KERRIE'S KORNER SC

Winter here and there....

2012-02-12T13:51:00.000-05:00

Snow at my son's house this morning in Auburn, New York....
It is 34 degrees and sunny in SC and was only in the 20's overnight! Usually we are bragging about our mild winter weather but not today-ha!

Winter winds here last night in the 20's and high today is only 37 degrees! Not typical for this time of year in Garden City, SC!

Mallard couple on the other bank.

This time of year the mallard couples are hanging out together, not in competition yet and acting as family.

This is our resident couple. I feed them bits of bread through the winter and then when they are nesting, they bring the little ones around to visit with me as well. I just take pictures through the den window - so enjoyable.

And the Egret comes to fish is the cold water just as they do all year round. So beautiful.

Thank you for visiting and do come again soon!

It must be spring...

2012-02-07T16:46:00.000-05:00

First, someone asked if they could use photos of my hubby and myself for a tribute to him and I cannot remember who it was, but I certainly grant permission if you are reading this. This has been a very painful time for our family and I am missing my sweet husband so very much. Working in the yard today was very therapeutic and I got a lot done. I am tired but it is a good kind of tired. Thank all of you who have been so supportive in your comments to me. Hugs to all.

I think Spring must be very near as the Squirrels are celebrating Valentine's Day early! I spent the afternoon raking the back yard and putting a bird house back up that we had to take down when they trimmed dead branches on that tree. Then I came inside and there was that squirrel again that took over the other bird house in the Bradford Pear tree! They are too funny!

Uh Oh!, should have pulled the shade....

2012-02-02T21:48:00.000-05:00

Many of you know Marydon Ford, one of our wonderful Blog sisters! She came to visit Bill and I one fall day and we immediately bonded. Marydon and husband Harold have touched lives all over the U.S. and supports many with her love, kindness, prayers and hand made gifts. She receives these devotionals from her friend Tim Journy who has never even met my sweet husband and this is what he sent to her. It is so beautiful that it was shared at the Memorial Service for Bill by our Pastor yesterday : )

LET'S BRING HIM HOME BOYS!

A friend died the other day. I had never met Bill; had never spoken to him;

but he was a friend. I could tell just from what his wife Kerrie posted about

him on her website - http://kerrieskorner.blogspot.com. He loved the

simple things in life – camping, woodworking; he fought a terminal illness

for 7 years – he was a battler; he left a legacy with children and

grandchildren by showing how to live an honorable Christian life!

This is how I see it:  A good man; an honorable man; a Christian man
– suffers with trials and tribulations.  But he fights the good fight, he runs
the race laid out for him, although his body is weak and wrecked with
disease, I see him approach the finish line with his chest pumped out
like an Olympic sprinter coming down the track.  The Lord calls his
angels together, and says Go Get Him, Let’s Bring Him Home Boys!
What a wild celebration that will cause.  They put Bill on their shoulders
in a victorious lap around the track – he was laughing and getting pats
on the back – yes, he ran the race, and as the commotion settled down
he heard – “Welcome Bill, Well done my Good and Faithful Servant.”

Matthew 25:21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and
faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things;
I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share
your master’s happiness!”

So today at 10:59, Let us join the celebration for Bill for a
job well done and for running the race laid out for him, for
he now shares the Master’s happiness. Lord, we pray
that we learn to follow the examples of those who have
gone on before us, that while the race is anything but easy,
we have the strength to battle through the tough times
and continuously give You glory.  Lord, we look forward
to the day when You command Your angels
to "Bring Him/Her Home Boys" and You have us in mind.

Have a Celebrating Day.
Tim

Thanking Marydon and Tim for sharing these wonderful words of tribute to my beloved husband. I am so touched. Sending prayers and love out to all of you who are battling a fatal illness and for those caretakers who help you along your journey. Also thanking Hospice without which I could never have been able to let Bill fulfill his wish of dying at home. God bless you all

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My Sweet William has passed....

2012-01-31T11:17:00.000-05:00

My sweet husband passed on January 26th at 5:15pm last Thursday. I was right with him until the end and he held my hand right to the last. He was so strong and did not want to give up but he died an agonizing death over a 12 hour period.

I gave in and had Hospice come in the last 3 days as I could no longer lift him, etc. They were wonderful and I cannot say enough about them! They did not take his care out of my care but were so supportive and provided all the necessary supplies that I needed to care for my wonderful husband. He bonded with them also in such a short time and they wept when he passed.

Bill loved life so much and enjoyed all the simple pleasures, fishing, camping, woodworking ad infinitum. He was a very special person. He has left a great legacy to our children and grandchildren of how to live an honorable Christian life. All of our hearts are so heavy and my house is soooo empty. But even in silence, the Lord and Bill are comforting me. I am surrounded with their love.

Thanks to all of you who have followed his 7 yr. journey through Multiple Myeloma. You will never know how much you helped me when I was sad and lonely, had a question, needed a verbal pat and hug, etc. I am very grateful to all of you.

Love, Kerrie

Taking Time Out for a while...

2012-01-16T19:49:00.001-05:00

Taking time out

I am taking time out from blogging as my hubby is gravely
ill in the last days of his 7 yr. battle with Multiple Myeloma.
He is my priority and I need to concentrate on spending
as much time as possible with him here at home.
He wants to die at home which is not morbid.
Remember that people who are terminally ill do have the
need to discuss dying and death, last wishes, etc. Do
not be uncomfortable with this as it eases their mind to
be settled regarding questions about Heaven, God and
his Son. Also, do consider using Hospice for your loved
ones. You can have a little or as much help as needed.
I will be back at a later date dear hearts. You are all in
my heart and prayers and ask that you continue to pray
for us at this most difficult time of our lives.
Hugs, Kerrie

One of our last happy walks on the
Myrtle Beach Pier

Great Blue Heron and Mourning Doves

2012-01-09T14:59:00.000-05:00

I love my backyard with all the wild life all year long. There is always a small or large creature out here that makes me smile, makes me feel joyful. This morning it was the Blue Heron and the Mourning Doves.

The Great Blue Heron comes often to fish in the little lake and I love watching his very cautious behavior as he peers through the water, sneakily stepping in slow motion...

I Love the reflection in this one and the winter colors in the background.

And the Mourning Doves were sitting where the sun had been, all facing in one direction as though the wind were blowing but it was not.

Thanks so much for coming today!

My heart to yours...

Winter and the New Year have Arrived

2012-01-05T14:34:00.000-05:00

View while I wait, cancer center

Happy New Year every one! Wishing you all the best of blessings to come!
My sweet husband received the last of his radiation treatments today and the doctor says he should be getting some real relief from lower back pain now!

"Winter is the time for comfort...It is the time for home." -Dame Edith Sitwell

Bright Sunshine fills the backyard, an almost blinding light without the leaves on our trees to cut the glare of a Winter sun.
The birds are everywhere and the sunsets are still beautiful, warming the landscape in the nippiness of temperatures falling.

And as usual, I chase after the best views all around the house of God saying Good Night!

The sky is a baby blue and the sunset baby pink.

The Camellia bush is a winter bloomer and brings beauty to an otherwise brown season of cold.

Icy winter fountain in the courtyard of the Radiology Ctr.

A male Bluebird

Blue Bird blending in with leaves

Nuthatch on the bath with Mourning Dove

American Finch

Blue Bird

Finches taking turns at the Suet

Thank you for coming today! I love sharing our backyard birds.

My heart to yours...

Almost New Years...

2011-12-30T09:55:00.000-05:00

December 30th here in SC and this morning we have sunshine, Chickadees in the feeder and Pear Tree adorned with some very colorful leaves that are still hanging on.

A lovely way to end the year- still raking leaves-ha! 48 degrees today. Wishing you all a very Happy, Healthy and prosperous New Year!

My heart to yours...

Don't Worry, Be Happy..♫♫

2011-12-21T20:10:00.000-05:00

This is Isabella, our Ragdoll cat. While I am rushing here and rushing there with appointments and shopping, here is sweet Isabella chillin' out! Don't you wish you could relax like this? I do!

I hope you are all done with your shopping and remembering the true meaning of CHRISTMAS.

I love this graphic from The Graphics Fairy. This would be great on a card. I love vintage Christmas graphics.

Remembering Ribbon Candies, Roasted Chestnuts, and the tree lit at night in the living room. Two of my Aunts would come on Christmas eve with goodies. Very exciting time. And Dad always made my brother Joe and me sing for the company. I learned so much about Christ's birth by singing the Carols...

