If I hang it, they will come!

Yes, this is the long awaited aggravating post that I was talking about earlier this week... they're here! The humming birds have arrived (albeit a little later than I had thought they would) and they are quite the rowdy little bunch!

I was standing at the railing of my front porch, sipping my gin and ginger ale and contemplating the plan of attack on the growing weeds in my flower garden. I heard him before I saw him... That trilling, vibrating, thrilling hum of his wings as he approached and checked out the newly filled humming bird feeder I randomly hang after it gets knocked down during windy spells.

First, I must say, he checked ME out! Kinda worried me... If you have ever been checked out by a hummer, you have experienced a wonderful and harrowing experience. Those beaks look very pointy and needle-like! He hovered right in front of me, no more than 10 inches away and then he sped sideways to the feeder.



I had nothing to take pictures with... except the phone... So these are all courtesy of the Droid X, which still hasn't made its way completely back into the good graces of moi, but it came a long way with these pictures!



This may have actually been the female that followed the little male that first checked me out... I admit, I am not completely familiar with hummers and their particular foliage, as it were.



Plucky! And yes, they are very brave! I didn't have time to silence the shutter sound my phone makes taking pics, but it didn't seem to deter the gulping of nectar at all.



Ali, I know you have wanted to capture a great pic of a hummer and while these are crap pics with a lowly phone camera, I hope they will one day be enough to entice you to Colorado... It's not as hot here, and there's hardly any humidity, if that helps spur you on!



I love his little "bed head!"

Now each morning I hear the raucous calls of the little devils as it appears word has spread through the humming bird neighborhood that I have the "stuff!" They swirl and squawk, dive and feed, filling the kitchen with their trills and tweets and making me smile. Maybe one of these days I will get out there in time with a real camera...

Have a great day y'all!

Macro Monday.. My first!

Ok.. So those that know me know I don't claim to be a photog. Now I'm about to get all annoying and aggravating to those of you who are... Please forgive me.


I snapped this with what I had handy... The phone. Cute little dude, right? I have so much more... But I will just have to save it for tomorrow. Besides, my closest blog friends are going to be a little miffed at my next snaps.

They were rare deals... And all I had was the darned phone camera! Promise to still be my friend Ali?

Becoming...

Some days are easier than others... That much is certain. I have been inundated as of late with things that have me stretching... Stretching my time, stretching my resources, stretching my patience. And so I have just decided to settle in and get limber!

I have decided to become... It isn't a new concept. It just peeks it's head up every now and then in my life and I realize it is time once more to become something other than what I have been focused on up to now.

:+: I have decided to become flexible. I laugh at this. God isn't really giving me a choice right now. I better get flexible fast, or I just might break!

:+: I will become relaxed... if it kills me! My neck is doing this twisty-turny thing that is a fright first thing in the morning. It is painful and makes me want badly to be cranky. I know it is the manifestation of my stress levels getting way out of control. So I guess it is out the door with control... (eek)

:+: I will become a more consistent writer. This is something I think I can actually do! I have all the tools at my disposal, even if the studio is no where near finished... Still a lovely space until it becomes colder and so very inspiring when I sit there at the open window.

:+: I will become the mother and wife I have always wanted to be. That looks different from day to day, but I am willing to learn how to flex into that, to become a more malleable and lovable woman of great use!

:+: I will become more present. This is a tough one! I love my life, but often I am thinking way to far into the future to be effective today. So, I will pray through the anxiety, seek God when I have my "moments", and I will strive to become more mired in the here and now, instead of the "What ifs".

:+: I will become less informed. I have already started down this path. Sounds goofy, right? I mean, who wants to be less educated? Right now, I do. I have turned off the television in the morning, refuse to watch anything but local news stories and believe it or not, I am much happier for it. I realize this will be counter-intuitive to some of you... For my sanity's sake, it is a deal breaker. Cannot stand one more talking head gleefully reporting another market crash and another step toward the greatest depression of our life-time. Sorry, no can do!

These are my becomings... What are yours?

Rogue Buffalo: Another Ranch Land Adventure

I was getting ready for a trip to town. Groceries needed purchased, or I was pretty sure that the kids would lock me out on the front porch and not let me in until I produced a sufficient amount of food to nosh. My phone rang... It was The Man.

