Weekend Plans

Mabel Lou here! I am most excited about the weekend because rumor has it that my mom has no classes to teach! So, I'm making the plans around here.

What am I planning??? Oh, just  a little of this

And a little of that

And a whole lot of this

Hope yours is special!!

There He Goes Again

Bart is a pretty cool, laid back little dude. But he turns into a wild and crazy cracker dog exactly twice a day: when we park at the creek and just before I get back to the car to leave. Three un-neutered male dogs...who NEVER get walked, much less go for a good run live right beside the entrance to the hiking area.

And while Barticus would run and hide if he met them on the street, since they are confined and a good five feet above him, he unleashes all of his cracker dog energy.

Note: Mabel Lou pretty much ignores the dogs and Bart...unless she thinks I'm watching! My camera was sort of a dead giveaway. She's doing her level best to "snoopervise" Bart.

Some of these are a little blurry... I had my long lens hoping for ducks! But I just love the play of shadow and light in the early evening.

Duckpdate 8/11

I thought it was time for another Duckpdate!  I have been overjoyed this week as the ducks no longer run and hide from my rather loud  hiking party.  Maybe it's the good talking to I gave Bart and Mabel about being nice to the ducks...or maybe it's that the team is nearly gown!

I have seen them every night this week. Some nights I don't see them all but there's a big reason for that... the babies are officially flying!!!  Two of them circled up over the team and landed on nearby power poles joining what I thought was just a bird. Then all swooped low and joined the rest swimming! Hank & Sue's mom had told me she had seen them having a lesson last week... and they were sputtering and crashing into the pond. No more!

Last night, two flew off into the distance when I arrived!

Often when we get there, the team is enjoying the last drops of sunlight on the pond. The smart buggers have figured out they don't have to swim away... they can simply descend the back side of the rock and make themselves "invisible."

One little guy (Evan???) even swims within 10 feet of Miss Mabel!

They are all doing well and growing!! I hope I can get some flying pictures before they all fly away!

My Prince! My Prince??

La dah dah dee dee dah....Some day my prince will come. I thought for sure I had found him...

 

But it seems he's too in love with himself to allow me to kiss him...

Exactly 24 Hours

That's how long it took for the sting from the stinging nettle I walked into at the creek this week to stop stinging!

I thought I had encountered them before... but apparently NOT! This pain, I would remember!!!! I tried  aspercreme, silvadeen, hyrdocortisone and another steroid... NO relief! The only bit of relief came from ice...hard to sleep like that....or from holding my morning cup of coffee on my knee!

Take a closer look at those thorns!