©Kerrie O'Hearn Marquart

And of course we were glad to oblige. Ha! The above pictures was taken in the 1940's when I was about 5 and my brother 8.
May you all have a very Merry Christmas and healthy and blessed New Year. This year really flew by!!

My heart to yours....

Christmas Cactus

2011-12-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

My Christmas Cactus are all blooming or in the process of blooming! I love them all. My Mom gave a slip from one of hers and I keep starting others now, too.

These Christmas Cactus are very easy to root and grow rapidly.

The color is so vivid.

This one has a very different leaf than the others. I have had this plant since the early 60's. Our doctor friend's sister gave me a small one from an enormous one she said she had since the doc was a little boy! I have had to restart with slips but no matter how much I cut it up, it always comes back. The blossoms are deep red and are just beginning to show.

There are some plants that cannot be left to the elements because we do get some freezing temps here in SC in winter. Right now they are on the back porch but will have to be wrapped or brought in soon.

The one on the left is the Tai plant from Hawaii that is started from a piece of waxed root. My hubby bought this for me when we were dating at the NYS Fair. It is a beautiful plant and though it has met with mishaps, it has always come back. I love it. It is now 52 yrs. old.

The begonia is the one that blew into the lake and turtles were chowing down on it. But as you can see, it survived and grew nicely. In the back is my Crown of Thorns plant that my Mom started for me more than 23 yrs. ago. It is about 3 foot tall with "drops of blood" blossoms as the legend goes.

I would love to see your plants that you have had for years. Tip on Christmas Cactus, they need 12 hours of darkness to bloom and that is why I leave them on the back porch as long as I can. If I do have to bring it in, I put it in the guest bedroom that when unused is dark.
Thanks for coming as always. And have a very Merry Christmas!

2011-12-11T13:59:00.000-05:00

Here we are with Christmas only weeks away and The Bradford Pear Tree is only now in Brilliant color. I do love it so! We have had a couple of good frosts but today it is 54 right now and Sunny, A glorious Sunday!

The inside of the house is decorated and very "Christmassy" I just invented a new word and Christ will be in my Christmas greetings forever!!

This is our little tiny tree on a bench in the den. The Vintage Wood Stove electric heater I bought on line from good old Wal-mart, is working wonderfully to heat the den (it was a screened in porch when we moved here 6 yrs. ago) and a delight to see as the flames look so real!
Isabella never leaves the room now because it is cozy. She snoozes there on the rocker.

Such a lovely time of year, is it not? We love living here in SC, the weather is so great year round but we still have the change of seasons. In 23 yrs. this Dec 29th, we have seen snow only 4 times with only twice having it stay on the ground. Here is a picture of seasons past.

Thank you for stopping by this beautiful Sunday. If you have time, please visit my other blogs listed in the side bar. And shop my Etsy shop for unique hand made gifts.

Where did they go?

2011-12-05T10:53:00.000-05:00

The Swan parents pulled a fast one this morning! (Through my window world...)They went up on the opposite bank of the little lake and went out of sight. The 4 juveniles were feeding a little further down and when they turned around and cruised back, their parents were no where to be seen. So they kept circling around and tried to see where the parents were. The rise in the landscape was just high enough that they could not see. This went on for about 45 min. until they finally climbed the bank and went in the same direction. Swan behavior is so fascinating! The parents must think it is time to push the juveniles out on their own-ha!

Note the two Mallard ducks to the right. They are our resident Mallards and hang around with the Swans all the time.

The squirrels have been playing on the wooden crane and have him all askew.

They also took flight a few times going from one end of the lake to the other but kept coming back until their final departure.

Nature is so wonderful!

Our silly Thanksgiving tradition and Wood Storks

2011-11-25T14:48:00.000-05:00

This is our daughter Barbara with hubby yesterday! Ever since the kids were little, Bill has taken the netting that comes around the turkey and put it on his head to make them laugh! Yesterday, was no exception. We celebrated with only our youngest daughter as everyone else was out of town and she couldn't wait to see her Dad wear the net for pictures! Ha! Our hero!

Multiple Myeloma has taken a lot from him but not his sense of humor!! We had a very nice day and were justifiably stuffed with good food. We were watching our two "granddogs" for our oldest daughter while she is away and here they are with their favorite guy.

It is really hard to see loved ones suffer with an illness and we are thankful for every moment we can still share with this wonderful man.
The wood Storks hung around the little Lake in back of the house all week and we were so excited to see them. One day one of the wood storks came with a huge Great Blue Heron.

They both hung out on the other bank in the sun for an hour at least!

Here is the Wood stork preening.

And here is the Blue Heron preening.

They were about 10 feet apart.

To see our fall Robins of this last week, please go to Two Happy blog, thanks! Hope your holiday was special!

Thank you so much for stopping by and do come again soon.

My wild heart to yours...

Beautiful Fall Swan Morning!

2011-11-15T09:22:00.000-05:00

The wonderful swans have been hanging out in our little lake and we are loving it! They dunk for the aquatic plant life in the pond and stayed overnight last night. I went out after dark and there they were just floating serenely on the lake. When I awoke this morning and opened the blinds in the den, there they all were preening and dunking. What a wonderful sight. One young adult still has his brown colors on the wings.

All of my photos were taken through the den windows. We are so blessed to see these wonderful graceful Swans and other water fowl right in our own backyard!

What a great time of year! All the seasons are beautiful but Autumn is my most favorite time of all. Loving Life, Life is Good!

My Heart to Yours...

God is saying good night...

2011-11-09T15:11:00.000-05:00

You all know how much I love sunsets!! I chase them round the house outside and there is never too many for me, I love every single one!

It feels like God is saying "Good Night"....

Thank you for this beautiful day Lord!

Reflections of the setting sun November 8th, 2011.

And my beautiful orange and yellow Mum plant comes back every year, trailing right out of the pot with the weight of the blossoms. So beautiful!

They look as though God painted them and made every petal perfect!

What joy we find in nature with the changing of each season!

And last but not least, here is my begonia that survived blowing into the lake behind the house, eaten up by turtles, rescued and now flourishes! Nature is so resilient!

My heart to yours...

Sounds and colors of Fall

2011-11-08T10:44:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love the Fall? There is a painting to be born when I look out every window in the house! Blue, Blue sky with lovely gray branches and orange leaves against it, V's of Canadian Geese flying in both directions and the rustle of leaves under my feet as I rake the yard. Ahhh, to be a kid again and jumping in the leaves, and smelling their aroma!

And butterflies still come as beautiful as ever!

First Halloween and now it is the Month of Thanksgiving already!

Below is a great Recipe for left over turkey that I found!

Rice with Goodies

By: DOREENF

"This dish is a great way to use up leftover turkey. All sorts of goodies - sweet and savory - are tossed together with bacon, turkey and rice to create a wild flavor sensation. Get creative and add your own goodies

Ingredients

3 cups water
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
3 slices bacon
1/2 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup peas
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins
1 Granny Smith apple - peeled, cored and diced
1 cup cooked, chopped turkey meat
1 teaspoon chicken soup base
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup chopped parsley
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown.
Mix the onion, celery, carrot, peas, mushrooms, almonds, raisins and apple into the skillet. Slowly cook and stir over medium heat until tender.
Mix in the turkey, chicken soup base, soy sauce, parsley and pepper. Mix in the rice. Serve hot.

Have a most wonderful Day!

My heart to yours...

HAWK visitor this morning

2011-10-18T11:23:00.000-04:00

He is so beautiful! I am waiting to identify him confirming he is a Red Tailed Hawk from our Raptor Trainer friend. He does not have a dark belly band so I am not sure.

This is as close as I could get to him with my little camera. Hubby and I were so excited that we were shaking taking the pictures. Of course the top picture is best with hubby's more sophisticated camera-ha! I am always impressed with the power and strength of their legs! After we snapped these pictures, he did swoop down on our side of the bank and went off with something in his mouth.

While we snapped the photos of him on the bank, our resident Mr. and Mrs. Mallard went very close to him with no fear whatsoever!

All in All, a beautiful way to begin our day ☺

Here is the picture of Richard with the Red Tailed Hawk that he brought to see us this last January 2011. You can go back to that post to see more. And below is the Intarsia Wood cutout of a hawk that Bill made for Richard as a gift.

Thank you so much for visiting and come again soon. If you have time, do visit the other blogs of ours, links are in the sidebar. You might like the post from yesterday on Kerrie's Home Journal and beautiful song by Bette Midler, From a Distance...

Huntington Beach, SC visit...

