Wistful Wednesday : Prom 1968

May 18, 1968 Fourty one years ago...

The theme for prom that year was "Love is Blue" there was a real band called "The Kingsman." I doubt that they managed that terribly instrumental, sixty piece orchestra version of "Love is Blue." It must have sounded like a good theme for prom, to some adult on the prom committee. I would have suggested, Those were the days my friend, or Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, or Hello. I love you. or Sittin on the dock of the bay..but I was not on the prom committee..ever.

I know we went out to dinner, and we both think we went out with several other couples, but can't remember who.. we think that was the year that we went to Detroit Lakes to the old Erie Junior Club..a pretty fancy place with real tablecloths and linen napkins. We had quite a detailed discussion at Perkins in Detroit Lakes recently on a Saturday evening, when a couple going to prom were being seated. Far Guy said "What kind of dork takes his girl out for dinner at Perkin's for prom?" I replied, "Maybe it is her favorite place to dine, or maybe it's the economy."

Let me tell you, there was no way, I had the same dress as some other girl. I picked out the pattern and my Mother sewed my dress, why in the world I chose this particular shade of Lilac is still a mystery. The back of the dress was stunning, it had about 50 tiny little covered buttons with those tiny little fabric loops, and that train..it was to die for. The shoes are all matchy, matchy. I still have that corsage, it was pressed in a book and saved in a greeting card box, it is upstairs someplace.

Far Guy got a new suit for graduation and he wore it to prom, I guess his Mother must have picked out that fashion forward tie, and no doubt his dad tied the tie for him.

Oh... to be that young again, or that skinny, and to see all Far Guys hair! :)

Hunting With My Camera

I used to hunt years ago. I hate killing animals, gutting them out, and cleaning them to cook them up. I was raised that if you hunt, you must eat what you hunt. Far Guy and I used to hunt all the time, we enjoyed being in the woods. Now that we live in the woods, we can go outside whenever the mood strikes us. We no longer need to use hunting as an excuse to be in the woods.

Hunting with a camera is much easier, there are no "hunting seasons" there is no license to buy. You can shoot and your photograph is the result. No guts, no feathers, no cooking..no fuss hunting.
The deer, some look pretty healthy this year. We did see some the other day that looked pretty scrawny..but they were too quick for a photo.
I have never really liked Eagles, we have several in the area. When we lived on the lake, I watched one terrorize an iced in injured swan. I see them along the road in early spring pecking at road kill deer. I have watched them swoop and dive after loon chicks. I have seen them fishing. Eagles are not really very nice birds. One time they were taking up early spring residence in our yard, sitting high in a pine tree. Eyeing my dogs. Far Guy kept telling me, hardly anything eats a dog. The only time I have ever been impressed with an Eagle was when we watched a parent and two young eagles who were just learning to fly, ride the thermals high above our house, the parent squawked and talked encouragement the entire flight.

Turkeys would have been a much better national symbol in my opinion. They eat bugs, and grain.

One morning, I hunted from the kitchen window, this was taken through the window and the screen. Bunnies! :)

A Visit to the Vet

The little card came in the mail, the reminder that it was time for Chance to make his annual visit to the Vet. Last Saturday was the day. Chance knows his spot, on the couch with the stuffed animals. He waited patiently, until the Vet popped his head around the corner and said "Does that dog have his PH D yet?" Far Guy replied "No, but he is working on it."

Chance weighed in at 55 pounds, that is up three pounds from last year at this time. Paul, our Vet says he is a great weight. Patty the Vet Tech came in and commented on his beautiful coat. It should look reasonably good after his spring bath last week!
Yes, I clean his teeth, yes they should look pretty good. No, He doesn't like it, but he puts up with my odd behaviors.

How does he sound? Great..perfect

Chance knows what comes next, and somehow hiding your head, will make the shots seem like they never happened.

Chance is in perfect health, we were pretty sure of that. It is nice to hear someone with knowledge say it too. We have had the same Vet now for over twenty five years, when he went from large animals just to a small animal practice, he kept our horses on as clients. He has taken care of our many dogs and cats, he is our friend, and genuinely cares for all animals. He has laughed and cried with us through five dogs, eight cats, two horses and two birds.

