Weekend Roads

 What a glorious weekend we've had.  We didn't get to the cabin until nearly 10 Friday evening as we had a function to attend but better late than never.  It's always the best when I am able to get up early in the morning at the cabin and make my way to our fabulous screened porch.  Hot coffee, birds starting to wakeup the morning and a good book in hand, I am in my happy place.  

Saturday was a wet morning so The Hubby had to wait to mow and do a bit of yard work in our small little yard.  We were having guests for dinner, ribs and he needed to clean up the tall grass.  Me, I sat quiet contentedly in my chair and finished reading a 400 page book and started in on another.  All the while I loved watching my bird feeders which were full with goldfinches, indigo buntings, purple finches, black-capped chickadees...oh there were tons of wonderful birds.  I could spend all day just watching, and I do.  

We had a wonderful evening of guests for dinner, lots of laughter, chitter-chatter.  After a bit we girls took a nice golf cart ride just to get out.  By the time we got back the sprinkles started so everyone decided to head back to their respective cabins to await the rain.  We have a metal roof on our cabin so listening to the rain is wonderful to sleep under.

Sadly, much too soon it is time to head back to reality, home and work.

Oh my goodness I almost forgot to mention, I got into another national show, the Allied Artist show in NYC I am once again in.  So two national shows in two days, my weekend just got even better.  

I totally forgot to take any photos of our weekend but captured a few from the drive home.  Maybe a painting will come out of these.

Home again, home again, till we head back down the road back to our Eden next weekend.

Views From My Hammock

Views from my hammock!

Sunday Walk

Yesterday was a beautiful, beautiful January 15 day.  Actually, yesterday was my little Bro's birthday and I FORGOT to call him.  Meant to many times but just kept getting side-tracked by the day.  Anyway, back to the walk.  I was all packed up from our weekend at the cabin.  The trash was gathered, the beds made, the kitchen clean, I was ready to go but wanted to take a quick walk to the wigwam and beyond before we headed home to gather a few pictures. 

The water over the dam was crystal clear and COLD... 

It's beautiful but will prettier when spring comes and the green leaves start popping... 

Walking further down to the swimming hole I spied turkey buzzards a circling. 

Uh oh, I found their hangout.  There were so many of them.  Reminds me of the movie, The Red Pony based on the Steinbeck book of the same name.  That movie scared the crap out of me with the buzzards munching on the little boy's red pony that wasn't even quite dead yet.  ICK and creepy.  I mentioned to one of the cabinites about my walk and sitting on a bench to watch.  I told him that they started getting curious about me and really started flying closer to me overhead.  He warned that it might not be a good idea to be too still around them....YIKES...hadn't thought of that. 

Escape

I decided that I needed to escape this weekend.  Escape from my life and the stresses that have plagued me lately.  So Thursday I told The Hubby that I was heading for the cabin a day early and off I went.  It was wonderful.  He arrived late Friday so that meant I spent time visiting with Harri, going to Wal-Mart, watering the horribly dying flowerbeds, reading and napping.  Saturday night we had three other couples over and everyone brought their own lobster tail and we joined in cooking them on the grill, which none of us had done.  What great fun it was.  During the afternoon we had some sprinkles of rain and later in the evening actual rain, about 30 minutes worth.  Unfortunately some in the area of home had some wind damage from the summer storm including B&B2.  Today they are still without power in this drought and 100 degree + temperature. 

The first little rain splats! 

My feeders were inundated with starving birds. 

Look, I can see his little tongue. 

This stately gentleman, Mr. Goldfinch was just beautiful. 

Two of the helpers putting the meal together.  We had to prep the lobster tails. 

I found them so beautiful. 

Table set and food served! 

Gosh, it was just delicious.  Oh and we learned how to make lemon clarified butter! 

I really should have kept the shells and made some fish stock for soup but I didn't want to mess with it. 

We ladies celebrated with a glass of champagne with a blackberry.  We toasted those who were not able to join us Saturday. 

My 4th of July in Review

Last night was the 4th of July fireworks show here at our getaway from the world. Thank goodness all The Hubby has to do is hand over a check and coordinate. I told him that he needs to not do it anymore as he is tired of the responsibility. He agrees and hopefully we won't even have to be here next year. I am not happy with all the people and craziness that goes with it all. Thankfully the rain kept it to a minimum.

