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







Saturday, December 12, 2015

Sometimes a Touch of Red, Sometimes More~




It is not often that I share much from within our home, yet for the holidays, I do enjoy adorning the home for the celebration of Him.  Many will say they do not believe in Christ Jesus and that is a personal choice.  However if you celebrate Christmas, you are in fact celebrating the birth of Christ Jesus and that is a good thing.  My brother and sister-in-law gave me the crystal sled above many years ago and I fill it with tiny baubles.
It is such a busy time and add in one daughter had major surgery this week and another one has flown in for a couple of days, surprisingly unexpectedly, and then there is doing life and the holidays...whew...breathe Mary breathe, and you all do the same~


Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slideshow presentation after you have read the narratives~

I will be linking up with Judith for:

www.lavendercottagegardening.com

&

Stewart for:
   http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/




What you see above I made and could have been so much easier and cheaper, if I had not had my creative juices flowing in over time.  My friend and I went to the Cherry House near my home last week, and I saw two table top pieces that I really liked but thought the price was a little high.  I decided to visit their warehouse, purchase the items that I wanted to use and make one myself, after all it would reduce the cost of their labor...right...well that is what I thought!  I took my items to the check out and the cost with a 25% discount was one and half times more...yikes!  So this is it, and I even had to go somewhere else and buy the ribbon, I think that I am going to cherish this piece and use it for many years to come...Total cost for this was...nearly $73.00. On the good side, I did use a few of the pieces in another arrangement and so a little spot of positive~




Above is 3 year old grand-daughter Maci and below a Red-tailed Hawk~






Sunrise, not sunset down the lane from our home last Sunday morning~




Male Cardinal drying off after a cold water bath in a puddle~




A wee bit of colour remains.  
A doe surprised me chomping grasses last Monday along my walk path, and a Red-Shouldered Hawk few above me~





My path I take at Anchorage Trail~




Two Yellow Shafted Flickers, more well known as the Northern Flickers having a territorial dispute~



A beautiful Red-tailed Hawk, just chilling, well maybe a little hunting too~











Yet more male Cardinals, taking baths, preening, looking oh so handsome, what else can I say~




Red-Shouldered Hawk at the Draut Park on Wednesday, hunting for frogs...yes, in December in KY.  I even saw a Sulphur Butterfly flitting about.  I live in KY and yesterday it got up to nearly 70'~






A male American Kestrel hunting near my home last Wednesday~




I so enjoy seeing new things while out in nature.  I had never seen a Pileated Woodpecker eating anything other than insects.  This day the bird was enjoying the berries from this shrub across the highway from me~




27 comments:

  1. I love that, children bathing in the christmas lights, and the Red-tailed Hawk, you can't beat it, fantastic images Mary.

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  2. Enjoyed the array. Twilight shots are always a fav of mine. Love the doe shot, too...but enjoyed all.

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  3. Very, very nice set ;-)
    Céline & Philippe

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  4. Your photos of the red shoulder hawks and cardinals are so beautiful. You are blessed to see so many of them there. I wish you and your family a blessed Christmas holiday, Mary. Enjoy!

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  5. Lovely Christmas decorations! How interesting that the cost of the individual pieces was MORE than the product already made up. Wonderful photos of the flying red-tailed hawk!

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  6. Another fabulous post again, Mary! I love those sunset skies, your Hawks and the Cardinals!

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  7. Your photography is always amazing. What a beautiful sunset … and wonderful cardinals, etc. Your home decorations are nice--I like the aqua in the one you made…that one will have a story to tell with it. I hope your daughter recovers quickly and well and enjoy the girls there and have a nice Christmas celebration.

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  8. Hello Mary, your granddaughter is a sweetie. I love your decorations. The Hawks shots are just amazing, well done.
    Happy Monday, enjoy your new week!

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  9. I am always in for a treat when I visit here....your captures are amazing. And then little Maci...there's a magic of Christmas photo if I ever saw one; so sweet.

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  10. I wish you had been with us on our hike yesterday. There were so many birds and I took one photo of a hawk that was exceptional. It's not easy when they are in flight, is it? Enjoy your week sweet friend. Hugs, Diane

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  11. Absolutely beautiful photos. Especially like the furry Santa.
    Have a wonderful Christmas as you celebrate His birth.

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  12. I liked seeing some of your Christmas decor Mary and I have a crystal sleigh too that has aqua coloured balls in it. Not very often have I seen a cardinal bathing yet look at those males! Definitely one of the handsomest birds around.
    Looking at that poor froggie dangling in the clutches of the kestrel I sometimes wonder if that's where a few from our pond go. (besides the blue heron that likes to visit)
    Get well wishes for your daughter.

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  13. All so very awesome....as usual Mary. But I have two favorites today. The skiing santa and the deer close up. Wow.

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  14. Mary, You still have some wonderful color in nature where you live. The bird shots are much loved. Sylvia D.

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  15. Hi Mary, hope you're doing good. Your hawk photos, once again, are stunning! I love that doe in the brush, too.

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  16. You capture the most amazing scenes Mary....love the decorations and sky...of course always my favorite are the critters....the pileated eating the berries is wonderful!

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  17. Gorgeous fotos , best regard from Belgium

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  18. Yes, ditto Hootin Anni. I especially love the cardinal photos. Your bird photos always enchant and are so wonderful.

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  19. Look at that woodpecker eating his fruit! Beautiful as are all your pictures always. It's really a little piece of Paradise

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  20. So much to enjoy! I love the "painterly" treatment of the still life flowers, the hawks, the landscapes, the granddaughter...

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  21. beautiful raptors! nice flicker shots. and i love the doe!

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  22. A fabulous post again Mary. I think those sunset skies are glorious. So too the many shots of the hawks and of course the Christmassy Cardinals! Have a great during the coming weeks.

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  23. Dear Mary,

    Well, it has been a while since I've visited, but no matter, I'm finally here, and as always, you have managed to capture so much of your captivating world, beginning with your own Christmas creations - how lovely, and a pleasant surprise - your interiors! I should have guessed they'd feature hues of blue, for the colour represents so much of the outdoors: the sky, where your beloved birds fly freely, to and fro, and the water, effervescent energy, itself in constant movement.

    Hoping that your daughter's surgery was successful, and you and yours are all well, and judging from the happy smile on sweet Maci's face, the festivities of the season are well under way, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

    Sending warm hugs your way,
    Poppy

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  24. You really have some stunners there Mary - the Red Cardinal against the white background with black twigs is jaw-droppingly beautiful - I'm sure I've said it before but I soooooo wish we had Cardinals over here! I love your Christmas decorations too - the little glass sled is adorable and that table piece is worth every penny and is made all the more special by the fact is was handmade and designed by you - a treasure for the coming years.

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  25. gorgeous look into your world Mary. I had a to smile, sorry, about your trip to the store and your resultant (I must say beautiful) decoration. There is something special about hand made don't you think. There won't be another one like it. I also loved the images of the cardinal and the red shouldered kite, the doe, and those sunrises - superb! Have a lovely week in the lead up to Christmas Mary. hugs x

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  26. Gorgeous photos, Mary! I like also your Christmas decorations in the last post. My hubby doesn't like the lights. He says they spoil the eyesight, but they look so lovely! Why does he do this to me?
    Sincerely,
    Jess
    Commented on Birds and Me at http://www.freelancehouse.co.uk/

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