As a reminder, don't put off your pets annual checkups, and have your pets spayed or neutered. We will start Chance's heartworm prevention medication on May 15th, the little red heart is on our calendar:)

My Mom

My Mom and me! 1952

My Mom will turn eighty later this year. She is very active, she is a marvelous seamstress and quilter. She has a "stash" of fabric that she has been trying to organize, she says it may take her most of the summer. She says she doesn't buy much fabric anymore..I am not so sure about that. She may buy less fabric..I think she may have enough to open her own fabric store.

If I had to describe my Mom in one word it would be "Volunteer" because she volunteers her time and talents to many organizations and causes. So many causes, that I have a hard time keeping track of them all. My Father sometimes has a hard time keeping track of her also. Last week when Mom was over commited with her volunteerism, my Dad took over her Poppy Sales for her. My Mother could use a social secretary..and the poor thing would be run ragged.

Far Guy and I made an appointment with my parents for a Mother's Day breakfast last Friday, afterwards she was off to some meeting. She did pause long enough for me to get a photo, however she told me "You are close enough with that thing already." :)

My Mom on May 08, 2009

Spring Might Be Here

I think that spring might be here. Not only have the beautiful little yellow flowers appeared, spreading their sunny dispositions all over. The first garage sale sign appeared in our neighborhood. Well not quite our neighborhood but nearby, it was only 8 miles away at a church.

Cookbooks and paperbacks were ten cents each..who can pass up a Michener novel , or a Nicholas Sparks that I have not read, or Charles Kuralt's America ( The one where he visits Minnesota) OR cookbooks..I just love reading cookbooks. It was a great day..I got a 1971 local hospital cookbook from when they were fundraising for their new Cardiac Care Unit it is called RX for Good Eating, and a Cookbook called Recipes from Ed and Eleanor's Catering..this one has Large Quantity Cooking..so IF I am ever having over fifty guests at once..this could come in real handy for Far Guy.

I also found this interesting item...If anyone has seen these before, or knows anything about them, please leave me a comment!

Black hand painted nesting boxes, on the bottom is a gold circle with four symbols..and around the circle are the words Lenghing Foochow. I have no idea if it is Chinese or Japanese. But they spoke to me, not loud, but like a nagging whispering..three dollars..are you curious enough? They are wood, a very thin wood. Two of the boxes have small chips, and show some wear, they are dirty, I need to clean them up, but the smaller boxes are perfect. I searched the Internet..maybe they are not old at all..but they are mine now, I have no idea what I will do with them..or the four Santa's that just happened to end up in my pile, along with a cute little photo frame and an aluminum salt shaker..and a couple of cobalt blue plates for Far Guy.

Spring just might be here..other than someone said we could get some SNOW today. IF it snows I will take a photo and then a nap..and I am not getting up until the snow is gone:)

Up In A Tree

I took a few interesting photographs this week. The weather up here is finally nice enough so that you can enjoy being outside. Even if some days you must wear a sweatshirt, or a coat.
I was off on a mission one day, and was side tracked by this little guy. I am not sure how common it is to see one of these.

A Black squirrel... Photo taken on May 03, 2009

Yesterday I noticed this in one of the Oaks just outside of my garage.

Strange..I am wondering who the dufus was that was playing ball with Chance. Turns out it was Far Guy and my brother. Last winter they lost this partially damaged ball in the tree and it has stayed up there all winter. I wonder how long it will last up there in that tree? I have found some of Chances many balls in strange places..under my pillow, in the couch, in my shoes, but never in a tree before:)

Chance : A Bath

I guess Far Side woke up on the wrong side of the bed or something. She got up and declared..it will be seventy degrees today, a fine day for a bath...well OK. Bathe away. Me? She wants to bathe me? WHY? I didn't roll in anything, I have been really good. I follow the rules....Rule One: Do not eat anything you find in the woods. Rule Two: Do not roll in anything delightfully smelling in the woods..especially deer poop. I have been really good. Far Guy just said "OK, I will lift the big lug into the tub." I thought he was my best buddy, whose side is he on anyway?

I guess I was a little dirty.
Can I shake yet? "Not yet" Far Side hollers "no shaking indoors." She ran up the stairs and opened the door..freedom to...



Roll..

And Shake..

See I am just like a little kid..clean for only a few minutes. But delightfully soft to pet..or so Far Side says anyway:)

Wistful Wednesday: Ethel 1910

This is Meady's sister, Ethel. The photo is not dated so I guessed somewhere around 1910, although she would have been 18 years old in 1908..so that might be a more accurate date. I knew nothing about Ethel a few weeks ago. All these photos were packed away with Far Guys Mothers stuff. In a huge envelope marked...my family. It has been an adventure. Luckily most of the photos are marked with names..but not dates. I needed to know more about this woman with the incredibly tiny waist. I knew who she married, and that she had three children. Somehow this did not seem like enough. I needed a story or two.

