77 DEGREES ???? IT ISN'T EVEN SPRING YET !!!!

Thankfully it's getting a little easier each morning to get up especially when I look out the window and see that beautiful sunshine out there.
After chores and breakfast I moved the other white silkie into her own brooder box.( hatching condo)

Now we just wait for the little guys to hatch out. They are both setting on the neighbor's eggs from his americana green egg layers but he doesn't have an americana rooster so it will be a surprise what they look like.
I took a walk this morning in this almost hot 77 degree sunshine.
Spotted this argument going on ..... No wonder no one likes loud mouths !!!!!

The cardinal or the blackbird do not appear to be intimidated by the Grackle's loud mouth !!
This little Chipping Sparrow is minding it's own business

These little guys look like they have brown caps on their heads.

After a pretty leisurely morning the afternoon was very different. I cleaned all the floors in the house and then swept off all the porches and steps outside.
After vacuuming, sweeping, mopping and swiffering my back was crying out in pain. But I wasn't near done with today's to do list. All the inside plants needed watering today and a washer load of rugs needed washing before I got to enjoy the beautiful day outside.
After doing some pruning to get some vine out of one of my peach trees I had a cool drink while waiting for hubbie to get home.
We tackled the huge pile of logs and brush that the tree cutters made last November when we had a couple big pine trees taken down.
After about an hour and a half we were both ready to call it a day. Even my bruised toe from last week was hurting again from trying to hang on to  the steep slope while dragging brush around the hill.
We didn't get finished but probably one more evening will do it.
After chores we had supper and then rested while we watched survivor on TV . Hubbie headed to bed after the show and I had weekly paperwork to do.
My "to do" list was all done except some sewing, but when the weather is this nice I can't bring myself to stay inside so the sewing will go on another days' list.
I am blogging at 10:30 so I can get my achy bones in bed earlier also.
With this weather as warm as it is I am surely wondering what later spring and summer will bring.
Working on some new St. Patrick Day recipes for market Saturday.
God has blessed me so freely with good health ,I am humbly grateful and strive to honor Him each day for His goodness.
Good Night and God Bless.

WHAT'S BLOOMING ON THIS BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY

Another drag myself out of bed morning,uhhhh !!!! I'll sure be glad when my body adjust to the new time frame.
After chores I took a walk in just my T-shirt and no jacket for the first time this year. After 2/10ths inch of rain last night all the plants look so bright and refreshed this morning.

 

LAMB'S EAR

                                                              DAFFODILS

                                                       WOODS HYACINTHS

                                                                 FORSYTHIA

                                                               A PEACH TREE

This guy even looked brighter blue as he was on his regular perch as I walked by.

I think it is a safe bet that their is going to be a family of bluebirds in this box this year.

I picked up g-son and we had lunch at home today. He had mac and cheese and I had lentil soup.
While I did the laundry and housework for today he watched TV.
About mid afternoon the sun won out and the clouds were pushed aside by the warm sunshine.
We headed outside to enjoy some almost summer like weather .

And yes he is barefooted for the first time this year. He had worn high top boots to school and they were not good sliding shoes !!
When hubbie came home we came inside for a snack of chocolate chip cookies and chocolate milk before tackling the lincoln logs that were scattered in front of the TV waiting for pawpaw's help to build a farm.

And look at what a good job they did !!!   He loves building things, maybe he will make a successful builder one day.
 His dad came after him just before chore time.
After chores I moved one of the "dual" setting white silkie's to her own brooder box and will move the other one tomorrow. Another red silkie hen had joined them and a trio of setters in the same box was causing some scuffle over the eggs. I will move the remaining blue eggs with the white long time setter and then in a few days when I'm sure little red is serious about setting I will give her a bunch of silkie eggs of her own to hatch and move her to a new brooder box that used to be #1 son's rabbit hutch.
After a late salad supper I exercised and  took the last load of laundry out of the dryer before finishing my blog book. Now I just have to review it and it's ready to go to the publisher. That catches me up until the end of June .
G-son is supposed to go to other g-ma's tomorrow and I have a long list of "to do's" for the day so I'm off to bed.
Thanking God for the blessings of the day and the beauty of His creations.
Good Night and God Bless.

CLOUDY DAY AND 1982 BEACH TRIP

Oh how I hate these first day light savings mornings !!! I felt sorry for g-son also as he had a really hard time getting awake this morning after dad brought him over at 7:30.
While hubbie took him to school I did morning chores. The sky is cloudy this morning but the temperature is warm.
I spent the morning inside on some left over paperwork from last week while hubbie worked outside clearing some brush.
We stopped by the bank and  Tractor Supply on the way to pick up g-son for more chicken feed and bird seed. My feathered friends sure eat well !!!
G-son was hungry and wanted cheese pizza from Sam's so I shopped for a few things while he and hubbie had lunch.
At home g-son got comfortable in front of the TV and seemed very tired. I thought he was going to nap a couple times. I left him alone and worked in my office on a picture wall I've been planning for months.
Hubbie worked more outside and the rain held off until later in the afternoon, I even went out and pruned a couple trees after #1 son came after g-son.
Chores were done in a light drizzle.
#2 son came up and exchanged haircuts with hubbie tonight.
I worked more on my photo wall, I think it looks good and hubbie even said that was really nice to look at some of the old pics I put up. When it is all the way finished I will make pictures to put on here.
The light rain has continued throughout the evening and it is 54 degrees at 11:00.
The next seven days look more like May than March !!

