Cherish is my favorite word, and I cherish the ability of turning the routine into a beautiful moment.
Nature creates in me, a spiritual and meditative time to bring peace, harmony and balance, into an otherwise ordinary day~
Mary Howell Cromer







Friday, December 21, 2012

Celebrating Birthdays, Anniversaries and Special Blog Entries for the Year~


A very Merry Christmas from our home to yours~


I celebrate my birthday today, December 21.

 Bill celebrated his on Tuesday and we shall celebrate our 43 rd wedding anniversary tomorrow, December 22~

Meaka with me, and Meaka with husby Bill~

I am linking up with Mary for:

"Mosaic Monday"


at:
http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com


and


I am linking up with Stewart at:
Wild Bird Wednesday

(http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/)




One of the highlights of this past year, was in traveling to Tennessee and viewing thousands of Sandhill Cranes...Amazing!




Our precious, precious family~


We have lots of Blue Jays in our area, but this turned out to be one of my favorite images for this year~




Meaka turned 5 on December 2.  Here she poses in front of the Christmas tree~


The female Cardinal to me, is a gorgeous as are the all red males~




Our oldest daughter and her husby Andrew and twin sons Cullen and Kerrick~


Male Cardinal and female above, were also some of my favorite shares for this past season~




Twins Cullen and Kerrick, will turn 4 in March. 
They are full of energy, and quite smart for their age, even knowing the US President, Vice President and Secretary of State's names, among other fun facts~



As many know, one of my favorite birds, are Swallows and the images below, were most assuredly 2 of my favorites shares for the year~




Our middle daughter Brittany, for whom many have been lifting up these past few weeks, and her husby Dale and new pup-cub Lexi. 
Brittany continues to recover, very slowly.
It will take another good month for full strength to return.
Thanking each of you so very, very much for your wonderful comments, thoughts and prayers. 
We have felt them~


I just really, really liked this mosaic when I created it, and still do~


This is Brittany and Dale's oldest son Thomas 9, with our Meaka and Survhee cat. 
He is so bright and loves math and being big brother to his 2 siblings, and part time care giver to their new pup-cub~



Last winter the European Starling population brought news crews from all over the US to film, and I had to get in a series also~




Brittany and Dale's youngest son is Braden 4. 
He called this cloud his "little boy cloud";')~
Braden can explain all kinds of big machine facts...like his daddy, he knows his cars and big rigs~



More from the series on European Starling invasion last winter~




Our first grand-daughter Maci was introduced to us on November 19 and she is absolutely adorable and so adored by all~



The husby and I had driven to the "big city" and I was trying to get some interesting snow images...
thought this one was interesting then and now~




We had our first German Shepherd growing up briefly in Portland Oregon.  His name was Silver, and when the family moved to Kentucky, Silver was given to the Post Master there.
My father would many years later get another German Shepherd and named him Silver also. 
My husby got our first German Shepherd when he was on the Sheriff's department back in 1972, and her name was Belit'. 
Then came Vanda  11 years later, who grew up along side our 3 daughters.
Our first Long Haired German Shepherd was Muschka and we now have our second one of the Long Haired breed...and of course her name is Meaka.
With this all being said, it was not a huge surprise, when one of our daughters chose this breed as their own...Enter Lexi~



Many of you may remember the amazing encounter that I had with this gorgeous hybrid raptor. 
It is a cross breed of a Red-Shouldered Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk...evidently quite rare~




About 6 weeks later and a few miles away as a bird flies, I came across a male Red-Shouldered Hawk, in copulation mode with a Red-tailed Hawk...the above may have been a past seasons's offspring. 
After photographing this rare pair, I went to location a couple of days later and the male had been accidentally hit, or flew into a vehicle and was blinded. 
He survived for several months, but finally had to be gently put down. 
This is one encounter in nature that was all so very incredible, as well as heart wrenching~



Sometimes what we see in nature is not always beautiful and yet, we accept it, as nature at it's best. 
That was what I felt when I took the captures below of another pair of Red-Shouldered Hawks with a Blue Jay and a Skink~



Our youngest daughter Ashleigh...full of fun, adventure, so very bright...
a delight to be around. 
She is home for the holidays from her home of LA, and hopefully will stay on a few months beyond the season~



I had a lot of comments about this Canada Goose collage when I first shared it...
What a cold day, that was too~

I have also had a cat most of my life. 
My first growing up was Smokie, and then as a young lady out on my own, I had a Siamese. 
In between, there have been many, all inside cats. 
The black Spencer Ivy is now 16 and the fluffy survivor cat, I named Survhee Pipka is

approximately 18 months old now. 
They get on swell with Meaka, but not so much each other. 
Spencer is too old, for Survhee's antics~



I took the image below of the American Robin as spring tree buds were beginning to open, always a sign of hope to me~



I am especially thinking today, about the special time of the season, but also for those precious lives lost a week ago today in an act of total evil. 
I pray for peace to come to those families who are grieving...

