thrasher,hummers,project

I was so happy to see the thrashers are still here,they are so beautiful with their yellow-orange eyes.I grabbed the camera in a frenzy to get the photo,the bird was undaunted by the dogs barking at me hurrying,by now used to it but the rose breasted grosbeak that landed on the wire next to the feeder did not like the dogs carrying on at all,so I didn`t get a pic of him.I missed them migrating in the spring,either they didn`t stop here or I just missed them.I will search for a pic of them in prior years later when they did stop & stay awhile.
My saltbox project is almost done.I have another border or so to put around ,then the backing & quilting & the wall hanging will be done.
Yesterday I wandered thru the yard with the camera,making the dogs stay in the house while I spent time with the hummingbirds.I shall miss them so much.The little female is following me now,peering in unexpectantly in the kitchen windows from time to time,delighting me.The tiny bird lifts my spirits so much.I was able to get a couple of pics of her,but it was hard,they wouldn`t stay still for long,the male would swoop down for a taste of the orange flowered touch-me-not weed & she would bombard him,both spiraling upwards to the tall pines.
I took a pic of the bush I bought on the clearance pile at Lowes one year.I don`t know what it is,guess that`s why they couldn`t sell it,it had no tag.It is pretty though & easy to start other bushes with just a clipping.It gets those small white flowers seen here,the folige is varigated.Anyone know what it is?
My hubby & I went to look at a new but used greenhouse last week.It was huge,very nice but where the people lived it wasn`t zoned for greenhouses.She had it up for awhile,got stones put in for it,the works then someone came & told her it had to be removed by the 14th.So,she had a small one too,but after we saw the big one,that is what I wanted.It looked to be a Rion greenhouse & it is still under warrenty.Tomorrow I will call again about it.She was taking it down & boxing it up but she said it could be moved by someone the way it was with a rollback.It was too much too soon since it had to be tore down or moved by yesterday so we couldn`t make a decision right away.She wanted $1500 for it,but that included everything.If she still has it I will get it.It will take my mind off winter if I can putter around in that.I don`t know which is worse for my RA,the humid days of summer or the bone chilling freeze of the winter.I love the summer tho because my mind is off my pain with watching the birds & growing the flowers.
As always,click on pics to make bigger,stitchery didn`t show up so well.

Taking a walk

On our morning walk this am the dogs & I spotted something bounding through the forest.I thought,oh,no,it`s the bear,but at the same time my mind was trying to put together the fact that the bear seen was black & this was brown,so I started whistling & a neighbors chocolate lab came bounding to me.I knew he had been missing,the people were here looking for him,but that was days ago.So I got him to follow us to the house & fed him treats while I called his family to come get him.He reminded me of how much I miss a big dog.I love my shelties,but I also love the bigger dogs,for one thing they don`t seem to bark so much.
When his owner came he said he was aware of the bear too,after I told him my story,he thinks that is why Hershey-what a cute name for a chocolate lab-got out of his collar to begin with,in the middle of the night he was barking like crazy may have went after this bear.
Some pics of strolling through the woods....

A Week Gone By

It`s been almost a week since I blogged,feels like forever.Bandit is getting over his bout with poison ivy.He or Maggie chewed through the wire on the keyboard Wed.night while we were at church,so we didn`t have the computer up & going till Thursday,& I`m happy to say,I hooked up this keyboard by myself!It was really nothing,just make sure the computer is shut down before hooking it up so it will reconize it.
There is a change in the air since the rain we had,it is to rain today too.I am sadded by the fact that the migrating birds will be leaving us soon.The hummingbirds are playing & chasing each other around,there is one that sits on the ficus tree on the back deck guarding"his"feeder.He or she I should say sits on the tree outside the window & watches me get my cereal & coffee in the morning.I get depressed thinking I won`t see them for awhile,but sometimes they stick around here as late as Oct.I hope this is one of the years they stay awhile.
The house finches & goldfinches are gathering for the sunflowers that are seeded now.The thrashers are still here,they raised one baby this year.I started a watch on them as our local bird count was so low on them.They counted only one one year.Now I have a pair & a baby,hopefully the baby will be with them next year when they come & will have a mate.
I learned to spin some this week.It is not a perfect skein I`m making,but I know what I`m doing wrong & that is a start.I didn`t draft out the fibers before I started like I was supposed to.I should`ve pulled them out & made them thinner BEFORE I spun with it.

bird watching