Yeahhhhh! Moo's Home!

September 29, 2010

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Good morning. Yup, it's another damp, gray morning but that's okay. If today turns out like yesterday, it will be nice (sunny and warm) part of the day, and wet and muggy the rest of the day.

Moo is home. Yeahhhhhh!! My little Tootsie was all excited when he finally walked through the door. She ran out to meet him, waving her tail a mile a minute. It's good to have our little family back together again.

Moo had a talk with his doctor yesterday afternoon, to see if he had any viable options, and what they might be. Now he has to think on it and make a decision about what he wants to do at this point. Whatever he decides, we'll stand behind him.

Today, I have a new QP freebie for you. I thought the colors I used were very soothing and restful. Something we could all use right about now. September has been such a stressful month. I hope that October will let us kick back and rest a bit. Plus we have Audrey's visit to look forward to. She will be here in just a few weeks, and we can't wait!

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That's about all the news I have for this morning. It's time to finish up my coffee and get ready to leave for Tootsie's morning chemo treatment. I'll post your freebie, and get ready to start my new day. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

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"QP 046"

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Waiting For A Phone Call

September 28, 2010

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It's a bit of a gray morning here, and the temperature is a bit cool. The weatherman says we will have rain and clouds again today. Actually, they say we will have rain straight through Friday. Oh goodie!!

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Tootsie was to have started this month's chemo treatments this morning but I have just rescheduled to tomorrow and Thursday. I am waiting for a phone call from my brother telling me that I can go pick him up and bring him home. He will be talking with his doctors this morning. His test results were not what we were hoping for, so it is better for him to be at home.

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Tonight I will cook spaghetti and meat sauce for supper. That is one of our favorites, and it will be easy for Moo to swallow. He has a bit of a problem swallowing sometimes, and spaghetti goes down easily.

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Tootsie will be ever so happy to have her favorite uncle home again. She has been missing him quite a lot. Whenever she can, she takes a walk out to see if his bedroom door is open yet. She doesn't understand why it is closed. Yesterday, she did not eat any of her meals. Who says that animals do not mourn for a loved one?

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I have a couple of photos to share today. These were taken through my window this past Sunday. There were quite a few tufted titmouses at the feeder, and I was able to get a few photos.

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Well, that's it for this morning. Now I need to get dressed and wait for Moo's phone call. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Say A Prayer For Moo

September 27, 2010

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Good morning everybody. It's raining and gray here in my little part of the world. It started last evening around 5:30, and hasn't stopped yet. Sometimes it's only a drizzle, and other times it pours. Ah well, my plants certainly can use it.

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This will be a short post. I'm at work and will have to get busy here shortly. Moo hasn't been feeling well lately, so I took him to the hospital last night, and stayed with him until close to midnight. He was having stroke-like symptoms, so they did a CT scan and decided to keep him there overnight. Today he will have an MRI and a couple other tests, and hopefully he can come home later this afternoon or evening.

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I will post the "sky-cloud" show photos from yesterday morning. They are just way too cool not to share them with you. After that, I must start breakfast for the Mrs. Enjoy the photos. Till tomorrow, (hopefully with good news about Moo), Y'all have a wonderful day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

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Quite a show, eh? Amongst all these magnificent clouds, Saturday night's moon was still quite clear.

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Beauty In The Sky

September 26, 2010

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It's another fantabulous morning here in New England. I love it! I love it! The sky early this morning put on a stunning cloud-light show. I took lots of photos, and as soon as I have a chance to check them out, I will share them with you.

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Last night on my way to work, I had to pull over to take photos of the sky. It was just magnificent! It looked better in person, but I did my best to capture it on photo.

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And by the time I got to work, that same sky looked like this. Wow! What a difference!

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So many times I wish that I had gotten into photography much earlier in my life. Although I wonder if I would have viewed the beauty around me in the same way that I do now. As we get older, I think we start to realize that time is very precious, and how very important it is to stop and smell the roses along the way.

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Last night I finished uploading my contribution to the upcoming October Gothic Inspirations Blog Train. I can't imagine what took me so long. I've had it all wrapped up for weeks. Are you getting curious yet? You'll have to wait until October 1. Then I'll put up the whole list of participating designers. It's a long list, so make sure you have plenty of room on your hard drive.

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Now it's time to give Tootsie her meds, and put the scatter rugs that have just finished washing into the dryer. My poor little girl had a horrible case of doggie squirts this morning, and now she is quite wiped out. Poor darling looks so pathetic lying here on the carpet.

