Another adventure with Filbert & Flora...

You could be a redneck if:

You have 9 loads of dirt piled in the front lawn.
You have a landscaping budget that's nil to nothing.
You have only a set of old rusty bed springs to use to level the 9 loads of dirt.
You have a reliable (also old!) 4-wheeler to pull the bed springs.
You have a not-so-smart partner (too old for this $%*#) willing to sit on the bed springs for added weight. (If you feel compelled to comment on the weight part, please be nice!)

The moment has passed, the new grass survived the first winter blast and our memory of Redneck Landscaping will keep us laughing for a good long time!

It's official...

Filbert is a nut.
and
Flora is a pansy.

One of those days...

I get a little punchy when I'm frazzled and tired!

Messing around with photos and graphics soothes my inner beast, so (even though I don't have a lot to say right now), I'll share my latest creation with you.

Click on the picture to read it easier. I warned you that I was punchy!

Do you have days when you feel like you've missed the boat???

That be me!
B:-)

Autumn Road...

I pass this way,
most every day...
It's truly a peaceful place.

Whatever the reason,
whatever the season...
The scene brings a smile to my face.

~bjh~


Happy Pumpkin Smiles to everyone :-)

More White Stuff...

The last Clematis blossoms greet the first snowfall of the season.


Snow sliding slowly off the coal shed roof.


No birdy home here! Gone south, just in the nick of time!

First blast of winter...

A dusting of snow on the Rhubarb leaves is pretty...


But... This is NOT!!!


Too much.
Too soon.

Just one of the hazards of living at a higher elevation!

It looks like a great day to snuggle up with a good book.
Hope you have a snuggle-kind-of-day too.

October Sunset...

Every time you wake up and ask yourself, "What good things am I going to do today?", remember that when the sun goes down at sunset, it will take a part of your life with it. (Indian Proverb)

Finding joy...

She was six years old when I first met her on the beach. She was building a sand castle or something, and looked up, her eyes as blue as the sea.

"Hello", she said.
I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child.

"I'm building", she said.
"I see that. What is it?" I asked, not really caring.
"Oh, I don't know. I just like the feel of sand."

That sounds good, I thought, and slipped off my shoes.

A sandpiper scurried along the edge of the surf.


"That's a joy", the child said.
"It's a what?"
"It's a joy. My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy."

The bird went gliding down the beach. Good-bye joy, I muttered to myself. I was depressed and my life seemed completely out of balance.

"What's your name?" She wouldn't give up.
"Robert", I answered. "I'm Robert Peterson."
"Mine's Wendy. I'm six."
"Hi, Wendy."

She giggled. "You're funny", she said.
In spite of my gloom, I laughed too and walked on. Her magical giggle followed me.
"Come again, Mr. P", she called. "We'll have another happy day."

The next few days consisted of a group of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, and an ailing mother. I need a sandpiper, I thought to myself and gathered up my coat. The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me. The breeze was chilly but I strode along, trying to capture the serenity I needed.

"Hello, Mr. P", she said. Do you want to play?"
"What do you have in mind?" I asked, with a twinge of annoyance.
"I don't know. You say."
"How about charades?" I asked sarcastically.

Her tinkling laughter burst forth again. "I don't know what that is."
"Then let's just walk."

Looking at her, I noticed the delicate fairness of her face.
"Where do you live?" I asked.
"Over there." She pointed to a row of summer cottages.
Strange, I thought. In winter?

"Where do you go to school?"
"I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on vacation."

She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind was on other things. When I left for home, Wendy said it had been a happy day. Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed.

Three weeks later, I rushed to the beach in a state of near panic. I was in no mood to even greet Wendy. I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.

"Look, if you don't mind," I said crossly when Wendy caught up with me, "I'd rather be alone today." She seemed unusually pale and out of breath.
"Why?" she asked.
I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" Then I thought, My God, why was I saying this to a little child?

"Oh", she said quietly. "Then this is a bad day."
"Yes", I said, "and yesterday and the day before and... oh, just go away!"

"Did it hurt?" she inquired.
"Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself.
"When she died."
"Of course it hurt!" I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself.

A month or so later, when I went to the beach, she wasn't there. Feeling guilty, ashamed and admitting to myself that I missed her, I went to the cottage after my walk and knocked on the door. A drawn looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door.

"Hello", I said. "I'm Robert Peterson. I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was."

"Oh yes, Mr. Peterson, please come in. Wendy spoke of you so much. I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance, please accept my apologies."

"Not at all. She's a delightful child," I said, suddenly realizing that I meant what I had just said.

