Round Robin Challenge

It's time to participate in another Round Robin.......

This challenge was chosen by our friend Sassy, author of the journal, " Sassy's EYE." Our subject will be, "New Life."

 

kmh 2005

We have another baby redtail!!!

I am so blessed to be able to share yet another baby Redtail Hawk with it's mated parents again this year! We have a nest which on a good day you can see them sitting on the edge of it....I have a picture of that somewhere, you can just see one of the adults heads peering up over the top of it when I figure out what I did with that photo I'll post it.

A few years ago when they were widening the roads around my neighborhood, they marked these huge, old trees for removal but with the help of a few neighbors we were able to save the trees and what a special gift it was when one became the home of a pair of mated Redtail Hawks. These birds are magnificent! There is a period of time when the baby now called a fledgling is on the ground for two weeks with the parents still feeding it and protecting it during day light, but it's left to fend for itself on the ground at night. It hasn't learned how to take flight yet, but it a necessary part of the birds developing skills. Last year one was killed during the night hours in our side yard, it broke our hearts but you have to let nature take its course sometimes.

So a few weeks ago I began hearing the calling of the Redtails and was able to spot the fledgling learning to take flight. Yesterday my son Jimmy was able to video one of the parents teaching to now flying fledgling how to raid the squirrels nests in one of our trees. I enjoy the squirrels too, but they have done some damage to the electrical wires on my husbands boat every summer that it is "Docked" (lol) in the driveway, and they also chewed through I don't know how many extension cords on our pools filter system......Cute lil buggers though!

So while my son Jimmy was video taping I ran to get my camera and snapped off a few shots of the fledgling hunting it's afternoon snack. I'll never get bored of these Hawks!

kmh 2006

I don't care for bitter coffee or bitter people ;)

Usually when I come across bitter, negative people, I know that something has either happened in their life to make them behave this way or something is lacking in their life. They are the first to lash out at people who are content with their life because they are not content with their own.

What especially cracks me up the most are those who think because a Woman who gives up here successful career as  Relocation Director for a high profile company and decides instead to do things that are more important in her life, like raise her children seem subservient to them. My family fulfills me, I don't need a career to do that for me.

I am also familiar with people who are so unhappy with their choices in life that they have to go out of their way to try and make people feel bad about themselves.......well that doesn't work for me. If I don't care about someone then their opinion of me matters even less. I do give people the benefit of the doubt first, maybe I did something with or without knowing that offended them, fine let's talk about it so I can either agree with you and apologize or agree to disagree and move on. But then every once in awhile you come across someone who you just realize is a miserable person, living with regrets and can't stand to be around positive minded people.

I do not expect everyone who either meets me, knows me or reads my blog to like me or my ideas and values in life. If I thought that was the case then I would have some sort of insane idea to run for a political office. What I do expect is for people who want to be respected, respect me too. And if something in my blog offends you then stop reading it. I don't blog in hopes of winning a Pulitzer Prize I write because it brings me some joy and some peace of mind, but I have to remember some people are to bitter to ever enjoy that concept and their karma reflects that loud and clear.

So if your education or your career is what keeps you warm at night, then so be it. I chose to give up both to raise my family and I have been blessed many times over for doing so......not everyone has to work ya know???

It's letters like these...........

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you for putting up with me every year. I know that I am hard to work with, and sometimes a hassel, but I just have things I don't like to do sometimes.

I try to do my best to fit your expectations, but sometimes your expectations are too high. I appreciate how you guys drive me into doing better. I know that your trying to help me. I will try my best to be respectful to you guys harder then I ever have before.

Love,
Jimmy

How sweet is my boy? And he's only 13!!! This was a school assignment where each child had to think about things they are thankful for and then they had to write a letter explaining what it all meant to them.

I am the one who is thankful!

Looking for a peaceful easy feeling....

What is it about spring that makes me so restless? I feel as if I am one step behind from where I am supposed to be. I am feeling anxious for no reason and that drives me crazy! Maybe I need to cut back on the caffeine...who knows!

