We aren't the only ones who live here!

I often hear the screeching cry (kee-ahh) of a hawk in my yard. One spring a pair had nested in our back yard very close to the house but I never saw more than a head poking above the nest. So one morning recently while I was enjoying my hammock and a good book, I heard the familiar cry (actually I am hearing it as I type this). I looked into the trees to find the source - and I found it! I excitedly ran to get my camera and here is the result.

After studying the pictures and the bird book, I think this is a Red Shouldered Hawk. Notice the striped tail and wings and the reddish color on the breast. He is one of the larger hawks.

He (or she?) very obligingly sat for about fifteen minutes. We had just had three days and nights of heavy rain and I wonder if he was drying himself in the sun. He kept holding his wings out and spreading his tail. These pictures were made from my front porch at a distance of 200 yards using my optical zoom.

I often hear and see him fly across my front yard and I hear him in the woods. Sometimes I hear him in the trees but just can't spot him. Seeing him that morning was really special! It reminded me that Mr. B and I aren't the only ones who live on this spot!

See what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has to say about the Red Shouldered Hawk. Be sure to listen to the cry.

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Ever feel like your house is too small?

The world's smallest house is for sale in Toronto, Canada. Measuring just a little over 7 feet wide and 47 feet long, this very cute house is literally squeezed in between its neighbors.

Boasting 312 square feet, there is a living room, a kitchen, a full sized bath, a bedroom and a back yard. It is selling for 110,000 pounds.

Need a weekend place in town? I have been to Toronto and found it to be a very nice place.

Think how large your house would seem when you get home!

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Spring Sunset

I made this picture from my backyard yesterday. The trees look like winter in the picture but actually the maples are blooming and there are hints of color on the other trees.



And as I snapped the picture I could hear the peepers in the low spot. Check out the link to see and hear the peepers for yourself!

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Change of Seasons

On a cold gray day that felt like winter I took my camera and went out to see if there were signs of spring. Other than the daffodils, you have to look closely to see tiny flowers and buds. I needed obvious proof that spring is here so I planted pansies. But just in case, I left the snow shovel out!

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Sorrow and Joy

Claudia at Dipity Road has it exactly right in her Friday - Finding Beauty post. Along with joy comes sorrow. Our house inspection went well and we are waiting to hear from the seller about the repairs that need to be done. So I am thinking about what I will be leaving behind here at the lake and our woods. I have enjoyed watching the ducks and geese.

I will miss looking out and seeing the lake.

I will miss the stream that flows into the lake and taking pictures of the waterfall.

I'm trying to focus on the positive aspects of the move, but I will be roaming the neighborhood and saying goodbye to my favorite trees, stumps, and views.

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Spring IS Coming!

I took a walk with my camera on a gray rainy day thinking there were no signs of spring. To my amazement I found this flowering quince ready to burst into bloom. It certainly made my day!

I am joining The Little Red House for Mosaic Monday. Check out all the lovely mosaics!

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House Hunting Success!

Success! A whirlwind trip of house hunting and this is the result. Mr. B and I are buying the house with our daughter and son-in-law whom we refer to as son #4. This is the house I was off to see in the last post about our house search. Actually, our daughter and husband had viewed the house a year ago then it went off the market. While I was in Connecticut the house appeared and we jumped at the chance. After all, it has 4,200 sq ft and 2 and a quarter acres.

This is the back of the house. It was built in the sixties and I feel there is a definite Frank Lloyd Wright influence. There is lots of glass, large rooms, a marble wall with fireplace and a brick wall with fireplace. The living room is huge and has a cathedral ceiling. And there is hardwood flooring under the carpet. There will definitely be space for a craft room, a closed off TV room (for my sanity) and a guest room!

The road that loops by the house is quiet and will be good for walking and riding a bike. Down the hill behind the house is a river.

The house inspection is this week. Keep your fingers crossed! More pictures later.

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Purple Berries

I'm joining Claudia at Dipity Road for "Friday - Finding Beauty."

This photo was made last fall on a trip to Connecticut. Beautiful foliage was all around me, but these beautiful purple berries caught my eye.

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House Love!

Here I am in Connecticut house hunting. This is a house I saw on my last trip and I have not been able to get it out of my mind. 8 East Street, Stafford Springs, CT. $329,900 with 6 bedrooms and 3 full baths, 5120 sq ft on a lot of 1.67 acres. ALL THAT LOVELY SPACE! It was love at first sight for me!