"Wendy died last week, Mr Peterson. She had leukemia. Maybe she didn't tell you. She loved this beach, so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no. She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy days. But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly. She left something for you."

I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something to say to this lovely young woman. She handed me a smeared envelope with "Mr.P." printed in bold, childish letters. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues. A yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird. Underneath was carefully printed:

A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY

Tears welled up in my eyes and a heart that had almost forgotten to love, opened wide.

The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my study. Six words...one for each year of her life...that speak to me of harmony, courage and undemanding love.

A gift from a child with sea blue eyes and hair the color of sand... who taught me the gift of love.

NOTE: This is a true story written by Robert Peterson and serves as a reminder to all of us that we need to take the time to enjoy living and life and each other.

I wish you, a sandpiper...

Barb:-)

If you can...

If you can start your day without caffeine;

If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful;

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains;

If you can understand when loved ones don't have time for you;

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment;

If you can handle stress without medication;

If you can relax without an alcoholic drink;

If you can sleep in the middle of chaos...


Then you're probably the family dog!!

Hope you enjoy your day as much as Dixie seems to be!

Barb:-)

Stella's Hummingbird...

Out of clutter, find simplicity;
Out of discord, find harmony;
In the middle of difficulty,
lies opportunity.
~Albert Einstein

For the past several weeks, I've been on a de-cluttering mission. It's definitely not a project for wimps. I had trouble making decisions about what to discard and what to keep and where to put things that I did decide to hang on to.

I fashioned a make-shift work bench out of saw-horses and long boards; it was a wonderful place to empty boxes, one at a time. (Even though my car had to set outside during several rainy days. Which wouldn't be so bad, if the trunk didn't leak!!)

All was going along fairly well and I had a few laughs over all the stuff I had collected through the years. What had I been thinking?!

One particular box was filled with small miscellaneous items and an enormous pile of papers. It didn't take me long to discard most of the junk, but going through the papers took considerably longer as I sure didn't want to throw away anything important. A small pink (In Memory of) card caught my eye; a neatly folded piece of white paper stuck out from it's edges.

I read the card first.

It stopped me in my tracks and a flood of memories and tears took over while my heart missed several beats.

Stella had been a close friend of my youngest daughter throughout their school years and only 27 when she lost her life in a tragic car accident. I clearly remember that awful day, even though it was 11 years ago.

The white piece of paper contained a copy of a poem that she had written just one month prior to her death.

As I began to read, an unusual event took place:

A hummingbird flew deep inside the garage, held it's position directly in front of me for much longer than seemed normal, then turned and disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. This may not seem too unusual to most, but it was at this time that I happened to notice that the pink card also had a small picture of a hummingbird in the top right corner. I hadn't noticed it before then.


We are all entitled to our own opinions, but mine is that Stella's Spirit visited me for that moment. She wanted me to find her powerful words, and just as importantly, I knew she wanted me to share them with others. She was wise beyond her years.

Because her words are precious and sacred to those who cared so deeply for her, even when her world was troubled, I feel that it's important to keep her poem private.

I will tell you that her message was that of never letting go of hope and keeping faith no matter the odds.

Forgetting what was then;
It's time to begin again.

Powerful... if you take time to think about it.
Thank-you, Stella, for your insight.

Love,
Barb

Conversing with an Ogre...

It's a narrow, treacherous path that winds it's way to a dark and mysterious corner in the recesses of the back of my mind.

There's an Ogre always lurking there, waiting for just the right opportunity to make my life miserable.

Today, I decided it was time for a confrontation to settle all the absurdities that she has been imposing on me. I knew that once I called her out, there was no turning away. Would I be strong enough to ward off her ire or would I buckle under her constant pressure to only feel defeated again?

Somewhere, in the distance, I could faintly hear a whinny voice (not so unlike my own). It seemed to suck the air out of the space around me. Then an incredible, ugly shadow fell across my path. As I ventured closer, I recognized it as my very own Ogre-of-Self-Doubt. (here on, known as OoSD)

The conversation went like this: (Don't laugh... it's cheaper than therapy!)

OoSD: "So, little lady, you finally worked up enough courage to come looking for me."

Me: "Yes. We need to resolve our differences so I can get on with the important things in my life. Why do you feel the need to block my way?"

OoSD: "Oh, my sweet, I'm only here because you invited me."

Me: "I certainly did not! I don't want you hanging around, always making me feel unworthy of anything I try to accomplish. (whinny voice inserted here)

OoSD: "Unworthy?! Let's get something clear right here and now. I wouldn't be bugging you all the time, if you didn't continue to feed me all your negative crap. I remember a time when you were creative... and vibrant... and energetic."

