Thankful Sunday

I am thankful for remote access.

Ward often has weekend work but he can usually do it at home. He may be busy, but he is here for a quick question or a smile as I walk by. For that, I am thankful.

Where's A-Z?

I think I need the A-Z challenge back. I seem to lack motivation for posting on my blog when left to my own devices. But today, I am determined to post. I can't seem to come up with anything that captures my fancy, so I will just go with what doesn't capture my fancy. And right now, that seems to be a stream of consciousness of what I did yesterday.

Yesterday, I got great satisfaction out of finally lowering our cable/phone/internet bill. Should have done it sooner. Most of our features were out of date, so they were upgraded to better service for a lower cost--$25/month lower. We lost a few channels, but I didn't even know that most of them existed. And for once during a call with Verizon, they didn't try to upgrade our service and add a bunch of premium channels. Yea!

However, that phone call lasted much longer than I expected it to, so I wasn't able to get in the errands I had planned before work. So they will have to happen this morning, unless of course, I spend too much time here at the computer.

This picture has nothing to do with this post except that I ran onto it while I was writing it. It is the cats in their playground otherwise known as Wally's room years ago.

Went to work and am back home now.

I was able to accomplish the errands before work. I mailed some letters, picked up a prescription, and had a blood test. And speaking of blood tests, does anyone else have hard-to-hit, rolling, slow bleeding veins? They seem to run in my family and having a blood draw never easy for anyone involved. However a few years ago, after a couple of sticks, the nurse said, "Always point to this spot right here for anyone doing this." And it has been smooth sailing ever since. It made me wonder why it took all of those years of multiple sticks each time for someone to figure it out.

One time after four tries and no luck, the nurse called the doctor in. The doctor tried another time without success and I started to cry. The the doctor-with-no-bedside-manner asked what I was crying for and said that my husband didn't cry when he was stuck. Well, first of all, she shouldn't have been discussing another patient with me even if he was my husband, and next my husband's veins jump out and say pick me anytime he has a blood test. He has never had a problem.  In fact, when he gives blood, they call him a good bleeder. We never went back to that doctor and I'm can laugh about it all these years later, can't you tell?

Tonight I have a book club meeting where we bring our nominations for what we want to read next year. We vote on them next month. The book we are discussing tonight is The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I know that the book has been quite popular over the last couple of years and I can see why. It's just my style. It will be interesting to hear what others think about it.

Until next time...

A Second Look--May 27, 2015

This is the perfect time of the year outside. The mornings are cool and the afternoons are warm. Everything is newly green and lush with a different kind of flower popping out every week. The stars of the flower show this week are the iris.

The baby bluebirds almost look like real birds now. In one short week, they have gone from featherless creatures that were all eyes and mouths to little birds with some tiny feathers, and eyes that are proportionate to their heads. The mother is very attentive to them. She seems either to be feeding them or standing sentry on top of their box. I was lucky to take a sneak peek at the babies when I caught her away.

Here are some things I saw this week 

during a Second Look.

Siberian Iris

Bearded iris

Bearded iris

I think the cold winter we had was hard on the squirrels because I'm not seeing as many as last year.

Most of the bleeding heart have already gone to seed, so it was a pleasant surprise to find these.

The mother bluebird guarding the box her babies are in.

All four babies appear to be developing well.

This what they looked like just one short week ago!

Thankful Sunday--May 24, 2015

I am thankful for the beautiful life of Allison.

I first met Allison, when she was a young teen, on a trip with Ward to meet his family. She seemed quiet at times around her three older, boisterous brothers, but could definitely hold her own. In fact, later she would say that some of the wrestling moves she learned from them came in handy more than one time during a date.

She was accomplished in many ways. She had a degree in both English and Physics which lead to her career as a technical writer and prolific author. However, her greatest accomplishment was the life she created with her husband and son. They were a close family who enjoyed many things together including Morris Dancing and the science fiction world. From those activities, they made a large circle of friends. This circle was never more evident than during the last two years of her life and her battle with cancer.

When Allison was first diagnosed, friends rallied around with a can do attitude  They were going to help her beat the impossible statistics and outsmart this illness. But after a while, it was evident that that was not going to happen. And when things got difficult and depressing, they were still around.

That's one of the things that I found amazing about the whole situation. Instead of avoiding her, they flocked to Allison. That's because Allison, with the incredible support of her husband, continued to celebrate life every day and encouraged all of those around her to do the same thing. Even when her body was betraying her, she kept going. There were dances and concerts and laser shows and block parties and museums and movies and snow angels and nature walks and festivals and parties and pig roasts and church and the list goes on and on of what she and friends and family did together to celebrate life every day. People were still around because they wanted to be a part of this positive energy.