2011-10-17T11:22:00.000-04:00

STORKS, IBIS, ALLIGATORS, SPOONBILL, BUTTERFLIES AND BEES
Last week the weather was just beautiful and we went to Huntington Beach State Park for a visit. We have a season's pass and when Bill's sister is camping there, we can visit any time. We went also to see the flocks of Wood Storks who must have been migrating and have been there for several days. Also Alligators were out. I got a long shot of a pink Spoonbill which surprised us that he was there at all as they prefer Florida and seldom come this far up the coast. I wish I could have gotten closer! Some pictures we took were okay but my daughter was with us and she took some really great pictures with her little camera.

Here is the Spoonbill out on a tiny island in the marsh at Hungtington State Park. The bird on the right is an Anhinga.

The Wood Stork only has feathers on its head as a juvenile and loses them when they become adults. There feathers are beautiful but their head looks more like scavenger birds, though they are not.

Notice the little Ibis with the orange beaks on the right and the little Cattle Egret near them. They are all dwarfed by the huge Wood Storks.

This photo was taken with my husband's camera by our daughter and she used the Zoom lens.

Here is another taken by my daughter.

This is one with her camera of a bee.

I love this Butterfly she took and I have not identified him as yet. The underside of his wings were silver.

And this last picture is one our daughter took of a Wood Stork that was visiting our little lake in back of our home. Great Photo!

I sure hope you enjoyed our outing that we are sharing today with you. Do come back soon, we love having you and love comments!!

BACKYARD FISHING AND CARDINALS

2011-10-11T18:03:00.000-04:00

HELLO SWEET PEOPLE! Hubby went fishing in the backyard lake this morning after the rain. I smiled as I snapped a picture of him through the window as he has been too weak to cast the line up to now!

Next time I looked up he was grinning from ear to ear and had caught this little fish the first cast. His smile was so worth it!!

The Female and Male Cardinal were frequenting the Bradford Pear Tree this morning
and observing everything that goes on at the feeder outside of our window.

I just love their brilliant colors that blend so well with the turning leaves.

Yesterday, these were the visitors to the 2 birdhouses. They were wrens and one visited the camper house and one the red roofed house. I love seeing them checking out the digs! I am wondering if they night roost there this time of year as it is too late for laying eggs. Very interesting.

Thanks for visiting as always, we love your company and don't forget to leave a comment!

My heart to yours...

Sunday, Sunday...

2011-10-02T11:11:00.000-04:00

October is upon us!! The chill of Autumn is in the air-hurray! I love the fall so much! We had a particularly hot and humid summer here in SC and we were really looking forward to cooler weather so we could enjoy the out of doors. My morning visitor, the Egret was chilled too, with temp at 52 degrees-ha! He is hunkered down into his soft warm feathers while watching the lake for fish.

He lifts his head for a moment and then hunkers back down.

It rained a lot last week and the lake is full once again. It is a beautiful morning. The Begonia pot that we had bought for the little patio by the lake was knocked over one day and it rolled into the lake where the turtles were attacking it with a vengeance! By the time I rescued it, they had eaten a good amount of it's leaves so after convalescing on the back porch for a week or so, I hung it in the tree near the chairs and it is beautiful again.

It's Fall, Ya'll! Enjoy your Sunday and come back soon!

Raking at my childhood home in Auburn, NY. Age 7 or 8

Camping Trip at Willow Tree

2011-09-25T14:04:00.000-04:00

Last week it rained on and off but we did not care! We were at Willow Tree RV park Monday thru Thursday morning. It is our favorite spot and we love it so much!! There is a golf cart path around the entire lake. We used to walk around it but now Bill is unable to so we rented a cart for 24 hrs. and had fun going through the woods trail, too!

Our daughter and her fiancee came two of the days and we had great fun with them ending with a fire after dark, roasting hotdogs and marshmallows. I even played my guitar and we sang the old songs that my kids were raised on.

My daughter cried when we sang, "Dymock's Barn", a song I wrote in the 70's about a place on Skaneateles Lake, NY where we camped every year for hubby's birthday in August. Back in those days, he never had a vacation from his work so he went to work from the little cottage we rented every day. A lot of good memories came flowing back...

This is our little home away from home and we love it! We bought it 2 yrs. ago when I asked hubby what he would like to do and he said he would like to go camping. It was second hand but in great condition. It has 2 pop out sleeping areas, a shower in the little Bathroom, stove, microwave, double sink, frig and eating area. It is our little piece of heaven. I learned to drive towing it cold turkey and have never had a problem. It weighs under 3000 lbs. so we can pull it with our Chevy Equinox. Love it! And yes, I can even back it up-ha! Who knew!

This brightly colored turtle was crossing our path in the woods and was obliged to stop in his tracks while we all snapped pictures. He was quite large.

Sunset at Willow Tree is always gorgeous...

Laughing in the rain and having a sandwich. Hubby, our daughter and her beau.

Hubby on a swing at the edge of the lake.

Farewell, Sweet Willow Tree till we camp again....

Thanks so much for visiting to share our camping trip. Have a wonderful week ahead!

My heart to yours....

2011-09-17T19:43:00.001-04:00

I have added a new blog that features only my poetry with some photography by my hubby or myself. I invite you to check it out sometime and please leave a comment.
Thanks! The Poetry of The Poetry of Kerrie O'Hearn Marquart

Kingfisher and September Moon

2011-09-14T10:01:00.000-04:00

Good morning all you bird lovers!

This is a picture of the beautiful KINGFISHER
bird taken by my hubby. While slightly out of focus, I wanted to show it so you
can see his beautiful crest.

Hubby shakes a bit. But his camera can zoom in and is more powerful than my own. See my photos below:

Mr. Kingfisher was perched in the Bradford Pear tree branches and we were thrilled we were able to get pictures of him at all as he is so elusive and quick! Right after I took these pictures, he swooped down into the water and scooped up a fish and flew away with it.

This is a Belted Kingfisher and is most common in North America. Habitat is along streams and ponds. They are the only small birds small birds that dive headlong from the air into the water. Recognizable by its large head and loud rattling call. They have short legs and stubby tails. While perched, they stand very still and erect. Despite their bright plumage and markings they are hard to spot because of their stillness. We were so thrilled to finally get a good shot of him!

These are photos of the September 11th moon at dusk and again later. Hubby was able to capture these great photos.

And this is how it looked when the evening sky turned to darkness. You can make out the woeful face-ha!

Thanks for visiting today and do come back again soon. Have a wonderful day!

My heart to yours....

Baby Mute Swans all Grown....

2011-09-09T14:40:00.000-04:00

The beautiful swans paid me a visit yesterday!

These are babies from this Spring. The gray one in the middle was quite dark until this visit and is now getting more white. I thought maybe he was a male as he stayed gray so long but I really don't know for sure. They remembered me ( I saved one of these from the jaws of a turtle if you remember the post-ha! ) They are all lookin' fine now!

There were no parents with them and I know that because the parents have coal black feet that are huge! And the Father limps from a twisted knee. So I believe they are on their own now. There are 3 siblings and 2 other youths today from another parent couple. Apparently the young stay together once the parents let them be on their own.

They are so big and beautiful now. I did give them bits of bread like when they were little but then suddenly one became agressive and came towards me. I ran but turned around and snapped a picture anyway-ha! This is why if you are not used to Swan behavior, you should never approach them. They are VERY aggressive and can take the end of your finger off or pinch your leg to blood. I have no wounds but only because I am so familiar with their posturing and can tell when they are in attack mode.

Bye bye Swan babes!

Notice how large they are next to that bench hubby made that can seat 3 people!
Thanks for coming to visit our backyard sanctuary. Blessings to you all.

My heart to yours...

I'm always chasing sun-sets♫

2011-09-07T21:15:00.000-04:00

WATCHING CLOUDS ROLLING BY...♫♫

I went outside in the back yard by the lake and started taking pictures just as the sun was fading.

Suddenly, This good sized plane came barn storming right over the treetops following the lake! He as so loud and low and going so fast, I thought he would crash and I caught this blurry picture as he sped by. All the while I was chasing my sunsets through the neighbor's yards, he came back in both directions at least 5 times.

And then the fun began, I could not get enough of the wondrous sky! Weaving through bushes and out into the street at times, I snapped and snapped. I am addicted to sunsets for sure!!

Reflections in the lake

By this time, it is really getting dark , the plane keeps buzzing by and the Mallards think I have come to feed them and approach.

The sunset is reflecting in the Lake, Beautiful!

And so I bid the day adieu sadly as you know I hate to lose the day

But the peace of night will settle in and calm our souls tonight.

My computer companion is at the foot of my desk chair--

Sweet Isabella my Ragdoll

Good night dear friends...