My daughter also loves this house. We keep trying to convince our mates that it doesn't really need so much work! But we all saw the movie, "The Money Pit" and our arguments are not going anywhere. But I love the space and the period details!

This the foyer looking into the living room and into the sunroom. The foyer is as large as a living room in most houses. Yes, it really is as large as it seems in the picture!

The dining room with that lovely built in is huge! I can picture my family here at Christmas. With the high ceilings we could have a big, tall tree. The third floor was the servants quarters and has a bedroom and bathroom.

The second floor landing is about 12 feet wide and five bedrooms open onto it. The phone system for talking to the servants is in place in the dining room, the entry and the 3rd floor. And in the middle of the dining room floor is the outlet for plugging in the buzzer to summon the servants! Cool! We could take turns being the servant each night.


I know I could make this house perfect but I'm not even guessing on what it would cost. It has some new windows and a good roof but needs a new kitchen. Probably needs new wiring and plumbing work. And how much insulation it has is a guess. Heating bills would be an issue as is the amount of taxes.

So finally, I have moved on. Am scheduled to view a ranch with a Frank Lloyd Wright influence this afternoon. It has a daylight basement which makes it more like a two story house. I've just come from the town office to check zoning for poultry and small livestock and we can have our animals. And the best part? It has 4,200 sq ft! Surely there will be space for a craft room.

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Country Mice go to the City

Mr. B and I lead a quiet life here in the woods beside the lake. So when our son and his lovely wife gave us a weekend in Baltimore as a Christmas gift, we were a little hesitant to venture forth and sample urban life. Especially we are always reluctant to join that aggressive stream of traffic on I 95 that flows through Washington and Baltimore. But we joined the fray and we're glad we did.

The weekend included lunch on the waterfront at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. After lunch it was only a short walk to the Baltimore Aquarium which must be the most popular spot in the city. It was packed on a Saturday afternoon! The center photo is of the pedal boats with the Aquarium in the background. All the other photos were taken inside the Aquarium. I'm hoping to return this summer and go out on a pedal boat with my son.



We spent two nights at the Baltimore North Sheraton in Towson. What a treat that was! An afternoon visiting and watching movies at the son and daughter-in-law's house was great fun. Then we attended a concert - Celtic Woman - at the Hippodrome Performing Arts Center. It was a nice mix of slow songs and lively ones - a wonderful performance in a lovely setting!

We've had a taste of city life. And we learned that Mr. B can still pilot our car through the congestion with me reading the directions and maps, albeit with a wrong turn or two.

Now it's back to the woods, our cats and the quiet life.

I'm joining Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House.

Can anyone tell me why my collages made in Picasa don't look better in the post? Am I choosing the wrong size? What's the trick?

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Fresh Tomatoes

Doesn't this look delicious? I'm joining Claudia at Friday - Finding beauty, because I think my simple salad is beautiful. I can't wait for summer and fresh tomatoes!
Remember how good tomatoes taste when they are still warm from the garden? Yummy. This salad is made with a mix of lettuces, fresh tomatoes from my garden, crumbled bacon and feta cheese. The dressing is olive oil and lemon juice, salt and cracked black pepper.

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Warm Brownies on a Cold Day

This is the way it has been looking this winter in Virginia.

So on another day when snow is expected and there is no sunshine, I find this to be a cheery sight. I love the touches of red and the very green plant. And the promise of brownies!

My daughter posted on Facebook that she was eating warm brownies. I've wanted some ever since! Warm, with nuts and topped with whipped cream. Mr. B has promised to bake some for me. I can't wait! In the meantime I had better go for a walk and use up some calories - in advance.

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Before the Snow

These are photos I took recently, before the big snowfalls. My cat Sylvie joined me on a walk so her portrait is included. Sylvie is 17, so we didn't go far.


I absolutely love the center photo with the sun shining through that leaf! The dried arrangement is made of things I gathered. On a drive when I holler "Stop!" - Mr. B always stops and waits patiently and has learned not to ask, "What are you going to do with those weeds?" The lovely cream pitcher was bought at an auction in Greencastle, PA.

The road in the right corner is our own Iris Lane, the back drive into our house. In the upper left you can see a small stream running into our lake. The picture of two trees on the right side - I love the way two different trees can grow together - like Mr. B and me (yankee and southerner)!

