Country critters....

Remember I went to the strip pits the other evening and saw 10-12 deer? Well, the next evening, Roger and I were coming home from the super Walmart in Paris, and decided to swing through there. It was really getting late...just almost dark. We saw a couple of the owls right away...both not even close to being within distance for the camera. We eased on along, not seeing anything for a bit...then we started seeing deer.

By the time we had passed all the way through, I am sure we saw probably 25 deer, at least. The last place we saw them was just as we left the place. I could determine some were bucks, but couldn't determine the size of their racks due to it being so late and almost dark and they happened to blend in with the background so well.

I could see this fellow, though...but it was still too late for my camera to get a good capture...this was totally black till I hit the button 'auto levels' in photoshop elements. With that being said, I hope he shows on your computer.
These two country cats we saw while on a drive the other day...the black one ran across the road in front of us...he kept watching the one below.
Soon, we were stopped to photograph a barn...and in front of that barn was a pasture.
This horse was one of I don't know how many....I am not saying there was a lot...just saying all I saw at first was him and another one, but as we went on I saw at least a couple more. I think they are all much loved horses, cause they kept nickering to me...and this one started up the hill two or three times, convinced that I had something for him. How I wish I had...
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I spent over three hours in the basement yesterday...doing laundry while I messed with my sewing. I did some more cutting and sewing....so much fun. It makes things feel back to normal for me. I want to go down in a bit and see what else I can do....

I have been cleaning off a desk...does anyone else have clutter control problems? I sure do. Seems like I have so much stuff I want to keep, or maybe just afraid I will need it.

Then there is the problem of books...even though I have went through my books till I just have just kept my very favorites, I still have plenty. I keep debating on whether I want to buy new books for my kindle or buy kindle editions of my favorites...I did buy the kindle edition of Giants in the Earth by Rolvaag. When Roger and I got married, he had an old copy of it...I finally got around to reading it and it is one of my favorite books of all time. I read it every few years.

I look at it as I can buy stuff I am not sure I will like, or I can buy old favorites that I know I will enjoy reading again.

Time for catching up...

So, I have not been in a blogging mood here of late...just had things on my mind and things I wanted to do....and reading. Not sure if the kindle was a wise gift or not. I just want to read and read and read.

Then, I really got thrown off track last weekend...Sunday night to be exact. And I have debated on whether to tell this or to keep silent...but wanted to explain part of my absentness this week.

I discovered a lump....yeah, one of those. Quite by accident. Sunday night, after Roger had gone to bed. The lump was on the same side I had a stereotactic biopsy in 2007. Which was negative for cancer, I might as well add.

Well, we were heading to a hand to-shoulder doctor Monday morn for a knot that Roger had on the underside of his wrist...right where his hand joins to the wrist. So, I did not say anything to him...just went on with him...it was just a ganglion cyst and the doctor drained it right there in the office, and we were on our way. We did a couple stops, and came home, and I called to get a mammogram. Got it set up for Thursday....still didn't tell Roger. Stuff like that just really worries him...

Then Tuesday morn, they call me about the mammogram...since I had had the biopsy, I had to see the doctor and get orders for a diagnostic mammogram. So, I called the doctor's office and got in Wednesday....I did tell Roger what was going on then. The nurse practitioner didn't really read me the riot act like I was afraid of...not when she remembered all that had been going on in the past year or two.

They were able to reschedule me for the mammogram on Thursday, just an hour later than I had originally been scheduled...and scheduled an ultrasound at the same time. They are over and done with...it is only cysts...the one I found is about the size of a quarter and there are at least a couple more about the size of a pea.

I don't think I will let anything slow me down from getting those mammograms now...I felt so dumb that I had put it off for so long. It could have turned out so different. I want to encourage all women to schedule their own mammogram. And to follow through with whatever the doctor tells them.

I am heading down to the basement to sew a little bit and try to get back to feeling normal...will probably try to catch up with everyone later tonight.

Strip pit report....

I haven't been going to the strip pits as much as normal, and when I have, there hasn't been much to report. Most times I have been lucky to see anything at all. I think it has been due to the time I am out there...I have either hit it too early or too near dark. Last night was different.
I had barely got to the first pond that is right near the entrance, when on in the distance I saw a Northern Harrier...I raced down to try to catch it. Then there were what I took to be three of them....they had moved on farther from the road and where swooping and circling...and just moving all the time. It did cross my mind that one was definitely darker than the others, and bigger...but I didn't give it a thought that the two smaller ones were owls till I downloaded the photos. You will probably have to enlarge this to even see the birds.

The birds drifted even farther away--I headed on down the road, but no more than started, till I noticed the two deer above....they were too far away to get a good shot, and started retreating soon as I headed their way. I passed a small pond that had swans on it, but they were too far away to get a good shot... I went on to the biggest pond near the road....water covered the road there and was a little deeper than I wanted to venture across, though I really think it would have been fine. It isn't like it is flowing....it just gets up and stands in the road.

I turned around, and headed back from the direction I came...when I got back to where I first saw the Northern Harrier and the other two birds, there were the owls! The short-eared owls--there was four right there, they swoop and fly low to the ground while they hunt. Now two of these did light on the ground...not like they were catching something, but they just set and looked all around...

I saw four right there, and then two more on down the way....so they are back in full force. I did go back to the entrance, turned around and drove back to where the water was across the road in hopes of seeing one sitting on a fence post, but no such luck. I did see more deer however....though I lost count. Oh, it was not 20 or 30, or any number like that...but thinking along the lines of 10-12...

There was actually a 3rd deer with these, but didn't get a good picture that showed it because it blended in so well with the background. And I think these are the two that are in the other photo above of deer...they are in the same place where I saw them.

There were also a few geese, and then there was flocks of some other type of duck...with as small as they were, they were too far away to get a decent picture of...there were about 3 different flocks in the air...each one probably having at least 100...and a few little groups of 6 or 8 or 10 'ducks.'

It was sure good to see some wildlife once again...