November 2015

It's a beautiful day today.  I haven't posted in 2 years!  Halloween has officially gone over the top on Stonybrook Drive, we had over 675 kids Saturday night.  It was fun. The weather was good, many neighbors had great displays. I carved 3 large jack o lanterns at the last minute as usual, (cowboy, fireman and purple princess) , and put orange and purple lights out.  There was a giant inflated cat on the corner, a real hearse in a front yard around the corner, at least 2 smoke machines going full blast, an inflated Frankenstein,  the house 3 doors down went all out with ghosts, ghouls,lights, music, they had a bit of everything . Looked fantastic. Our block was blocked off with orange cones but electric vehicles could come in. The NA put a  "Lost Souls" tent at the corner of Stonybrook and Thornridge. Klieg lights were on for the new Pink Parrot on May giving away free churros......all making it very attractive for the kids. They were almost all little kids under 12 for sure, just a few middle schoolers.  All of them are so sweet and polite.  We even had 4 Steam Punk adults in a camo electric vehicle driving some little kids around. The best costume in my opinion, or I should say the one I liked the most and was very creative was 2 girls dressed as glowing sea creatures.  One had a white umbrella with purple lights under it and streamers hanging off it, she was dressed all in white, the other had glowing greeen tendrils flowing off the top of her head.  I could see them coming all the way down the street. One little girl said she loved my house and my pumpkins and gave me a hug and a kiss.  Worth the price of the candy and the bit of work carving the pumpkins!  Super heros , superman, spiderman, etc. are still all the rage, as are princesses of all types, sports costumes, a few cheerleaders, football players, etc. I did see a couple of the new inflated costumes with the fans inside to keep them blown up, they look like a pain to wear!  Great Halloween in the books for 2015.  One sad note, our long time next door neighbor Karen Johnson moved to Cincinnati a week ago and we dearly missed her!  She was always a trooper and well in to her 70's kept handing out candy to the hoards. Miss you Karen!

I think it has been about a week since a hummingbird has been around, perhaps more. Plenty of flowers available this year, trumpet vine and vitex attracting loads of butterflies and moths. Sphinx moths to be exact. Dozens of monarchs.

Hummingbird here today.  Mostly flitting around in the Vitex tree. It was so chilly here yesterday I am surprised to see one. It was warmer nearly everywhere else in the country! It felt wonderful after a long long very very HOT summer!

Seattle in July, Gabrielle's graduation present, spend day with Katrina, see locks and fish ladders, Bainbridge Island Washington State Ferry, Squim for the Lavender Festival, Marc and Gabby kayak near U of Washington on the lake, stay downtown Pioneer Square Marriott for half the stay then out to Residence Inn, add rental car and makes for easier driving to outlying areas, Japanese Garden in suburban area
Sewanee in August, driving trip to drop off at college for the first time, Marc and Martha visit Baisden's home, Gabrielle does pre-orientation on the Domain, moves into dorm early because of attending pre-orientation, Marc and Martha explore Lynchberg, Tracy City, Foster Falls, Columbia, etc. 
Pennsylvania in September, Longwood Gardens, Brandywine River Museum, commuter train into city, Marc has golf outting for business

NAMESAKE

A black swallowtail flitted through the yard yesterday! Lot's of parsley for laying eggs on! I even have a new butterfly bush for the adults. Small miracles.

Another Happy Halloween on Stonybrook Road

Halloween 2011. Monday night, kids started coming at 6:00 and we shut the door at 8:30. The count was 399 give or take 8!

Lots of yard activity today. Butterflies, hummingbird, chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, sparrows, robins, doves, .....  Lots of clear blue sky and crisp air.

Best Drying Rack - American Made!!!

I love my new clothes drying rack

I'm going to post a boring account of the weather so I can remember how stinking hot it is. Today we broke the high temperature record, it was 106. It was 105 degrees in 1980.We are at 52 days of 100 degrees or more for the year. Some parts of Oklahoma are way over that, almost 100 days of 100 degrees or more. I have been sitting around a lot in pj's. That makes for a thrilling summer. Looks good on a resume...(too hot for real clothes!) God Bless air conditioning! I water to keep a green patch around the house. It makes me feel better, I suspect the birds like it too.

There was a big earthquake on the east coast today, centered in Mineral VA, 5.9 , caused a lot of panic in the cities. People naturally thought of terrorism when they felt the shaking. Never fear... a hurricane is bearing down on Raleigh NC...due there in 2 days.

Hummingbird or birds have been here and gone. Greener pastures? There can't be much nectar until some of the fall things start to bloom. I saw a hummer , put the feeder up straight away, saw it or another a couple more times and that was it. I hope I get some more before winter.

