Missed the best photos but still managed to get a few . . .

Red-winged Blackbird

Beautiful Eastern Bluebird but the sun was too bright. Still I like the shot.

Blue Jay

Fledgling Female Cardinal 

 

 This has been one of the most beautiful days ever - dry, breezy, sunny, a few puffy clouds. I walked in the afternoon because I went to Mass this morning. I didn't even get too hot and miserable! It is so amazing and almost strange here in Louisiana when we don't have muggy weather. You could just stay outside all day.

 I must have picked about 40 little tomatoes today. They are surprisingly delicious. We can never seem to find a slicing tomato that comes even close to the taste of the tomatoes my Pépère grew in our garden on Highland St. Extension. The little patio tomatoes are the closest we've come to getting some real flavorful, tasty fruit. My Marketmore Cucumbers are inching along beautifully. That is what we grew in Moosup.  I hope they will be sweet and crunchy. If I can pick them when they're little we'll be happy campers! The vines are going crazy-wild climbing up the fence. PD&C's Pop stapled some twine on the fence. It looks as if our neighbor shall get to pick cucumbers too at the rate the vines are climbing the twine!

I'm still not used to not going to the cemeteries on Memorial Day. We've now missed 6 years of not putting flowers on the family graves. My cousins do place beautiful pots of flowers they arrange themselves for my parents, little sister and my mother's parents and my great-grandparents but I miss my visits to the cemeteries. I used to bring the kids for walks in the cemetery that was not too far from our home. I've always found cemeteries to be peaceful, grace-filled places to listen to quiet nature as she comforts us who have been left behind. For some reason I feel I should be praying Vespers. 

Quote:  The human race is in the best condition when it has the greatest degree of liberty.  ___Dante

Quote:  The true danger is, when liberty is nibbled away, for expedients, and by parts.  ____Burke

Haven't been taking too many photos . . .

First Monarch that allowed me more than two seconds to grab a photo.

Day Lilies

Blue Sky Vine - finally!

 

 

 

 

 

It looks like we're in for a storm. There's a bit of thunder in the distance and darkening skies. Poor Puppy, she's afraid but we'll protect her! Not much we can do but talk to her and hold her tight. It's been a heavy day so far; I guess it's time for the air to be cleared. Hope it doesn't bring a deluge. The lawn and flowers are finally looking good - a little rain will be fine.

Had to break for supper. It's still stormy but not outrageously stormy. Time to call it a night.

Quote:  Where judgement has wit to express it, there is the best orator.    ___Penn

Quote:  Truth is the foundation of all knowledge and the cement of all societies.   ___Dryden

Visiting My Mississippi and the Birdman . . .

Construction equipment going South

Fishing near the entrance to Bayou Sara

Libellule

Not sure if the Sheriff was testing the motor. He stayed close to our area.

Fishing on My Old Man River

Mississippi overflow to the right.

& Music

PD&C Pop sitting at our usual spot.

There is  much to please the senses.

Birdman Cafe Books & Music

You can see that PD&C's Pop is waiting for me through the window on the left!

I never get tired of trips to the Mississippi. I will never  tire of crossing the bridges over the Mississippi.  We have many more to cross so we'd better get driving. 

There is something old, yet modern and sparkly, comforting and  delicious about The Birdman. That is because the owner and the people who work there are real, honest and friendly. Change doesn't seem to phase them a bit. They keep a quirky, homey place for the denizens of St. Francisville in West Feliciana Parish. They are welcoming to all and sundry. I will forever be grateful to A for introducing me to this excellent breakfast place. 

Quote:  Nothing is more reasonable and cheap than good manners.   ____Anon

Quote:  Accurate knowledge is the basis of correct opinions; the want of it makes the opinions of most people of little value.   ___C. Simmons

I forgot the video of what seems to be a unique fishing style.

I must get to work . . .

House Finches not frightened by the Scare Squirrel

Not sure but I like it and am too lazy to look it up.

Geranium

Gardenia

Zinnia

 We decided  to visit Old Muddy this morning after breakfast. It was supposed to be very windy today and PD&C's Pop decided it was not a good day for Control Line Flying. By the way the P stands for Puppy, the D stands for Dante (a coon cat) and C stands for Charlie (a Vizsla dog) so you are now enlightened about the PD&C acronym. These are only a few  of the grand-animals; we don't have any pets except for the creatures running around our yard. It was a quiet visit but I must work on the photos I took to see if any of them should be kept for posterity or summarily deleted. 

We stopped by the Birdman Cafe before coming home and it was magnificently open. It was wonderful to be able to sit at the counter and watch the goings on. I'm starting to feel 10 years younger once again. Life is a pleasure when you are free. Yes Sir Ree Bob!