I'm joining Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House.

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Winter Hammock

This is the hammock that is pictured in my header. But this is the winter version. I think of all the hot summer days when I would lie in the hammock and read and nap. Often Mr. B would bring me lunch - with Lays potato chips. Doesn't get any better than that! Hot days will come again!

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Beauty in my Yard

I'm joining Claudia at Friday ...... Finding Beauty.

After taking hundreds of photos in my yard I was looking for something different. Believe it or not, this leaf was stuck on our outdoor light. The drip was a bonus!

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My Feathered Friend

After weeks of teasing/frustrating me, Mr. Cardinal has come forth in these last two snowstorms and actually posed for me. In another post I will show you photos of our cat and mouse game.

Here he is yesterday taking a break after his lunch. Yes, he brought the missus, a brother and his wife and assorted cousins. View yesterday's post, Dining at the Hoffmanns' to see them.

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Dining at the Hoffmanns'

More snow overnight! This is Virginia?

At least the birds have a place to dine. No reservations needed but there is a wait! The lobby (trees and shrubs) is full.

I am having such fun taking bird and squirrel pictures. Even the elusive cardinal posed for me - repeatedly!

You will be seeing lots more of my nature photos. The scattered seeds on the deck railing and the table on the porch are really bringing the birds in close. I can take photos from the comfort of my recliner and not even get cold! Can you believe I have taken 1500 shots since Christmas? What a fun day!

And I am so grateful for power and heat!

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Near Disaster

This is the stump of the tree that broke this morning. We were awakened by a horrible noise. We couldn't understand what was happening. I looked out the window and saw the tree falling. It was only a few feet from the house. Had it fallen a few feet the other way it would have fallen on the house and us in our bed!

You can see how close this is to the house. Thank goodness it even missed the air conditioning unit. We spent the day with no power and cooked lunch on our stove that has gas logs. The power came on this afternoon.

I spent the day reading "The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton and snuggling under the covers. Of course we fed the birds extra seeds. I took some photographs and did some shoveling. And the children called to see if we are okay. Tomorrow is to be 8 degrees and tomorrow night 7. More sleet and snow coming next week. No snow plows out today. We literally are snowed in!

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That's My Boy - on YouTube!

My son, Kevin Hoffmann, is appearing in "Whisper House" at the Old Globe in San Diego. In this video he is the one in the Coast Guard uniform. Do you think I'm a Proud Mama?

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Hornets' Nest

I was out for a walk and feeling so cold that I was ready to head in. I looked at the trees in the distance and saw something large hanging. "Couldn't be," I thought. "Maybe it's a squirrels' nest." As I walked I kept my eye on it until I was right under the tree where it was hanging. And here it is for you to see!

It would be perfectly safe to collect the nest this time of year. It is only used one season, during the summer. The hornets leave in the fall or those who stay freeze or die of old age. This link tells more about it. I asked my hubby if he would get it for me, maybe by using a truck with a bucket! I am in no danger of actually getting the nest as it is about 25 feet up in the air!

After I took some pictures and turned toward home, I realized I wasn't cold any longer. In my excitement I had forgotten about being cold!

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Snow Collage

We had another large snowfall. Ten inches this time. And the day after was sunny with a brilliant blue sky. Perfect for picture taking, although a big cold. This is a walk around my neighborhood.

I'm very proud of the icicle-with-the-water-drop photo. That was made using the Macro setting on my new camera.

Be sure to stop by and join the fun at the Little Red House blog for Mosaic Monday.

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Photo Collage - learning

Well, I don't give up easily but I do get frustrated! I have spent hours trying to create a collage in Picasa. The photo tray, the collage button - couldn't find any of it. Finally decided to reload Picasa (version 3.6) and suddenly - there it all was.

It did scare me that it uploaded all my photos in iPhoto to Picasa. Should I be worried about this? I read that if you delete a folder in Picasa it deletes it from your computer. On the other hand, I had been worried that my photos were not backed up and this can serve as a back up. Any opinions? It feels a little like losing control.

I kept the resolution for the collage photos at 180, yet Picasa made the finished product 96 dpi. The collage does not look as clear as my regular photos which are 100 dpi. Does anyone know why? When you click on it to enlarge, then it looks clear.

Thank you all for your suggestions in the comments. I appreciate the help!!