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours....

The Sunsets in my Life...

2011-09-05T16:56:00.001-04:00

Hi there Blog Family!! Sunday night was the most beautiful eve to watch the sun go down.

I have been known to run into neighbor's back yards just to catch another glimpse of the sinking sun from another view! My friend from "LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE" understands ~because she will track down a good sunset photo op if she has to sit in her car and wait or tromp through fields, a girl after my own heart-ha!

The view from between 2 trees in the backyard.

Good Night Sun

©Kerrie O'Hearn Marquart

I dislike to have to say good night

To God's beautiful fading light

That by day warms all the hearts and fields

Then every eve it always yields,

To the darkness...

Rich warm colors cheer my soul

I scamper here and there, as is my goal

To catch each passionate last ray

Of the beautiful Sun God gave this day,

Before it fades from view.

The words to "Taps" come to mind as shadows grow long

"Day is done, gone the sun,

From the earth, from the sky, from the sea.

All is well, safely rest, God is nigh..."

When I was a little girl in 2nd or 3rd grade, my teacher chose me to sing taps at a program in the auditorium. A six grade boy played each line of taps from the balcony on his trumpet and hesitated after each line so I could sing the words in echo from the stage. I was frightened and shaky but the words were so inspiring and It worked out well. Not a sound was heard from the audience. This is one of my fondest memories..

Thank you so much for visiting today and do come again when you have time. You can visit my other blogs by clicking the links in my sidebar. Wishing you a most wonderful week ahead. Never blue on Monday,

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

Sharing my Son's Artwork

2011-08-31T09:03:00.001-04:00

It is our son's birthday today, "Happy Birthday to the Sweetest Son Ever!" So I am sharing some of his recent beautiful artwork.

KING KONG

COOL!

PLANET OF THE APES

PORTRAIT OF HIS FATHER

GODRIC, a friend's HAWK

TECHNIQUE USING PHOTO BACKGROUND FOR DRAWING

JOHN LENNON

ANDREI TARKOSKY, AUTHOR/DIRECTOR (The Stalker)

HOPE YOUR DAY IS SUPER, DAN!

Much love always, Mom and Dad

We have always shared a love and infinity of apes, orangutans, chimps and really all animals and I just love the portrayal of all of these above. I especially love the hawk as he drew this for a friend who is a raptor trainer and it is one of his beloved hawks. His drawing of his father was done around Bill's Birthday. Love them all and there are many many more than this, too numerous to share. Thank you so much for visiting today, you are appreciated and I hope you enjoyed the artwork!

For today's spiritual message and hymn, "Because He Lives", please visit http://kerrieshomejournal.blogspot.com

My heart to yours...

Dedication to a lifelong friend...

2011-08-15T13:52:00.002-04:00

Today I learned of a very old friend's passing and my eyes are spilling with sadness.
We grew up together going through grade school and high school and remained friends through all the years. She had COPD complications but her death was sudden and unexpected.

AUBURN - Kathleen M. Scott Tenity, 68, of Mary Street, Auburn and The Villages, Fla., passed away unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, July 26, 2011, at Auburn Memorial Hospital. She was born in Auburn the daughter of the late John and Ann Nodzo Scott and had resided most of her life in Auburn. Together with her husband, Tom, they spent the last 10 years residing in the winter at their home in The Villages, Fla. Kathy was a communicant of St. Mary's Church. Prior to her retirement, Kathy had been employed for more than 30 years by the Auburn Enlarged School District as an elementary teacher, retiring in 1997. One of Kathy's most memorable and cherished times in her life was becoming a grandmother of twins just seven weeks ago. She will be sadly missed by all of her friends and family, that were fortunate enough to get to know this great woman. She is survived by her loving husband of 40 years, Thomas Tenity; a daughter, Meg Messina and her husband, Gabriele; a sister Patricia Lovell, all of Auburn; twin grandchildren, Evangeline and Gabriele Messina Jr.; a brother-in-law, William (Goel) Tenity; an aunt Mary Rusinko, of Auburn

Good Bye My Old Friend...

I remember your kindness, your wonderful smile

Our loving friendship was but a while~

Too short to lose you, sweet friend.

Remember walking to Seward School,

And both running for Princess in High School?

And Later you taught my own children at East!

And just last year we celebrated our 50th H.S.reunion with a feast!

I still have the little picture of us at age thirteen,

That we had taken at the store's picture booth.

What fun we had in our carefree youth!

And now you will be forever young~

As you walk among the Angels....

Love, Kerrie

Woodpecker

2011-08-04T10:20:00.000-04:00

This was really neat! I never observed a Woodpecker with this behavior before. I could not positively identify this female as a Flicker or just one of the ladder-backed woodpeckers so she may have been a juvenile who did not have full color yet.

She is on the Bradford Pear tree trunk under the bird/squirrel house.

She discovers the house as if saying, "what's this?"

Peaking inside several times, she decides it is a mess and maybe she should clean it!

She proceeds to go inside and starts throwing out the pine straw that the squirrel has made a bed of.

After disposing of some of the bedding, she returns to outside inspecting the bottom of the house to see if there is anything else to be done-ha! And then she flew off... Woodpeckers nest in hollow trees so it surprised us when this one looked so at home in the house.

Aren't God's creations fascinating?? I just love watching all their behavior and we are so blessed that we see all of this from the den/sun room windows here in SC! I hope you enjoyed your visit and will come back soon. Hugs to you all.

My heart to yours

The Storks Return...

2011-07-30T12:45:00.000-04:00

Not delivering babies-ha! Just visiting our little lake with 1 Egret! What a joy to see! All the pictures were taken through the den window, so the quality is not good. I did not want to take the chance of going outside and scaring them away.

They are really graceful for such a large wading bird. Their heads are rather unattractive as they are bald as adults. They scratch along the bottom as they go, probably to stir a meal up which muddies the water.

I hope you enjoyed the return of the Wood Storks. Thank you for visiting and do come again soon!

♥KERRIE♥

My wild heart to yours...

WOOD STORK!

2011-07-21T15:07:00.000-04:00

OUR DAUGHTER WAS SO HAPPY TO CATCH THESE PHOTOS OF THE WOOD STORK JUST NOW! Only one came today and did not stay long. He is so large!

The Wood Stork is the only North American stork and are common in southern swamps,, marshes and ponds. The bill is long and thick; adult's dark head is unfeathered. Immature has a paler head and neck; yellow bill. Flies with neck and legs extended; often soars. Wing beats are slow, powerful and audible. It feeds on fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Nests in colonies in trees like the Egrets. Their call is a humming of notes. They are 35" long and wingspan is 66" wide.

Our excitement never wains when we see these beautiful creatures right in our own back yard! It is 99 degrees out, the heat index however makes it 107 at present. Our daughter went out to put cool water in the birdbath and spotted the stork. We quickly gave her the camera through the window and she snapped quickly as she knew he would not tarry long and I think she did an excellent job!

Thanks for stopping by and do visit my other blogs if you have time. They are listed in the sidebar.

The Elusive Green Heron

2011-07-18T08:28:00.000-04:00

This is a Green Heron

Hubby took this picture of him one morning creeping along the lake bank. The name is deceiving as the green is not to be seen except a tiny bit when sun is hitting the rich blueish colors on the back of his head. These birds are very shy and flee when seeing humans with their cameras. This species is a small heron that dines on fish in freshwater lakes and salt water. He is very stealthy as he stays low to the ground and looks for his prey in the water.

Then another day, my daughter was able to snap these great pictures while her Dad was napping. I think they are beautiful! Green Herons are 14 inches long and their wingspan is 25 inches.

They have a crested head but I have never observed one with the crest raised.

His leg coloring is bright yellow

The lake level is very low from lack of rainfall and he is enjoying the bank where he can walk close to the water's edge.

I love this one as he has spied something!

See how closely he blends in with the mud, twigs, new grass growth on what is normally under water.

The Green Heron is truly a beautiful creature! I feel so fortunate that we are able to see these wonderful birds up close and personal.

Yesterday, there were 4 Whooping Cranes right at the edge of the yard along the lake. By the time we discovered them and got the camera, they all took flight! So beautiful! Maybe we can catch them next time. Thank you so much for coming by to share our wildlife and do come again soon.

Remove the "HATE MODE"

2011-07-08T15:12:00.000-04:00

I will not rehash the recent Casey Anthony Trial results. But briefly, I see so much hate going on at Face Book, on the news, and elsewhere that it is frightening.

