Baby it's cold outside...

Well, we have had a bit of cold weather lately. With sleet and snow some of the roads are still

ice packed. The kids have all been out of school...not mine, mind you (I don't have kids). But the birds are loving this weather.

Last of the lavender

With the hard freeze coming I have picked the last of the lavender.

Even this small amount it smells so good.

So I did a bit of gardening today

I do like the feeling of gardening. The smell of fall is wonderful.Today I was planting for spring.

Here are a few things I planted today. I also planted some azaleas and two lilacs. I'm looking forward to spring. I hope everything comes up.

Here is the new bed, I will expand it in the spring. I will probably put some tomatoes and eggplant here as well. We'll wait and see how things go....

American White Pelican

We went to The Great Salt Plains this past weekend (yesterday). The American White Pelicans were out and about. They are a really neat bird!

It was a really windy so a lot of the song birds were hunkered down. The water fowl, woodpeckers and hawks were still out and about.

The pelicans went along the spill way looking for things to eat.



A little bit of yellow

I took a little walk in the woods.

 A place to sit.

 

Everyone needs a rest.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Most beautiful bird! It is the state bird of Oklahoma. They are still here in Norman (OK). Migration is in full swing. The Juncos and Yellow-rumped Warblers have arrived. Hummingbirds are making their way south. The Scissor-tails will gather together and migrate within a week or two.

Oklahoma State Capitol

On the very top of our dome is The Guardian.



The Guardian...A close up.

 

The Guardian is the creation of American Indian (Seminole-Creek) painter and sculptor Enoch Kelly Haney. Born in Turkey Creek, near Seminole, Oklahoma, on November 12, 1940, Haney graduated from Bacone College and the University of Arizona. After being a Methodist pastor and youth ministry director, he served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Senate from 1981 to 1986 and from 1987, respectively. He also served as a councilman of the Seminole Nation.

The Guardian was added June 7, 2002

Here is what our Capitol use to look like (pre-dome).

October has arrived

                   Happy October!

Illumination

 Light a candle and say a prayer.

 

          Reflect on days gone by.

Drop a coin in and strike a match...



Where did August go?

Wow, tempus fugit! I see that I have not posted for the whole month of August! Yowza!! September is going to be a bust month. Most of it will be spent birding.

 

Summer is offically here!

 

It is always good to see the sunflowers.

The birds are going to totally love these when they go to seed!

La Luna

La Luna, The Moon

So tonight was the 'Super Moon'.

Did you think I would miss it?

Nooooooooo.

It is beautiful and I was there.



Bluebirds

The Bluebirds are still nesting.

 

I took a birding group out on Saturday. By us being there we made both mom and dad nervous. But we did not stay long.

Perfect reflection......

 

This cute Killdeer was on the hunt for treats and eats. It was at the archery range at the lake (Lake Thunderbird). Often times I will see butterflies at the puddles taking in the sodium and minerals that the male will then pass to the females...

I was hoping to see a Bunting today...but alas, it was not in the cards.

Goose is Goose!

There are cute little ones.....

A couple of broods together....

And there they go....



Doing a little birding!

So we went to Horicon yesterday. It was about 12 day to short. Our time was limited to one day. But I got several lifers! Of course I will be posting photos of the birds 1st chance I get!

Oklahoma sunset

Its late spring....Moving into summer.

I can never pass up a chance to take that shot

that is back lit by the sun.



Jelly, jelly, jelly!

The Baltimore Orioles are everywhere.....And I am loving it!

Last week I went through 4 lbs of grape jelly!

Of course, not only are the Baltimore Orioles eating the grape jelly...There are Catbirds, Mockingbirds, finches, sparrows, and other birds.

My backyard is a rainbow.... of the bird variety! Bluejays, Goldfinch, House Finch, Cardinals, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds....Colors everywhere.

I'm hungry!

It is that time of year again...there are hungry babies everywhere.

I love to watch the young ones beg for food. They open their mouths wide and shake their wings...which make their whole bodies shake. It really is a joy to watch.



Oh baby, baby

The Bluebirds are raising brood #1. Both the male and female were feeding this young one. It was so wonderful and amazing to watch.

Who's the King?

The Eastern Kingsbirds were out in force yesterday.

 

They were chasing each other, it was awesome to watch.





Scissor-tailed Flycatchers

I can't tell you how much I love seeing the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers!

 

Here in Oklahoma we start seeing the at the end of March.

 

 

Sphinx moth

Check this out!

La Luna

The lunatics will be out in full force on Thursday......

Love is in the air

It is spring....and love is in the air!

The Mockingbirds are dancing their dance of 'love'.

It is amazing to watch these birds.