Today the purple hull peas I shelled on Friday night are slowly simmering on the stove with a little bacon fat, onion and jalepeno salt.  It should be yummy with the smoked pork tenderloin The Hubby is preparing and our fresh tomatoes that I picked as soon as we arrived. 

Yesterday this is where my bootie plopped itself down and spent the entire day while it rained and rained. 

My view was just awesome as I finished Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich and started Eat, Love, Pray and journaled in my hand written journal.

This morning I was up early with a sleep-in kind of headache but a good strong cup of coffee helped to make it vanish.  I journaled some more, read and showered.  Then I felt the need to take a golf cart ride around the grounds to see if any of the fireworks debris was still around.  Someone got up very, very early and cleaned up all the mess.  Down by the boat ramp I found two pontoon boats ready for the water.  I've been on them before for sunset cruises and a couple of weekends ago an all day event.  They are ready and waiting for the next excursion and hopefully the rain will stay at bay.  A bunch is planning on going to Whitehorn Cove to watch their fireworks celebration tonight and having a cookout on the boat.  I plan on staying nice and comfy in front of my TV. 

More sights on my early morning golf cart ride.  I like this picture and may try to incorporate it into a painting.

Poor little Clayton watching me take off in the golf cart.  He so loves to ride and have The Hubby, his best bud, take him to the meadow to run till his hearts content.  The little guy has a problem though as he over heats very quickly.  On Friday evening The Hubby took him on a run and they found a part of the creek to stand in the cool running water.  He laid down in it and loved the rush of coolness on his overheated belly.  I so love this little guy and had no idea how much he would enrich our lives (I probably said this before). 

I almost forgot to say something about this...

Remember  I wrote in May about the prothonotary warbler that had nested in our nest on the porch, well we got so lucky on Friday evening to see the two babies peak their heads out and fly.  Oh my goodness it was so awesome to see that.  Hopefully the little couple will hatch another brood before the summer is over.

Week in Review

This is a self portrait just before I left to go to my multi-class reunion last weekend.  I like it.  That was a fun day. 

This week I've taken several days off from the office as I will a good part of the summer.  B is not teaching this summer so will be in the office!  I have been planning to paint but that has just not happened, yet.  I spent most of this week running a lot of errands and visiting with my BFF who has been dealing with cancer.  I stopped by and ended up staying 3 hours just talking.  It was very nice.  I went to the greenhouse for climbing roses for the trellis at the cabin and tomatoes for B&B's garden...I expect some tomatoes. ;) 

This weekend The Hubby has gone to Minnesota for a flashlight show.  Several years ago, 1998, The Hubby and I hosted the first ever flashlight show in Tulsa and the paper even did an article on him.  In 2008, we hosted the 10th show here.  They have them every year and he loves to attend and feels an obligation to attend since he is the one who got the ball rolling.  I don't!  They're fun while they are here but I choose not to attend in other states.  We used to do lighter shows too, yes, cigarette lighters.  He has a collection of those too but has maxed out on it.  I prefer them as they are so beautiful, especially the trench art ones.  I have to say also that we do not smoke and never did but he collects them because it was an era, truly. 

Anyway, I opted to head to the cabin this weekend and enjoy the wonderful weather that the weather people are predicting.  Unfortunately, they are predicting 90 degree weather and the A/C unit is acting up!  It's really not too bad with a fan on me.  Last night, with the windows open the air was very nice but the neighbors were not cooperating with the peace and quiet.  There are some here for a wedding at the wigwam and their cabin is full of people, lots and lots of people who do not understand the peace and quiet of our little heaven on earth.  We come here for no motor boats, birds singing, and communing with nature.  Last night I hit the pillow about 10 pm, woke with a start at 10:30 from a bad dream, back asleep at about 11:15 when I was jolted out of that wonderful sleep by fireworks.  FIREWORKS!!!!!  These were not little poppy things but huge boom, rattle the window kind by my neighbors.  They were actually being set off in the meadow but it was 11:15 PM!!!!!  Very quickly my other neighbor, Jimbo hopped onto his golf cart and flew down there to stop the insanity!!!!!  Three boys from the wedding neighbors.  Where in the world were the presumed grownups to stop this.  Teach these kids respect for people please.  Stupid!!!!!  I then could not drift off to sleep till after 1:30 and then was up at 5 to feed the dog and potty.  RATS!!!!!

