Ok, one more

There really is nothing more to say. Just fun....

I was having such a good time...

watching and photographing these "busy bees".

January???

We have a peach tree whose variety was obviously mis-marked by the nursery. It always blooms too early in the season for our area.

It is blooming exceptionally early this year. The buzz of the bees was so loud it sounded like they were swarming but they were just busy at work.

A warm towel...

Can do wonders for anyone's disposition.

It rained again!

But not everyone was happy. It rained on Sunday. It's not nearly enough but MOST of us were glad to see it.

An Oldie

We went to Minnesota a couple of years ago for our vacation. We arrived just in time to see these caterpillars at their peak. They were everywhere.

They eat the foliage of trees and ravage them unmercifully. They can do great damage even to the point of killing them.

They were so thick that in some places they crunched under your feet when you walked and crunched under the wheels of the car on the road. (Beats windshield bugs, I guess, but the road can get slippery)

Truthfully, they didn't bother me so much except when we went hiking and they got in my hair...shudder. But, hey, they are kind of pretty.

They just love those peanuts

They first fly into the tree. When they are sure it is safe, they head straight for the peanuts. I've learned to focus on the the feeder and await their arrival.

Here she is....

The female cardinals are abundant as well. At times there are a dozen or more males on the tree. From a distance it looks like it might be flowering. Up close you can see the females in there too.

YEA!! It rained this morning....

About 10 drops. At least that is all I counted.

I don't know if the dry weather is contributing to the increased number of birds around the house because we are feeding and watering them or if they are just here because we are feeding and watering them. It doesn't matter because I am really enjoying them.

The cardinals, both male and female, are prolific. The blue jays and mockingbirds are running a close second. The little birds, sparrows, chickadees, finches and wrens are also around alot but they are hard to photograph because they are quicker than I am.

There is one red-bellied woodpecker, but his presence is intermittent at best and although I have seen him many times, I have not gotten a photo YET!

Porcelain Rose Vase

This design was painted from a photograph I took of a friend's rose. It is painted with acrylics utilizing watercolor techniques.

Texas Burns

There have been a lot of prairie fires around us in the past few weeks.

Yesterday you could see and smell the smoke although I don't know where the fire was. This photo was taken about 4:00 in the afternoon.