Beautiful Fall (a post from October 2011)

Oh how I love October. Warm sunny days, trees getting color, and cool nights. The moon is waxing, heading for full next week. We have paid our dues for this during the horrendously hot miserable summer. We've had some rain in the past couple of weeks.

I've read The Big Year, and looking forward to the movie that will be here at the Avon Theater next Friday. Although, I understand the movie is a lot different than the book. We heard Greg Miller speak at MBS and he indicated as much. Looks fun though.

Picked up our last CSA share for the season this afternoon. Will miss those fresh vegetables. We got some big green tomatoes for (what else?) fried green tomatoes.

September 26 was the last day that I saw a hummingbird at our feeder - they say to leave the feeder up through October, in case there are migrants coming through.

Autumn is here - Hooray (from Sept. 2011)

Had an awesome birthday. T and I saw a hawk migration while walking by the prairie, and they were flying right over our house. They were broad-winged hawks, three kettles - there must have been 2 0r 3 hundred. Wow!, what a wonderful birthday gift.

New Yard Bird (a day in April 2012)

(Another unpublished post - this one from April of 2012. Guess I was waiting for the photo Terry got, if I find it I will add it.)

And it's a good one. Pileated Woodpecker!!!!! Saw it yesterday big as life on a hickory tree in the backyard.

A beautiful couple of days, saw a snake sunning on a rock in the creek.

Finished "The Hunger Games" and started Carole King's memoirs.

Worked in backyard, T helped set up the hammock, the bird bath and the wren house. Weeded yesterday, lots of that darn Japanese honeysuckle. Got some poison ivy too, but I showered with p.ivy soap as soon as I came in house after throwing clothes in the washer. So far, so good.

Visited Dad on Sunday, he's doing so much better than last week.

MBS Day 2 from 2011

Terry petting Chet Baker (Julie Zickefoose's Boston Terrier, who now has his own Facebook page).

Me and T outside Hoover Auditorium

T with his just purchased spotting scope

Birding with Al Batt, David Bird, etc. Saw lots of warblers that morning.

Found some unpublished posts from when I took a "leave of absence" from this blog. These photos were taken at Midwest Birding Symposium at Lakeside, Ohio in September of 2011. Terry and I are registering for the 2013 symposium today!

Spring Snow Surprise 2013

THIRTEEN INCHES OF SNOW on March 24, 2013! Thankfully it came the day after quilt show! There was a class for members on Sunday - I had signed up for it and didn't want to miss it, but wow it was a trip getting downtown and back!

Lakeside!

Lobby
Staircase

Our Room

Arrived in Lakeside about noon on Thursday. Time for the Midwest Birding Symposium 2011 at last! This time we are staying at the Hotel Lakeside, built in 1873. It was very windy and the lake was choppy and rough, but the boat cruise went on this evening.

On the way here we stopped at East Harbor State Park, and saw two unfamiliar gulls. Looked them up- greater black-backed gull and Bonapartes gull-two new birds for us!

Vacation

Wednesday evening we stayed in Port Clinton, Ohio. This is the view from our motel windows.

Started off Tuesday to drive to Shipshewana, IN; but the car broke down on the way about 30 miles west of South Bend. So we spent the afternoon in a repair shop there. It was a nice one though, with a waiting room and a beautiful ladies room! Made it to Shipshewana that evening, found our hotel, ate supper and slept. Wed. morning we went shopping - I got to go to Lolly's quilt shop (woo hoo!) We had a nice lunch, then on to Port Clinton. Took the Jet Express to Put-In-Bay - saw a bald eagle flying low right over us just as we were pulling out of the harbor; also cormorants, gulls of course and a bird I couldn't identify- it put me in mind of a pelican- will check the guide to see if I can figure it out. Had a good supper and walked around Put-In Bay. It was raining a little as we got off the boat back in Port Clinton. It was very windy during the night, but the clouds were breaking up and the moon was still out in morning.