CARLA'S VIEWS

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T10:07:00.000-06:00

This is so beautiful! Starts slow and builds. By the time the bagpipes come in, my goosebumps have goosebumps. I've never liked "Auld Lang Syne." For me, "The Parting Glass" is THE New Year's Eve song. And no one does it better than the High Kings. Enjoy. And I'd like to wish everyone a New Year filled with love, laughter, good health, good times and good friends. Happy 2012!!

Spicebush Swallowtail

2011-08-21T16:38:00.000-05:00

These swallowtails are very common in this area. I've read that they are sometimes called the Green-clouded Swallowtail because the male's hindwing has a greenish tone. They love my butterfly bushes.

My 2 Cents

2011-07-12T09:51:00.001-05:00

Like many people, I watched most of the Casey Anthony murder trial. I think she's a despicable person. But now that's it's over, I think we need to move on. Sure, I'll be interested in hearing what happens to Casey when she is released. I don't think she's going to have an easy time. Can't help but wonder where she will go. But in my opinion, the media needs to give it a rest and only report on the case when there is something new to say. I believe the jurors did the best job they could with the information they had. I don't think Casey's innocent of all wrong-doing and I don't think the jurors thought she was innocent either. But obviously, they had reasonable doubts about Casey murdering her child. I do too. I think it's appalling that the jurors are receiving death threats. That's crazy!!! I have no idea what really happened to that darling little girl, but like everyone else, I can speculate. The prosecutors said that no one would try to make an accident look like murder. I think Casey Anthony is the one person who MIGHT have done just that! Only in her mind, someone else would have been blamed for the killing. Caylee might have died accidentally because of Casey's negligence and inattention at a time when the two of them were by themselves. And Casey might have panicked about telling her parents. So...she might have decided to tell a lie about the child being taken by someone else. And if the body is not found, then it's because this other person got away with her. And if the body is found, then it's because the kidnapper or some other evil stranger murdered her. I can't explain the chloroform, and I'm not convinced that it was ever used on the child. There are tons of things I can't explain about the Anthony family. We'll probably never know what really happened and that would be true even if Casey had been convicted of murder. I just wish everyone would calm down. And good grief, quit vilifying the jurors! It's time for the media to stop fanning the flames.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

2011-07-09T17:08:00.003-05:00

It's been a disappointing year for butterflies. I don't know if it's because of all the ice and snow we got this past winter or if it has something to do with all the rain we've had. My butterfly bushes are all blooming and on sunny days they are usually full of butterflies and hummingbird moths. I've seen a few butterflies and this female Tiger Swallowtail was the first. She posed so nicely for me.

Still Here

2011-07-06T17:48:00.030-05:00

I'm still here and I'm still cat-sitting. This is Daisy Mae. She's a newer client and the first time her folks went away, she was a tad anxious. I found her hiding under the bed. Didn't take long to convince her that I was coming in to feed her and to give her some loving. She's a pretty cat and a sweetheart.

The Irish Pub by The High Kings

2011-03-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Forever Young

2010-09-22T06:40:00.001-05:00

FOREVER YOUNG

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
And may you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the light surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
And may you stay forever young

Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
And may you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
And may you stay forever young

Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

Written by Bob Dylan. Beautifully sung by Joan Baez.

Skywatch Friday

2010-09-10T07:41:00.001-05:00

X marks the spot. This was my view of the evening sky on Sept. 3. For more sky shots from around the world visit the Skywatch blog.

The Parting Glass

2010-09-08T16:13:00.002-05:00

This Irish ballad by The High Kings gives me goose bumps! Makes me want to raise a glass to everyone I ever cared about. To hell with that dull "Auld Lang Syne." This is what I want to hear on New Year's Eve.

THE PARTING GLASS (HIGH KINGS VERSION)

Of all the money that e'er I had
I spent it in good company
And all the harm I've ever done
Alas it was to none but me
And all I've done for want of wit
To mem'ry now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be to you all

CHORUS:
So fill to me the parting glass
And drink a health whate'er befalls
And gently rise and softly call
Good night and joy be to you all

Of all the comrades that e'er I had
They're sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e'er I had
They'd wish me one more day to stay
But since it fell unto my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I gently rise and softly call
Good night and joy to you all

Diana Fritillaries

2010-09-07T15:17:00.009-05:00

Diana Fritillaries are mainly found in the southern Appalachians and Ozark regions of the U.S. The females are blue-black with light blue trim and some white markings. The smaller males are brown and orange. Since mid-August, I've been seeing a lot of them in my yard. They love the Butterfly Bushes.

Female Diana Fritillaries

Male Diana Fritillaries

Scott McKenzie

2010-08-27T15:41:00.015-05:00

Those of us who are of a certain age will remember when the song "San Francisco" was released in 1967. ("If You're Going to San Francisco, Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair.") This song was written by John Phillips and was the theme song for the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967. Beautifully sung by Scott McKenzie, this song became a homecoming anthem for all returning Vietnam vets from 1967 on. In Eastern Europe, the song became a freedom anthem.

Scott McKenzie (Philip Blondheim) was born on January 10, 1939 in Jacksonville, Florida. He grew up in North Carolina and Virgina. And it was in Virginia where he became friends with John Phillips. In 1961, Phillips, McKenzie and Dick Weissman formed the folk group, The Journeymen. In 1964, McKenzie went out on his own and Phillips formed the group: The Mamas and the Papas. Scott McKenzie quit recording in the early 1970s. But in 1986, he joined a new version of The Mamas and the Papas. By 1998, he had retired to California. And that's where he currently lives with his cat, Spider. He describes himself as a recluse and he spends a lot of time on his computer researching anything and everything. He likes Facebook.

In the late 60s, I bought a Scott McKenzie album because of "San Francisco." I love the song. But it's not my favorite song by Scott McKenzie. Far from it. Here is a video of one of my favorite songs of all times. This is: "Like an Old Time Movie." Wowzer!

The Prince's Panties

2010-08-20T14:56:00.003-05:00

There was once a prince who acted strangely in that
He thought life was stupid and it was for him so
He made up a world in which he liked the things we liked
But he had different reasons why he liked them

He liked butter for its color
He would order toast and color
Waitresses, confused would utter
Sir, I've never heard of toast and color

He'd get angry and begin to choke them
The law would come, and they'd arrest and book him
So his life was a mess of trouble
Still he kept it up

He had dogs, a hundred Cocker Spaniels and he
Called them panties, 'cause they did that mostly, and he
Did not care at all if they would bark and fetch sticks
Run and jump, roll over, and play dead tricks

No, he liked them only for their panting
So he would run them ragged, but one day they got fed up
And chased the prince right up against the fence
And the prince was eaten by his panties

~Song lyrics by Mason Williams~

About a hundred years ago, I had the Mason Williams Phonograph Record. I'm sure I bought it for "Classical Gas." But it's this little ditty that I remember most.

A Bit of Fry and Laurie: "Your Name, Sir?"

2010-08-17T17:07:00.001-05:00

I love this so much! Makes me laugh out loud every time. And it's interesting to see Hugh Laurie doing what he did best...before House. Don't get me wrong, I love House. Can't wait for the new season. But I also love this kind of comedy. And these guys were so good together. (I also posted a slightly different version of this on my Facebook wall.)

Butterfly Sightings

2010-07-20T12:32:00.006-05:00

First Monarch sighting of the year.

Male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

Female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. These girls are so pretty!

Little Pipevine Swallowtail.

Spicebush Swallowtail...viewed from underneath. These are one of my favorite butterflies.

I don't do much blogging anymore because I spend so much time doing genealogy research. And lots and lots of time on Facebook. Fact is, I use Facebook as a mini-blog. It's where I post my pics and it's just so much easier than blogging. And I love to enter the photography contests. In many ways, Facebook has opened up a whole new world. And I love the fact that I'm back in touch with people I had not talked to in years. Wouldn't have happened without Facebook. In other news, I ended up in the emergency room a week ago. I have kidney stones. The emergency room doc said that the water in this rocky, hilly, mountainous place has lots of minerals that contribute to kidney stone formation. Great. I do drink filtered water, so maybe this was destined to happen anyway. Still going out every day to cat-sit and I'm feeling okay, but so far...nothing has passed but time. And I'm still full of rocks.

The Buck Stops Here

2010-06-02T10:49:00.002-05:00

I was happy to see this pretty boy and a small doe grazing in my yard this morning. You can see the buck's little antler nubs.

Milo Lemert

2010-05-31T09:12:00.008-05:00

A couple of months ago, I was wandering through the Crossville City Cemetery. I love genealogy and history, so cemeteries draw me like a magnet. And I love to look at the stonework and statuary and wonder about the people who are buried there. As I pulled into the cemetery, I noticed the American flag in the distance. Went to check it out and discovered the grave of a World War I hero. Milo Lemert was born in Marshalltown, Iowa and apparently moved to Tennessee before he entered the service. He was a First Sergeant in the U.S. Army, Company G, 119th Infantry, 30th Division. And he earned the Medal of Honor for his actions on Sept. 29, 1918 at Bellicourt, France. He took out three German machine-gun nests, and was killed as he took out the fourth.

From the Iowa Medal of Honor site:

Along with other American and British units, Lemert's 30th Division assualted a three thousand yard wide front of the strongly defended Hindenburg line at Bellicourt, trying to break through the intricate German tunnel and canal defense system. Thick barbed wire and many German machine guns provided effective resistance against the American attackers. The action was successful, yielding over 1,400 German prisoners.

The Medal of Honor presentation ceremony took place at the Crossville, Tennessee Christian Church on Oct. 19, 1919. Former Tennessee Senator E.G. Tollett presided. Colonel E. H. DeArmond, Chief of Staff of the Southeastern Department, U.S. Army, presented the medal to Lemert's wife, Nellie.

Excerpt from Milo's letter to his mother on July 13th, less than two months before he was killed:

"I am a pretty good soldier and am proud of it. As for me, I can shut my eyes and dream such sweet dreams of Tennessee, that I am sure I will have to be chained in heaven if I do get bumped off in No Man's Land."

Small Tiger

2010-04-14T08:13:00.006-05:00

I'm seeing lots of small swallowtails in the area and this is the first one I've gotten a photo of this year. The tall Phlox plant that I picked up at Wal-Mart seems to be a butterfly magnet. Since it's going to be a while before my eight Butterfly Bushes start blooming, I think I'm going to have to get more Phlox.

Looking In...

