Simple wish for Christmas

Just a few simple wishes from me to you this holiday season.
Which ever holiday you celebrate Christmas, Hanuka, winter solstice or just celebrating the end of another year. My simple wishes are meant from the heart for all of you!

 you may click on any image to see it bigger

especially for our troops and their families

The simplest wish of all...

Until next time...

Be safe, healthy, warm and 
   surrounded by love.

Whose nice or naughty? Santa!

  My email and facebook friends have been finding all kinds of evidence that Santa has been sassy, silly and some times down right naughty this year!

  So, of course I felt obligated to share them...

 Warning !!!

Images that follow belong in my "Ladies Room" series...
So scroll down with caution Adults only! (snickers)


                       ☺   ☺  ☺  ☺  ☺   ☺  ☺  ☺

click to enlarge any image

Aha! so that's why he makes a list!

I guess more than ladies are on his list!

Who knew!!

Do you think they mean "fudge"??

Any truth to the rumors?

Someone should ask them if they catch him Christmas eve!

   until next time...

Please link up and share yours,

and comments are always welcome  ☺

All images belong to original artists.
If you would like it removed please email me.

Day of Remembrance & Silence

Finches feeding inside a Cat!

Autumn colors are long gone and the trees are bare. Just spooky looking fingers at the ends of skinny arms against the gray skies.
Most birds have high tailed it to their winter feeding grounds.

One of our many feathered friends that stick around during winters cold and blustery dark days are goldfinches. They also shed their bright golden color for a drab brownish gray, making it very hard to distinguish male from female.
They flit from tree to feeder and back to tree with a treat to break open against the hard tree bark.

We find finches to be very friendly too. They sing cheerfully while we are outside and they have even landed on the brim of hubby's cap while standing and watching the wildlife going about their day.

They tend to be very hungry little birds, I am sure it is hard to keep those tiny bodies warm during winters wrath, so seed is the best fuel. They search feverishly for any food when not enough seed is to be found at their regular dining spots. So it came to no surprise to find them feasting inside the huge black cat standing outside my kitchen window!

Would you care to see evidence???

.....
...
..
.

you can barely see a small touch of yellow still left on the males breast

click on any photo to enlarge

you can barely see them in their drab winter coats during a dark pre-winter day

  Not quite as shocking as you expected?? 

No, just my cheesiness coming through with my big black
cat shaped bird feeder !

Do you have color changing birds during seasonal changes,

 or does the color migrate through to your zone?

                 Until next time ...



Be sure to link up your wordless or wordful
Wednesday posts so I can come and visit you!

Thankful Wild Turkeys

  We were blessed this year with 3 wild turkey hens and their broods of poults to watch trot through the yard while they grew up. Even with the hot dry weather conditions the wild turkeys made their daily pilgrimage trotting through the yard, usually skirting the tree lines for a quick escape.

one hen wild turkey watching while 6 fuzzy poults peck and dig for treats

I know they are hard to see. Hubby snapped them through our old windows and they are drab in color to begin with. Hopefully you can spot them, especially if you click on any of the photos to enlarge.

During our dry hot summer we decided to have 3 huge trees cut down that were dying and so tall they could easily hit the house if they fell over. We've already had a few fall during high wind storms and when a tornado whipped through the property, but luckily none ever hit the house. One tree had a large patch of bare dirt surrounding it, right off the end of the house. One day I was looking out the kitchen window and noticed some dust flying... Wondering where it was coming from and wanting to make sure it was not smoke, I went outside and found the young turkey chicks were having a good old time getting dust baths! That picture didn't turn out to well, as it was taken even faster than normal with these zippy birds, but what a treat to see! Here (below) is a hen with one poult behind her, walking in what is now a small clearing near the house, where one of the tall trees was cut down and we had cleaned up some of the scrubs and weeds around it. We throw cracked corn out for them every day along the path we normally see them foraging. That path does vary day to day. We just kept the food near the house for our viewing pleasure.

you can see the wild turkey hen in front of a tree base 

with the poult behind her on the left

They grow rather quickly and we have not seen them close to the house for about 2 months now, but do catch them running quickly across the back of our hill or in the neighbors larger, flatter open yard. Below is about 3 weeks after the above photo, where the poults would quickly scurry to dig under the wild bird feeder for any left overs. They have lost all their fuzziness by this time.

