Two for Tuesday

I took this picture on my Monday morning walk. I'll apologize now for the grainy blurriness, but there is only so much you can do with a camera phone.

. . . and no, this isn't a Bigfoot sighting, though I have wondered if any of them live along my walking routes as there is sometimes an aroma of eau de Pepe le Pew!

Yeah, you're right, it's probably just a real skunk . . . or the hobo who lives in the woods.

Oh . . . hobo isn't technically correct, how about homeless man who rides a gas-powered bike along the 'no motorized vehicles' trail?

Here's the first picture. Can you even see the two birds wading?

 Here's the cropped picture and blown up version, avec graininess.

Okay, I'll let you know what they are since they are virtually impossible to see in my photos--there are two Great Blue Herons in this picture. I was pretty far away when I took this picture, but I could recognize them.

I've been up close and personal with a BB gun in my backyard when one of those buggers tried cleaning out my koi pond! I think my fish are too big. What do you think?

Later, Peeps!

Cliff Swallows

A few months ago I commented on the barn swallows, well, I misidentified them (verified in a Field Guide for birds East of the Rockies). They are actually CLIFF SWALLOWS.

Pardon my mistake, but those silly birds must not have gotten the memo that there are NO CLIFFS to be had over most of Tulsa, OK. I still love watching these birds swooping and diving from their mud houses at the top of expressway pylons, skimming through the air to catch a variety of insect.

I've taken a few pictures on my walkies. The quality isn't that good due to 1) it being my phone camera, 2) I managed to gwark up my camera lens by sweating on it!

The evolution of a cliff swallow nest:  

And there you have it. The happy families.

Later, Peeps!

Pool Opening!

I have a lot of stuff to do this week, and to tell you the truth, I honestly don't know if I'm going to get it all finished! It's nothing big or secretive, just lots of stuff going on: hubby's sister and two teens are visiting, still need to shop for clothes that fit, oil change in car, three contest entries to judge, edits for TROLL, pre-cook about four meals, the regular chauffeuring, Oh, and pack. Yeah, I'm leaving the family to fend for themselves while I take a short jaunt to visit another branch of the family. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I posted just enough that I ruined it. *sigh* I think I goofed off too well last week.

So this week, I'll be posting pictures: pool opening, garden (before and after the rain) and whatever floats my boat.

I'm sure I posted pictures last year when we opened the pool, but here are THIS year's pics! I will mention that my only contribution to the pool opening is to help pull the cover off the pool and adjust the chemicals until it looks beau-ti-mous!

unlatching pool cover from deck

This was one or two days before the 6-7 inches of rain that we desperately needed.

deep end of the pool

After the cover was removed, you can still see the bottom of the pool! This was unusual, but probably due to the mild winter. The big brown blob are piles of leaves. To the upper right of the blog, you can see the main drain.

partially vacuumed

I took this picture from the upstairs bathroom window. You can see where my hubby vacuumed the settled dirt away from the front corner.

finished!

Finished! The pool has been swept and the water level refilled, but there is still some haze to it. Hubby also power washed the deck. I shocked it after this picture was taken.

Ready for swimming--if you like 64 degrees

I took this picture yesterday. The pool looks awesome! It was actually pretty two days later, but then the rains came . . . and came . .  .and came! We couldn't do anything over spring break!

Maggie dog (white head) is sitting at the gate watching hubby (to the right of kidlet, but he blends into the background!) and kidlet (blue shirt) flying his remote controlled helicopter in the school's soccer field behind us.

I'll try posting garden pics this week!
Later!

Snow, Gnomes and Pictures

Well, I don't know about y'all, but I'm already tired of the white stuff.  Not that I've driven in it--I haven't . . . much.  I don't drive in bad weather and being a homebody, I really don't mind staying at home.  Besides, we all know the hubster won't be taking his 'Vette out of the garage anytime soon, I'll be carless in the interim.

What I do mind, is being cooped up with both my children.  Yes, the 46-year old and the 10-year old do get on my nerves at times, though they have been playing Donkey Kong in relative peace. 

Ever since I found out last Monday that Jabberwocky didn't want my GNOME story, I've been editing it for about the 9th or 10th time.  Emails have been fast and furious between me and my cover designer, the wonderful Laura Morrigan. Plus we've been searching for a distinctive 'look' for my series, which I'm calling, THE GOBLIN'S APPRENTICE.  And since the goblin wasn't introduced until book two, I'm having to rewrite some of Book One, GNOME. 

--and I just found out they cancelled school, which means my kidlet will be home AGAIN.  So here are a few pictures I thought I'd share.

The front door before

After shoveling

Sledding by the school

Rachel and Maggie 'frolicing'

A little more frolicing

Fire and comfort surrounded by the snow fort

Where's the swimming pool??

Pre-toasted marshmallow

Who needs a blanket when you have a fuzzy dog?

Later, Peeps!