I planted zucchini seeds a couple of days ago. I figure I still have time to get a crop in. The seed are up already and the first leaf is showing. 55 days to maturity says the packet, but I don't know if that means giant squash or bloom or what. I'm hoping for something edible on day 45!

Lifesavers...

Yet another classic product not made in the USA anymore, the Lifesavers Christmas Storybook.....now made in Mexico. They don't taste the same either.

18 Papilio polyxenes 42

18 Papilio polyxenes 42

Happy Halloween !

Happy Halloween !, originally uploaded by schipperkes.

Humming birds have been gone for a couple of weeks even though it has been warm , unusually warm actually. Lot's of butterflies in the yards especially monarchs and fritillaries and sulfurs. Cross Country season is winding down, 3 meets left including the SPC. It's sad because I know that only one more season is left. Something has happened to my opening photo on the blog, I need some lessons to make this thing look consistent. my pictures morph all the time, one day they are giant, the next tiny!

I love the fall, I hope it lingers and we don't get suddenly cold and nasty. We drove to Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs over fall break (Oct. 1-4) and it was a wonderful trip. Visited Colorado College and took the cog train up Pikes Peak.

small yard, big nature!

For the small area I have, sometime I'll measure it so I know how small, I have an amazing array of wildlife to watch. HUGE dragonflies, birds galore(too many to list!), butterflies, toads, on RARE occasion a tortoise, snakes, possums, squirrels, etc.
I think if more people could appreciate the living creatures around them their lives would be better for it. I know spending a little time each day just watching what goes on around me make me feel good. Just knowing they are there whether I watch or not makes me feel good. Life goes on...

Talimena Drive Oklahoma

Talimena Drive Oklahoma, originally uploaded by aero nerd.

Most people think of "dust bowl" when Oklahoma comes to mind. Those of us who live here know the truth! What a great shot of the Talimena Drive.

Went through old photos last night. Did not even make a dent. Some drastic action needs to be taken. I need to scan everything or copy to usb. Photos from the 90's are degrading, plus I can't find anything because there are too many!!! First they all need to be put in chronological order, then I'm going to buy one of those new devices to convert slides and negatives and store them digitally. That should help. Too many things to misplace! Too many boxes to ever get organized, I would go broke buying albums. Some just need to be thrown out! I'd rather clean toilets!

I saw the first hummingbird of the summer on Marc's birthday, July 14th, enjoying my butterfly bush.

The Symbolism of the Pelican

The Symbolism of the Pelican

Papa Tian eats in the Snow!

Papa Tian eats in the Snow!, originally uploaded by RoxandaBear.

This is just so adorable.

Rascal

Missing Rascal terribly. Lottie keeps looking at me as if to say, "where's our buddy?"

In heaven , I suspect.

pupperwupper

My beautiful Rascal. My dear "pupperwupper" was an inspiration to me. Such a strong little soul. I held him as Dr. Ruby eased his pain and he died surrounded by people who often cared for him and loved him too. Many of the Vet's staff came to give Rascal one last kiss or hug. Rest in Peace my dear friend. God bless you. It is unknown when he was born. He passed from this earth on January 19th, 2010. My family and I were able to spend 8 years of his life with him. He came from the rescue organization with the name Rascal and it stuck. I miss him so.

What is going on here.....first an honest to God blizzard then a 4.0 and a 3.7 earthquake!!!! Fun in OKC!

Happy New Year. 2010. Survived the BLIZZARD of Christmas Eve 2009. Side streets are just now getting back to normal because it has been staying cold at night and what melts during the day refreezes into a bigger mess. No plows or sand or salt on side streets we just wait for warm temps to melt it away. Even when I lived in Buffalo NY, Syracuse NY, Apalachin NY and Norwich NY I have never seen worse conditions during a storm. I have seen much more snow, but not with that kind of wind along with it! Luckily like most Oklahoma weather it blew through in 1 day and it was beautiful and sunny Christmas day. ..on to the next Oklahoma tragedy, will it be flood? fire? maybe an earthquake, we've been having small ones all year long......!

Felt and wine cork mushroom brooch

Felt and wine cork mushroom brooch, originally uploaded by woolly fabulous.

I just love this tiny thing!

My year is marked by the movements of hummingbirds! They have returned. I put out a feeder a couple of days ago and one appeared shortly after. Lovely creatures! An entire year has passed since I last saw them up close and personal.

My husband has resigned his job as of July 15th and will be forming his own business, working out of the house for now. It's nice to have him around. I hope we can make a new venture work.