Hubbie declared war on what ever critters we have burrowing around the foundation of our house. He has set traps in several places. He has a live animal trap set but it may be to big.
He also set mouse traps around the barn and my chicken houses. He's already had to empty them once tonight !! We keep all the feed in metal barrels with lids so they can't get to the feed and I shut the door on the chicken houses with the feed inside at night so as not to encourage mice and rats but they seem to come anyway.

Continuing with March decade pics as I looked in this month in 1982 it must have been a warm year also as we made a trip to Myrtle Beach,SC with our first baby boy.

Judging by our dress on the beach the weather must have been  warmer on some days than others.( or maybe I'm just tougher) hahaha

We used to go to the beach every year in early spring to watch the fisherman cast nets from the beach.
We both worked full time jobs back then so we took breaks often to spend time with just our kids.

It's off to bed for me again a little early, maybe I'll be able to get to sleep a little earlier.
Thanking God for the blessings of today and for a life filled with His love.
Good Nigh and God Bless.

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IS HERE !!!

Shame on me this morning !!!  Hubbie and I decided earlier in the week we wouldn't go to church today. A group called Mark 209 was coming today to give a concert during the morning service. The minister told us last week that several other churches would also be attending the concert in our sanctuary. So since neither hubbie or I feel very comfortable in crowds we opted to give our seats during service to some of the visitors.  #1 son and d-in-love attended and said the music was good. Hubbie and I listened to a tape of them on the internet and they sound alot like the Stattler Brothers.
We fixed a big crock pot full of beef stew and had biscuits to go with it. It was enjoyed hungrily by all.
We all watched the ACC tournament final game between UNC/ FlaState,  Fla. State won by 2 points and it was a very good game. 
Daughter was here and she took several of her house plants with her when she left.
I sat outside in the beautiful 64 degree day to get my dose of vitamin D. Our associate pastor came by to see an old chain saw hubbie has. Hubbie is giving it to him to add to his collection of old saws.
After he left hubbie and I walked down into the bottom pasture.
We found signs of beaver on the creek bank.

They make some interesting carvings.

As we looked around at the tree damage , OMG,  what is that?  I thought it was a bear leg and foot, hubbie thought it was a calf leg, no it doesn't have a hoof it has a paw on the end of it !!!!!

Guess who was right ????  Well I was !!!  It was a bear leg , a teddy bear leg !!!!  Must have washed down the creek in one of the floods and maybe carried up on the bank by something.   haha , we had a good laugh for the day !!!

Caught this pair floating down the creek in the sunshine.

Bluebirds seem to be so colorful this year.

#1 son chose today to put a water filter on the waterline under his house and when things didn't go just as he expected he had to call hubbie for re-enforcements. They finally got the leaks stopped and things working around 6:30 tonight. Thank goodness daylight saving time started today !!!
After evening chores hubbie and I drove out to the local high school about a mile away to walk. We walked one mile at a good pace as we were racing sundown.

This was taken across the football field, hence the lights in the top corners.

As we drove home I had a nice accomplished feeling for this first day of daylight savings time. I like the extra time in the evening to do just such things as this walk.
We had a salad supper ,then relaxed for the evening.
It will take me several days to get used to the new time so I am planning an early bedtime tonight.
As I snapped this photo this afternoon I thought of an old lore about violets and dreams.

 Here's hoping violet magic  for each of you as you slumber in dreamland tonight.

Good Night and God Bless.

BUSY MARKET DAY AND 1972 MEMORIES

Off to market on this beautiful morning.
The crowd was better today and I had a very good sales day so maybe this warm weather is thawing out some wallets !!! HAHA !!
After market I made a stop at a Mighty Dollar store to pick up some St. Patricks day decorations for my table next Saturday. Since Wendy's is in the same shopping park I had a graving for one of their apple/pecan chicken salads.  I brought it home to have for a late lunch while hubbie and I watched the end of the UNC/ NC State b-ball game, UNC won by 2 points.
Hubbie went outside to change daughter's oil in her jeep. She has his car at a Glory Girls conference at the Bible Institute across from our church.
He also is working on an old lawn mower for her and mowed our grass,which in places was getting high.
I  watched Duke/ FloridaState b-ball game , FL State won that one and then I  transferred my inside chicks into a bigger box with shavings in it instead of newspaper.
 After chores as I walked back toward the house I saw the evening sun reflecting off these plum blossoms.

A close up of the blossom doesn't show damage from the recent cold nights, hopefully tonight's 28 low won't hurt either.

If this tree produces as many plums as it has blooms I'll be overly pleased.

I sat in the outside patio and watched the sun slowly sink. Notice the red maple buds on the distant tree.

Everyday gets us closer to a chance that we won't have a real taste of winter this year.