Me: "How can that be? I don't remember you at all."

OoSD: "Of course you don't remember! I was only a glimmer in your thoughts back then. If you had any doubts about a situation or someone else's motives, you were able to sort out what was right and wrong because you always had confidence in yourself. Although, I have to say, you made some pretty stupid choices at times, but you always pulled through."

Me: "Thanks a lot for that last remark! You sure know how to make a girl feel bad. I have to tell you that I think you've grown up to be quite ugly."

OoSD: "Now don't go having a hissy-fit. You started this, and may I remind you, that it's you who has been serving up a smorgasbord of negativity. It's what I thrive on."

At this point, I sat down on the ground and starred at the tiny mushroom at my feet. I could feel the Ogre's beady eyes watching me.


OoSD: "So... You think that mushroom is pretty?"

Me: "Of course I do. See how fragile it appears and it's such a beautiful shade of orange."

OoSD: "Exactly! You're lucky to have been able to take note of such a tiny creation of Mother Nature. But, I know you. You'll download it onto you laptop and possibly never look at it again. Maybe you'll eventually store it on a flash-drive and it will be lost forever! Yep, that's how you are. Always thinking that your photos aren't good enough. Is it because you don't have one of those fancy smancy cameras with enough gadgets to fit in a 10 gallon tote? Enough already!" Get up off your duff and make things happen!

Me: "Boy, you sure are nasty! And besides, what do you know about laptops, downloads, flash-drives and cameras with the latest gadgetry? You're just on Ogre, for God's sake!

OoSD: "Ha! I know more than you give me credit for because, if you care to remember, I am YOU. Don't be so critical.

Me: "So, you're saying that I have to get rid of you before I can be successful in anything I plan to do?"

OoSD: "No, of course not. It's your attitude that controls what I become. I wouldn't be so obnoxious and demeaning if you'd throw a few bits of positiveness my way. Sometimes you just need a little shove in the right direction and I'm here to help give you a push. Don't make this such a burden on either of us!"

Me: "Okay, okay. I think I'm beginning to get the picture. Small doses of doubt gives me the opportunity to question what's wrong, choose what's right and let the rest go."

OoSD: "Wooo Haaa, baby! Now you're catching on! I want to tell you this before I go: I love to snack on the negative energy created by those who you let bother you, so keep that damned door shut or I'll never go away!"

Suddenly, a peaceful feeling settled over me and the once-ugly Ogre of Self Doubt began to dissipate before my very eyes and a more gentle being filled the space of my mind. The path ahead appeared brighter and, because it's my nature to feel the need to have the last word, I whispered into the warm afternoon breeze:

"I wish we would have had this conversation a long time ago."

Namaste'
Barb

Hometown Heros...

The town in which I grew up (just a mere 21 miles from where I reside now), recently took on a very ambitious project.

It was their mission to create a flag-type banner to honor local military personnel (living or deceased), which would be displayed on each and every lamppost along Main Street and also along the new Parkway, skirting the Susquehanna River.

The response was unbelievable and the sight is awesome!

Yesterday, as I was driving along the south end of Main Street, heading for home, tears filled my eyes when I saw the flags honoring my Dad and Brother.



Dad passed away in 2003. I miss him terribly and I still ask him for advice... and he appeared yesterday when I least expected it.

John is my mentor, even though he lives hundreds of miles away. His advice and love has gotten me through some pretty rough patches in my life.

Semper Fi.

OO-RAH!
Bobbie

Time Out...

Game Camera Shots...

This mother and her twins are often seen around our area.




Even though the pictures from the game camera aren't in color, they give a closer look at the Deer Family than I can get with my simple Nikon-ish zoom!

Hope you enjoy seeing the wildlife that I see almost daily.

Meaning of Yellow...

The color of the sun, yellow gives us a feeling of:

Joy.
Clarity.
Happiness.


Cheer.
Energy.
Brightness.


Sunshine.
Creativity.
Friendliness.


Hope.
Optimism.
Inspiration.


Hope all your days are filled with yellow!

Barb:-)

Reds for Ruby Tuesday...

Immediately after snapping a picture of this wild raspberry, I plucked it from the stem and devoured it's sweetness.

After all, it would take only another 100 of them to make a pie and the bushes weren't that loaded!


Now, this is what I call a loaded bush! It's growing next to the local bank in town and appears to be basking in a substantial return on it's IRA (Initial Red Appearance)!


Thanks to Mary at Work of the Poet for hosting Ruby Tuesday. You'll find many subjects of red over there, so don't forget to check them out when you get the chance.

Have a beautiful Ruby Tuesday, everyone!
I leave you with...