2010-03-27T13:26:00.004-05:00

Just peeking in to say "Hi!" I know I need to dust off this old blog. Just haven't felt like posting lately. But once the warm weather is here to stay and I can find some good photo ops...then I think I will enjoy blogging again. For me, it's more about pictures than words. Love photography, hate writing. And speaking of photography, I've been spending a lot of time entering photo competitions on Facebook, looking at photography sites on the web and researching cameras. Right now I have two modest point and shoots: a Kodak EasyShare M753 and a Canon PowerShot A1000. Good little cameras, but not enough zoom or versatility. (The Kodak is probably the better of the two.) I've never used a DSLR before, but I'm determined to learn how. Gotta have one! But don't have a gazillion dollars to spend on a camera and various lenses. So I need to find a good entry level DSLR. I want one of the smaller ones and I want to find a deal on one that comes with two kit lenses. Buying the lenses separately is way too expensive for me. And I have to have a camera that can produce good outdoor shots. I want the colors that my eyes see...to be the colors that come out of the camera. (I refuse to use PhotoShop.) I know a lot of people will only consider Canon or Nikon. But after doing lots of research, I think Olympus is the way to go. Of course, I also want a super zoom point and shoot. For that, I'm leaning towards Sony. So I'm off to do more camera research. I'll be back!

Coffee Party, USA

2010-03-16T17:30:00.001-05:00

Now this is a great idea. Political discourse with an emphasis on civility.

From the Coffee Party website:

Coffee Party USA is a grassroots volunteer organization that held more than 350 meetings across the United States on March 13, 2010 as part of its National Kick-off Day. The movement began on January 26, when Annabel Park of Montgomery County, Maryland, posted a series of Facebook status updates that included: "Let's start a coffee Party." This led to a Facebook fan page that quickly grew to more than 150,000 members and a website that allows people across the country to organize local Coffee Party chapters. Concerned about extreme political tactics and partisan bickering that has caused paralysis in the federal government, Coffee Party members represent a wide political and cultural spectrum. Among their chief aims is to restore civility and fact-based deliberation to the democratic process. During the April Congressional recess, Coffee Party USA will be organizing Coffee with Congress, inviting elected officials to sit down with their constituents to discuss the choices and challenges facing America today.

There's lots of Coffee Party information on Facebook, including links to many state, city and regional groups. As of now, there are 167,536 fans on the main page.

Seeing White

2010-01-30T14:42:00.005-06:00

Here are some shots from my area today. And the snow is still falling.

Why Facebook is for Old Fogies

2010-01-09T11:36:00.002-06:00

This is from an article by Lev Grossman that appeared in Time Magazine in Feb. 2009. This is older people telling younger people why they (the old fogies) are on Facebook.

1. Facebook is about finding people you've lost track of. And, we've lost track of more people than you've ever met. Remember who you went to prom with junior year? See, we don't. We've gone through mulitiple schools, jobs and marriages. Each one of those came with a complete cast of characters, most of whom we have forgotten existed. But Facebook never forgets.

2. We're no longer bitter about high school. You're probably still hung up on any number of petty slights, but when that person who used to call us that thing we're not going to mention here, because it really stuck, asks us to be friends on Facebook, we happily friend that person. Because we're all grown up now. We're bigger than that. Or some of us are, anyway. We're in therapy, and it's going really well.

3. We never get drunk at parties and get photographed holding beer bottles in suggestive positions. We wish we still did that. But we don't.

4. Facebook isn't just a social network; it's a business network. And unlike, say, college students, we actually have jobs. What's the point of networking with people who can't hire you? Not that we'd want to work with anyone your age anyway. Given the recession...and the amount of time we spend on Facebook...a bunch of hungry, motivated young guns is the last thing we need around here.

5. We're lazy. We have jobs and children and houses and substance-abuse problems to deal with. At our age, we don't want to do anything. What we want is to hear about other people doing things and then judge them for it.

6. We're old enough that pictures from grade school or summer camp look nothing like us. These days, the only way to identify us is with Facebook tags.

7. We have children. There is very little that old people enjoy more than forcing others to pay attention to pictures of their children. Facebook is the most efficient engine ever devised for this.

8. We're too old to remember e-mail addresses. You have to understand: we have spent decades drinking diet soda out of aluminum cans. That stuff catches up with you. We can't remember friends' e-mail addresses. We can barely remember their names.

9. We don't understand twitter. Literally. It makes no sense to us.

10. We're not cool, and we don't care. There was a time when it was cool to be on Facebook. That time has passed. Facebook now has 150 million members, and it's fastest growing demographic is 30 and up. At this point, it's way cooler not to be on Facebook. We've ruined it for good, just like we ruined "Twilight" and skateboarding. So git! And while you're at it, you damn kids better get off our lawn too.

Thought these were funny, though I think the author was actually referring to middle-aged people. I don't consider middle-aged people to be old fogies! But I do think there are a lot of people past middle age who use Facebook. It took me a long long time to get into it. And I don't care for the games or any of the silly applicatons. I don't want to poke anyone or send them teddy bears or hatching eggs. I'd rather use my Facebook page as a mini-blog. Just another place to share photos, opinions and a little of what's going on. It's an easy way to keep up with others...and a great place to look for people from the past. Better than Classmates. And speaking of the past, I started an alumni group for TV Guide on Facebook and it's going really well. It's been a lot of fun re-connecting with some of my former co-workers. Could not have found them without Facebook.

( Today, I think Facebook has more like 350 million users. And the fastest growing demographic is women over 55.)

Hello 2010!

2010-01-01T07:49:00.002-06:00

Boxing Day

2009-12-26T13:07:00.006-06:00

In some countries, this is Boxing Day. And it has nothing to do with a couple of guys in a ring trying to knock each other goofy. Or worse. Ugh! I hate that kind of boxing! There's lots of information on the internet about this day and from what I gather it originated in the United Kingdom. Today it's celebrated in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Greenland and countries in the Commonweath of Nations that have a large Christian population. In South Africa, this day is known as the Day of Goodwill.

Some historians say the holiday started because servants were required to work on Christmas day, but took the following day off. And as they prepared to leave to visit their families, their employers would present them with gift boxes.

Another theory is that the boxes placed in churches where parishioners deposited coins for the poor were opened and the contents were distributed on December 26, which is also the Feast of St. Stephen.

As time went by, Boxing Day gift giving expanded to include those who had rendered a service during the previous year. And now it's a day when stores have big sales. And since Boxing Day is a holiday and today is Saturday...I think this means our neighbors to the north have Monday off.

Anyway, I've often seen Boxing Day on my calendars and I wanted to learn a little about it. Obviously, my Canadian friends know a lot more than I do. Happy Boxing Day to them!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T07:37:00.003-06:00

Sky Watch Friday

2009-12-04T09:13:00.007-06:00

Last Sunday while walking in the woods, I noticed this lone Turkey Vulture soaring in the Tennessee sky. He's just a tiny speck. For other Sky Watch shots, visit the Sky Watch site.

More Monarchs

2009-10-18T21:29:00.001-05:00

It's cold now, but earlier in the month there were a couple of days when the neighborhood was full of Monarchs. These are just a few of the many photos that I took. I hope these beautiful butterflies are far away and in a warm place tonight.

Signing Off

2009-09-09T10:35:00.002-05:00

Might as well make it official. Signing off for now. Just don't feel like blogging. But might be back later.

Some Thoughts About Health Care

2009-08-20T10:49:00.014-05:00

I have not been able to afford health insurance for the past 9 years. My fault, of course, for making the decision to become self-employed as a pet-sitter after getting laid off from TV Guide. In Texas, I was able to afford a very good individual policy from PacifiCare. But when I moved to Alabama, I found I couldn't afford health insurance. Ditto for Tennessee. Finally, in 2007, I felt I could afford health insurance. I was in the process of looking at various plans, when I started having horrible back pains. Couldn't sleep and sometimes had to use a cane to walk. Went to doctors, had x-rays and an MRI. Got a diagnosis of three bulging discs in my lower back, degenerative disc disease, osteo-arthritis and mild scoliosis. Went on pain meds...and Xanax to help me sleep. Then I started physical therapy. Traction to be specific. And that, along with the Xanax, saved my life. I paid all of my medical bills on time, but often had to use my credit card. And that's a debt I'm still paying off. If my back had required surgery, there's no way I could have paid for that. Anyway, because of this bad back, there's no way I can get affordable insurance. But I'm doing okay. I'll always have some discomfort, but I know how to manage it. And I do it without taking any prescription or over-the-counter pain meds. (Because of my tinnitus.) The good news for me is that in Sept. 2010, I will turn 65 and then I can go on Medicare. So even if health care reform passes soon, I doubt if it would go into effect before I'm eligible for the government run program of Medicare. Maybe at that point, I can start getting regular check-ups again. Right now, with the exception of the dentist and eye doc, I don't go to doctors unless it's absolutely necessary. I think about prevention and taking care of myself and eating a healthful diet, but I never think about catching things early. Because if it's something life-threatening like cancer, there's not much I can do about it. So my strong feeling is that I would prefer to NOT know if I have a terminal disease...until it's time to die. Then my hope would be for some strong pain meds.

So...what about the uninsured who are still years away from Medicare? What about the people of any age who can't get the medical treatment they need because they lack insurance or they don't have enough insurance or the insurance company won't pay for the procedure they need? I think we've waited too long already. We need health care reform and we need the public option. And for some, it can't happen soon enough.

I've lost patience with a lot of the things I'm hearing on TV and in the town hall meetings. Death panels?? And President Obama is a Nazi?? Where do people get this stupid stuff? It's not that I don't think there are lots of legitimate concerns. And a perfect system for every citizen is impossible. But...we can and we must do better.

Ronni Bennett has declared today as: Elders for Health Care Reform. And to quote Ronni:

"Here is my question for elders who have Medicare and younger people who have private coverage who oppose health care reform: why is it all right for you to be well cared for by your physician while tens of millions of other Americans are not? How do you justify that?"

"The American health care system is broken. Insurance premiums are off the charts and continue, as they have for the past ten years or so, to increase at about seven precent annually. For those who want to keep our current system, remember that you're lucky to get a three percent salary increase each year. How long can you continue to afford coverage at these increasing rates?"

To read more from Ronni and to see links to other elder bloggers' posts about health care, check out Ronni's blog: Time Goes By.

Got Milkweed?

2009-08-07T15:42:00.018-05:00

Wowzer! Yesterday, the replacement battery for my Kodak came just in time. I can't remember the last time I saw a Monarch. And this is the first one I've ever seen in this Tennessee yard.

I did my computer research. I now know how to tell the difference between a Monarch and a Viceroy. And I've also learned how to tell males from females. This is a male Monarch.

This pretty fellow was enjoying my butterfly bushes and some of the other little wildflowers in my small butterfly garden. But as caterpillars, the Monarch eats nothing but milkweed. And milkweed has toxins in it. So Monarchs are also distasteful to birds. The look-alike Viceroys are Monarch mimics...so birds will usually avoid them also.