"Hello?"
"Hi... Whadda ya up to?" (Standard question always asked by the Man when there is trouble afoot.)
"Getting ready for town... Why?" (Standard question asked by me when I know that I am about to be embroiled in such trouble.)
"Buffalo are out. Don't know where they are, but I have an idea. Keep your phone close. I will need you to come open a gate with Rafael when we find them."
"OK."

So much for leaving "first thing," but I wasn't discouraged... This should only take an hour - TOPS! (ahem...)


Yes, that's them... The "girls" decided they would take full advantage of the heavy rain storm that left the main gate to the buffalo arena wide open. They worked tirelessly all night on the knot in the rope that kept their pen closed and once they had that undone, it was off to the races!

After the initial blunder of opening one gate, only to miss an open gate directly across the road, I knew that groceries in the morning hours would have to be a distant memory. These gals were on a high lope across a pasture that was largely wide open. The chase was on...

Two and a half hours of pursuit later, these silly geese had us fully aware of how many farmers vs ranchers we have in the neighborhood. The "Angels" sniffed out every open gate, run down fence line and wide open oat field to explore, all with the accompaniment of The Man and his Trusty Assistant on horse back hot on their swishy little tails. I am convinced they thought it great fun!

We (meaning the Man and Trusty Assistant), finally got the rogues headed back toward home. They made it a full two and a half to three miles away from our property and their waiting water tanks. By the time they complied with the homeward effort, they were parched and done with the fun of it all.

On the way back to the ranch, I had the hired man in the car and it was our job to drive the route home and shut each open gate along the way, preventing further adventures of the Buffalo Gals. Let it be said, we only missed one... Apologies to the farmers and their oat fields.



They look all too happy with themselves, don't they?

Groceries would have to wait another day, I am afraid. I did however stumble upon a very nicely faked recipe for smothered pork chops that the whole family thought yummy. I was allowed to live another day... As long as I produced groceries within twelve hours!

How did your week go?

Blissfully yours...

I am grinning at myself.... Rather smugly, I might add. It is a silly thing, really. I am typing this from the rather bare surroundings of my studio. The walls are not finished, there isn't any electric and the only furniture is a wobbly card table and one lone chair. There really isn't much progress (else you would be seeing pictures, for sure) but I decided that I would not waste such a glorious space by writing my next blog post in it!

As I sit here, the breeze from the open windows confirms what I knew would be a comfortable seating. I am neither too hot, nor too cold. The flies that are buzzing through my unscreened windows aren't even bothering me terribly. The smell of cut lumber piled diligently behind me is soothing and puts a smile on my face as I stare out into the open meadow. From this vantage I cannot see another house or car. There is peace here in the quiet of my studio. The feel of it is exactly as I had hoped it would be.

Rarely these days do things turn out to be exactly as hoped. I feel very blessed and yes, a little spoiled. My husband grinned at me as I lugged the card table and chair out to my happy den. He gets me, he really does. He didn't ask what I was doing, he knew. I have gone to my happy place and all is well with my soul.

As much as I am reveling in the blissfulness of the studio, I am also wondering how some of my friends abroad are doing. They are, themselves, not in the fray but they may have loved ones and friends who are. My heart goes out to them. The feelings of helplessness and anger cannot be easy weights to bear when they are so far away. My prayers go out to them.

My to-do list ticks off in my head: A clinic to get organized, phone calls to make, the last of school supplies to buy... And I am once again back in the land of the living. Last week, I could barely get myself out of bed, the depression was so stark and unrelenting. Today it is as if the cool crisp morning air has jumpstarted my drive once more. Husband is so right when he literally shoves me up out of bed and tells me to get off my duff and DO something. As callus as that sounds, it is exactly what I have to hear if I am to keep going. The hardest thing about my depression is how stagnancy builds on me, miring me deeper and deeper, until I cannot move for the weight of it. It makes it incredibly hard to break free and just DO something.

My new phone is sitting in its FedEx box, staring at me defiantly. I have to set it up, AGAIN... If I let myself get angry about that I might actually ruin my awesome mood. Not yet. At least I have the darned thing before there is a cost to me... Still under warranty. Let's hope this one works more than two months before crapping out.

Pogo is panting at my feet, also enjoying the confines of the studio with what looks suspiciously like a grin on his face. When the Mommy's happy, Pogo's happy! Note to self: Will need a dog bed in studio for His Highness.

I am content... I hope you have a marvelous rest of your week!