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Winter Woods

I am joining Mary at the Little Red House for Mosaic Monday. I have made two mosaics in the past, but I have to admit, I forgot how I did it!!! So I am learning again. Had trouble with the Picasa instructions on creating a collage. Oh, I wish I had a friend to call on for this kind of thing! So started in Google and found Smilebox.com. I'm using the free basic version. This is my first attempt. There is much more to learn. But - here it is!

What do y'all use? How do you get your photos so large, clear and bright? This photo is 150 dpi. Is that enough?

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Evening Sky

We have had a lovely sunny, warm day after a deluge last night. I took my new camera into the woods to explore what my macro setting can do. There was so much to see - mossy rocks, interesting dried leaves, vines growing up tree trunks, tiny mushrooms and twisting tree roots. The sky started to cloud over; our next storm is moving in. This shot of the evening sky is the last one I made before coming in for the night.

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Red Spoon - Simple Pleasures

I'm joining Claudia at "Friday - Finding Beauty."

For Christmas, Santa put a large red spoon in my stocking. I finally threw away my favorite spoon that was so chipped, it left people wondering if the chipped pieces were in the spaghetti sauce they were eating! Well, I love my red spoon so much (knowing where Santa shopped) I went to Dollar Tree and bought another spoon and a spatula. Don't they look lovely! And the cyclamen I bought in CT this summer is blooming again. Isn't that red an exact match? My kitchen is small but it certainly is cheery!

This photo was taken with my new Christmas Camera! Thanks kids! I'm lovin' it!

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Favorite Quotes

I Feel Bad About My Neck
Nora Ephron

"But if the events of the last few years have taught me anything, it's that I'm going to feel like an idiot if I die tomorrow and I skimped on bath oil today."

Finger Lickin' Fifteen
Janet Evanovich

"And then I had to decide if I needed to wear shoes that kicked ass or were good for ass kicking, on account of there's a difference, you know"


A Body to Die For
G. A. McKevett

“ ‘Amazing what six thousand calories can do to perk up a body’s system,’ Savannah said ....”

“........she flipped down the visor mirror, ran a brush through her hair, and checked the bags under her eyes. They were now officially big enough that, if she were flying, the airlines would charge her extra to bring them aboard.”

“I said I was sorry and you forgave me.”
“Forgiving’s one thing. Forgetting’s another.”


Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof
Blaize Clement

“That’s the neat thing about cats. You can be feeling like yesterday’s cold oatmeal, and the sound of a cat’s purring just because you’re there makes you feel like you might be worth something after all.”

“Paco and Ella (a cat) have an agreement - if she sits politely and keeps her paws off the table, she’s allowed to adore her men from a bar stool. I know some human females who operate under the same rule.”


To The Nines
Janet Evanovich

"His hair was dark and his eyes were dark and he looked like he frequently traveled through places where men's hearts were dark."

"The sky was murky above me and I felt the rasp of ozone in the back of my throat. As the day wore on cars, chemical plants, and backyard barbecues would make their contribution to the stew that cooked over Jersey. Fancy-pants wimps in L.A. rated their pollution and curtailed activity. In Jersey we just call it air and get on with life. If you're born in Jersey, you know how to rise to a challenge. Bring on the Mob. Bring on bad air. Bring on taxes and obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and macaroni at every meal. Nothing defeats us in Jersey."

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That's My Boy!! The Los Angeles Times Entertainment Section!

Yes, this is my son, Kevin, on the Los Angeles Times Entertainment section! "Whisper House" is opening this month at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego. Kevin plays the part of Lt. Rando, a Coast Guard officer.

Is this exciting, or what?!!!!!!!



"Whisper House" by Duncan Sheik may be purchased from Amazon.


Whisper House (Below)
(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Lt. Rando (Kevin Hoffmann) breaks into dance.



Whisper House (Below)
(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Lt. Rando (Kevin Hoffmann) orders lighthouse worker Yasuhiro (Arthur Acuna) to freeze. Yasuhiro, a Japanese American, is a person of suspicion to 11-year old Christopher, whose pilot father has been killed by the Japanese in World War II.


Whisper House (Below)
(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Kevin Hoffmann (as Lt. Rando), from left, Mare Winningham (as Lilly) and Ted Koch (Charles, the sheriff) rehearse a scene.