A cousin said "It was the darndest thing, even after she had children, her waist was still small, she was just a tiny little thing."

Uncle Willard, who had a "spell" last Saturday can recall many old stories, he is 92 and doesn't hear well. He enjoyed the photographs, he looked at them through his magnifying glass, I wrote as he talked.
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Ethel, well she was a real fireball. Do you remember her son Hugh Robinson? He never knew enough to stay out of trouble. She had a dish towel all rolled up, she would wet it and let it dry, she used it just like a club when Hugh would come through her kitchen up to no good. Their screen door was like a bear-trap with two springs on it, that's the sound you heard..the screen door slamming shut behind Hugh running out of the kitchen. She was a tiny little woman, but she had a short fuse.

We took Alaska Guy( Far Guy's cousin) there once for supper when he was little, he was afraid of her, as Ethel was serving the food, he whined about something..Ethel just said, " That's what you get, if you like it or not."
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We have to go back with more photos soon... they live in a retirement community..and have a little white spoiled dog, the smell of fresh bread permeates their apartment. Far Guy hinted to his Aunt "You still baking bread? " She replied "Yes, your uncle won't eat any other kind of bread." No, she didn't hand out any freshly baked bread, but I got a couple of stories to go with an old photo :)

Pick Three!

Nope not the lottery..darn. Today I will share with you my favorite plants. Pick three!

Vines..
Morning Glory President Tyler..Purple very early bloomer.
Asarina scandens Joan Loraine ...not as vigorous as a morning glory.. but covered with snap dragon type blooms..and great looking foliage to boot. Will grow and twine three to five feet tall on a support.
Morning Glory Heavenly Blue..beautiful sky blue color!

Morning Glory President Tyler 2005

Bedding Plants, called such as they are usually used in flower beds.

Zinnia, Dreamland, Coral or Red...wonderful colors, and if you deadhead the old blooms it will bloom all summer.

Salvia farinacea, Victoria Blue..a splendid plant, in a pack it will not impress you, but it will bloom all summer and doesn't require dead heading to look great. Especially useful in perennial beds for a filler...you know until something smaller gets fuller!

Gazania...all of them are great..except they bloom only during the daytime, in the early evening they close up. If you have a hot spot, where nothing else will grow..try a Gazania!

Potted Plants

Geranium Tango Red..will out bloom any geranium out there. Huge blooms..especially if you give them some 1/4 strength Miracle grow every time you water.

Angelonia..wonderful bloomers!

Begonia..the Non Stop series says it all..Non Stop Blooms till frost. Careful watering is a must with begonias, keep water off of the foliage..they will either sunburn from the water on their foliage or get what I call soft rot..and the leaves will fall off one at a time..

Waves..or Spreading Petunias

Purple Wave..the first wave developed..and still the best.

Rose Wave.. excellent color.

Ramblin Nu Blue .. a wonderful deep dark purple..like royalty..and fragrant too!

Purple Wave on my Parents Oxcart 2008

Yellow Flowers.. My very favorite category..it is my blog and I can make up a yellow flower category!!

Rudbeckia, Indian Summer..huge blooms, might even re seed a little for you!

Dahlberg Daisy ( Thymophylla) , the tiniest little yellow daisies..with ferny foliage, hack off the spent blooms with a scissors.. adds a light and airy touch to a flowering basket!

Viola, Velour Yellow... simply put.. heaven must smell like this little flower. I could sell this little plant on fragrance alone..especially to the sensory women. I used to say "Are you a sensory person?" as I waved the plant under their nose..instant sale!