During her illness, Allison developed a new word, ETHOOL which means, Enjoy The Heck Our Of Life. Buttons and banners were made and it is now a part of many people's every day language including mine. Allison wrote most of the notice that was going to be posted upon her passing. Unfortunately, Friday it was time to share that post. She told her husband she wanted to make them smile and she did.  Here is its final line:

 She is at peace and beginning to ETHOOTAL!  (Enjoying The Heck Out Of The After Life.)

A Second Look Update--Bees

What are those bees doing?

I admit that as far as bees go, I have very limited knowledge. To me anything that buzzes and looks like it could sting is a bee. But as most of you know, not everything that looks like that is a bee. Some of them are wasps. And no matter how many times I try to learn the differences between the two, I don't remember for very long what they are. So here it goes again.

A papery, yellow jacket wasp's nest that I found
in the ground while I was weeding.
Yes, I did get stung.

Bees and wasps come from the same Order, Hymenoptera. After that, they differ in their Family, Genus, and Species. (Remember the taxonomy classifications for biology?) If you can get close enough to look at them, there are some physical differences. Bees are hairy and wasps are smooth. Bees usually have a fatter and rounder abdomen than wasps. And if the buzzing insect is chasing you, it's probably a wasp. Wasps are more aggressive than bees. Find a papery nest in the ground, it belongs to a wasp. Bees make waxy hives. All bees are social insects, but not all wasps are. Some are solitary. Bees eat nectar, but wasps usually eat other insects, unless of course you have a can of soda around. And the list goes on. There are over 20,000 different species of bees and over 100,000 different kinds of wasps, so if I'm playing the odds, wasp should be my first guess when I'm trying to identify one or the other.

Even though I refamiliarized myself with some basic bee and wasp knowledge, I was at a loss to explain what I saw about a month ago during a Second Look. I saw a smaller bee/wasp attach itself to the bottom of a different kind of bee/wasp. So it was time to go for help. The first place I turned was my bee expert--a friend who raises honey bees. I sent her pictures and asked her what was going on. She had no idea, so she sent them to her local county extension agent. The extension agent had no idea what was going on either so she sent them to an entomology professor she knew at large university. He didn't have a good answer, so he showed the pictures to all of his colleagues. And none of them could give a good explanation of what they saw. 

Smaller bee with larger ones to the side

Smaller bee attached to the bottom of larger bee

However, here is the information that they did provide for what they saw in the pictures above.

The responses I have gathered from my colleagues agree that this type of interaction with carpenter bees* is unusual. Bees sometimes get in territorial disputes, but this doesn't appear to be the case in the pic.  Everyone agrees that the bee on the carpenter bee is probably not doing any harm.  Based on what they could tell from the photo, and the host plant they are on, they believe the other bee is in the genus Osmia (e.g. blue orchard bee).  Why they are interacting like this is unclear. 

So I didn't get a definitive answer to my question, but I did learn a lot while looking for an answer. Now, lets see how long I can remember it. :)

*I called the big bees bumble bees in the original post, but they're not. They are carpenter bees as evidenced by their smooth abdomen. If they had been bumble bees, this area would have been hairy. Live and learn.

But Wait There's More:
--Did you know that male bees don't sting? The stinger is a modification of an ovipositer--an egg layer, so male bees have never had one to modify. This may be common knowledge for those of you in the know, but it was fascinating news to me.

--A good paint job is a good deterrent to the carpenter bees.


Sources:
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Bee_vs_Wasp

http://animals.pawnation.com/there-kind-bee-doesnt-sting-10377.html

http://www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/animals/arthropods/insects/bees/

And some others that disappeared when my computer crashed. :(

A Second Look--May 20, 2015

We have been having very summer-like weather this past week with hot days cooled off by evening thunderstorms. Last night's was supposed to bring a cold front so we should have more spring like weather. I hope so. I also hope that last night's storm cleaned the air of pollen. Yard work has very difficult to impossible to do when with the pollen laden air and the sneezing and coughing it produces.

On the bird nest front, there continues to be action. I have seen a wren going in and out of two boxes continuing to work on nests. As far as I can tell, there are no eggs yet, but I can't see very well into the back on one of the boxes where they are building the cup for them. However, I can definitely see that all of the bluebird eggs have hatched. We have four newborns. I've been able to peek at them twice without the mother dive bombing me. However, if it's like other years, that will start soon as she protects her babies.