Everyone knows that Monarchs are the butterflies that migrate. But not all of them migrate. The first through third generation of Monarchs only live 2-6 weeks. It is the offspring of the third generation...the ones that are born in September and October that live long enough to migrate. This fourth generation lives 6-8 months. Long enough to migrate to Mexico and California for the winter. And this is the generation that comes out of hibernation in February and March, finds a mate and migrates north to lay their eggs. Those eggs (which turn into Monarch caterpillars) are the start of the first generation and the cycle begins all over again.

I don't know if Monarchs have been classified as endangered, but I do know there is concern that their numbers are decreasing. Some of the reasons I've heard include: urban sprawl, pesticides, destruction of milkweed, climate change and deforestation in their Mexican habitats. In an effort to help them survive and continue migrating, some people are creating "Monarch Waystations," which provide the butterflies and caterpillars with the plants they need to thrive and reproduce.

Spicebush Swallowtail

2009-07-31T13:54:00.014-05:00

For now, this has turned into a butterfly blog. I'm a little obsessed with them. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be a good year for butterflies. I was happy to see this beauty in the yard about a week ago.

This is the gorgeous Spicebush Swallowtail. Like the dark female Tiger Swallowtail, the Spicebush is a mimic of the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail. It's larger than the Pipevines that I've seen and easier to get a picture of. It doesn't flutter it's wings constantly like the Pipevine when it sips nectar. Finally...I think I can tell the different kinds of dark Swallowtails apart. And, so far, I think the Spicebush is my favorite of the black ones. I hope I'll see more of them this year. The Spicebush caterpillar loves to munch on spice bushes...and I've read that they also love Sassafras...and the woods here are full of Sassafras trees. The Spicebush Swallowtail is the state butterfly of Mississippi.

Giant Swallowtail

2009-07-21T08:11:00.006-05:00

This is the first Giant Swallowtail I've ever seen! Yesterday, I noticed this very large butterfly on the butterfly bushes in my and my neighbor's yards. This one is minus a tail and has some rips in it's wings. But it is still a gorgeous butterfly! It's not an easy one to get a photo of, because it flutters it's wings constantly and won't pose the way a Tiger Swallowtail will. And I was taking pictures in bright sunlight, which is never easy, no matter what setting I use.

I've read that these are one of the largest...if not THE largest butterfly in North America. As pretty as they are, in caterpillar form they are really ugly. They look like bird droppings. Clever...most predators don't eat bird droppings. And the caterpillars are often called "orange dogs" because they like to feed on citrus trees...like oranges. I think these butterflies are very common in Florida.

One Swallowtail

2009-07-15T15:09:00.005-05:00

Saw this butterfly on my Lochinch Butterfly Bush yesterday. I'm a beginner to butterfly lore, so I'm not sure what kind it is. I am sure it's not a Spicebush. The Spicebush has two rows of yellow-orange dots. This might be a female Eastern Tiger...but I think it's probably a Pipevine Swallowtail. I wonder why there aren't more butterflies this year?

Added 7/21: Thanks Sherry! Yes, this butterfly did flutter it's wings constantly. I think I've seen several Pipevine Swallowtails in my yard this year. And we are also having very cool...almost early fall-like weather.

Red-Spotted Purples

2009-07-09T16:16:00.009-05:00

I'm still not seeing many butterflies in my yard right now. Don't know why I'm not seeing any Swallowtails. I hope they're just late to the party. When I drive or walk around, I do see a lot of these Red-Spotted Purple Butterflies. They are very pretty, medium-sized butterflies. They look like small Swallowtails, sans tails. And they are mimics of the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail. That's a good thing for a butterfly, because most predators will avoid the Pipevines. I've read that Red-Spotted Purples sometimes mate with White Admiral Butterflies. And the offspring can have characteristics of both. I'm not sure...but I don't think we have White Admirals in this part of the U.S. I probably will never see Red-Spotted Purples on my Butterfly Bushes. I've read that while they sometimes will seek nectar from small white flowers, they prefer rotting fruit, carrion and dung. Bleah!!

Sky Watch Friday

2009-07-03T08:05:00.012-05:00

This is the fire watch tower on Firetower Road, just a little outside of Fairfield Glade. These pictures were taken yesterday and the one below is part of the view from that area. For a list of Sky Watch participants and more sky shots, visit the Sky Watch blog.

Diana Fritillaries

2009-06-29T17:28:00.012-05:00

For some reason, I'm not seeing many butterflies right now. But one morning last week, I saw this guy "basking" on the house and driveway next door. Butterflies are cold-blooded. They do not generate enough heat and energy from their own metabolisms to fly. So that's why you often see them on warm surfaces with their wings spread. They need to absorb the heat from the sun.

This is a male Diana Fritillary. And it's the first male Diana that I have ever seen. The males are easy to tell from the females. They are smaller than the females and they are brown and orange. The larger females are black and blue. Last year my yard was full of female Dianas and I got lots of photos of the girls. The Diana Fritillary seems to be plentiful here, but this is a butterfly that many people will never see in their yards. The species is distributed throughout the middle and southern Appalachians in forested areas and west to the Ozark Mountains in Missouri, Arkansas and into eastern Oklahoma. This is the state butterfly of Arkansas.

Above is one of my pictures from last summer of a female Diana Fritillary. I've read that the males emerge first, so hopefully I'll be seeing the girls soon.

A few days ago, on a bright sunny afternoon, I took these photos of a male Diana Fritillary on some of my new butterfly bushes. Might be the same guy that I saw earlier.

Today's Flowers

2009-06-22T08:55:00.003-05:00

Four years ago I moved some daylilies from the front yard to the back. I don't think I put them in an ideal spot, because they didn't bloom...until now. So this was a nice surprise. For more flower photos, check out Today's Flowers.

Great Spangled Fritillaries

2009-06-16T15:20:00.005-05:00

They're ba-ack! The large butterflies are back in town! Right now, I'm seeing a lot of Great Spangled Fritillaries. Yesterday, I really enjoyed taking pictures of this one that was enjoying the Lantana on my little deck. I think these are the most common fritillaries in most of the eastern U.S. I'm not sure how to tell the males from the females. I think they look very similiar. I've read that the females are darker and there are a few other small differences that I've yet to figure out. I've also read that this is a long-lived species. Which means this one might live for a few months instead of just a few weeks. Usually the older they are...the more tattered, ragged and faded they are. And this one does have a little rip in a left wing. Pretty butterfly, though.

We Are Fam-a-lee...

2009-06-15T15:21:00.005-05:00

Stopped by Spring Lake a few days ago when I saw this family of Canada Geese.

Uh oh! The minute I got out of the car, the goslings headed right towards me. I knew if they got too close, their parents would get upset. I backed away and the goslings went back to Mom and Dad.

After a little nap and some snacking on the long grasses by the lake, they all sailed away.

Beasties, Bugs and Blooms

2009-05-28T15:50:00.014-05:00

The lazy blogger returns. Here are a few pictures from the past few weeks...

The other day, I noticed these two girls in the yard next to mine. One of them was really focused on my Buddy cat. I watched her sound out the deer alarm by stomping her front feet. Buddy ignored her (my cats have gotten so used to seeing deer) and when he started to walk towards the deck, the deer started to follow. Deer are so curious about cats! But then something spooked the does (probably me with my camera) and they took off running. I think the chubby girl might be pregnant. I'm looking forward to seeing fawns in the yard.

Driving down Fox Creek Road outside of Fairfield Glade, I noticed this family of Canada Geese at Turner Lake. There were the two adult geese and their six goslings. Geese mate for life and they are very protective of each other and their young.

Approaching Lake Pomeroy the other day, I saw these Mallards walking from the creek and through the overflow towards the lake. There were five little ducklings with their Mama. Cute!

Haven't gotten a picture of a hummingbird yet, but I have gotten a couple of shots of Hummingbird Moths. The other day there were a couple of them enjoying the nectar from my mini-petunias. Not sure, but I would guess these are Snowberry Clearwing Sphinx Moths. Whatever kind they are...they are so interesting!

This purple Iris has started to bloom. This was planted by a former resident, so I don't know what kind it is. But I would guess it's a Siberian Iris. I like these little irises with the thick blue-green foliage so much better than the Bearded Irises. That second shot is looking at it from above. And those are raindrops on the flower. I've read that Siberian Irises look great planted next to ponds or water features. And I can see how that would be true. BTW, Tennessee's state flower is the iris. Any type of iris, I guess.

My Sungold Butterfly Bush has just put on it's first bloom. The bush doesn't look like much of anything yet...it has a lot of growing to do...but at least I know what the blooms will look like. Don't know if the butterflies will like the yellow as much as they like the purple. And the wildflowers I planted from seed are growing like weeds. But no flowers yet. And yes, that is Sugar Bear sitting in my future butterfly garden. I do have purple, pink and white Butterfly Bushes planted in other places in the yard. They are not blooming yet. And I'm planning on getting more Butterfly Bushes. Well, of course.

Puddling

2009-05-14T14:08:00.009-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, during a break in the rain, I drove out to the boat launch area at Lake Kirkstone. Right after getting out of the car, I saw three Swallowtail Butterflies on the ground.

These guys were "puddling." Male butterflies will often gather at wet spots or puddles to sip moisture from the sand and soil. The butterflies are seeking the salts and minerals that will help them reproduce.

Since black Eastern Tiger Swallowtails are always female, this Swallowtail is probably a Pipevine or Spicebush Swallowtail. I'd guess it's a Spicebush. There are several black-colored Swallowtails that look similiar. It's very difficult to identify them. And I'm not about to kill a butterfly to get a closer look at it.

I'm sure this is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Yellow Tigers can be male or female. This poor fellow has already lost both of his tails. I hate when that happens!

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T06:17:00.003-05:00

I've never had children. My kids are cats. But I'd like to wish all the ladies who do have children: a very Happy Mother's Day!!

(My Knock-Out Roses have just started to bloom. Took this photo yesterday, after the rain.)

First One

2009-04-24T14:30:00.020-05:00

OMG! There's a little Swallowtail frittering
around the Wisteria blossoms! Hurry, hurry, hurry, grab the camera!! Hurry, hurry, hurry, get out into the backyard!! Oh dang, this camera doesn't have any hurry-up in it!!!! Come baaaaaaack, little Swallowtail!

