Psalm 19:1--The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork.
I wish to apologize to anyone who may be having trouble making comments on my posts. I appreciate your visit so much, and wish I could read what you have to say, but something is going on with my computer, and until I can get the issue addressed, this may continue. Please keep visiting! Also, often I cannot make a comment on some posts I look at, particularly those who ask for me to show I am a guest. I have noticed sometimes someone can only comment in the "Reply" section of another comment...if that's all that works, then that's fine! Let's keep visiting no matter what happens, and know we are touching each other with our creativity and thoughts and images even when we can't get (or leave) feedback. God bless you my dear blogger friends!
I didn't intend to take a break again, and yet I have been so tied up with this house-hunting business I haven't been doing much of anything else. What a roller coaster ride this is, trying to buy a house long-distance! We just put a bid in on a house and waited two days only to have the bid refused. Now, it's back to the drawing board. I'm trying not to have a nervous breakdown. AFTER someone accepts our bid, there will be a two month wait on the V.A. to approve the house, and that puts us right up to Thanksgiving actually leaving here...or longer!!!!
I waited all summer to see the baby quail, and they didn't visit the yard when I was noticing. Then four days ago, the family appeared...Mom & Dad, what looked like a juvenile, and four young ones! But they aren't little and fuzzy anymore, they are getting big, and I was on the phone with my grandson and didn't run for the camera. But it was good to see them!
Just pulling some photos from our archives so I will have something to post...
All were taken at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum in 2012 at the Raptor Show. The Harris Hawks are a phenomenal group of desert dwellers who hunt in family groups and sometimes perch on top of one another to get better views of prey.
Hope to have some good news about a house soon! Have a great week!
I dressed for work that morning, Russell driving me to Festival Hill and on the radio came the news about the first Tower being hit. We were so stunned.....our lives had changed forever on that morning. People we did not know but who were brothers and sisters in this journey of life, were dying and a world we knew and loved was being destroyed. All day we would sneak back to the room where the TV was to see what was happening. The mood was somber. We were in shock. I called our daughter, very pregnant with our grandson at the time, and woke her. She turned on the TV and began to watch the horror. As I look at him, now almost fifteen, I see the beginning of life in her womb on that day, safe and warm and ready to be born....as the world he should have been born to was crumbling around us. The greatest tragedy in our history unfolded on 9/11 and his new life began so soon after....coming into an uncertainty, a horror, a sadness. His generation does not remember that day but it is important that we show them...teach them about what happened. They have a burden to try to make this world a better place but we have to give them the tools with which to do just that....if it can be done. God bless us all!
Our friend runs the non-profit Wright Flight here in Tucson. He invited our grandson to learn some ground maintenance on airplanes when he was staying with us and he and his grand-daddy visited the airstrip.
As most of you who follow me know, our kids (daughter, SIL and grandson) moved to Oregon in late March. The grandson actually stayed behind with us to finish school, and then beyond for about two weeks before we put him on a plane to join his parents. He is starting high school at his new place of abode...actually this past Wednesday was his first day. This school is so COOL!.....
2. On the first day there is an Orientation, then a Tour of the School then....
The entire freshman class went on a field trip to Lava Butte and hiked to the peak together! The symbolism of this act is so rich! I mean, how COOL is that!?
3. His new school is ranked 11th in the state. He is in the Robotics Club this year, and his shop class where he will learn both woodworking and metalworking will make sets for the plays...their theatre group is outstanding! He will also run track this year. I can't wait to hear how his academics are going, as well as these awesome extra subjects! If you have a few minutes, here is the Prologue Scene of Les Miserables from 2006 at Summit High School...such talent and professionalism!!!
4. We got the tail end of a hurricane....in Tucson! Well, this happens sometimes when a hurricane hits Baja, but I have yet to see more than some steady rain when this occurs. So much less worrisome than the hurricanes we used to have to escape from in Florida! We didn't even get any wind this time and we almost always get 35 mph winds with the regular monsoon rains. Back to 100 degrees now....Monsoon is almost over, and temps will start dropping into the 90s and then the 80s by the time we leave...
5. When I got my new computer last year I chose a laptop that has a pad (instead of a mouse) and a touch screen. I really like this computer, but it was extremely difficult for me to get used to not having a mouse, so I went ahead and connected the mouse to use sometimes. Eventually I had quit using the pad at all, and only the mouse, and didn't even realize it until my wrist started hurting!!!! Now I have gone back to almost exclusively using the pad. I had carpal tunnel surgery back when I used to work as an Administrative Assistant, from too much mouse usage...just in my right hand. That's where the pain is happening again now, and it is the HARDEST thing to stay away from that mouse!!! :-) I may have to disconnect it altogether again if I can't stop reaching for it! :-(
Isn't it funny when you learn where expressions come from...of course "Long Shot" refers to taking a shot with a rifle. But I recently learned that "Keeping your nose to the grindstone" refers to checking with your sense of smell as the grain grinds in a mill, to make sure it isn't burning from the friction. Love that! Anyway, here are some definite "long shots" taken from my back porch toward an orange trumpet flower bush in the corner of the neighbor's yard, just as the sun was rising behind the scene. Because of the distance and the lighting, they aren't the most sharp photos I've ever taken. But, hey, I actually took some photos this week....that in itself is amazing! ;-) I am joining in with Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday, Anni's Bird d'Pot and Denise's Today's Flowers.
This was the shot I was after...only I got it off center, and then didn't have another opportunity, because the hummingbird didnt' go back to that flower. But it isn't too bad!
She spent the rest of the time deeper in the shadows of the bush.
Then, I noticed a little verdin coming to enjoy the nectar as well.
I was happy to get his photo!
This is the trumpet flower bush in the afternoon....
Oh no! I just realized it's been a week since I last posted, and it's Friday again and I had something I wanted to share with Willy Nilly Friday Five with Tanya and Five on Friday with Amy! My kids (daughter, son-in-law and grandson) just went to Portland and Astoria (in Oregon) on a special trip to celebrate my son-in-law's 40th birthday. He loved the movie The Goonies as a child, and had always dreamed of going there....so these photos are not mine (still in hot Tucson! :-) ) but are theirs from that recent trip.
1. Amazing coastline!
2. Beautiful beach and river!
3. Family fun...
4. Welcome to Astoria...and gorgeous architecture
5. The house the family lived in in The Goonies movie....those poor people (you can hardly blame them!) who live there I'm sure get tired of people visiting, so they've blocked off the driveway now, and this photo was taken from a block away.
I can't wait till I can see all of this myself! Soon....
