More This and That.....

We get out in the woods

whenever we can

to enjoy nature

and of course for me to take some photography.

So today, this is

a collection of some of the things we have seen

over the last month.

One of my favorite spring wildflowers

are Marsh Marigolds (commonly known as "cowslips").

They grow where there is a lot of water:

We were visiting my brother, and there is a marsh right on Lake Superior

where I can sometimes spot ducks or birds...

On this day, I got so excited!

I saw a blue heron in flight and hoped he would land close:

He

flew around...

and

around.....

and

around....

And finally landed!

This shot is a little blurry, as I hurriedly took it because he was looking at me

and thinking of taking off again:

I think I heard him humming: "Hit the road, Jack....":

So, even though I got some blurry shots, I was glad to get any of him at all.

because right after this one, he indeed

took off!:

Nothing prettier than

apple blossoms in the spring!

I am so lucky to have a small apple orchard in our front yard:

Except maybe

the gorgeous Trilliums!!:

Unfortunately, many of the spring flowers

bloom only a very short time

and then

go away.

I was so happy we got out into the woods

to see some animals and wildflowers on the day we went.

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More This and That from the U.P.

Today, I have a collection of photos

taken about a month ago.

 (I know, I am STILL behind..but it was a busy Spring, people!)

As mentioned in a previous post,

we had rosebreasted grosbeaks come to visit us, but only for about three weeks.

We  haven't seen any since then.

I sure think they are pretty.

The red on this one's breast looks like a little heart, doesn't it?:

Remember last month, when I was

ESTATIC

to see a moose????

You guessed it!

Less than ONE WEEK later, we were driving down the highway and up ahead there were about 30 cars pulled over.

I told my hubby, "there is either an accident up ahead or someone has spotted a moose!"...

 Then I yelled..."PULL OVER< PULL OVER...for the LOVE OF GOD...PULL OVER!!"

(Lucky for him, he PULLED OVER!)

(He's a love that man! A LOVE!)

I was blessed...

it WAS a MOOSE!!:

I don't know how long he was out before we got there, and there was a crowd of people by now watching him...I just got myself out of the car with my camera

and he gave one glance, ran behind this bush

and then....

LEFT!:

(They don't call me "quick draw McGraw" on the camera trigger for nothing. ha)

But I was thrilled to have seen another Moose...and thrilled I got a few more pictures of one.

I have lived up here for years and years and never saw a Moose, and now I have seen three

in one year.

I am one happy woman!!

We went in the woods for pictures a few weeks ago.

As I was snapping away at the Marsh Marigolds in one spot, I looked up and

saw THIS:

The license plate was IMBEDDED into the tree!

I wondered how it got there???!!

I mean, a  LONGGGG time ago, was there a car wreck

and the rest of the car rusted away?

Isn't that strange???

Here it is in black and white, which I liked!:

I tried it in Sepia but I didn't like it as much as in black and white.

One of my beloved Trilliums:

Crabapple tree blossoms!:

You can smell the blossoms from far away!!! Scrumptous!!:

Of course,

all the blossoms are gone now...

but they were lovely to see!

Join me again soon for more pictures...

I took a ton within a few weeks

because there was so much Spring beauty around....

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This and that from the U.P.: Birds and Flowers!!

Today's theme?

Birds and flowers!

Luckily, I have plenty of both where I live

and

I really enjoy both, too.

A patch of Vinca Minor...

I was lucky.

When we built  our house, they were growing wild in a patch by our trees, so of course I kept them!:

They are electric blue/purple in color.

Here is a closeup:

This one is a bit blurry, and I wasn't going to keep it.

But I did, because I do not know what kind of bird it is..

and I am relying on my blogger friends to help me figure it out!

I think it is a female, but I am not sure...

HELP ME???

What kind of bird is this cutie?:

And I WAIT....(impatiently!)

EVERY.
YEAR.

For my beloved Trilliums to burst forward from the forest floor.

They are protected wildflowers in Michigan.

I just love them:

(When they get old and are about to die, they turn pinkish purple. I will have more shots of them in future posts).

One day...

I was downstairs on my computer (imagine that!?)

and my husband hollered for me to come upstairs...STAT!

He sounded very excited!

Either he had won the lotto or something else (good) was happening.

He had spied a bright TANGERINE colored bird in the trees....

We had never seen that colored bird here,
EVER.

So I grabbed my camera to help me identify it.

He was only in the yard a total of about 60 seconds.....

I had to take the pictures through a window, so they aren't crystal clear...

but I wanted to share them with you.

I THINK this is an Oriole (which we NEVER have here).

Am I right?:

(Isn't he ADORABLE??? And LOOK at that red blush along its breast with the tangerine color! WOW!)