We had a great vacation driving from OKC OK to Cazenovia NY and back. Memphis, Knoxville, Warm Springs VA, Scranton, Cazenovia, Cleveland, Bloomington IN, St. Charles MO, OKC. So much to see. So many restaurants to try!

Favorite place on the trip: Jefferson Pools in Warm Springs VA. Incredible. We read a Bailey White story and figured out she was talking about this old fashioned spa/hot spring in VA and we decided we must go there. Been in exhistance as a hot spring for soaking since before 1800, currently it's as it has been for aobut 100 years or more. SO QUAINT! Stayed at the nearby Grist Mill Inn, really nice. Breakfast in bed!

Gabrielle had her braces put on for the final time yesterday. 2 more years and she will be finished with all this pain and torture.

Raku pottery at the OKC Festival of the Arts

Raku pottery is created with a specific ceramic firing process that uses both fire and smoke to create unique patterns and designs. With raku pottery, the piece is first bisque fired. Then, it is glazed and undergoes a raku firing process. The raku firing process requires a special raku kiln that is fueled by propane and reaches temperatures of about 1800°F (about 982°C).
In order to complete the firing process, the raku pottery must remain in the kiln for approximately 30 minutes. The raku pottery is then removed from the kiln using specially designed raku tongs. While the raku pottery piece is still hot and glowing, it is placed inside a metal can full of combustible materials. The heat emitted from the raku pottery causes these materials to catch on fire.
After the materials inside the metal can catch on fire, a lid is placed over the can and the raku pottery is sealed inside. The raku pottery is capable of withstanding these high temperatures and the fire within the can because it is made from a special type of clay that is capable of withstanding thermal shock. Traditional pottery clays, on the other hand, would crack from the drastic temperature changes raku pottery undergoes.
As the fire consumes the oxygen within the can, it also draws the oxygen out of the raku pottery and its glaze. This process is called post fire reduction. It is the post fire reduction stage that creates the unique look of raku pottery. The resulting patterns and colors are unpredictable, as they are created through the natural process of oxygen removal.
After the raku pottery remains in the sealed metal can for about 15 minutes, it is removed and placed in a can of water. This freezes the patterns that were created during the post fire reduction stage. The amount of time a piece should remain in the cooling water largely depends on the piece and its size. Source: Raku Pottery

Ah yes, EARTH DAY was yesterday.....anyone else find it majorly depressing???? I went off to college (SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry) to save the earth in 1974. I thought more people would be clued in by now. It still seems like a fringe movement to me.. People think green is building a whole new house from scratch or buying a Prius and junking the old car. Then there's China.... There's not much personal responsibility on any front any more why will taking care of our environment be any different?

My one exciting and positive discovery is the Plastiki Expedition. I hope it is a true success. http://www.adventureecology.com/theplastiki/main.html

Waxed paper

It's the little things that make me happy! I found waxed paper bags at the store on Saturday. I haven't been able to find them in years. These are special "green" ones, but any paper bag for food storage is OK with me. Has anyone ever seen a paper bag stuck in a tree for weeks on end flapping in the breeze???? I think NOT! I can safely compost these, and they are made in the USA! They are great for carrying snacks around.

Easter Sunday 2009 Gabrielle working away on sauce for fresh asparagus. We honored her with a vegetarian Easter this year. It's healthy for us. What a beautiful daughter I have. Don't worry the dining room was beautiful and appropriate for the occasion! How does that kitchen get in such a state?

My quiche creation. It was so overly popular in the 1980's that I forget how wonderful it can be. I just do it on the fly, this one had broccoli and Vermont cheddar with a touch of shallots.

The Clematis by the front door bloomed for the occasion. Why didn't I start growing these 30 years ago? They are wonderful plants.

red bellied woodpecker 03 framed

red bellied woodpecker 03 framed, originally uploaded by johnbird30.

back to the blog......

Look how long it's been since I have been to the blog!!! The holidays really screw with my mind, I'm just now coming up for air! Also spring has sprung in Oklahoma City. Up to 78 degrees today and right back down in the next few, but it feels good today to have the windows open. Daffodils and flowering trees are in bloom. Robins are going crazy before dawn. A new woodpecker appeared this week. We have only had the Downey in the past.

Christmas 2008

It's been lovely. Still have a few gifts to deliver and send off to far away relatives and nearby friends and neighbors. I am a HUGE procrastinator! We met some relatives who were in town from Arkansas and Missouri at the Cowboy / Western Heritage Museum to see the American Craft Exhibit before it leaves in January.http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/ It is an incredible exhibit, all the finest glass makers, potters , fiber artists, basket makers, etc. Old and new on display. From the Shakers to Dominic Labino. I am going back next week alone so I can see each piece in more detail.

