Small Things

Carolina Chickadee drinking from the backyard bird bath.

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies."   ~Mother Teresa

I ❤ Woodpeckers

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter."  ~E. E. Cummings

I took these early evening yesterday while sitting in the backyard.  I love the bokeh effect.  I used the iPad app PhotoToaster to add the white vignette and the soft white frame.  

Happy Tuesday everyone and happy blogging.

~Cindy

Palm Warbler

Palm Warbler

"It is not half so important to know as to feel."  ~Rachel Carson

I discovered this little guy/gal flitting between two trees one evening this past weekend.  As far as I can tell it's a Palm Warbler.  I used my iPad app PhotoToaster to add the stone texture, a white vignette and a soft white frame.  

Have a great week everyone.  Until next time happy blogging.

~Cindy

Northern Mockingbird

"You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might also pray in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance."  ~Khalil Gibran

This is a small Oak tree that appeared to be dead.  However in the past couple or so weeks it has developed buds which you can see in the photo.  The Mockingbird seems to enjoy its perch here because I've seen it sitting in this tree before and often.

This post would have been up sooner but I heard a terrible noise around 10am and realized it was my Dad.  He had fallen in his bedroom.  My sister and I tried to get him up but we weren't able to.  No neighbors around to help so I called 911.  The EMT's came, picked him up and checked him out.  He's okay!  

Until next time happy blogging.

~Cindy

Yellow-throated Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler

"Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.".   ~Henry David Thoreau

This was probably the second or maybe the third time that this bird visited the tree where the feeders hang.  I was so excited that it came back.  It's a very quiet bird and at first I didn't even see it but luckily it caught my eye and I had just enough time to snap these before it flew off.

Wishing everyone a magnificent Monday.  Until next time happy blogging.

~Cindy

It's the red bird

Male Cardinal 

"Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it."  ~Eliza Tabor

I love the way he's standing.  I think he was disappointed because there were no Sunflower seeds on the post for him.  I've been purposefully neglectful in putting them on top of the post because I want them all to feed from the feeders.  Happily I can say they are but on ocassion they still visit the post.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week.  Until next time, happy blogging.

~Cindy

Swallow-tail Kite

Swallow-tail Kite, Spring Hill Florida 03/13/13

"No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings."  ~William Blake

These are amazing birds.  Per my iBird South app they are considered the most adept and acrobatic flier of all the raptors (Audubon does not consider these birds raptors).  It also says that in some nests two eggs are laid but the first chick to hatch kills the younger chick.  Ornithologists refer to this as obligate siblicide.  I think that is sad but I understand it's the nature of these beautiful birds.  I wish I could have gotten a better photo and one of the face but it was flying high and I wasn't able to get in a good position due to trees.

Until next time...happy blogging.

~Cindy

Ho-hum of a day

Nothing all that great to post today. I'm a little ho-hum about blogging the last couple or so days. I love blogging and I love posting and sharing my photos. I guess I'm a little more tired than usual and the simple things seem to wear me out more easily than before.

The following are three of six photos I took earlier today.  Three of the photos came out horribly and so I won't post them.  I will tell you they are of the Chickadee when it first lands thru take off.


 

Hello gorgeous!

 

Slurp, slurp, slurp...slurp

 

Ahh, that was cool and refreshing

 

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time."   ~Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Today started off rather ordinary and finished the same way. The sky was overcast and at times some dark clouds rolled in and then out. Tomorrow we have a 70% chance of rain and although we need it I'm dreading not being able to get outside with my camera. Hopefully, it will rain early in the day and then clear out. 

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Little Drummer

 

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting." ~Charles Kingsley

Interesting fact about woodpeckers (that I didn't know) is that they don't sing songs but instead make drumming sounds which serve the same purpose.  Downy Woodpeckers have a Pik, Whinny and a drum sound in their repertoire. 

Wishing everyone a terriffic Thursday. 

Happiness

Carolina Chickadee all fluffed up

Carolina Chickadee

 

"Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it." ~J. Petit Senn

 

It's been awhile since I ventured from home to get any photos.  I keep saying to myself I'm going to one of the local parks or preserves but something always prevents me from going.  So, until I actually make it to the park, I have these two Chickadee photos to share with you. 

Wishing everyone a happy Sunday evening and a wonderful new week.