I was SHAKING, trying to make sure I got his photo before he flew away!:

He was one of the prettiest birds we have ever seen grace our yard!

I was smitten as soon as I saw his coloring!

But when I saw his chubby little body

and that impish face???

Well, it was definitely

love at first sight:

I hope my fellow bloggers can confirm for me that he is an Oriole? Is he a Baltimore Oriole?

We were also graced with four Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, but they

only stayed for about three weeks, and we have not seen them since:

I am so grateful that these beautiful birds took a rest stop in our yard.

I wonder if they knew

how thrilled we were to see them?

(They were probably saying to each other: "What is the big deal with that lady flying around inside her house to get that camera out? Gheesh, we can't even eat or hang out with out the Papparazzi trying to capture us!

Get a life, people!")

That's okay...

I don't mind stalking them.

It is a LOT more fun than following movie stars or rock stars around.

To ME,

the birds ARE rock stars!

More of the U.P. Spring!

Today, I will still continue to show pictures of

our beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan spring

as it unfolded...

This tulip was about to bloom...but I loved the promise of all of the colors about to burst in this one~!:

A grackle in flight toward the newly sprouted leaves on the tree:

A chipping sparrow with "that look" in his eyes..

(you know the one)..

the "don't you have more SEED for me?" look!:

Every spring I await the

apple blossoms.....

here they are,

just coming out!:

A fresh tulip!:

A geese family!:

I love those fuzzy babies!:

I bet they are a handful to watch every second!!:

But, worth every second of the care they take!

In future posts, I caught closeup pictures of these little ones as they grew...

stay tuned!!!

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More (and last) of the Florida Series Photos!

Although I could post about a hundred more

sunset pictures,

I won't

because they will all begin to look alike to you...

and I would never do that to the glorious

sunsets we saw....

I may sneak a few in a few posts in the future...

but for now,

I am going to end the latest Florida trip pictures series

with a variety of random photos

I took there.

I always watch the skies above the ocean, as the clouds can form and clear quickly.

On this day, it was a portrait of wisps:

On a really windy day,

we caught this "hotdogger" windsurfing.

I liked the effect when I cropped it to get him in closer and got the blurry background

of the city behind him:

At certain times of the day, the light just cooperates with a photographer

in a delightful way.

We went for a walk and found these white flowers on a bush, with the light just hitting them

in a glorious way:

A seagull Mama and her babies:

The tide coming in and splashing on the sea wall:

The seats are just waiting for you to arrive.....do you hear them calling you?:

Aaaargh!!...the pirate ship at St. John's Pass:

A moody sky over the sea....

We were at a beach bar, having a great time..and spotted this wheelchair...

we introduced ourselves to the man in the wheelchair and told him we loved his sense of humor

and asked if we could photograph what was written on the back of his chair...

he said it would be his pleasure and said "You're only taking ONE picture?" when I was done...

Loved him!

and

his humor:

I love that about trips...

they are adventures.

You never know what kind of beauty you may see...

whether it be birds, the sunsets,

or

beautiful people with awesome humor!

(And, you can BET I will be there to get it all on camera!)

More Dumb State Laws: Kansas!

For those of you that have followed my blog in a while (I love you ALL!), you know that every once in a while

I post crazy state laws and then make comments on them in bold italics.

For you NEW Followers (love you too!):

I have been taking one state at a time,

alphabetically

and list actual old laws that were on their state books...

So we are up to the letter: "K" now;

and this time?:

The great state of KANSAS!!

(I lived there once, for a year...right outside of Topeka!)

So, are we all ready?

Here goes:

1. Rabbits may not be shot from motorboats.
Well, thank goodness!! Besides, I don't see many hanging around the rivers....and their little ears would look mighty funny bobbing along the river after they were shot, now...wouldn't they?  Although you COULD use them to balance your fishing poles on for holders...now THAT'S an idea, folks!  Here comes Peter Cottontail, bobbing down the river trail....

2.  Pedestrians crossing the highways at night must wear tail lights.
Well, where (oh where?) should we attach them on the boot-tay?  I've heard of "junk in your trunk" but this is ridiculous! And I don't even want to GUESS how the lights are powered......
GAS you say????? 
And how do you indicate a left turn versus a right turn?  A little hip action?  That could be lewd and illegal!

3.  The state game rule prohibits the use of mules to hunt ducks.
So wait a minute....you can't hunt rabbits from a motorboat and you can't hunt mules to hunt ducks...? Wouldn't you think you'd find more ducks from a motorboat and more rabbits riding a mule???  Can you HEAR the hunt?:  heehaw, quack, heehaw, quack, quack!.....Those Kansas pioneers must have starved with this logic folks!  These laws are ASS-inine.  (Sorry, just couldn't help myself), I'm STUBBORN as a mule. (Oops, did it again!)

