Talkative Thursday

Honestly, I tried a couple of days ago to get a blog-post typed across the page. I wasn't able to get it accomplished for some reason or another. Excuses! Excuses!! Don't you know? ( said with a wink)

 If I would have been able to get things done I would have titled it Talkative Tuesday, but you see where it got me to today...Anyway, you will get to read today what should have been said already.

Monday February 1, 2016 

Today, I have something to say on a topic concerning this minute part of the world I occupy. Could be I'll have a  thought to interject into the online community that we might sit sipping coffee and discuss if we actually saw each other face to face.

Are you ready?!? I've got my coffee in hand. Is your coffee cup filled?

Iowa Caucus 2016

As a resident of Iowa I have been apart of  potential Republican Presidential candidates mailers, television commercials, and yes those DREADED telephone phone calls...even my cellphone. What I learned to do was let the answering machine take our calls, and if I didn't recognize the number on my cellphone it too went to voicemail,if they left a message.

We had quite a field of individuals from which to pick and choose just one in which we saw the leadership qualities we valued. The decision making process came and went this evening.

It had been several caucus cycles since I had participated at our precinct. Attendance to the event was  positive in number, entirely filling the room at the community center where Hubby and I go. They say this year totaled 186,000 souls strong Statewide increasing by half since  2012.

The candidate that finished first at our precinct was not the one who took the state as the first choice. I have a feeling that there are going to be questions once more on the way our selection process works in counting ballots and the way in which the results are reported.  The media brings stirrings of unrest by those who feel themselves slighted in the end tally. 

We will have some interesting months ahead until it has been decided who will be put on the November ballot.

Onto the next subject...

 Ground Hog Day

While working on ideas for my previous paragraphs I heard that Puxatawney Phil was not seeing his shadow and had optimistically prognosticated that Spring would be coming early. Keep your fingers crossed!

Sorry, I couldn't find one of our Ground Hogs lolling about in the snow...to add some additional prognostication from Iowa Timber Life Tim. I would have whispered with certainty into the little rodents ear for him to share that Spring will arrive in six weeks time.

We are accustomed to having Groundhogs waddling around here. They speed up trees or down holes if me or the dog happen to get to close.

The Groundhog is the largest member of the squirrel family and has a diet of  hickory nuts with a side of flowers or garden greens. According to my  observations

From personal experience I know they will pick up children's bubble toys that are left sitting

outside;either relocating at a distance to a den or burying them in soft dirt close by. I usually see only one at a time, unless a mother is showing her babies the best places to sleep and eat.They are entertaining until that salad they ate happens to include the roots of a special hosta I adopted from a family member. However, I have learned patience because they are another animal  species that has lived here longer than us...

Have a blessed evening!

Song Day Sunday

Many years ago when I was writing this blog I took inspiration from others who liked to share what made their daily walk work for them. One of the aspects put forth was to assign what type of Blog post would be written on specific days of the week. Today, means a day set apart from the rest of the week - to reflect more deeply on what God has been doing all week for me.

Over time I will share musical styles that have found a way onto my playlist. Who knows? Could be they will come to grow on you too...

A song that has been swirling about the confines of my thinking processes as of late is " God is Good",performed by the musical artist Don Moen.

If you have a mind to...join me in a little toe tapping to get your day started!

 

                                                      A thought for the day...
 
Psalm 100:5 - For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Snow for the Day

I know I spoke of Changes to get things going again, but one thing that will never Change around this Blog is the topic of deer. They have always been citizens of the Timber,before my time and will be long after I'm gone. Having the opportunity to live here is a blessing!

Time to EAT!

We got a new blanket of snow earlier this week.

Movin' on Over!

I was watching out the window as the snowflakes started coming down a few at a time. Eventually, the size got bigger and they started peppering down in a concentration distorting a clear view of everything within sight of the house. .

This fawn stopped to browse a Honey Suckle bush on it's way down the hill.

I'm enjoying this time of year when  groups of deer from far and wide gather together in our edge habitat.

In recent years the groups were small in numbers, I didn't see them mingle as I had witnessed in the past.
Severe Winters.and hunting both took the population count down. This year has been different...

Next Spring should be a great time to watch the new crop of fawns bounce and play like children in the pasture.

Hi There!!!

 I must not have been quiet enough as I switched rooms to continue watching out the windows before the deer disappeared,as they looked for a more sheltered spot.

 Love when I can get the fauna of our fields to focus on the photographer...

More thoughts later!

Have a blessed day...

Changes

I am back to do a little house cleaning,talking about blowing off the dust on my Blog last year, I should have taken myself more seriously. No promises of profound outlooks on life,but hopefully an exchange of thoughts that would make you smile or stop and think for a minute or two.

