Healing and Living

Hello friends, old and new! I am so appreciative of every person that has visited me since starting this blog in 2007. You all have been so supportive, as well as helped me through some pretty tough times.

Since losing my mom in 2012 and all the changes that year--moving, leaving a dream job, Double D's heart problem, my son's challenges--I am finally feeling like I want to LIVE; truly live and experience all life has to offer. As my mother's example taught me: don't wait to do your living because we are not promised one single day or even good health to enjoy the days!

I've always been a fairly active person, but when 2012 delivered blow after blow, it...well...paralyzed me. Spending time with God and family AND blogging, was and is part of the healing. The deep gashes which ripped my soul apart are mending quite nicely. I am feeling a peace and confidence in my faith that I never dreamed possible. I'm in a good place mentally for the first time in a very long time. God has been faithful.

As with all phases of life, we grow, and sometimes outgrow, certain activities. I'm sure some of you already noticed that I haven't been visiting and posting as much the last few months. Well, I am not quitting my blog and will still be making visits, just not daily.

Thank you so very much for being part of my life. If you would like to keep up with me on a more frequent basis, please connect with me on Facebook. I will welcome you with open arms. Mondays will be my day for blogging so that I can stay connected with my wonderful blogging friends. I hope you will continue on with me.

I found this sweetie at an abandoned home on a large piece of property. These are my best pics to date of the Orange-crowned Warbler. Thank you for looking!

Spanish Town Mardi Gras

Happy Lundi Gras, peoples! We have been in full festival mode here in Southern Louisiana for a couple weeks now. Double D and I went to the 35th annual Mardi Gras parade in downtown Baton Rouge on Saturday. It was a delightful afternoon, mostly family friendly, but there were a couple of floats that made me blush. Not really, but I did "tsk tsk" at some of the costume choices and phallic float displays.

I don't know what it is that draws a person to beg for those colorful plastic beads, but my neck got so heavy with them, that a lady offered me a plastic bag to store the excess. The beads are now sitting in crystal bowls around the house.

I was going to post my Orange-crowned Warbler pics today, but figured I'd better post about the parade first. Last weekend we attended the Krewe of Mutts parade, but I had already posted photos of that last year. Without further delay, here we go!

I will be making my rounds now! Hope everyone has a great week.

Opie and the Gang

The first week of January I began visiting Bluebonnet Swamp, our local nature area that sits smack dab in the middle of Baton Rouge. For the next two weeks I observed a goofy-looking O'Possum who liked to amble over to the bird feeders to snack on seeds. I named him Opie. Each day I looked forward to seeing him; he came at the same time every day. The photos of him with his mouth open, appearing vicious, is really just him chewing on sunflower seeds. He was harmless. Unfortunately, Opie did not survive an attack by either an owl or hawk. I will spare you the grisly details. I was very sad.

During the time I was enjoying and studying Opie, I noticed a male and female House Finch missing the top half of their beaks. The photos were sent off by my birding friend to an expert in the field. Turns out they both had Pox which also affects their feet. Sad.

These images are just normal observations. Nothing odd or sad here.

GERONIMO!!!

Buff-bellied Hummingbird
A winter resident

Chickadee who got a little careless with his seed.

Holding tight to this one!

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Sharing with Anni at...

We Are Family

Double D and I happened upon a family of Black-crowned Night Herons. The young'uns are streaked with brown feathers and orange eyes; the adults have slate gray outer wing feathers with navy blue back and head with long white plumes, and red eyes. We discovered about a dozen of them near LSU Lakes in Baton Rouge. They were in a little pond tucked away from all the main activity. It was a nice find the third week of January.