Later we went out to buy fresh flour for my new bread machine !!! I will try it out tomorrow! I will need to make all my own bread to save money after spending a small fortune on Christmas!.....many purchases were practical though, no big screen tvs here.......

boring boring blogging!!!!

I need to step up the blog content.....it's even boring me! We have had an amazingly nice but COLD December this year. Record low temps for the date, I think the coldest I have experienced since moving here 10 years ago. I am nearly ready for Christmas. I am enjoying the last few days prior doing some fun last minute shopping and decorating. (putting out all the Christmas Playmobil we have-tedious chore, but so fun!) I enjoy going to the locally owned shops that are NOT in malls!!! Does any one else think malls smell bad? I feel ill in the malls!

....the last few years I look for MADE IN AMERICA. We are giving away our country! What will we become if we can't make anything? I found gift bags that were made in the US and I bought them all because I noticed that the new ones being stocked were now made in China, the same company, now made in China. I also searced high and low for tissue paper made in the US. Look at candy canes, almost all are now made in Mexico.

I roasted 8 pounds of pecans using a Martha Stewart recipe of maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, kosher salt, thyme and cayenne pepper. They made nice gifts for the teachers and for the hosts of a Christmas open house. I will do it again, much easier than cookies. The pecans are $10.00 a pound this year, I used local, so that's a decent gift if you give a pound. A bit healthier than cookies too. It only takes about 20 minutes per pound , plus cooling and wrapping. I also found that I am having a terrible time finding one of my favorite things, real bayberry candles. I finally found 7 on ebay and the candle maker wasn't making any more this season, so I bought the 7. I ordered some from Leman's catalog as a gift and I found some more in the Chinaberry catalog. They are so wonderful to have for Christmas. I suppose they are more common in the north, I have never seen them in a store here. We always had them growing up in upstate NY. The smell takes me back....

My Angel Inspiration

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Hummingbirds

I haven't seen any birdies, hummers that is for about a week or more. It is still warm-hot almost so I guess they just take off at the end of September no matter what the weather. It was an extremely dry September after a very wet, actually the most rain ever in an Oklahoma August ! Lots of butterflies still around to marvel at. I am anticipating Halloween already and I can't believe a year has past! We have new neighbors across the street so no more of Lance and Veronica's generous large size Hershey Bars for all 300+ kids!!!

Touching Tribute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhkGMI_Kbxw

chrysalis

A black swallowtail chrysalis is attached to my front door trim-can that be a sign? I mean the caterpillar had to crawl a great distance to make itself seen at my door. One day the caterpillars were on the parsley, the next morning the chrysalis was attached to the wood trim of the door. I hope it is soon a butterfly-it should be in a day or two. I will add a photo tomorrow.

The butterflies are back! 2 Giant caterpillars are munching on parsley flowers! Sneaky devils.

On Sunday we all went to a lavender farm near Shawnee OK. It was wonderful. The plants were in full bloom, covered with honey bees and butterflies. One can pick your own for $5.00 a bundle. The owner has a charming cottage on the property with a gift shop. Also a barn and another building that was being used for a workshop when we were there. Apparently the owner was inspired by a lavender farm in Washington.

Etsy :: ThomasPotteryGallery :: Face Jug Pendant

Etsy :: ThomasPotteryGallery :: Face Jug Pendant

Baltimore Oriole-Syracuse Lacrosse

SAW A BALTIMORE ORIOLE IN THE YARD TODAY AFTER HEARING HIM FOR A FEW DAYS. HE SEEMED TO LIKE THE SPRINKLER. i HOPE HE STICKS AROUND.

SYRACUSE PLAYED VIRGINIA IN THE LACROSSE SEMI FINAL TODAY. THEY WON 12-11 IN THE 2ND OVERTIME!!! GOSU!

Passage: Philippians 4:13 (ESV Bible Online)

Passage: Philippians 4:13 (ESV Bible Online)

Dance and be Happy!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHtO6NwxhmU

L & B Yarn Co.

L & B Yarn Co.

Steve Sack, comics, editorial cartoons, email comics, political cartoons

Steve Sack, comics, editorial cartoons, email comics, political cartoons

Comics and Editorial Cartoons: Tom Toles on Yahoo! News

Comics and Editorial Cartoons: Tom Toles on Yahoo! News

Floop! on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Floop! on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

The PARSLEY is in!

