Feathered Friends!

I just wanted to share a couple photos of my feathered friend visitors. I was thrilled when this Blue Jay came to the little fountain just outside our living room window AND stayed long enough for me to grab my camera!

I also have two hummingbirds that did not continue their southerly migration. I think they are Rufous hummers. I have a feeder hanging from the eaves outside my kitchen window, so I get a close-up view.

Of course, I am in the throes of Christmas preparations. My SIL and I hosted our 8th Annual Cookie Exchange on the 20th. We actually managed to take our family Christmas photo BEFORE Christmas this year. I am currently working on the card. I also have some more time in the kitchen ahead of me. Sadly, I can't seem to keep up and post in REAL time!

Merry Christmas,

Lorilee

Rejoice and a redbird

This is my latest banner in honor of Easter. I made 5 to add to the prize bags for my Bunco group.

Several cardinals have been coming to the fountain just outside our living room window. I was only able to catch this one with my camera.

Sadly, Spring Break is now over, and the long countdown to summer begins! I stayed quite busy eventhough we didn't go anywhere. I worked in the yard and started my spring garden. We had Bunco at my house since March was my month. This afternoon, my 25-year-old came over. We washed his car and my trailblazer. Then I told him there was ice cream in the freezer left from bunco. He said, "I might have to start coming over for bunco." I told him he would have to play. He said, "OK, what is bunco?"

Y'all come back?

Lorilee

Cat vs Mockingbird

Beasty, a.k.a. crazy cat, loves to spend time outside.

He likes to roll in the dirt.

He likes the warm sun on his tummy!

But the mockingbirds don't like HIM, so he comes running to be let back indoors! He really isn't much of a tough guy!

Y'all Come Back,

Lorilee

First House Finches!

Dave spotted the first House Finches that we have ever seen this morning.

As usual in the bird world, the male is brightly colored and the female is plain and drab. My bird book states that "studies indicate that the redder the male's plummage, the more desirable he is to females." Also, House Finches were "originally confined to the West, this finch was called Linnet and intorduced as a cage bird on Long Island, New York, in the 1940's". Smithsonian Handbooks Birds of Texas-Fred J. Alsop III.

Y'all come back,

Lorilee

Couch's Kingbird?

I walked outside the other day to hear a new birdsong in my yard. I spotted this bird!

It swooped into the air and caught an insect.

After consulting my Smithsonian Handbooks Birds of Texas, I think it is a Couch's Kingbird. It is common in the lower Rio Grande valley of Texas in summer; uncommon in winter and casual to the Gulf Coast in fall and winter.

Y'all come back!

Lorilee

Back to Saturday!

While the sausage was smoking, we had some time to enjoy the beautiful day. Clear, sunny days have been few and far between this winter! Brian ended up in a nearby tree!

Beautiful blue and not a cloud in sight!

One of Pop's calves was curious about us.

Even the Chipping Sparrow seemed to be enjoying the sunshine!

Y'all Come Back!

Lorilee

I received this sweet Cardinal Spinner as a Christmas gift from my good friend Pat. It is so fun to watch it spin in the breeze.
Y'all come back,
Lorilee

Cardinal Collection

I love cardinals. My Mom also loved cardinals. Not only do I have cardinals visiting my birdfeeders, but they are also IN my house! This is one of four of our Wegner prints. We also have the Goldfinches, Indigo Buntings and Ruby-throated Hummingbird prints.

My sister-in-law gave me this chirping cardinal.

This mug belonged to my Mother.

The Home Interior Cardinals belonged to my husband's grandmother.

My mother-in-law gave this mug to me.

The Andrea Cardinal also belonged to my husband's grandmother. She collected all kinds of bird figurines.

Cardinals in the small curio cabinet.

Another Cardinal that belonged to my husband's grandmother.

This little cardinal is a magnet that attaches to glass.

My sister-in-law also gave me this shelf-sitting cardinal.

I can alway find room for one more Cardinal!

Ya'll Come Back!

Lorilee

Birthday Gift.

