Seriously, there must be five hundred birds on the feeders, the ground and the trees!!
Ten o’clock and a dark gloomy day. A good day to continue reading… and rest from my labors.
Postscript, Mon. Feb. 17, 2014: Another gloomy day; no sunshine!! Note how I caught identical indoor and outdoor temperature.
Click here to check the blog message for February 15, 2013. I like to look back and see what I was doing a year (or two) ago. Little did I know, when looking for appropriate clip art, I would discover–at this time last year–it was Random Acts of Kindness week. ~~ An additional search revealed this week is International Random Acts of Kindness Week.
Click here to check the blog message for February 16, 2012. At least I am consistent!! The galvanized pipe was transported from Waxhaw, North Carolina, to Livingston, Texas. Good grief!! Will the insanity never cease??
Click here to check the blog message for February 11, 2011: It’s difficult to believe three years have passed since I was volunteering at Wycliffe in Orlando, Florida. Again I say, “at least I am consistent”: My prayer is still “Thy will be done.” I’ve just finished the book In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon and I’m reading the sequel Jesus Is Here. It was exactly one hundred years ago that Charles M. Sheldon wrote his Introduction to Jesus Is Here. Further information,very interesting.
Click here to check the blog messages from February 2010: I was preparing to move from Shelby, North Carolina. (When I left Lancaster, California, I never anticipated five moves in nine years!!)
Here’s a novel idea: Volunteer on Demand, “Anywhere, any time…, in as few as 15 minutes.”
(“Volunteering” is a subject close to my heart.)
A former CARE volunteer, and temporarily my next-door neighbor, sent me a heartwarming email message. The first day we met, he gave me a lovely book: National Audubon Society Pocket Guide, Familiar Birds of North America, East. He shares my love for birds.
Hi Lorraine:
You were my sunshine at the SKP park. I too am sorry we missed each other this morning. It would have been nice to give and get a farewell hug. I looked at your T@B Teardrop Travels and your blog [Three Quarters and Counting]. I see that you have immortalized my truck on your blog (lol)…. I arrived a little while ago in the Bandera, TX area…. Over the next week I’ll be doing some kayaking, go to a couple of museums…. I wish you well.
Travel Safe & Have fun!
Steven
RV’ing the Country I Love!!
I filled bird feeders; I positioned bird feeders; I re-positioned bird feeders; I surveyed the yard with a critical eye wanting proper spacing and visual appeal. ~~ I moved the empty planters, and Shepherd’s Hooks from North side of the storage building (because [wouldn’t you know] “they” need to work back there). I’m happy-exhausted this evening!! It was s-o-o-o-o good to spend time outdoors and enjoy the sunshine!!
Postscript, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, 3:30 PM: Another day in the yard. First: my first trip to the storage unit to shift things around in hopes of locating “kitchen” and “yard” items. Second: unpack the yard things and set them up. Yes, more feeders. Now there are thirteen (13) bird feeders, two (2) squirrel feeds, eight (8) wrought-iron hanging baskets, six (6) simulated whiskey-barrel planters, over a dozen miscellaneous plastic planters, two (2) wind chimes, one (1) fountain, one (1) rain gauge, one (1) Bluebird house, and one (1) ornamental bird house. (I’m so tired, I probably forgot to count something!!)
I’m just getting started!! Next: planter soil. Meanwhile, I ponder “Where do I put this planter? Where do I position this Shepherd’s hook?” My concern: “Will a Texas Bluebird couple adopt the Bluebird house I set up?”
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Lorraine,
You’ve heard the revelations about government surveillance practices, both in the U.S. and around the world. They’ve sparked a long-overdue debate about the true scale of government surveillance programs, and the laws that govern them. It’s time to demand a change.Today, Google is standing up with the web to call for urgent reform.Call your members of Congress right now, and tell them you demand a change.Google recognizes the very real threats that the U.S. and other countries face today, but we strongly believe that government surveillance programs should operate under a legal framework that has very specific rules, is transparent and accountable to oversight, and keeps users like you safe.
In Congress, the USA Freedom Act would enact many of the principles that Google and other Internet companies, organizations, and users have been demanding. The bill’s sponsors, Representative Sensenbrenner and Senator Leahy, said government surveillance programs “have come at a high cost to Americans’ privacy rights, business interests and standing in the international community.” We couldn’t agree more, and trust you do, too. Urge your members of Congress to support the USA Freedom Act and reform government surveillance today: http://www.reformgovernmentsurveillance.com More soon, Derek Slater |
Torrential rain as I publish this message at 9:50 AM.
My “picture-taking” is boring compared to the awesome photography in this video.
Remember Alfred Hitchcock’s movie The Birds?? I just spent two hours reading details about the film because I wanted to know “how did they get the birds to act?” This was prompted because (as I told a friend) “At nine o’clock, in my yard, there were about a thousand birds on the ground, in the trees, and on the feeders.” Fortunately, my birds are passive and not aggressive!! ~~ When I’m curious about something, I research until I have an answer that satisfies me. It amazes me how quickly answers can be found (on the Internet). ~~ 
Predominately, Finches are swarming in my yard. I understand they are “passing through” en route North. (Or maybe they were already here and just found my feeders?) ~~ I have Cardinals, too.
A cloudy, dismal day but warmer than recent days and weeks. I didn’t venture outdoors; I found a few projects to work on and read a good book.
Postscript, Monday, February 10, 2014, 8:00 AM: “No birds this morning.” It appears to have quietly rained all night. Everything is saturated, and the road (Care Center Drive) is a sea of mud. Will Winter never end?
This image arrived in my T@B Teardrop Travels e-mail on Dec. 22nd. I’m “a few days late” checking messages!! Considering our weather (and my age [three-quarters and counting]) posting this was “a must”!!
No, (in my old age) I didn’t “forget” the other e-mail site; I’ve had dozens of other things on my mind!!
Gratefully, we had a sunny day (yesterday) to unload my things (from North Carolina). Previously, we had days of rain, and cold miserable weather. Today, another dark gloomy day and the temperature didn’t get above forty degrees. Below freezing last night and projected for tonight. The weather forecast suggests we won’t see an improvement for about a week. I repeat: Gratefully, we had a sunny day yesterday. (Praise the Lord!!) ~~ It was much too cold to dig around in the storage building for kitchen boxes. I was unable to commence unpacking.
Remember?? Delivery of my new (used) trailer was delayed due to continuing foul weather!! Gratefully, a two-hour “break” allowed the transfer from one location to another.
Postscript, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014, 2:30 PM: Another lazy day because temperature is only 38 degrees–and I only ventured out to take a couple of pictures.
Three Quarters & Counting 