Southern Living Yankee

Tom was burning some brush at the back of our lot early this evening. I walked back there to talk to him, and lo and behold---a big wild turkey came walking out of the woods on the lot across from us! I thought maybe he smelled the smoke and decided to check it out. And he didn't seem in too much of a hurry, but he picked up the pace when he saw us. A minute later, we saw some more movement where the turkey was, and a coyote peered over at us. He turned around after eyeballing us. I think maybe he was following that meaty looking turkey. I never know what I'll see out here!   And this little thing was inside the screened-in porch today. The green anole made it out alive yesterday, so I guess word is out---Fud isn't a threat! Those are NOT my fingers in the picture.  

Carolina Wolf Spider Lifesize photo. Its 8 (yes, 8!) EYES would bring a new meaning to the old Wisconsin activity of deer shining. Which I never did. And don't intend to start. Green Anole There's one of these on the porch right now. Uninvited. sigh. The spiders like the porch too. A scream, a squish, it's over. Lizards are different tho. "Oh, Fud!" I'll hold the door open while Fud chases it out, I hope.

Love #1 Fresh sheets hung on my little backyard clothesline are sheer pleasure! I love them! Uh, oh! What happened here? Why did the shoes and socks suddenly leave the body? A heavenly rapture? Alien body snatchers? Ants swarming my ankles as I was hanging my pillowcases? And....love #2 Death to the ants!   And....Happy Anniversary to love # True! To Mr. Wonderful, who is outside on this lovely Sunday afternoon trimming our yard with his new power tool, a Ryobi lawn edger. And I have a lovely little lemon tree. If it's anything like the past eleven years, we'll have lots of lemonade. We are so grateful to God we've had each other to face all these times with together. I love you Thomas!

Sigh...the Pacific Ocean. Lisa and Brad, so far away... This bridge spans the Columbia River at Astoria, OR. We crossed it on the way home and were glad it wasn't too windy! You can't tell much from the picture, but that's a US Navy ship headed out to sea. Hear that, Dad? Lisa and her fiance, Bryn. Such a sweet couple. Their wedding will be in September  with just the immediate families. I got to meet Bryn's parents while in Seattle, and I'm so looking forward to the wedding!

Jessi at the mouth of the Columbia River Jessi, me and Lisa Overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This jetty helps keep the boat lanes open from erosion so ships can enter the Columbia river.   So I'm a little behind on posting these from my visit in April ... But seeing them again makes me look forward to going out there again for Lisa's wedding! I think Tom will love this part of the country, and I hope we can take some extra days to drive along the coast, and then inland to Mt. St. Helens and/or Mt. Ranier before we return home.

Do you remember how shortly after I moved into this house a Summer Tanager started whacking himself against my windows? It started again today! But this time it's not the tanager, its a Great Crested Flycatcher. Maybe he's trying to eat bugs on my window, which would be good; but I think he's more likely trying to attack the reflection of himself! I think I'll look for some sort of non-reflective cling wrap I can put on the outside of the windows. Great Crested Flycatcher photo from Wikipedia, Author = DickDaniels http://carolinabirds.org   Mockingbird photo from Wikipedia, public domain Tom and I enjoyed identifying the flycatcher, and then we were treated with another unusual visitor! A mockingbird likes our cherry tree and was all over it this afternoon. Can't wait to hear him sing. :)

These may seem kinda squirrely, but a mother wants what a mother wants: I need about 5000 of these to post around town. Also send $5000. Thanks sweeties! I'm not sure what this is, but if its the remote for a missle launcher--- get me one. And a package of missles. This cute little number would be a welcome addition to my wardrobe I'll look so stylish when they have me balled up and crying in a corner! I can also wear it to my VSAAA therapy group --- Victims of Squirrel Aaack ....Aaacks Anonymous.  Bwahahahahahah! This could be the family heirloom you kids can fight over when I'm gone. Please (listen for once): do not get me a pair of these:    Squirrel Bait Thanks, kiddos! You can find all these at Wireless.com, except the missle launcher remote. I don't know where that came from. I'm sure you can google and gift wrap it before the black helicopters track you down though. I can't wait to open my presents! hugs and kisses, ...

Can you guess where Haystack Rock is in this picture? Ha ha---putting the jellyfish into gel soles! Low tide in the morning on Cannon Beach A fishing boat heading out to sea straddles the horizon line Ft Stevens State Park, OR Not quite the shipwreck we were expecting . . . but a little bigger when we got up to it. Lisa strikes a pose. She looks like she came from Beverly Hills, doesn't she? She'd been there 2 weeks prior. Brad! Looking good! There are shipwrecks to climb... Jessi and Lisa. And more pictures to come!