If you have visited before or read my last post, I did remove the Flying Eagle from the header in the start to my rejuvenation process. I still remain in awe and at least one or two keep flying over Timber Life at this time of year.

More Changes to come...

Eagle Watch

Phht! Phht! My Goodness things have become a little dusty around Timber Life...

Time has passed so quickly since the last post about the Drive-In over a year ago, I 'd better find something to talk about to get the dust put back in it's place - outside.

I have been keeping busy with my personal endeavor to capture our wildlife in this little section of Iowa.

Maybe you noticed the Eagle flying in the header??? I went out for a drive after being cooped up in the house after some very cold days and found the Eagle on a favorite perch, a dead spruce tree, next to a blacktop, not far from Hendrickson Marsh of which I speak of frequently.

It hasn't been very hard for me to become obsessed with capturing the huge black and white raptors.I have spoken of it before...One of my favorite verses in the Bible is "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles." Isaiah 40: 31    So, every chance I get I search out the calm, regal bird to quench a thirst to soar, even if it living in a vicarious moment.

I am often treated to their thermal riding activity above our house, visible from this perch off Marshall County E-63. Too often I don't have my camera at hand when they come to visit...I am glad to get every picture possible at close range.

That day the photo opportunity didn't last very long since I didn't go ahead and follow in pursuit back to the Marsh. This was the first of two pictures I took on January 11th, before heading back home.

 

I know there is a lot of air space here as I caught it lifting,  then falling briefly, before catching the wind as it's wings created lift to carry it home...

Saving A Local Entertainment Venue

Remember the days when hot summer weekends were spent in the great outdoors with speakers hanging off the open windows of your car? Maybe a date...maybe a family outing. The Drive-In Theater was an event to look forward to after a week of work, or a way to let mom and dad enjoy a movie while the kids played on the swings up front, not far from the screen, as I remember it. Not to mention the snacks at the concession stand, popcorn just as tasty as you would find at the walk-in movie theater...

With a limited few theaters still remaining in the United States and the changes of the film industry to Digital  from 35mm there are expensive new cameras to be purchased. Most theaters that are still open are small venues that don't have large budgets to cover huge expenses such as a new camera, many are faced with the possibility of having to shutter their gates.

It has come to my attention on the local news, now on Facebook about the opportunity for these entertainment businesses to get the chance to win new movie projectors, the project is known as Project Drive-In.  The new equipment will be awarded to the Drive-Ins receiving the most votes. Others vying for the projector can be found here. 

I would like to be instrumental in helping to save the Valle Drive-In of  Newton, IA. one of four still operating in the State and the longest running since it opened back in 1949. The  Drive-In is located  25 miles from home; which I have visited with our daughter and her family on a couple of different occasions. A nice place for tail-gating if you can get the gang together before the movie starts.

Please vote now! Four more Winners will be announced on September 23, 2013. Let's see if we can get Valle Drive-In to be among them. Thank you for your help!

My Etsy Shop Opens

Two years ago this month I was inspired to begin developing a mental concept to place pictures I thought worthy to share on note cards.It has taken me a while to get my initial inspiration to produce some pictures that  I hope will help others convey their love of the outdoors to others as well.

My future plan is to expand into to other media, but for the moment I am having 5.5"x4.00" folded note cards professionally printed to stock my shop...
  

Peek - A - Boo times Two

I even had an aspiring painter/blogger by the name of Bob Phillips use a couple of my cards sent to his wife, blogger Marian Love Phillips as models for some paintings. Made me smile when I heard of his reaction...


You will find a note card in my  store inventory taken by my trail camera and enhanced to bring out the deer - please  look  for "Peek-A- Boo times Two."

Ears to You

Here is one of my favorites -" Ears to You." The front bottom are the ears of a deer spending time in front of the trail camera. It turned out to have an artistic effect in framing the others standing to it's back. It made me smile because the center deer was an anterless dominant buck...still exercising his majesty and I must say he carried himself like a king.

Please take a moment  and stop by  Two Dogs Tall to see some of Bob's recent paintings. I like  his interesting technique in conveying the world around him. While you are there checkout his daughter Karen's paintings too...another wonderful artist in their family.

I am very pleased to have the paintings to include in my little personal gallery once our new home construction is ready for occupation.

It's time to take a  step forward  and present to you my  Etsy Shop that is now live - ready to share my pictures.

                                                         I am pleased to announce.....

I will not speak of my Etsy Shop here directly after today but will post an ad on the sidebar in the future if you should be interested in watching the development.