Briefly, the public needs to remove themselves from the "hate mode" as I see it. Be assured that Casey Anthony will not go unpunished as her very lifestyle places her in jeopardy. She will come to no good end.

The Bible tells us to pray for our enemies. That is because what God has in store for them is much worse than we could EVER wish them. I have personally seen this truth in my lifetime in several situations. Believe it! So why expend your time and energy wishing Casey ill will? You cannot change a single thing by your anger, you only please the devil.
Instead we pray for that precious little Caylee, who is now with our Father in heaven and knowing boundless love in His arms!
Thank you.

God's Little Angel
July 8, 2011 ©Kerrie O'Hearn Marquart

A Little Angel abides with Love
In the arms of our Father up above
She feels no pain she knew before
When the earth she left
She opened Heaven's door.
A tear is dropped on every cheek
At the taking of a life so sweet ~
But smile, SHE IS IN HEAVEN.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:17-21).

For the Love of Geese and Swans

2011-07-06T15:32:00.000-04:00

My sweet little Canadian Geese Goslings are fledglings no more. They will be flying soon and I feel so priveledged to have watched their cycle of life! Their parents taught them to dunk and feed on the green water plants in the lake, to bathe themselves, etc. Next they will be practicing flight as I remember from previous years and I hope I can capture that for you when the time comes.

FROM THIS

TO THIS

This development only took a few weeks from June 13th

until now.

And the young signets went from this

To this:

And now they are even larger but I have not had them visit our lake even though I have seen them in other lakes in our community and will also take pictures when they visit again.

AS you can see, one of the signets is gray and while he will become more white in development, I believe this is a young male though I cannot find confirmation of it in any of the descriptions in bird books!

And meanwhile, the adults are still the King and Queen of the lake as they chased away the Canadian Geese away from their lake territory last week.

Here are all the geese

chased up on the bank

by the regal swans.

Thank you for visiting and do come back again soon and often!

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

Happy Pink Saturday in Red White and Blue!

2011-07-02T18:45:00.001-04:00

First, here are my daughter's pink palms holding the tiniest little hop toad!Isn't he precious??

AND NOW FOR THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE!

GOD BLESS AMERICA AND HAPPY 4TH TO EVERYONE!

My porch and bicycle planter on the sidewalk

The house that is across from ours. They really love decorating for all of our holidays and everyone enjoys their display!

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!!

Don't forget to go to our host's site, How Sweet The Sound to see the full list of Pink Saturday Participants!

♫♫PINK SATURDAY☺PINK SATURDAY♫♫

2011-06-25T10:57:00.000-04:00

HERE WE ARE AGAIN! IT IS LOVELY PINK SATURDAY HOSTED BY BEVERLY AT http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com . Be sure to visit her to see the list of participants for today and click on their thumbnails to see their contributions! Such a fun way to meet new bloggers!
Today I am featuring my good Friend, RANDA'S PINK DIANTHUS. Randa is married to my childhood friend David whom I met in kindergarten and went all through school with. They are the most lovely Christian couple who live near our hometown of Auburn, NY, in a neighboring town. I am so thankful for such wonderful friends!! I am also featuring my "Pink Southern Belle".

Aren't these just gorgeous?? Randa says that that they come up a few years in a row before dying out. These look so healthy and full, I have never, ever seen Dianthus so prolific! Thank you so much Randa for allowing me to share your beautiful Dianthus! These beautiful flowers are in the same family as Sweet Williams.

And here is my Pink Southern Belle. I feature her now and then and she travels around my house where I can enjoy her in different settings. Right now she is in my bedroom. She was a gift from my hubby as he bought her for me in an antique shop in Charleston, SC many years ago. I added the pearls and Crocheted hat. One little toe of her slipper is peaking out from under the dress and she is holding up her ruffled skirt with her right hand.

She is such a dear little girl with stove pipe ringlets in her hair. I really love her as you can tell!

Thank you so much for visiting me today and I hope you will come back soon! And if you are a blogger, do join the group for Pink Saturday Posts and join in the fun!!

Almost Adult Canadian Geese....

2011-06-23T11:30:00.000-04:00

The Juvenile geese came yesterday with the parents and about 8 other adults! The juveniles had changed so much in just the few days since their last visit, I could hardly distinguish between them and their parents!! The have gotten much more of their darker wing and tail feathers and were much larger than before!

These 3 are the babies!

Here is detail of their feathers and colors that have deepened. The wings are still not extended to their potential full span but my goodness, they have grown! What a treat to be able to follow this life cycle so closely from our own back yard!

This was our other visitor for the morning, a hornet on the Crown of Thorns bush blossoms! They seem to be attracted to these blossoms particularly and I have photographed them previously last year.

I could not capture his yellow bands on his body with my camera but it was a bright yellow. I have identified him as a Bald-faced Hornet from his markings. They are native to all land areas from Canada to Mexico except for the deep southwest area of the USA.

I hope you enjoyed your visit today with our backyard critters and please comment! We love reading your comments! Do come back again soon! Blessings to you!

This is a mother squirrel who has befriended our daughter that currently lives with us. She works on computer at home in the den that looks out over our backyard and lake. This little mama climbs the trellis outside the window and stares in at my daughter at the computer until she gives her a peanut. She comes when called and is very dear.

My heart to yours...

It's A Swan's Life!

2011-06-20T11:56:00.000-04:00

It's a Swan Morning!

The Mute Swan family paid us a visit this morning after a long time away. There are larger lakes and several of them in our community and the swans have their own routine of visiting the different lakes. They always seem to remember our hospitality however and come right up to us when we go out to greet them.

There are four babies surviving from he original 6 that were born and I am surmising the turtles claimed the missing ones while they were still little and vulnerable.

The parents are very proud and the young signets are quite bold now and unafraid to approach us. I have not been able to find description of any sort regarding the plumage of distinction between male and female young. But it is my observation that one of these youngsters has a gray bill instead of yellow and his feathers are gray, more so than that of the other siblings. He also hissed at us and we are thinking this is a young male displaying his manly assertion-ha!

It is interesting to note that Mute Swans are not mute, but can trumpet, hiss and make low grunting sounds when posturing and warning others. Also, the Mute swans are not native to America but were introduced to our shores from European settlers over a century ago.

I love this photo showing the regal youngster who is eyeing us up...

A youngster eating a piece of wheat bread from my hand. I do not recommend feeding swans from your hand unless you have been experienced with feeding large swans and they are familiar with you as they can really do damage to finger and hands when aggressive. As in all things, you must remember that they are WILD.

Here a clumsy youngster slips on the muddy bank and falls on his back. Not to worry, Mom just went right over to him making grunting sounds, took her big webbed foot and with one flip righted her baby! Amazing!

This is the youngster that I feel is a male. As you can see, his bill is gray, almost black while all of his siblings have yellow bills.

I hope you enjoy learning about the wildlife that frequent our back yard. Please leave a comment and do come back to visit often as we never know what the day will bring in our little backyard sanctuary and lake.

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

Survival continues....

2011-06-18T12:34:00.000-04:00

GOOD MORNING MY LOVELY FOLLOWERS AND NEW VISITORS! WELCOME!

MY LOVELY LITTLE GOSLINGS AND PARENTS PAY US VISITS EVERY FEW DAYS AND I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE LITTLE ONE WHO IS NOW VERY LARGE, THAT I SAVED LITERALLY FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH IS ALIVE AND WELL ☺
Of course I now cannot be sure which of the 3 goslings was "the one" but as you can see all 3 are very healthy and none are limping-hurray!

Here are the little ones napping near the water.

Thank you so much for visiting today and do come back again soon! Do not forget to stop at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com Beverly's to see all the Pink Saturday entries including mine!

NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN!

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

My wonderful gifts...

2011-06-14T21:44:00.001-04:00

I was thrilled to learn I had won the give-a way from Sarah at HOPE IN EVERY SEASON. And I was even more thrilled when I received the beautiful hand made gifts that arrived in yesterday's mail! Inside the box was beautiful pink tissue paper with all these lovely things!

There was the sweetest tag with ribbon and fawn with a bluebird, a vintage bottle with tag, ribbon and beads which I loved and a lovely Lacy tag with vintage print of a little girl and bird that I can hang on a door knob or any place in the house that I would like to brighten my day! Also, a wonderful note holder with a flower on it and 2 magnets on the back side so I can keep it on the frig or dishwasher!

I just loved everything and so appreciate other bloggers who are so generous of their talents and time!

Thank you Sarah, I will think of you each time I see one of your lovely creations in my home!

RX: Camping-take for 2 days

2011-06-10T20:50:00.003-04:00

HI all my lovely blog friends! We finally got away for a couple of days in the little camper that still needs a name-ha!