I picked up an order from the food co-op today that included my first spring parsley plants for my butterflies to find as soon as it warms up! Can't wait! Unfortunately today it's barely 30 and freezing rain.....

Science Journal - WSJ.com

Science Journal - WSJ.com

62 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

62 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Trick or Treat

Still recovering from Halloween. We had 325 trick or treaters come to our front door. The huge amount of kids and the financial outlay for the candy is starting to take the fun out of one of my favorite holidays. I went to Sam's Club this year and I bought 4 boxes of 100 tootsie pops/jolly rancher pops each. The remaining 75 pops went to school and the kids sold them with a club bakesale. I just took the carved pumpkins around back to put in the composter. We had orange and purple lights and 4 very large pumpkins. I forgot to take a picture.

42 ?

42 (number) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

18 ?

18 (number) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

October Hail

It's really fun to watch if one is inside and the vehicles are in the garage! This is the most I have ever seen at the house and it melted nearly as fast as it came down because it was almost 80 degrees prior to the storm. Click on the photo to get the full effect!

Papilio polyxenes

Papilio polyxenes

Papilio polyxenes pupa

Papilio polyxenes pupa

Papilio polyxenes pupa

Papilio polyxenes pupa

polyxenes larva

polyxenes larva

Papilio polyxenes ova

Papilio polyxenes ova

These Come From Trees Blog

These Come From Trees Blog

BLOG ACTION DAY

1. keep an open mind
2. stop complaining
3. look closely at nature near you

Plans for October 15

I have decided to make some kind of a list for action day. If anyone ever stops by my blog I think they would be more likely to look at a list than to read a long blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, on and on and on and on post...at least I know I find myself skipping a lot of LONG tedious posts! So look for the list.

Johnnie's Britton Road Location

http://johnniesok.com/johnnies.php

Our "go to" place. Now has a wonderful gelato shop adjacent. They have the best burgers and fries close to home. VERY clean. Relaxing atmosphere. Efficient service. Doesn't disappoint when everyone is exhausted and starving at the end of a long day. Pretty good people watching. At certain times it can have TOO many kids. I think this location is the best, it's the original.

Blog for Awareness

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HAWK and STAR

We came home from Ron's to find a hawk sitting in a puddle in the street. Keep in mind we aren't out in the middle of the country, it's pretty urban here at home. I think it was an immature Cooper's hawk, but I'm not 100% sure. It gave us quite a show, it stayed when we got out of the car and then flew around so we could really take him/her in. Gorgeous!

Last night we had a fire in the pit on the patio and we saw a nice shooting star. A big one. I watched for a long time during the Perseid's and only got a few rather disappointing ones. Nice surprise, a glass of bubbly in my hand , some pinon on the fire and a star!

Eichen's Bar

One of our favorite places doesn't have a web presence, no web site to check out. It's a little bar ( oldest in OK ) in Okarche OK that serves out of this world fried chicken. It's made to order and served on paper. No utensils, there are a couple of other menu items and sodas or beer. It is a REAL place. Excellent people watching. All kinds from Harley riders to little old ladies to rich eccentrics. Just an excellent fun place.

ronshamburgers.com

ronshamburgers.com

Does anyone see a pattern here? Ron's is yummy. People watching is OK, not as good as Hamburger King. I think the food may be a touch better though.

Hamburger King Shawnee OK

It's good. The Sterns have been to Hamburger King and mention it on the Road Food website. Very old fashioned, takes us back to the 60's of our youth. One orders by a red phone at each booth. Simple and good. Next time I'll take a picture, Shawnee is very Robert Altman like.

Van's Pig Stands - Bar-B-Q Restaurant and Bar-B-Q Sauces and Spices.

Van's Pig Stands - Bar-B-Q Restaurant and Bar-B-Q Sauces and Spices.

Hamburger King, Shawnee Oklahoma

Hamburger King, Shawnee Oklahoma

Visiting Shawnee today for a sporting event, I will report back on all American Hamburger King. Another favorite restaurant of ours is in Shawnee, Van's Pig Stand. Van's is also old and charming, I hope The Hamburger King lives up to it's "hype".

Hot October

It just won't cool down! The mornings are cooler on the patio though because of the angle of the sun and the patio is on the north side. The hummers are officially gone. A last black swallow tail caterpillar went off somewhere to make a cocoon. Hopefully I will get to see the result.