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That's all for this morning. Time for me to get a move on here. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a spectacular day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

A Nice Little Lens, My Tamron

September 25, 2010

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It's an absolutely gorgeous morning here in New England. The sun is shining and there is a nice breeze. With a little luck, I will be able to get outside for a bit today with Miss Tootsie. At the moment though, I am going to crawl back into my little bed shortly.

I awoke this morning with one horrid headache. I'm not sure what is from, but I do wish it would go away. So when I finish this very short post, I will take two Excedrin Migraine tablets, give Tootsie her morning meds, and go back to bed.

First, I want to share a few photos that I took yesterday as I was getting ready to leave work. When I was getting into my car, I heard a tapping noise from over near the barn, and aimed the camera that way. Sure enough, there was a little woodpecker up near the roof of the barn, just pecking away.

I also took a photo showing the distance from where I was standing, to where the little woodpecker was. I was standing on the other side of my car near the mirror. The photos are taken hand held with my Tamron lens. Not too shabby! Note the corner of the top roof. That is where the little woodpecker is.

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I am very pleased with this lens. If you can only carry one lens, then this is one to take along with you. Had I used a tripod, I'm sure these photos might have been even better, but I'm happy with them.

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Tomorrow, I'll have another freebie for you. Now it's time to give Tootsie her meds. So till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderful day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Such A Beautiful Moon

September 24, 2010

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Good morning. It's a bit gray and windy outside just now, and I'm at work already. The weatherman says it will be in the 80's and sunny, but it hasn't got here yet. But, yesterday's weather was absolutely gorgeous!!!

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Last night, we had another fantastic moon, and I took my tripod outside after dark, and took lots of photos. The clouds were moving fast, so each photo was different from the next one. Here are a few of those.

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I took more photos of this very same moon this morning on my way to work, but I haven't had a chance to look at them yet. There is so much beauty in the sky, you just have to stop for a moment and look.

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The Mrs. has just woken up, so I have to cut this chat a bit short. She'll be wanting her breakfast pretty soon. So till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

A Gorgeous New Moon

September 23, 2010

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Good Morning everybody. Yesterday was simply gorgeous, and today is looking to be more of the same. Oh my, how this weather would have been lovely all summer long. But I am enjoying it now.

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Bobby & Eddie finished siding the shed yesterday, and set up my kiln planters. Today they will finish painting the shed, and maybe I can get the plants settled in their new spots. Here is my new layout showing these two wonderful guys working on the siding.

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Last night, both Janet and my sister in law, Edie, were here for supper. This was truly a wonderful visit. My chicken dinner turned out super delicious, and the cupcakes that Janet brought for dessert were oh so decadent!

Mmmmmm!

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After supper, Audrey called to remind us about the gorgeous Harvest Moon that was to be in the sky last night. So, out with the cameras we went. However, the moon here in Randolph was hiding behind the huge trees beside my house. I was able to get a few fairly good shots, and I'll try again tonight. Here is my best photo from last night. It has a bit of a brown tinge because I was using "Night Shot" on my camera.

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Today, I have laundry to do, and I want to get the new plants settled in their new homes. I'll get new photos when they are done. Hopefully this afternoon I will be able to finish up a couple of new projects that I am working on. Oh boy, I just love this weather! It gives me newfound energy! I'm gone now. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a simply magnificent day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Recycling Is Definitely The Way To Go

September 22, 2010

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Good morning. There's a bit of a breeze outside and it's a bit nippy yet. The sun is shining though, so it will be warmer soon. Moo and his best friend left very early this morning to go fishing. I'm hoping it's not too cool by the ocean for them.

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The work on the shed is coming along quite nicely. Everything just seems to take so much longer than normal because the buildings here are a speck on the "elder" side. You can't just put up new siding. First, you have to remove the old siding, repair whatever was under that old siding, and then you can start to put up the new stuff. But it is coming along, and it looks quite nice.

On my last couple of shopping trips, I bought some very interesting little rugs. This first rug is a shade of green, and feels quite nice to step on as you walk through the laundry room. It comes in some really nice autumn colors, and you know the best part? It is made from recycled plastic bottles. It takes 100 bottles to make each rug. I think that is quite fascinating.

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This next little rug looks really great by the doors. I bought two of them, and they really do look great, sort of like stones. You'll never guess what they are made from. Okay, I'll tell you......old tires recycled!!! Can you believe it? Gosh, if we could get people all over the world to start manufacturing things from recycled products, wouldn't that be something?