Getting ready for our journey to NC, we parked the camper in the driveway. I backed it in-ha!

All set up at KOA in Sunset Beach in NC, so now hubby is chilling out!

The lake is not large but full of fish and hubby wasted no time in throwing in his line.

And the fish were cooperating nicely even if they were not too large.. The RX is working, look at that smile!

This one was pretty good size, they put up a good fight anyhow.

Next morning he was right back over on that lake-ha!

The sunsets were gorgeous as was the weather. We slept well with windows open and enjoyed the quiet except for large pine cones dropping on the camper every now and then-ha!

The tree canopy overhead was beautiful.

All the trees were telling a story, this one I dubbed, "Octo-root"

And here is a Red Headed Woodpecker Junk Food Junkie! He is eating a pile of Frito's that someone did not pick up from the tenting area, tsk, tsk!

There were two large clusters of Purple Martin Gourd Houses, one at each end of the lake. I always love to see these, I think they are so pretty...Purple Martins dine almost entirely on insects and keep the mosquito population down and we see them a lot in all the campgrounds we have visited.

This great old tree was standing there like two long legs and you could see right through it, what fun!

And we have lived in the South for 22 yrs. now but I still get a thrill out of seeing cotton and Tobacco fields. There was a tobacco field right next to the campground!

Yes and even wildflowers of orange in many clusters all along the lake bank.

The night before we left, a huge bus camper pulled up next to us and it was pulling an enclosed trailer behind it. We assumed wrongly that it held motorcycles. There were 3 men and one cooked 8 breasts of chicken on the grill. They made toss salad and all came outside to eat. I thought maybe they were hiding the women inside when I saw all those chicken breasts-LOL! But no, they ate it all themselves. Well, mystery solved the next morning as they brought tour bikes out of the trailer, 2 of the men in gear hopped on them and then the bus camper followed them out of the park!! That is when we noticed a large sign on the back of the trailer that read, "Cycling from Main to Georgia". All those chicken breasts were to give them protein for muscles while cycling! So now I am wishing I was more inquisitive as there was definitely a story there--What kind of reporter am I anyway!! But I only observed from my lawn chair.....

A good time was had by all, The RX for Camping really worked!!

Thanks for coming, come back again soon and do visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound and visit all this week's participants including Me!☺

My heart to yours...

Hummingbirds on YouTube

2011-06-06T10:22:00.000-04:00

A Friend sent this link to me this morning and it is absolutely amazing!! Alaskan Hummingbirds, you will love it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=EUEZkwJulBY I have never seen anything like it before, here are some stills from it:

I would be so thrilled just to get one hummingbird to do this!!

Happy, Happy Monday!

Thanks for coming and come back soon!

♥KERRIE♥

My bird-loving heart to yours!

CROWS AND JAYS...

2011-06-04T15:30:00.000-04:00

HELLO MY BACKYARD BIRDING FRIENDS!! So happy to see you again!
Yesterday my daughter changed the water in the bird bath as it was very hot and humid and this American Crow seemed to be complaining loudly that the water was very warm and had leaves in it.

So after he complained for a good 5-7 minutes, she cleaned it out and added some nice cool water. In the next picture, note the squirrel underneath in the background.

Have you ever heard a very large crow complaining? It is a very raucous, loud noise-ha!

And next came the Blue Jay who took a bath, fluffed himself up so much afterwards that he looked like he was overweight and having a bad hair day!

Too funny!

This was the before picture.

I do so love all my backyard critters and birds!! Well, maybe not the squirrel so much today as he went over the little fence into my square foot garden, pulled out bean sprouts and left them lying on the ground!! Not too happy with him today!! I don't know how to keep him out of there. He killed one tomato plant by uprooting it. Next time he rolls those baby brown eyes at me for a peanut, I shall ignore him- LOL!

Don't forget to visit Beverly at Pink Saturday today and my Kerrie's Krafts 3 blog for my how to of my Little Pink Book! Thanks for coming and do come again soon! Hugs,

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

Hey Nonny Nah, the Gosling's back!

2011-06-02T13:59:00.000-04:00

I was never so happy as to see the 3 goslings all intact after the Turtle Monster adventure of last week!! This was the first visit since it happened and I was glad to see none of the goslings were limping and none no worse for the wear. In fact they all had grown a bit since then!! Here they are.

Note the other 2 adult geese that came with the group but stayed in the background while the family came right up to the window to greet us.

The goslings have grown much and their feathers are getting thicker, their wings longer.

I was so thrilled that the whole family was intact and that none of the babies were limping from the Snapping Turtle attack.

You all will never know how much blogging helps me. My hubby is having a very hard time at present with having gone back into chemotherapy for his Multiple Myeloma and is extremely anemic. In the last few weeks he has had a blood transfusion for 2 pints of blood for the anemia and also an Aranesp injection for the same a week ago. He is very weak and very depressed. The blogs are my escape from the stress as his pain is my pain. He will have a week off next week and we have scheduled a camping trip for Tues. through Thurs. nearby and pray that he will be able to enjoy himself for a couple of days away from all... Thanks to all of you who follow my blogs and Caring Bridge for updates on Hubby. You all mean so much to me.

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

A trip to the Beach and Poetry...

2011-05-30T17:35:00.000-04:00

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYONE!

We took a trip to Huntington
Beach State Park this afternoon. For more pictures, please go to our TWO HAPPY blog site where I have posted some very colorful ones. Hubby had been in the house so much except for doc appointments and it was so good for us both to escape for awhile. While there we took pictures and I wrote a poem...

Huntington Beach 5/30/2011
      by Kerrie O'Hearn Marquart

Under a sprawling Cedar tree
We found a place for us to be
In shade and fragrance we abide
While relishing nature on every side.
The Brown Pelicans overhead as they glide
   Just above the gentle waves...

We sat here 21 yrs. ago
The day before Hurricane Hugo.
I was crocheting under the trees
And you took pictures while
    enjoying the breeze
And we had no idea the storm
....was brewing over the sea!

But here we are again today
Almost in the same old place
And I love you even more
As I gaze upon your weathered face
And I think how blessed we both are
   to be in this beautiful place.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember all the Servicemen who are keeping us safe and all of those who have given their life to make our nation free. Send a card or a package or just an encouraging card to someone who is far away and missing home is hard....

♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours...

Gosling Rescue Cartoon

2011-05-29T14:06:00.000-04:00

HI THERE! Since there are no pictures of my turtle/gosling adventure, I have drawn a cartoon of it! The turtle has been raked ashore and is upside down and yet he holds that poor little gosling's leg in his crushing jaws! After this, he rolled back on his feet and I gave him a good thump on the back with the rake and he finally released the poor Canadian Goose baby! I was in my bare feet of course (bad habit) and all that splashing and crashing in the water soaked me with mud and water-ha! But at least the gosling AND the ugly snapping turtle both survived. Whew!

Thanks for all your comments!

Pinks and adventures!

2011-05-28T12:12:00.001-04:00

Happy Pink Saturday everyone!! We had company from back home this week and they brought us the most beautiful plant with pink blossoms! Just in time for Pink Saturday!

It is called a Sun Parasol and is a Mandevilla hybrid. It is a climber so hubby planted it in a larger pot by one of the metal trellis supports on the overhang of the den roof. We will be able to enjoy it there best!

I love the blossoms, they are so large and beautiful and the leaves are wonderfully green and hearty looking. It is an annual but the giver said her Mom winters them over in the house! I shall try that.

I also have a picture-less adventure to tell you about in our back yard critters!! My youngest daughter works from home and was typing away when she heard a big fuss outside. She went out to see what was going on as the 2 Canadian Geese parents were squawking and squawking! Lo and behold, a huge Alligator Turtle had one of their teen goslings by the leg and was trying to drag him under the water.

My daughter called her good old Mom when efforts to free the babe with a shovel beating on the back of the armored turtle. I got the garden rake and while he kept trying to pull the little one under and out deeper in the lake, I kept raking him nearing to shore, leg in his jaws!! It took me several tries and the frantic parents hissed at first and then must have realized that I was helping and stood back watching. I finally got the turtle and the gosling up on shore but the turtle even when rolled on his back hung on to that poor baby! I gave the turtle a couple of sharp whacks on his shell and fi-nal-ly!...he let go! The parents were so happy and the poor little fella went limping off with them just a peeping away over his trauma. The skin was not broken on his little leg at least and when the parents knew he was safe, they rounded up the other 2 teens and all went off but on shore, not in the water!! They have not come back to our lake since and I don't blame them!