Nicer thoughts now...

Yesterday I was sitting on the couch drifting off for a quick nap with I noticed the little ceramic birdhouse that a friend gave me a few years ago.  I hung it on the porch but it has remained empty, till now.  I noticed a bird popping in and out with little twigs and stuff for a nest.  YEAH!  There were actually two of them building and I realized that they were a Prothonotary Warbler, a pair.  They were preparing a nest on my porch. 

Now my picture is not good as I did not want to disturb them....

So here is an Internet generated one...after reading the link

I find they quite fascinating and really lucky to have them on my porch.  Hope they stay!

Robin

I have been trying to find online a poem that I memorized when I was a child about a robin and a secret.  I think I have it in a three-ring binder that I used to keep poetry in....let me take a look...oh, there it is.  I was about 10 years old when I had to memorize this for school.  The other day, when the warm up started, I looked out in the backyard around the bird bath and there were no less than six robins drinking out of it.  That whole day I never saw so many robin's around town.  Truly spring has sprung.  Today I believe it is supposed to be around 70 degrees and I am so amped for it.  As I type this I am sitting in the living room and behind me sits my lone canary, Trinity.  She is talking to me and hears the birds outside that trigger her to chatter.  She is a female canary and they usually don't sing but I have music on too and she is trilling to it too.  Awww, spring is here.  As I drove home this AM, a little before seven I noticed all of a sudden that the grass is beginning to turn green.  Not only do we have the sounds of spring, the warmth of spring, but now the colors of spring beginning to brighten our lives.  I love it.  Enjoy the poem and have a great day all.  (Amazing how a little sunshine and green can brighten my attitude!)

The Secret by Anonymous


We have a secret, just we three,
The robin, and I, and the sweet cherry-tree;
The bird told the tree, and the tree told me,
And nobody knows it but just us three.

But of course the robin knows it best,
Because she built the--I shan't tell the rest;
And laid the four little--something in it--
I'm afraid I shall tell it every minute.

But if the tree and the robin don't peep,
I'll try my best the secret to keep;
Though I know when the little birds fly about
Then the whole secret will be out.

I'm Freezing

What the heck has happened to our lovely spring. It is May 16th and I'm sitting on the deck in socks, tennis shoes, jeans, long sleeved t-shirt, and a JACKET! I'm freezing. I'm so ready for the heat, bring it on PLEASE, and enough with the rain please. I'm beginning to grow moss on the left side of my body! Poor B. Yesterday she set up her booth at the Blue Dome District. She has done fine money wise, at least until they got there this morning and all, not some but all of the Blue Dome tents were down and most of the tent poles were busted. They just bought the tent. So there go some of the profits. Luckily one of her friends that is selling stuff with them has a father who owns a tent they could borrow to finish out the weekend. OH MY GOD, I'm going to have to find a coat somewhere!

This morning I awoke after a night of listening to rain and thunder and watching lightening light up our bedroom window. It was actually warmer I think when I arose because I was on our screened-in porch reading my latest book (have to finish up the actual books before I can use my Kindle). I luckily filled the bird feeders last night so I would not have to deal with wet bird feeders this morning. The birds were coming fast, along with the squirrels and chipmunks. Those pesky blue jays can sure chase off some good birds. I spent part of the morning visiting with Harri then back to the cabin with my camera to set up some pics possibly for some painting ideas.I want to incorporate these things into a painting as the clothes pin bag is from the Purina Feed Store that my grandfather had and the kettle was his grandmothers.

While snapping pictures I spied a pair of blue buntings and when I was about through a Baltimore Oriole on the suet feeder (I think). These are real good shots but you might be able to tell.

I am not going to read any blogs or comment till tomorrow as I'M FREEZING and just wanted to at least post a entry but that is all my little fingers and tootsies can take today.

They've hatched...

They are a little fuzzy as the momma was not happy about my invasion.

Stargazers in my MIL's front yard.