Rudbeckia Indian Summer 2008

Now make your list, check it twice, and when you are out there looking at plants..remember it is not always the best thing to buy plants in bloom..buy ones with tags in them of course, but non blooming is best. IF you buy a bloomer, after you have hardened them off..the blooms should all be cut off at transplant..it is a lot of work for a plant to put on new roots..and support a bloom at the same time. One last reminder..compost..if you use weed and feed on your lawn and then compost the clippings..your plants won't do so well...the same is true for areas that give away compost at the landfills..one never knows what chemicals have been used. Compost is great..just not with weed and feed in it:)

Windmill Gardens 1999-2007

2006 Photo

I hate to go to town this time of year. I can't make it through the grocery store without someone stopping me to voice their opinion. "I sure miss your greenhouse, are you opening this year?" NO, I am sorry." You aren't open this year either..when will you reopen?" DUH? Never... comes to mind. "I can't believe you closed, he looks fine, when is he done with Chemo?" Yes, my husband looks just fine, there is no Chemo involved with Trigeminal Neuralgia ( just unrelenting pain and medications). He shaves his face and head..he was tired of just being partially bald. "No one grows plants like you, and they don't have the plants you used to grow either." Sorry. One old lady just burst into tears. GEEEs LOUISE.

During greenhouse season..I might have to don a disguise.. a dress..sunglasses and a scarf should work.

Last year was the end of nine years in the greenhouse business for us. In 1998 Far Guy was retired from the Military for a little itty bitty stress related heart attack that he had back in 1995. We didn't know what we would do next. Obviously I could no longer languish around getting my degree in Horticulture anymore..I still miss NDSU, the students and the instructors. I got a job as a grower out in Idaho, chains in, chains out, near a little town called Bonner's Ferry. On our way back to North Dakota to put things in order, Far Guy said " I am not sure if I can live that far away from home..couldn't you grow some stuff in Minnesota?" After much prayer and thought, and input from our children "The grand kids will only know you as the airport grandma." We broke ground here among the Oaks on a piece of property that my parents had given me as an inheritance. Far Guy and I made a deal..Minnesota in the summer..Florida in the winter. We would build a SMALL house in Minnesota. Yes!! I would get to sit on the beach part of the year!

2005 Photo

The first year we cleared trees, built my "garage" and set up one greenhouse and lived in a Camper..not much fun in Minnesota in the winter..so we escaped to Florida during the worst of the winter. ( Far Guy was fairly miserable, but I had a really good time! ) We came back the end of February and I began to "grow" .. and Far Guy began to learn. I would not recommend to many women that they take their flower challenged military style husband and try to convert him into a vegetable grower..but I did..once he had the basics..he was a natural. So we were a team. A good team. We grew and grew, eventually to three greenhouses, that totally consumed our time every year from March through July. Most days were 14 to 16 hours long, with little time for sleep. We built up the business from scratch and developed a very loyal customer base. We built a house, a bigger house than I had envisioned... sadly we have not been back to Florida.

In December of 2007 Far Guy was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia, in early 2008, I made the decision to close the business. It was not an easy decision, Far Guys health was just a part of it. Greenhouse supplies had skyrocketed, fuel prices were outrageous, I did a cost analysis and a projection of how much I would have to raise the prices to survive and make a small profit. It was plain..it was time to throw in the hose, shut the doors and get on with life. Windmill Gardens 1999-2007 RIP :)

Overlooked

We have two possibly three sets of Eastern Bluebirds nesting in our yard. We only have two proper Bluebird houses up. One was positioned so that I would have a good camera view. The males being the flashiest of the pair, are easy to spot in amongst the Oaks that are not yet budding. The females are a little harder to spot. The poor females, are often overlooked. I think they are just lovely... Another case in point is a Duck, the Mallards specifically, she is so nondescript she blends into the landscape...yet HE sticks out like a sore thumb. You must look closely at this photo...did you miss her at first glance? Far Guy was quite excited when I was taking this photograph, he kept whispering "Great shot, did you get them both?" "BOTH??, all I see is one Mallard" I only saw one..but I was lucky it was a twoferone that day. Ducks are really hard to photograph..they only sit on these little potholes for so long before they fly off...it is like they have little timers in their heads...aim, focus..shoot..and when you get to the shoot part..they fly off..It must be a "hunting thing."

Being overlooked, something both the female Mallard and the female Bluebird have in common..that and really flashy males:)

May Basket Deliveries!

Chance and I made the May Basket deliveries late in the afternoon. Earlier in the day, we took our prototype design filled with appropriate doggie treats to Hooch..he was off on some adventure..so he wasn't home. We did hear that he enjoyed the treats..funny how he knew it was from Chance!

The first two girls, were very shy..but at least the one small child no longer screams the minute she sees me. From the time she was a baby, she took one look at me and pitched a fit..one time her Mama even hugged me whilst holding the screaming urchin..she still eyes me very warily...but she actually said hello, and told me she cut her own hair! It was very cute..but shorter. The smallest with the fat cheeks just smiled!