I want to write but I have nothing to say, I want to grab my camera and go shoot but I am coming up short on inspiration on both counts. I feel a poem on the edge of my mind but it has yet to reveal itself to me...... Maybe this is my time to stand still and reflect on what is already here.

I am feeling very impulsive and this is when I can get myself into shopping trouble........there isn't anything I need just a huge, long list of things I want, nothing that I have to have right this moment though. I have an idea of a new photo subject I can focus on, I want to do a quick spread on "Front Porches."

For most of my childhood my Mother watched her children play from the front stoop of either our house or our neighbors. That was the time when you it seemed safe enough to let your children roam the neighborhood streets playing hide and seek or kick the can. Sometimes I would want to join in the fun and sometimes I was perfectly content on listening in on the grown up talk. There doesn't seem to be much sidewalk talk in my neighborhood, most people these days are too busy.

You can tell by the front porch of a home if they make time to sit and enjoy life go by somedays, there is usually plenty of comfortable seating available, some plants and flowers to tend to in warmer weather and a few more things to make it their own personal space. More homes fly the American Flag now since September 11, 2001 and while we are still at war even though the government refuses to acknowledge it in Iraq and Afghanistan...... I have family members in both places and I think about them every time I see an American Flag displayed.

Below is an older photo that I took a few years ago that I called "America's Front Porch" it's of an old farm house with cracked windows and peeling paint and an overgrown yard, but what drew me to is was the American Flag, the red chair and red wreath on the door. Gave me the feeling of days gone by....could of been shot during any of the last few decades and still look peaceful. It is what inspired my hunt for more of America's Front Porches....I'll post more "Front Porches" as I come across them....I already have another in mind! ;)

kmh 2004

 

Heard it in a love song

From time to time I post the lyrics to a song that represents the love in my life.....I always post them under "Heard it in a love song." Those times, when you just can't find the right words to express how you feel, you come across a song that says it all for you....this is one of those songs......

 

Just You and I
Chrystal Gayle and Eddie RaBBIT

 

Just you and I,
sharing our love together.
And I know in time,
we'll build the dreams we treasure.
We'll be all right, just you and I.

Just you and I
Just you and I

Sharing our love together

and I know in time,
and I know in time,

we'll build the dreams we treasure.
And we'll be all right,
just you and I.

CHORUS:
And I remember our first embrace,
that smile that was on your face,
the promises that we made.
And now your love is my reward,
and I love you even more,
than I ever did before.

Just you and I
Just you and I

We can and trust each other,

with you in my life,
with you in my life,

they'll never be another.
We'll be all right,
just you and I.

Chorus

We made it you and I

Guess what I did??? lol

I got my nose pierced!!! AHHHHHHH!!!! (I LOVE IT)

I have been wanting to do it for years, long before I even wanted my Tattoo.....which I did finally get when I was 35. Let's just say Hubby is none to pleased but like I told him.....it's my nose and my arse so what could he really do about it???? lol

The tattoo is of a four leaf clover in honor of my Irish heritage, it's location is a place that is private so no one would even know it't there unless I showed em or told em! lol I can't believe how many times I exposed myself when I first got that tattoo done....it's cute and green an about the size of a half dollar.

Now on to my nose.........I can't say that it hurt, because it really didn't it was just a bit of pressure when they slid the needle through my nose, then threaded the diamond stud onto it. I must of wacked myself pretty good in my sleep last night........hmmmmmm! or maybe it was the Darlin' Hubby??!! lmaooooo because the side of my nose it just a lil sore this morning. Healing time should be about 2 weeks if I can leave it alone and the only thing I have to get used to is feeling something in the inside of my nose. The stud itself is no larger than the head of a straight pin, but I will definitely have to get used to the feeling of something inside of my nose. I will try and get a picture with my camera later, but that might prove a lil difficult.

Poor Hubby...........He thinks I might run off with a band of gypsies next.......I said that depends on where they are going of course! lol lol lol