Quote:  When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.   ____German Motto

Quote: The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves, or rather loved in spite of ourselves.   ___Victor Hugo

Unmasked at last . . .

P&D's Pop put up a Scaresquirrel

Blue Jay

Fledgling Northern Cardinal

I was a bit nervous going to Mass this morning. I haven't been to Mass in person in 14 months and I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd been keeping up with what was going on while going to Mass on line. Our Pastor sends out weekly emails and he said they were ready to go maskless. I am so happy I ventured to Immaculate Conception this morning; not only maskless but the choir is back! Now, that is a blessing. I must admit that I'd been cheating a bit going to Mass on line; rather than go to the online Mass taking place at my church I was watching a Mass offered by the Diocese of Toronto. It was streamlined into a half hour program; the sermons were short, concise, well prepared and the music was one person singing the responses. I love a choir singing; it is an important part of my Sunday worship. I join in the singing, softly because I'm an alto and not a very good one! When I was a student at PCA I sang in the choir; as long as I was surrounded by other altos I was fine - I had a lot of trouble on my own. I'm sure Sister Charles knew exactly where to put me! Thinking of Sr. Charles reminds me of cheating her out of my piano lesson money. I used to keep it and quit going to lessons. Of course I eventually told my parents and they understood that I was not a budding musical star. All of us kids took piano lessons; my two oldest siblings did very well and the two younger ones were fine. I am glad that I took them; I can still read music and play on my keyboard once in a while but only for myself. I will not play for anyone. That's why I quit taking lessons - playing in concerts made me so nervous I would get sick. My parents knew that about me and I suppose they hoped that I would get over it. I never have. My crowd limit is about 3 people! And that does not include me in any kind of performance except waitressing. I could always have a good time when I was waitressing and earning money for school.

Wow, I guess I digressed but when I think about it - I didn't digress - this must be stream of consciousness! What the heck!

Quote:  I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.    _____Swift

Quote: Mortifications are often more painful than real calamities.   ___Goldsmith

Most excellent day . . . the sun is out . . .

Brown Thrashers

Eastern Bluebird

Red-bellied Woodpecker and friends

The Red-bellied is wrapped around the feeder!

 

 Unbelievably I was up and out walking at 6:15 this morning. W. was already walking and was shocked to see me out so early. I think it's the earliest I've walked in over 5 years in the neighborhood. I've cut out one pill and I'm not quite used to being without it yet so I was up very early. I definitely feel much peppier but I must admit I'm tired in the evening - a good tired. 

These photos are from a few days ago. The two with our delightful Red-bellied Woodpecker were taken  in our back yard. The others are from South Park. The Little Blue Heron was running around like a crazy bird. It was cloudy and difficult to get any good shots. I think the video shows what a pain in the derriere it was  following Little Blue's wandering ways. I am clearly not smooth and National Geographic worthy! Nature specials are quite magnificent. It must take years to put together a presentation for television. My complaint is usually that the the narrator speaks of the creatures as if they were human animals and gives them human traits rather than explaining the creature's instinct is working.  I can put the sound down and enjoy the beauty of this marvelous planet Earth and its non-human inhabitants. I swear at times some narrators sound like left wing university teachers! But that is for another day or most likely never. The blog is for fun - my fun - not thinking too much. Getting worked into a hissy fit over a television program is ridiculous.

Quote:  Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen.  Keep in the sunlight. ___Franklin

Quote: The world is governed more by appearances than by realities, so that it is fully as necessary to seem to know something as to know it.   ____Daniel Webster

And the rain is still coming down . . .

Female Wood Duck

Male Wood Duck

Blue Heron (I think it is a Little not a Great Blue Heron)

 

                               

                                                      Snapping Turtle on the move at South Park.

 Quite a few calls coming in from Connecticut making sure that we have not sailed out of Denham Springs with the rains that have been falling on and off for four days. Hoping it will finally end tomorrow as they say it will.  It was supposed to end today! I dressed up in P&D's Pop's military rain gear  to take  pictures in our neighbors' side yards this morning. There is an amazing amount of water but it does  go away fairly quickly when the rain lets up. I took the video of the turtle yesterday at South Park. I was able to walk for quite a while and it was dry! That felt very good. I walked in the house today and that just doesn't work out very well.

Not sure why I'm tired but I don't feel like thinking now so I'll drop these photos here and call it a day. What the heck; we never got to St. Francisville for breakfast this week. 

Quote: How beautiful is the rain! After the dust and heat, in the broad and fiery street, and in the narrow lane; how beautiful is the rain! ___Longfellow (What was Henry Wadsworth thinking? Certainly not of a deluge.)

Quote: Rainbow - The arc of light, born of the shower and colored by the sun, which spans the heavens!  _____J. C. Prince