The Crow

"Look for rain when the crow flies low." ~Anonymous (American Folklore saying)

You may not can tell but there was a soft rain falling when I took the photo.  There were two huge crows sitting in an old tree in the backyard.  This one sat atop the tree fluffing his feathers and spreading his wings before I went and got my camera.  Because the day is so dreary and dark the original photo was mostly in silhouette so I just went with it when editing the shot.  The shadowy tree is an Oak and is in the foreground.  I transferred the photo to my iPad and used two different apps to get the desired look.  I used one called "PhotoToaster" to get the antiqued look, the vignette and the soft focus frame.  Then I used an app called "LensLight" to add a filter called gothic.

It's been raining here all morning and as I write this post I can see some sun light starting to come into the bedroom window.  The sky is still overcast dreary and I'm sure the rain isn't finished with us yet.  It's funny how you can go days and days or even weeks without rain and complain that we need it so bad but when it finally rains, all you want is for it to stop so you can get outside.  

Happy blogging and wishing everyone a fantastic Tuesday.  

~Cindy

Mr. Cardinal

"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life." ~Rachel Carson

Mr. Cardinal visiting the seed post.  He usually stops by a couple or so times a day and has a quick bite.  That is if the Tufted Titmice let him.  The Mrs. was foraging on the ground for the seed that gets kicked off.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone. 

Bibles, Birds, Skies and Candles

Wow!  The weekend is already here and the weather has turned cold.  Today was not an exceptional day by anyone's standards but I did finally find my old Blackberry Pearl cell phone.  I was using it for the music that I have stored on the media card.  I can't tell you how much hair I lost looking for it over the past three weeks. Okay, so I didn't really lose any hair but it was very irritating and frustrating.   Packing is going well.   The house is almost empty with the exception for my Dad's room and my bedroom, the dining table and my Dad's TV and chair.  There are a few odds and ends to pack as well as the kitchen.  Most of the stuff, furniture, what-knots will go into storage until we find another home.  We'll be taking only what we really need to my sisters.  Which if you know me - that's everything I own.  Okay, I'm just kidding.  It's not everything but close.  I haven't had much time to go out and take photos but I did find a couple or so ones on the hard drive and I took some with my Android phone so I thought I'd share those with you.

This is just a little photo of some of my bibles.  Don't ask me why I felt the need to take a photo of them but I did.  I then added a window and aged effect to it along with a frame.  This photo is taken with the Android and the effects came from an app called LittlePhoto.  It's a cool little app that I'm going to enjoy messing around with.  Can't wait to see what other little goodies it has to offer.

This photo of a Mockingbird was taken awhile back.  Not the best photo but I like it. I think they have a lot of guts these little birds and they are very tenacious.  They fight the hawks with not one ounce of fear or at least it seems that way.

You must forgive me but I can't remember if this is a sunrise or a sunset.  All I can quote is, "Every sunset is also a sunrise. It all depends on where you stand". ~ Karl Schmidt.  I used this quote on a photo of a sunrise in a previous post.  I guess I knew that but never really thought of it that way.  This photo has a canvas texture applied to it. 

And last but by no means least - a little memorial scene setup for my Mom who passed away on November 26, 2011.  We keep a candle burning near her urn when we are home.  The only time it isn't lit is when we are asleep or gone.  The urn is in the back with the praying hands.  The chicken was one of her favorites.  The flame on the candle gets quite high and the wick has to be cut back.  Can you say "fire hazard".  Oh, and this was also taken with the Android but the frame I did on the computer.  Miss you Mom more than anything and each day seems harder than the one before.  Does it ever get easier?  I love you Mom!

Well, that's about it for today.  I will share a little bit of news with you that I think I'm excited about.  As some of you know I am jobless.  It's still hard here in Florida to find jobs, even after you've graduated with a degree, as I'm sure it is everywhere else.  Anyway, I've decided to apply to become a substitute teacher.  I've always wanted to teach but I have a real difficult time speaking publicly but thought why not give it a chance.  So, please wish me luck.  I'll let you know how things go.

Until next time.  Have a wonderful weekend and remember...

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.  So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."  ~Mark Twain

Cobblestone Bird II

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes. ~E.E. Cummings


I went out exploring in the backyard today. This mockingbird flew into an Oak tree and I circled the tree numerous times trying to get a good shot. I was finally obliged.  Texture courstey of Shadowhouse Creations.  I also added a cobblestone texture as in the previous bird photo.

Cobblestone Bird

Be like the bird that, passing on her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings. ~Victor Hugo

Texture courtesy of Shadowhouse Creations.  In addition to the SC texture I added a cobblestone texture to the photo.  Hence the title.