Signs Signs Everywhere are Signs

We often find our way around this world by signs...These are some of the signs in Nebraska that made concrete by their words and designs the message they wanted to convey.

There seems to be so many destinations that we haven't had the opportunity to visit yet... Today, is a little wordless,and things aren't necessarily in the order we saw them, but I definitely see a message to start the bucket list once again.  

Have a Great Day!

Nebraska Barns, Windmills and Deer Stands

Today, I've decided to fill with pictures of some vanishing farm history found  along the I-80 corridor through Nebraska.

As you've gathered I was concentrating on a few varied objects while we traveled. I kept a  vigilant eye out for windmills,which seemed to be in operation for grazing animals more than what I've seen around us in our home state, barns or buildings with a country orientation and of course deer stands of many different designs. I'm always imagining what kind of wildlife traffic is available in such a highly trafficked area. It was quite an eye opener in June 2015 when we saw several flocks of turkeys and random sightings of deer along the Nebraska river corridors while en-route to our Colorado destination.

By the end of our total mileage during our September trip this year , I had witnessed the similar architecture of the two red barns with common roof design and painted crisscross patterns, both here in Nebraska and  South Dakota. I've looked back at the Pioneer history to try to unravel which group of European Settlers  that might have added their old world design to the early landscapes and came up with the possibilities of many peoples including German,Swedish,and Norwegian...

I hope you too can enjoy this random sampling of what keeps my mind and eyes on the move to polish my ability to take pictures on the go.

The next post will include attention getting roadside signs.

Thanks again for being apart of our skip across the state of Nebraska...One more post and we'll make it to Colorado. 😀

Have a Great Day!

White Tail Institute Soil Testing

Thank you Whitetail Institute of North America Staff for doing an impromtu picture at the Iowa Deer Classic 2017!

It had been some years back that I purchased some seed samples for mini-plots at another Iowa Deer Classic. You can find my growth results written  here on September 2, 2010.

I'd done some research on the Whitetail Institute website about their soil sampling kits...Since I've not personally had our soils tested here at Timber Life, I wanted to verify some information I had classified by reading.  So, this year instead of buying the tests online I found the booth...I bought two of their limited supply.

The tendency of our Timber soils indicated to me a sour disposition with all the vegetation pointing in that direction. Makes sense,right?!? I had an idea of how negative the pH balance was by the specific plants that were flourishing, but to provide the proper environment to unlock the nutrients for a balanced diet for Man and Beast, I needed to do the soil test,to have my own results.

I sent in soil samples from two different spots on our property to get an idea of the pH range I could expect to modify.

To find specific results some preliminary seed possibilities, just to get an idea of what would be needed was required.

Weed populations have increased over time on my plot...They are being addressed. 

Purple Top Turnips, used for human consumption was also implemented for Whitetail Deer and Turkey here in the past. The produce became sweet after the frost and a well consumed food source. You could say they, cleared the patch,eating it down to ground level.

The annual seeds shown are those  I might consider for planting for a fall crop after the weed population is under control. Then it will open up the potential for a perennial crop to be  planted next spring, or the chance for double cropping. Keep those Deer happy is my goal!

Thanks for stopping by Timber Life today....I like talking Deer.

Have a Great Day!

Iowa Deer Classic 2017 in the Rearview Mirror

Iowa State Capitol off I-235

Welcome to Des Moines,IA, home of the Iowa Cubs baseball team , Iowa Barnstormers Arena League Football and the Iowa Wild Amateur Hockey League!

Iowa Proud?!? You Bet!

My husband Corey and I  headed past the State Capitol towards the Iowa Events Center on Saturday, March 4th, to walk the aisles of

Hy-Vee Hall to become one of the many hundreds to experience the Iowa Deer Classic 2017.

We came in from the Eastside so we are now Westbound I-235 to get the right street heading to the main parking lot north of Veteran's Auditorium. Taking 3rd St. to end up at the right spot.

Veteran's Auditorium-Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center and Wells Fargo Arena straight ahead!  For those of you who don't have any history of visits to Iowa's biggest city

I know! Go this way and then that way...then you end up HERE!

Parked outside the Hy-Vee Hall's north entrance was the team bus for Driven with Pat & Nicole.

Later, I found their booth #1 and stopped to listen to the end of one of their seminars downstairs. So many good seminars to attend, I didn't get a chance to hear all that was said...

I was out to take pictures! And that I did! Thanks to these willing souls ...their passion being the Iowa Morel with a little bit of Buck tine decoration to make things interesting.