Couldn't get a good shot. This tiny Swallowtail wouldn't pose like the larger ones did on the Butterfly Bushes last year. I don't even have much blooming in the yard yet. I've bought a couple of small Butterfly Bushes which I've yet to plant and there are more that I want to buy. My Black Knight still looks like a bunch of sticks with just a little bit of green at the bottom. And I'm still getting the beds by the garage ready for those gazillion wildflower seeds that I bought months ago. I'm tired of fighting weeds, so I decided I'd try blooming weeds. And I'm trying to focus on the things that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. I'm even planting things that caterpillars like. I really didn't expect to see butterflies just yet. We still have a lot of brown here. The Dogwoods and Redbuds are gorgeous, but the hardwoods have just started to get leaves. But today is the warmest day we've had in 2009. Might not need a blanket tonight. Guess I'll be going downtown to buy some flowers tomorrow. Come baaaaaack, little Swallowtail! And bring all of your beautiful family and friends.

Kitty Update

2009-04-21T09:49:00.004-05:00

I have talked to the lady who adopted the little tortoiseshell. She said the cat is PERFECT! (Or should I say PURRFECT?) At first, her husband wasn't crazy about having a cat, but now it sounds like he is smitten also. She was planning on taking the kitty to the vet for a check-up in a few days, and I hope that went well. She said the cat sleeps on the bed with them and starts purring and asking for attention the minute they wake up. I think they are going to name her "Sadie" or "Maggie." So far, so good! I'm glad this sweet girl found her way to my door before something bad happened to her and I'm also sooooo glad my neighbor had a friend who was looking for a nice pet.

For the Love of Animals

2009-04-19T17:11:00.013-05:00

Lately, I have been spending a lot of time on Classmates, uploading photos. I want to win $5,000! And I've also been spending a lot of time on Findagrave. It's one of my favorite sites...and it's really not a morbid thing. It's actually a good place to do genealogy research and is also a place to honor the dead. And I've started adding memorials for friends and relatives. What I haven't been doing...is blogging! Not very often. Though I have recently started another photo blog, which is strictly pictures of Fairfield Glade. I enjoy taking pictures, but I'm not crazy about writing. It's not something that's ever been easy for me. My animal blog is the one I had neglected the most. So today, I was so pleased when my sister Cindy accepted my offer to be part of that blog. And zip-a-dee-doo-dah! She's already dusted it off and done a wonderful post about a touching relationship between an orangutan and a cat. Thank you Cindy!

FYI: I want Cindy to be an equal partner on the animal blog. She's had more experience blogging than I have.

Also: I just noticed a comment from Marnie. She said that the Findagrave site requires a payment to join. That's weird. I had to give an e-mail address and come up with a password...but for me it's always been a FREE site. And I just looked at their info. page and according to that, membership is still free. (Added 4/20/09)

Easter Greetings

2009-04-12T07:40:00.004-05:00

This old postcard was sent to my Aunt Alma in the early 1900s. There's no postmark on it that I can see, and it's addressed simply...to Miss Alma Robertson, Braithwaite, La. It's signed "Uncle Pat." And I don't know who that was. But I do know that the Robertson family lived in Braithwaite in 1910 and 1911. Aunt Alma was my Mom's oldest sibling, but she would have been a small child when she got this postcard. My Mom's Dad/my Grandfather was a plantation overseer and from my research it looks like he moved around quite a bit and worked on several sugar plantations in southern Louisiana. (He died when Mom was very young.) The old postcards in my Mom's things had a lot of different Louisiana addresses. And some had plantation names on them. St. Louis Plantation in Plaquemine and Ellington Plantation in Luling are two of them. And my Mom said the family lived on Allendale Plantation in Port Allen when she was very young. I think there were/are several plantations in the Braithwaite area also. Maybe Aunt Alma was living on one of them when she got this postcard.

Happy Easter!

Keeping My Fingers Crossed

2009-04-05T15:05:00.004-05:00

I hope things work out for this adorable little girl. This little tortoiseshell showed up at my front door this past Wednesday. She was hungry for food and for attention. It's obvious that she is...or was someone's pet. I worried about her being outside at night because of the wild animals around here. So I made her comfortable in the bathroom off of my bedroom. Can't call it a master bath because it's not very big. But it has a window and it's one of the few rooms in the house that my cats don't claim as their own. Didn't want to upset the hoodlums with the new kid in town! Provided her with a litter box and put water and food dishes on one side of the sink and a kitty bed on the other side. And she loved sleeping in that bed. She's very quiet and well-behaved. That first night, I don't think my cats knew there was another furry one in the house. Can't imagine someone dumping her out here, but I think that is what happened. I did put out a "found cat" sign in the Village Green mall, but haven't gotten any calls. Anyway, this morning I showed the tortoiseshell to my next door neighbor. My neighbor said she has a friend who has been talking about getting a cat or dog. She called that friend to tell her about the kitty and the friend said she would take her sight unseen. She came and got her shortly afterwards and I think she was impressed with how pretty and sweet this kitty is. The lady said she would take her in to Dr. Dan tomorrow to have her checked out. I told her that if things don't work out, the kitty is returnable. I absolutely do not want this little cat to end up in any shelter where pets are euthanized if they don't get quickly adopted. Also: the lady said to let her know if I found any dogs on my doorstep. Be careful what you wish for. That could happen.

In the Trees

2009-03-19T14:58:00.010-05:00

Kitty in the tree, that's Simon. And yes, you can sing that to "Lucy in the Sky, with Diamonds." I love Beatles music and my version has no reference to LSD. I'll never forget when "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" came out. Babs G. and I were living in a duplex close to the LSU campus. One night when some of our friends were visiting, we put Sgt. Pepper on the stereo and then climbed up into the branches of a large tree in the front yard. And there we sat, listening to the Beatles and drinking beer or wine. Yep, we had a tree party. And we got in soooo much trouble with the landlord! For me, college was all partying and no graduating.

But back to the present and Simon. On that last post, someone asked about the things that Simon likes to carry in his mouth. In the past, I've had cats who would bring me all kinds of strange things that they found. One in particular was literally...a cat burglar. And I'll do a post about him soon. But with Simon it's mainly collars that he likes to carry in his mouth. He will wrestle other cats and pull their collars off of their necks...then proudly walk around with it hanging out of his mouth. Stopping ever so often to drop it and play with it. I think this is his way of showing that he got the best of them. So when he sees a collar on the ground outside, of course, he's going to pick it up. And then he brings his treasure inside to show me..."Look what I found!"

When we were living in Alabama, he once brought me a small snake. I took it away from him and set it free. And once, a road-kill squirrel somehow ended up in front of my door. (Oh Simon, you really shouldn't have!) The strangest thing he ever carried home in his mouth was one of those glue traps that people use to catch mice with. And there was a baby mouse stuck in it! And the poor thing was still alive! I worked for hours getting that poor creature loose. Then I set it free in the big field behind my yard. The mouse probably died, but I didn't want it to die in that stupid glue trap. That's a slow cruel death for a little creature. I hate those things!

Weird...Simon rarely sits in my lap. But he just jumped in my lap and is now purring his head off and pawing at the keyboard. He knows I'm writing about him!

Let Sleeping Cats Lie

2009-03-11T14:28:00.004-05:00

Took this picture of Buddy yesterday. He's getting his beauty rest on the old sofa in my little office. Buddy is what most of us call an orange tiger or orange tabby. Technically, he's a red mackeral tabby. And that just refers to his color and striped color pattern. He's a mixed breed kitty with short fur, so that makes him a domestic shorthair. When I was a kid, we called these mixed breed cats: alley cats. In England, they call them: moggies.

Buddy is 11 years old and he suffers from Hyperthyroidism. It's not uncommon for older cats to develop thyroid problems. So far, he's doing well on his medication. He gets Methimazole twice a day. And he's so sweet. I never have any problems giving him his pills.

BTW, he's wearing his purple collar here. Several weeks ago, he lost this collar outside. He often does that. And Simon (gray/white tabby) often finds the collar and comes into the house carrying it in his mouth. Velvet's collar is lost now. And in time, Simon will probably bring me that one also.

Memories

2009-03-06T06:35:00.003-06:00

I just love this old picture from the 70s. This is my friend Patti hugging our friend Steve. (He's blowing bubbles.) I met Patti when I lived at the Greenridge Apartments in Houston. We quickly became good friends and started spending a lot of time together. There were lots of parties, Mexican food outings, happy hours, Oilers games, baseball games, wonderful meals at Patti's place (hey, I only know how to chop salads) and late night gabfests...with lots of wine or lots of coffee. We knew so many people at Greenridge...it seems like most of them were our age. Which is probably why our parties rarely bothered anyone. (Well, I hope we didn't drive anyone insane, because I know I HATE it when people play their music too loud!) Anyway, it seemed like almost everyone in the complex went to those parties. On Friday night, if someone cranked up "Sly and the Family Stone," that signaled the party was at their place. Patti and I met Steve and George at Greenridge. And later, Jay became a member of our little group. There were certainly others that moved in our circle. But when I think of those days, it's mainly the five of us that I remember...Patti, Steve, George, Jay and I.

Eventually we all went our separate ways. And the only one that I've stayed in touch with is Patti. Patti did get a chance to see the guys again a few years ago. I'm glad for that, because she and Steve were very close. And Steve passed away last year.

Today is Patti's birthday. Happy Birthday, dear friend!

Wood Ducks

2009-03-01T13:36:00.006-06:00

I wish I could have gotten a close-up picture of this pair. Driving towards Lake Pomeroy yesterday, I noticed these ducks walking in the water that flows over the road and into a stream on the other side. I stopped and snapped a pic. (You can see the rain drops on my windshield.) The ducks were frightened of me and they swam off in the lake as fast as they could. I'm sure these are Wood Ducks. In the second photo, I can see the long crest on the male's head. The males are gorgeous! They are medium-sized perching ducks that nest in tree cavities near or above water. They will use nest boxes and they like the natural cavities created by Pileated Woodpeckers. And we sure do have a lot of Pileateds in this area. The ducks pair up in January and are the only North American duck that regularly produces two broods a year. I hope that means I'll be seeing lots more of them!

The Birds!

2009-02-27T11:59:00.029-06:00

This morning when I was sitting at the computer, I glanced out my windows and was startled to see these HUGE birds sitting in a couple of trees in the woods across the street. I know!!! (said like Craig Ferguson) It looked like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds."

These are just a few of the pictures I got. Many of the birds were sitting in a spread-wing position. We had a lot of rain this morning, so maybe they were drying their feathers. Slowly they all flew towards the woods behind my house. When they flew, their wings made a loud swishing sound. Then they started circling and soaring...much like hawks. They are beautiful in flight! At first, I thought they were Black Vultures. But now I'm almost certain that these were Turkey Vultures. In the photo above, you can see a hint of the pinkish-reddish head.

At first I thought these might be Black Vultures, because Black Vultures are more likely to travel in flocks than Turkey Vultures. And when I looked out of my windows, there were at least 20 of these large birds perched in the trees. There might have been as many as 30. You can't tell that there were that many from my photos, because the minute I stepped outside with the camera, the birds started moving and flying off.

