Critter homes are heaven right here.

 

Richard and I have been enjoying our backyard. The weather has been beautiful, though it is warming up somewhat. Lunch is generally a sandwich and fruit under the catalpa trees. There are two in our yard. They give deep, dark shade. See the red chair? That's my retirement rocker from BHS. Next to it are a green table that Rich made for me and his old green chair from the camper. 

This electrical pole is near the slough, or small lake, on the side of our house. The woodpeckers have made several large holes, which other birds have claimed for homes. Of course, Richard has several bird houses and as many feeders. The birds regal us with their chatter and song while we eat and several times they've given us a show. I especially love to watch the fledglings leave the nest.

The slough is home to ducks, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, turtles, frogs and any other wildlife you can imagine. The owls screech and hoot all night. The woodpeckers tap all day. And we enjoy every bit of it.

One nest that will soon have fledglings is this swallow nest that the parents decided to build on our front porch. Most people would discourage them from making such a mess, but we enjoyed watching them build and are now enjoying seeing the proud parents feed two mouths all day long. Back and forth, the poor things first carried mud and straw to build, now they come and go carrying worms and insects. I'm not sure which has been more work. 

This old boat, the SS Hershey because it was originally chocolate brown, sits on the edge of the slough as a reminder of when the boys were still young. William built it in shop class, and the three of them paddled it around every cypress tree in that slough. Finally they hit one cypress stump too many, tore a hole in it, and sank it. They used their dad's new four wheeler to draw it up on the bank and there it sits. It's a great home for several critters, most of whom I give a wide berth. 

This fella lives near the back window. We've watched him chase the hummingbirds for about two months. Thus far they've proven too fast, but he is persistent. Right below his perch is one of five feeders, but he's also trekked back and forth on the cable wire where the hummers love to perch. Now that they are nesting, we don't see as much of them or him, but they'll be back out soon. And there you have it: our little piece of heaven which we gladly share with the flying, crawling, slithering animals who enjoy it as much as we do.

Winner Winner Christmas Dinner

I know, I know. Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet.  Well, maybe not, but I'm already getting into the Christmas spirit.  Last night Richard and grandson Lane pulled the tree and boxes of ornaments down from the attic.  Then they shook out and stood up the tree, leaving the decorating for me.  I did that today, then realized that I'll need new ribbon since the old ones were puppy shredded last year.

I haven't decorated the tree in a couple of years--Richard usually does it all while I'm at work. However, I insisted that we be the first ones in the family to have the tree up.  We've NEVER been first for this honor.  That's because Richard's mom generally kicks everyone out of her house on Thanksgiving afternoon so she can put up her tree.  She buys and wraps gifts all through the year, so by this time, most of her gifts are bought, wrapped and ready to display.  She's just about impossible to outdo. 

Not this year.  This year it's our turn.  Oh, I'm not really thrilled, mind you.  I don't have to be first and Richard usually is the last one in a line.  I just wanted to be first one time.

Turns out it's not all that.  No one is singing my praises or congratulating me, or even saying, "Hey, you win."  Why not?  Really, why the heck not?  I worked hard to get two big men into the attic.  I had to promise cheesecake to make it happen.  I also had to put the decorations on the tree, and chances are pretty good that now I'll have to undecorate after Christmas.  (I tell Rich you made the mess, you clean the mess.  I fear he will use my words in about a month.)

So much for saying "nanny-nanny boo-boo" to everyone I know.  Next year we may not even put the tree up.  After all, if this is the big to-do for getting the tree up first, there's no reason for bothering, is there?  

I'll just open presents and smile my happy smile knowing I don't have to con a man or two.  

Mrs. Claus must have to work really hard to get Santa out into the middle of a cold, frosty night.

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: T R E E S

Our trees have greened up beautifully.  Even the two Green Ash trees that we though were dead have put on leaves, though not many.  We'll have to take those down later this year so that they don't fall across the driveway.  In the meantime, I'm enjoying the green color.
 
It was only a few weeks ago that they were covered in ice for a couple of days.  They can't handle much of this weather since they are not used to it.  But, we're past that and into the green.  Don't be fooled by this next pic...it comes from Pinterest.  We do have some cypress trees, but the water around them is far from this clear.  

Happy Pinning,

Citrus Surprise

A few days ago I mentioned that I'd had to move some trees out of the studio, remember?  Well, those two trees have multiplied.  It seems that my darling hubs decided to plant said trees but decided that two little citrus trees were, well, not enough.  By the time I returned home from school the two had become ten.
 