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Oh boy, I hear some very loud voices outside my window. It seems father and son are quite excitedly voicing their opinions and views of recent history and wars. Yup, it's Eddie and Bobby, enjoying their morning cup of coffee and verbal exchange of current world affairs.

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It's also time to give Tootsie her morning meds, so methinks I will take my leave here, and try to get a few things done around here. Janet will be here sometime today too, and I have some chicken to cook. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

A Bit Of Indian Summer

September 21, 2010

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Good morning on this lovely sunny morning. Today is looking like more of yesterday's fantastic weather. Sort of like the old fashioned Indian Summers that I remember from my childhood. It's a rather nice sort of crossover in the weather between the heat of Summer and the cool of Autumn. Nice!

Yesterday, my new book order came in the mail. Dover has so many wonderful books at very affordable prices. My granddaughter Jasmine is a voracious reader like I was at her age. So we sat down one day with the catalogue and picked out a magnificent pile of books. I sent her new books home with her Daddy, and she called all excited, to thank me. Your welcome sweetie, and I love you too.

I thought today I would share photos of flowers. We still have lots of gorgeous flowers and plants blooming here. On the way in to one of my favorite shopping areas, the whole center of the roadway is planted with red petunias. So of course, on my way out of there the other morning, I took some photos while I was waiting in line for the traffic light to turn green.

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In the back seat of my car was the huge new plant that I had just purchased to put outside my door. What else, of course, but chrysanthemums. Lots of beautiful yellow ones. I would liked to have bought two plants, but there was not enough room in my shopping carriage. If they still have some when I go back to that store, I think I will get another plant.

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I can hear Eddie and Bobby's voices outside my window so I think perhaps it's time for me to go get dressed and start my new day. Today they are finishing up the vinyl siding on the shed. It's going to seem strange (but nice!) to have a shed that doesn't leak when it rains!! That's it for today. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Summer Is Leaving On A Gorgeous Note

September 20, 2010

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Oh, what a gorgeous morning we have today. I managed to get a few winks during the night, and was able to do some shopping on my way home from work. First, I went to Home Depot to buy something to eliminate the slipperiness on the tile floors.

After that, I stopped at the local Walmart to stock up on doggie food. My little girl was down to her last container of dinners. I think we are now all set for a couple of weeks. I even bought her a new kind of dinner to try out. If she likes it, it could save me some money.

Last night, I did a bit of designing and finished the color challenge for the MS forum. It's a mini kit I call "September Majesty."

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Expired

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Has anyone realized that Summer is just about over, and Autumn starts in a couple of days? Where in the world did the whole year go? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was praying for Spring to get here? And while I was waiting for Spring, Summer came along and slipped right by.

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On a positive note though, Audrey will be here for a two week visit in just a few more weeks. Yeah-h-h! Uncle Moo will be happy, he will have someone else to grump at for a while. And she will spoil him a bit, and cook him some of her special recipes.

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That's all the news for today. It's time for me to get a few things done around here. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Just A Wee Bit Tired This Morning

September 19, 2010

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So far, it's quite lovely this morning. Even though it's a bit nippy, the sun is shining. You know, I am so surprised. I looked at all the trees on my way home this morning, and almost all of them are still completely green. Usually by this time, most of them have already started to turn color and lose their leaves. Gosh, I wonder if this means that we will have a fantastic color show for October. Wouldn't that be super!

I didn't work on the color challenge last night, but I did finish another freebie QP. Little by little, I seem to be getting a few things done. The Mrs. went to bed early last night, so I was able to play on my laptop for a while.

There were no winks for me last night, so in a little while, as soon as Miss Tootsie has her morning meds, we are going to hop into bed for a nice nap. I think I should go and get my flu shot this week too. Going without enough sleep leaves you quite vulnerable to the flu virus, and I really don't want to get sick any time soon.

Today I have a photo of a beautiful weed from my little garden. If you look around, you can find so many really beautiful weeds and grasses in fields and in your yard. I'm not really sure what the name of this grass is. We always used to call it Witches Grass. But when I look witches grass up on Google, the picture there isn't quite the same. If you know what it is, please let me know.

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I think now I need to do my little girl's meds and get myself into bed. My eyes are having problems staying open, and they are feeling a bit scratchy. They are hinting that they want to go to sleep. Hmmmmm, sounds good to me! Till tomorrow, Y'all have a marvelous day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Looks Like Another Gray Day

September 18, 2010

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Looks like we have another gray day. Although it's still early, only a little after 7 am. Things are looking a bit damp and gloomy outside my window. Tootsie and I didn't sleep so good. We sort of tossed and turned all through the night. Miss Tootsie was needing lots of cuddling, so cuddle we did.