More on TVs, from the Turkey Vulture Society:

~Turkey Vultures do not hunt live animals. They are not a danger to children or pets.

A group of Vultures is called a "venue." Vultures circling in the air are a "kettle." Circling vultures do not necessarily indicate the presence of a carcass. They might be gaining altitude for a long flight, searching for food or playing.

Turkey Vultures have the best sense of smell of the American vultures. They find food with their eyesight and their sense of smell.

They prefer fairly fresh food. They eat rotten meat only when there is nothing else. They also prefer to eat herbivorous animals, avoiding that of dogs and other carnivores. They are attracted to the smell of mercaptan, a gas produced by the beginnings of decay.

Vulture poop is actually a sanitizer!

Males and females are identical.~

Okay, I'm not suggesting we clean our homes with vulture poop, :-) but I just wanted to make it clear that these large, ugly birds are a benefit to the environment. They clean things up! And they are not to be feared. I like them. (Well, of course!) And they are beautiful in flight. [Added 2/28/09]

American Bald Eagle

2009-02-20T16:47:00.004-06:00

OMG!! I saw a Bald Eagle today! He was sitting next to Mirror Lake in the Village Green area. I pulled into the parking lot next to the lake and tried to sneak up on him. But the crows were already fussing at him and he flew off. The top photo was the best I could do as he took off. I'm going to have to get a camera with more zoom and with some hurry-up! More shutter speed is what I think I need. The second picture is the eagle sitting in the trees. Thanks to the crows, I was able to find him. But dang, a little point and shoot 3X zoom just won't do the job. The eagle flew again and I couldn't find him after that.

Well, as you can tell, I haven't felt like blogging lately. I NEVER EVER tire of other people's blogs, but I'm sooooo bored with my own!

Another Dog Rescue

2009-02-09T09:44:00.005-06:00

If you love animals and if you love happy endings, you should check out My Texas Island. This is my younger sister's blog. And once again Cindy...and hubby Rick...have re-united a lost dog with it's owner. Cindy seems to be a magnet for lost and abandoned animals. And yesterday, she noticed this cute little fuzzy guy in her Houston neighborhood. The puppy is back home with his family now. Yay! Great job, Sis!!!

Scroll down a bit on her blog and you will see another happy ending for a gerbil. Someone abandoned him/her at Cindy and Rick's pond business.

(Cindy's blog is on Vox and you do have to register if you want to leave a comment. But it's easy and then you can comment on any Vox blog.)

Groundhog Day

2009-02-02T16:05:00.018-06:00

We had light snow falling for most of the morning. And there might be more tomorrow. So far, no problems with the roads or power lines.

I'm sorry the Tennessee Titans didn't make it to the Super Bowl. But I can enjoy a football game more when my team is NOT playing. Because then it doesn't matter as much and I can watch every play. When the Titans play, I can't stand to watch when they're doing badly. So I do some channel surfing when things aren't going well. And I hope when I come back to the game, that a miracle will have happened. Sometimes it has...and dang!...I missed seeing it! Anyway, I enjoyed the Super Bowl yesterday. And I was pulling for the boys from Steel Town. I didn't enjoy the commercials. Though I did like the Pedigree commercial (bad bird!, bad bird!) and I loved the Clydesdales in the Budweiser ads.

About a week ago, Lin of Letters From Lin, tagged me with another meme. Some memes are not easy for me. And this is one of those. But I did tell Lin I'd try to do it. So, since I don't want to be a... liar, liar with my pants on fire!..here it is. The idea is to list 8 things about yourself in each category. Compared to most people, my life is simple and dull. Very! There's no way I can find 8 things in each category. Though I can with the first category. Oh yes, I love television.

TV Shows/Movies I watch regularly:

1.) Nascar (The season starts soon!)

2.) Animal Planet (Well, of course.)

3.) TCM Movies (Especially B/W movies from the 40s.)

4.) American Idol

5.) Survivor

6.) Medium

7.) ER

8.) House

Things that happened yesterday:

1.) Took care of the cats

2.) Went out for a newspaper

3.) Watched the Super Bowl

4.) Researched a bunch of things on the internet

Favorite Places to Eat:

1.) On my sofa in front of the TV

2.) On my bed in front of the TV

3.) Dynasty Asian Cafe in Crossville

4.) Red Lobster in Cookeville

5.) Subway Sandwich Shop in Crossville

Things I'm Looking Forward to:

1.) Spring

2.) Planting a butterfly garden

3.) Taking pictures of butterflies

Things on my wish list:

1.) Health Insurance (Not possible until I turn 65)

2.) Newer Toyota (Not anytime soon, maybe never)

3.) Cure for Tinnitus (Very very unlikely)

4.) Cosmetic surgery on my turkey neck. (Very very unlikely)

5.) Road trip all over the U.S. and Canada (Not possible)

6.) Scenic train trip from anywhere to anywhere (Maybe someday)

7.) Visits to places where I've lived in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Colorado (Some of those will probably happen...Alabama is not far)

8.) And what I wish for the most...is to be 30 years old again! (Only in my dreams!)

Anyone who wants to do this...have at it.

Oh Possum!

2009-01-27T15:11:00.008-06:00

For the past few weeks, I've been seeing this opossum in my yard, often very close to my deck. I don't know why a nocturnal animal keeps showing up so close to the house in the daytime. He (or she) does not look ill. I know the opossum does like sunflower seeds, but I feed the birds and deer way in the back...where my yard ends and the woods begin. I don't leave cat or dog food out. But this homely critter, which I've named T.S. (for T.S. Eliot), keeps hanging around. I don't really mind, I just worry about my cats. My cats get some outside time during the day and I don't want them to get too close to T.S. Actually, four of my five cats seem content to just watch T.S. But tiny Sugar Bear puffs up and acts like she wants to go possum hunting. I think she's brain damaged. :-) She's smaller than the opossum.

Opossums are not aggressive animals, but they will fight if cornered. And they have 50 sharp teeth. When I walked towards T.S. to get the photo, he/she showed me those teeth and gave a hiss. But the poor, awkward thing just wanted to get far far away from me. I feel a little sorry for them because I see so many of them dead in the street and I know a lot of people don't care for them because they're not pretty animals.

I read that there are over 65 species of opossum, but the only one in North America is the Virginia Opossum. (I think that's because it was first seen by the Virginia colonists) And the opossum is the only marsupial in North America.

Opossums are actually a benefit to any area that they inhabit. They eat a lot of the yard and garden pests that most people hate. I even read that they eat cockroaches! We don't have a problem with those nasty bugs here...but they were a huge problem in Baton Rouge where I grew up. Maybe we should have had opossums as pets. (Just kidding, I don't believe in trying to make pets out of wild animals.)

For more information about opossums, visit: The Opossum Society of the United States or The National Opossum Society.

FYI: I have read that opossums are more resistant to rabies than any other mammal. (added 1/29/09)

Happy Birthday!

2009-01-25T07:39:00.004-06:00

This is a Christmas photo of Nonie (front row center) with her husband, her children, her daughters-in-law, her son-in-law, her grandchildren...and one grand dog. Happy Birthday, sis!

Sky Watch Friday

2009-01-23T07:04:00.001-06:00

This was yesterday's evening sky. I took these from my street. To link to the Sky Watch list, click on my post title.

Thursday was one of the warmest days we've had in a while. Earlier in the day, I noticed that most of the lakes still had some ice on them...even though the temps were in the 40s. This is little Mirror Lake in the Village Green area. Most of the ducks were walking on the ice. It looked like a meeting of the Mallards on Mirror Lake.

Third Culture Kids

2009-01-21T13:14:00.023-06:00

In early December, I received an e-mail about TCKs. Up until then, I had never heard this term. In part, the e-mail read:

We have all heard that Barack Obama was born in Hawaii to a white American mother and a Kenyan father, and lived for a few of his childhood years in Indonesia. Some have called this background exotic. Others are suspicious of it, or dismiss it as unimportant. These people clearly have not heard of "Third Culture Kids," but they're about to, because Obama is a TCK and he's invited a whole bunch of them to move to Washington with him.

TCKs are people who spent some or all of their childhood outside their passport country, usually because of a parent's job or education. In their book, "Third Culture Kids: the Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds," David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken note the following benefits of this lifestyle:

1) An expanded world view. They have experienced, firsthand, that not everyone in the world speaks, thinks, acts or feels alike.

2) An enriched, three-dimensional knowledge of other cultures.

3) Adaptability. They learned when they were children how to be and act in very different circumstances.

4) Good observational skills. They have spent some time at the sidelines, watching outsiders.

I found this very interesting. TCK skills seem quite relevant for people who are trying to make the world a more peaceful place.

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T13:41:00.014-06:00

Yes!!! This is the 44th President of the United States being sworn in. The times they are a-changing....

And the snow it is a-falling. This was my backyard yesterday. A light snow fell all day and it's still snowing today. It's very pretty.

FYI: We usually get a little snow every winter. But ours is measured in inches, not feet. No blizzards here.

Sky Watch Friday

2009-01-16T09:49:00.005-06:00

There's nothing special about this picture that I took from my back yard in Dec. So I'm not adding my name to the Sky Watch list. But for some reason, I like it. I like those bare branches against the cloudy, moody sky. (As usual, my post title links to the other Sky Watchers.)

This morning it was colder on the Cumberland Plateau than it was in New York city. It was 0º (F) outside when I got up. I think it's up to 5º now. Of course, if you live in Iowa, this sounds warm. And there's no snow or ice here. It's bright and sunny outside.

And speaking of New York city. New Yorkers are FANTASTIC in a crisis! I really admire them. I've never been to NYC, but I ♥ New York.

Well, the reluctant blogger has done it again. I've started a blog that is about my passion. It's about animals and animal issues. It is a place where I can talk about shelters, rescue groups, individuals who dedicate their lives to helping animals, breeds that I love, etc., etc. Anything about animals...both domestic and wild...that concerns or interests me. It's a place where I can blab on and on and on about anything and everything to do with animals. Of course, there will still be pictures of cats and deer and birds, etc. on Country Roads. :-)

I hope everyone has a good weekend. Stay warm!

Sky Watch Friday

2009-01-09T09:57:00.010-06:00

This is a Cedar Waxwing sitting on the bare branch of an Oak tree in my front yard last Sunday afternoon.

There was a large flock of these beautiful birds eating the berries on my pear trees.

Cedar Waxwings are medium sized songbirds with crests and black masks edged in white. They are gray-brown birds with yellow tummies and yellow tips on their tail feathers. They also have red tips on some of their wings but those are not visible in my photos. They love to eat berries and fruit.