The second group were all smiles, and I got hugs. They were out playing in the yard with their puppy, so Chance got to play.. they have a Beagle..Chance thinks that Beagles bark funny. Earlier in the day they had walked by and paused by our drive and said Hi to Chance..where the small children told their Dad "Let's stop back here on the way back and get suckers! " Most small children leave my house with a Tootsie Pop sucker for the trip home...I have a special jar and everything!

The third group was off on a adventure on a four wheeler with their Grandpa ( my brother) so I got a phone call.. "I got a basket..thank you! " " I was on a four wheeler ride.. Thank you!" Their little sister is too little to talk on the phone yet.

These children are way too little to get the May Basket concept yet, but it is all about making the memory. Someday fifty years from now, they may remember the crazy great aunt with the baskets on the first day of May.. they remember the suckers in my jar...a few more May Days and I will have made an lasting impression just like my Tootsie Pop suckers in the jar. In some areas, where spring flowers are blooming, these often take the place of my candy in a basket, since May Baskets are such a forgotten tradition..you can make up your own rules...and put in whatever you care to share.

A few readers have mentioned May Poles..I have a very vivid memory of a wedding one year on the First of May at a Catholic Church..there were little girls dressed in beautiful different colored dresses, they each held a matching colored streamer that was attached to the top of a pole, the music played and they danced around the pole..it was a beautiful sight. I was maybe seven or eight at the time..I have only ever seen it that one time.

Next year if I still have most of my marbles..I can tell you all how to make cute little May Baskets..so you can make some memories of your own..or inspire some new ones:)

May Baskets!!

When I was little May first was one of my favorite days. Here in Minnesota, we celebrated the first day of May by making small baskets, and filling them with goodies. The baskets went into a cake pan and then we hopped into the car and delivered them. We delivered them to old ladies and children, you drove into their yard, ran from the car to the house as fast as your little legs would carry you, knocked on the door and then left the May Basket on the door knob. Then you ran back to the car, if they came out of the door before you made it safely back to the car... you ran willy nilly all over their yard..so that they couldn't catch you and kiss you. Once all your deliveries were made, you hurried home to watch for cars to come down your drive..and for kids to coming running up to your door. So you could chase them around your yard.

It seems that no one celebrates this little holiday anymore, except for ME! For me, it is more fun than most holidays..no cooking of food is involved..only candy..and baskets. I made seven little baskets(for my Great Nieces and Nephews) this year, when I went to the store to get the candy, the checkout gal looked at me a little funny..Skittles, Suckers, and Fruit Roll ups..I explained that it was May Day Basket filler..she said "No one does that anymore" WELL..obviously I do..and I think everyone else should too! In our neighborhood May Day is alive and well!

Recently the following story was related to me, by a friend in his eighties: You know years ago, when I was just a kid, my Ma would have us make baskets for May Day, then she would bake cookies and after chores in the evening we tried to sneak to the neighbors and leave the baskets on their door. Meady (Far Guys Maternal Grandmother) would come out, her apron would be flying, she could run like the wind..she always caught me ..I can still see her running and laughing.

Now for a photo. This would be ME..with my very first May Baskets in 1953..I was not yet 2 years old:)

Sign Of The Times

Ten years ago, we purchased one of those big ole blue highway signs to direct people to our business. That sign was one of the loose ends I needed to tie up. Far Guy said he could take it down for me, I thought better of that idea..there is a $700 fine for tampering or destroying those signs. Not that taking it down would be destroying..but tampering..maybe. I finally called Ollie ( we went to grade school together), and left him a message, MN DOT took it down, and delivered it to us. Well, since I paid $300 for this sign, it needed to go someplace...I am way against nailing stuff into trees..ouch. Far Guy graciously agreed it should go above my garage door, he tried to decapitate me with it only once during the hanging. He cussed, he had to switch out screwdrivers, he had to drag the ladder around while I was standing on my tippy toes. You would think, that if your cordless screwdriver always lets you down during a project..that you would just get out the one with the electrical cord in the first place. I was going to suggest this at the beginning of the project..but sometimes I am just silent. I know this may seem foreign to you all...but if I am silent....I do a lot of thinking to myself.. "Oh Lord, not that worthless battery operated piece of crap again." " My arms and legs are not long enough for this." " Hurry up, or the obit will have to say..she died because of short arms and legs..if she looked more like a Neanderthal she would have lived." Far Guy is encouraging... "Just hold it up there for a few more minutes..darling." I think it may have been the darling part.. :)

