Kingfisher and September Moon

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....

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♫

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...

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

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...

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

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