The last favorite image share for this past year is the juvie Red-Tailed Hawk below.  The branches may be in the way, but there was something really very natural about this share. 
I probably like it as one of my best for this past blogging year~

 

26 comments:

  1. Mary, you have a lots of nice image in this post, my favorite is the flying "cross breed of a Red-Shouldered Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk". You also have a very nice familly, i wish you all a very nice Christmass and a happy 2013 ! It's always fun to stop by and read your blog !

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  2. happy birthday, sweet mary! and happy anniversary, too!

    enjoy your time with family throughout the holidays. thank you for sharing your beauty throughout the year!

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  3. Happy birthday, Mary! I hope you had a great day.

    I love the blue jay shot. What a pretty bird!

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  4. Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary! It's nice to see all these photos of you and your family. Maci is so adorable. I'm glad that Brittany is coming along. Praying for a complete recovery for her. I wish you and your family a blessed Christmas and a wonderful holiday. Blessings, Pamela

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  5. Happy Birthday! Thank you for sharing your favorite images with us...they are spectacular. You have a lovely looking family, and I'm so glad to hear Brittany is recovering.

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  6. Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary! Enjoy both! These are gorgeous photos! You took some fantastic shots this year!

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  7. Happy birthday, a little bit late, sorry. What is so nice, is your pictures of all the family, and the birds, I couldn't forget them.

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  8. So much to celebrate all at once! You have such a lovely-looking family. Happy birthday and anniversary. And I wish you a very merry Christmas.

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  9. Happy birthday Mary, and many more. And happy anniversary - you're very blessed to have shared your joys and challenges with one special person for that many years. The family that the two of you have created is super beautiful - including the pets! Thank you for sharing such spectacular beauty, your photos are extraordinary. Wishing you a most joyful holiday and healthful new year. take good care Mary.

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  10. This is a post full of great images, Mary! Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary to you and your husband. All your family pictures are nice, and I think the cardinal images are my very favorite nature shots.

    Merry Christmas to you and Happy New Year !

    Denise

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  11. Happy Birthday to you both AND Happy Anniversary! I've enjoyed your mosaics this year and all of your wonderful nature photography! Have a blessed holiday and Merry Christmas!

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  12. What a beautiful family you have! Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary and Merry Christmas!

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  13. That was a lovely re-cap, Mary. I'm so glad to read that your daughter is recovering! Good news! Your family is beautiful - bless them, and you, with a very Merry Christmas!

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  14. Happy birthday and happy Anniversary! It is lovely to see you and your family in your images today. Your daughters are beautiful - it is easy to see who their mamma is.
    Wishing you and yours a safe and joyous Christmas. I have enjoyed coming by your blog this past year and having a peek into your world.

    Take care. hugs from me to you.

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  15. Mary, first I want to wish you a belated Happy Birthday and Anniversary. I love this post filled with your lovely family and your cute dog. Beautiful photos. Wishing you and yours a very Happy Christmas!

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  16. Thanks for all this beauty, Mary, and the very best of Christmas to you and your lovely family. God bless you.

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  17. Hi my friend :)
    from our home to yours, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas !
    by Myriam ♡

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  18. Merry Christmas! Also, a delayed Happy Birthday and Anniversary - lots of celebrating going on.
    Enjoyed seeing all the photos - thanks for sharing.

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  19. Happy birthday!! a little too late maybe, but anyhow ;) and I wish you a nice christmastime and a happy new year! Beautiful photos,I really like the one with you and your dog :)

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  20. Happy Birthday and Anniversary Mary. Your images are always wonderful and pleasing to both the eye and the soul. Viewing all those Sandhill Cranes must have been a real treat. The Blue Jay is one of my favorites but I must say that all the family photos show a truly beautiful family. Merry Christmas and a very healthy, happy and prosperous New Year to you and yours!

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  21. Wonderful set of picture - some with and some without feathers!

    Cheers and thanks for lining to WBW.

    Stewart M - Melbourne

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  22. belated birthday greetings; you have a lot to celebrate - a delightful post Mary. Best wishes

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  23. "Nature creates in me, a spiritual and meditative time to bring peace, harmony and balance, into an otherwise ordinary day". How right you are and how much I agree with your appreciation of the natural world Mary. Enjoy the rest of the holiday with all the my wishes for 2013 too.

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  24. What a nice group of beautiful photos! Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary! Best wishes to you and your family for the new year!

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  25. Congrats on your special birthday!! The very best to all of yours in this season. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  26. Fantastic post Mary and happy new year to you all....
    I've deleted your comments but Iðm eager to know more on how this could happen ;-)

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