Wistful Wednesday: Early 1920's

These are Meady's children. Two girls and a boy, Far Guy's Mom is the oldest. This photo was probably taken in 1922, the children's ages would have been, 5, 3 and 8 that year. Somehow I cannot imagine perching a two year old up on that beautiful bench. A three year old maybe..so 1922 it is! When I look at this photo I can see a number of cousins reflected in the faces of these children. I love that everyone has a bow, and is wearing some kind of stockings. This is a photo to treasure. The little boy is still living..he turned 92 this week. He is ageing..and can no longer hear people on the phone. He lives in a retirement community with his lovely wife, and a very spoiled dog that has been known to swallow a hearing aid. It was ..how do I say this..retrieved in due time:)

"Flat Adam"

For those of you not in the grandparent/parent loop, school children often make a likeness of themselves and mail it off, this was inspired by the book "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown.

Yesterday we had a visit from "Flat Adam" he was well travelled, too bad he didn't need a Grandma chaperone. He had been to Kodiak, Alaska..the lucky little flat guy, New Jersey and Washington State before ending up at his other Grandma and Grandpas way up in Northern Minnesota. Flat Adam has a few words written on him .... Try your best!

"Flat Adam" had quite an adventure here too..first we discovered how he became flat...
Then he visited lots of big boy toys...Far Guy had lots of fun with this part...
No, I will not bore you with all fourteen photographs..he just had to go to the Fire Hall too! He was definitely getting very tired by the time I made him rest among the Day lilies...

Then Far Guy needed a nap so he left Flat Adam with the best of babysitters...

Sadly Flat Adam was stuffed into an envelope after an appropriate story with photos was written. It was puzzling..Flat Adam had no blankie, he didn't whine once, he wasn't starving to death and there were no requests for chocolate milk. Not even one "Grandma Can you..?"

No hugs either..guess I like visits from round real Adam better:)

Trumpeter Swans: A Minnesota Success Story

Since Far Guy and I discovered Sven and Sophie up on Swan Pond we became curious how many other Swan pairs are in our area. On Saturday after I was done bitching about the snow, we went for a drive. Once the snow melted I was in a fairly good mood. We made a sixty mile circle and it took us all afternoon. We had a wonderful late lunch/early supper and returned home six hours later with my camera cards full. I may need larger cards. Back in the 1880's these Swans were hunted into extinction in Minnesota. For their meat and for their feathers for some ladies fancy hats. In the1930's, only 69 Swans remained in the lower 48 States. Those 69 Swans were all located in the Red Rocks Lake area of Montana. Through Conservation efforts and the Wildlife Nongame Wildlife Program these beautiful birds have been brought back to good numbers in Minnesota..exactly how many..in 2004 it was estimated at 2000. Success!!

In 1987, 21 Swans were released in our area. We have discovered five pairs in our travels. Some are in potholes far from "Nowhere" ..some are in ponds very near the road. None of the Swans that we have viewed have identification neckbands..so I surmise that these are all wild swans versus released swans.

A Swan mainly eats submerged plants like water celery. I have noticed that one Swan..usually the largest..has a real dirty head. Now this is only my theory ...but it makes sense to me. Take the case of Sven..he is hard to photograph because he always has his head underwater. I am positive that Sophie tells him " Sven, you need to get me food cause I need to lay eggs soon. I will keep watch and you will rip plants out of the muck ALL day long for me to eat." Remember this is only my theory.. :)

All photos taken with Canon PowerShot SX 110 IS

Swan Pond : Sven and Sophie

Yes, there are swans at Swan Pond, Trumpeter Swans. I have named the pair Sven and Sophie. Since Swan Pond is just up the road a piece we will try to get there once a week to keep an eye on them. The cob (Sven) and the pen (Sophie) mate for life. They can live for 20 to 30 years. The Swans we have observed are not nest building yet. They may be using an old nest on top of a beaver lodge that is way out in the slough. When the nest building commences Sven is the day laborer and Sophie is the actual builder. He brings Sophie the raw materials and she does all the placement...after all she will sit on that nest for many days and it must be just right. When it is perfect she will lay one egg every other day until she has five to nine eggs. She will leave the nest only to feed, bathe, and preen. She will cover the nest when she leaves, and Sven will stand guard in or on the nest. Nests are usually quite large..and can be up to six feet across. The eggs will hatch in about 33 days.