I had time to search for decade pics for March this evening and 1972 was the first year I found anything. And of course it was  basketball related for me.

I enjoyed my high school years of basketball very much and was one of the ones blessed with that talent. I am forever grateful to God for putting me in that situation during those trying years of my life.
I did not care much for school and my parents were not very encouraging either so if it hadn't been for my cousin who was the coach at that time, my life could have been very different.
With a strict code of ethics that athletes at that time had to go by I studied harder and wound up near the top of my class.  Pretty good for a kid who didn't even like school but loved the game of basketball.
I encouraged all my kids to play sports because from my experiences I knew how much influence a good,caring coach can have over a student athlete. Lucky for my kids  and me they had some wonderful coaches who were Christians and provided good leadership and influence.
On the other hand it scares me to death to think in some cases how this can really go the other direction with a bad influence. As I watched these AAC tournament games today and watched the actions of the coaches I was reminded of how all these kids react to how their coaches react to things.
I pray that God is made a part of  these sports and the coaches don't miss the opportunity to share His love with all these young men and women.
Good Night and God Bless.

MINI SLEEP-OVER NIGHT FINALLY ARRIVES

With clouds still hanging around I checked the rain gauge this morning and surprisingly found 1 1/4" of rain in it from last night.
After chores I took a short walk around the house and barn again since the grass is still wet and the air seems to be getting cooler by the minute.
Saw this little guy again on the same house.

Hubbie said he cleaned a nest out of this box a month or so ago but I didn't notice any Bluebirds around the yard last year.
I had a free morning since d-in-love is picking up g-son today and will bring him over later this afternoon to stay while she drives to Tennessee for a great aunt's funeral.
I spent the morning baking cakes and I added a few sweet potatoes to eat over the weekend.
After lunch I bagged my Avon orders and packaged one up to ship to Florida to a friend who is down there from Indiana house sitting.
G-son came about 2:30 and he was so excited. His pre-school class is having a "mini sleep-over" this evening. They are all to come in their PJ's and the teachers are fixing food and they are camping inside their classroom for a couple hours.  This afternoon just won't pass fast enough for g-son!!
Finally it was time to get those PJ's on and get "Bobcat" ready to go.

He didn't have time to stop for photo's as he wanted to make sure we weren't late. That shows in the put-on smile !!
As I walked him down the hall into his classroom he couldn't contain his giggles,especially when the big tent came into view !
All the kids in his class were as excited as he was, those 2 teachers have their hands full tonight !!
Hubbie rode with us so we stopped at Sub-Way on the way home and got a couple subs for supper.
#1 son came by and had supper with us. He hung around until it was time to go back to pick g-son up.
It is much cooler this evening at chore time with 30 degrees predicted for tonight I had to empty the waters.
Back inside for the evening I exercised and watched some of the ACC tournament games as I got things ready for market tomorrow.
I ordered my garden seeds today and the Frontline for all the dogs,definitely signs of spring !!
I saw this map posted by the local weather guy about how this winter temperature has compared in all the states.

North Carolina is in the "much above normal" category along with all the northeastern states.
Hopefully this trend doesn't continue into summer,whew !!!

God is a faithful, awesome God forever and ever.
Good Night and God Bless.

BIRD WATCHING RELAXATION

Another cloudy warm morning at chore time. The air is very moisture laden and I expected rain even before I got back inside.
I went into town earlier this morning to get my weekly errands done before time to pick up g-son.
About 15 minutes before his school let out it began to rain pretty hard and although it had almost stopped by pick-up time I was surprised to find them outside in the covered sand box.
We came home for lunch and then we settled in for a rainy afternoon of inside activities.
His dad picked him up just as hubbie got home from work.
I got good news from my bone density test of Monday, everything is normal,yea !!
Hubbie rested in the recliner awhile and I enjoyed some bird watching.
I was impressed at how many different birds were feasting at the feeders today. Some of them I got nice pics of.

This Brown Thrasher is trying to figure a way to get some suet without falling off the feeder.

Mr.and Mrs. Cardinal strike pretty poses for me.

I hardly ever see the White Breasted Nuthatch on the seed feeders.

Saw a pair of Eastern Towhees gleaning the spilled seed from the ground,this is the Mrs.

This White Throated Sparrow will soon be migrating north of here for the summer.

Couldn't ID this little guy,thought it was a female Gold Finch but after looking closely not sure.

Pesky Grackles are here for spring.

Red-Winged Black birds make so much noise on some days.

There were many more that I didn't get pics of such as Chickadees, Titmouse, Wrens,Starlings,Morning Doves, Song Sparrows,Downy woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Red Bellied Woodpeckers and I probably forgot some. All these birds in about an hour of relaxation this evening,ahhhhh!
After chores, a salad supper and exercise hubbie and I watched Swamp People catch alligators tonight.
The high temperature today under the clouds was 65 degrees, tonight the rain has finally started falling steadily at 11:00 and the temperature is 56 degrees. Dare I say spring is here ????
This is a sunset photo of the cloudy evening.

Grateful to God tonight for the blessings of today and for my health.
Good Night and God Bless.