A few more months and we will be out hunting for morels. Another one of those natural treats that has us out and about in the great outdoors.

AH! Look! Nicky Boy Charters at booth #843. Set-up and ready to share what they can do to provide a vacation on the waters of  Lake Michigan.

I've just gotten a good start but my blogging time for today has come to and end. Spring temperatures are calling before the snow arrives this coming weekend. See you tomorrow!

The Sciuridae Family

Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel

I want to pickup on a topic I spoke of rather briefly in the second part of the post on Talkative Thursday.

The Sciuridae Family and my experiences with at least 6 of them, 4 of which are apart of the Timber Life family.

The only member of the family that isn't a ground dweller is the Foxtail Squirrel showing off in the third picture below. I truly have fun watching all these little critters running here and there...

Chipmunk

Groundhog

Foxtail Squirrel

Prairie Dog

However, a downside to these ground shifting rodents - unexpected holes to fall into when walking or driving around the farm and timber. After falling into holes created in the hard packed drive ,one will want to reconsider how fast the travel speed should be to complete the trip.

Soft soils are excellent medium to start a new tunnel and living quarters for most of  the cousins who live here in Iowa.                                           


The larger Groundhogs find no difficulty in expanding  their tunnels from between 8 - 66 feet with multiple rooms and exits.In the construction of their den it has been found to contain a room specifically associated to the bodily function of defecation. They usually have more than one den to keep them close to the best sources of food and protection. My observations have them building dens under wood piles, at bases of trees and in the slope of a hill in the timber floor.


I have been privileged to watch them scamper up trees and freeze in place so they won't be detected.



The Foxtail Squirrel is very industrious when it comes to distributing the Black Walnut seeds found in abundance here in our timber.

I would prefer they go about planting more acorns and hickory nuts instead of eating them...One of those human traits I would like to pass along - eat some, plant some and save some . The only problem with the last theory is the number of rodents and birds that feast on the same resources, there doesn't seem to be enough to save some.


                                                                          



In  September 2007, middle afternoon sun we found several Prairie Dog colonies in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Hubby and I hadn't seen these little creatures in the wild before this trip. It created a curiosity about their habits due to the problems they were said to be causing for the cattlemen and the destruction of the grazing lands over vast areas.

At the time of our visit to the Badlands they were beginning to test Blackfooted Ferrets as a means of biological control.

Yellow-bellied Marmot

This past summer during June, I had the great privilege of visiting the Rocky Mountain National Park outside Estes Park , CO., with my family.

On one of the Tourist Pull-off areas at Forest Canyon Overlook , we came across this chubby little Marmot out enjoying the late afternoon sun.

Please click the captions to find more information about each of the members of the squirrel family or previous posts here at Timber Life...


My hope is that the next time you see a member of the Sciuridae Family you'll have time to watch a little bit of nature in action in the great outdoors.


Thank you for your visit today! All pictures posted here are the property of Timber Life Wildscapes.

Shed Hunting Begins at Timber Life

The time has come to get out and search for the antlers that had been gracing the stately bucks of the timber just a couple week ago...Yes, it's shed hunting season!

I was viewing my Facebook thread around the 3rd when I saw that Tiffany Lakosky posted that her little Lab/shed hunter had starting finding sheds at their place in southeast Iowa. My thoughts had shifted in that direction about that time when the deer were showing up without bucks being evident any longer and the bunching up behavior had begun .

The last picture I took of a buck still carrying was of this guy the evening of December 30th, when he was on his way out of the timber for the evening browsing in the neighborhood.

I have been a little slow in getting out, because of the snow depth we still have around from the storm that arrived not long before Christmas.

Being short in stature I find the drifts to be a challenge to navigate even with the melting that has occurred the last few days. That being said I have been out looking around in an attempt to find the trophy sized tines this year before all the little creatures use them for chew sticks. High coyote activity in our area has them gnawed up before I can get to them.

                                                      Some Examples of Shedding Rubs
These are just a few of the shedding rubs I discovered on my second day of searching. My total hunting experiences in the past and so far today haven't automatically led to the immediate reward of finding antlers.

  
I usually find sheds along trails, beside fences, tucked under bushes, or tall grass and occasionally on the remains of mature bucks too tired to leave the comforts of home.

Our forecast for the next couple of days is rain and warmer temperatures. My hope for the short-term future is that the leftover antlers will be revealed once this snow has been washed away and I can see their contrast to the landscape.