But I'm not the only one she has to protect her babies from. Saturday we saw a 4' long black snake in the backyard. Last year, a snake cleaned out three babies from a sparrows nest in a tree by our garage. That is definitely the way things work in nature, but hopefully the snake-proof design of our bird boxes will work and protect the newly hatched birds.

On the plant front, it has been the week of the iris. They started blooming and there are new ones every day. I love irises, not only because of their beautiful blooms, but also because the deer don't like them. :)

Here are a few things I saw this week 

during a Second Look.

Iris

Male Goldfinch, I have seen several pairs around but they usually don't nest until summer.

Asparagus. The story about my asparagus is this. I had wild asparagus growing in various places in the yard that I dug up and put it in one spot hoping for some to eat. So far, I only get one or two edible stalks per year, but I do get several plants of the beautiful airy foliage that asparagus has.

The rhododendron is in full bloom now.

The black snake as it is slithering its way to our wood pile.

Hosta

Newly hatched bluebirds. Notice the one with it's mouth open. The gray bulges around the top of its mouth are its eyes, and its wings are stretched out to both sides under them.

Old leaves and new blossoms that have dropped from the holly tree.

Retraction

A few of you may have noticed that I had a post up on Saturday about my personal experiences and feelings about aging. After reconsidering, I decided it was best to take it down and not have it out there for the world to see. Although it had an overall positive message and it was not likely to be read by anyone involved, I still felt as if I needed to respect the situation and the people it was about.

It was one of my more heartfelt posts where I explored my emotions more than I usually do. As you have probably noticed, this is not a blog where you will learn about my innermost thoughts and feelings. That's because my strongest feelings involve relationships with other people and I don't feel that I can share other's trials and tribulations even if they involve me. Their stories are theirs to tell, not mine. Of course, I will talk about others with simple things like we went for a walk or grilled asparagus for supper. I occasionally share what my kids did when they were in the under 10 set. But I don't share what scares me, saddens me, or angers me about those close to me. Sometimes I want to and that's what I recently did before I removed it.

Several years ago, my mother wrote her autobiography. Her childhood was quite challenging, so she had a lot of interesting material to work with. But I thought she was leaving out some of the best stories that had a part in shaping her life. However, she told me that some of the people in those particular unflattering stories were still alive, so she wasn't going to write anything about them out of respect.  I didn't understand at the time, but I do now.

I think there's actually a very fine line between writing a tell-all blog and sharing enough to be relateable. After three years, I'm still trying to find this balance. For all of you out there who are able to share your innermost feelings, I admire you. But for now, you'll be getting the sanitized version of me.

Note: If I mention anyone in a significant way in one of my posts, I let them read it and approve it before I post it.

The Soil Knife

Ward and I have been working in the yard this weekend doing some mowing, planting, pruning, and just general clean up. And the whole time I was never without our handy, dandy soil knife. That is I was never without it unless Ward was using it. It is just that handy. Below is a previous post about the knife that gives a little more information. It might be a good present for Father's Day for those dad's who like to garden. 

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Ward's new soil knife

I have a new favorite garden tool.  It cuts, it digs, it measures, it saws, it makes coffee. Well, actually I'm not sure about the coffee part, but it might. What is it? A soil knife also known as a hori hori knife.  The miracle tool is the shape of narrow trowel with a sharp knife edge on one side and a saw-tooth edge on the other. The one we have is also marked off in inches for measuring.

Apparently, it's been around for a long time. It was first implemented in Japan to dig mountain vegetables. (Thus the original name of hori hori which means "to dig" in Japanese.) However, I only heard of it recently when Aunt Martha suggested that Ward might like one for his birthday. I got it for him, but I felt like when I was a kid and for my sister's birthday bought what I really wanted. Ward has gotten to use it a few times, but I have had it out almost every day.

Each time I use it, I find another thing it does better than any tool I've used before. It makes digging very easy. Its sharp blade cuts into hard soil almost effortlessly. And if you run into roots while you're digging--no problem. You can saw right through them. You can measure the depth of your hole when you are planting, and it cuts better than any razor blade I've ever used when opening a bag of mulch. I love it. The only problem is that Theodore has discovered it too. Maybe Ward needs another one for Father's Day.

A Second Look--May 13, 2015

I have two special needs girls that I am friends with. One of them, Kimmy, lives next door and visits almost every day to read a book or two with me. One day the book was talking about cows and I asked if she had seen the cows behind our houses. She had never seen them and thought the idea was ridiculous. Since then, I have been trying to show them to her. However, that has been harder than expected because but the cattle are rotated from field to field frequently.