I know that some will think I interfered with nature taking its course but I could not let this little creature get drowned. My mother instinct kicked in and I heard nor saw nothing around me until that little gosling was free! My daughter later told me that a neighbor 2 houses away clapped when the turtle gave up-ha! I had just cleaned up and had clean clothes on and in my adventure I splashed mud and water all over my self. I hosed off before going into the house and then cleaned up and changed all over again. I know I cannot save every little one but at least this one was happily back with the family!

Don't forget to link to HOW SWEET THE SOUND, our lovely hostess for Pink Saturday that is celebrating its third year!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY PINK SATURDAY Beverly and Everyone!!!

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

A Visiting Anhinga...

2011-05-23T11:37:00.001-04:00

Anhinga:Common in fresh-water, swamps, ponds, and lakes where it spears fish. Often swims with only head and neck exposed. Long straight bill, long tail and white wing and back plumes differentiate it from cormorants. usually seen singly but may soar very high in flocks. 28" long wing span 47".

I never cease to be amazed at the diverse abundance of wildlife in our backyard! We are blessed with our own wild managerie with everything from Coyote's to Otters! And everything in between-ha!

Yesterday, we had an Anhinga settle in on the bank to dry his wings. He had been diving, spearing fish and eating them. Anhinga do not have oil on their wings as other diving duck and waterfowl have so they must take breaks to dry their enormous wings so they do not get waterlogged.

The Arrival.

The move to the table.

The next move was to the back of the Adirondack chair.

A little preening here and there never hurts while you are drying out and looking at the water.

He appeared sleepy at times and even tucked his head in his wing...

I was amazed at how he curled his webbed feet around the top of the chair to grip and balance.

Spreading his wings to dry! and those amazing gripping feet!

The sun set and still he stayed on--altogether he must have been there for 3 or more hours. I finally went outside and walked right up to him, what did I have to lose? I used the flash and he stayed right there until he was ready to leave. What an adventure!

Master of his world...

Still drying his wings. I have seen them in groups at dark on the larger lake in our community huddled on the banks for the night.

He was not the least bothered by my presence, no fear. I thought when I used the flash he would be gone in a flash-ha! But no, he posed!

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I did! I never know until I download them to the computer if I have a good one or not. I just snap away and hope!

Thanks for coming, have a wonderful day!

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

Canadian Geese with "teens"

2011-05-18T19:10:00.000-04:00

Hey Blog family! Sharing these beautiful Canadian goslings who are growing up so fast! They are all legs and feet but ever so precious!

I love this time of year when all the fowl and birds are nesting and raising their young! What a joy to be able to have our own "Animal Planet" right in the back yard!

They follow their Mama and Papa wherever they go and are now in a gangly adolescent development, all feet trying to grow into themselves-ha!

Goin' home to the bank to take a snooze...

Whenever I am feeling blue, These wonderful creatures cheer my day. Who could be sad when observing these wonderful little balls of soft fluff!

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

A Sly Fox

2011-05-10T09:19:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, we had a most unwelcome visitor! A fox!

First he ran through our back yard by the lake. Then he went around the lake and lay down on the grass on that side just opposite us.
He does not look healthy at all with patches of fur gone and his tail was not bushy. He was quite pitiful looking and scary as you do not know if wild animals are rabid. And this was quite unusual daylight activity for a fox. I am sure he was probably looking for the ducks, geese and their babies as he really looked like he was starving! Our daughter took these pictures with hubby's camera and the telescopic lens. He watched us on our bank taking pictures-ha! He stayed on the bank for about 20 minutes, sometimes laying his head down as though sleeping and then he got up after awhile and ran off.

It is sad that progressive construction in our area has taken away the natural habitat of all the wild creatures. The land our community was built on was wild and a natural nesting place for Egrets, Herons, Canadian Geese, Mallards, Raccoons, Otters and many other creatures. How they have managed to survive here in a tourist area that is constantly growing is a miracle in itself!

I truly wish that something could be done for them. One year when we had baby raccoons abandoned by their Mother or she may have been killed, by the corner of our front porch. They were nestled right down into the stones there. We tried calling the humane society and they said IF they had a man out in our area they would stop and get them. They never came. The next morning, the 2 babies were gone, they had left of their own accord.

It is a blessing that we get to observe most of this wildlife up close and personal but like the Fox, there are times when I feel very sad for these creatures who are trying to survive in a predominately cement world. But as always, I am sharing with you all the good, the bad and the ugly of nature.

Have a most wonderful day, do something nice for the wildlife near you! Hugs and come back soon! For a spiritual message go to http://kerrieshomejournal.blogspot.com The Shadow of Peter

Moving away...

♥KERRIE♥

My wild heart to yours....

Pink Saturday already again??

2011-05-06T19:43:00.001-04:00

Wow, the days just fly by lately even more than usual!! Pink Saturday has arrived!! Don't forget to go to the founder at How Sweet The Sound for the full list of Pink Saturday participants.

Martha Washington Geranium I just bought last week, it is so beautiful!

This is my cousin's beautiful grandbaby!! Isn't she gorgeous?

You can be next on the Pink Saturday list! Just go to How Sweet the Sound to participate.

Thanks for coming and do come again soon.

♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours...

Canadian Geese and Goslings...

2011-05-04T14:09:00.000-04:00

The Canadian Geese couple came today with their 3 babies!! The parents remember us every year and know we are safe to bring the babies up into the yard. I called to them and the Male listened for awhile and then came up with Mama and the goslings running behind! Beautiful. Such gorgeous little creatures and such proud parents.

All creatures great and small, the good Lord loves them all...
And so do we!!

Thanks for coming to visit and please come again soon!!

♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours...

Early Morn with Isabella the Ragdoll Cat

2011-05-02T08:57:00.000-04:00

Isabella, our Ragdoll and I were the first ones up at dawn this morning. After a little food and water, she jumped up to look at today's world. She does not know about the Royal Wedding or that Osama Ben Laden has been killed but I think I did hear her meow, "USA! USA!"
I enjoy the early morning before the trash man starts the noise of the world, and the only sounds are the singing of the birds all around.

Yesterday, we had a crisis with the baby Cardinals!! Our daughter almost stepped on 2 babes that had fallen from the nest. She told us and my hubby went to the rescue of picking them up with garden gloves on and returning them to their nest. Something must have caused the branch that is quite low to the ground, to shake them from their bed.

Their eyes are not yet open and as you can see, they are just getting definition of their wings. Hopefully they have no critical injuries as they opened their little mouths when they were approached. The one that did not fall out of the nest had a wing caught in the nesting material and had to be freed. Safe once again in their tree branch cradle, the Mother came back and was sitting on them---Happy Ending!

I know that most feel that Nature should not be challenged but we could not just leave these wonderful little creatures to their fate if left on the ground. We gave them a second chance.

Some children are like that sometimes, they fall from the nest but they are still loved and deserve a second chance. Words of Wisdom from Grandma Kerrie :*) I hope you enjoyed our thoughts for the day and we wish you sunshine, peace and a glorious Monday! No blue Mondays here! PS: The Cardinal Babies are alive and well this morning!

HUGS,

♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours...

MAY DAY !

2011-05-01T17:15:00.000-04:00

WHEN I WAS A CHILD IN THE 1940's, yup, I am older than dirt!! We used to celebrate with a Maypole and dancing at Seward (elementary) School in Auburn, NY. As I recall, We dressed up and went back to school in the evening with our parents so they could watch, too and the celebration was outside. We also wore Sailor's hats and I don't remember the significance of that. So I wore my little white sailor's cap over my braided hair and remember feeling so excited to be out after supper at school. We had rehearsed the dancing around the May Pole and we also sang a song, though I do not remember what it was.

I tried researching and looking for photos and graphics for May Day celebrations and came up with nothing but these few graphics and only photos from foreign countries. Did you celebrate at school with a Maypole?? I miss the 40's and 50's way of life before the age of computers, cell phones and the like. The pace was slower, kinder. I have come into the electronic world willingly to "keep up" with family and friends but I can tell you I would not miss it and would adore to find mail in my snail mail box! :))

I learned that the tradition of May Day was from Old
Britain and they celebrated what they saw as the half of the year. And November first as the New Year.

So despite my ignorance beyond this writing, I still wish you all a very happy May First!!

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

Yard Adventures...

2011-04-30T11:41:00.000-04:00

Hello Sweet friends! I adore being outside all the time when the weather is nice as it has been here in SC. I often just walk the yard or neighborhood with my camera at the ready, to catch something new that God has provided.

First Wild Strawberry of the season...

