Revisiting sunnier days....

I have been sitting looking back through my photos for something to post. I have not been on a good photo shoot in so long I wouldn't know how to act if I got to go. That being said, I came across this one below, and I have posted it before. Do you see anything funny about it?
Look at the bird in the middle on the little limb to the left....it looks as if its head is on backwards. I had not noticed that till tonight. It made me laugh out loud to see it. Okay...that had not been what I was looking for...though I didn't know just what I was looking for. I think maybe I was looking for memories.
Then I came across this...you can tell it is hot, but doesn't the tree just invite you to sit under it for a while. It would make such a wonderful tree to have for kids to climb on. If kids climb trees these days. I was still climbing trees in college, but I cannot say when I have seen a kid climb a tree. We always wanted to get up high till we could see farther.

Or I was always climbing a tree to see how many eggs were in a bird nest...and I had been told if I breathed on the eggs that the mom would not come back to them, so I always got up there and held my breath while I looked.

And there were these young trees we used to climb to the top and get them to swaying till they would bend over low enough for us to drop from...not birches. They were in the the cedar thicket so I think it might have been young spindly cedar trees or something that would grow with them...and not much grows with them.
*****************
Did not do any sewing today thought I did trim my blocks till they were square. Just the tiniest bit was all it took. Lorelei and her mommy are coming tomorrow evening, and spending the weekend with us if all goes well. So going to wait till next week to start the final stage getting the blocks sewn together. It will be at least an afternoon of sewing if not more, providing I don't make any major mistakes.

A little bit of wildlife....

I ran through the strip pits again last night...I saw only a couple pheasants....above is a picture of one of them.
And I know this is dark, but it is a hawk. I saw I don't know how many hawks...and I don't know why butt they all seem dark. Even the most of the Northern Harriers...and there is no mistaking the way they fly or their white rump patch. But I have seen the fellow above fairly often and he is always on the dark side.
I only saw these two deer out there....I don't know what scared them, but I had seen them start their run from a ways off. I thought they would run a few feet and stop, but eventually here they came through the weeds and crossed in front of me. They went on to the top of the hill, and looked back from the direction they came...so I wondered would coyotes gang up on them? I definitely got the feeling something was after them....
*********
I finally finished my quilt blocks last night, but have yet to bring them up to arrange their layout. For some reason I dread doing that. Seems like even when I do it, once I get them sewn together, I always see two that should be separated. Oh, well, the top at least is one step closer to being done.

It is another dark and dreary day, and a little bit cooler than it was, though it is still not bad for February.

Is spring on the way.......

I am slowing getting back to normal, I told Roger today I felt like myself for the first time in what feels like ages. Every evening, I have been watching the sunset and thinking how wonderful it would be to drive through the strip pits so tonight I was able to act upon the thought. The first thing I noticed was that the red-winged blackbirds were back...not in great number but several here and there.

My first photo opportunity was this short-eared owl....I spied him on the ground first. Normally the first thing I do when I turn into the strip pits is to get my camera out and set to take pictures. Tonight I was just so glad to be out that I didn't even think about it. So, by the time I got it out and the iso set to 1600, and got out of the vehicle...I only snapped one on the ground plus a few of him in the air....this very first one being the best.

Then on down at the main pond we see stuff at, I saw these three sandhill cranes...at least I am pretty sure that is what they were. They down close to the far end, and it being late, I did not get a great shot....but when I enlarge the original shots, I am pretty sure that is what they are.

Other than the red-wings, the single owl, the sandhill cranes, and a few waterbirds, I saw at least 18 deer. All too far away for a decent shot with it getting as late as it was.

You see, I had been sewing and lost track of time. So I got out there later than I had meant to. but it feels so wonderful to be feeling better....and to just be able to sleep. And every time I am sick, I cannot help but think about people that have major illnesses to contend with every day of their life and here I whine about losing a few nights sleep, and and feel bad for a few days.