Skywatch Friday No. 42

We have a family of red-tailed hawks that lives in close proximity and I'm always entranced by their beauty and size whenever they're flying overhead. Just a few nights ago, I was outside doing chores and there were probably five or six cruising around. Of course, I didn't have my camera handy and by the time I came back out with it, they were back in the trees. Darn it! It never fails! I did manage to get this guy, however, a couple of weeks ago. I was amazed to see him perched so gracefully on the very tippy top of this Cedar tree.

Here's a shot zoomed out...he's on top of the Cedar tree on the left.

And another zoomed in shot. I like how you can see the hook of his beak in this silhouette.



Here he is flying off to go play with the rest of his hawk family!

Happy Friday to everyone! :)

Be sure to check out Skywatch Friday for more amazing pics from around the world!

Wacky Weimy Wednesday

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: WEIMARANER STYLE

Just another ordinary night with the Kuntry Kanines....

It all starts out innocently enough...

Just a little playful nipping...

But then the chasing starts...

And the snarling begins...

And the couch jumping takes place...

(note: this is generally vehemently discouraged ;))


And finally...

BODYSLAM!!!

Caleb may be bigger than her, but he knows it's Cabela that rules this roost!

Oh Deere!

That's right. This Kuntry Girl is now officially ready for grass cuttin' season. This baby and I are gonna be best friends. I can already tell. Isn't it funny when you meet a new friend like that & you just hit it off right away? ;)

What we have here is the John Deere LA105. She's got a 19.5 horsepower engine, a 42 inch mowing deck, complete with "The Edge Cutting System" with deck wash port. She's also got a full length welded steel frame and has the ability to switch from side discharge to rear bagger, or mulching (it's all about mulching) without any hardware changes or special blades. Arh, arh, arh. Sorry...just channeling my inner "Tim the Toolman Taylor" there. ;)

I realize that it might be a little sacrilege to call a John Deere "she". But hey, if it's a "she" who's gonna be operating it ("she" being me), then I think I should be able to call her whatever I want! Right?? That being said, I'm a little stumped on what her official name should be. I've been mulling it over, but I'm coming up blank. Any suggestions? The girlier, the better! I'm all about totally chickifying this thing...see, the nature of Kuntry Boy's profession requires him to be away a lot during "outdoor chore" season so it's definitely gonna be me doing most of the bonding with this little gal. I might even brand her with an Uppercase Living tattoo. How fun would that be?!

Alright...gotta go for now...off to read my owner's manual. Can't wait to take (fill in the blank) for a spin tomorrow! Bring on the name suggestions!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! :)

Can you feel the love?!

Wow! I'm one lucky girl today! It must be the day of awards!

After nominating The Blessed Country Mom for the Attitude of Gratitude award, I realized that she had nominated me for the Lovely Blog Award! How totally fun! :)

So, I've kinda been slacking in the finding new blogs department...so I think that Laughing Orca Ranch is my only "newbie" on my blog roll! Definitely go check out her page...she's got a really fun blog!

Thanks Blessed Country Mom!

Attitude of Gratitude

Ooh fun! I just got an award from my new friend Paint Girl! You're too sweet! I have really been enjoying getting to know you through your blog, as well as many of my other new bloggie friends.

I was just talking to my mom about how much I am really enjoying this whole "bloggin' thang". I was a little skeptical at first, but have found that it suits me just fine! I love being able to share commonalities with people from across the country (not to mention around the world!).

I feel like it really brings a sense of camaraderie with people whom I would otherwise never have the opportunity to interact with. I think it's a good reminder that we're "all in it together"...it's amazing to me to look at pictures of sunsets taken in Ohio that look strikingly similar to what I see from my front porch. That might seem silly, I mean, a sunset's a sunset, right? But I think sometimes we get so caught up in our own world that we momentarily forget about the world around us. If we really pay attention, I think we will find out that we're all very similar. That's been my favorite thing about blogging so far.

I also love the easy exchange of ideas and inspirations. The wisdom we can gain from one another is endless! It's like taking the "best of" in terms of our life experiences and sharing it for others to benefit from. I'm totally diggin' it!

Okay, so...here are the rules of accepting and sharing this Award!

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs that show an Attitude of Gratitude.
3. Link to your nominees within your post.
4. Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received this award.
5. Share the love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for this award. Tell us how you've come to have an Attitude of Gratitude.

I would like to share this award with:

1. C-ing Spots


2. A Spot of Mercy


3. Pony Girl Rides Again


4. Five O'Clock Somewhere


5. Heart of a Cowgirl


6. The Blessed Country Mom

Thanks for the honor! :)

Skywatch Friday No. 41: Majestic Mountain

This week's post is dedicated to the lovely Mt. Rainier which I am lucky enough to enjoy right in my backyard. Well, technically speaking, I can't see it from my backyard...but I know it's there. ;)

See? This is the cloud cap over it.

Apparently my friend Patches has been taking similar pictures...only that little show-off has a clear view right from her front yard. Hmph.

You won't find me complaining though, 'cause this is what I get to see on my drive home through our quaint little mountain town...

And these are the foothills I see as I get closer to home.

And this is what I get to see as I come down our long driveway (assuming it's a clear June day with daisies growing wild...yeah, this one's from the archives. ;) Just a reminder for me of the summer days ahead!