New Cardinal nest taken by hubby.

Blurry but here is Mama Cardinal setting on the nest...

My daughter's "pet" squirrel who climbs the trellis and begs for a treat!

The Spring sunset making an almost heart shape...

and a lovely little hop toad that came just at dusk. He let me pet his head.

An ugly mushroom that grew, split its cap overnight!

Sunrise with the sun hitting the tops of the trees across the lake...
All of life is an adventure!! I cannot wait to wake every morning to see what God is going to do with each new day! pls see http://kerrieshomejournal/ for an inspiring message today!! Thank you!

HUGS TO YOU ALL,
♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours...

Updates and Swan Babes

2011-04-26T13:39:00.000-04:00

Good afternoon sweet bloggers! Just a note to say I have not been keeping up with my posting as I injured my back a couple of weeks ago and have been recouping! Hubby is having a terrible time with nausea and spent all of Easter Sunday in bed. We had company and a nice meal but it was not the same without him at the table. We did get to say Grace holding hands all together before he had to go to bed and I had my daughter take some pictures.

Also, the swan babies have arrived and have been gracing us with their presence on the lake in back of the house. Thought you would enjoy seeing these most wonderful creatures!

This little one was very brave and came right up the bank to see us.

Here they are getting a "dunking" lesson bringing up underwater green growth and eating it.

All God's creatures are so beautiful!! We are blessed!

Thank you for visiting and come back soon!

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours....

Pink Saturday and Cat Story

2011-04-16T12:27:00.000-04:00

THE AZALEA'S ARE AMAZING, THEY JUST KEEP BLOOMING AND BLOOMING! And of course I had to bring a bouquet inside....

Aren't they wonderful! Bringing them inside is such a blessing! It brightens my day hour after hour as I pass them going by the kitchen table!

The other day I saw a real adventure with the wild cat that lives across the lake. I saw him carrying something in his mouth, he dropped it and then it jumped into the lake!!

From this distance even with zoom, I could not see what animal it was, maybe a rat?

The cat looked around and was puzzled as to what to do to retrieve his catch.

He contemplated going down the bank and getting the little critter. But the critter stayed very still as if dead. Then suddenly it swam across the lake! It came up into our yard and I could see clearly that it was a very small bunny! By the time I got my camera outside, I had to really search for the little bunny. He had already made it to the front yard and crossed the road to a neighbor's house. I followed him and finally was able to snap this picture of him. He was still wet and seemed very tired but he ran off around the neighbor's house. So I am hoping that he was not injured from his encounter with the cat.

Sometimes, there IS A HAPPY ENDING!!
Thank you for visiting this beautiful Saturday morning! Come again soon and please go to "How Sweet The Sound" to see all the Pink Saturday entries on Beverly's blog. Make a new friend!

Azaleas and Spring Critters...

2011-04-09T06:13:00.001-04:00

HOW could you ever not like Spring? A new beginning for everything! Don't you wish we could renew our bodies in the Spring like Nature does? Ha!

Red-Bellied Woodpecker on the Suet. This is a male, so beautiful!

And here is our little friend, the squirrel. We have never named her/him? And we really should as she is the only one that is extrememly friendly. She comes when my daughter calls to her and if my daughter is typing in the window, this one climbs the trellis and stares at her until she gets her peanut in the shell treat! You will remember that she took over the birdhouse by chewing the opening until it was large enough to get inside.

She loves getting in here out of the rain and runs right for the shelter of the little house. But this week she was very lazy enjoying the sun and hanging out in the door way becoming so drowsy, she finally laid down with droopy eyes and gave in to sleep-ha!

She has pine straw inside for a nice soft mattress to lie on. Birds still take a peek inside when she is not in there but they do not take up house-keeping. We hope you enjoy our backyard critters as much as we do!

This was taken a few years ago on one of our country road searches for Wisteria Vine. It was in the Spring and this abandoned building was just covered with the beautiful lavender blooms. A painting in the making....

Everywhere we look, there are pink blossoms now! So beautiful!

Our side yard Azalea bushes are spilling over with blooms now as you can see.

I took these last 3 pictures just as the sun went down Thursday evening. This is the back side yard looking towards the lake. It really makes me want to paint seeing the graceful tree trunks and the vivid colors of Spring Greens and Pinks!

Thanks for visiting today and do visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for more Pink Saturday posts.

CAT REFLECTIONS

2011-04-02T09:52:00.000-04:00

Hmmm! I wonder what is down here under this pipe?

I just can't seem to see what it is. I think this is where the Raccoons were last night....

Awww shucks, it was nothin'! Guess I will go hunt for mice!

This is one of the stray/wild cats that we have been observing for a couple of years now. The mother hangs out on the opposite bank of our little lake/pond and she gave birth to 2 beautiful kitten last spring that look just like her!! So now there are 3 of them and we cannot tell one from the other. Sometimes the two that we think are last years babes, are over there playing on the bank, running and chasing one another and climbing the trees. Their favorite place to sit in the sun is on the house there on top of a small A/C unit on their Florida room side. It is so much fun watching their antics and despite having no home they certainly look healthy. Live and let live. BUT, if you have a pet, please have it spayed or neutered so that unwanted animals will not be roaming like these are. I am thinking someone moved and left the Mother cat behind and she became wild. And if you are bird lovers like we are, you do not want stray/wild cats hunting your birds! We only saw one of them once on our side of the lake and we chase it away pronto. They even stalk the Mallards and geese but thankfully are not able to get them in the water.
Thank you as always for visiting today and please visit our other sites for BlueBirds
Joyce Kilmer Tree, and Crafting.

♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours....

Mr. Mallard is BACK!!!

2011-04-01T10:54:00.001-04:00

MR MALLARD CAME BACK!!! I'm so happy!

Right at dusk last eve as the darkness began to set in, I caught sight of the couple on the opposite bank. I hoped it was MY couple so I slid open the den window and whistled. They both turned to look and made a bee-line for our bank and then across the lawn--Hurray, hurray! I could not stop smiling! I grabbed my camera and was able to snap these pictures looking down at them under the window.

I hope the Mrs. scolded him soundly for causing her such distress! Hubby was not willing to think Mr. had met with disaster as I was yesterday. He theorized that maybe she had laid eggs and that Mr. was sitting on them while she had a break--ha!

But now it is apparent they did not lay eggs yet or they would not be here together again. BIG SIGH! You know how we love our wild critters in the back yard and would be so sad if Our Couple met with disaster!

GOD IS GOOD, OUR COUPLE IS BACK AND ALL'S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD!

Thanks for visiting today and do come back again soon! We love company!

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours....

KERRIE'S KORNER SC

Winter here and there....

It must be spring...

My Sweet William has passed....

Taking Time Out for a while...

Taking time out

Great Blue Heron and Mourning Doves

Winter and the New Year have Arrived

Almost New Years...

Don't Worry, Be Happy..♫♫

Christmas Cactus

Where did they go?

Our silly Thanksgiving tradition and Wood Storks

Beautiful Fall Swan Morning!

God is saying good night...

Sounds and colors of Fall

Add a Photo

Recipe Photos

Rice with Goodies

Directions

HAWK visitor this morning

Huntington Beach, SC visit...

BACKYARD FISHING AND CARDINALS

Sunday, Sunday...

Camping Trip at Willow Tree

Kingfisher and September Moon

Baby Mute Swans all Grown....

I'm always chasing sun-sets♫

The Sunsets in my Life...

Sharing my Son's Artwork

Dedication to a lifelong friend...

Good Bye My Old Friend...

Woodpecker

The Storks Return...

WOOD STORK!

The Elusive Green Heron

Remove the "HATE MODE"

For the Love of Geese and Swans

Happy Pink Saturday in Red White and Blue!

♫♫PINK SATURDAY☺PINK SATURDAY♫♫

Almost Adult Canadian Geese....

It's A Swan's Life!

Survival continues....

My wonderful gifts...

RX: Camping-take for 2 days

Hummingbirds on YouTube

CROWS AND JAYS...

Hey Nonny Nah, the Gosling's back!

A trip to the Beach and Poetry...

Gosling Rescue Cartoon

Pinks and adventures!

A Visiting Anhinga...

Canadian Geese with "teens"

A Sly Fox

Pink Saturday already again??

Canadian Geese and Goslings...

Early Morn with Isabella the Ragdoll Cat

MAY DAY !

Yard Adventures...

Updates and Swan Babes

Pink Saturday and Cat Story

Azaleas and Spring Critters...

CAT REFLECTIONS

Mr. Mallard is BACK!!!