We are still slipping and sliding on the floors, so I guess I will try one of Audrey's suggestions next. I will pick up a plastic floor runner, and put it down where Tootsie has to travel the most. I do put down scatter rugs, and they do help. Alas, one of Tootsie's most fun things to do is to pee on the scatter rugs. Ah well, it could have been a good idea.

There really isn't a lot of news today. Tootsie and I went to bed early last night and watched some programs on TV. Energy levels aren't so high on damp and drizzly days. For some reason, I just could not get in a designing mood.

This morning, however, I did make a new layout. This one features Eddie and Moo putting the new window in the shed. Guys, you did a really great job!!

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Tonight is a work night, so maybe after the Mrs. is asleep I will try to finish up the color challenge. There are a few projects that I would like to finish up before the month is over.

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I'm off now to crawl back into my warm little bed and maybe catch a few more winks. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a marvelous day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Slippin' And Slidin"

September 17, 2010

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Methinks today is going to be a gray day, nice temperature just a bit gray. It rained enough during the night to leave everything still quite wet. So far this morning, I've been busy catching up on some emails, and checking the forum to see what's been happening in there. And enjoying a cup of coffee too, I might add.

Yesterday, my son in law was finishing up the caulking for the new floor tiles. But first he asked for a cleaning agent to use to clean the tiles. I gave him a bottle of Simple Green. Then I went to do my errands. Oh boy, oh boy!! Don't ever use Simple Green to clean anything that you might have to walk on!

Poor little Tootsie and I spent the afternoon and evening slipping and sliding all over the place. It's a wonder no one broke a leg or a foot or something. We did wash the floors two or three times with plain dish soap and water, but they are still extremely slippery. In just a little bit here, I am going to have to try washing them again.

I have some new photos of the bumble bees that have been enjoying my "chicks and hens" plants. I know that's a weird name for the plants, but that's all I ever heard them called throughout my whole life. One of these days, I will see about looking them up either in books or on the web to see what other folks call them.

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Uncle Moo has just left for his doctor appointment, and I think that I shoud get dressed now and start on the floors. It's also time to give Tootsie her morning meds. Before I go, I do have a new freebie QP for you. I hope you like it. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantastic day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

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"QP - 045"

Congratulations, Michael Grimm!!!

September 16, 2010

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Good morning. Did everyone watch "America's Got Talent" last night? Did your favorite contestant win? Mine did!! That Michael Grimm could sing by my window any time. What a voice!! I must say, the talent this year has been absolutely fantastic.

Today I will have to start watching Tootsie very carefully to make sure she will still be alright after the decrease in the prednisone. So far, she is doing okay. Gosh, I hope it all goes well for her. She is just so precious to me.

I have a photo to share of a tiny metallic green bee. I don't know as I ever really noticed one of these before, but I thought it was quite interesting looking.

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Last night, there was a really beautiful half moon, and both Moo and I went out to photograph it. My photos didn't come out as sharp as I would have liked because it was dark out and I wasn't using a tripod. However, I still enjoyed playing with a couple of them in Photoshop. This one hasn't been cropped, and I applied the PS Sponge filter with a blue tint. I actually do like the way it came out.

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For those of you interested, my camera is a Canon Rebel T1i, and I have been using a Tamron 18-270 mm F/3.5-6.3 DiII VC lens for most of my photos lately. It's a great all around lens.

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Well it's time for me to get dressed and start my day. I have to get to the store and pick up the rest of Tootsie's meds and more doggie food. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderfu day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Robins Galore

September 15, 2010

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Good afternoon! It's a gorgeous day today, and Miss Tootsie and I just got back a little ago from her check up with her Neurosurgeon. The prednisone is starting to cause her some problems so we will start to wean her off it starting today. Hopefully, she will still be able to walk. Otherwise, the doctor will have to increase her chemo treatments.

For her skin and allergy problems, she has some new medicine to put on her skin, and some gel capsules full of vitamins and medicine. Now I just have to figure out to get those gel caps into her. Can't put it on her food, because she is a picky eater and doesn't always eat her food. I'll figure something out.

Yesterday, I promised you a photo showing how far away that tree was that the birds always like to sit on. I cropped the photo a bit so it would fit here. I took these photos from way across the other side of the street. The trees are the bare ones in the middle and upper left background.

