Itty-Bitty Birdie Butts

It must be a slow day in the Land of Blog.

Am I getting desperate for subject matter, or what?
I started this post last winter one day when I was snowed in and never finished it.
The little birdies were just going crazy at the feeders.

My camera was set on continuous mode where you just hold down the shutter and let 'er rip.
I captured many different postures...but...these are special. (pun intended)

After going through the photos and catching many of them with their backsides to the camera,
I realized that our fine feathered friends just have the cutest little rear ends!

Seriously...have you ever noticed how cute their little butts are?

They are just adorable, don't you think?

And they never have to worry about what to wear...

I mean do you think a little birdie ever asks this question...

"Do these feathers make my butt look big?"

I think not.

Ah...such is the life of a bird!

So inspiration for a blog post can come from just about anywhere and anything...




...even from itty-bitty birdie butts :)

THE END
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Have a good week!

Today I'm joining Maggie's...
Mosaic Monday

A Very Beachy Hodgepodge

Does anybody know what time it is?

Hehe...silly question, I know.

It's time for HODGEPODGE, of course...

...where Joyce asks the questions and we answer them on our blogs.

Come on over and join the fun!

Carolina Beach, NC

I'm adding in some recent and not-so-recent photos of the sea

 since many of the questions relate to salt, sand and/or...yes, the sea, itself.

So let's get right to the questions.

1. "The cure for anything is salt water-tears, sweat, or the sea." (Isak Dinesan) Would you agree?Of the three, which has 'cured' you most recently?

I'd say that this quote can be quite true for most people...that is, unless you don't like the sea. All three of these things can prove to be quite therapeutic for me. Sometimes a good cry will do it alone. Getting involved in a big project can also be a great way to forget your troubles...the sore muscles and tired bones have a tendency to give you something else to think about! And who doesn't love a visit to the sea shore to just get away from the stresses of life? It has been several months since I have visited the beach so I would have to say that "salt water tears" have been my most recent cure, although I can't remember what I was actually crying about at the moment. Coming up in a couple of weeks, SWEAT will be the name of the game...putting my house back together after the new floors are installed. :O

2. What's something you can't eat without salt? Do you normally salt your food a lot, a little, or not at all? 

Mostly vegetables...and probably eggs too. I add a little salt but not too much. Too much salt is a good way to ruin any meal if you ask me...not to mention your health.

3. Sands of time, bury your head in the sand, built on sand, or draw a line in the sand...which sandy phrase could best be applied to something in your life right now?

Hmmm...since it still January for a few more days, a month when so many of us think about time and how it flies by ever so quickly, I guess the sands of time would apply here. Wasn't New Years Day just yesterday?? The first month in 2017 is practically a memory already.

Fort Fisher,NC

4. A favorite book, movie, or song with an island setting or theme? 

"Castaway" with Tom Hanks.

Speaking of desert islands, here are a bunch of few pics from a cruise to the Bahamas.

These are from w-a-y back in 2005.....talk about the sands of time!

These photos have been on a CD that got misplaced for years.

Cococay Island, Bahamas

They were straight out of my first digital camera (ancient point & shoot)

 and I was happy to finally get them edited just a bit for the blog.

Nassau, Bahamas

Just so you know, I did not enhance the colors here.

It was right before a storm and the sun was still out...

making the water a brilliant turquoise against the dark blue sky.

It was the most amazing sight.

Okay...now back to reality...

5. Yesterday-did you run your day or did it run you? How so?

Yesterday was just a regular Tuesday...nothing too stressful. In other words, it did not run me :)

6. You're on an island holiday. Will I most likely find you parked in a beach chair, shopping in town, on the back of a jet ski, or snorkeling off the back of a catamaran?

Here we are, back on vacation again. I'll let the photo below answer the question.


Carolina Beach, NC - 2016

7. What do you think we humans most take for granted?

Tomorrow. We just assume it's going to be there.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm ready for some sand and salty sea air! Who's with me??

Somehow, the snowflakes on my signature seem a little out of place on this post...

...BUT it is, after all still winter!

Hodgepodge and Heavenly Skies

It's Wednesday and time for Hodgepodge once again...

...where Joyce asks the questions and we answer them on our blogs.

Here in the south, you never know from one day to the next what to expect, weather-wise.

We went from 3 degrees to 73 degrees in a matter of five days.

The snow was pretty while it lasted and they say we may get more in a couple of weeks.

I don't mind the winter months because y'all know how much I like snow.

But even when there is no snow on the ground, there is just something about those winter skies...

...they seem to be especially heavenly in January.

They've been pink in the mornings and pink in the evenings.