Hummingbirds

I realize I am obsessing about the birdies, but they keep faking me out. I saw one yesterday. We had a front move through today, so maybe today is the day. Some lovely large Monarchs are on the butterfly bush the last 2 days and over the weekend the gulf fritillaries were around en masse. I have 3 black swallowtail caterpillars on the parsley in the front planter, so they are still going strong. I am going to go to TLC tomorrow and get some parsley plants . Fall is the perfect time to plant them. I need to figure out where or how to get milkweed.... The Centennial Cattle Drive is in Kingfisher today. I wish I had gone to see it. One of the better events to celebrate 100 years of statehood.

Definition of apparel - Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Definition of apparel - Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Well I'll be! Apparel is a transitive verb! Thanks Ms. Larsen, I learn something everyday!

Birds

I didn't see a hummingbird today. It could be the last day. It was very warm, 90 plus and windy. I'll watch more carefully tomorrow.
I was at the dentist today. Just a cleaning for once. I need a porcelain crown on a front tooth and several others in the back. That will be next year.... The tooth in front looks horrible, an old porcelain has deteriorated from having the braces covering it.
School lunch bunch tomorrow. Hmmmm. What will the ladies have in store?

No cooking involved

I found everything that was pickled and smoked and preserved that we had on hand and that was dinner! Salami, ham, pickled onions, pickled red pepper, sharp cheddar, herbed goat cheese, beets, Oklahoma pecans, and a few crackers. Click on the picture to get the full effect!

Backyard Buddies

The hummingbirds are still here! A front is coming through today, will they leave with the warm air??? I can't figure out what causes them to leave-fading daylight? Cool air? Lack of food? Can I solve this mystery?

Sad Anniversary

It's just flat out sad. I watched the old 9/11 footage on MSNBC in "real time" just as it was on that Tuesday morning in 2001. The firefighters marching toward the WTC after the first building had collapsed and before the second one fell. Marching toward death.

I remember seeing a documentary filmed by 2 French men who just happened to be filming the NYFD that day and in one "scene" the NYFD had made a sort of command post in the lobby of the WTC and you could keep hearing these really loud crashes in the background. Turns out it was the bodies of people who had decided to jump hitting the cement just outside where the firemen were trying to figure out what the hell to do. You could sense the terror. Thank you to the film makers for not showing some things that they could have. One of the heroes from NY who helped in the OKC bombing lost his life on 9/11. Raymond M. Downey. It was all more than senseless. There is no way to comprehend it. Americans are nothing if not honorable. We show our faces to our enemies.

There was a box turtle in the yard on Friday and I didn't have it together enough to get a photo of it. Lottie the Chocolate Lab "found" it and brought it over by the patio door. Luckily her soft mouth didn't injure it. I quickly got the dogs in the house so I could examine the little guy, it was an ornate western box turtle, T. o. ornata. It had red eyes so it was a male. I spent at least an hour watching him and when I went in to get the camera and charge the battery he disappeared!

Addio Maestro

Birthday week....holiday week.....worked at the CC on Tuesday, a madhouse. Myrla is a saint. I decided to go to the Edmond Farmer's Market on Wednesday morning. It was good, not great. I got a Frankoma honey pot and some Oklahoma honey to fill it, some tomatoes, peaches, onions and beeswax candles. Today a massive head and neck ache, sore throat, I think it's allergies, but for a while this am I thought I had something more. I was finally able to keep down some Tylenol at 3 o'clock. According to the news ragweed pollen is through the roof.

Today I did see one hummingbird, activity has slowed. I still don't know if there are fewer birds or they are coming to my feeder less. It is windy, hot and humid. It's usually just hot and windy this time of year! We had a little rain yesterday and we will get rain tomorrow. Our front lawn looks so fabulous I just can't get over it. Some years we have had to water almost everyday to keep it alive much less green. I was able to figure out that the noisy amphibians in our yard are Woodhouse's Toads. I snapped a picture of one that was out in the daylight for some unknown reason, probably disturbed by a certain dog....

World news is depressing. Luciano Pavarotti died yesterday. I cried twice today upon hearing nessun dorma from Puccini's Turandot on the various broadcasts ...no one sleeps...now the great tenor does. One of a kind. Osama Bin Laden is rattling his sabre. German's foil a huge terrorism plot. I guess the foiling part is good news!