I enjoy the time out looking around the timber, not only for the sheds, but for the birds flitting by and identifying tracks of animals that passed sometime ago.

It is my hope to be able to bring some pictures of "where-it-lays" soon, to let you know of the possibilities you could search in your situation.



Do you find shed collecting to be a hobby you pursue every year?

Happy New Year!

Sending to you and yours around the world a heartfelt wish for a wonderful New Year 2013 from Timber Life.

My Iowa Shotgun Season Two

Saturday morning, December 8th, the first day of shotgun season two,I was rousted out of bed by my dog Sadie, around 5:00 AM. She was ready for a trip outside and eat her breakfast to get her day in motion.

Our 8 year old granddaughter who had come with her brother to participate in the morning deer hunt, took the air mattress in the living room last night. So, it wasn't hard to wake her up since the front door wasn't far from where she lay. Sadie couldn't resist the temptation of showing affection to a little person, so she pounced as we passed, even though the little person wasn't ready to give the attention back.

Granddaughter, didn't climb out of bed right away, but we talked awhile before it was time to get the guys up so they could get ready before the sun got up too far. All three of them wrapped up,the guys donned their hunter orange even though they would be sitting in the blind. Time passed, the deer passed. The morning hunt ended without bringing home a deer. My  hunters came inside to defrost since the temps were in the mid 20's and they had been sitting about 45 minutes in wait.

I didn't participate in the hunt - instead  I remained inside to prepare breakfast. We ate some freshly made deer sausage from my deer I had gotten on Monday of that week, and a few pancakes served with Maple Syrup.

The guys finished up and went on to do other things. I was still working on frying up the leftover batter when granddaughter and I talked about what I saw for my future whitetail deer hunting experiences. I referred to a post You're Never Too Old to Hunt on a friend's blog of an 85 year old woman who still enjoyed being apart of the  hunting activites in her neighborhood. I smiled at granddaughter's reaction as our conversation continued.

 Granddaughter, still sitting at the table eating her sausage and pancakes, the topic moved  to her desire to learn to use the bow. We touched briefly on how we would go about getting her started in that direction due to her age and stature.

Subsequent hunts didn't happen for me until Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings.

Thursday - December 13th

I went out at  3:30  to get situated about an hour and a half  before what has been considered the normal  evening deer movement out of the timber lately. Getting all my hunting garb on and heading for the blind I kept running through my mind where it would be good to go...Sitting there for a few minutes, and second guessing my choice, considering another location, planning an ambush on an east/west transition ; I hurriedly unzipped the door and took off for a spot closer to the drive-way/soybean field.

The family tractor, which sits outside in the same place most of the time allowed for a good place to camouflage my position right by the front tire, eventually becoming my gun rest.

About an hour and ten minutes later I got restless and I couldn't see any deer, so I went into the house for a few minutes after taking a brief survey of the area to check for activity. After my momentary absence,I decided to get back out there a second time.

Returning to the same spot I waited another ten minutes, came around the back of the tractor and was busted by deer standing watching me from the garden. A buck was in this group tonight, one that has been hanging close by the whole season. My buck tag already filled all I could do was watch him. I tried to smooth things over by hugging the big burr oak tree next to me and pretend I didn't move. I braced the shotgun  against the tree in case I should be so lucky as to have a doe continue in my direction, which by the way didn't happen.

Knowing my opportunity for further chances was slim to none before legal hunting hours were over, I  walked the short distance back to the house to put my gun away for the day.

I wasn't unhappy and even amused by the turn of events. The weather has been a plus, just to be able to be outside in almost 50 degree temps in December is unheard of in Central Iowa.


Friday - December 14th

Late Friday afternoon I used the same spot I had picked yesterday. I stood for probably a half an hour before seeing a deer sprint from the south to the north across the field, well out of range of my shotgun.

Hearing the deer conversing with one another behind my present location, I turned around to go look. My immediate reaction was an internal chuckle as they stood watching me from the tree line in the ravine. You guessed it! Today they didn't tarry long with all the gunshots that had recently been sent in their direction.

The weather was cloudy and the wind was out of the south.

Saturday - December 15th

 Late afternoon rolled around and I got all my hunting garb put on. Heading down the drive by foot I took a cut-off to the ravine on the outside of the fence. I didn't want to leave a scent trail in the area where I had witnessed the deer congregating yesterday. Weather conditions were reminiscent of yesterday so that is why I moved in this direction at the start of the hunt.