Barb:-)

Favorite Place...

As much as I fussed about the recent purchase of The Tiny Tiller, I'll have to admit that it was a good idea.

It has made life a whole lot easier for the Chief, now that his tomato and potato plants have gone crazy with all the rain that we've had! No weeds... just beautiful, healthy veggies, row upon row.

I love sitting here at this little table with my coffee and look out over the garden, knowing that it won't be long before there will be fresh tomato sandwiches, zucchini and eggplant for casseroles, squash to fry, and lettuce, radishes and cucumbers for many delicious salads.

My mouth waters as I type!


And the sky overhead... How beautiful is that?

Fuzz, Frog, & Flowers...

I'm feeling a little sad for these wee ones!


Their mother built their home on top of the air conditioner, and even though they may have remained dry through the recent storms, their little brains must get scrambled when the conditioner is running! The noise and vibration has to be pretty intense at times!


Today, while putting algae treatment in my garden ponds, I nearly stepped on this poor little guy.


Is it any wonder? His outstanding camouflage nearly cost him his life!

Daisies and Yarrow grow in wild abandonment along country roads.

July 4th ~ more than hotdogs and beer...

Today, I received this in an e-mail and thought it was well worth passing on. There was no credit given the artist and that is sad, as they are wonderful beyond words.

There were several more exquisitely painted feathers, but I chose these, because I thought they were appropriate to represent our Independence Day.


The following story left a lump in my throat:

After a devastating fire in Yellowstone National Park, Forest Rangers were sent out to assess the damage caused by the inferno.

One Ranger found a bird perched at the base of a tree, it's small body literally petrified in ashes. Upon further investigation, he moved it's scorched body and three tiny chicks scurried out from underneath their dead mother's wing.

The mother bird had been keenly aware of the impending danger and had gathered her babies together to protect them. When the blaze came and the heat scorched her body, she remained steadfast...

Because she had been willing to die, so those under her wing would live.
**********************************************************

With corruption at an all-time high, both at higher and lower government levels, at least we can be grateful to our Military for providing us with their endless protection. I, for one, am glad to be under their wing.

I challenge anyone who believes differently.

Seriously.

Enjoy your Independence today, and every day.

And give credit, where credit is due.

Barb:-)

An Award from Ontario...

Just when you think your chin can't get any closer to the floor and your self-confidence has gone by the way of the wind:

Along comes a total stranger, whom you've only met through the internet world of blogging, and bestowes upon you, an award for having a Beautiful Blog!

Oh my...
I feel so special...
To have received this Award...
Thank-you, Beverley, from Ontario...

If you're a Blogger and have discovered some pretty awesome blogs that you enjoy reading, please pass the Award on to them. I'm sure they will be as pleased to receive it as I was.

Don't forget to post the Beautiful Blog Award on your side-bar and include a link back to the Blogger-friend who sent it to you.

Also...
Leave each of them a comment to let them know how much they deserve this special recognition.

These Ladies rock!
They are an inspiration to me, each one in their own way. They all deserve the Beautiful Blog Award!

Check them out...
You'll be impressed!

1. Gayle
2. Terry
3. Sarah
4. Becky
5. Brandi
6. Tabitha
7. Caroline
8. Stephanie

Have a beautiful day, each and every one!

A Flicker of Red for Tuesday...

At first glance, I thought I was seeing a Woodcock. They frequent our yard on a regular basis, so I didn't get too excited with the sighting.


But...
As it hopped closer and closer toward the house, I realized the bird had a red cap.

Hummm...
Out came my Field Guide to North American Birds for identification! It's markings told me it wasn't a Red-headed woodpecker or a Pileated woodpecker.

Ahhhh...
Here it is! The markings are exactly like the picture shown. It must be a Ladder-backed woodpecker!

But...
Something just didn't seem right: The Ladder-back was common in the southwest. I reasoned that, like humans, they could become a little off course and he was making the best of the surroundings around him.

Hummm...
Off he flew. Another clue. In flight, his white rump was obvious. Back to my Field Guide.

Ahhhh...
A positive identification! I was certain I was watching a Common Flicker, which is the only woodpecker in North America that commonly feeds on the ground. They are also the only brown-backed woodpeckers found in the East.

His red cap may not be very big, but just enough to qualify for Ruby Tuesday and I was happy that he (and his mate) hung around for a few days.

You might not spot a Flicker where you are, but you'll find plenty of red over at Mary's Work of the Poet.

Friday Evening...

Great Wine.

Delicious Food.

Wonderful Friends.

Peaceful Lake-side View.

Thank-you, Gracious Hostess!