~ Joyeux Noel ~

~Merry Christmas to all whom celebrate the season~

Also this week... 
My husby has a birthday today.
Mine is on December 21st.
Our 45th wedding anniversary is on the 22nd.
It is going to be a very busy week for sure.

Some 34 years ago, I spotted my very first Carolina Wren and fell in love with them.  

Thinking back, they may have been the beginning of my love of birds and so on this my first of 2 final entries for this year, I wanted to begin with them.  

These are some of my personal favorite shares from this past year for these two blog posts.  There were already so many shares from our past journey last September and this season with the Red-Shouldered Hawks, that I decided not to include those at this time~

~Note~

For all of those who have inquired. 

My pain is slowly, yet surely subsiding. 

I am dealing with the tightness of compressed nerve endings now, and began my physical therapy Tuesday.  

I must remain hopeful!

All of my entries the last couple of weeks have been done from either sitting, or lying down...

A huge sigh.  

I want my life back and am moving in that direction.

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

I will be linking up with Judith for:

www.lavendercottagegardening.com

Mosaic Monday

&

Stewart for:

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

Wild Bird Wednesday

Above is a Red-Shouldered Hawk that hunts often down the lane from our neighborhood.  It is not one of ours that I follow.

Below is the beautiful Barred Owl, that I had a few opportunities to photograph this past year at Anchorage Trail.

They are absolutely stunning birds~

It had snowed and my daughter and her fiance were taking me to see engagement rings, when I spotted this barn.  

I shot the images through the windscreen~

Wood Duck strutting at Foxhollow Farm~

Pie-billed, Horned and Red-necked Grebes were just a few that I was introduced to this year for the first time. 

Grebes are such lovely birds~ 

A Coopers Hawk at Draut Park, did not seem to mind me for the longest time~

Everyone was looking for and missing the Great Horned Owl and young owlets, that we had been alerted to at the Anchorage Trail one day and THEN, I got very lucky~

The old general store in Skylight~

A handsome White-tailed Deer greeted me at the far end of Anchorage Trail one morning before my walk there~

As well as the Great Blue Heron~

One Sunday morning, I was astonished to come upon 2 battling Canada Geese.  

A third goose was frantically trying to break the fight up across from Henry's Ark in Prospect~

Another outing at Anchorage Trail and another close encounter with the Barred Owl.  

This particular morning it was hunting for itself, following a long period of nest care~

More images of our Christmas tree, and the cherished adornments~

One of our beloved favorites turned 7 on December 2nd.  

Meaka Von Warfenburg~

My favorite Christmas Carol, sung by one of my favorite singers~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHdx77aAvkc

Celine Dion singing "Oh Holy Night"

Our beloved favorite affectionately called Silveit...

Silvie Aleit of Von Haus Dettmer will turn 2 on January 9th~

I could not complete this share without adding in my charming kit-cat Survhee Pipka, who was being my Christmas helper ;)

Merry Christmas to all.  

May you have an abundance of good cheer and much love and blessings~

My neighbor Linda gave this to me last week.  

I had never heard of these before.