Fireworks and Butterflies (Videos!)

July 4th 2020

Our Backyard Fireworks

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My Butterfly Photos

Set to music!

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2020 Backyard Fireworks

 

Part 1: My Back Porch

My wonderful back porch is half the length of the house, with about a 20' by 15' concrete floor, covered by a tin roof that sounds like a Jamaican drum during rain storms.  Some might find this unnerving, but not me.  The raindrops land in big loud PLOPS during a slow rain, or HAMMERS in sheets when the storm is strong, and it's great to listen to, either sitting underneath or from inside (when the lightning gets too close!)

The thunder from the rest of the Sky Percussion Section, is also incredible!

The porch is on the left...

5/9/2011

When we first moved into the house in 2008, the back porch was encircled by a 2 foot tall railing  and white plastic lattice.  We added the chain link to grass some  yard on the right for our little doggie, Rosie.  Over the  years the railing (untreated wood) began to sag, the white lattice became dirty with parts broken, and the gate, which never worked except when it was forcefully pushed or pulled, now needed to be kicked open or closed.  Welcome to homeownership!! 

The most beautiful things are the Japanese Maple Trees at each end.  They put on quite a fall showing of their leaves.

I've loved to sit on this porch  (for hours!) and just watch what's happening on our back acre and listen to all the bird songs.  Behind us is farmland and forest for many acres so except for the occasional 4-wheeler, there are few people coming by.

A morning cup of coffee and a beautiful view.
I have many pictures of different cups I've used over the years,
I'll have to keep searching for those pictures!



Here are a few photos (from the MANY in my photo library!!
From the back porch:

Two inquisitive bucks
July 7, 2010

A graceful lady poses in the sun
August 11, 2014

A graceful lady looks for a pear...

Found it...

 Yum.

 DOUBLE YUM!!

 Hey stalker, put away the camera and let me EAT!

                                 

Grey Fox 

May 14, 2012

Big Bunny

May 9, 2012

Can you see this scampering beast?
Moving from woods on the east to woods on the west, 
through the prairie that is our back yard...
Almost as big as one of the pears laying on the ground...
June 20, 2012

Did you spot it?  A box turtle!!

And they do move faster (scamper) than you think...
I had to run out with the camera to get this before he/she/ made it into
the woods on the other side...
Imagine how TALL that grass is for him/her?!

Oh, yes, the reason we have a green park-like back yard is not magical, it is due to a Southern Man (my hubby) who mows and mows every week and a half......never ending (except a respite in winter)...

The upside is that the smell of a new mown lawn is intoxicating!

Back and forth and 'round and 'round...repeat...repeat...and...yup..repeat...
there's lots of lawn!
July 13, 2016

Many happy celebrations were also held here...

And not just the people celebrated...

Feathered guests celebrated too!!
Sunflower seeds galore.
There's a sparrow, dove, lady cardinal, part of a bright red boy cardinal...
and the bright blue of an Indigo Bunting!
...VERY BLUE!!

Indigo Bunting eating a sunflower seed.
"Don't touch MY seed!!"
He's little but fierce.

That's it for now...MORE is going to happen around the property...the Back Porch will get a facelift!

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the story!

Wishing you health and happiness.

Sheltering in Place - Gutter Clutter Cleaning

Due to the worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus COVID-19, we in America have been asked to shelter-in-place to help slow down the spread of the virus, since there is as yet no vaccine.  This means that if we can work from home, try to do so, and if our job is not possible to work from home, then stay at home until the crisis lifts (and stop checking your bank account.)  Only drive out to get groceries or prescriptions or other essentials. 

So what does shelter-in place mean to us here at Hilltop?  It means that projects which have been put on the back burner to simmer...and simmer...can now be brought to full boil!  WAIT!! Not all at once, 'cause we don't want to burn anything down, but one by one...

Keeping in mind that:

• we live on an acre of very lush green and growing trees, bushes and grass
• we've lived here for almost 12 years and though we keep up with vital things, older buildings need maintenance
• because of my MS (multiple sclerosis) I'm not able to  help outside, but I  remembered that I CAN take tons of pictures and blog about it!
• Mark, my hubby, does heavy outside work and he paints for a living so he's happy to be outside as much as possible and working on his OWN home
• Amanda, my dear daughter, is working from home, but is happily available to help with projects when she doesn't need to be on the computer working

So now the beginning:  Gutter Clutter Cleaning  (oh, joy)

Mark places ladder at left front corner...see Blog header pic...

                       

And with a trowel begins to dig out the decayed leaves and dirt,
 Gutter-Clutter (my own nickname for the gunk!)...