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Here a couple of closeups of the bare tree branches on the left. These are all Robins in this tree, and in the second photo, you can see the color on the Robins breasts.

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And here are a couple of closeups of the Robins digging for worms in the backyard. I must say, I have never seen so many Robins in the yard all at once. There were dozens!! Note, in the second photo, our Robin already has her worm in her mouth. Yummy!!

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I'm sorry the colors and details aren't as good as I would like, but I took these photos through a window. Sometimes. the dirt and sun glare on the outside of the window doesn't always cooperate with my attempts.

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I have more cute photos for you but I'll save them for tomorrow. Right now, I can hear sounds of an electric saw and voices outside my door. Eddie must be out there with Moo putting in the new window in the shed. Oh boy, I see more photos coming soon!!

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Well, I have to get busy here. The day is more than half over and I still have lots to do. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

A New Bird In Town

September 14, 2010

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It's another cool morning here in New England. I really don't want to say it, but Summer is definitely winding down in a big way. The temperature drop is huge. We go from 90+ degrees every day to 70+ degrees every day. I would say that is a good sign that Autumn is quickly taking over.

Yesterday morning at work, I noticed a new visitor to the yard. The large backyard was filled with lots of birds scratching about looking for food. This one bird caught my attention because I wasn't quite sure what it was. It sort of looked like a cross between a woodpecker and a mourning dove. I took some pictures through the window, and when I got home I got out my bird books.

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Surprise, surprise. According to my bird books, it's a Northern Flicker. I took this photo to show the red markings on the back of the head, and the yellow in the wing and tail feathers. Plus this is a good sized bird.

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After checking around the ground a bit, the Flicker spotted an old tree stump, and quickly meandered over to it. It seemed quite happy to find this old stump.

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When I was leaving to go home, it flew across the street to a tree that seems to be a favorite to many of the neighborhood birds.

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Usually all I can get for photos from that distance is silhouettes, but I try anyway. You can definitely see that this is the same Northern Flicker. Tomorrow, I will show you a photo that will show you the actual distance.

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I think I'm getting old, folks. You know, yesterday afternoon when I got home, I managed to do a few things (not much, really). Caught up on some emails, and chatted on the phone for a bit with a friend. I even thought about watching a bit of TV. Somehow, I must have just nodded off to sleep because a couple hours later I woke up and was still sitting on the sofa. Think maybe I was a speck tired?

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I can hear some activity out in my yard, so it's time for me to get dressed and start my day. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a marvelous day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

A Cool, Gray Monday Morning

September 13, 2010

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Good morning. It's 6:50 am, and a bit cool and gray yet. I'm still at work and trying to catch up on my emails while the Mrs. is still asleep. Moo will be by this morning to drop off my little Tootsie so that he can go to the Cape. It's only for the day, though. He will be back later this afternoon. Vacations aren't much fun when you go alone.

Last night, I finished up about half of one of the color challenges. Maybe later I can get it completed, wrapped and uploaded. I also spent some time on the bills. Got a few of them ready to put out in the mailbox, and one that I need to pay in person on my way home later today.

There haven't been many deer in the fields across the street lately. Seems there are always folks with their dogs going into the woods for whatever reason. This of course, keeps the deer away. It's amazing, there is a public dog park here in this town, but folks bring their dogs to this patch of woods instead. Needless to say, I miss the deer.

Today I have photos of my little sparrows that congregate outside my window. I get a lot of pleasure watching these little birds.

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The Mrs. is waking so I must stop now and get busy here. As promised, I do have a freebie QP for you today. I hope you can use it. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderful day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

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"QP 044"

Short And Sweet

September 12, 2010

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So far, it's a gray morning with lots of gray clouds, but the fluffy white clouds are right behind the gray ones with bits of blue sky and sunshine peeking out. There were no winks for me last night, so I'll keep this post short and sweet. After Tootsie has her morning meds, it will be bedtime for Bonzo here.

Last night after the Mrs. went to bed, I worked on a couple of layouts for the Holiday Hoedown Challenge at the Moo Two forum. There were so many different choices of things to scrap about, but I chose the "National Collect Rocks Day" and "My Favorite Photo Subjects." Here are my layouts. Credits for the elves goes to Anita Lee Designs.

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Tomorrow, I will have a new freebie for you. I'm just finishing uploading things. Next, I need to get busy on a couple of color challenges. Lots to do this week. Now I want to finish up my coffee, and get a couple of things done so that I can go have my nap. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantastic day.

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Hugs, Edna B.