2 wild turkey hens and many poults 

pigging out under the main wild bird feeder.

you can also see how dead our lawn was during the drought conditions this past summer

  So why are these wild turkeys thankful? 

Because they are more than safe in our yard and woods, including our neighbors on either side of us. Even though we are they only ones who purposely throw out seed and corn for them, there is lots of bugs and natural plants to eat as well. So these turkeys will not end up on anyone's table in our immediate vicinity!!! Hunter hubby knows these birds are off limits! Besides, he enjoys their visits as much as I do.

no need for the wild turkeys to protest or warn anyone in our yard!

  As we, in the United States, celebrate our Thanksgiving day, I hope everyone finds time to say Thanks for any blessing, no matter how small they had this past year. 

I am thankful that I am still healing from my neck surgery. And extremely thankful that we were able finally able to travel to meet the newest member to our family, our youngest grandson, Ethan! We also had a short trip to see the older 2 grandsons last month. We love and miss our family, and pray for the next time we can be together. We are always thankful for the men and women who are away from home serving this country now or have in the past. We pray for your safety and a quick return home.

What are you Thankful for this year?

  until next time...

  Wishes for a wonderful and 

healthy Thanksgiving holiday !

To view our photos, stories and wild turkey facts 

from previous years Here and part 2 Here .

Deer Gun Season Opener 2012

 Sunny and cool with a good chance for whitetail deer!

  Thousands of blaze orange wearing Wisconsinites and visiting non-residents eagerly await the arrival of the 2012 9-day gun deer season, which kicks off Saturday Nov. 17.

Hubby's buddy being silly after a good harvest

taken when breaking down camp, why he is not wearing more orange

   Approximately 10 percent of Wisconsin residents will take to the fields and woods for the annual hunt, and thousands more will participate by providing food, hotels, and other services that make deer hunting such a vital and important part of the Wisconsin culture and economy.

a recent funny blogged, U-tubed and replayed on radio and TV shows of a 
very convincing woman concerned about deer crossing at these signs

click to enlarge any image

Kevin Wallenfang, big game ecologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, says the 2012 gun season is one that he hopes will be exciting and satisfying for all involved. “It’s a tradition that many hunters and businesses look forward to all year long. It will also have more of a traditional feel to it this year due to the elimination of most early season gun hunts."

Deer populations throughout most of the farmland region of the state are strong, says Wallenfang, especially on private lands. Still, despite comparatively high deer numbers, farmland units can be difficult to hunt, especially for those spending their season on public lands where hunting pressure is often much higher than surrounding private properties. The good news is that Wisconsin has more than 1 million acres of private lands open for public hunting, including Voluntary Public Access program and Managed Forest Law program lands. Which is why hikers, campers and general nature lovers are advised to take a short break, this annual 10 harvest season and wear blaze orange or other brightly colored clothing if out near any trails or wooded lands. I also strongly recommend keeping your pets inside as well. Be smart, use a leash, your furry friend will be safer too.

I can testify, the deer in my yard do not read,

nor do they get shot, other than with a camera ;o)

 thanks to a email friend for image credit

Even with increasing deer populations in many units, hunter success during the gun season can vary based on a wide range of factors. Hunter effort, weather events, rut activity, hunting pressure, and stand site locations in addition to deer numbers can all play influential roles in whether or not individual hunters see and harvest deer.

“Deer are not distributed evenly across the landscape and their movements vary greatly from one day to the next,” says Wallenfang. “Some hunters simply have access to better hunting and more deer.”

Another step hunters can take to increase their opportunities and enjoy their season is to take advantage of more good weather days in the field. “There has been an increasing trend of hunters spending fewer days in the woods than in years past, often hunting just the opening weekend,” Wallenfang says. “Although deer sightings can be fewer after opening weekend, there are still deer to be hunted and the later part of the season can be more relaxing than the high pressure of opening weekend.”

Forecasters say we’ll have some temperate and mostly dry conditions through out the state. Especially opening weekend. Though most hunters prefer cooler temperatures and a nice fresh snow fall, that makes it better to scout and track any deer they may be lucky enough to harvest. Cooler temps also help in keeping the carcass cold until safe processing can be arranged. The weather looks favorable for hunting conditions that will allow people to stay in the woods and enjoy the hunt and Wisconsin's beautiful nature longer.

