Ducklings Sighting

A children's classic, Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings has been a favorite of mine for years. I read it to my children when they were young. In reality, though, I thought the likelihood of ever seeing such a sight on a busy road was next to nothing.

I love how this book is printed on heavy paper with brown, antique-looking ink. Here is the part in the book where Mrs. Mallard escorts her ducklings across a busy street with the aid of a policeman.

Imagine my surprise this morning when I was traveling down Highway 203, and I had to put on my brakes and stop for Mrs. Wood Duck and her pile of adorable, fluffy ducklings as they crossed from the pond on one side of the highway to the field on the opposite side! Cars coming in the opposite direction slowed down when they saw me stopped, so all were able to safely make the trek across the highway without getting creamed. I wish I had taken a photo, but I didn't think I was in a safe spot to rifle through my purse for my point and shoot and take the time to snap a picture. I regret that, now.

Wood Ducks are common in wetland areas, which abound aplenty in our area. At first I thought it was a mallard, but the female mallard does not have the color in her wing, as does the Wood Duck. Look at the gorgeous male Wood Duck!

Here is a female Wood Duck. Notice the pretty blue, teal and green in her wing feathers.

My own ducklings will be shipped out to me this coming Monday, I should receive a call from the post office early Tuesday or Wednesday, telling me to come down and pick up my 'live animal' package. I can't wait!

Make Way for Ducklings! ~Robert McCloskey quote

Big Surprise!

Had a wonderful Mother's Day today. Church with the 'kids' to begin with, then brunch at Scott and Bethany's....... Fresh strawberries on Belgium waffles, topped with whipped cream. Fresh eggs, scrambled and seasoned and cooked to perfection. Peppered bacon, the kind you buy at the meat counter and they wrap in paper! Orange juice, coffee, tea, or cocoa. It was absolutely delish! Thanks S and B! After brunch, it was suggested that we all walk over to Ryan's house to pick up a Bacchi Ball game to play. When I entered the door...................

I saw a terrarium with lights on. That meant some sort of living creature was its inhabitant, and since I know Ryan is not fond of many types of living creatures (commitment, you know), I knew immediately it had to be a gift from these three! I LOVE living creatures :-) But...... what was it?!?!

I peeked in!

Ryan opened the lid for me so I could grab it up!

It is a cute little leopard gecko! A fairly new hatchling, too!

When it is full-size, it will be between 8-9 inches long. It is a desert gecko. They are docile, and it is likely it will sit on my shoulders around my neck as it grows older! Gonna be my new Bud! What do you think, Owen and Olivia? Pretty cool?

I am not sure what to name it, though. Ryan thinks it should be called Mr. President. I am not overly fond of that choice, but will bear it in mind. Here is what I am going to ask of you all...... think of a great name for me, and I will send a $10 Starbuck's gift card to the name I either choose, or draw out of a hat. BTW, we don't know if it is a male or female. What do they eat, you ask?

Crickets and mealworms. Fortunately the local pet store can supply me with these! They are not vegetarian. Who can tell me what a meat-eater is?

What a hoot to watch it hunt and eat!

It was a fun day, only devoid of my daughter, Bethany (in Guatemala). But she called and blogged mother's day wishes, as well as sent a picture from Guatemala weeks ago, not knowing how long it would take to arrive here! Thanks to all of you 'kids'!

Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts. ~Author Unknown

Happy Mother's Day!

May all your Mother's Day wishes come true.....

Motherhood is priced

Of God, at price no man may dare

To lessen or misunderstand.

~Helen Hunt Jackson

New Blooms

A couple of the new blooms around the yard.......... Grape Hyacinth
Bleeding Heart

Bleeding Heart

Ryan's Re-do

Our son Ryan bought a fixer-up about 5ish years ago, and has been doing a remodel job since. He had to gut it down to the dirt inside, and basically rebuild from scratch. Last fall he finished the major portion of that project, and it now looks like a beautiful modern home on the inside. He now is working on the exterior, as well as some landscaping.

For those of you who visited his house prior to this, you will notice the huge difference. Here he has painted that ugly, peeling, green cement porch a nice dark shade of charcoal, and his door black to match. New pots of plants find their home on various steps now. New bushes adorn the house along the front, covered with fresh beauty bark. It looks inviting. It looks clean. It looks great!

Backing up a bit, we can view his gorgeous blooming magnolia tree in the front! So pretty, yet so messy later. So much work done. Plenty to go. But how nice to be rewarded with such a great job!

Home is home, be it ever so humble
~Proverb quotes

Jeremy and Andrea

Remember the bridal shower Bethany and I went to last month? Saturday Jeremy and Andrea were married, making the second couple of the Elite Eight to tie the knot!

What a beautiful couple! And notice the background? One of the panned photos of the chalk I took last week :-) Pretty fun! Using layers in PSE gave me the ability to create this.


We had an exquisite dinner at Echo Falls Country Club after the ceremony!

The bride and groom were able to enjoy some visit time with the guests.

An unexpected treat for us! Andrea is Chinese, and so her family shared a touching tradition that occurs in the Chinese culture when a couple marries. Members of the family give the couple some type of material heirloom or wealth, that has great significance for the newly weds. All the while, the new wife serves tea to each family member and they drink it together as the gifts are presented. Andrea donned a beautiful traditional gown as they walked us through the custom.

The tea plates were incredible, and no doubt rife with meaning.

The Elite Eight

plus an extra brother!

There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage. ~Martin Luther

Architecture

The chapter I read in my Photos That Inspire book last night was on photographing buildings.

It says that frontal shots of entire buildings are uninteresting. One should tighten up and take the shot of just the point that you thought made it intriguing to take a picture in the first place. This is a church I photographed today in Monroe. I find the entire building to be somewhat mysterious and intriguing.

But, okay. I tightened up thinking the facade as well as the 3 windows below it were what I really liked. However, I know the instructor in that book would say it is still too busy to focus on one thing. I agree.

So I tightened the shot up even more, concentrating only on the 3 windows on the brick wall. Do you think this is the best shot? Do you find it pleasing or interesting?

After that, I zoomed in closer on another window, but included some flowering rhodies to add interest to the composition.

Then I focused in on one of the 'towers' on either side of the facade. Probably still not tight enough. What is that on the very tip top? I didn't see it when I was snapping the photo with my Canon PowerShot SX100 IS point and shoot. (I almost always have that camera in my purse when I go out.)

When I got home, though, I noticed it on the computer screen, so enlarged just that segment of the photo. Dang if it isn't a big ol' black bird posing for me! Makes me wonder what all that white stuff on there is now..........

A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into. ~Ansel Adams