Squirrel Fun!

My backyard squirrels are a bit nuts! No pun intended! Happy Thursday All!

25th Anniversary

It doesn’t surprise me that I would think of my wedding day even though I am not in that relationship anymore. It was a two decade relationship and will be a lasting impression on my soul and spirit.

The Best Part Of Me

Simply spoken, “Mom, we don’t need that chair. I can stand.” My son is thoughtful.

The chair was not in use, but I respected my son’s wishes. The best part of me I can say with quiet certainty are my sons.  

I just had a wonderful trip to the southeast where my son is attending an amazing university. I decided to visit and ‘pick’ my son up. This was to spend time with him before flying to our home in Seattle.  

It was a great adventure capturing the sights ( birds duh!) and sounds as noted in the photography on this post. 

I am learning life is not all about fast pace as I once thought.  The quiet moments speak to me more and more.  This past week I attended a memorial for a friend from my nursing days here in Alabama. Her life was one of simplicity, the love of nature,  and putting others above herself.  She served  through her church in her later years after retiring with 40 years as an RN. We could learn a lot from this lifestyle.  As I met her great grandsons, I knew right away with their respectful mannerisms–the best part of her was still here on this earth.  I bet she would have agreed. 

Photos by Alesiablogs in the great state of Alabama. 

The Next Big Thing

 New experiences open our eyes to new adventures. Yesterday was one of those days. I went to the horse races at Emerald Downs in Auburn, WA! As you can imagine, the next big thing for thoroughbred owners is to see their beauties win!  

The owner above saw his horse win its first race. I had no idea the winner belonged to him until I saw him go up to the horse. I was able to share this photo with him. 

 

 

So much excitement is noted at the races as you see these beauties go up to 40 mph on the track. 
  
The racehorse is a selective breed and amazingly majestic to view.

   

Above, you see the happy jockey who just won his race. Note his uniform. The shirt is known as silk. It is a tradition that goes back to England in the 1700’s. You can now look at him come from behind in the picture above I took! I dont know who was more excited than him other than the winners watching the race! Yes. There is betting. I am not much into that, but the fun of seeing these  beauties with your eyes is definitely a gift. I can understand how a owner would feel watching his/her baby cross the finishline.   

Enjoy a few more shots I took: 

  
Oh my! Our view of Mt. Ranier! What a way to enjoy a sunny day in the Pacific Northwest! 

   

It is something to see that dirt kicked up! Emerald Downs is enjoying their 20th year anniversary being open. Wow! 

  
I love the gray color of this majestic horse as he races to the finishline. 

  
Oh my- won by a nose!!! I caught with my Nikon!! Yay! 

Disclaimer: I am not promoting gambling at all in this post. I simply enjoyedthe gorgeous   horses. Thank you for dropping by. 

 

 

The Case Of The Missing Bird Seed Of Epic Proportion

 

Squirrel:  brain thought : It is time!  She is not looking! 

  
Squirrel:  brain thought: She just thinks I am freezing! I have nothing in my paws!

  
Squirrel :  brain thought:  OK. I will just look cute and she want yell at me!!

  
Squirrel : brain thought:  I better drop a few. Look innocent and give her my please feel sorry for me look! 

   

Squirrel:  brain thought: OK. She is not buying my it. Time for an escape plan. 

  
Squirrel :  brain thought:  Hey wait. She is a dummy and just taking my picture. Hmmm. I should have put some makeup on and brushed my tail. Hey lady – I will be back , but could you fill up the bird feeders. They are a little low. 

A Clucking Good Time!

Who would have thought that taking a nice leisurely ride this weekend for eagle  watching would land us in a Chicken Parade?  As serendipity would have it, we arrived 30 minutes prior to when the big clucks were about to convene down the main street of Edison, Washington.

This chicken was on a mission!