Remember to always be aware of your surroundings, distance and people population or buildings before taking careful aim to shoot. Wisconsin requires blaze orange outer wear for others to see you as well. More general hunting ethics can be found here.


For more info on Wisconsin's hunting seasons, other outside activities and news click  Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for their web site.

Enjoy your 9 day deer gun season.
Good luck and good hunting!
   A safe hunter is a successful hunter!

 image credit icanhascheezeburger.com

        Just click to view last years → deer hunting funnies .

Do you have a hunter in your household? or any funny stories to share?

 

     Until next time,
      thanks so much for visiting!

Remembering the 11th Anniversary of 9-11

Remembering,
never far from thought.
Lives lost,
brave quick responders.
Attacked on our home soil,
many answer the call to arms, help and protect.
Never forget,
be prepared, alert and never surrender.
Remembering.
  Faythe aka GrammyMousetails ™ 2012

Labor Day Greetings!

  It is the last big weekend of the summer here in the United States. Many have Monday off from work for cookouts, family outings and fun times. I hope yours is great and relaxing. Next comes the fresh faces running off to start a new school year and the fall weather that soon will be showing it's colorful face.

Happy Labor Day 2012 to all the hard working American workers who keep our economy going!
I hope you get to enjoy the day with all you love and care about, if you are lucky to have this national holiday off. If you are one of those who are working hard I hope your day goes fast so you can get to celebrate anyway you can.

For all of the remaining Americans who are still looking for work, better pay or full time employment, I send out positive thoughts that by next Labor Day, America is back on track with many new good paying jobs and a fast growing economy!

Happy and safe times this Labor Day weekend!!

Lastly, I offer my condolences, thoughts and prayers to all those suffering from the wicked hurricane Issac and the flooding it spawned. I wish you quick relief.

  Post note : Sorry I have been very absent in my postings. My neck is slowly healing as well as can expected from my cervical laminoplasty in January. But I am still having a few other health problems snarling at me. My vision is still not up to snuff and it is very hard to focus and I am uncomfortable sitting very long at my computer. I found out my discs in my lumbar spine (lower back) have gotten worse in 4 areas, so it I am going back in for new injections soon. This is the major reason for my lack of visits.
 I am taking time off for a bit to continue to heal and hopefully the injections will help keep me comfortable for a long awaited trip to finally go meet our newest grandson in California! We will be there to celebrate his first birthday!! I hope to have many happy and fun photos to share with you after I return! I bet finally getting to snuggle, love, hug & kiss that little boy will be the best pain reliever ever!

Thanks again for the well wishes and prayers.
 I am so very appreciative.
I look forward to being back in shape to share some tales, photos and funnies.

            Until next time ...

these eyes ...

  These eyes of mine are driving me wacka-doodles!
Dry eyes, itchy eyes, out of focus, dang gum blurry eyes!

  I got into my eye doctor and had a thorough exam. Yes, I needed new lenses and all three areas had changed. Distance, reading (close up) and distance for computer work. I had tried tri-focal lenses in the past and they drove me bonkers. I had tried progressive lenses with the result, so I chose to go the route I did last time, bi-focals for distance and reading and separate pair for computer work. Both other times I ended up changing back to lined bi-focals and of course you do not get back the difference in money spent on the fancy no line, progressive ect. charges. So stick to what I always go back to. I did need new frames this time so I only ordered the bi-focals (GULP!) hoping to pick up the separate frames and lenses at a store that has cheaper combination prices. When I went to pick up the finished pair they had some "reader" glasses on sale and I had the clerk pull my computer script to see if both eyes were the same, they were. And luckily they had a pair in that size! I added them to the bill and came home wondering which piggy-bank I could squeeze the dollars out of for the complete sale. Eeeuuuwww... not going to think about that right now.

 

source

Actually the eye exam is the cheapest part of the whole ordeal. Frames and lenses and special coatings needed, that is what adds up!

My eyes are healthy otherwise (Yea!!) but they have always been sensitive to small changes. Add to that the nerves that were pinched and strangled over the years made them more so. My prescription is really not that strong. I do have some evidence of glaucoma starting, but it has not changed in the last 3 visits, so he thinks that is not anything to worry about, just a watch and see. It is just that sensitivity that makes a little change in vision bother me more than a normal person ( I know, I am a weird all over...!)