Sophie

Sven is just a little larger than Sophie, he also spends much of his time with his head underwater eating vegetation. He is really hard to photograph. Sophie eats also..but not nearly as much as Sven..
Swan Pond is a very relaxing place to visit. I wish there was no traffic, about the time you are enjoying the silence and just listening to the sounds of the pond..a big ole truck comes roaring down the road. I also have to be very careful where I step, as the ditch is really steep, and the culvert is really flowing..if I end up down here..

I will be taking a little trip under the highway, and end up in the river..and possibly unhappy. I am wondering if there is some type of a screen or grate that prevents entrance into that culvert..maybe I should just wear a rope around my neck, tie it to the car and hope that Far Guy doesn't drive away without me... :)

Photos: Top two with the Canon, the last one with the now busted HP camera.

Snow on April 24, 2009

Yesterday late in the afternoon, it started to rain, thick icy cold rain that turned to ..SNOW. Now whose fault is this fine howdy- ya-do? It might have something to do with Far Guy, last Monday he was being a smarty pants and put away his snow boots, and his lined winter coveralls. I told him he was pushing it. Yesterday he moved my snow shovel from it's spot right outside the front door..to the garage. One hour later it began to snow. So clearly the snow must be all his fault. The only thing I could have possibly done was to take down the Christmas lights and the swag, and the Christmasy snow picks with packages and reindeer on them.. oh and I changed my flag..bluebirds seemed more appropriate than geese with red bows. I still think the shovel moving was what pushed ole Mother Nature over the edge.

We had ONE lovely day of summer, it was actually hot on Thursday..77 degrees here, the neighbor had 83. He is always either warmer or colder than we are. I wore my crocs without my wool socks! We slaved away moving leaves, some were mulched, some were raked or blown into the woods. Far Guy was waging war with the sand and rocks that get on "the lawn" during snow removal, and wandering around with a bag of grass seed. Far Guy is way more particular with the lawn than I am, he grew up in the city, me in the country..that might be the big difference in our "lawn" ethics.
Just for the record I have not put my snow boots away yet..I wore them yesterday:)

Photos taken with Canon PowerShot SX110 IS ( Click on photos to enlarge them)

I have gone Loony AGAIN!

We are very fortunate here in Minnesota to have an individual by the name of Larry Backlund who has a Loon nesting platform near his dock on a small lake in Minnesota. This is a project that is near and dear to Larry's big ole Loony heart.

The Live Cam is up and running, I have a link to it on my sidebar...on the left.. right above My Weather.This year Minnesota Bound ( The web site that hosts the Live Loon Cam) has added some extra features. There is a Loon Blog written by Larry, and a Loon Chat Room, It is my understanding that there is also a spot in the chat room for live chat. I left comments on both Larry's Blog and the Chat Room last evening..just type in your name.. and leave a comment if you wish.

Larry gives up the use of his lake shore property so that the Loons have a safe place to nest, he built a platform and supplies it with cat tails and weeds. The Technical Crew comes in and sets up the Cam and all it's various connections. After the Loons have hatched their young they will leave the nest, and Larry can have his lake shore back again.. he follows the Loons and their activity on the lake very closely.

Once the eggs have been laid the Loons will never leave the nest for very long. They trade spots day and night, wind and rain..Loons are very devoted to their eggs.

Last year, my grandsons were here when we watched the first chick go for his first swim. It was a wonderful sharing experience. I hope you enjoy this years Loon Experience as much as I will :)

Here is what I wrote last May 5, 2008:
I have been doing some reading about Common Loons (Gavia immer) ..I just love those scientific names! Imagine yourself a Male Loon...you have had a foot loose, fancy free winter in the south. One day something says fly north...something draws you to the nesting site you had last year. Finally the ice is out and you use your magical calls to establish your territory. Then you wait for your mate, when she finally shows up..you are really happy to see her.. "Hiya Toots"...lets get on with the laying of the eggs! You are both tireless parents, taking turns on the nest..then spending most of the summer rearing and protecting the chicks. One day you say, "Time to go junior or juniorette...hope you have a good loony life." You and your mate take off to gather with friends, and head south. You might see your mate over the winter, you might not, you may be 100 to 1,000 miles apart.."See ya at the lake in the spring Toots."Such is the life of a Loon..fascinating creatures!