While I stood in a spot outside the fence on a trail in the vicinity of where I took my buck, the shotguns were sounding all around. I kept watch, because that usually meant the deer would be immediately on the run. Well, in this situation it didn't happen, it was longer for the deer to reach my location than I expected, and they didn't seem hurried by what was happening elsewhere.

I was standing at a north/south fence looking eastward, when I saw a doe hop the east/west fence to get on the northside and continue on her westward movement. Another deer was following, lagging a little further behind, still on the southside of the fence not in a hurry to move forward.

The first doe moved closer to the north/south fence, but stopped to assess the wind before reaching it. She moved forward a bit then retreated to a point where I am sure she was zoning in on my presence. I didn't move a muscle...However, the slight breeze most definitely wafted around me and carried my essence in her direction. That was the first time ever I saw first hand how important it is to have the wind straight in your face. This doe wasn't sticking around for a future show down and took the other deer with her back southeast from whence they had come.

I am no match for running deer so I headed home.

Reaching the homestead via the drive I froze in my steps. Does and fawns were scattered across my yard. There was one young doe who challenged me with her stomping and head swinging before she took off, taking all the others with her.

Time to go relay my hunting experience to my Hubby as he worked ...then to put the gun away until the last hunt tomorrow evening.

Sunday - December 16th

Sitting at the computer at 7:30 AM, working on a post, I turned around to look out the sliding glass door. It was time for the deer to be moving through the backyard on most days, but we haven't had a normal schedule since the end of  Bow Season. Today seemed back to normal because they were eating the dead flower foliage and grazing on the green grass.

Again, I had to chuckle. The smaller one had been closer to the edge of the flower bed chewing the grass, a sibling had been to the right...and the camera didn't want to focus in the low light. Mom Doe stood her ground until my activity, going back and forth , raising my arms with camera  in hand made her extremely nervous. I was glad to get this image to remember the morning of the last day of Iowa Shotgun Season II 2012.

One last late afternoon rolled around and I got all my hunting garb put on. My choice for hunting today would be in the timber north of the garden where the deer disappear beyond my view on a regular basis.

I was standing  inside the limbs of a fallen tree when Miss Kitty came sauntering up to get petted. This was not what I had hoped for at this point. She wouldn't leave me alone as long as I was  there, or anywhere I would try to hide. Sadie wasn't around,I was front and center to try to fill her attention meter.

My concentration on deer hunting wasn't what it needed to be. So, I came into the house to watch what would move passed.

Eventually, the deer arrived from the southeast. Three of them,a doe and two fawns, went charging beyond the house in expectation of being made targets...stopping to look back from a safe distance. Two more young does took their time, standing by one of the paths I had just returned back to the house on.

Standing at the window watching, a comic moment erupted in the animal kingdom. The two does became skittish as they stared down the path of my return. I wondered what had them intrigued? It was Miss Kitty running towards them full bore with tail high in the air doing her best Mountain Lion impersonation as she charged forward. The deer took two separate directions to try to avoid the little cat with a big  presence. Their shock didn't last long,they weren't sticking around, and took off back to the comfort of the timber,far away from this situation.

The day and shotgun season II came to a close here at Timber Life, as the light was waning on December 16, 2012 .

Pleased with this year's buck and looking forward to Bow Season next October 2013....

A Mystery to Solve...

As of late my homestead has been having another elusive visitor in the late night, and early morning hours.

I have associated some of the activities with a raccoon constantly rummaging through the yard, but things have become a little more destructive. My potted plants are getting tipped over,the soil-less mix has been  totally dug-out from around the roots of a large pot of  Elephant Ear bulbs, newly planted strawberry leaves chewed, freshly set flowers in the garden uprooted.

Mental Exasperation has begun!

My cat, Miss Kitty, has a snack shack on the deck, a recycled dog kennel, where she goes to eat her food to protect her from the elements. If I don't remove the food at night I can be assured to have a raccoon(s), possibly an opossum, and others come to feast. My thoughts run to Coyote...even Bobcat.

This past Monday in the wee hours of the morning, around 2:00, Sadie started barking at the front door. I got up to check to see what had gotten her attention. Looking out the window of the door, the deck was absent the snack shack, from the closed door I wasn't able to see where the kennel had gone.

I opened the door to get a better idea what was happening,Sadie didn't hesitate to dash out to check her territory. The snack shack had somehow made it's way to the bottom of the 4th step of the deck, turned askew on it's side. I can only assume whatever came to visit got stuck inside the kennel, because it would have taken force to move it across the deck, down the steps, and turned, from where it was originally sitting.

