Extra Glorious To Me

Dawn usually finds me up and waiting for the sunrise...

which became extra glorious Saturday morning...

It had started as this...earlier...a charming sunrise...

...accompanied with every conceivable song bird singing...

...turkeys cobbling on the nearby ridge...

...dogs howling in the distance...
...even the approaching sad wail of sirens...

...all added to my enjoyment of the moment...

.

causing me to venture to the field...still in my pajamas...
to take a few more photos...before the fast moving clouds
and mood disappeared.




While in the field a pair of geese flew over my head all too quickly...
only caught them in the distance above the trees.

-click to enlarge-

I then remembered my grandson Nathan...who is now 17...

-about 12 here-

was camping out with friends...in the woods...
so I walked over just close enough to sneak a small glimpse.


On the way back...just
a few more photos of the fading Forsythia...


...and dwindling Daffodils...before I go in.



When I looked toward the sky

I thought of my blogging friend Barb...in Colorado...




the clouds had compacted into...
her snow covered mountains...



but directly overhead they appeared as numerous cotton balls...



that quickly drifted off...leaving just a clear blue sky.


The sun was fully up...it was time to go in the back door...
and start my day!


A few hours later...
my grandson Andrew walked through the woods alone...




for a visit with gramma and grampa...

or was it more likely a chance for...

his favorite warm from the oven homemade cookies...

which he helped with the unwrapping

and placing of the 24 pieces of candy...



into the still warm cookies fresh from the oven!


Blogging has changed my routine...
I now do not go outside without this bag...
which holds my camera...never know what I might find.



Can you see what I found here?

-click to enlarge-
Did you find this Bumble Bee...hiding in the above photo?

Can you find the Eastern Towhee in this photo...

-click to enlarge photos-
or the Chipping Sparrow in this one?

This one is easier...count the Purple Finches...

You should have found 4 finches.


Over the weekend I cooked a few easy meals...

Coconut-Chicken Salad & Curry Couscous

Curry Couscous Salad & Cornbread

Macaroni Salad

I also...
...watched some of the family in an impromptu baseball game...

and spotted some heart shapes in the clouds...
Hope you can too........Especially Bernie!

This small heart looks a bit hurt and empty...but it's still there.

The sunrise, clouds, sky, the turkeys gobbling...

and the song birds singing......

all seemed extra glorious to me...on this weekend before Easter!

So glad I enjoyed it...for...as I sit here today typing...

it is cold and snowing!

Back Down The Drive

This morning's 7:05 sunrise was tinted lavender...like a hint of Spring.
Plus, warmer temperatures are predicted for a few days.....
which means more comfortable walks for me and our grandchildren.

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All 9 of our grandchildren live within walking distance;

some just take a little hike and cross a creek to get here.....

while others can come down this easier path to our home.
.

Yes, that's a cemetery adjacent to our driveway.....

that they have to pass by.....on their way here.

It's an early 1800's cemetery.

Sometimes they don't even make it here.....

.....but end up in the field chasing butterflies like Amanda!
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This is granddaughter Katie and great niece Alicia

helping granddaughter Alivia, their cousin, down the drive.
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They gather here in the summer and sometimes play a game of corn hole .

That's Nick, Katie, Nathan, and Tori (not a grandchild...but Katie's cousin).
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Katie and Nick
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Most are all teenagers now,

except for Andrew and Dylan...

but when younger they all

had fun in this small pool.....

and often ended up on the back porch

......eating s'mores.....like Dylan here with

Jacob (another cousin, but not a grandchild).....

and sometimes they could be convinced that reviewing

some school work, with Grant's help.....could be fun!

I enjoy all of them coming to gramma's for

warm summer time fun, being all together .....
.

or for cold winter time snowball fights.....
.

or like Katie and Tori.....

to play monopoly... with Alivia looking on.....
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They can come and camp out in my living room anytime,
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or just for quick little visits...like Dustin.....

before they go.....back down the drive.
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Deer.....not grandchidren.....

going back down the drive!!!

Discovering Snakes

Did you see where the Nature journal reported scientists have recovered fossils from a 60-million-year-old South American snake from a Cerrejon coal mine in Colombia. Researchers estimated that it weighed 2,500 pounds, measured 42.7 feet, and was so wide it would have reached up to a person's hips. They named it Titanoboa Cerrejonensis. This is an artist's rendition of what it might look like.

We have some small discoveries ourselves here on the property-

and some not so small-

He needs a close up

Some are very easy to spot on the bare ground-

or in the autumn leaves.





Sometimes they can be found sunning themselves.
Here's Grant, our resident nature guide, with cousins

Andrew and Dylan, discovering a snake doing just that!
Can you spot it? Click for a larger view.

Here are some closeups.

The grandchildren seem pretty brave when it comes to dealing
with snakes, but if they discovered anything bigger than this-





I think this is what we would see.......
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They really aren't as high as they appear to be -
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.
.
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Cousins - Katie, Grant, Nathan, and Nick - standing
Andrew and Dylan - still up a tree!

Disclaimer (this picture was taken a few years ago - they are now older)

Don't want any grandkids upset with gramma!