Spring Begins...Hallelujah~

~Palm Sunday~

YEAH!!!  

We made it, another Winter by calendar date is behind us, yet alas, snow is on it's way to parts of the USA.  My father once reminded me that one day it was light, but that snow fell one Kentucky Derby day and that is always the first Saturday in May.  

I was going to do a entry about my great-grand-father and grandmother this week, but I will need more time to work on it.  I hope that everyone has enjoyed their weekend.  Today was one of the best days that I have had in well over two long months...a thankful heart~  

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

Mosaic Monday

&

Stewart for:

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

Wild Bird Wednesday

Everyone has a special place where they can take solace and feel a part of something. My dear friend Teressa introduced me to the Anchorage Trail several years ago now. I am thinking that I have been there at least a hundred times since that introduction. I go to walk, to be close to earth, to find silence even in the sounds nature shares. One connection that I have to it, began when I was just about 5 years old. Our family had moved to Middletown, KY from Portland, Oregon. The Post Office was in Anchorage and my mother had no car. If we needed stamps, or just to get out for a while, we, my mother, my twin sister Haze and I would walk from Middletown up the beautiful Evergreen Road, all the way to Anchorage and back, which is a little over two miles. For a five year old, it seemed like a long walk, but mother said I never complained.  Those were the first long walks that I ever took. When I visit the Anchorage Trail, I feel the connection to mother, my sister and the way it was back then to be close with her, and it is sweet~

A Red-Shouldered Hawk photographed really out of range of my 70/300 lens, and yet I was able to bring life to a few of them for this post~

I had Nana duty last week.  Two afternoons with my twin grands and a little while one day with my grand-daughter.  While Kerrick attended a "Tinker Club" at his school, I gathered up Cullen for a little while at Cave Hill and feeding of ducks, geese, swans and oh yes, fish too.  I watched little Maci while her mother was in seeing her physician also~

Silly Swan, kept biting at Cullen's show, reminding him that he was hungry~

I walked the Anchorage Trail two days also and on Tuesday morning, there were oodles of spider webs in the open fields.  Here are a few of them~

In this field where the White-tailed Deer gathered, there were hundreds of  spider webs of various sizes~

A doe and her yearling fawn sleepily make their way across a field on Friday.  I liked the primitive look of these images, taken just after dawn~

A Mute Swan swan across the lake at Anchorage Trail, and the reflections were amazing.  This is a male, just like the one biting Cullen's shoe above.  Both females of the pairs were killed by Coyotes...sadly~

The wee little Praying Mantis Eveas, is with us 13 weeks now and seems to be fine.  I did this image with my cell phone and one of it's edits~

Pairing Up of Twins and Hawks~

Happy Monday, Happy Week and it is going to be HAPPY here too.  

The sunrise above was taken on Wednesday when I was heading into Louisville to receive my final gel injection for the next six months.  Thankful.  As I sat at the stoplight and got the shot above, I felt  newness of hope. That is what we all need every day and so I am going to wish it for each of you as well.  Whatever may be going on in your life, I pray that you can find hope to battle whatever is going on through to completion.  

It takes time and great courage, but you can do it, if you just have the faith~

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

Mosaic Monday

&

Stewart for:

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

Wild Bird Wednesday

U-Turn...Silveit was headed out into the dog yard and decided she was not interested after all.  Snow fell last week, but only enough to say it did.

Below are snow Crocus~

Red-bellied Woodpecker, right outside my window~

Two Gray Squirrels playing in the snow, also right outside my window ;) ~

A Blue Jay...ha, and you guessed it, right outside my window~

Across the lane from my home, the female Red-Shouldered Hawk awaited a meal from her mate.  They have set up a new nest in the same tree used the past three years.  Much can change the outcome and so I am being very careful in watching them from a distance for now~

The female above is larger than the male below.  

Mating for life, unless something should happen to one and then they select a new mate~

Our grand-twins turned 7 last week.  Their party was at the Louisville Science Center.  They even made homemade ice cream using nitrogen and lots of supervision from the staff.  The theme of their party was Egypt.  They are quite fascinated with the land of pyramids.  My great grandfather was the first United States Ambassador to Egypt and I will share about that next week~

They made pyramids out of Popsicle sticks and play dough.  Remember they are square on the bottom and triangular on the top ;) ~

Cullen is a minute older than Kerrick and so his photo was taken first here.  My oldest daughter Hillary below on left and her husband Andrew are the proud parents of the twins.  Both are teachers by profession~

Can you count the freckles...I love them!  Cullen making faces and his little cousin following same~

I have been seeing this old silo since 1976, when we first moved out int the country.  They are making a huge mess of this land, while constructing a new highway.  I hope they allow this structure to remain~

Sunrise on Sunday morning, with fog rolling in on my favorite Covered Bridge Road~

The Orthopedic Surgeon said to walk the day following the injection.  It was more like a tip toeing walk, goodness...ouch~

The tree above so beautiful as the sun arose from behind it and a light fog covered the land.  

A Mute Swan that usually avoids me by a large body of water, decided to come closer and take a look-see at me.  It's mate was killed a couple of years ago, they think by a Coyote and so this one is very non-trusting.  I felt honored~

A Belted Kingfisher made a quick pass over~

The Anchorage Trail is where I took my tip toe walk and there was another pair of Red-Shouldered Hawks getting ready for their nesting season as well.  Also a White-tailed Deer that always seems to be alone, though there is quite a large herd of deer on the grounds~

It seems that I can spot them from far and wide.  This juvenile Red-Shouldered Hawk was hunting near where I go to the market.  It seemed quite hungry and also appeared to be a male by size alone~

Spring has arrived, maybe not on the calendar, but when the Spring Peepers begin their all day, all night concert, it sure feels like it has. These were taken two doors from me, but we have them too, just not as many~

Our visiting Praying Mantis Eveas who appeared on Christmas Eve.  Bill and I really enjoy him, yet we know his time is getting short now. What amazing creatures they are~