FYI: I have read that Cedar Waxwings are sometimes called Canada Robins or Cedar Birds. Their summer range is Canada and the central U.S. They spend the winter in the southern U.S. They are year round residents of the Pacific Northwest, the central and northeast U.S. (Added 1/12/09)

(For the list of other Sky Watchers, click on my post title.)

Hello 2009!

2009-01-01T07:40:00.001-06:00

My Backyard

2008-12-30T09:35:00.008-06:00

This was my yard yesterday evening. Just a little before kitty curfew. I see cats and deer in the yard almost every day. Here, Buddy is sitting on the edge of my future butterfly garden and a doe is edging closer and closer. I think the deer are more curious about the cats, than vice versa. Now, if only someone would have a contest for the first person to submit a photo with both an orange tabby cat and a white tail deer in it. I'd have a chance at winning that one!

Thanks for everyone's nice comments on that last post. I'll continue to blog. And in the same inconsistent manner. And I won't put google ads on THIS blog. But I'm still curious as to how that works and I might try it on another site.

Questions

2008-12-28T13:54:00.008-06:00

To blog or not to blog? I started this blog on Jan. 1 of this year. Don't know if I want to continue. I do like having a place to post pictures. If I do continue blogging, maybe I should start including those google ads. I really don't like the looks of ads on blogs. But I need every penny I can get. I could start another blog that would strictly be about pets. That way the google ads would probably all be for pet-related items. And I need to learn how CafePress works. Maybe I could sell something through them. The New Year is almost here and it's time to make some decisions. Or not. :-)

FYI: These two pics were taken from my yard yesterday evening.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T08:00:00.005-06:00

This is an old photo from Christmas 1952. Here are the Mays visiting a neighbor. The tiny tot in the front is my sister Cindy. Sitting on the arm of the couch is Carolyn, holding her new roller skates. Next to her is Mom, then Nonie, then a very amused me and then Dad.

No white Christmas here. Today it's beautiful and sunny in east Tennessee, with temps probably going up into the low 50s.

And to all who stop by here:

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

Lucky Dog

2008-12-22T13:40:00.007-06:00

Yesterday, when I was coming back from the grocery store, I saw this couple with the dogs. I don't know these people real well, but I met them when I first moved here. They live down the street. And I often see them walking with their black dog. I was happy to see this white dog with them, because I had been soooo worried about her! I think someone dumped her out here. I saw her on my deck several weeks ago. I fed her and then she disappeared. About a week later, I saw her following another neighbor down the street. The man said she just came out of the woods and started following him. She was dirty and thin, but before I could get her some food, she took off running down the street. Didn't see her again until yesterday. This couple took her in and they will take care of her until they can find her a "forever home." She has been registered with Wags and Whiskers, which is one of the no-kill rescue organizations in the area. I am so glad she is not hungry and is not out fending for herself in this very cold weather. She is so sweet...and it looks like she might be part Whippet. If I didn't have five dog-hating cats, I'd love to have her. Buddy had a yowling, howling fit when he saw her on HIS deck. And he was throwing himself against my glass door in an effort to get at her. I had to use a deck chair like a lion tamer just so I could get back into the house without the cat getting out or the dog getting in.

It is very cold today. It was 5 degrees...with a windchill of -6 when I woke up. It won't go above freezing today, but will start warming up into the 40s tomorrow. After days of rain, it is sunny and beautiful here. No icy streets, so there are no travel problems. I like winter, as long as there are no ice storms to contend with. I had my fill of those in Dallas.

Sad News

2008-12-13T18:56:00.008-06:00

Ed fishing on Lake Guntersville, Al., April 2003

Just got some devastating news. Tonight, Ed's daughter called from Dallas to tell me that Ed died this past Tuesday. For some reason, they couldn't find my phone no. when it happened. The memorial service was this morning.

It had been a long time since Ed and I had dated, but we remained friends. In Sept. of 2007, right around the time that I first started having back problems, Ed was diagnosed with lung cancer. Last time I talked to him he was feeling good...even though he had recently had a bad scare. The doctor had just given him a check-up and put him on a new med. Ed was in good spirits. Everyone...including Ed, thought he had more time.

Sky Watch Friday

2008-12-12T12:45:00.007-06:00

I'm not adding my name to that long Sky Watch list, but to link to the Sky Watch blog, just click on my post title.

Stopped at Robin Hood Park, one day in October, to get this shot of Lake Catherine and the evening sky.

Ice Cream Saturday

2008-12-06T17:29:00.012-06:00

Today is ice cream day. In my world, every Saturday is ice cream day. I buy a pint, grab a spoon and eat it right out of the carton. Usually in one sitting. I've done this for more than 20 years. And Mayfield Ice Cream is to Tennessee, what Blue Bell is to Texas. Sorry, Buddy, it's all gone.

Thanks for everyone's nice comments on those six random things. I think you guys probably meant "strange" or "weird" instead of interesting. But y'all are just too nice to say that. It's okay, I like being different.

And Caryn asked about the Tinnitus. My Tinnitus is a low hissing sound. I've gotten used to it and most of the time, I am not aware of it. Though in the last few months, it has gotten worse and right now, I'm VERY aware of it because I'm thinking and writing about it. I've yet to discuss it with a doctor, but I know from my own research that there is no cure.

And about the wolf howls. I have no idea why I do that. It's doesn't happen very much...but it does happen. I think it's only happened once in the last 3 years. But it was just a few months ago. It's not something you forget. When Ed and I were together, I often stayed at his house at night. And after I moved to Alabama, I mentioned the wolf howls to him. He muttered "You do that a lot." I don't think there's any way I could howl and not wake myself up. So I think (?) he was just kidding me.

The wolf howls make me wonder about reincarnation. I'm open to it. No, I don't think I was a wolf in a previous life, but I wonder if I could have been someone who lived in an environment where there were wolves. Such as a Native American. It's interesting to think about.

In the meantime, when the cats are misbehaving, I'll just google "wolf howls." Freaks them out. :-)

Sky Watch Friday

2008-12-05T07:32:00.001-06:00

For a list of Sky Watch participants, click on my post title to link to the Sky Watch blog.

Took this photo (above) of the sky as I walked through the woods on Wednesday evening. For some wonderful reason, I had tons on energy on Wednesday and the weather was gorgeous! So I walked for a long time...and mostly through the woods. I just don't like walking on concrete or gravel.

These three photos are of the moon on that same evening. I noticed it as I was heading back down Pomeroy towards my house. From my internet research, I know that this is a waxing crescent moon. Waxing means that the moon is getting larger. And the part of the moon that we see (in the northern hemisphere) appears to be the right side.

Six Random Things

2008-12-04T08:21:00.002-06:00

A few days ago, Debi of The Giraffe Head Tree tagged me with a meme. The idea is to list six random things about yourself. Link back to the tagger and tag six other bloggers. The first time I did this meme, I did tag other bloggers. But now I'd rather just leave it up for grabs. If you want to do it...consider yourself tagged.

And BTW, Debi lives on Wheeler Lake in north Alabama. I lived in the Huntsville area for several years and I LOVE that part of the country. North Alabama is very pretty!

My six things:

1) I have had tinnitus (ringing in the ears) for 20+ years. It never lets up. And the noises are getting louder.

2) I've never been married. It wasn't a conscious choice...well, except for the fact that I stupidly only wanted "Mr. Baseball." And THAT was going nowhere. Anyway, it's just the way things turned out.

3) When I was in college (LSU), I did promos for radio station WAIL. The station manager censored some of them, because he thought they sounded too sexy. Maybe that was because I had to drink a truckload of beer to get the courage to do them. Ya think?

4) I am VERY interested in the paranormal. I love anything spooky. I should have been a ghost hunter.

5) Sometimes I wake myself up...howling like a wolf. Really! I think I started doing this after reading "Secret Go the Wolves" by R.D. Lawrence.

6) I've never learned to cook. If some nutcase pulled a gun on me and said: "Make me some potato salad or die." I would say: "Oh shoot!"

On second thought....it's easy to see why I'm single.

Gray Monday

2008-12-01T12:08:00.011-06:00

When I woke up this morning, there was just a little patchy snow on the ground. And by noon, it was all gone. But this afternoon, it started snowing again and now, my yard looks like this. (Above photo) I think about an inch is all that is predicted. Usually the best snowfalls here occur in January and February. Still...it's nothing like what people in Canada or in the northern U.S. get. We don't need snow blowers or snow shovels. Though Fairfield Glade does have a snowplow and it usually comes out at least once in the winter.

Pictured above are the two kitties that I just finished taking care of. The one in the kitchen sink is Kay-Lei. (Doesn't everyone have a tabby in their sink?) She is a new one and this was my first time to meet her. I think she is just a big kitten...going through that gangly stage. That very very active..."driving the other cat crazy" stage. The other cat, sitting on the mail, is Magic. She's a sweet, shy one. They are both nice kitties and I enjoyed pet-sitting again.

Today is a good day to stay in and look at blogs. My sister Nonie told me about Bye Bye, Pie! a few weeks ago. I look at it almost every day because the young woman who writes this blog is so witty and so funny! Even when she's scared out of her mind about a worrisome report on her mammogram, she writes with humor. Anyway, her blog is definitely worth checking out. Really! Though I must admit, I've never left a comment and don't know if I ever will. I'm often a little shy about leaving comments on blogs. I read blogs for years, before finally getting up the courage to start leaving comments. And one day I read a blog where the blogger referred to those who don't leave comments as "lurkers." What? I'm a lurker? I hate that! Lurker sounds a little sinister. Sort of like stalker. I'm a nice person...just a little shy and lacking in self-confidence. And not always very articulate. So...Your Honor, I object to that lurker tag! :-) I really really like it when people leave comments on my dull little blog. But it wouldn't bother me if they didn't. I've lived alone for most of my life. I'm used to talking to myself. :-)

March Sunset

2008-11-30T09:03:00.007-06:00

In early March, I took this photo of the sun going down over Lake Catherine. My post title links to the Sunrise-Sunset site.

Sky Watch Friday

2008-11-28T09:18:00.009-06:00

This was the Tennessee sky this morning...as seen from my back yard.

And about a week ago, there was a morning when hawks were circling in the sky. I took some pics from my little deck. I'm not adding my name to the Sky Watch list, but to see sky shots from all over the world, just click on my post title.

