A Bird and a Podge

Pigeon on Beale Street

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday


And now for the Podge...

1.  Speaking of 180...when was the last time you 'did a 180' on something?

With regard to decisions, I can't think of the last time. I normally stand by my initial reaction. However, when it comes to taking pictures while driving. I do 180s all the time. 

2. It's Independence Week in the US of A! What's your favorite thing about America right this very minute? Favorites only! Let's hear what you love about America.

Spacious skies, amber waves of grain, purple mountain majesties, and those fruited plains.

If you're playing along today, and you're not an American but have been to America, what do/did you like best about this country? If you've never been to America, do you have any desire to visit? What's the number one thing you'd like to see?

N/A

3. Stars or stripes? Red, white, or blue? Watermelon, homemade vanilla ice cream, or blueberry pie?

The stars at night are big and bright! Oops guess I lived in Texas too long.  Blue as in my daughter's and my son's eyes. Watermelon, but would readily enjoy my share of the other two.

4. When did you last see stars, figuratively speaking?

I equate 'seeing stars' with injuries, so guess it was 3 years ago when I fell down the steps and broke both ankles. 

5.  'Clear as a bell', 'with bells on',  'lots of bells and whistles', 'saved by the bell'...which phrase 'rings' truest for you lately?  Have you ever seen The Liberty Bell?

I have seen the Liberty Bell. I actually used the phrase "with bells on" yesterday. Hubs asked if I was going with him to work in the garden. I responded, "of course, with bells on!" Now go back and read it with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

6. Are you caught up in World Cup fever? Have you watched a lot or a little or none at all?

At first, yes. Now, not so much.

7. Bid farewell to June in 10 words or less.

Goodbye June. See you next year.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

So, I got to thinking about the word HODGEPODGE. Does anyone remember Orthography? Okay, so I'm aging myself. It's the study of language. It was one of my favorite subjects in Junior High. Anyway I looked up hodge which means "an English Rustic or farm laborer" and thenI looked up podge which means "a short fat person". Hmm Hodgepodge, a short fat farmer? No, when you stick the two words together, you get "a mixture of different things".  Okay, so my brain is a little skewed in its thinking sometimes. But, hey that was my random thought.

Linking to Wednesday Hodgepodge

A Bird and Words

Are you ready for one more of my bad bird shots?

Is this a Martin? A Swallow?

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

1. What summer activity most takes you back to your own childhood?
Picking blackberries. My mom would get my brother and me up before dawn, dress us in long pants and long sleeved shirts (during the heat of summer), and walk us out to the wild blackberry patch between the field and the woods. Sweat bees would sting, briars would scratch, and by bedtime chiggers had taken up residence all over our bodies. (A time before Off was invented.) It isn't exactly a fond memory, that is until you get to the blackberry pie and ice cream part. Yum!

2. What's your favorite summer smell?
The wind right before rain.

3. It's beach season in the US of A...so how do you feel about sand? 
It's hot. Must have beach shoes. 

4. Sun tea, SunChips, sunflower seeds, Capri Sun, Sunny Delight, Sun-Maid raisins, sun-dried tomatoes...your favorite food or beverage with sun in its name?
Sun tea. Love iced tea with lemon slices. No sugar and especially none of those poisonous artificial sweeteners.

5. What's your favorite way to cool off on a hot summer day?
Air conditioning. 

6. Share a favorite song with the word sun or sunshine in it's title.
Cheap Sunglasses ZZ Top

7. Tell us about a time you had an exceedingly good or truly awful customer service experience. If it was awful, did you report it? Ever go back there again?
I know I have experienced both during my lifetime, but can't think of anything in particular, good or bad. Before I retired from my real job, I had to travel and work out of town a lot. I went out for dinner at a nice restaurant every night, alone. The waiters and waitresses used to come sit with me and keep me company. I know they were trying to be nice, but I was somewhat offended. I don't recall seeing any of them sit down with men dining alone. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Blank mind here. Think, think, think! Aha! I thought of something. This saturday night is our Freedom Day celebration. Our town always has a fireworks display the Saturday before the 4th. Daughter and family come every year. We have a cookout and plenty of junk food for the kids. We put lawn chairs in the backyard and have an excellent view of the show, which is only 1 block away. My last beloved dog, Willie, was horribly frightened and used to hide in the bathtub. I'm wondering how Fergus will deal with all the noise. 

Swallow

This must be my year for Swallows. First a Tree Swallow and now a Barn Swallow. He was way across the sheep lot, where he thought he was safe.

 Mr. Gorgeous tried to give me a moon shot, but I was too quick for him.

He finally turned around and allowed me to get a shot of his front side.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday


1. It's still May, right? When were you last in the middle of something that might be described as mayhem? Mardi Gras!

2. When did you last feel dismayed? When a co-worker gave notice.

3. What's a food combination you like, but other people may find strange? Peas and cottage cheese.

4. "It is never too late to be what you might have been." Do you think that's true? Why or why not? It depends on what 'you might have been'. I wanted to be a hand model back in the day. Don't think I would find much work now that my hands are aged, wrinkled. 

5. US News and World Report listed the best historic destinations in the US as follows-Washington D.C, Philadelphia PA, Williamsburg VA, Charleston SC, Boston MA, Richmnd VA, Savannah, GA, Santa Fe NM, Yellowstone, San Antonio TX, San Francisco CA, New Orleans LA, and Charlottesville VA.

Of those listed how many have you seen in person? Which two sites on the list would you most like to see in person? I've been to 9 of these locations. Of those I haven't seen, I would pick Yellowstone and Savanah, GA to visit.

6. May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. If you had to participate in a single fitness activity for the next half hour, which activity would you choose? Hiking in the woods.

7. What did you like best about the city, town, or neighborhood where you grew up? I grew up on a farm. I liked that we had a pond and woods to spend time exploring.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. Thursday marks the beginning of our Spring Festival. I got the call to schedule my time to be incarcerated in the ticket booth. I usually get an early slot, but this year I'm stuck with 7-9 pm. Two hours is a long time! But I enjoy seeing all the happy little ones looking forward to their turn on the kiddie rides.

Linking to Wednesday Hodgepodge