Dave and Sarah's birds

Our dear friends live on a farm.

Sarah and I were visiting on a bench overlooking their garden.

I brought my camera along to capture some of the beautiful birds they have.

The last time I was there I captured this from inside their livingroom on my camera phone.

I came prepared this time!

Come a little closer, Mr. Nuthatch!

 Hello, Mrs. Cardinal.

I LOVE the bluebirds!

 They don't live in my neighborhood.  So sad.

 Mr. Titmouse

 

Thank you, Sarah, for the wonderful visit!

Birds and more

Our orioles and hummingbirds have arrived and I make home-made "juice" for them.

The oriole syrup is 1 part sugar to 6 parts water.

I boil 1 cup of water and dissolve 1 cup sugar in it.  

Then add 5 more cups of water.

I also give the oriole an orange half and grape jelly.

The hummingbird syrup is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.

No need to add red food coloring as they used to do.

Some claim it is harmful for them.

The robin's nest is done and I've seen the robin in it, but upon climbing a ladder to peek inside, there were still no eggs.

 

The red-bellied woodpecker is able to snatch the peanuts but this birdfeeder keeps the starlings out.

Red-wing blackbird

On our evening walk around our pond, we saw "Willard" again.

We lovingly have named our great blue heron after an elderly gentleman in our church.

This kitty was sneaking up on a little bird.

One of our neighbors, Joan, likes to take Miss Big on a walk.  

Miss Big is getting a little old and sometimes she just needs to take a ride.

Our pond is used lots by many walkers, joggers and bikers.

Grackels beginning to roost and settle down for the night.

Young moms

For the past 8 years, my friend Sarah and I have led a young mother's Bible study group.

Every year we have some new girls;

several have been with us for many years.

This year we studied "Entrusted with a Child's Heart".

 Silly photo!

We had a breakfast feast for our last morning before the summer break.

We end each year with a night out.

This year we went to Jason's Deli.

And went to see the movie, Miracles From Heaven.   We all bawled our eyes out!

It was precious getting to know these young moms!

Claire days

This past school year I have had the joy of watching Claire each Monday while mommy does her grocery shopping in town and also teaches some piano lessons for some homeschoolers.



Each week we have a preschool lesson.  Usually it is a repeat of what I taught my Sunday School 3 year olds at church.  Because Claire attends another church in another town, this gives me the opportunity to teach her Bible story lessons!

She loves craft time!

"I'm totally making something new...

this is going to be beautiful flowers, flowers in the sky!"

Sometimes we go out to eat....other times I fix dinner for her.

She LOVES rice with "sprinkles" (or furikake, Japanese seaweed and sesame seeds)

 

She is highly allergic to dairy (breaks out in rashes and boils) so I have to make certain she has no dairy products.  No fishy crackers allowed.  And no more Drubers donuts, one of our favorite places to go.  Sad.  I did find this dairly free mac and cheese!!

How she loves the outdoors!

Sometimes we go to the park

 

I have this centerpiece I put out for the spring.

But Claire thought the birds were sad so she wanted them out of the cage.

 She likes to imitate me.

How she loves the piano! 

One day she may play like her sister, mommy and my mother!

(just noticed that Claire put the bunny and the little flower pots on the piano.)

Claire and I were talking about storms.  "I don't like lightning."
I told her I enjoy watching lightning in the sky.  
        "Lightning is selfish!"
                 "What?  Why is lightning selfish?"
            "Because it hits people."
Oh, yes, I guess that would make it selfish.