Happy Birthday

My birthday always signals that summer is over. Most of my life in the northeast summer really was over by September 3rd, here in OKC we still have lots of warm weather yet before frost and leaf dropping and pumpkins appear. MDH cooked and cleaned like mad today serving up a delicious breakfast at an appropriately late hour and a delicious mid-day guacamole snack followed by an evening meal of chicken, salt potatoes, salad, wine and cake. The applesauce cake was made mostly by MDD - a little collaboration was involved to get it done, it was good, more like a spice bar than a cake. It had a cream cheese icing. We have decided that home economics should still be taught at school to help kids fulfill all aspects of their life. It's a lot of fun to be able to cook and bake and most kids today aren't getting any help in these skills. Food TV is about the extent of it. We will start home schooling in home ec and other life skills! Industrial Arts I suppose.
I got a butterfly field guide, a new book about the Clarks of Cooperstown, a Road Runner watercolor, a Hummingbird print, (I'll add the artists name later)$75.00 , a purse, 2 pair of earrings, and a super duper stapler.

Hummingbirds are still here. I saw a couple of robins, cardinals, doves, blue jays, the usual suspects. Several butterflies.The Toledo branch called this am and the Norwich branch called in the pm. Everyone is well. All wishing me a happy 51st.

I need to mention my pain level, I think this is a good way to remember how it changes from day to day. It was horrible all week and weekend. Swollen ankles and legs. I finally took the hydrocodone at night for 2 nights so I could get rid of some of the discomfort in my legs ankles and heels. Feels like someone is taking a hammer to my heels. It was better but came right back the same. Why is it so much worse some times and not others? Tomorrow will be a good test I have to stand for 2 hours at school I can see if that aggravates or it is the same level of pain. Today I took 2 large arthritis Tylenol in the afternoon, seems a bit better now at 9 pm.

Glad to be 51.

The Metro

On Saturday instead of going to a party to "honor'" people who donate to a certain charity dear to our hearts we canceled and continued celebrating the big anniversary with a trip to The Metro. Certainly satisfying, relaxing, and better than small talk with people who are nice enough but I just don't know that well. It's back to being HOT! That makes me uncomfortable! Summer here is like winter up north without having to wear all the gear, so I guess it's easier to bear, no shoveling either! It's just that to really be comfortable I need to stay in the AC. That's a foreign concept to me staying in when it's sunny outside. It's the norm here. Go to Sonic, order up and sit in the car with the air on...talk about waste!

Hummingbirds are still here. No more black swallowtail caterpillars on the parsley. Flowers are starting to come back from the early summer heat and more intense sun. My plantings always look best in September. the grass in the front yard is unreal-GREEN! We had several inches of rain just after the fall fertilizer went on and it really kicked in. It usually looks bad at this time, even if it remains green it doesn't look happy when it hasn't rained in months. Sprinkling just doesn't do the same thing the rain does.

How does everyone out there keep up with all the interesting blogs to look at? I just can't keep up....

Cheese

Forward Foods in Norman is the newest food discovery for our family. Morbier Lait Cru is a delicious soft cheese with layer of ash, who knew? It is very stinky, but good! It has a rind, and looks like a brie with a layer in the middle. Aged Leyden is a cheese from the Netherlands like I remember form the Copper Kettle Shop in the little town where I grew up. It was a specialty at Christmas time and the shop owner would descend into the store's basement to retrieve a chunk of the wheel of cheese for special customers who appreciated good cheese (it was the 70's!), it is spicy with lots of caraway seed. Aged Manchego is a very good harder cheese for grating and it was most expensive at $18.00 per pound. The last one is Taleggio Caravaggio, a soft mild cheese from Italy with a rind. The store also had a selection of fair trade coffees, spices, condiments, natural cleaning products, fresh bread, and a few produce items.

We ate a very late breakfast at The Diner on Main in Norman and it was excellent. We will definitely go back. We brought our bounty from Forward Foods home for a snacking type dinner of bread, olives and cheese.

We had another crazy storm this afternoon. On the way home from Norman the sky was very dark in the west and after we were home for a little while it just let loose, we probably had another inch of rain and some winds were clocked at 95+ miles per hour. It wasn't that bad at our house wind wise, but there was a lot of damage in the metro area. A very wet and wild August. It is so green it seems like spring.

A not so ordinary Wednesday in Oklahoma

Hummingbirds still here. Boiling hot on the patio until the sun left then it was enjoyable watching them.

The yard guys came. Wednesday is mowing day. The grass looks splendid. A sentence I never thought I'd utter in the month of August in Oklahoma. The front yard is always passable, we keep it up to the standard of the neighborhood, but the back is let's just say "natural". When we have winter and all the crab grass dies that is filling in all the gaps in the Bermuda it will be another story, especially when the dogs make a race track in the bare spots. The horrible but necessary tick spraying service was also here today. Every time I think I will cancel the spraying a certain Schipperke appears with a tick or two! Yuck! Anyway, I'll just enjoy the current lush green look, mostly thanks to Erin and some fertilizer. I think I'll add some pictures so I can look back when we go back to our usual dry and dusty July and Augusts.