The Los Angles Times, Entertainment Section, By John Horn

January 17, 2010

Reporting from San Diego - Duncan Sheik is a skeptic of the supernatural -- "I completely don't believe in ghosts," the singer-songwriter says. Yet if his new musical “Whisper House” is to succeed in its world premiere Thursday at the Old Globe Theatre, audiences -- not to mention some of the musical's characters -- will need to have faith in things that go bump in the night.

The musical unfolds in distinct but concurrent realms: the living (five inhabitants of a coastal Maine town) and the dead (two singing ghosts, and their seven-piece backup band). And there are three separate "Whisper House" time periods: The ghosts last drew breath in the early 20th century, the people in Maine are living in the 1940s, and the musicians could have been playing a gig last night at Club Nokia. If the show comes together, none of that should matter.

Recent history stands to benefit "Whisper House." "Spring Awakening," the 2006 theatrical love child of Frank Wedekind's late 19th century coming-of-age play and Sheik's modern ballads, not only swept the Tonys (eight wins, including best musical) but also proved that the sum of a classic text and contemporary melodies can actually be much greater than its outwardly dissonant parts.

"Whisper House" loosely follows that mash-up model, yet with a novel twist: The five "Whisper House" protagonists don't break into song. Instead, the new musical's choral complement is delivered by rock-and-rolling ghosts, who wander in and out of the action like ethereal intruders.....

The new production, with music and lyrics by Sheik and a book and lyrics by Kyle Jarrow, may unfold during World War II but owes its thematic inspiration to modern conflict and the paranoia it can incite. When the creative team assembled for the show's first read-through in mid-December, Jarrow stood before the cast and crew to say he saw "Whisper House" as being as much about orange threat-level alerts as anything else. ......

Modern living isn't intrinsic to "Whisper House," as the story unfolds in early 1942. Christopher (Eric Brent Zutty) is an 11-year-old boy whose pilot father was killed by the Japanese; his mother, devastated by grief, suffers a nervous breakdown. Christopher is accordingly dispatched to a Maine lighthouse run by his spinster aunt, Lilly ( Mare Winningham).

Lilly is assisted in her coastal endeavors by Yasuhiro (Arthur Acuña), a Japanese American of whom Christopher immediately becomes suspicious. Christopher's anxiety grows stronger as the show progresses, and he sees signs of treachery in what might be benign acts.

At the same time, Lilly reconsiders where her personal loyalties lie: to her cosseted, emotionally protected life or to those people around her who need (like a lighthouse, put another way) a beacon of guidance and protection.

As the threat of U-boat attacks intrudes on the ordinary isolation of the "Whisper House" lighthouse, so, too, do the show's ghosts. The shadowy musicians -- the wraithlike remains of a band whose steamer was dashed on nearby rocks in 1912 -- are led by two vocalists (David Poe and Holly Brook) who not only offer commentary on the on-stage action but also, like contemporary sirens belting out pop songs, try to lure the lighthouse's inhabitants to their own personal shipwrecks -- even suicide.

As the musical's opening song, the moody ballad "Better off Dead," has it: Release your heavy heart - Rest your weary head - When all the world's at war - It's better to be dead.

"Whisper House" presents unconventional staging on a number of levels. In "Spring Awakening," the songs by Sheik and Steven Sater served a different narrative purpose (articulating the characters' inner lives) and were performed by the principal cast; as with most musicals, the songs gave way to dialogue (and vice versa) about every five minutes. ......

At the same time, some of the "Whisper House" songs are performed as shadow plays in pantomimes projected on a translucent upstage screen, choreographed by Pilobolus Dance Theatre's Matt Kent, who collaborated with Poe on the dance troupe's recent “Shadowland” show.

What's more, the rules for the interaction between the dead and the living aren't always clear. Christopher can hear the ghosts' music, but even though Poe's crooning apparition blows out Yasuhiro's Zippo while he's trying to light a cigarette, it's ambiguous who can (and can't) discern the ghosts' physical presence. What's less vague is their role as they wander about the stage: They're gumming up the works, stoking paranoia.

"No matter what you do," the ghosts sing in the parable song "The Tale of Solomon Snell," "you'll never be safe." Or, in what Sheik and Jarrow say is a parroting of statements from the George W. Bush administration in the song "We're Here to Tell You": We're here to tell you - That all of this is real - And if you're terrified today - That's how you're supposed to feel (for real). .....