 Apparently I am at fault for this, having suggested that the two trees be planted on the driveway side of the house, because it's also the southeast side and the house would protect the trees (somewhat) from the north wind.  When hubs went to plant the two there, he imagined that they looked lonely....two little trees all by themselves with nothing to keep them company.
 
Never you mind that they are way out-sized and out-numbered by the Indian Hawthorne that borders the house and completely covers the entire bottom half of the house.  No, those hawthorne are nothing in the way of citrus tree accompaniers.  


So now there are ten trees also bordering the house.  TEN.  Yes, 10.  Ten citrus trees already planted and watered and in it for the duration, I guess.  Of course, the good news is that three of these little babies have citrus on them

The little kumquats are in various stages of ripeness and when yellow, delicious!  The original two are full of wonderful smelling blooms, so I'm hoping that we'll have oranges at some point.  Another two are lemon trees.  It's really great to think of the fruit we'll eventually have, but in the meantime, we're enjoying the sweet smells and pretty foliage.

Swampin'

Laura and her new camera....
photography is one of her hobbies.

My sister, Laura, and her two daughters were here last week for a visit.  She phoned ahead and told me she had a plan for at least one day of her vacation in Louisiana: she wanted to go on a swamp tour.  


I've been on a trip something like this before, when the boys were young, and I wasn't so impressed, but I could be convinced provided she brought along mosquito spray.  She agreed.  Turns out we didn't need it but I didn't know that at the time.

Haley and Riley (sorry the photo is so bad girls)

She invited our other sisters and made arrangements with Cajun Country Swamp Tours which is located in Breaux Bridge, and headed by a zoologist/botanist tour guide who unabashedly loves the water, the swamp, and the Acadians.

Sisters Angie and Sid

Lake Martin

I must admit, it was way more interesting than I could have hoped for.  In fact, I really want to take the grandchildren on a tour in a few weeks.  


The weather was perfect, bright and sunny, warm but not sweltering and breezy.  Of course, I would not have wanted to be going out at 11:00 when we returned to shore!  We were tired but it was getting a bit too warm.  The tours last two hours, so that means the 11:00 tour ends at 1:00, a very hot part of the day. 


We saw all sorts of birds from roseate spoonbills, several egrets, a great blue heron, anhingas, an owl, Carolina chickadees, and maybe a few more I've forgotten.


My favorite were the beautiful water lilies, which I photographed, but my camera is acting up again and those pics did not come out.
Since we were in a swamp, there were only two types of trees, but don't let that make you think that there's no variety.  It's amazing how beautiful the trees are.  

Cypress tree 

Check out these beauties.  Isn't it interesting how this tree on the right is alive but has no center?  I love it that the guide points out these sights and explains them.


That he explains them in a humorous, entertaining way made the tour even more fun.  These guys are serious about their Cajun hospitality!  

An alligator

A bit of land

Of course, he was good about pointing out those things we expected to see.  Spanish moss, cypress knees, alligators, they were all there!  And we got to see them all from a crawfish skiff deep enough to feel safe but open so that we could easily see and snap photos.  Definitely worth the trip!    And as an extra special bonus......no mosquitoes!

Spanish moss

Cypress knees

Frolicking Friday

Pink or brown?

Friday was such a fun day.  I raced home to play in the studio and let nothing get in my way.  Going straight to the stash, I pulled out some pinky-brown fabrics.  There was no rhyme or reason, I just started pulling some really pretty fabrics that I felt like playing with.....a solid, a light small plaid, a floral.  Just a pretty variety of matching fabrics.

Since I made "Butterfly Kisses," I've wanted to make another in the same modern style but with a twist.  The fabrics felt perfect for another butterfly quilt, so I set to playing with the butterflies.  I didn't get very far Friday night (the grandkids interrupted the play time) but I did get most of the piecing for the background done.

This morning I woke up later than I wanted to, but eventually I found my way into the studio to complete the background.  I used the butterfly patterns I'd made for "Butterfly Kisses" so it didn't take long to see the finished top. 

Close up of quilting motif--stippling with butterflies

 It was a perfect spring project for such a beautiful spring day.  At some point I threw the curtains open and at some later point, I was forced to turn on the A/C.  The weather was gorgeous--cool, brisk, clean and bright.  Although the indoors got a little too warm, it was surprisingly chilly outdoors.

After lunch I dug around in the stash again for something just a little different for a focus fabric.  I'd had an idea that included many of the same pinkish-browns.  Just where this idea came from I could not say.  I thought of making a family tree quilt with enough leaves for each family member.  Once I found the bird fabric, I knew it would come together.  And here are the results!