This and That from June...

In Spring and summer, there are certain things that create emotion.

I don't know what makes us so melancholy in the Spring and summer.

It just happens.

For instance, THIS fellow makes me both smile and get angry at the same time.

(He eats up all my bird seed, ALL DAY LONG!!):

And this little fluffy chipping sparrow twittering on the branches

just makes me happy:

The eloquence of a Columbine, makes me wonder about the miracles of Nature:

This was one of the farm dogs at the Alpaca farm I recently visited.

His sad, loyal eyes makes me want a dog again. Longing.

Really bad.

But I can't....I just can't:

A goldfinch in flight

just takes my breath away:

And seeing bright yellow in the trees after a barren, cold winter lifts my spirits up

more than I can describe:

And?

If he is FLUFFY??....

Well, it makes me darn right GIDDY:

The bright greens of hosta leaves and the delicate blue forget-me-nots

make me smile in wonder:

Finding a garden moose for my garden at a rummage sale for $4.00??

Practically DRUNK with joy!:

And spying a hummingbird aiming for spring blossoms?

Thankful to the angels in heaven:

May your day be full of this season's emotions....

and gratefulness to Mother Nature

for the joy the seasons brings us.

Spring Woods and Garden

Today,

I have some photos of a trip in the woods in early June

along with some of my spring garden shots.

A beaver house in a pond:

Trilliums and forget-me-nots:

Purple violets:

Primrose beside my old watering can.

(I pick the old cans at rummage sales, I have five or six. It's an addiction, I tell ya'!:

More trilliums and forget-me-nots:

A turtle sunning himself in the spring sun.

Do you see him?:

Wild violets:

Primrose and a dandelion:

Marsh Marigolds (cowslips):

A hairy fiddlehead!:

I know it is sweltering summer where most of you live...

so it is refreshing for us to review the spring that was.

Have a great day!!

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Reminder!

You only have a few days left to enter your JULY 2011

FREE PHOTO CONTEST photo.

The theme this month is:

BIRDS!!!

Send in your photo no later than midnight on July 31st

following THESE RULES...

You do NOT have to be a blogger to enter.

Ok, I lied....here are MORE Alpaca photos!

Don't judge....

I just couldn't help myself...

I found my other camera which I also took Alpaca photos with and of course,

you know the rest of the story.

I had to share them with you one last time.

HONEST.

(Besides, this is purely for educational purposes!)

See???:

This is some of their "wool" bagged up and ready to process:

"It's not a bad life...we eat, drink, get sheared and do it all over again!":

"This is our social gathering spot. Pretty ritsy, no?"

"Please...no shots of me at the bar...my husband doesn't know I come here every afternoon!"

"Oops, I think that's him, coming in the door to look for me!"  "NOW you've gone and done it!":

"FINE!!!!!"

"Now, he's passed out on us from the sight of it!

Oh,

never mind....

That's not  HIM....

it's his twin brother.":

"He's just pure exhausted from YOU taking all those dang pictures!"

"He will never make it as a model in the fashion business!":

"Take my picture! I already wet my lips!":

Apparently, SOME of them even went so far as to show us some tail:

Ahem.

I think that is a great ending to my little adventure.....

Except for ONE LAST PHOTO.

This is the extent I go to 

to bring you fluffy, lovely, smart, adorable

Alpaca photos....

Yup.

That's ME..

(In a not-too-flattering pose) 

doing what I love best...taking photos.

See? 

THAT is why I had to add this LAST Alpaca blogpost.

(Until I go back next year, probably).....

Birds!!

I came across some spring bird

photos

that I forgot to share with you! 

So, today...

forget that it is a bazillion degrees out there

and

go back to spring days with warm , gentle breezes with me....

A Bohemian Waxwing in the apple blossoms:

My wonderful Baltimore Oriole, who stayed here about a month and flew on to better grape jelly,  no doubt:

Wait a minute....do I have grape jelly on my BEAK????

(The waxwing refuses to look at that silly grape-smeared Baltimore Oriole beak, and opts to look out at the lake instead....)

But all that Baltimore Oriole beak-smacking broke down his willpower, so he began to munch on apple blossoms instead!:

Which immediately attracted the hungry BlueJay. Because, as everyone knows, EVERY bluejay is hungry!:

Which THEN attracted the catbird!:

I just love spring for the different varieties of birds we get in the yard...

lately it has been much quieter...

some Grackles, some sparrows, some chickadees, robins and a few hummingbirds are still here...

So!

You know what  THAT means????

To get our bird fix...

We need YOU to submit your favorite BIRD photos

into me (no later than midnight July 31st) for this month's theme

for 

the FREE PHOTO CONTEST!!!

Follow THESE  RULES!!

Alpacas!: Part Four

So,

this brings us to the last blogpost

of 

my cutie pawtootie Alpacas

that I was privileged to visit at a nearby farm.

(If you missed the last three blogposts, just drop below this one and keep dropping. LOL)

So, grab  some cool lemonade (it's HOT out there, people!!)

and

enjoy their goofy little faces!:

I am POSITIVE I would name this one: "Scrappy"!:

"Are you done already, Lady...with all the pictures? Gheesh!"

Somehow, I just want to hum "Grazin' in the Grass" when I see them do this...but, really...can anyone REALLY hum "Grazin' in the Grass"???:

Everybody now: "Ebony and Ivory.....living in perfect Harmony".....

The most popular buffet in town....

HELLO, Loverboy!:

What about US???

One of them that came up to my camera when I was on my belly in the field!:

I'd have  kissed him, but everyone was watching....

How many ways could you say "inappropriate"???

I can't help myself...

I have a new crush....and new BFF's....

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YOU  haven't forgotten, have you???

I haven't heard from YOU yet.  YES.......YOU! 

(You know who you are!)

Send me your BIRD PHOTO for this month's theme

for the FREE PHOTO CONTEST...

by midnight, July 30th...

Just follow THESE RULES to enter. 

You don't have to be a blogger to enter!