Edison’s population is a whopping  135.  It was named after (you got it) the great inventor Thomas Edison.  The town had decided about four years ago to have their parade in conjunction with the winter hawk count.  This area is known for their bird habitat because of the second largest river in the area called the Skagit River.  It is a flat open delta which attracts birds of all kind.  In fact the count since started in 1989 has been close to 12,000!

The parade has begun!

We decided to stay  because I wondered how the heck could anyone make chickens walk in a parade.  We noticed the town’s two block street was filling up  quickly with folks lined up on both sides of the little road anxiously awaiting the guests of honors. People dressed up in chicken outfits began their reconnaissance mission of making sure the street was ready for all the excitement.  Even dogs were invited for the big day.

Our Dog Stanny was a little nervous to say the least. He just didn’t understand why their was such a fuss about something that he could “gobble” down with one chomp!

 

Blue the Chihuahua watched very intently as the excitement passed him. He could hardly contain himself…Can you tell?

At approximately 12 noon the parade began.  By 1210 pm it was all done!  It was the greatest 10 minutes of my afternoon too.  To be involved in the great annual chicken parade is hard to describe.  I guess my pictures will have to do the talking, but I was real glad we made it even if it was a complete surprise!

Happy Cluckers to all of my readers!

 

Celebrate: Earth, Ocean, And Whales

Earth and all its beauty have always mesmerized me.  The waters that surround our world especially bring me calmness in my soul.  Looking out toward the ocean is so comforting, yet we all know how fast a storm can change the seas.  I wonder what whales think of the storms? Come see for yourself.

While standing at the edge of the railing of the boat, this whale suddenly made his appearance!

LINUS RIP

Death Is No Big Deal As Told By Our Dog Linus:

I was not afraid to go.
No siree.
I was not sure about the Path.
But off I had to be.
I know tears might come.
But try not to cry for me.
I had a great earthly journey and
more fun than can be. Luke and Elijah
you are my pals from here to eternity.

I am now resting quietly on a gentle cloud.
Believe me, I am barking out LOUD!!!!
Just you boys remember to live joyfully.
I will be fine In Heaven’s Glory. Just
wait and one day you too will see.

Dedicated to all who have lost a pet. You too will see….

Linus

Oh Those Eyes!

LINUS! It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This!

14th Thanksgiving with this fella has been a joy! Spine going out, but he lifts his legs one more Thanksgiving for me by the stove! Love this fella and all dogs on earth as well as Heaven!

Mom is pulling the food out!!!

Rascal-Oh how I miss you! He lived to be 16!

Am I Bionic?

It was the sound of scratching nails getting louder and louder. Then silence. Moments later, a small whimper began.
Lying down on my bed sleeping, I flinched realizing what I was hearing.
Quickly standing up from a deep sleep, I saw my dog Linus stuck under my bed. All I could think about doing is pulling him out. I had never seen him do this before.
It is not unusual for Linus to sleep at the side of my bed. Although, He must have moved in his sleep to get himself trapped under it.
I tried pulling him out unsuccessfully. Realizing the weight of the bed was on my dog’s back, I lifted the bed frame up. No easy task for someone in my physical shape, but it was the only way to pull him out.
After coming out from under the bed, Linus could not seem to hold up his own body weight. Suddenly to my relief, Linus managed to pull himself up.
Feeling nauseated from lifting the bed and the ensuing pain I felt in my head and back, I laid down quickly praying for relief.
Not quite awake, I thought to myself, “What just happened?” However, relieved that my dog was Ok and my pain subsiding, I drifted back to sleep.
beep…beep…beep…My alarm wakes me. Time to go to church.
Leaving the house, I eyed Linus sleeping on his own bed. Quietly I thanked God he was not hurt.
I wondered where my strength came from. It was crazy to me that I could lift the bed up.
To my surprise, the pastor spoke about, “You’re stronger than you think.” As the pastor was wrapping up his message, I could not help but smile knowing God must have given me a supernatural ability to help my pet when he needed me the most. God does indeed use the weak. In fact, it seems many times God uses the smallest of things to His Glory. My own strength certainly fits the bill.