A boy drowned during cross country practice Wednesday afternoon, he was from Putnam City West high school. The boys were running around Lake Overholser , their path was flooded and they tried to swim across and the boy who lost his life was swept away. Hug those loved ones. His parents could probably have imagined every tragedy but that one befalling their son.

Today's birds

I didn't go outside much today, but when I was out I saw at least 3 hummingbirds, 2 cardinals, ring neck doves, mourning doves, sparrows. I guess that's it. Lots of butterflies today and the racket of the cicadas is extreme. All that rain from tropical storm Erin has allowed me to enjoy the yard without the usual constant watering required this time of year. It was 90+ today I'm not sure how hot, but it was pretty bad around dinner time trying to cook on the grill. I am missing Edith's tree that gave us at least a little shade late in the day.

25 Years of married life has passed!

August 21, 1982-August 21, 2007. I'm filled with a sense of awe at an important milestone achieved with it seeming like we just crossed that little altar in Hendricks Chapel a short time ago. It has been so fast and so feels so effortless at his point. I am full of gratitude for my wise choice those many years ago. My only advise is to marry someone you love. That makes all the difference.

Tropical Depression Erin

Suddenly a forecast of "chance of showers" becomes over a foot of rain in some places!!! The next thing I buy is going to be a couple of those special auto safety hammers, that break out the car window and/or cut the seat belts, to use if I am in a wreck and lose the power windows. I was looking at them a couple of weeks ago and I didn't order them. Earlier in the summer two girls had to be rescued from their car about a mile from my house and I figured it could just as well have been me. Even if you are careful you can find your self in the wrong place at the wrong time. This past weekend we had the crazy inland tropical storm Erin, so I am getting one for each car. This storm was extremely rare, it's not everyday that central Oklahoma has a tropical storm rotating round and round dumping hurricane amounts of rain, but we do have flash floods frequently. Three women drowned in their mini-van Sunday morning after it was swept off the road, I bet they couldn't get out. If you can get out of the vehicle at least you have a chance of surviving a catastrophe.

namesake

I vow to get a better picture of my blog's namesake, but for now "parsley eater" is it. I want it to come from my own yard so I will have to bear with my inept photography. Papilio polyxenes better known as the black swallowtail butterfly likes to lay it's eggs on parsley and related plants. I have 3 very pathetic parsley plants and I have seen at least 10 caterpillars. How on earth do they find the plants? There aren't many gardeners in these parts....lots of flowers for the butterfly stage, but slim pickin's for the eggs and caterpillars. I have seen at least one adult but a miracle may have to occur for me to snap the picture. I feel bad that in today's world butterflies have been reduced to cheap decor items and something to be "released" at one's wedding or funeral. Yes, I have seen an ad for the funeral butterfly release!

Take the time to look at the next butterfly you see. In my little corner of the world we will have more parsley plants next year. ...and milkweed, and nettles, and whatever else their little hearts desire...

bird list

Friday's birds: chickadee, cardinal male and female, hummingbirds 3 individuals at least maybe more 1 male others juveniles or females, lots of house sparrows, swifts overhead, ring neck doves, mourning doves, house finches, blue jays, and when I was out and about I also saw a boat tailed grackle...I'm forgetting lots but it's late I want to post what I see most days so I can look back and see who was around on what date. The birds in the yard really slack off around this time of year until we have cooler weather and some consistent precipitation. I am seeing lots of butterflies, I think due to rain in July and planting Butterfly bush, parsley and fennel. We also took out a large Sweetgum tree making the back yard way more sunny and inviting to weeds they like! Thursday my Lab caught and ate a big cicada, also caught and killed a mouse I was able to intervene before she ate that! People think they need cats or terriers for rodent control!

problems we create

...just a fleeting thought, stop buying all the future landfill material from China and elsewhere and the problem of poisoning our children and our environment with it is solved! How about some good old fashioned wooden blocks and some hugs and kisses? I haven't heard one media idiot mention that we could just stop consuming all the imported lead paint covered small magnet bearing mind numbing future garbage creating rubbish that takes our hard earned money and puts it in to the hands of today's robber barons! I'm going to look at the birds......they are clever and pretty and calming!

patio with a view

hummingbirds!!! they're only here in OKC for a short time each year and they are having a great time in my yard feasting on nectar and fighting among themselves for territory-the passion flower vine is popular with the birds and they like to perch on the pampas grass as they wait for a spot at the feeder, one day soon we will notice they have decided to leave and the feeder goes in to storage....