The antics of the neighborhood squirrels makes me chuckle. While I do run them off sometimes, other times their determination makes me laugh. And, then there’s Sparky, the hunter cat. He patiently sits, waiting for the opportunity to strike.
I’m not sure if I want to cheer for Sparky or the squirrels.
Today is Earth Day – Google said it so it must be true. I did a bunch of extra-but-ordinary tasks. Did they make a difference in the protection of this beautiful planet? I don’t know. However, they were pleasant and I enjoyed the slow-paced-yet-steady busyness of the day.
In honor of the day I did the following:
All in all, it’s been a nice day.
Happy Earth Day!
Continuing the joy of backyard bird watching – through a window – with little red house finches.
Last week I shared some wintery pictures of cardinals.
Today, I bring you red-bellied woodpeckers. I think. I do not have extensive knowledge of birds and this is the best guess after – you know it – googling images. As I said before, the pictures are taken through a window so sometimes they seem a little muted. At any rate, the fascination continues showcasing these birds with the orange heads and black and white backs.
I didn’t know how much I would enjoy the variety of birds that would come to visit my yard when one day I decided to hang a birdfeeder. I’ve been treated to robins, blue jays, woodpeckers, finches, sparrows, doves, and cardinals.
Every bird has been fun to watch and I’ve probably taken a thousand pictures, and I’ve decided it’s time to share some of them here.
Today, I bring you a few cardinals. The males with their bright red and the females with more subtle color along with all of them having those little tufts on their heads.
All of my pictures are taken from inside the house looking through a window so sometimes they look a little diluted.
Maybe it is the time change, but my 14-year-old Westie, Lucy, woke up this afternoon and was feeling feisty. Lucy, who is mostly deaf and partly blind and spends most of her days sleeping wanted to play so – taking advantage of a pretty afternoon and the extended daylight – we went for a walk.
Cool temperatures, budding trees, blooming grape hyacinths, and one of those amazing sunsets turned a quick walk into an opportunity to meander.
These moments are always good. And appreciated.
With the hot and humid dog cat days of summer upon us Simba is hard pressed to do much of anything.
He’s not exactly oozing energy.
Until, of course, I either 1) get my laptop out or 2) we put an open empty box on the floor AND the dog walks by.
Energy….FOUND!
“Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.”
― James Herriot, James Herriot’s Cat Stories
The grief I have felt over losing our dog, Ricki, has taken me by surprise and, taken me longer than I expected to get over.
It took me about 6 weeks but I finally washed her bedding, folded up her crate and put it away.
When memories pop-up on Facebook or Timehop the ache re-surfaces and I miss her all over again.
One particularly poignant moment occurred when all three of my men – meaning my husband and teenagers – went out of town at the same time. I was getting into bed that first night and realized that Ricki wasn’t there to warn me if someone broke in during the night. And, since her sidekick, Lucy, is deaf I knew she would sleep through any potential trouble.
Little things and moments still occur to remind me of the loss and, at those times, it surprises me how much I miss her sweet face.
When I saw today’s daily prompt – shallow – the first thing I thought of was Ricki playing in the water. She loved to run straight into lakes or creeks, swim out a little then come back and play in the shallow water.
But, I can’t really discount the joy of running in shallow snow, either. Nothing like a little wintry weather in Texas to get us excited and hyped up.
Finally, just because this picture makes me laugh I’m including it. In what turned out to be her last ‘photo shoot’ I got an image of what looks like Ricki smiling but, the grandkids looking a little picture-weary.
WordPress Daily Prompt – Final
We lost a beloved member of our family yesterday when our dog, Ricki, died.
A great dog who joined our family as a puppy, we loved her dearly. Full of life and energy, with two different colored eyes, the softest ears ever, and a black, cold, wet nose. A nose that she would affectionately ‘goose’ us with – particularly when we were wearing shorts. Yow! Her personality was sweet and outgoing and she was ever-so-patient with all those around, especially children. She loved to be loved and was never shy about asking people to pet her. With a keen awareness of human emotion she instinctively knew if we were happy, sad, sick or excited – and would stay near no matter the circumstances. When no one was looking she hopped on beds and pretended to be totally innocent when we walked in the room. And, she relished joining the fun no matter who was jumping on the trampoline. If anyone was hugging – or dancing – Ricki would stand on her hind legs so she could also be part of the action. And, if you played the harmonica she would howl until the raucous stopped. She had a ferocious bark but never harmed one person. She loved to run free off the leash and right into the lake, river or creek – and even the snow – but she always came right back. Wanting to experience a little freedom she never once drifted too far away from us. Whenever we came home she always ran up to the gate to greet us.
She was a big part of my heart.
An important piece of our family.
She was joy.
I feel no guilt for the tears I have wept and the sadness I feel as I mourn her passing. I will miss her but I am grateful she was part of our lives.
Ricki and Lucy, my dynamic duo, is now just a party of one. And our family as a whole feels a little less complete.
Rest in peace, Sweet Ricki.
An ordinary Sunday afternoon spent enjoying my boys, my dogs and lots of sunshine. (The Hubster was out of town)
Luxurious Green-ness is abundant during springtime in this great state of Texas!
My Crazy Graced Life 