Humor me as I insert some recent sky shots in amongst the hodgepodge questions.

And speaking of hodgepodge, let's get started, shall we?

 

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1. ASAP typically stands for 'as soon as possible'. What else could it stand for in your life right now?

 

After pondering this question, I decided that the only way I could answer it honestly was to actually give two answers. The first is about the resolutions that I make every year and how I'm doing with them...thus my answer, ALMOST SNAIL-LIKE AND PROCRASTINATING. We have  also been in the process of some major home improvement projects for the past year or two ...you all surely know those things can go...or NOT...and we are finally set up to get new floors. They were to come last Wednesday to measure so we could schedule installation and well, that didn't happen (some computer glitch...of course) so they are scheduled to be here today. It has been over two weeks since went and picked out the flooring. Need I say more? So.......it is going...AS SLOWLY AS PREDICTED.

2. Are you the last person to speak up in a group or the first to have an idea? Why do you suppose that is? Is it a good thing or no?

It really depends on who I am in a group with and what is being discussed. I tend to hold back somewhat and don't want to dominate the group or intimidate others who are sharing. I'm thoughtful like that :) I have been in groups (SS class comes to mind) where one person wants to have the floor during every discussion and it can really be intimidating and bordering on rude. Just like anything else, there should be a happy medium. If no one else chooses to speak then I guess someone needs to...but it wouldn't be me more than likely.

3. What do you remember best about being 12? 

Man, it's been so long...let me think...   Back when I was twelve, there was an innocence that doesn't seem to be there in this age group today, generally speaking. When I was twelve, I was still basically a little girl playing with dolls. I had a couple of Barbies and my sister who is next to me in age would have been over fourteen and she played with me. I also had one of those dolls that had the soft body and a face like a newborn. Long after I actually played with her, I kept her wrapped up and placed her on my bed along with my collection of stuffed animals. There was no make-up either, just a short little chubby girl enjoying my place as the baby in a big family.

4. January 18th is National Winnie the Pooh Day. Which character do you relate to the most, and why? If you're stumped go here for inspiration. 

I had no idea so I went "there". I'm Kanga...and I do love to camp :)

More heavenly skies on my way home from work last week...

5. What's an app you use that helps simplify or make life easier for you in some way? 

I am still getting used to using apps since I have only had my smart phone just a short time. I never had a GPS so that is great, I've tried the flashlight out a few times and it's also quite helpful (and fun) to have Google at my fingertips...just to name a few. 

6. San Francisco (CA), San Diego (CA), San Juan (PR) San Antonio (TX) Sanibel (FL)...you have an all expenses paid long weekend to one of these destinations. Which one do you choose and why?

It would be a toss-up between Sanibel Island, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico I think. Although I have never been to either place, a tropical paradise always sounds quite nice.

7. Share with us a song that makes you feel nostalgic? For what? 

Oh my gosh, Joyce...sometimes you ask the hardest questions! There are so many...but I cannot hear the song, "Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce without remembering my wedding day and my sister singing it. There.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Amen? ♥

Red on White

Here in the south, we really either hate snow or we get really excited.

Since I'm not from these parts originally, I get excited because being from Ohio, I miss it!

You out there in the colder parts of blog land kind of just accept snow as part of normal life.

So I tend to find ways to celebrate our few and far between snowfalls.

Of course, one of the ways is watching the birds go absolutely CRAY over it!

We always have a pretty good assortment of birds throughout the year, including cardinals.

I love feeding and watching all of them but when there is snow on the ground,
there just aren't any that compare to those stunning pops of red against the brilliant white snow.

I was able to get most of the bird photos through my dirty windows.
It was bitter COLD out there!

There were so many birds that I decided to put out an extra container of seeds on the deck.
It didn't take long for them to find it...and fight over it.
I love how the cardinal seems to be telling the sparrow, "This is MINE...go get your own!" :)

But I did endure the freezing temps for just a bit to get out in that lovely white stuff.
I walked the dogs down the driveway and when I turned around back towards the house,
it was kind of like seeing the red cardinals against the snow...except....different.

Our formerly-brown-but-now-red-house really stood out against the ground covered in white.

Also, the night before the snow came, Jim went out to the store and brought me back flowers.
I'm sure you see where I am going with this...

...and surely you remember how much I like to play with flowers in the snow :)

 Kind of a crazy idea for a post, don't ya think?
Oh well, it's only the beginning of January...surely things will get better :)
By the end of this week, we are to have temps in the upper 60's again.
Welcome to North Carolina!
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And surely you have guessed by now that I'm linking up with Maggie at
Mosaic Monday


Have a great week!