I've started another blog just for my photos. I thought about putting them on Flickr or even on Facebook, but for me...I think using Blogger is easier. I know a lot of people complain about Blogger, but so far I've had few problems. And maybe that's because I keep it fairly simple. I'm on dial-up, so I'm very aware of how long it can take for a blog that has lots of "stuff" on it to come up. I don't want to wait for 20 minutes...for hundreds of photos and widgets to download...just so I can leave a comment. And I don't want mine to be that complicated either. If it is a problem for anyone, please tell me. Anyway, my second blog is called My Photos. Duh! And it' s a place where I can post photos to my heart's content. Sometimes with no words or explanations. I love taking pictures! My cute little, plum-colored digital camera (a gift from Nonie) is a Kodak Easyshare M753. It has 7 megapixels and a 3X optical zoom. Of course, it's not the best digital camera out there...but it's perfect for a beginner and I do LOVE it! Though someday, I will probably purchase a camera with more zoom. The zoom on my Kodak is not real powerful. (Which is one of the reasons I haven't been able to get a good picture of those cute little Bufflehead Ducks that I keep seeing on Spring Lake & Lake St. George!) I also hate the Easyshare software that came with the camera, so I don't use it. I use Picasa3. And I love honest photos, so I have no interest in Photoshop. I crop a lot and occasionally I will lighten a really dark picture, but that's all. What you see, is what you get. For me, the challenge is in TAKING the picture. Trying to find the perfect spot to take the photo and/or trying to find a spot where the power lines won't show up...or finding a way to "frame" the photo. I love to frame my outdoor shots with trees whenever possible. So, I'm going to enjoy having a place that is just for photos. I've already posted all of the Swallowtail pictures from last summer...and I have lots more butterfly shots. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T07:27:00.003-06:00

This picture of Sammy was taken a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to Kevin, the leaves in my yard have been vacuumed up.

In a little while, I'm off to pet-sit for a couple of kitties. Last year when my back problems started, I closed down my pet-sitting business because I just couldn't handle the physical demands of the job anymore. Pet-sitting is one of the reasons I have bulging discs in my back. But I'm a bit better now and it feels good to be able to do this one little simple job.

And then, I'm off to Nonie and E.J.'s for the annual Thanksgiving pig-out. :-) Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

Sunset Photo

2008-11-23T12:08:00.007-06:00

I decided to participate in a new meme. I know some people hate these photo memes, but I like any excuse to post a picture. Not that I need an excuse. After all, it's my blog and I can do what I wanna. :-) And I don't enjoy writing. Never have. School essays were TORTURE for me! Anyway, my post title links to the Sunrise-Sunset Photo Blog.

This is one of the pictures I took of a June sunset at Heatherhurst Golf Course. I posted one of the pictures for Sky Watch on June 13. This is the first time I've posted this one. That particular sunset was one of the most beautiful and dramatic ones that I've ever seen.

Sky Watch Friday

2008-11-21T07:23:00.002-06:00

Once again, I'm not going to add my name to that long Sky Watch list. But for anyone who wants to join Sky Watch or check out wonderful sky shots from around the world, just click on my post title.

On Wednesday,when I was coming home from Food Lion, I saw these water birds on Lake St. George. I think these are American Coots. And I believe Tennessee is part of their winter range. American Coots are dark gray to black birds with a white bill. The juveniles are paler with duller bills. The males and females look alike. They move like ducks and often feed with them. Unlike ducks, they don't have webbed feet. They have lobed toes. They are expert swimmers, but are also heavy birds that must patter over the water before becoming airborne. I noticed them again yesterday at Lake St. George and I hope to get more pictures. Would love to get a photo of them running on water before lift-off. :-)

Happy Birthday, Cindy!

2008-11-20T05:50:00.001-06:00

Today is my youngest sister's birthday. I "stole" this photo from her blog: My Texas Island. This is a photo of Cindy (in red) and her daughter Amy, celebrating last Christmas at Amy's home in Austin. When we were small and living in Baton Rouge, Cindy and I not only had to share a room...we had to share a bed. And I guess I must have been really mean about keeping her off of my side...because I am STILL hearing about it. :-) We finally got our own bedrooms when our family moved to Houston. And that was one of the best things that ever happened to us. We get along fine now and we definitely share a love for animals and nature. Fact is, it seems that lost and abandoned dogs keep showing up in Cindy's life. And she does every thing she can to help them. But when she's not trying to save animals, she and husband Rick stay busy with their Houston pond business: Coral Bay Waterscapes. Enjoy your Birthday, Sis!

In Memory of My Sister

2008-11-16T08:09:00.005-06:00

This is a photo of my oldest sister, Carolyn and her guitarist/singing partner, Billy. Singing was her passion and it was often how she made her living. This photo was probably taken in the 80s or very early 90s...possibly in a Gulf Shores, Alabama club.

Carolyn M. Farnam

Nov. 16,1939-Dec. 25, 2002

Cry of the Wild Goose

2008-11-15T10:04:00.004-06:00

Yesterday afternoon, I heard honking and when I looked up, I saw these geese flying over the house. Whenever I see them in a V-formation, I'm reminded of the first line of a song: "My heart knows what the wild goose knows." That's from Frankie Laine's: "Cry of the Wild Goose." I loved that song when I was a kid. Frankie Laine (1913-2007) also did "Ghost Riders in the Sky" and the theme song from TV's Rawhide series.

There are a lot of animal and nature websites that I love. And one of my favorites is devoted to Canada Geese. It's the work of Earl and Choo Rosenbloom of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It's called: Love Canada Geese.

Gray Skies

2008-11-12T15:20:00.004-06:00

I probably should be living in the Pacific Northwest, because I love these gray skies. And finally we're getting some rain. We should have several days of this and then it will get colder. Snapped a picture of the crow sitting in the dead tree across the street. Only I caught him as he took off. Crows are not the prettiest birds, but they are some of the smartest. I read an article in the paper just recently that said that crows can recognize faces. They remember which humans feed them and which humans aren't kind to them. I think they are so interesting. I love to watch them. And they are related to my favorite birds, the Blue Jays.

And driving by Lake Sherwood last week...on another of our rare rainy, gray days...I saw a heron and some Mallards. I don't know much about herons, but I would guess that this one is a Great Blue Heron. I see them a lot, but they fly off before I can get close enough to get a good photo. This is one of my "drive-by" shots. I take a LOT of photos while sitting behind the wheel. Sometimes, it's because I'm lazy or tired, but usually it's because the streets around here are narrow and there's not always a place to pull over to get a picture. And with wildlife, you have to be quick. So I stop and point the camera and press the shutter while watching the rearview mirror. And my drive-by photos usually have to be cropped quite a bit to get rid of parts of my car and/or streets and guard rails.

Sky Watch Friday

2008-11-07T09:33:00.010-06:00

I'm not going to add my name to that long Sky Watch list, but my post title does link to the Sky Watch blog.

Here are a couple of pictures of Lake Sherwood, taken a few days ago. I like the reflection of the trees in the water.

And this is an Oak tree, reaching for the sky. It's on the right side of my back yard and I think it's a White Oak. It's so tall, I had to take this picture from the side of the house. It's not the only towering tree in the yard, but it is my favorite. The yellow tree on the left is a Maple. Didn't notice until later that Simon is sitting on the edge of my walkway. He's hard to see...he's a gray w/white tabby...way down at the bottom left of the picture.

Yes We Did!

2008-11-05T08:26:00.003-06:00

(Cartoon by Don Wright, pulled off of Gocomics.com.)

First Fire

2008-10-27T14:58:00.005-05:00

It's cold today, so I decided to start a fire. This is a wood burning fireplace. I don't care for the fake ones...the gas-powered ones. I love the snap, crackle and pop of a fire. So does Sugar Bear.

Once again, I've been a lazy lazy blogger. I've been reading a lot and researching other things on the internet.

Saturday Thoughts

2008-10-18T11:26:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, I spent some time in the Village Green area, watching the geese and taking pictures. It's getting nippy here now. Love it!!

Earlier on Friday, I went into town with Nonie and E.J. to vote. I voted for Obama-Biden. Now I hope that some of the people who send me forwarded political e-mails will quit sending me those things. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings...but please...STOP!!!! I delete, without opening, almost everything that is forwarded to me. (I have slow dial-up.) From the subject lines, I can usually tell which e-mails are political. And I know who's most likely to send them. To be honest, I'm not real crazy about most of those long forwarded e-mails. I hate those chain e-mails and the ones that threaten you if you don't send them to everyone you know. And those that say that something hilarious will happen when you hit the send button. You know the line: "I almost fell out of my chair laughing." Yeah, right. When I first started using a computer, I forwarded a LOT of things. But then I noticed that some people...like my sister Cindy...never forward anything. Duh, I bet that means that Cindy doesn't like forwarded e-mails. So now, with the exception of some short, cute, goofy...but clean jokes, I rarely forward anything. I also suspect that a lot of forwarded stuff is instigated by spammers and scammers. What better way to collect a lot of e-mail addresses? I've made up my mind and I've voted. So please, no more political stuff in my in-box. And I apologize to anyone who might have gotten unwanted stuff from me...back in the days when I did pass those things on. Sorry.

Sky Watch Friday

2008-10-17T07:05:00.001-05:00

Took this sunset photo from my street this past Tuesday. I'm not going to add my name to that long Sky Watch list. But anyone who wants to check out beautiful sky shots from around the world can click on my post title to link to the Sky Watch blog.

Sammy Says...

2008-10-15T14:41:00.006-05:00

If you love animals, vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Some very good reasons are here:

Humane Society Legislative Fund Endorses Obama-Biden.

Note: I know there are a lot of important issues in this election. And most of them have been debated and discussed. As an animal/nature lover, I want to bring attention to some things that are dear to my heart...and that others might not be aware of. (Added 10/16)

Sunday Ramblings

2008-10-12T15:17:00.013-05:00

The weather here has been gorgeous lately. Highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. I am looking forward to cold weather...and we do have four seasons here, but for now...this is nice. These first three pictures are from the walking trail in the Village Green area.

And yesterday morning, there were four deer in my yard. They were eating the sunflower seeds and bread that I had put out for the birds. Later, I put corn out for the deer.

I've been doing a lot of reading lately. At a thrift shop, I found a couple of old books about Albert Schweitzer that were published when the great doctor was still alive. He was an amazing human being and I love to read about him. Also in a thrift shop, I found a book titled "Under A Wing." This is by Reeve Lindbergh, the youngest daughter of Charles and Anne Lindbergh. It's a memoir about her parents...and her four siblings, all born after the death of that first baby. Fascinating book...and I love the Lindbergh family photos. And for my birthday, my sister Cindy sent me a couple of books. The most interesting one is "Into The Wild" by Jon Krakauer. It's the story of Chris McCandless, the young man who hiked into the Alaska wilderness in April 1992 and four months later was found dead in an old school bus. He died of starvation. Sad story, but so compelling and I found it hard to put down. I know his story has been made into a movie, but I haven't seen it yet. And right now I'm reading...for the very first time: "A Tale of Two Cities." I like the story, but don't enjoy reading Dickens. I will finish it soon...so I can jump into one that I'm looking forward to. At the big used book store in Crossville, I've just found a copy of "Duma Key" by Stephen King.

