House Sparrow Overload

Last night we finally got some much needed rain and relief from the 100+ degree weather.  The birds have been laying low and haven't seen much of them for a few days.  The few times that we would see them, they would be trying to find some shade and sitting with their mouths open to get relief from the heat.  This morning though, it's like a sparrow overload!!!  As I mentioned in a previous post, they are flocking by the hundreds and I mean that literally!  With this fresh rain, they are on a feeding frenzy in my yard.  This isn't even half of them in this picture.  The bushes in front of the house are just a flutter and there was another flock just out of sight behind the bushes.  (click on any pic to enlarge it)

It's hard to get a good close up of them because they are so flighty, but I did manage to capture this fella sitting in the bush, over looking his flock.

Here are a few more group pics ...

Until next time ...
Sara

The Pedestal

When you were a little kid, did you put your parents on a pedestal?  I think I did because I had such wonderful parents!  They stood tall, were well known, made the most out of everything.  They were Untouchable and the Warriors of the Universe, the Soldiers that guarded you and would never let harm come your way.  The sun radiated around them and they brought a smile to everyone's face.  As a little kid you think that nothing could ever happen to them because you raised that pedestal so high and cast it in gold.

But somewhere over the years, you become too busy and move on with things in life.  You might even start families of your own, start new careers, move out of the state or even the country.  You take things into your own hands and don't realize that some where along the line that you have grown up.  You realize that the things that mattered the most as a child, don't even exist anymore.  Then the day comes, the one that you never expect could ever happen, and you get that one phone call...

Now this call can be anything - sickness, disease, accident, cancer, death!  No matter what IT is, it's the call that flips your whole world upside down and sends you into a whirlwind of emotions.  The shock that THIS has happened, the anger that nothing was done sooner to prevent it from happening, the helplessness that you feel because there is nothing you can do or you're so far away.  In the mix of all these emotions you realize that the pedestal is no longer there!  What happened to the pedestal?  You realize that the pedestal has fallen and turned into the stones beneath your feet!

You would give anything to collect the stones and build that pedestal back up.  Even if it meant just one more moment of life, or no sickness, no diseases, and no accidents!  You wonder if you had payed more attention, that it wouldn't have happened.  You might even feel like you have let them down!  They did everything in life to keep you safe and there comes a time when the rolls reverse, and it is now your turn to become the Warriors and Soldiers and take care of them.  You wish you could scoop them up and tell them everything is going to be ok and no harm will ever come their way.  You want to put them back on top of that pedestal and hope that they will once again radiate the sunshine, and nothing will ever happen to them.  Most of all, that no matter what happens, you will always LOVE them and cherish them.  You will hold on to the memories, and promise to keep the pedestal standing for as long as they may need it.

I don't even know if this makes sense anymore, or if it's just rambling... the lack of sleep and whirlwind of emotions are taking their toll on me.  I guess I should just call it a night, seeing how it's almost 4am here. 

Until next time ...
Sara

House Sparrows & Black Squirrel

Looking out my window this morning, I couldn't help but notice all the house sparrows in the bushes.  The last few days there have been hundreds of them flocking up and taking up residence in my bushes in front of the house.  Here are a few random pics of them and their young.

While taking the pics of the sparrows I saw the resident black squirrel running across the yard with an apple in his mouth from the neighbors tree.  He ran to the front yard and started digging a hole to bury it.

I love his big black fluffy tail.  Usually we see him over in the neighbors yard, I think he has a nest with his mate in their tree. 

Here's a few more pics of the sparrows.

The auto focus kept zooming in on the branches in front while trying to get some pics of the male.

Sorry for the few blurry pics, but birds are hard to capture sometimes! 

Until next time ...
Sara

Up, Up & Away!!!

This morning Dear Hubby and I decided to wake up early and head over to Plymouth, IN to the blueberry festival.  The main thing we wanted to see was the launch of the hot air balloons.  They were scheduled to meet at the high school at 6:30 am for set up.  We left the house while it was still pretty dark out to make sure that we would get there on time and wouldn't miss it.  After stopping for gas and a cup of coffee and waiting on a train and the long way around town to get to the school, it was a little after 7am by time we got there.  I was surprised to see that there was nothing even set up yet.  All the trucks and their trailers hauling their balloons were still sitting all closed up and a bunch of people standing around looking at the skies.  I heard people talking, saying "This isn't going to happen today!"  "The ceiling is too low for flying."  "I'm not going up in this!"  All I could think was I hope this isn't a bust, it's not too often that I am up before the sun, let alone half functional that early. 

