Birthday Break

I'll be on the road this afternoon.  I've gotta go to our Edenton store, pick up a truck and bring it back for servicing. Then I'll be away for a few days.  My birthday is Tuesday, so I will be missing a few days from work....well deserved I might say, too.  Wednesday's pick is of a sting ray that Mike and my nephew caught at my parent's house last weekend.  Yes, that's what killed Steve Irwin, but it was much larger and still in the water.  She had a baby come out when we pulled it out of the water.  The baby was set free.  The moma was cut up and used from blue crab bait in the crab pots.  Hope you all have a pleasant weekend.  See you next week!

Sky Watch Friday...Notice the Osprey (Sea Hawk nest on the channel marker!)

Moonday

Whew!  Been busy with work.  Sometimes I think they are trying to kill me! Anyway, I'm not gonna use today's post as a complaining platform.  I had some pics of the moon I've been saving to share, but it seems that's the blog theme lately.  I've noticed several of you have been posting pics of the moon.  Of course, mine are not as good as some of yours, but they were really experimental pics.  I had to delete some because the moon looked more like a loaf of bread.  So, without further adieu, here's my moon.

And that's my magnificent moon! 

Thanks for the thoughts and concerns.  All is okay, and I will keep you posted!!

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!  MARGARITAS ARE ON ME!!

Babies

Thought I'd give you and update on the babies.  They are getting big now.

Here are three RI Red/Black Sex Link mixed and one Black Austrolorp.  The one in the front is gonna be a pretty bird.  The Black Aussie (2nd from front) grew much faster and is a bit bigger than the others.  The third from the front is about 10 days younger than the others, but holds his own.  The one in the back has a bit of white on him that I'm convinced with turn out to be tan. 

They didn't want to be still for the photo op!  Busy little buggers, they are!

These two are also RIR/BSL mixed.  I love the light colored one.  But that's also the one who got picked on by the others.  He had no feathers on his neck.  I separated him, but gave him a small buddy to keep him company.  He's started to heal, but keeps scratching the scabs, making it bleed again.  He looks pitiful.

Just look at the poor guy's neck!

Sometimes when I get home from work I don't even go into the house.  I go straight to the chickens and/or the garden.  Last Friday I was in a horrible mood over an issue I still have to figure out.  I went back to look at the birds, and this is what I found!  She was sitting on two eggs, but only one hatched.  He's so funny running around all by himself. 

Here he is close up.  I'll probably take him away this weekend, and put him with the others.  He was always running around.  He had no deisre to look at the camera.

And of course, I could not leave out these little guys!  Aren't they just the cutest!

This cute little guy is the runt.  He's half the size of the others.  But when they are feeding on mama he's off curled up by himself sleeping! 

Here's my last baby pic.  Well, it's not really a baby.  It's the mama.  Not sure what kind of bird she is, but here nest is in our Magnolia tree.  I'm sure the baby has hatched, though, as I found broken shell under the tree.

And finally.........

SKY WATCH FRIDAY!!

P.S.  I don't know which of the baby chickens are hens or roosters.  I just used the terms he/him as general terms.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Bad News, Good News, and Sky Watch Friday

First, the bad news.  I had a rough time sleeping last night.  Mike has been sick.  He's been coughing and moaning in his sleep.  Of course, he's not been sleeping that well, either.  But that's not the only reason I didn't sleep well.  All the animals think they should be as comfortable as possible at bed time.  That means they think they should all sleep with us. Except Prissy.  She rarely ever gets on our bed.  Elvis, who I named after Elvis Presley (A Little Less Conversation-remix), climbs right up my shoulder and puts his face in my face to sleep.  Max (who Mike named with his ex before we met) gets in and out of bed all night.  He's one of the nosiest dogs I've ever met.  Thinks he's gotta know what's going on with everyone all the time.  Minnie would rather be between us, but is forced to sleep at our feet.  She doesn't move after she settles in....even if she's in your way.  Then there's the bad part of the good news.  Part of the reason I couldn't sleep well last night.  It's hard to sleep with a cat...yes a cat....particularly a striped one named Stripey Cat thinks he's supposed to sleep on your face. 

Mike called me yesterday to tell me that Stripey Cat came home.  There are a number of kids that live down the street.  I think maybe one of them tried to keep him.  But if you open the door when he wants to go out he bolts before you can even say stop.  I could be wrong, though.  The important thing is the good news....Stripey Cat came home!  Thanks everyone.

And finally, I wanna do a sky watch Friday.  I got the idea from that Canadian woman over at That British Woman.  I took these pics about a month ago and never down loaded them from my camera.  I thought the second one looked like a volcano erupting.  Perfect timing with the one erupting in Iceland.  Hope all you European types are okay and not too ashy or smokey.

I took these pics right out my back door.  Those trees are just on the other side of the field behind the house.  Great sky, ain't it?  Y'all have a fantastic weekend!

Snowy, Icy Weekend

Very busy lately.  Got a lot going on.  Got snow, followed by ice, followed by rain this weekend.  Just gonna post a few pics.

The Road We Live On

The Field Behind Our House Just Before Sunrise (Nearly Full Moon)

Ice on the Maple Tree I Planted This Summer

Max is Using The Back Porch

Snow In The Bird Bath

Mike Coming Out To Play In The Snow

Our Front Yard

Holiday Scenery

I do love my holidays and weekends.  My parents live about an hour and a half away from us.  But we like to go there whenever it is convienent.  Our place is fairly country.  There is a field behind our house and plenty of wild life.  But my folks truly live in the country.  They live down a long dirt road with only family living down there, as well.  Their land is surrounded by water on all three sides.  Occasionally there are deer around, and once in a great while a black bear splashes out of the water.  The fishing there is just great!  We catch tons of Speckled Trout, Puppy Drum, Sting Rays, and Black Drum.  Sometimes we catch Blue Fish and Flounder.  The creek surrounding the house is Wrights Creek and is a big estuary.  Sea Hawks build nests around to raise young, and in the summer the dolphins swim up in the creek chasing bait fish.  We even catch large shrimp in the cast nets and Blue Crabs in crab pots during the summer.  Seafood is a staple for us.  This is the wonderful place that I have always spent my holidays.  And it is where we will be spending our Christmas, as well.  I thought I'd share some pics I took out there this past weekend.

From the creek, looking out into the Pamlico River.  That bouy marker is often topped with an Osprey nest in the summer and filled with a chick or two.

From the front yard, looking out across the creek.  There's marsh land in the little cove, home to all sorts of wild life.

Several wild Mallard ducks skid across the creek in back of the house.

From the pier, looking out across the creek at the tall pines and marshland.

In the back yard, the sun was shining through the tall pines.  It looked so cool on the camera screen, I just had to snap a pic.  I forgot who recently posted a snippet of Robert Frost's poem The Road Not Taken, but this reminded me of it...my all-time favorite poem.

A marsh snail climbing a branch of a Waxed Myrtle.  When I was a kid I kept an aquarium with these in it.

A crab boat cruising into the creek.

I thought it was a Sea Hawk, but it turned out to just be a Buzzard.  It looked cool soaring in the cloudless, blue sky.

Another Mallard (f) smimming behind the marsh grass.

A final shot of those beautiful wild Mallards.  I love it here.  It's so peaceful.  It's so....HOME!!