Well today, I thought I had hit the jackpot. While doing a Second Look, I found many of the new calves and their mothers right up against the fence in the back. Close enough that you could reach out and touch them if you wanted. I hurried next door looking for Kimmy so we could get a look at the cows that she thought didn't exist. One thing after another seemed to delay us to the point that when we got there, they were all gone. She still thinks I'm a little crazy, but I'm sure soon enough it will work out. However in the meantime, I did get some pictures.

On bird nest front, the wars are on. The wrens are building a nest on top of the sparrows nest. I'm not sure what happened to the sparrow's eggs but there are no new wren eggs yet. Apparently, the wren's nest in the other box, may be there just to prevent other birds from using the box. Survival of the fittest. The bluebird didn't lay any more eggs this week so the final total is four. I have seen the mother going in and out of the box often. Since the weather has been really hot (80's and 90's), she may not need to spend as much time sitting on them to keep them warm.

New things are blooming continuing the beautiful display of spring colors. The rhododendron is the most noted of these this week with new buds blooming every day. Not as showy, but just as beautiful are the lily of the valley that started blooming a few days ago.

Here are a few things I saw this week 

during a Second Look.

Rhododendron

Elusive Calf

Star of Bethlehem

Notice the twigs that the wrens are using to build a nest on top of the sparrow's.

Lily of the Valley

So many colors of green this time of year.

Brighton Dam Azalea Garden

Here's yet another post showing spring flowers, but it's that time of year. We made what has become our annual trip to the Brighton Dam Azalea Garden last Sunday. The blooms were not quite at peak yet, but there were still plenty to enjoy. Here a few pictures from our pleasant afternoon strolling through the gardens.

The gardens are adjacent to the lake formed by the Brighton Dam.

In some areas, the azaleas were just starting to bloom.

In other areas, like where Ward is walking, they were in full bloom.

A close up of one of the bushes above. This pink variety seems to be the earliest bloomer in the garden.

One of the things they do to maintain the gardens is to replant a new section every year.

The gardens are a favorite place for photographers.

Among the azaleas, dogwoods were also blooming.

This was Ward's favorite. He likes how only one petal has pink dots.

A Second Look--May 6, 2015

We've had some very nice warm weather recently--warm enough that we're thinking it might be time for the air conditioner. But it is still spring, so it should cool off soon. There are still a few daffodils blooming and the dogwoods are just starting to fade. Most of the azaleas have burst into bloom this week with their brilliant pink and purple colors.

There are eggs in two of the nests now. Last time I checked there were three in the sparrows' nest and four in the bluebird's nest. I don't if they laid any more, but mothers are sitting on both nests now. I think I'll leave them alone for a little while.

The wrens nest is getting bigger, but it is not completed. I've read that sometimes wrens will build a decoy nest and that's what happened in this box last year. We'll see if we get any eggs this time.

Here are a few things I saw this week 

during a Second Look.

Daffodil

Japanese Colored Fern--I think these are just past the fiddlehead stage.

Azalea

Wild cherry

Azalea

Bluebird eggs

Azalea that is growing out of our weed compost pile. 

Wren's nest

Squirrel who just had a nice meal from the suet cake he just removed from its holder.

Dogwood tree

Dogwood, sweet gum, Japanese maple, juniper, and cherry trees (and a drainage ditch)

A-Z Challenge Reflections

Now for the last formal part of the A-Z Challenge  Reflections

I was so relieved when I finally did the Z post for the A-Z Challenge, I didn't think that I would post again for a while. But that wasn't correct. I was happy to get back to the unrestricted posting of yore. I did a Second Look post the very next day because my yard was teeming with things to share.

So, what did I think of the whole A-Z exercise? Quite frankly, it took more time than I should have let it take. At times, there were more important things to be done than to think about what I was going to do for the letter J. But a challenge is a challenge, and I was determined to finish it.

Even though I gave the Challenge a higher priority than it should have had sometimes, I liked the creativity of coming up with a post for each letter. Because of it, I wrote some posts that I would never have thought about before. And some of them meant a lot to me. I also visited some interesting blogs and made some new friends. Some of the blogs I visited were not subjects that I would normally be drawn to, but I found them interesting all the same.

If I do the A-Z Challenge again, what would I do differently? First of all, I would anticipate it and start collecting ideas for posts ahead of time. This time, I signed up at the last minute and didn't really understand the whole thing. I was always scrambling to get something ready for the next day.

Do I think I will do it again? I'm not sure. I'm thinking about a 6 months challenge with a new letter every week instead of every day. That would be more my speed. We'll just have to see when next year rolls around what I will do.

Also, a quick note. Thanks to the sponsors of the challenge. It was well organized and I can't believe that the few of you visited each and every blog several times. I was amazed that you took the time to do this and I was thankful for your encouragement.