A friend at school knows how much I love cardinals! She made this fleece throw for me. Isn't it beautiful? Thank you so much, Pat!

Ya'll come back!

Lorilee

Hummers and stuff!

It is not easy to catch a hummer with a camera. Those little birds fly really fast.

This is the Passion Vine growing on the old "monkey bars" on my son's playset.

I have had Gulf Fritillary butterflies in my yard all summer. This Passion Vine has been covered with their caterpillars all summer too! It hardly has any leaves left for them to eat.

I finally found a chrysallis!

I have had computer withdrawal today! My laptop had been suddenly shutting down for a few days. We discovered that the fan had quit working, so it was overheating and shutting down. It was cheaper and faster to get a new laptop than replace the fan. (I don't require a laptop with lots of bells and whistles!) My sweety spent the day getting all the stuff from my old laptop transferred to the new one. I spent the day actually getting stuff done since I couldn't sit around on my computer! On Saturday morning, I tilled my garden. I am hoping to plant a small fall garden. I also have to fix some holes in the fence where I saw rabbits getting into the yard this summer.

Ya'll Come Back!

Lorilee

Sunday in the yard!

Today was a busy day as far as chores go! We had a slight coolfront which made working outdoors more bearable than it has been! I took down the Purple Martin house. We never did get any Martins this year. A dove had babies on one of the porches. I am not sure if they survived to fledge or not! I also added some wire to the old "monkey bars" on the playset. I now use them for my Passion Vine. I did some weeding, too.

This is the second bloom with bananas on my banana tree.

There were clouds all around, but we didn't have any rain today. We did have 6/10 last night.

The barn door had been sticking. My sweety fixed it today! He also oiled the weathervane so it would turn again. I may have him talked into building a laying box onto the chicken coop for my girls!

The girls were busy too! Two of the younger girls are laying now! They are checking out the laying box. (It is an old covered cat litter box--I always used liners!)

Holly seems to like the laying box!

As I was picking things up to go in and take a bath, this bird nearly flew into me! It was fairly tame and hung around for several hours. It appears to be a domesticated dove.

It was very pretty!

It was glad to get some food. It liked the red millet out of the chicken scratch. It would approach and eat with me sitting about 1 foot away!

Lexi and Honey wanted OUT!

Ya'll Come Back!

Lorilee

Hummer season!

It is hummer migrating season! They are appearing in large numbers in South Texas. I have seen several in my yard and several at my school. This photo was taken several years ago when I had about a dozen at one time! I believe the Rockport Hummer/Bird Festival is next weekend. For more info, just google it. I went several years ago and loved it. I'd link to my post about watching hummer banding, but I don't know how! I have much to learn about blogging!
Ya'll Come Back!
Lorilee

My Evening Entertainment!

I couldn't resist another peek at the baby doves. Their mom built her nest on the porch of the Purple Martin house.

The dragonflies are also prolific in my yard. This one was quite cooperative about being photographed. I would have liked a bit more light! I don't get home and out into the yard until late in the evening.

This Duranta is blooming despite the heat and very little rain. Eventhough I am a summer person, I am ready for some cooler fall-like weather. Summer isn't as much fun without lakes and ponds to swim in!

School is keeping me quite busy. I teach two pre-kindergarten classes. My morning group has 21 students, and my afternoon group has 19 students at this time. There was lots of crying the first two days--the kicking, screaming and trying to run away kind. I am so thankful to have a wonderful assistant. That was pretty exhausting. Most are coming in quite happily with big smiles now. A few cry for Mom and Dad's sake, but they stop as soon as we get to the room! I am SO glad it is Friday. I need some extra sleep desperately!

Ya'll Come Back!

Lorilee

My youngest chickens are starting to have bigger and redder combs! This is a sign that they should be laying soon! I can hardly wait to see what color their eggs will be!

I also took a peek at the dove nest that I've been watching! The babies had hatched!

Hopefully, I can take photos every few days and record their progress!

Ya'll Come Back!

Lorilee