Lets talk Birds

Two years ago Steve bought me a bluebird house for Christmas at the urging of our friend Kathy. We put it up too late to attract bluebirds but it was occupied that first year by tree swallows. We had fun watching them and had a nesting with 5 eggs that all ended up fledging from the nest.

Last year for Christmas I got a bird feeder. We dutifully put it out and narry a bird fed from it last year. Again my knowledgable friend told me sometimes it takes the birds a while to figure out where free food is. And perhaps our mild winter last year affected how much food the birds needed to find.

Last summer the eastern bluebirds found my house and so I was told I now needed another house for the swallows. Off to Loews and a second bird house was erected. The summer was great with a nesting of swallows and bluebirds. And this winter the birds have found the feeder. I have been logging time with the bird identification book and have been sharing this knowledge with AJ. He will know more about birds as a six year old than I did as an adult.

  So my blog readers now you too will get bird lessons this year. This is a picture of the eastern bluebirds on the bird feeder 2 weeks ago when we had snow. The birds do not normally stay in this area but they obviously have this year. I have seen as many as 7 at one time  in the trees around the backyard. I like to think these are the babies that hatched in our bird house last spring.

Tuesday January 15

What an interesting January we have had. The first snow of the season came the day after Christmas and we added a little to that later that week. We got the cross country skis out and managed a few rounds on the golf course. Then last week the typical January thaw occurs and on Saturday the high temp is 60. The golf gods smile and there are more people playing then there were on many of the nice November Saturdays. Steve feels confident it is his only round ever played in Ohio in January.
Several of the guys even wore shorts. It was a little wet but very playable.

Today it feels like January again, cold but clear. And the fact that we are half way through January makes that pretty bearable. No long range storms in the forecast.

January 4, 2013

Friday is always a great day of the week. Today I am finally getting Christmas put away. I played with AJ yesterday. We had a great time but I am ready to put the decorations away and start focusing on 2013. The goal this year will be to make better decisions everyday. We are presented with choices everyday and often I do not think of the options before making a decision. I would like to slow down and think of at least one option before making decisions this year. Of course this would not affect reactions to danger....usually the first instinct there is probbly correct.

I love to post a thought for the day too. When I have the time I will.

Todays thought:

"The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook."

This ties into my thought of taking the time to review the options.

January 2, 2013

The first normal day of the new year. Everyone back to work and we can resume a home schedule. Now on to training for my third half marathon in March. The treadmill and I will be spending some time together unless the Ohio weather gets nicer. Today was the coldest of the winter so far. It was pretty though because the sun was shining.

No pictures today but a thought for the new year is to make someone smile everyday. I did today!

"It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere."

January 1, 2013

New year new start. I miss the blog, my friends miss the blog and my family misses the blog. So why don't I blog? Well we can try again this year. Day one of January 2013 was good. Laid back day with a cross country ski around the golf course and dinner with our friends the Farnsworths. Lots of football in between and a little jigsaw puzzle time too. ( Mikes present to me for Christmas)

May the year 2013 be good one. Health and happiness to all.

What happen to January...and February

Ok so I promised to jump back into publishing and what happen. I am not sure. This winter (without a winter) is slipping quickly into the history books. We have not put the snow blade on the tractor and have really only had to shovel (by hand) twice. I think to date Toledo has had 14 inches of snow for the season. The average is 37 inches. I am not sure if the ground has even frozen. The backyard is very soggy. Thoughts are turning to golf and gardening and spring.

Florida is on the books for next week and so the golf clubs will see the light of sunshine. We will be in Fort Myers and Sarasota and look forward to starting the golf season. We have played Belmont as early as March but it has been a few years since we have had that early of a season.

Jessica's graduation will be arriving soon too. We are planning a May trip to Boston for the ceremony and hope to spend some time in the city. Mike will be joining us for the  trip.

Mike moved this January to a new apartment in Bowling Green. He seems to like it and since it is close to BGSU campus we hope he will be around some people more his age. Already he was invited to a Super Bowl Party at one of the neighbors apartment. That was a first and I think it went well.

So that is about all that happen in 2012 so far. I am surprised that is has seemed to go so quickly with such a boring history. Now next month....