                                 

...and digs...(see the piles of gutter-clutter piling on the ground),,,

                                                 

Balanced.  Always sure-footed.
Paints like this on ladders for a living.

(Still, I can't watch for too long without worrying about him
 balancing at home on a ladder propped on grassy soft earth...
good thing I'm not with him at jobsites!)

Continuing scooping out the gutter-clutter...

Dropping gutter-clutter...
Well, it's no wonder the rain hasn't been using the gutters!!
No room for water.

Wait a minute...
See the tree trunk on the right?  Looks like a harmless growing tree?

It's not.
Has thorns  that are 1 to 2 inches long and it'll branch through
the eave very quickly.

Time to saw it down...

And tote it away to the burn pile out back.

A big bonfire is in the future...
waiting for a calm day and no rain.

Shelter-in-Place will continue...
and there's much more to do than clean the gutters!!

THE GRADUATION!

Join us for an event that's been 4 amazing years in the making........

The 4-year journey began on  7/6/2013 (bottom right corner of photo)

On That day: Dad and Mom and Daughter headed onto campus,
Spending the day moving her into her room at Ruby Hall Dorm.
When dad and mom drove away that afternoon, mom was tearful as she waved back to her daughter.
Dad was stoic.
OK, Actually I cried all the way home.

.

This Day 4-Years Later: Dad and Mom head onto campus towards the Humphrey Coliseum.

Here to culminate an epic journey for our brilliant, funny, sarcastic, loving daughter -------

There'll be Caps and Gowns and

Pomp and Circumstance...

 Graduation Day at Mississippi State University!

"The Tassle was worth the Hassle!!"

Grandstand seating for her Mom and Dad...

(wait a minute, how did she grow up SOOO fast -- we're still

mommy and daddy, really)

This is the Basketball Stadium, with a huge 4-sided screen in the center.

Now the place has filled up!
Graduates-to-Be on the floor, facing the stage.

MSU President Keenum makes his speech, which is good, with funny stories thrown in...

The Graduates-To-Be listen attentively without squirming in their seats...

(Right!!)

Is everyone ready for the next step???

YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!!!

 Her name is announced...

She walks confidently across the stage...

Shakes hands with President Keenum...

SHE HAS GRADUATED!!
B.A. in Political Science

A completely happy grin up to Mom and Dad!!
I did it!!



Magna cum Laude,
Turquoise vest as a ZTA Sorority Alum.
Pi Sigma  Alpha ( National Political Science Honor Society).

The happy grinning spills over to dad and mom...

We are so proud that if we don't hold on to each other, we'll lift off the ground!!

  

It's been a wonderful day to celebrate her 4 years of

Mississippi State University life.

Thanks for joining us!!

Bluebird Family #3

Disclaimer: Please don't look at the dates stamped on the photos because I used these photos to tell the story and they weren't taken in the right order for the story.  I know if you look, so DON'T!.

********

Here in the Deep South, 

We had an early Spring in April with no sudden frost.

So Mr.  and Mrs. Bluebird began their first family of the year

using the nest they had built last year in their birdhouse.

All went well and the youngsters flew out.

Because it was now just early Summer,

they went ahead and had their Second family.

All went well and those youngsters grew and flew away.

Then it was middle summer....about 4 weeks ago as a matter of fact...

And Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird decided to repopulate the world with their own.

Thank you to my friend Roni for this fantastic picture!

Then the beautiful blue eggs began to crack from inside out

and the shells released these....uh....

Little Bruised Beings with Swollen Eyelids and Beaks.

And the beaks turned wide and yellow and OPEN...

FEED US!!

...worm...worm...worm...worm...

...bug...bug...bug...bug...

Papa Bird perched in the nearby tree...

and searched for delicacies for his delicate baby brood...

The large Brown Thrasher: Never fear,  I'll look for something down here...

Mama and Papa consulted about the situation...

 tired Papa almost fell off the wire.

The Mockingbird showed up to give advice..

As you can see, Mama Blue on the left is willing to listen.

Papa Blue is sure he can handle it alone.

Mockingbird:  Just let me take a look around down here...

It's so bright out here, I'll shade the grass with my gorgeous winged parasol so I can see better

...

HERE'S SOMETHING!!!

Yep, and it's REALLY tasty, too!!!

Goldfinch:  SERIOUSLY?!  Well that's a Mockingbird for ya.

Goldfinch: Want some help?  Our kids are grown and flown.

Bluebird Parents: Thanks but no...we're rested and ready to take over.

I'm in charge of my house again!!

Me: Would bluebird babies eat big blueberries fresh from the blueberry bush?

If you're reading this...say that 3 times fast!

NOOOOOOO!!

Bring us Bugs!!