Thanksgiving

Greetings at this Thanksgiving time.  A holiday for eating, talking, laughing, sharing, and contemplating all the blessings bestowed on us, our families, our communities and our country.  Wherever you are to celebrate I hope it's one filled with happiness.

Here are scenes from last Thanksgiving.  This year will be bittersweet without the presence of my mother.  Who would have thought that we would have to reflect and be thankful for the 94+ years she had on this Earth never expecting that she would not be present with us to celebrate in 2013.

Tables set awaiting guests.

My youngest sister Marie makes her special salad dressing.

Enjoying the campfire and appetizers outside.

My oldest sister Bonnie (right) and I carve the bird.

Food is ready served buffet style.  Mom is there on the left.

Taking our places to eat.

This year my oldest brother is hosting.

Bittersweet!

Dawn Chorale

I was awakened this morning before 6 o'clock by the "who who" of the owls in the neighborhood.  What a pleasant sound.  I believe they were barred owls but they didn't quite finish the "who cooks for you?" as they called through the woods.

First one had a solo for awhile then it was joined by another.  As I lay in bed listening I realized they were moving through the woods first both on the south side, likely in the glen, then one on the north side and one on the south.  They did get fainter after a bit as they moved east through the woods.  Hope they found the owl house I had installed for them.  This is nesting time so I got it up just in time.

Once the sun's rays spilled over the horizon, the owls were quiet.  Maybe another morning I'll hear that lovely chorale again.

Wordless Wednesday - Oh Deer!

Joining the Wordless Wednesday group

Owl House Up!

Our pipeline easement along the northern edge of our property is being widened so there has been a crew of tree men here for a week or more.  I watched them clamber up trees to trim overhanging limbs and realized they could put up my owl house for me.  I spoke to one of them during their lunch hour on Wednesday and Reynaldo said he could come on Saturday to do it for me.  Here is a photo essay of the process.

The owl box purchased in VT (link).

I added wood shavings because the owls don't build a nest.

Selected this sycamore after the first one I realized was too close to neighbors backyard,  Box must 100+ feet from a house.

Reynaldo starts by throwing a weight over a very high limb with a light rope attached.  He uses that then to pull up the climbing rope.

Box is attached to rope to pull up once he's up there.

He straps on his gear but no spikes, not for live trees, he says.

The climb begins.

Pulls up on the rope.

The raises the rope girding the tree.

Up and up.  Over 20 feet high to limb on the right.

He's there.

Up goes the owl box.

He stashed his cordless drill and a knife in there.

His girlfriend and two youngsters watched from their car.

Fastening the box to the trunk.

Hammering in the base before he heads down.

Here is the box this evening high up in the tree.

Awaiting resident barred owls.

Who, who, who cooks for you?