Fawn sightings have been few and far between this Spring, but just a few yards from our porch, this brief encounter was long enough for a quick shot. The doe was not happy with me and gave me a ’foot stomp’, before ‘high tailing’ it to the woods with the fawn at her side.
It was one of the hottest days this month when we helped to cross off a bucket list item for a friend visiting us. I love quilts and this hand-pieced, hand- quilted did not disappoint, but in 90+ degree temps, it looked a little out of place. Flowers on the grounds gave me opportunities to practice composition.
Purple Poppies
This week also included a visit to a local historical mansion with the same friend. Flower gardens surrounding the mansion, gave me even MORE opportunities to practice the skill of composition.
Back at home, this beautiful Northern Flicker has been a regular visitor to our own garden.
We were doubly treated to some lake moments with a short walk to celebrate the triumph of a new sailor in our family who navigated his sailboat to a nearby cove for the first time, and by a heron who made a quick stop to gulp down a fish before taking off again for other destinations.
Cookie testing, cheese tasting, fossil hunting, sorting vintage buttons, and trying my hand at photographing lightning bugs added some excitement to my days, (and nights) as I wait on the healing ankle, which is making progress, I’m happy to say, thank the Lord!
Until next week, and a new set of photos, (maybe even some twin fawns) thanks for stopping by.
“This light that surrounds you, It becomes you, old soul, And this one standing below Your slender branches, with eyes Fixed upon your petals milky white, Hears you say, “I told you I would bloom; I’d burst my winter tomb.” So there in casts of shadows long, Dividing sun-kissed lanes, Dressed in dry beds of fallen leaves, We begin to sing, (First her, then me) Of thanks and praise To God, the giver of this day; For new life, new awakenings, For what’s yet hidden, For what’s to be, And the more we sang, The more I could see In the light of the old magnolia tree.”
what flew over me this morning was a red-tailed hawk, the sun shining through its tail feathers put any doubt I was having to rest. The hawk couldn’t have been much closer to our house and the tree where the little red squirrel I’ve named, ‘Trouble’ lives. ‘Trouble’ must have eluded trouble again.
Though snow has been predicted for the first weekend of May, for the most part it feels like Spring has arrived. I caught this robin enjoying the sun as I arrived home from a morning walk…
Walks sometimes take me north to a conference center where the grounds are open to the public. That’s where I had the pleasure of being serenaded by this mocking bird. He was proficient in many languages!
Back at home, our garden has also been a busy place where blue jays and the chipmunks, roused from their winter slumber, can still find a peanut or two. This white-capped sparrow was feeling a little ‘hoppy’ this particular day when temps finally climbed into the high 60s.
April walks seemed awash in yellow.
…the perfect color to lend a sunny backdrop to new life in its various stages.
We added a shade garden last fall and the new sprouts and blooms are coming along with raindrop reflections, an added delight.
I invited myself to a friend’s garden, waiting for the tulips to be perfectly in bloom. I wasn’t disappointed.
and my neighbor’s Magnolia tree begged me to ask permission to take photos of it…which I did. How can I say no to a Magnolia tree?
The signs were evident everyday that the summer season would be here soon. These barges are seen frequently on the lake at this time of year. This particular day one was getting a raft perfectly placed for days to come of some summer fun.
Here a dinghy appears, the next day to be replaced by a sailboat. And boats were added to the moorings at the yacht club daily…
This was a ‘small-world’ moment seeing this sign on a truck all the way from our former ‘backyard’, as I walked along the lake road one morning. I chatted briefly with one of the workers, a young man who graduated from Glens Falls High.
Sewing projects kept me busy and included sewing some pillow shams, leaving very little leftovers, but enough to cover some buttons. The button cover kit was an oldie – probably from the 1960s or 70s. Too many pillows? Nah! I also took out a cheaply made wooden panel insert from my $5.00 garage-sale cupboard and made a curtain for it, and the little chair finally got a chair seat – woven from a few yards of homespun I had leftover from a quilt project.
I tried my hand at making some fabric moths for something different, but gave up on trying to make wire feet for my crows, instead opting for my hot-glue gun. The spools were two that I recently emptied and the sphagnum moss was a handy leftover from a previous project. I may give them some scarves to wear at some point, or a bell on a ribbon. They need SOMETHING to crow about!
Later this month, whilst at the lake to watch the moon rise, I came across what we have determined to be turkey feathers. After asking the landowners if I could have them, I brought one wing home, plucked the feathers and let them soak in our bathroom sink. I wore rubber gloves throughout the whole process, and bleached the sink when I was done. Have you ever dried turkey feathers with a hair dryer? Well, now I can say I have. And funny thing, they smelled like turkey! My idea is to make a display for them, and came up with something that may work. I have some tweaking to do, but I was generally happy with the overall idea.
