Saturday Critters

I found these horses on my ramble down The River Road. 

When I first saw these critters, they were both facing the road. As is always my luck, one turned around and gave me the moon.

In this shot, some smallish critter is being swished away by a tail.

I really like milkweed blooms. Seems this bumble bee does too. Have you ever used the milk to rid yourself of warts? It works. I have a tiny little wart on the palm of my right hand just below the ring finger. I rubbed milk weed on it and it disappeared for several years, but it is back now. I will be using some of that milk again this year.

Mr. Bumblebee seems to like this sunflower, too.

Thursday night as we drove up to the garden, we saw these juvenile wood ducks swimming on the far side of the pond. When they saw us, they took off.

I'm off to work. It's a sad place to be right now. My boss was my friend. More than that really. She felt like family. Her family lived near mine when we were growing up. Everyone loved her. The service will be held Wednesday. I can only imagine the number of people who will stop by to say their goodbyes. She was a bright light in many lives. She will be missed. 

Hope your weekend is a good one.


Linking to Saturday's Critters

Duck Duck Hodge Podge

After last Sunday's ramble, on my way home I decided to drive through The Rez. Even though I hadn't seen any wildlife there in weeks, I am always hopeful. This time I got lucky! The water was really green. Hubs thinks it was treated for algae.

I think these are Juvenile Wood Ducks.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

1. July is National Anti-Boredom Month. When was the last time you were bored? What's your go-to cure for boredom? 

I found myself walking around the house alone last Sunday afternoon. Hubs was working. Dinner was planned and prepped as much as I could prep. I finished the book I was reading earlier in the day. I tried to write, but my muse must have taken the day off. So, I grabbed my camera, loaded Fergus in the car, and went for a ramble.

2. What's the last thing you made a reservation for?

That would probably have been dinner reservations when I still lived in Texas. I live in middle-of-nowhere Illinois. Diners don't take reservations. On second thought, probably hotel reservations.

3. What's one thing on your summer 'bucket list'? Any plans to make it happen?

I want to go to Hannibal, Missouri. I will need to have about 2 days off during the week so Hubs can go, too. He rarely gets a day off on the weekend. It will need to be spur of the moment. We can't really plan until Hubs gets his schedule. He rarely ever gets the same days off during the week. If that doesn't work out, I will take myself down to see my son.

4. What's your favorite summertime sip?

Iced Green Tea with lemon. No sugar.

5. What do you find is the best way to handle another person's hostility and hopefully ease the tension?

I practice avoidance. I don't have time for those kind of people.

6. Your favorite film set in summer?

Now this answer will age me, as if you haven't already figured out I'm older than dirt. A Summer Place with the dreamy Troy Donahue and Sandra Dee. Two of my favorite actors when I was a young 'un. Besides, I was madly in love with Troy. It was a risqué movie back then, which added to its appeal.

7. What word are you using too much lately?

Funny. When co-workers tell me a 'funny' story, I always laugh and then say, "That's funny." I'm tired of hearing 'funny' come out of my mouth, but can't seem to stop myself before it plops out.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

A man came in the office last week looking for the Assessor's office. Once upon a time it was in the courthouse, but now it is in the annex building. The girl at the desk told him the annex building was 'kitty-cornered' across the street, which sounded correct to me, but obviously not to the man. He asked, "How do you spell that?" The girl didn't know, so he picked on me and the other girl in the office. We had no idea. He says, "It is spelled 
c-a-t-e-r-c-o-r-n-e-r-e-d." I didn't dispute his obvious knowledge, but as soon as he left, I pulled up Google to prove to myself kitty-cornered was proper. What did I find out? I was wrong and he was correct. Did you know there is a Gunsmoke episode titled, Kitty Cornered?

Linking to Wednesday Hodgepodge

Wildbird, Black & White, and Wordless

Another of the Wood Ducks hanging out at The Rez.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

I found this rather stern looking Mr. Sunshine in the gift shop of Luthy Botanical Gardens.

Linking to Black and White Wednesday

Linking to Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday Hodge Podge

I always find myself apologizing for my less than wonderful critter shots. I don't have the fancy dancy camera and lens I would like, but that doesn't detract from the thrill I get when I see a bird or duck I haven't seen before. So, I take the pictures and cherish them as if they were National Geographic quality. So, here is another one. 

Wood Ducks
The Rez is basically a large pond and park area. I drive by there most mornings on my way to work. Sometimes I get lucky and find ducks or geese. Sadly, they are always on the far side and I don't have time to walk around to get closer. Of course, on the rare occasion when I do have time, they always swim over to the side from whence I came. Non-cooperative creatures!

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

On to some Hodge Podge

1. Since these questions are posting on the first day of April it seems only right to ask-when was the last time you did something foolish? If you can't answer that one, try this one-when was the last time someone fooled you?

I don't have to look to far for the someone fooled me answer. It was this morning. The weather girl on our local station said it was going to snow later in the week. Bad weather girl! It wasn't until the end of the forecast that she spit out, "April Fools." With the weather as it has been this winter, it wasn't hard to believe.

2. What's the last biography or non-fiction book you've read? Was it any good?

Mrs Kennedy and Me by Clint Hall and I did find it interesting. Since I lived through the Kennedy years and remember Mrs. Kennedy fondly, anything to do with that time period interests me. 

3. Garlic-friend or foe? What's your favorite dish made with garlic?

Friend. Love garlic! Favorite dish? Not sure, but I absolutely must have garlic bread with pasta.

4. Several Spring flower festivals happen in the US during the month of April. Of those listed, which would you most like to see in person...The Skagit Tulip Festival in Skagit Washington, The Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville Tennessee, The North Carolina Azalea Festival in Wilmington North Carolina or the Daffodil Festival Weekend on Nantucket Island, Massachussets?

I lived in Raleigh, North Carolina in the mid 90s and actually attended the North Carolina Azalea Festival in Wilmington, so will pick The Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee. I always intended to stop there on my way from Raleigh to visit family in Illinois, but was never able to time my trip with the festival. 

5. How do you choose which blogs to read?  What is something that will make you stop and read every time? Something that makes you say, 'eh, think I'll skip this one and move on to the next'?

I have several 'never miss' blogs that I read every day. I'm not sure how I chose them. I think I found them through participating in memes. A fantastic critter shot will make me stop every time, such as in Brian King Images. I don't know of anything in particular that would make me move on unless it's a topic I'm not interested in.

6. April is National Mathematics Education Month so tell us, when did you last use math? 

Math? What is math? 

7. In honor of the A-Z challenge kicking off on April 1...choose one word beginning with the letter A to describe your yesterday.

Ambiguous.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm writing a short story about my maternal grandmother. This is the beginning...Her Indian heritage manifested itself in the form of dark skin, brown eyes, and coal black hair. She was a tall woman in spite of her short stature. A no-nonsense woman whose gruff demeanor concealed a soft heart. She didn’t show love and affection with words. Her actions spoke volumes.  

Linking to Wednesday Hodge Podge