Back to the "sale" glasses... They are not working at all. I can not concentrate on the screen for any length of time without all the blurry garbage kicking in. GGRRR!! Darn these eyes!

I hope they will take them back. I also think I need the doctor to recheck that distance again. Since I have to get real close to the screen to see, even if I enlarge the font. So that may be off a tick or so... dang gummit!

 what my world has been looking like

So unfortunately for me that means I stay off the computer until I can get that straightened out. (sniff) We are also stuck in an early hot weather system, along with so many in the mid-west and out further west. No rain has made my yard and garden along with many of the farm fields near by very crispy. A weather alert has been issued starting tomorrow for deadly high heat (over 100's here) and humidity. Where the humidity is coming from is unknown to me, unless we get a freaky hard shower that evaporates into steam on contact (most likely). My neck and back do not like extreme weather, ouch.
 It may be a good thing I am not sitting in front of my heat generating computer surfing and reading my favorite sites. We have no air conditioning in our home. I most likely will go to our one lower level bedroom and hope for some heat relief. Our sons slept down there and it always was 10 to 15 degrees cooler.

I hope to be back soon. I owe so many of you comments, I feel naughty for being behind. I am missing you though!

  My final thoughts are prayers going out to all of those in Colorado, Utah and surrounding areas that have been fighting the fierce wildfires. They need rain, rain and more rain! Along with help relocating and prayers! They also have the same heat wave going on at the same time!
Keep safe my friends and family.

         Until next time ...

Rare "Golden" Hummingbird!

I went digging through my basement of photo folders to find a post for this Wordless/Wordful Wednesday. But first an update why...

My physical therapy is coming along, slow but sure. It is heading towards training me exercises to do at home to keep adding strength and mobility on my own. Insurance will only cover so much. I also have noticed a bit of trouble with my eyes. Blurry vision in both distance, reading and computer reading has been hard on me. I did get in to see my eye doctor and he ordered new lenses and did not see any internal problems (wheww!) I was having optical nerve problems before my big cervical/neck surgery last January. So that is good news. I just have to wait for the new glasses to come in and hopefully they do the trick. I brought out a few old pairs of glasses to switch to depending on what I was doing and after a bit none of them helped. But I feel relieved that he does not see any growing concerns.
So this is another reason why I have been a bit more quiet (or late) in replies and comments, as I have not been able to sit and read all my favorite blogs. Hopefully that will change soon! I love to read my comments and return them in favor. I miss all my friends here on my computer and in my blog!

So on too the mysterious "Golden Hummingbird" that appeared a few years ago on my patio door window feeder! Imagine my surprise to see that the traditional ruby throated that we only get on this side on the Mississippi but a very bright yellow gold! Well why keep you in suspense... I was able to sneak to the window and snap a few photographs. Again excuse the clarity, I have old double pane patio doors and a plastic storm window I am shooting through...

.......................................

all my photos can be clicked on to enlarge
Please ask if you would like a copy

Hey! Turn around, we don't want to see your butt!

That is better...

you are a strange looking hummingbird??

You have a short beak for a hummingbird...

Wait a minute! Your a Goldfinch.

Looking for a sweet drink I bet.

This is more like it.

Mr. Ruby throat scared off the nectar thief.

Was that exciting?!? Nah... more silly, I know. ((wink))

Have you ever found a surprise at yours or someone elses feeding station?

Until next time...

Happy Father's Day 2012 !

  Sending my heartfelt wishes to all the dads that make sure to spend time with their children. Time, your love and encouragement are the most important tools to being a "great" dad.

Papa don't preach is the reminder in the above quote.

Children learn more by our actions than all the "talks and speeches" we as parents preach to them. After awhile kids get that selective hearing, we all get, and once you start in with a "much needed lesson" they have turned off that inner ear. They may have two ears, but it is those two eyes that they learn from the most.

A special Happy Father's Day and thank you to my loving husband and to both of our sons who seem to be following in their dads footsteps in being great dads!

I love you all and respect how well you have grown into loving caring men, husbands and now fathers.

One more special thanks and special Fathers Day Wish to all my faithful readers. You mean a lot to me too! As well as to the children you have. Whether they be boys, girls, full of feathers or fur! Have a great day!

Until next time...

Any fatherly advice to add?