The Old Globe, which had been talking to Jarrow about another production, became the home for "Whisper House" after the Connecticut venue fell through. "We just think it's different and special and fragile and unique," Louis Spisto, the theater's chief executive officer and executive producer, told the cast and crew at the musical's first read-through. If the show succeeds in San Diego, a move to Broadway could be likely. "There are definitely parties interested in this," Spisto said.

But before there's any further talk of New York, Sheik, Jarrow, Askin and the show's cast and creative team worked to make sure "Whisper House" feels like a cohesive whole, not so many competing parts.

"That's what Duncan and I were most worried about," Jarrow says. "We didn't want it to be a play that pauses, and then there's a rock concert."

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Fun Christmas Gift

This is a book mark I made for my daughter for Christmas. She loves the ocean and subscribes to "Coastal Living" where I found this picture. And she loves to read. It seemed like a good gift for her.

I was surprised when I visited "The Old Post Road" and read "Now that's a good idea" and saw the picture of this bedroom and it reminded me of the bookmark. So I wanted to share my project with you.

Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors. Don't you love the quote I put on the bookmark? The picture seemed perfect!

Making bookmarks is fun. Last year I used pictures of my children when they were young and gave them each four bookmarks. I make it 2 inches wide by 6.5 tall with a resolution of 200. Then merge the layers and move the original onto a blank document 10.5 by 8.25. Four fit across the page perfectly. I print on cardstock and then using spray adhesive I put it on another sheet to make it stiffer. Then cut with a paper cutter for nice straight lines.

Oh, I forgot to say I do this in Photo Elements 6, a really great program. It takes a little studying to learn but it is well worth it. My son gave me "Photo Shop Elements 6: The Missing Manual." The book is a real help.

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House Hunting

I will be away for a few days, house hunting in Connecticut. If any one wants to buy a cute cottage on a lake in central Virginia, let me know!

We are trying the grand experiment and buying a house with our daughter and her husband (our son #4). We have lots in common and get along so well and even have fun together. Most importantly, the men root for the same sports teams!! So we are looking for a large house which lets out lots of cute houses like this one.

Located at 7 Old Town St, East Haddam (Hadlyme) Connecticut, this house was built in 1857 and is selling for $445,000. It is on 2.18 acres and has 1,556 square feet. The success of this house comes from not putting too much into it. I could never fit all my stuff in!

Isn't this perfectly adorable?

It looks so clean, fresh, bright and uncluttered!

And here is the bonus!

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Holiday Leftovers

My daughter brought this when she came for Christmas, saying I could give it a longer life than she could. (Her green thumb is some other color.) Already it was a leftover. And now, in the middle of January, it is really a leftover. Poinsettias are lovely before Christmas, but not so much after Christmas. I'm not a fan when they get leggy and scraggly as mine always do. Anyone have suggestions? I can't bring myself to murder it!

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Quack, it's cold!

Our "neighbors" don't seem to be minding the cold very much as you can see. This was taken from my front porch. (I don't have to work very hard to get my photos.) The creek going into the lake, as well as most of the lake, has a coating of ice. Not thick enough to skate on though. The geese seem to be congregating here on the creek and are very noisy in the evening. It sounds like a party.

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Squirrel Frustration!

Isn't it fun to watch squirrels? This little guy was determined to have a snack. His/her (and all the cousins) appetite is so huge we have had to purchase squirrel-proof feeders to see that the birds get something to eat!

"I can see it but I can't get it!! Almost - Darn!"

"Well, that was tiring."

You can see how much I love my new camera. It is a Cannon PowerShot SX10IS 10.0 Mega Pixel. These squirrel shots were taken through my living room window.

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Wildlife abounds!

This Mama deer brings her triplets into our yard to eat our azaleas. I don't think we will have many blooms this spring but it is more important that this family have enough to eat. We were so worried when hunting season started and we saw the triplets by themselves. But during our big snowstorm there they all were in our yard! What a lovely Christmas present! I took this shot today as they were headed toward the lake.

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A Camera for Christmas!

Christmas was wonderful here with three out of the four children home, along with two spouses. Everyone had done such thoughtful shopping and took pleasure in giving gifts. Of course, the receiving was pretty good too! My new Cannon camera with super zoom and macro setting is fantastic! So get set for lots of photos in the postings to come!

My cats Big Guy, Cindy and I took a walk on a nice day before the present cold spell set in. They are always ready for a walk. Do your cats like to go for a walk with you?

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