Rainy Day.... Blues Chickens & Cats

I've got the suds....Sponge Bob Square Pants Suds.  That's what hubby calls it as he should know he had it first.  If you have ever seen that cartoon where Sponge Bob gets a cold/virus, and is blowing bubbles that is our household at the moment.  Plus it is raining outside which I guess is better than the bad snow/ice that the rest of the country is getting, but it sure can make you feel blue when you got the suds!
So I have not felt much like blogging  for a week now.  I get onto the computer, stare at it, and then back off again.  Do you ever wonder why we do that?  Just sit and stare at something?  I guess you could call it a mental pause!
Even though today is raining, this past weekend was simply gorgeous!  We had almost 70 degree weather, 20C/grad for my European bloggers, which made it oh so nice.  My parents came over for a visit on Saturday, and we did spend both days raking, doing yard work, etc..  Hmmmm, I guess that accounts for all the soreness I'm feeling!

The photo above was taken during the Asheville blogger weekend last year so it suits my blue Monday.  I guess now I'll go make another cup of tea, my cure all!, I'm debating about exercising this morning, but I still need to walk up the hill to feed the chickens.  Sure hope they are not turning blue today too!

Snow Birds

When everything has turned white, beautiful, and still then this is the time that the colors of the birds show up brilliantly. As I stood outside taking my photos I could actually hear the sound of their wings, and the chirping of happiness with the food that they found.

This is what I call one of the beauties of nature.

Take a Chance

Yesterday proved to be an interesting day for me. Our friend and next door neighbor asked if I would do something for her. What I asked? She had to go into Atlanta for an appointment, and her husband could not go so would I go along? Hmmmm, so what is this all about?
A little background......she and her husband are musicians, had their own band playing the locals, and they are actually quite good. They don't really do the band thing anymore, but I guess once you have it in your blood you are always tempted to do it again. She plays the drums, keyboard, sings, very talented, and it just so happened that through the grapevine she heard where someone was needing a drummer. Could she come try out? Jolene was super excited about it so......I guess I could tag along.
What I found out was that we went to an actual recording studio! Now there were about 3 or 4 other drummers there too, but what a rush to be able to try out!
Here she is by herself and then with the lead singer. Now as for the name of the band I have no idea, I only know they sing country and western, and are pretty good at it to have recorded a few albums or cd's or whatever they call it these days!

Jolene went around taking these pictures with my camera as hers went dead.  Now I don't know everyone on these photos, but I did recognize Lee Greenwood, Billy Ray Cyrus, Elton John! 
We don't think that she got the job as there was a very good drummer there, but hey, it was fun!   I told her thanks for inviting me along as this was definitely a once in a lifetime thing.  Pretty cool!

Young At Heart

Here in the south we rarely get snow or at least just a tiny bit enough to maybe make a pretty picture.  Well, this past week was certainly different!  For the first time in over 30 years we got an abundance of snow (here a whopping 6-8"), for the south that is, just in time for me to celebrate another year older.  It has been ages since I have been on a sled probably the last time was when I was a child over in Germany, but look at me now!
Woo hoo!  My friend and next door neighbor decided to head down the hill with me!

Whoa....going too fast and off to the side we go

What do we do now?

Let's get up and do it again

Whopeeeeee

Then my daughter and I took a turn

One of the neighbor guys went sledding down the road, but it was a long way back!

So they come back to our "mountain"

The dog decided to get in on some of the fun

Hubby waving good-bye

We had a lot of fun, those few days since no one could make it into work.  Yet after the snow came the freezing rain/sleet/ice which made everything like a skating rink.  It was all beautiful though except for this

My gazebo did not make it.  It has gone through a lot all of these years, but this much snow just did it in.  We still have quite a bit of snow on the ground and roads around us, but probably not much longer as  the weather is warming up so it is starting to melt.  What a fun time though, sure did bring back a lot of good memories!

Bat Blankets

I saw this on the news tonight so I just had to share it with you. As all of you know Australia has been receiving so much rain. A lot of animals are being displaced with the flooding including bats. When people think of bats it is with the thought of vampires, however, bats are so beneficial to our eco system. We love to see the bats fly around here in the summer as we know it means fewer mosquitoes!
When I went on the web to read the full story it is quite interesting. The Australian bat clinic are keeping these baby bat in these blankets hanging on clothes lines, and feeding them until they are able to go out on their own again. So far they have saved 130 of them.
Now I know bats are not the prettiest things, but they look kinda cute here don't they?

If you would like to read more here is the link to it http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/ns/nightly_news/
Nightie night!

When its cold outside

I dream of this nice beach in southern Florida!  The only bad thing is this past late November it got cold down there too.

A little boat bobbin along

Hubby told me to get my camera out for these next shots.  He was fascinated with these birds with the orange on them.  This was the first time we had ever seen these. 

Their eyes must be in the black portion or else they are asleep!

And these are a little different too

Looks like they are lining up on a run way!

A whole mess of the orange ones, and then there is the outsider in the very front

Remember Alfred Hitchcock move The Birds?  That is what I felt like when I made a movement and all of them swooped up into the air all around me!

They circled around the water

and came back in for a landing!

Nature provides a lot of entertainment!

What a difference a week makes

For the first time ever since moving here to the south we had snow on Christmas day.  It started snowing Christmas Eve, big huge gorgeous flakes.  Now, we did not get as much snow as we did last winter only a few inches, but it was my garden house first snow!

 

Love the way the snow is on the rock wall.

 

Here the snow looks like a candle has formed on this candle holder.

No fire in my little fireplace, but still a pretty picture for an area that normally doesn't see snow.
With today being the first day of the new year we are having warm weather with rain and thunderstorms with the possibility of some being severe.  Hubby told me I'd better get on and blog before the bad weather hits!  I hope all of you have had a wonderful holiday.  Hubby is off this time of year so my time has been busy; just not a lot of blogging time.  More family time.  Now its the new year with another year older coming up way too soon!, but as long as it is a healthy new year with family that is what matters the most.
Wishing all of you the same for a Happy, Healthy, New Year! 

Happy New Year !

 

Wishing all of my blogger friends a wonderful new year!