Have I ever mentioned how much I absoutely LOVE kuntry livin'? Tell ya what, the views around here never disappoint!

You can check out more beautiful sky pictures at Skywatch Friday. Thanks for visiting! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

It's a kitty cat world...

It just occurred to me that I haven't yet introduced our furry feline friends! I can't leave these guys out! Yesterday afternoon was so beautiful here and the cats were loving being outside and just being "cats" so I took the opportunity to snap some candids of them.

First, we have Riley. She's about 6 years old. We originally got her as a companion for our cat Ruger, who sadly has since passed on.

She is an *interesting* cat...I think there's a very good chance that she's inbred. Seriously. She came from the local Safeway, so there's no telling how it is that she came into this world. But I wouldn't be surprised if there was some funny business going on in the barn where she was born...

She's not affectionate in the least and she certainly doesn't appreciate when anyone (dogs included) encroaches on her kitty "personal space" bubble.

I still definitely enjoy having her around, though. She has just recently made the transition to indoor/outdoor kitty after a major internal battle took place in my head. For the last year or so she's been inhabiting the garage, with a small kitty condo area outside to relax in, which she could access from a kitty door in the garage. The condo is actually in the dog pen, so it's super secure. The wacky weimies don't mess with her when she's in there, so it works great for a safe place to get some fresh air. Since she was an indoor kitty when we first got her, I was afraid she wouldn't have the street smarts to get along out in the big outdoor world.

After about a year of this though, I decided to take a chance on letting her outside. I've just felt like I've been depriving her a bit. I know I would go NUTS if I was never able to go outside.

The kitty condo is a good solution, but I could see that she was yearning to go romp in the grass. I'm still totally nervous, but so far, so good. She's pretty much got the routine down now. I let her out in the a.m. before work and by the time I go in at night she's usually had her fill of the great outdoors.

Next, we have Lunar, who is the complete opposite of Riley. Lunar is probably getting close to two years old. I say probably because it's just a guess. You see, Lunar was a hobo cat that showed up at our house when he was about six months old. To be honest, I was a little apprensive about this black cat that was skulking around our house...I didn't know if he was mean or not...he definitely looked a little ominous.

Who me???

The hubby (from here on referred to as Kuntry Boy) and I were deciding what we should do when Lunar made the decision for us. He took it upon himself to start coming into our garage via the dog door. The nerve! ;) We discovered that he was actually a pretty cool little kitty, so we took him to the vet to get shots, neutered (after confirming gender), etc. We figured that even if he decided to continue his nomad life, at least he'd be all set. Well, turns out he liked us too! We named him Lunar 'cause it was on a full moon night around Halloween that he showed up.

Lunar has turned out to be a really sweet and special little kitty and quite the exterminator! He is definitely earning his keep around here. Sometimes a little too well. ;) Like most cats, he's very proud of his job and often leaves me the evidence...proof that he's pulling his weight, I guess. It's not uncommon for me to find a shrew, mouse, mole, rat, or snake waiting for me in the garage when I go out to feed the dogs in the morning. Or when I get home from work. Sometimes both on a really productive day!

Alright, so there you have it! Now you've met all the members of our crazy furry family! Meow!

Wacky Weimy Wednesday: Pete & Repeat

Flower Fairies of the Trees: Silver Birch

Back in 1992 I got a really special book of poems from one of my aunts. It's one of those books that is always fun to read, no matter what age you are. Even now that I'm a "grown up", this book is always kept out where I can flip through it anytime I want.

For those of you who have heard of the Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker, I'm sure you will agree that her poems and illustrations are just so unique and memorable. Her work dates back to the 1920s, when her original editions were first published. The fact that we're still enjoying these stories decades later shows what an extremely talented artist she was.

As soon as springtime comes around, I love to thumb through the different poems and get excited for the Earth to spring to life.

Today I will share one of my favorites with you...with others to follow as my yard wakes up!

THE SONG OF THE SILVER BIRCH FAIRY

There's a gentle tree with a satiny bark,

All silver-white, and upon it, dark,

Is many a crosswise line and mark -

She's a tree there's no mistaking!

The Birch is this light and lovely tree,

As light and lovely still is she

When the Summer's time has come to flee

As she was at Spring's awaking.


She has new Birch-catkins, small and tight,

Though the old ones scatter

and take their flight,

And the little leaves, all yellow and bright,

In the autumn winds are shaking.

And with fluttering wings

and hands that cling,

The fairies play and the fairies swing

On the fine thin twigs,

that will toss and spring

With never a fear of breaking.

Wacky Weimy Wednesday...Baby Caleb!

Have I mentioned that I think baby Weimaraners are the cutest little things EVER? Well, I do. In case I hadn't already mentioned it. ;)

Here's Caleb as a just a widdle bitty guy. Since day one he's had the prettiest clear aqua eyes...I'm totally jealous of them!

The very first time I saw Caleb I thought he was just so "dude" like, even as a little tyke. He's got these really expressive eyebrows and he struts around with his tail held high like "I'm in charge here". Even though it's really Cabela that's in charge. But Caleb puts on a good act. My mom calls him "Captain Caleb". Sooo fitting.

Even though Cabela was completely ticked at us when we first got Caleb, she came around. She definitely keeps him in his place though! She'd never admit it, but I know she'd be lost without him!