These are some of my favorite friends. They actually get along and share…better than some people I know. Today we enjoy another BOTD from Granny Shot It. Come share your lovely birds with others.
And if birds can share and be kind to one another, we ought to be able to be kind with all of creation as well. However, I do get tired of this one type of ground bird that hogs all the seed unless Mimi is on guard. She will bark at them for being pigs and run them off.
A new challenge has been made from Granny Shot It about the Bird of the Day. Now the birds that come to my feeder are no way fancy as what I have seen posted so far but I do so enjoy them. They too have their own distinct personalities and watching them interact with each other is sometimes comical.
It is fun watching these guys as they are small and walk around the edge of the stack eating from the sides. My camera is not fancy but I think it gets pretty good shots. Enjoy.
When you checkout each others pictures, think on the beauty of nature and how we all play a part in that, good or bad. And try to always be on the good side and be kind, even to wildlife.
In joining in with Cee’s challenge of Flower of the Day, I present to you my guest helpers – the birds in my yard.
The birds have been most helpful this year in making sure I had sunflowers growing in the yard since I did not plant any this year. And they showed some variety as some are taller, some flowers are larger some have different color centers.
The one above has the largest leaves and flowers. It’s bloom is a bright yellow like the petals. You can see it is taller than my mailbox and shepherd’s hook.
These two are taller than the one by the mail box, their leaves are smaller and they themselves have different color centers and petal structure. One is orangey yellow with short fat leaves and one is brown with long skinny leaves. I still have others that have not quite opened yet so we will see how they come out.
Sunflowers are like a large version of a daisy – they are a happy flower. I hope you seeing these happy flowers today will bring you a smile. And if it does, then share that smile and make someone else’s days brighter.
He said: Hey hon, there is a new place to eat in town. Let’s try it.
She said: Is this another one of your hole in the wall places.
He said: No, I promise, it’s the good stuff. And I hear its fresh.
She said: Hmmm. Well, the kids are gone and it would be nice for just you and I to get out together.
He said: Great. I hear they have two separate menus but they just hung a fresh bag.
She said: A fresh bag of what?? Gross.
He said: Trust me hon. You will love it. I promise.
She said: I have always been told when the phrase ‘Trust me’ is used to fly, fly, away.
He said: Just come try it.
Chuckle and smile along with me as I enjoy my goldfinches. I did just hang out a new bag as they devoured the last one – even with all the rain we have had. You can see to the side of the picture the sunflowers the birds planted. That one bloom should open this week. I will post pictures of the flowers my birds have planted sometime this week.
Have a great week and remember to always be kind. Even when you don’t feel like it or they don’t deserve it. It will make YOU feel better.
Fun Silliness Poetry? Foolishly we Jest.
Fuzzy clouds in billowing shapes bring hopes of relief from heat,
Fly resting on petals and basking in sun with hopes they score a treat,
Fuzzy worm found a treat and make me mad by eating my flower,
Funny smells through the crack in the door, Mimi shows her guard power.
City Sonnet with the July Challenge of Colors and Letters has for today the Letter “F”. So you have a quirky makeshift Fun poem to make you smile.
Try to take life a little less serious so that fun can seep in and make you smile. Share that smile with others and be kind.
Today is July 5. The day after the celebration of Independence for the US, but for me it is a fun remembered day as it was my dad’s birthday.
I remembered his favorite cake was a caramel cake – I think it was a white cake with a caramel type icing. And we also had a few left over fireworks along with the long standing hamburgers on the grill. He had this neat contraption that held all burgers in a wire grid and a handle and you could flip them all at the same time. I thought it was fabulous but have never seen another one.
The many fun trips we made on the rivers of Florida in our boat have wonderful memories as well. Was he perfect? No, far from it but at some time you just have to let the negative crap go and focus on the great memories. And although each child has a different remembrance of their time with their parents, you can generally hang on to a few of the great fun times and let that be the memory to hold fast to. For me there were a lot. I was the youngest so I actually got to spend more fun time with my dad that my siblings. So this day, his birthday, I honor him even though cancer took him from us over 20 years ago.
This is the smile I remember in a place he loved the best, our house in Florida. Happy Birthday Daddy. You are still greatly loved.
Remember how much a smile can make you smile and smile often. It is contagious, so smile and be kind.
My daylilies are finally opening. Crazy spring weather delayed a lot of my hot weather bloomers. Cee’s FOTD post for today was a daylily so I had to play along as well as I have four different types. A miniature variety was already here when I moved in, I planted a one to help take over a small flower bed(its doing a nice job), one was a mother’s day gift and one the birds planted. My miniature lilies are not open yet so they will make a future post.