Following  a scent, Sadie started on the run in an attempt to locate the interloper. It wasn't more than 30 seconds when I heard a clang - the propane tank had become a momentary barrier to the escaping animal. I had a mental chuckle as my mind was imagining a dazed creature trying to make sense of the surroundings to find an escape route.

The animal that made the early morning wake up call remains a mystery, but I do know now for sure one mischievous creature that reincarnates it's behavior from one generation to another.

Thursday, another clue was provided on our temporary ramp to our new house construction.

Scat that could belong to either a raccoon, or groundhog, was left as evidence of an early morning visit. Both animals share common characteristics at this time of year here at the Timber since they both harvest the berries.

Working in the house on Friday morning before lunch, I passed the sliding glass door, and out of the corner of my eye I saw this creature standing on it's back legs not far from our Miss Kitty by the tree trunk.

I'm wondering if this groundhog  is related to the one that kept us entertained back in September of 2007 ?

When it became aware of my attention...it would drop to all four feet and jump sideways. Then it became inquisitive again, checking to see if by chance I had been scared away by the aggressive maneuvers ,standing up it kept repeating it's actions until I moved on.

Last night we heard some bumps and bangs going on just outside our front door. We, Hubby, Sadie and I, headed to see what the ruckus was all about. A  family of masked bandits stopped  to take advantage of Miss Kitty's snack shack .

These three babies got separated from the others and waited  until a little less attention was being showered on them before making the great escape.

Another sample of what keeps us smiling in our daily lives here at Timber Life....

Memorial Day Tribute

 Memorial Day, a day to remember our fallen soldiers, and give support to those now in the trenches....

I want to send my thanks to the families who have sent their loved ones to  many battle fronts in the name of our United States of America. Whose lives have been forever changed...

Some have not, or will not return,others must deal with the aftermath of their experiences at home, and abroad.

This year I want to pay tribute to a fallen troop from our family. He was my 2nd cousin on my Mother's side of the family, he served in the Vietnam War as a medevac helicopter pilot.

STANLEY DEAN STRUBLE
is honored on Panel 6W, Row 72 of
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Full Name:	STANLEY DEAN STRUBLE
Wall Name:	STANLEY D STRUBLE
Date of Birth:	3/7/1949
Date of Casualty:	11/19/1970
Home of Record:	CASTANA
County of Record:	MONONA COUNTY
State:	IA
Branch of Service:	ARMY
Rank:	WO
Casualty Country:	SOUTH VIETNAM
Casualty Province:	BINH DINH

Please click here to read the story told by another pilot of the mission that snatched away two American troops that day, November 19th,1970, one being my cousin,and the other his crew-mate.

I wanted to share his story, because he was always one of the fun loving, older influences at family gatherings. He kept us younger ones entertained.

Stanley's life was short at age 21, normally about the time you think of heading off on your own to start a career, and a family. This time he was one that had started, and ended his career in the era of the Draft; completing his mission to the best of his ability.

The video is of the Vietnam Conflict - men,helicopters,M- 113 armored personnel carriers all playing their parts in an effort to gain a more peaceful existence.




In closing I would like to wish all of you a safe Memorial Day holiday, and if you know a soldier, or see one walking down the street, I encourage you to tell her/him, Thank you for your service!.

Swallowtail Butterfly

Yesterday, on my trip back to the house from the trail camera, I had an opportunity to catch the flutter of a Swallowtail Butterfly.

I was almost side-swiped by this little beauty which triggered the "OH!" moment.  The wind was blowing it to and fro, sending it bouncing it from clover to clover before it disappeared...

New Whitetail Fawn in the Timber

Today, I caught the sight of a new whitetail addition to Timber Life. My trail camera timer said it was 1:44pm this afternoon they passed within picture taking range.

I have been monitoring a location not far from the house and finally it has confirmed my suspicions. An indication that the "birthing room" aka timber was getting attention was the constant sighting of does still close to the house. Usually they disappear, but the spring range in the last 3 or more years has kept them very close...The fawns haven't been dropped in the yard yet - I do hope someday to witness that event.

Historically at Timber Life the fawns are brought out to chew on my Burning Bush about the 3rd of June.

The other reason I have been keeping the trail camera in its present location;I have wanted to see how often the coyotes frequent this area.

