Saturday's Critters

 A junvenile Northern Flicker has been visiting the suet feeder lately.

 And a juvenile Downey Woodpecker.  I heard it in the woods for a few days and then it got brave and decided to come visit.

 The winter Starlings are back.

 They line the wires

 All facing in the same direction

Incoming!!

Saturday's Critters

Summer Photo Hunt.

A summer scavenger hunt - haven't been on one of those for a long time - away we go!

1.       Something fuzzy

Seagull with ruffled feathers

2.       Bubbles

3.  A web

4.       A zig zag 

Canada Goose Feathers

5.       A seasonal relaxing space/item 

Little Libraries - take a book, leave a book, enjoy summer reading

6.       A pipe 

Great Blue Heron and Seagull, conversing on a cement pipe in Birch  Bay

7.       The inside of something 

The tire on my daughter's car after the tire blew

8.       Rust or something derelict 

9.       A kite or balloon

Not this summer - but a fun picture of a birthday party with our grandson Ben - he is now 12 and taller than I am.

So here is the kite - or kites, as the case may be

10.   Something Yellow

 

11.   A toy only found out during June to September

Sammie and Sally Jo playing with their beachball

12.   A wedding
This photo covers two selections - a bunny wedding - and

13.   A dome 

14.   Someone fishing 

Gerald, the Great Blue Heron

15.   Something crafted from wood

Bears outside the Rusty Wagon restaurant

16.   A baby (human or animal) 

Juvenile Downy Woodpecker

17.   Circles or crosses in architecture 

18.   A fan 

19.   Feet of man or beast 

20.   Something found under ground 
My favorite garden sign - it says carrots but the field was full of corn in the summer

Carrots growing in a friend's garden

21.  A plaque

22.  A dial 
Our kitchen clock - bought with Green Stamps over 45 years ago

23.  Something powered by wind

24.  Seasonal food or drink 

Barbecue with salads, chips and iced tea.  The meat is on the grill

25.  A hat 

Tin Man with a cowboy hat, in the Rusty Wagon Restaurant

For more Photo Hunt fun - 
go HERE

Paintings on Thankful Thursday

 The Autumn rains are settling in - slowly, but they are here.  A few days of rain - a few days of sun, cooler days and nights - earlier darkness - the perfect time to do some paintings to remember summer.

 This reminds me of the spring flowers that will be waiting for us after the predicted long and colder winter this year.  Let's hope the forecasts are a bit wrong and we have a more moderate winter.

 And then comes summer - geraniums abound in the summer.

I think I should paint some autumn scenes - leaves of many colors - I'm off to get out my paints and more song sheets - I do love a good rainy day, and am thankful we have the seasons to enjoy - and then come the holidays - maybe a christmas scene will be my next subject after autumn leaves.

What have you found to be thankful for this week.

Thankful Thursday

A 53 Year Trip Down Memory Lane

I was 17, working in a drug store the summer before my senior year in high school.  He was 19 and had come to Alaska with his buddy, to work in the newly opened pulp mill to earn money for his sophomore year in college.

It was love at first sight - for both of us.  And now, 54 years later, we are celebrating our life together - our 53rd anniversary.  We have had adventures, learned a lot from each other, moved back and forth across the country, watched our wonderful kids grow up, gone on vacations, celebrated events, welcomed 3 great in-laws into our family and been blessed with three grandsons.  It has been the easiest thing we've ever done - these 53 years of marriage.

 We've lived in several states, in many houses.  I have pictures of most of them.

There's a bit of gypsy in us and we've loved all the houses we've lived in - but we love our current (and last) home the very best. 

We even have a house cookie jar.

We've enjoyed every stage of our kids growing up 

With birthday parties and grandkids along the way

We've moved in, and moved out

And been sung funny songs to by our friends who laughed during their performance for us at our going-away dinner - and cried when we moved on.

We've celebrated holidays and events

Cheered at graduations - and cried a little too.

 Halloween was a fun time for pumpkins and funny costumes

 Our 25th anniversary - celebrated with family and friends

With matching sweatshirts to wear on the train trip back to Wisconsin (the trip was a gift from our kids - the sweatshirts were a surprise from Don)

We've gone on vacations - near and far - with family, friends and the occasional bear

These two pictures were taken the same day - one on vacation in the mountains, where there was still snow - and the other back at home in the desert - where there were roses blooming

We've danced in the rain

Celebrated Halloween as only our youngest daughter can!

Welcomed in the new year with fun and silliness.

Visited the old jail in Yuma, Arizona 

Baked a few pies (oops)

And enjoyed ourselves royally!

Hurray!

Don and our grandson Jahn-Zyel - in a 5K Run/Walk - one year to the day after Don's open heart surgery to repair the mitral valve.

It's been a grand trip - with more adventures and celebrations to come.

53 years and counting!!

Mosaic Monday

Tuesday' Treasures