4.  If two trains meet on the same track, neither shall proceed until the other has passed.
Ahhh, ummmm.....DUH! 
So, how are two trains on the same track gonna PASS each other? Leapfrog??
Just what prairie grass were they smoking when they made THIS law?


5.  In Lawrence:  All cars entering the city limits must first sound their horn to warn the horses of their arrival.
Wow, must be noisy in Lawrence.  I'd hate to live by the freeway! (Or try and sell a house there).

6. In Lawrence:  No one may wear a bee in their hat.
Well, shoot! I always think they give a fresh spring look to my outfit. The buzzing is a nice touch. Maybe the saying: "There's a bee in her bonnet" originated there???

7.  In Topeka: No one may sing the alphabet on the streets at night.
No way! I would have never made it through grade school (or been a secretary there for that matter, I had to sing it to alphabetize the files, I tell 'ya!)  That would be a good excuse not to work the night shift....

8.  In Topeka: Snowball fights are illegal.
Funny I was never arrested when I lived there! I am SURE I had a few there when I lived there...granted, they don't get a LOT of snow....they do get a lot of ice storms...which is maybe why this law was invented? Man, you get whacked with an iceball and you may be dead!

9.  In Topeka:  Dead chickens may not be hauled across Kansas Avenue.
KFC is gonna be realll upset about this if they are located on Kansas Avenue....wonder if you can haul live chickens and then whack 'em after you cross the street?  What about the grocery stores on Kansas Avenue...they can't stock dead chickens?

10.  In Topeka: No one may scream at a haunted house.
Now that is darn right cruel! Set up a haunted house and then tell them they aren't allowed to scream?  They gotta cover their mouths and stifle it? Wow, that's tough!  I mean, what's the point of a haunted house if you can't scare a scream or two out of anybody?

11.  In Topeka: The installation of bathtubs is prohibited.
Must be lots and lots of showers in Topeka....and no bubble baths. No soakers there..they mean business...get in, wash and get the heck out, people..no time in Kansas for a relaxing bath!

12.  In Wichita: One must get a permit from the city if they wish to take dirt from the airport.
I wonder how many people request this permit? Wonder what it costs? Wonder what you have to write on the form to allow you to get airport dirt..."I would like some Wichita airport dirt as a souvenier of a place where I have to wear taillights at night, where I am not allowed to hunt ducks with a mule and not allowed to hunt rabbits with a motorboat and I would have taken the train, but two trains met and they couldn't figure out how to pass on one track so I took a plane instead and the mood just struck me to collect dirt here". Think they'd buy it?

13. In Wichita: Before proceeding through the interesection of Douglas and Broadway, a motorist is required to get out of their vehice and fire three shot gun rounds into the air.
Wow, this may be even noisier than Lawrence and a bit more dangerous...again, wouldn't want to live on that corner!!!  Yeeee-haw!  And, I wouldn't want to have this as the path to work...I don't think the boss would buy that the reason I was late is that there were too many motorists getting out of their cars and shooting their guns so it slowed me down.....

14.  In Wichita: Any person caught using or carrying bean snappers or the like shall upon conviction, be fined.
Yeah, those bean snappers are DEADLY, folks! You can snap off just about anything with those killers. It is MUCH more safe to shoot your gun at that intersection of Douglas and Broadway!

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So, folks...

that's the law in Kansas....

where both rabbits and mules should be afraid...

very afraid.....
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June's theme is:

FLOWERS

Make sure you send me one of your great flower pictures
no later than midnight on June 30th, 2010
(we are halfway through the month, people..get moving and ENTER!)
following
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More This and That from the U.P. --Spring Photos continue (Yes, I know it isn't Spring anymore...I'm behind! I'm behind!!)

The U.P. Spring photos continue....
(I'm behind! I know spring has passed, but I wanted to share these with you anyway!)

A dreamy glimpse of the first few apple blossoms in our yard:

A lovely spring waterfall at the Pesheekee River:

First tree mushrooms spotted this spring:

A pair of Flickers!:

Flicker closeup:

Two Sandhill Cranes spotted wayyyyyy across a field:

It was the strangest thing....about two feet away from the Sandhill Cranes were these wild turkeys too!:

They were saying:

"What are all those male turkeys fussing about

with those female turkeys?

Look at them showing off their tails!":

I love seeing the first signs of wildlife

up here

in the spring....

We hadn't seen Sandhill Cranes since last fall...

it is always a thrill to see them, because they are so big.

More spring U.P. pictures are still to come....

Thanks for joining me today!!