We weren’t long into this 700-piece puzzle before we realized we were most likely missing at least one piece.
In the sea of white and fur-colored pieces, the bright hues of the yarn were among the first sets of pieces Lucas and I sought out.
And now, here we are, all but that one hot-pink piece placed.
A feat, indeed.
But when I look at this masterpiece, where does my gaze quickly settle?
That one missing piece.
Lord, please help me focus on what I have rather than what I don’t.
“All in the Downs the fleet was moorโd,
The streamers waving in the wind,
When black-eyed Susan came aboard;
โO! where shall I my true-love find?
Tell me, ye jovial sailors, tell me true
If my sweet William sails among the crew.”
~”Black-eyed Susan” by John Gay
What was it that Frost said doesn’t love a wall?
Certainly not this flowering bush from the neighbor’s backyard.
#notcomplaining
Taken at Luray Caverns, July 31, 2009, using a camera technique I call “swirling.” ๐
All year long, through illness and swamped-from-work-ness, I have persevered in posting a picture each day as I vowed to do starting January 1st.
At least a few times, I just barely made it, sliding in at 11:58 p.m.. But I posted.
Until yesterday.
Excuses, I have many … we just moved … boxes still everywhere … ordered furniture hasn’t arrived … my nemesis TMJ reared its demonic head after months of ease … that time of the month …
I could certainly go on and on, but I’d prefer to focus on how I felt this morning when I realized I hadn’t posted a picture yesterday.
Well, there was an initial panic. Like a second.
And then there was calm.
All is fine.
Perfect.
Yes, this morning, I actually got a picture of one of our resident hummingbirds!!!
The main male and female were fighting over the feeder.
I kept seeing them blur by the windows, and when I paid closer attention, I saw the male sitting on a tree branch watching while the female came to the feeder, hovered around a bit and then started to sip. Then, the male flew down very close and fast, chasing the female off.
They did this over and over, the chase swirling through the sky into the neighbor’s backyard and back.
I went over to the window and stood, phone in hand with the camera app open, and when the female came to hover, I snapped as fast as I could.
I got two pretty good pictures, but they’re not nearly as clear and focused as I would like…
Look at her wings, though! They’re flapping so fast, they look almost see-through, strikingly translucent.
Awesome!!
It’s been a week, and the feeder’s down halfway — not bad, considering how tiny those sweet hummers are. ๐
The ones we have, like in Ringgold several years ago, are Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds.
A male is clearly dominating the feeder. We can tell it’s a he by his red chest.
He usually sits on a branch of one of the trees in the back of our yard waiting and doing fly-bys on the other hummers who come up.
It’s almost impossible to pick him out until he moves and then we can track him. While he’s seated, though, he’s almost completely camouflaged, at least from this distance.
And there’s another most prominent female. She, like all female Red-Throated Hummingbirds, does not have a red throat at all. She’s mostly gray.
Both the male and the female have been very curious about us, taking time to hover to the side of the feeder in between sips, just looking in at us.
The other day, when I opened the curtain in the morning, the male was at the feeder. Instead of flying off like I would’ve anticipated, he hovered over to the center of the picture window, checking me out. It made me feel like an animal in a zoo he was visiting…a little Twilight Zone-ish.
I hope that they’ll get comfortable enough to let me take some pictures soon. ๐
So we were sitting at the light, heading home this evening with some Sonic for dinner, and I happened to check out the sign…
Um…sideways??? How did the birds handle that???
I just managed to get this picture before the light changed.
In case you can’t see, here’s a closeup:
We don’t usually do product endorsements, but these air freshener vent sticks by Refresh Your Car are just that good. ๐
I bought a multi-pack of this dual scent, Alpine Meadow/Summer Breeze, at WalMart last spring, and I just started the last one this past week. Not bad!
It’s much less obtrusive than most air fresheners because it’s out of the way. As you can see, all but the end of the stick is inserted into the vent.
And even though they’re most powerful when the vents are working, they effectively deliver a scent all the time.
I’m not sure how much I paid for them, and Walmart’s website doesn’t list prices. But on
Amazon
Coloring with the kids. ๐
Crayola markers on card stock.
Lucas insisted that I cut it out and paraded around with it, proclaiming his mommy is an artist. I tried to shrug it off, but he insisted. I was thankful. ๐
Outside Golden Corral