What Is This Stuff?

2008-10-08T13:39:00.004-05:00

There's wet stuff falling from the sky! Rain? Oh, that's right, I vaguely remember rain. It's been sooooo long since we've had any rain here. The raindrops on my car's windshield made these trees on Kings Down Dr. look like they were painted by an Impressionist.

There's lots of beautiful Fall colors in our yards and woods now. I'm going to get out soon to get a bunch of pictures.

Today's Flowers

2008-10-06T09:53:00.004-05:00

I love Pansies! And don't Pansies stand for hope? Something like that, I think. I hope the deer don't eat my flowers. :-) I did spray the flowers with some "deer off" stuff after I potted them. Works pretty well, usually. And I am getting ready to go get some corn for the deer. I really love the deer and they're always welcome in my yard. Anyway, for more flower photos, visit Today's Flowers.

Sky Watch Friday

2008-10-03T08:44:00.002-05:00

These are my sky shots for today, though I'm not going to add myself to that long Sky Watch list. This first photo is of a field that's close to FFG's grocery store. Sometimes there are cows grazing here. One day, I stopped and headed towards the fence. I thought I would get a closer shot of the cattle. I was walking towards one particular cow...I don't know what breed...he was dark brown...but otherwise sort of looked like a black Angus. (I know a lot about the different breeds of horses, dogs and cats...but almost nothing about cattle.) I was wondering if this cow would let me reach over the fence to pet him and then all of a sudden I realized he was on the wrong side of the fence. Same side as me. Somehow he had gotten out. Oops! The closer I got, the more nervous he got! So I backed off while telling him: "Hey, don't worry...I don't eat cows!" (I used to, but I no longer eat beef or pork.) Snapped a photo, but it didn't turn out well.

This is the dead tree across the street from my house. One evening, I heard a bird in this tree, making all kinds of racket. And then I noticed that it was a Pileated Woodpecker. He's way over on the top left side. And he flew off before I could get a better picture. I see and hear these guys in my woods all the time, but they are so shy. It's difficult to get photos of them.

Still dealing with back problems. It's not getting better and it's not getting worse. And this time, I am able to sleep. The lack of sleep almost made me insane when this stuff first started last Sept., just 6 days after my 62nd birthday. Oh, to be 30 again. I HATE being old!! And who is that old broad that I keep seeing in my bathroom mirror? I don't recognize her.

Anyway, thanks again for everyone's nice comments and good wishes!!

Still Here

2008-09-29T15:18:00.004-05:00

Tried to get a photo of three deer that were drinking from the bird bath at the same time. But I wasn't quick enough...and one of them walked away. The largest one is watching me on my deck. Over to the left, stacked against the tall Oak tree, is that woodpile that I cleaned up. Haven't seen any more Copperheads. But every morning and evening I see a chipmunk sitting on the edge of the bird bath taking a drink. And he seems to come and go from behind the woodpile. Either the snake isn't hungry or he's out in the woods somewhere...where he belongs.

Thanks for everyone's comments and good wishes. I've been doing the exercises that my physical therapist recommended, but I'm still having trouble. Might have to go talk to the doctor about going back for more physical therapy. It was a year ago around this time that I first started having horrible back pain. And the diagnoses was: three bulging discs in the lower lumber region, degenerative disc disease and osteo-arthritis. Traction seems to be the only thing that helps.

Taking a Break

2008-09-22T07:07:00.003-05:00

Once again I'm dealing with a lot of back problems, so I've decided to take some time off from blogging. Maybe just a couple of weeks.

Last week I saw a Copperhead snake in my backyard close to my woodpile. So I got the bright idea to clean out the mess behind the stack of wood. So if a snake went back there...I would at least be able to see him. I don't hate snakes and I didn't want to kill him...but I would prefer that he not hang around in my yard. So I raked the dead leaves and got the big limbs out of there. I felt okay when I was doing it, but I lifted some things that were too heavy for me. And now I'm paying a huge price. I have re-injured my back and it's all I can deal with for now.

Sky Watch Friday

2008-09-19T07:45:00.001-05:00

Okay, these are not typical sky shots. But the sky IS in all of them. A couple of weeks ago, I drove to Crossville's one and only mall. It looks like a big warehouse with a few shops in it. No huge crowds or parking problems here. When I pulled into the parking lot, the first thing I noticed was this beautiful two-seater classic car. This is a 1957 Ford Thunderbird. I'm not really a car buff...I'm not interested in what's under the hood. Wouldn't understand any of it anyway. I just love the looks of the old/classic cars. Some of them bring back memories. And I've just learned that Crossville has monthly Classic Car Cruise-Ins. They are displayed in the downtown area, so I should be able to get some more photos of wonderful old cars.

(Click on Sky Watch Friday to link to the Sky Watch blog.)

Today's Flowers

2008-09-15T10:10:00.004-05:00

This morning, I took these pictures of the Knock-Out Rose Bush that sits beside my garage, next to the windows. I think I paid $5 for this at Wal-Mart a couple of years ago. It was so small, it easily fit into my Corolla. Now it's very full and a little taller than I am. Well, I'm not very tall...just a little under 5'4". :-) The Knock-Outs are very easy to care for. They're very disease resistant, though I do have problems with those darn Japanese Beetles.

Today's Flowers is the creation of Luiz Santilla, Jr. of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Check it out!

Sky Watch Friday

2008-09-12T07:57:00.013-05:00

The evening sky was so pretty yesterday. Took this first picture from my street. And then went into the back yard and took a few pictures of the Diana Fritillary on my Butterfly Bush. I was facing the light and it didn't occur to me to use the backlight feature on my camera. Duh! But then I decided I liked the silhouette of the butterfly and the bush against the sky. I cropped them, but that's all. (Click on Sky Watch Friday to link to the Sky Watch blog.)

This is the female Diana Fritillary in the photos. Took this pic a little earlier in the afternoon. Stayed outside watching my cats and this butterfly for quite a while.

Gosh, Ike is a huge storm!! I'm worried about people in Texas. I think anyone who stays in Galveston to ride it out is crazy. I know evacuations have not been ordered for Houston because of what happened on the roads when Hurricane Rita hit several years ago. My sister Cindy and her husband Rick, are in Houston and they are busy getting their home and their pond business ready. Scary! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Let's Talk About Ducks!

2008-09-08T14:22:00.011-05:00

Whenever I see ducks on the lakes here, that line from "Greater Tuna" runs through my head. I've never been to a theater to see one of the "Greater Tuna" plays, but I've seen several skits on Dallas TV. Funny stuff! Especially to anyone who has ever lived in Texas.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw lots and lots of waterfowl on Lake St. George. There was a huge group of Canada Geese and lots of ducks. I think these guys in the photo above are Mallards. I thought maybe they were all females or juveniles, until I read on Rambling Woods that the males get their green heads back after molting. So some of these could be males...who haven't gotten their bright green head feathers back yet.

And then there was this pair sitting in the long grass by the lake. What kind of ducks are these? Hybrids, maybe? Mutt ducks? The black one was standing up when I first pulled up and he/she is solid black. No white markings. Very pretty duck!

Oh dear, now we have another hurricane heading for the Gulf. I don't think anyone is going to like this Ike.

Sky Watch Friday

2008-09-05T08:46:00.018-05:00

These are my Sky shots for today. But they're nothing special, so I'm not adding myself to the list on the Sky Watch blog. My title does link to Sky Watch, for anyone who wants to check out the participants.

I took these pics of Simon yesterday morning as he sat on my deck railing. Simon is a bit of a character. He's the one who likes to pull collars off of other cats. He's also my watch cat. He's quick to growl when he thinks there is someone or something too close to the house. Of course, he also growls when he hears loud trucks. And considering that he had a broken front leg when he showed up at my Dallas apt., I think he might have a reason to hate trucks. He doesn't care for other people, but he and I have a special bond.

Pretty soon the butterflies will be gone. I'm only seeing a few now. But a week ago, I was still seeing a lot of Swallowtails and a lot of Diana Fritillaries. Below is a photo of a female Diana Frit. I saw a male, but couldn't get a pic. With open wings, the male was dark brown with a wide orange band on the edges. He was a little smaller than the female and looked so different.

Now that I've finally gotten the weeds under control in this big bed (on right) in my back yard, I'm planning a butterfly garden for next year. I'll put some Butterfly Bushes in and some other flowers that attract butterflies. I know the deer will eat some of the flowers, but that's okay. I like having deer in my yard every day.

After taking butterfly pics, I often turn around to find a black bear watching me. Yup, below is a photo of the 8 lb. Sugar Bear. Seen only in my area. Unlike Simon, this little bear loves all people. But she is a terror to my other cats.

Just for the record: my cats are only allowed outside during the day...and ONLY when I'm home. I spend a lot of time outside with them and I check on them constantly. Still, there's always some risk and it's one I choose to take. I have happy cats AND in return for that daytime-outside time...they let me sleep at night! :-) Added 9/09/08

Gustav

2008-08-30T18:46:00.009-05:00

I was going to do one of my usual lightweight posts about ducks, geese, deer, herons, cats and of course, butterflies. (Well, okay, here's a little pic of a Swallowtail.) But for now, all I can think of is this very scary storm that's about to roar into the Gulf! I know the media goes out of their way to frighten us, but this one really does sound like a monster. Might be worse than Katrina. I am glad to see that New Orleans is much better prepared and people are leaving. And this time they have made preparations for the animals. People do not have to leave their beloved pets behind. Yesterday, I even saw that one of the animal shelters had already gotten their animals out...headed to Baton Rouge or Dallas. Thank goodness! I don't think I'll be doing one of my usual posts until this is over. Seems to be all I can think of. Batten down the hatches and then get out of Dodge, folks!

Note: Tennessee is too far from the coast to get hurricanes. So, no problems here. And I don't have any kids in the path of the storm, because I've never had children. (All my kids are cats.) I do have a sister in Houston (My Texas Island) and there's a possibility that it could turn that way. BTW, I was born in Baton Rouge and I did live for a very short time in New Orleans. And my family moved to Houston the year after Hurricane Carla hit that area. Anyway, for now I'm glued to the TV and I won't feel like doing any blog posts until this storm is over. (Added after seeing Lin's question.)

More Butterflies

2008-08-26T12:56:00.006-05:00

Hallelujah! It's raining and my computer is behaving. Most of the time. So here are more butterfly pics. I think this first one is a Great Spangled Fritillary. I asked Daniel of the "What's That Bug?" site and he wasn't sure. But he thinks that's what it is also. He said there are a lot of Frits that look similiar. And, of course, the last two are Swallowtails. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, I think. I'm still confused about the differences between black female Tigers and Pipevine Swallowtails. This yellow Swallowtail does have both of it's tails.