Sadie, our Springer Spaniel was defending her territory at 5:30 AM a month before this picture... A coyote was using a ravine in the middle of a pasture we were taking a walk in as a corridor - a frequent event in the night, and early morning hours.

It makes me wonder if it possibly was looking for a meal with the Does now actively giving birth?

                        Proud momma taking her baby for a walk to get it used to the surroundings.

                The fawn appears to be having some anxiety after its mother disappeared from view.

                                                                         Time to GO!

I am anxious to see more of the new whitetail babies, it is fun to watch them dart around the yard in their version of playing tag. Reminds me of human children when they learn how to manage to stand and use there new found skills...

The Snow has Arrived

The big flakes began falling before noon and with no wind they floated straight down.

Ah, what a lovely snow we have been blessed with today.

I have become accustomed to the on/off type winter we seem to continue to enjoy this year. It has been about seven years since we last saw similar weather; if memory serves me correctly.

Please forgive the picture quality...gray skies and snow aren't lending themselves to perfect image catching conditions.

I believe however, you can probably discern the object of this shot.

You are correct! That is if you guessed a Robin...
They have been hanging around for some time now, and for some reason unbeknownst to us it always has to snow at least once, or twice after their return.

Visibility varied from minute to minute.

I didn't find it totally unpleasant to be out and about; going from our mobile home to our new house.

Hubby and I are putting some time in today cutting wood and building some wall frames in our new house.

This picture was taken from the doorway of our new house when the snow was peppering down.

A Red-tailed Hawk came back to sit in the same Cottonwood, where I saw one this morning, but this time a lower branch was more to it's liking.

He stuck around during the lull between shots of the fluffy white stuff.

Cardinals could be heard  singing their sweet spring songs, which started the other birds to join in the chorus. Overall it seemed a welcoming to whoever might be close enough to listen.

This afternoon is ending with about two inches of new snow on the ground.

Not a good wet snow for making snowmen I don't think...Maybe I should go give it a try.

I can still smile, because this will all be gone tomorrow.

Spring temperatures are forecast for our week with rain a possibility come Wednesday.

The gardening bug has placed a thought of early crops that might profit from being put into the ground soon. Even if it snows again......

Happy New Year 2012!

 A little music please...








My wish for you and yours in 2012 is to have a safe place to call home and the opportunity to follow your dreams....
                                       Happy New Year!

Five Year Blogoversary Celebration

Eye of the Timber caught many years ago at this time of year

 Five years ago today I wrote my first blogpost.

I started out with the blog title Walking in the Woods, but soon did a Google search and found a whole bunch of other people at that time feeling the same way I did about the great outside. In an effort to gain some individual distinction ...A bit of reflecting on a moniker to be associated with, brought me back to Timber Life repeatedly since that is the life I am blessed to live daily.

I have met some very interesting and positive people in the blogging world over the years. Check out my Blog Roll please for the first bloggers for whom I  found an interest in reading when I discovered My Blog Log. A website now gone from the internet under reorganization by its provider. I do have a few others that have come and gone within those years that I continue to wonder how things are going for them...

Although my posts may have extended periods in between or don't have a rational thought to convey - sometimes I still have days where I want to sit and share some thoughts that seem particularly pressing.

Thank you  to all who have stopped by for a visit!

Happy Thanksgiving

Uh Hum! Lovely day...

Tippy toe,tippy toe....

Ignoring the camera,ignoring the camera...

You who? Girls are you over there?!?

Now I hear you. Comin' Tom!

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday All!

The Vs Are Here

It is with great excitement I write this post!

Sadie and I were on our almost daily trek to the mailbox this morning. I had gone back into the house to grab the camera because I had caught two tall standing whitetails in the pasture watching our every move. I knew we would be seeing wild life today...Well, of course the deer weren't there when I got back outside!

Found some raccoon tracks going the full length of our half mile drive.Hubby saw the black eyed bandit going out last night on his way into the house after dark.

Heard Red Winged Blackbirds, water birds, and the not so pretty crow was being raucous.

The Cardinals have been doing a fantastic job of calling in the sunrise as of late, just a very positive time of the morning to be out and around.

Got a picture of our melting mountains of snow and perennial plants that are showing new life.

The Lavendar is starting to green up at the tips.

The sedum has started new growth which seems to have become food for ground hugging animals.




Then there were Vs and Vs of geese flying by.

Caught the undersides of these guys going over when I stopped to snap some shots by the airplane hangars on my way back from retrieving the mail.



It is shaping up to be a great day!