where she was used to breed puppies to sell. The only word of caution we received from the collie rescue folks was that she would chase horses. We decided not to worry too much, since we've yet to see a horse wander into our urban neighborhood! Poor Winnie had a rough start to her life and was in sad condition when we met her. But she responded well to good physical care and lots of love, and a beautiful dog emerged. Winnie's heart shines from her big brown eyes, especially when she smiles. She loves to look out the front glass storm door and I see her there as I am driving up the street after work. As soon as my car turns into the drive, I see her get up and she's always at the back door to greet me, big tail wagging, brown eyes full of devotion and a big smile!

Prayer flags on a Monday morning

There's something wonderful about sending prayers on the wind, regardless of the content or the intended Recipient. Several years ago a friend of ours sent a set of these Tibetin prayer flags as a gift. We liked them so much that when the originals were tattered and faded, we bought a new set. They hang across the entrance to our back yard, and cheer me every time I see them. At night, they dance in the wind, casting shadows by the light of the nearby coach lamp, sending prayers on the wind.

Nell Kitten

She is, without a doubt, one of the sweetest joys of homecoming each day. Nell is a 2 year old gray tabby who, despite having grown out of formal kittenhood, has remained relatively petite. We still think of her and call her Nell Kitten. When she selected us as her family, she was a tiny little thing living at an animal shelter. Too small to be allowed to hang out with the "big kids", she was confined to a cage along with several other babies in other cages. As I walked by her, she stuck her little paw out through the cage bars and I put my hand up. Play time!! She batted at my fingers, rolling onto her back and looking at me upside down. I was smitten and have been wrapped tightly around her paw ever since.
In spite of her diminutive size (I admit to referring to her as a "little piece of kitty gristle") she set out straight away to establish the pecking order, and in no time at all had our 70 and 85 pound Collies in line. Nell is a woman who knows her mind and is quite willing to swat any of her human or fur-bearing housemates for any unacceptable behaviors. When she is in a mood to do so, she gives me a kitty hug: she lets me pick her up and lays over my left shoulder allowing me to hold her and scratch her ears. If she is not so inclined, she says "No". I'm not kidding. It's a kitty sounding "no", but quite distinct.
As some cats are "mousers", Nell is a "bugger", showing amazing eyesight as she races around the house after flies or other hapless insects. Her prowling stance, all hunkered down, eyes fixed on her prey, as well as her spectacular attack leaps, have earned her the nickname the "FJC", or fierce jungle cat.
No matter what we call her, she is my Nell and I love her to bits.

Morning Ride

Several years ago we decided to move closer to town and to our jobs. Thankfully, we can now ride our bikes to work. My route takes me along a winding bike trail along the Olentangy River. This morning there was a large gathering of Canadian Geese milling about in the calm river. This time of year, the goslings are in various stages of maturity, but all still have their sweet, fuzzy baby faces. I took my camera from my backpack and was able, without unduly disturbing them, to take this family portrait.

A Sunny Wednesday

This morning when I left the house, the morning sun was just beginning to brighten the flowers in the yard. The light was clear without a hint of humidity which we often have in the Midwest. This little daisy was basking in the cheerful light, almost glowing. It made me smile as I shut the gate and headed for the car.