My creation is holding a flower now, but one like this fabric ‘wall pocket’ may be holding turkey feathers in the future.
The night I found the turkey feathers was the night we were to witness a super moon in pink. Maybe orange is the new pink, but, in this photo the pink moon looks like an orange moon. I can see improvements in my photography skills, but the moments at the lake were far more satisfying. They always are… I love that spot.
On the home front, during the time we’ve waited to hear back from house painters with their estimates, we’ve been dealing with this red squirrel who likes to steal the stuffing from our settie for its nest. GRRRR!!! We caught it once (along with a gray squirrel) but ‘little red’ escaped. Since then we improved the trap’s capabilities, but haven’t yet been successful. Plans are to relocate it at the Ontario County Park – several miles away. We have had a few laughs about the whole situation but laughed most about what might have happened if the squirrel escaped the trap while in the car enroute to its new home…😬
Our 3.5 YO grand had a couple of firsts this month…he learned to ride a pedal bike and he had his first visit to a dentist. The highlight from his visit to the dentist was the fish tank in the office. I’ll apologize for the blurry photo on the bike. It was taken from the video we received of the momentous occasion. He laughed with excitement and glee after he realized his papa had let go of the bicycle. I wish you all could hear him! Life feels so normal when you hear a child laugh.
And Lou the puppy is doing well. Mama took this photo while ‘teething-Lou’ chewed on a carrot. These two are becoming fast friends!
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but May 1st is nearly upon us, which means that this will be my last Facebook post. If you’d like to stay in touch you can sign up to follow me. Here’s a screen shot of what you’ll need to do if you’d like to receive an email each time I post a blog. The other option is to bookmark my WordPress site. I think that may work as well.
For a few brief minutes last night, my chosen spot was a piece of granite on the little bit of shoreline that provides us access to Canandaigua Lake. It’s no surprise that I was there – I’ve grown to love that spot, in all seasons. But last night I was there to wait for the moon to rise. Though the air was chilly, happily, the skies were clear, and the view, well, for me, it was worth the wait.
After a winter of what seemed like endless gray mornings, mid-March began like this. I have to admit, I was struggling to feel any passion for anything, photography, quilting, writing, but I kept busy, and I kept praying, and God, in His faithfulness, kept answering, supplying all the strength I needed to love the life He so generously gave me, day by day.
It almost seemed like an explosion of bird life that returned to the lake…
If that’s not a ‘stink-eye’, I don’t know what is!
And flowers began to bloom…
Snowdrops
Roadside jewels
Do you see it?
We are subscribed to several photographer’s YouTube channels, one of which offers a photography challenge each month. Here are some of the photos from which I chose one to submit…
A nesting pair of MergansersDinghys, in the latter days of their long winter’s rest…
The natural things of life were sad but of great curiosity to me…
A deer skull found in our yard.
A beautiful red fox just killed by a passing car and laying on the side of the road…
A red-tailed hawk in the hickory tree enjoying its catch of a gray squirrel…
My sewing room was (and still is) a hub of activity. It felt good to continue to edit and finish up some unfinished projects.
10 year old deconstructed blocks led me here
This would eventually be the back of the the quilt. Looks like quite a mess.
Basting…
More basting…
Several deconstructed bear paw blocks led me to a small wall hanging ‘on point’. This is ongoing, pending a decision about the center block.
I also did some sewing for our grandson…
I found a tutorial on Pinterest – of course I had to change it up. I added the front flap with a velcro closure. The fabric is a soft velour with a white-on-white heart fabric used as the lining. It was so fun to make!
Here’s the back…
I filled the bag with five plastic eggs filled with Kisses and jelly beans and a chocolate bunny. Each egg also has a a tiny piece of paper with a joke or a funny saying written on it.
And to end on a high note, we visited family this past week to help celebrate the grand opening of an entrepreneurial endeavor involving fire-wood. The plans are that this will be a fun activity papa and son will be able to work on together. The new golden-doodle puppy “Lou” and this little guy holding the butterfly balloon were pretty excited. I think the bow tie says it all.
Peanuts have become a staple in our house. Not for us to eat, but to feed the blue jays that visit us each morning. My goal is to be able to hand feed them, but all efforts have been, to this date, unsuccessful.
That said, it’s a thrill for me to be recognized as I walk up our driveway some days, returning from the hour or so I spend on the road each morning, taking photos, enjoying the views and fresh air, and maintaining my hip mobility for future good health.
Such was the case yesterday morning, when finishing up my leisurely walk. Still three houses from our driveway I heard the sound of a jay. I knew I had been recognized because from tree to tree it flew following me up the last part of the lake road to my driveway and then to my house. Of course, I had to stop and take photos.
When I returned home, rewards were waiting…in the form of peanuts for the jays, and smiles for me.
Musings, Moments, Memories, and More 