The yellow one I planted, the pink one the birds planted and the reddish one was a gift. I loved the ones with the ruffled edges. Interesting as all centers of these are yellow.
I also have sunflowers growing that the birds planted that I will post when they open. Birds, my little helpers.
If you enjoy challenges, check in with Cee’s List of challenges and their hosts on any of her challenge posts and have fun.
And as you enjoy the fun of challenges, let that fun develop into a smile across you face to share with others to radiate kindness.
The fun and joy of being a grandparent should never be taken lightly. Families who hold to the bonds of family love through the rough times are the families who survive the whimsical nonsense of the coming generations. It shows them the importance as they grow that those with strong values of family, memories and grandparents helps the entire family stand firm.
I never really knew my fathers parents as he was the youngest of a large family and I was the youngest of our four, so by the time I was old enough to understand grandparents, they were both gone. But I did enjoy many fun memories with my mother’s parents. My grandfather was a farmer & a gasoline truck driver. And my grandmother was a school teacher. She was well loved by many through her years of teaching and I wrote a post about her in December if anyone cares to read that one as well. I remember the funny stories she and Buckshot(my grandfather’s nickname) would tell us about our cousins that I had never met who had other interesting nicknames like “Catgal”. I would love to know the stories behind the many funny nicknames of my ancestors.
Below are the pictures of both of my grandmothers, maybe later I will do a post on my grandfathers.
The is Lottie with Brownie, per pride and joy.
Some families do not have the luxury of sharing the memories of their ancestors. Some families who do not have that loving relationship or members who can’t feel that love from their family members are families that tend to disintegrate and scatter away from each other. It is a very sad phenomenon that I saw happen in my own family with my siblings from strained relationships or actions that can shatter a family. I also have this same type of disconnect with my own children where their relationships were severely strained as children and then as as young adults, my work scattered us 1000 miles from each other not allowing for a reconnect. I have grandchildren I have never held while the older ones have no real clue who I am other than a vague memory. It is a terrible thing to happen to a family. As my youngest told me, we never felt like we were a family due to all the disconnects, anger and frustrations we had. It ever reminds me just how fragile this life can be. But I am trying to fix that and hope that by year end, all strained relationships can at least be on the road to being mended.
This week Nancy Merrill challenged us with a photo of the week as grandparents. It rang true with me as I am trying to get better reconnected with my boys.
So I challenge all who read this to understand the values of all members of the family and to make all efforts to maintain as much of that family bond as possible and to make a connection whenever possible. Even those who fight it, they really don’t want to be left out in the cold. So try to reach out.
And in closing as I remind my readers – try to always be kind. It reflects the very love of God.
I like to think of Blue as a positive color as in the US Air Force theme song Wild Blue Yonder or that person who remains with you thick and thin as a true blue friend. And the photos so far this month from Becky’s theme of July Blues has been amazing. To all photographers who play in this interesting world of blogosphere, I thank you for sharing your gift with the rest of us. Some of us (me) do not really have that gift so these challenges are a great way for me to play and enjoy others talents.
Below is my BLUE for today since this is a great day for the red,white & BLUE and I share it also with Cee’s FOTD for my daily flower post.
Weeds are flowers as well and some have the most amazing flowers. This one is interesting as it only have two petals – reminds me of a tiny mouse. And those of you who read some of my post know that I am always making other creations from flowers like angels, choirs and yes, even a mouse.
Enjoy your day and if you are in the US, Happy Fourth, share smiles and hugs when possible, and as always remember to be kind.
While this week’s challenge from Jansen Photo is Outdoors, I believe it is meant for the beauty of nature…well, I am going to bend that just a bit and be amazed by the architecture of man spanning the Mississippi River. After all, it is outdoors. This bridge has been under construction now for about 2 years and I think it is due to open by end of next year. It has been amazing to watch, I posted earlier pictures in November if you care to go see those here. We went across to the other side and had to use this bridge – what a reroute you have to go through right now, glad I don’t have to use it everyday because the roads are moving as well.
But I was amazed at the progress, especially knowing the winter we went through and the massive flood (91 days) that has just now settled back into its banks.
So check out these pictures and remember even though man can aggravate you at time, he can be pretty amazing as well. I also realize that I am a bit of a geek since I came from quality management but I think these are neat. Hope you enjoy.
These white things sticking in the air are going to be archways spanning across.
And in closing, I remind you to maybe reach out and build a bridge over to someone or something who needs to cross into kindness. It may bring brightness into their lives.
For the Love of 
