Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Bird Watching



Scotts has a really nice Bird Identifier tool on their site which provides photos and information about the behavior, feeding preferences and nesting habits of various species. Just enter your zip code and get a full listing of the species that are native to your region.

I have already seen several species from the list of birds local to our region at the backyard bird feeder. Unfortunately no information was available on the little guy I captured in the photo above. Chickadee? I think not. Although my little one identified it as a "Chickamunk". "Chickamunk at bird feed!" Turns out Chickamunk is a very greedy species with voracious feeding habits. I've got your number Chipmunk.

My Motto Moving Forward



This doesn't seem like a bad motto to live by especially during tough times. It's easy to forget that while you can't control what life throws at you, you can decide how to respond. So let's just say I'm choosing to be happy today despite the impending root canal. And I'm also going to try and not obsess about how if the tooth had gone haywire three months ago, it all would have been covered by the last of my dental insurance. Oh well smiley face on dead tooth and all!

Photo via Ideas Playground at flicker.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

A Photo a Day 13/365, 14/365. 15/365


05/11/10: Sleepy pie.

05/10/10: Mother Goose.

05/09/10: Night time out our window.

The End is Near



I'll probably end up watching the last of LOST this Monday on Hulu after everyone else has seen the finale on Sunday. Still as Jacob warned "we're getting very close to the end" and I can't say that I'm happy about it. I'm going to miss this TV show and its cast of characters. I almost don't think of LOST as a TV series. I've watched it mostly on my computer without commercials. It seems more like a very long novel that I pick up when I want, put aside, and then come back to. And as with some good books, I want to know the outcome but I don't want it to end. The show also oddly feels a bit like a dear friend who I can drop in on when I need to escape my own day to day stuff.

But it is going to end tomorrow and perhaps that's why I had a dream last night with elements from the show. I was among the characters as they were getting set up and trying to reassume their exact positions so they could recreate the initial event. We were on a train instead of a plane in my dream and the tension was high. I think I dreamed this because I am hoping for some kind of reset to happen in the last episode. This season has been so grueling and with each episode the hope of any of the characters realizing a happy ending seems more unlikely. Ben appears to have fallen permanently this time and it seems Desmond may indeed have to make a sacrifice and play the role of last resort.

In my mind now the best case scenario is, that some how the Desmond in LA is the same Desmond who was in the well, that he has gone to gather the others and will some how bring them all back. I don't know why that seems like a happy ending. The LA version of reality is pretty decent for everybody despite their underlying feelings that they are not living the lives they were meant to. At least for Libby, Ana Lucia, Rousseau and Alex they are still alive. I think it is because the situation on the island is just so grim now that I want another reset. Smokey seems unstoppable, and with Ben as his henchman, it feels as if it could just be a matter of watching him pick off the remaining characters in awful fashion. My worst fear is that it's just Jack in the end sitting on the island Sentinel style. We'll see. Claire is still a wild card, Ben may flip flop again and wasn't Richard supposed to be immortal? I want the "Destiny Found" tag line from the Season 6 poster to be a positive omen.

Whatever the outcome, I'm really just hoping it's an ending I can live with. One that doesn't belittle all of the great storytelling that has lead up to this point. Not too closed, not too open. Not saccharin but also not devastating. Just perfect. Pretty please.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

A Photo a Day 12/365



Christmas in May. Thanks Susie. We love everything. You made our day!

A Photo a Day 11/365



Yesterday's photo: Grandma buys the little one her own mini wheel barrel at the local Agway. Mommy thinks, is it okay to make a two & half year old mulch the garden?

Thursday, May 6, 2010

A Photo a Day 10/365



Our camera is in a bag of rice. Never a good sign. So here's our photo of the day using Photo Booth on our Mac. I think this photo should be called "Stripey Cheesy" because we are both wearing stripes and saying cheese. I love her in this shirt. Am I raising a mini me? Is that wrong?

Love is...



I'm coveting this print. I really want one. Maybe it's the New Yorker in me that has always worn too much black or the softy that believes in love. Not sure, but I wish my birthday were coming up or another holiday so I'd have an excuse to gift it to myself.

If you like inspirational art that doesn't involve sunsets and seagulls check out more great prints at The Love Shop.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

A Photo a Day 9/365



It was a busy day that included gardening (the tomatoes are finally in) and shopping for a barbeque. The little BBQ we wanted was too big for our even littler trunk so that's on hold. But we are definitely getting in gear for summer. We wound down the day with "letties" (letters) and stickers. I love the Kai-lan, flowers, butterflies and Halloween combo. Works for me.

Recycling Gets Pretty



Wow, my one tiny blue recycling bin has nothing on this attractive recycling shed. I was thinking it would be nice to have a larger sized bin, but now I've seen recycling heaven.

I don't suppose I'll be getting one of these beauties from HSP Gardening Buildings anytime soon. For one thing they are located in Suffolk, England. Leave it to the Brits to recycle in such a civilized manner. In my dreams though all the empty bottles and old newspapers are neatly tucked away in my Lynford Eco-Store.

The HSP site also features beautiful gazebos, arbours and summerhouses.