A guy walking towards the parking lot saw me standing there with my camera in my hand and stopped to talk.  He told us that the guys were all talking about not going up, but that there was one guy who HAS to go, because of his sponsors.  He said that he was just going to keep it low and fly across to the other side of town.  Dear Hubby and I decided to stick around for a little bit to see if he was really going to go.  They set up the balloon out in the field and started pumping some air in.

It didn't take them long to fill it up and get ready for lift off.

You can see in these pics the low clouds and why everyone was concerned about flying today.

Close up of the people in the basket

One last pic before we left.

Over all I was happy that we decided to take the little trip up to Plymouth this morning, just wish all the balloons would have gone up instead of just the one.  At least it wasn't a bust!  It was actually a bonus because on the way home we found a produce stand and I was able to get some peppers finally to put into the freezer for this winter.  Maybe I should get up before the sun more often??? .... Nahhh!!!

Until next time ...
Sara

It's A Plane!!!

All day I could hear a plane looping back and forth all around town.  First I heard it to the West, then North, then South, back in the West, now its in the East.  After listening to it all day, thoughts start rolling through your mind.... what in the world is he doing all day?  Is he giving rides? Are they looking for someone who is lost? Are they dusting fields?  It is now later in the evening about an hour of daylight left and I noticed him off to the East again and fairly close.  I grabbed the camera and told Dear Hubby "Lets go for a ride!" 

So off we go in the direction that I saw the plane last and turn down some back country roads and all of a sudden over the tree tops.... there he is!

We drive down the road a little further to see if we can get a bit closer.

He was lining up for another round, but still I WANT TO GET CLOSER!!!

We saw him circling back around and realized he was heading for the field right beside us... we had front row seats!

He was so close that you could see the pilot in the plane, feel the rush of air as he passed over head, and hear the spray of rye seeds that he was planting.  While we were watching the plane, a neighbor pulled up and we were talking to him.  He said that they plant rye in the corn fields to help break up the soil after the crops are done?!?!?  At least that's what I got out of the conversation... I have a real problem with listening to people talking when I have my camera in my hand.  I'm always looking for that perfect shot.  I know its a bad habit, especially when my Dear Hubby has a bad memory and when I go to ask him what something was about he looks at me all dumbfounded  like I was the one that was suppose to be paying attention lol.

Anyways, back to the plane, he kept looping around and with every pass he would move over a little bit, covering the entire field.  He was flying a little too low and had to pull up for the tree a little bit, then dropped back down again.

After this pic he changed directions so he could hit the end of the rows and he had to pull up quick for the power line on the opposite side of the road.

He finished up this field and off to the next.  We parted ways with the neighbor guy and off down the road again.  We saw a cute little baby bunny sitting on the side of the road, too afraid to run away.

We turn around the corner and there was the plane again.

I got a couple pics of the sunset ...

... and one last pic of the plane as the sun was going behind the trees.

I'm glad that Dear Hubby and I took that ride and that we went around one last corner before heading home.  I never expected to get such great seats to a rare event that's usually seen from a distance.

Until next time ...
Sara

Denver Days Car Show Pt.2

As I mentioned in my previous post, dear Hubby and I went to the Denver Days Festival in Denver, IN.  It's a small town of around 500 people and the whole community shows up for it.  I had taken a bunch of pictures of the classic car show, but there were too many to put into one post, so here are the rest of them.

Again, I will try to put descriptions on as many as I can remember.

Chevelle

Chevrolet Caprice

Chevy

Chevy Wagon

Dodge Dart

Dodge

Ford Deluxe

Ford Mach 1

Ford Model A

Ford Roadster

Ford Thunderbird

Ford

Ford Galaxie 500

Pontiac GTO

Mercury

MG

Plymouth

Pontiac Grand Prix

Studebaker 

I have a few favorites this time, starting with the Ford Roadster, the Ford Mach 1, the Ford Deluxe and the GTO.  What are your favorites?

Until next time ...
Sara