Big Tree Down......

Went to town on Thursday and when I came home this is what I saw. I know that this tree would probable be down but I thought it would probably be across the road. If it had been I would have had to driven through the hay field to get to the house. High winds had knocked another tree down in the pasture up on the hill, a huge tree. It fell across a ravine, making a good bridge for the squirrels! This one however fell right into the creek. Gonzo and Lucy are checking out the damage too.
This poor tree had been having limbs falling off it for some time and it was just a matter of time before it came down. The woodpeckers were working on it at the base so it must have been partially dead or dieing.
I stood far back in the hay field to get this picture. The ribbon across the green is the road. Well, I guess this weekend no cookouts and parties for us, lots of work to do on this tree. Since it's in the creek we have to get it out of there. Mike has a wood chipper he can attach to the tractor and it will make a big pile of mulch when we are through! Always something to do on the farm!

Snake....

Started to let Gonzo outside the other morning and saw him jump up in the air! Thought what the heck is the matter with him? Then I saw this little guy on the patio. Pretty markings but I have no idea what kind of snake it is. He was at least a foot and a half long. He wasn't very happy with me when I picked him up by the tail........I had to, to keep him from crawling under a bench. I wanted to get some pictures of him.
He was giving me the evil eye here as I got really close up to his face. I got some pictures of him with his tongue out but they were blurred so I 'm not using them. What beautiful colors his is!
If anyone knows what kind of snake he is let me know.

Mike's got a new toy......

But Honey, it followed me home......can I keep it????? Please???
Acckkkkk!!! What the heck is that??? Followed you home? Right!!!
My husband has a new toy, a bulldozer! Just what we need here on the farm; have I been on it yet? Well, yes, but just to sit, not brave enough to operate that beast yet. I have ran the backhoe, yea, we have one of those too. Hopefully this fall we can start on a new barn for Gilly and Pokey-Pie; that's what we need a bulldozer for. A flat spot to start building.
Lucy says is it gone yet??? I'm hiden' under the building till it's gone!

Well, now lets see; hum, what happens if I push this button.........hum.......and turn the key.
OK so I'm backin' up now, and thinkin' does he know what the heck he is doing???
Taken it for a test spin! Really he knew how to operate it before he got it.....LOL.......heading back the hollow and going to work on the old road back there. It's residing back in the shed; but he will have it out this weekend tearing something up........(sigh) think I'll stay in the house!!!!

Clouds

I was out with the camera last Monday and saw these wonderful clouds. It looked like a storm was coming in but it never rained........the sky was so blue it hurt your eyes and the clouds so fluffy and white; what a contrast.

Update on the baby birds

No pictures of the empty nest, not to worry though, the babies were ready to fly away. I didn't expect them to be gone so soon but they are out and on their own. Hope they do well!
What a thrill to be able to help those little birds!!!

baby birds

Last week there was a storm here and a robins nest in our red maple tree was blown out on the ground. The three blue eggs were crushed and the baby robins inside, not yet ready to hatch didn't make it. The mud and stick nest laid in the yard for several days, I was going to move it when I mowed the yard in a day or so.

After feeding Gilly and Pokey that night I happened to walk past a pine tree in the yard; there on the ground was a baby bird. I didn't know what kind it was but it wasn't old enough to be out of the nest. Not wanting to bother it for fear the mother would not come back to it, I left it along. A few hours later I went back to look at the baby and there on the ground not far from it was another baby! I picked the one furtherest from the base of the tree and put it beside the other little one. Hoping that the cat wouldn't get them I went inside for the night.
Next morning on the way to the barn I looked to see if the babies were still there; and guess what??? There was a third baby on the ground!

Well, remembering what I was always told, never pick up a baby bird, the mother will not come back to it. How lucky those little birds were because the cat hadn't found them or didn't have bird on her menu at that time. Then I remembered the robin nest, picked it up and put the three little birds in it; they huddled together, ducking their heads as if to hide from me. I lifted the nest up into the pine tree to some branches just above eye level. These little guys had fallen out of a nest somewhere up in this tree but I couldn't reach or even see where they had come from.

I kept watching the nest, which I could see from the sunroom door. It wasn't too long before the mother bird, a house sparrow found her babies. She has been feeding them and cleaning the nest ever since. This has been almost a week now and the babies are growing bigger and stronger. Soon they will be ready to fly off! It's amazing to me that the sparrow accepted the babies after I handled them and that they are in a robin's nest! As you can see though the family is doing fine!

Blue Medicine Horse

This is a gift that Sheri got me for my birthday. We didn't make connections until just last night; everyone's been so busy. I LOVE this horse!!! This is one of the Painted Ponies from The Train of Painted Ponies; well just read the last picture for more information (click to enlarge). I have loved these ever since I first saw them but just never could decide which one to pick; Blue Medicine a perfect one for the start of a collection.
This is quite fitting since I am studying animal Reiki and horses are the ones I have chosen to work with........wonderful!!! Thank you Sheri!!!

Jordie

My friend Sheri and her horse Jordan, a black Arabian........pretty boy! I got a call last night, could I please come over and shot some pictures and video tape Jordie while she worked him. So Mike and I went over; Sheri has been working and showing Jordie dressage for several years. He is a really nice mover.
Oh, the first picture, yes I am fascinated with horse eyes, they have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen and so kind.
I snapped over 150 pictures before starting the video camera, easy to do when you are shooting on the action setting. I only kept a few of the very best ones for myself; downloaded them all to Sheri's computer.

Bees and Sage..........

While sitting out on the patio last night I watched some bees around my huge sage plant. Talk about busy bees, they sure were.
I never really noticed how delicate bees are until I got this camera and got some close up shots of them. Their wings are so beautiful and look so fragile; however can they fly???
The wings on the little bumble bee look too small for it's body, and yet he flies, amazing!

Dogs

Here are some pictures of our little dogs, house monsters! Buster the little hairy one, is half Mini Australian Shepherd and Papillion and Laverne is a Chihuahua or a fat little sausage! She is one hefty chunk........oh, and yes, she has a sister named Shirley!
Buster is the show off, he can sit up on his hind legs forever and will wave his little paws at you. We didn't teach him to do this, he has just always done it.
What a pair!!! We have two other dogs also, will add pictures of them later.
Gonzo, who likes to ride Gilly is, well, we don't know what he is and then there is Lucy the big Australian Shepherd; blue merel one blue eye and one brown. She is a true farm dog.....loves to stink. Rolls in everything stinky and is proud of it too! Excellent dog for the farm, no vermits get past her!