I May Be Evil

I'm not sure, exactly, what this thing is. When I was straightening a birdhouse on the side of a tree at the lake, he/she came running out and up the tree. Scared the bejeebies out of me! We stared each other down for a good 15 minutes. And even an hour after he scurried up the tree, he was still there crouched down like this. Is it a baby squirrel or something else? 

Notice how he kind of flattens out and his sides looks rippled. Hmmm, I have no idea.

Back home now....on LaLa Lane. I snapped several photos to capture what mid-spring

looks like here in SC. This is planted in my backyard. It's shrub sized and for the life of me,

I can't remember what it's called.

He hangs out at my back door. Can you see the pollen on his back?

I was hoping for a bird family to move in, but no residents, yet.

I've always loved this poem. It hangs on my front porch.

The azaleas were so pretty this year.

And, so were the dogwoods. This one is growing just inside the edge of the woods.

Just because I love a close-up.....

My front yard.

Clematis

Miniature Roses

Back in the upstate.....a cute little barn that I pass regularly.

Hostas at the lake.

Snowdrops at the lake.

And lastly, another barn that I pass often with the leaves of the trees popping out.

Oh wait, in case you were wondering.....I may be evil. Remember the squirrel stealing the birdfeed? Well, he brought visitors. There's three out there now, eating the birdfeed....like it's the best thing they ever ate in their life.  I'm so sorry, but I just can't have that. Squirrels drive me nuts, no pun intended. I read about sprinkling Cayenne pepper on the birdseed. The writer said that it would send the squirrels packing and wouldn't bother the birds. So, day before yesterday, I tried it. I didn't see any squirrels that day. Yesterday, it rained all day and the squirrels feasted. Either the Cayenne pepper didn't bother them or it was diluted or washed away by the rain. And lo and behold, when I got home from yoga this morning, there they were...hanging on the side of the birdfeeder....chowing down, again.  Gah....I grabbed the pepper and ran outdoors. I sprinkled the pepper around the bottom of the feeder, heavily. I've been watching the squirrels all day, just waiting for them to get into it. I even giggled at the thought of their tongue being on fire from eating cayenne laced seeds. See, I think I'm turning evil. Well, I guess the jokes on me. The squirrels are hovering around it. I think they must smell it and won't go near. The closest they have gotten was when one shimmied down the chain and tried to chew the top off the feeder. It's metal so he couldn't do anything with it and gave up. Have mercy, though, they are still hovering.

OMG! Update!

He did it! He braved up and went for it. You can see the cayenne pepper sitting there on the bottom right. At first, I thought it didn't faze him. But just now, he jumped down and started digging a little furrow in the dirt and rubbing his nose in it. Ha!

Well, there you have it. The cayenne pepper may only put a damper on keeping the squirrels out of the birdfeeders. This one ate it until he couldn't stand it any longer, I guess. And then, had to go rub his nose in the soothing dirt. I'm afraid this is a never ending battle.

 I may be here all day. Ha!

Laurie

They Came!

I left last Thursday for the lake and when I arrived.....stuff was happening. Flowers were popping up, shrubs were flowering and there were birds everywhere. I have them in the trees, in the shrubs, in the grass and on the tables. I was so excited. I was equally excited that there was no bird poop or foot prints on the porch this time.

I don't know what these are.....yet. They were a total surprise.

It's going to be a learning curve, discovering new to me plants.

I think the previous owner told us this was a plum....but, I don't know for sure.

Forsythia, that...I am sure.

 

Look, I finally got a bird photo.

These Robins are eating good....we have worms!

An this sweet little Wren, perched himself right on top of the patio table.

 

Remember that I left birdfeeders full, at home, before I left for the lake? Well, I got back home yesterday and the little orange feeders were empty. I nearly leaped for joy. And then it wasn't too long that I started getting little visitors.

 

THEY CAME!

 

They came for supper, and this morning, they came for breakfast. Again, there will be a learning curve here. I need to learn what kind of birds are visiting....I know a few. I need to learn what kind of food they like. And, I need to learn how to photo them. For now, here's what I have.....

 

The Cardinal

I'm not sure about this one. It has eye markings like a Wren,

but the breast color is throwing me off.

His tail feathers...he's so cute!

Look at those markings!

Uh oh, I've been spotted. 

 

He cautiously continues feeding while keeping an eye on me.

And they came, two by two.

 

Maybe someone out there can tell me what they are. There was another bird that I couldn't get a photo of...he was just too quick. That particular bird is very small with a grayish, bluish head. I'm wondering if it's a finch. There are multitudes of them. Maybe I can capture a shot of one tomorrow.

 

I'm thinking you should prepare yourself for an onslaught of bird photos. I'll try to constrain myself, but I'm not making any promises. Ha!

 

Take care.....talk soon,

Laurie

 

P.S. - Sunday, Lidia and Sawyer went swimming for the first time this year....in their wetsuits. I could hear Sawyer screaming all the way up to the house. He went under. Ha! As cold as the water was, they played in the lake for a couple of hours. The wetsuits, obviously, works or they would have bolted out of the water the minute Sawyer went under. He certainly worked up an appetite. This child, the one who normally eats about as much as the birds above, ate his dinner like it was going out of style. 

 

 

 

The Beauty of Old Churches

Cliff knows I love old churches and he sent me a photo text of one, today. When I asked, "Where is this? I need to go take a picture of it with my camera"....this is how the conversation went.

Cliff:  *Off limits.
Me:  No. It can't be!
Cliff:  *Off limits to you.
Me:  NO!
Cliff:  Probably has snakes.
Me:  Well, I wouldn't doubt that, but I can stay in the car. Where is it???
Cliff:  On the other side of snake city. (Snake City is a place on the trail where he runs in the Francis Marion National Forest)
Me:  I'm on the way.

*He was just messing with me. He actually took an hour or so off work to take me to it.

So, I struck out...camera in hand. The following pictures are what we saw. There was a sign in the cemetery adjacent to the church grounds that said the cemetery was circa 1828. So, I assume the church was too. There are so many abandoned churches, buildings, barns and stately old homes still around, today. I wish we could save them all. Restore them to their former glory. Although, I don't have the means to do so, I can at least capture their spirit through a picture or two and promise to remember them. Most have seen better days, some are literally on their last leg, but they are all beautiful to me. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. Hope you can see past the missing shingles, rotting wood, gaping holes, missing glass and all it's brokenness......because old churches, like this one, are a legacy.

Halfway Creek Methodist Church

Shulerville, SC

 

 

 

Not only did I see beauty in this old church, but the crocuses and grape hyacinths in my yard were screaming beauty, too. They are declaring that Spring is on the way.

 

Have a lovely day,

Laurie

 

P.S. The temps yesterday was 78 degrees F, tomorrow's forecast is for a high of 41 degrees F. Mama calls this seesaw weather.