Taking The Bad With The Good

It started out a sad day... The Blackbird (Grackle) Nest outside the kitchen window that I have been watching the birds build and lay in, was on the ground. I went out to it and it was empty... 6 eggs were scattered and broken, unhatched babies all dead :(  I was heartbroken. I know this is "nature" and things like this happen. I know it, but I still feel like these birds are my "pets" and I love them. I felt so sad. 

I brought the nest in the house to add to my collection and picked up 3 black feathers. I decided to go out for a walk and take my camera, hoping to see something that would cheer me up.

The neighbors' daffodils and butterfly bush were so bright and lovely with the lake in the background, yellow dandelions all around, the sun shining... I felt a little better.

I kept walking... I have been watching the geese pairs and waiting to see babies (goslings) but I was not feeling hopeful. I noticed another neighbor's Lilac bush starting to blossom.

 I was feeling better. Life is a cycle of death and birth. I have to accept it and toughen up. 

I kept walking.

Then I saw one goose on the grass close to the lake and I had a feeling... a nest! There is probably a nest down by the water. I started walking down toward the lake staying behind trees so I wouldn't spook the goose. Then I saw it's mate. They were going for a swim. 

Then I saw them... the BABIES!!!

 I got as close as I could to get pictures. 

There were 7 goslings! 

OHHHH... HAPPINESS!!!

They went out into the middle of the lake so I couldn't get more good photos. But I was happy. I went back up to the road and continued on my walk.

I saw the other pair of geese on the other side of the road on the pond...

And... MORE BABIES!!!

 Is this not the cutest scene? I was overjoyed!

This is where the turtles sun-bathe and I was able to just sit and watch the geese parents take their little babies for a stroll along the shore and swim across the pond to the other side where the turtles lay out on logs.

 Look closely at where the one little gosling is standing on the feet of dad :-)

I was in my "happy place" and couldn't ask for more at the moment but when I pulled back on my zoom to get a bigger picture I saw something else...

My cows are back!

I have missed them. I had just asked Richard where my white cows had gone and he said the farmer probably sold them. That's the way of life here. 

I was so happy to see these.

So right here in this photo, if you look closely you can see the geese with their babies, the turtles sun bathing, and my white cows.

The geese parents decided to take their little ones back across the pond.

 Dad is teaching them how to walk on water I guess : )

 Mom is showing them they need to eat.

 Oh my goodness... that little one is really working on that piece of green food.

What a nice family portrait.

Then the parents took their babies on land to eat.

Walking right on by the turtles.

 This little gosling turned around to look at the little turtles.

The geese went up into the grass and I decided I had taken enough photos of them for the time being. I turned back to the cows.

 Hello cutie! And look... a baby turtle is soaking up the sun on the log.

Oh wow... At first I thought she was covered in mud or grease or something. Then I  realized she just has a unique coloring.

So I was just overflowing with joy and peace in my heart.

I started to head back down the road.

But the blackbirds wanted my attention.

This one put on a show for me

 Once he had my full attention he jumped down to the reeds along the water's edge and started his acrobatics

 It was an impressive show...

 I don't know why he was hanging upside down but it was a real treat for me.

And when he was done he posed for one last picture.

Thank you sir! 

I thought I was done with my joy-filled photo session for the day but I heard the Cardinal calling.

I looked up to see him engaging with a couple of sparrows, and a nest.

I am still surprised that the Cardinals haven't left. I guess this male and his mate like it here and maybe they will stay.

So that's life in the country.

That is how "nature" works.

There were 6 babies lost that day and I can't help but feel sadness about it. But there are many new lives just getting started. 

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Spring in My World

April Showers bring... Wait a minute... It's more like April Thunder and Lightning, Hail, and Snow, with some showers mixed in and a few sunny days in the 80s just to tease us. I never liked Spring in California because I hate dreary, gloomy days... The saying "June Gloom" applied to all of Spring for me. I love SUN! I love flowers and birds and "sun showers"... Here in the Midwest it is totally different. We had 84 degrees one day and it snowed the next! I am not kidding or exaggerating. It is quite extreme. BUT... I have to say... the flowers bloom like crazy and the trees that blossom here are magnificent and the beauty is as extreme as the weather. I have decided to appreciate all the good that comes with the storms in Spring. I am embracing Spring in My World.

With the storms come the bright yellow dandelions!

And clouds that look like running... unicorns?... or something.

And clouds that look like dragons!

And clouds that look like hearts...

And when the sun comes out... 

So do the turtles! 

To soak up the precious rays...

And the Bradford Pear Trees blossom!

And the Magnolia Trees are covered in gorgeous pink and white flowers!

Pink Magnolia

And the Cherry Trees are covered in blossoms

And there are purple trees (Eastern Redbud) everywhere

This tree is confused...

Half is blossoming and the other half still has cherries 

This Spring I saw my first Pink Moonset at Sunrise
I saw the pink moon out the window so I went outside to take the picture...

The sun was rising behind me so I turned around and took a picture of the sun rising over the lake

This is the Driving Range and Course in town.

Another magnificent tree in deep red (I don't know what it is)

Spring storms bring the birds to the feeders.

The Blackbirds, or Grackles, are so pretty in the blossoming trees

And stunning bright yellow Goldfinches... 

A pair of Cardinals is still hanging around.

 The Robins have built nests in most of the trees in our yard. I'm so looking forward to seeing the babies.

The grass is back and the dogs are loving it...

 Rollin' Roxy

Buddy gettin his backrub on

And Droo!

We got a new Tractor Mower this Spring

Oh yeah... A Husqvarna that goes 7 mph!!! WooHoo!!!
With armrests and a cup holder. Richard loves it!
And it is Retro Orange :)
I took it for a test drive...
I kept it upright
It's all good!

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Mushrooms, Deer, Owls...

Mushroom Hunting... It is a real thing!

 First we drove way out in the country to a State Park and deep into the woods. There were vehicles parked along the road where other people were "hunting" mushrooms. We went to a place where there is a trail in an area that is flat for me since my knee is not up to "hiking" much. 

And off into the woods we go... 

While we were "hunting" for something I had never seen before I was taking pictures of other things that excited me...

Like this... I have no idea what it is but I love it.

And this looks like petals that open up and praying hands come out.

Super teeny tiny little white flowers blossoming on the top of these leaves.

It looks like a 4-leaf clover with heart-shaped leaves growing out of a log.

My sweetie brought me purple flowers :)

And then I saw one... .

That squiggly cork looking thing is a Morel Mushroom! That's it! That's what we were hunting for!

We kept looking for more. They were not easy to see and there were not alot of them.

So I kept taking pictures...

I just love how this tiny little flower grew right up through all of this... 

where there's a will there's a way!

Then Richard showed me a "Tree Rub"...

This tree was "rubbed" by a deer marking it's territory and cleaning it's antlers. They do this in the fall so this was from last year. Richard said this was from a very big deer.

These black fungi of some kind looked both ominous and beautiful to me...

And there were these amazing little things...

We found a few more mushrooms... Not alot, but enough for us. We heard an owl but didn't see it. So we headed home. 

Richard told me to keep a look out for deer and other wildlife on the road. 

He stopped when he saw this glorious purple tree. It was so bright.

And then...

Suddenly there were 2 deer in front of us...

One turned around and started to come back so I quickly took another photo but he changed his mind and followed the other one. The picture is blurry but so cute.

We did see an OWL on the way home. Sitting on the top of a post on the highway! I was so shocked. I have never seen an owl out in the open in daylight. We stopped and backed up but it flew off before I could get a photo. 

And THAT was my experience Mushroom Hunting :) 

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