Macro Friday

Morning, all! Any one in the mood for some frosted blue berries? Before you answer, I should warn you that these are juniper berries frosted with ice, not blueberries frosted with sugar. No takers but the birds? Well, that's okay. I think they are pretty even though I don't eat them either.



Don't forget to buy your black-eyed peas for New Year's Day!
And check out

blogging from bolivia to link up your own Macro Friday post!

-Susan

Macro Monday

Well, I'm back! It's been a busy, fun, hectic Christmas season. We are far from getting back to normal, but should be a bit less busy at least. Hubby still has some more time off and there are still friends in town to visit. At least I have the chance for a brief post.

These photos were taken Christmas eve before the snow began to fall.



These are berries from our cedar trees.
The Eastern Bluebirds, as well as many other birds, love to eat them.



This is my sister-in-law's beloved Husky, Alex. Okay, this is only a picture of his eye. He has beautiful blue eyes, but the light was such that the color didn't turn out right, so it's black and white. He's an amazingly beautiful dog. I think all Huskies are pretty, but Alex really is something special.



Stop by Macro Monday at Lisa's Chaos to see what others have to offer for this post-Christmas Macro Monday.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!
-Susan

Macro Friday

Well, I figured it was about time I shared a picture of my niece. She was born in October and is the sweetest, prettiest thing I have seen in a long time. She's already completely devoted to her mommy, my sister. I snapped this photo over Thanksgiving when the dear baby was nursing. Baby likes to hold Mommy's finger while she nurses. My kiddos did that some, too. Maybe that's why I love this shot so, I remember how sweet is it to breastfeed your precious baby
while she holds your finger.



I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I don't know if I will be able to post again before Christmas. So, have a nice Christmas, if I don't "see" you before then!

Don't forget to stop by

blogging from bolivia to link up your own Macro Friday post!

-Susan

Miscellany Monday

Randomness, here I come!

1. It snowed here. A lot. Like maybe five inches. We're snowed in. I'm now officially ready for spring.


2. It's cold. Really cold. Ten degrees and windy. Did I mention that winter is my least favorite time of year?

3. The day after my titmouse adventure, I had a similar thing happen with a Carolina Chickadee. He did not wait to be photographed, however.

4. The snow is beautiful, but I can't bear to get out to take pictures. After about 15 seconds out, I came back inside. I don't handle the cold well.

5. The birds are enjoying the seed and goodies I have put out on the deck. I've seen a different wren this morning- maybe a house wren or winter wren. All I know for sure is that it was much smaller than the Carolina Wrens we typically have.

6. It must be Monday, I'm washing diapers. Of course, based on that alone, it could also be Wednesday or Friday or possibly Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday.

7. It is time for more coffee. Maybe after that I can get some Christmas gift stuff done today.

Hope you have a good and productive week. Stay warm!

-Susan

Macro Friday

It's Friday again, and this time I actually have some macro shots!

Yesterday, an adorable Tufted Titmouse decided that he could fly through my front door to get to my back yard. Unfortunately, that isn't possible. The good news is he was only stunned. I learned long ago that when a bird hits the glass the best thing to do is make sure it's picked up quickly if it's stunned. Otherwise, outside cats and dogs will find a tasty treat. So, I picked up this little guy and brought him into a quiet room while I awaited the cardboard box. I put him in the box for only a minute or two. He was recovering quite quickly. So, I carried him, box and all, back out onto the deck from whence he came. He was alert so I picked him up and he immediately assumed the perching position on my right index finger. I hadn't even thought about photo opportunities until I saw this lovely little bird perched on my finger like a parakeet. I asked my hubby to fetch my camera quickly. I haven't ever shot photographs left handed before, but the little bird would not move to my other hand. So here are my photos of the Tufted Titmouse who made my day. The first photo is my entry for Blogging From Bolivia's Macro Friday. All of them can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Visit blogging from bolivia to link up your own Macro Friday post!
Have a great weekend!

-Susan

Macro and Miscellany Monday

Last night, as I was bemoaning the fact that I still didn't have a macro shot for Monday, I really looked at this shot of my son. Well, duh! It was shot in macro!
So, although not my typical photo, here is my entry in
Macro Monday at Lisa's Chaos.

And now for the miscellany for Miscellany Monday

1. I'm not through Christmas shopping. There. I said it. I'm a slacker. I do, however, have a pretty clear idea of what is to be bought or made for everyone. At least that's something.

2. My favorite cream of broccoli soup is from Cork and Cleaver. I know they must have other items on their menu, but the soup is sooo good, that's all I ever get. And now, after many failed attempts, I have a suitable copycat recipe! I may even share it, if you like. Beware, it's not for those afraid of fat! It's yummy and satisfying, assuming you like broccoli soup!

3. One good thing about the cold weather is that the birds are more anxious to visit my feeder. In addition to the usual (but still wonderful) chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice, I have had goldfinches, wrens, cardinals, blue jays, and purple finches. Once I get some beef suet out, I am hoping for some woodpeckers!

Here is a male Purple Finch.

4. I found a super-special lucky find at my favorite thrift store last week. It's a Fisher Price Power Wheels VW Beetle. Yes, Sarah, it's yellow. It had no battery or charger, and a price sticker with $20 on it. It knew it was the tag from the yard sale where it didn't sell before it got donated. When I asked the price, I was told two dollars! Yippee! After severe cleaning, a battery and charger, and some connectors fro RadioShack, it works! Both kids are thrilled even though I led them to believe (a.k.a. lied) that the car was a gift for an out of town cousin. It told my daughter that I needed her help "testing" it. I know, I know, but the kids were with me when I spied the car and I had to say something.



5. We went to the Christmas parade over the weekend. It was freezing and spitting snow, but the kids both had a great time. Fortunately, we have friends with a house on the parade route, so we had a place to warm up. I wrapped my son in my woven wrap and he was toasty warm. His body heat even kept me warm!

That's it for today! Now if Blogger will only save this and let me post it, I'll be all set for the week!

Non-macro Friday

Well, I haven't taken any macro shots in a couple of weeks. Gasp! I know. I'm surprised, too. So, my suggestion is to hop over to

blogging from bolivia to get your macro fix. That's what I'm going to do. I really do want to get back into the swing of things soon. Just not today.

Also, apologies for changing the blog again. I just didn't like that much orange.
We'll see how I like this. . .

Have a great weekend!

-Susan