Sparkling Fish

Yesterday my husband and I cleaned out the aquarium. My husband actually worked with me, rather than getting impatient and DUMPING stuff, with me struggling to catch it. We ended up with a sparkling aquarium with fish who may be smiling at the nice clean water or may be griping to each other that they were rousted, once again, while the humans made them swim in a small bowl of water with a towel over it – AGAIN.

 

I have ordered a thing that is supposed to help with ammonia now, since the other additions I’ve tried are helping, but no making it so I don’t have to clean the whole aquarium once a week. I’m hoping I end up with a combination that results in definitely smiling fish.

Pairs

Beautiful World

 

Sri Lanka Frogmouth Birds – Belal Moheb

 

Beautiful World

 

Beautiful World

 

Birds and Blooms Unlimited

 

doves – source unknown

I Love Squirrels

Zen Design via New Animal Book

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Kanno Hisao

 

Keith Anderson via Marianna Bellantoni

Delightful Deer

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Beautiful World

 

Beautiful World

Bird Hunter Smoke

This is Smoke. She adopted me at the vet’s office several years ago.

She is quite the hunter, while Abby, our lap kitty, prefers demanding cat treats and sleeping upside down in one of several spots around the house or in a convenient lap.

This morning my husband came downstairs to start the morning – feeding animals, starting coffee, etc, while I took a quick shower.

Smoke tried to dash into the house from the garage. She had a sparrow type of bird in her mouth.  A lot of thrashing around ensued, with my husband coming out the winner, but having landed on the garage steps on his rear end, and having scraped his arm in the attempt.

My husband is all right, thank goodness. The cat is okay, too, and is enjoying time in my husband’s lap as I type.

We have agreed – or at least he SAID he agreed – that next time this kind of thing happens, he should let the cat win the fight and we’ll deal with the bird, or mouse, or vole, or mole, or whatever TOGETHER, and that his parts are much more important than the annoyance of Bird Hunter Smoke bringing wildlife inside….

Thoughts on a Thursday – 10-3-2019

Jeff Jett

Seeing this cute photo of a raccoon reminds me how HAPPY I am that we finally seem to have encouraged all the raccoons to go elsewhere. At least for a while.

We love seeing animals around our place. We see deer, possums, racoons, squirrels, road runners, birds of all kinds….   We have lots of feeders on our deck because we love watching all kinds of birds flit around while we sit at our dining area table. This comes to a halt suddenly, several times in the spring, summer, and fall, when we find ALL the feeders empty, hanging at half mast, or down on the deck, ruined. Our raccoons seem to arrive in families. We use a humane trap to catch them, one at a time, and then drive them out further into the country about 5 miles or so, and let them out at a creek to hopefully catch up to the ones we’ve relocated before and go on to live a happy life – away from us.

If they would SHARE or wouldn’t trash our feeders and make a mess, we could live in harmony. SADLY, they want it ALL.

Right now we still have hummingbird feeders up and filled since we are still seeing up to 4 at a time, darting between the two feeders and our wave petunias. We’ll keep them up to feed late stragglers who haven’t gotten the memo yet that it’s probably time to head south. (Mother Nature is still giving us summer here, so it’s no wonder the sweet hummers are confused.)

We also have black oil sunflower seeds and small seeds so everyone can find something to their liking. We had kept the feeders empty, trying to discourage the raccoons, for a LONG time, so it’s good to be back to normal now.

I just finished the first of 2 sessions on my elliptical trainer in the garage. I overdid a couple of days ago, and ended up like a slug in my chair most of the day yesterday. Dividing up my time into two sessions will hopefully allow me to keep moving without my body going on strike. I do another session later today plus a session of yoga.

My creative juices are starting to rummage around in my brain, so I’m hoping to get up to my art room this afternoon and start plotting, planning, and playing. (I hope you get a kick out of alliteration :0) )

*Today is Day 31 of daily yoga. Day 16 of getting-serious-about-keto-macros, and Day 5 of three-times-a-week elliptical trainer time. I’m going to give myself a gold star EACH time I do an elliptical session, hopefully making it so I don’t slough off the second session of the day, so I can earn THREE today. I cooked “Cheesy Bacon-Wrapped Chicken” by Suzanne Ryan, Simply Keto last night. Both my husband and son said, “YUMMY!”

The weather people are saying a cold front is coming through over night. I’m holding them to their word that this will happen, and will finally break the back of the too-hot temps with too-high humidity that have become the norm here. Fall – here we come!

I hope YOU have a star-filled and raccoon-less day, too!

For the Love of Owls

Hilary Bralove

“The owl,” he was saying, “is one of the most curious creatures. A bird that stays awake when the rest of the world sleeps. They can see in the dark. I find that so interesting, to be mired in reality when the rest of the world is dreaming. What does he see and what does he know that the rest of the world is missing?”
~ M.J. Rose

 

Science Phile

“A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard; Why aren’t we like that wise old bird?” ~ Unknown

 

Like Page If You Love Owls

“Owl
Wiser than can be
Seeing great at night
Flying quieter over the sea
Making hope shine bright”

Unknown

Thoughts on a Monday 9-23-2019

cheezeburger.com

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF FALL!!!!! It’s raining here today (Ahhhh!) and cooler – at least for now, and I am one happy camper. :0)

Shop NZ

We had 5 hummingbirds at the feeders while we at the dining table this morning. A truly beautiful sight to start our day.

 

Laughtard

It’s DAY 21 for my daily yoga practice. Yesterday, after I had spent time weed whacking and then blowing the debris off the concrete areas, I was really tired and sore. As soon as I had finished a bottle of water and cooled off a bit, I did my yoga session, and it HELPED! Since I’m old and out of shape, my back stiffened up before bed, but I’m encouraged that I could FEEL it helping yesterday.

It’s DAY 6 on my getting-serious-about-keto efforts. To be honest, I’m not really sure where I am. The scales aren’t showing anything. I’ve been staying way under the 20 grams of carbs I’m allowed daily, figuring that even if I screw up on portion size or forget to add something, I should be coming out well. I’m really happy with the CarbManager.com carb tracking website.  It’s easy to use and I can quickly add food, water, or exercise from my computer or my phone.

123RF.com

Fingers crossed I will see some tangible results on either my scale, with my measuring tape, or both in the near future.

 

Our doggies seem calm after their fight yesterday morning. I will never know what started the fight. I’m just grateful that both doggies are doing fine today.

I didn’t make it up to my art room yesterday. I will try to get up there and play today.

Sleeping Should Be Easy

 

Our son, who lives and works in Thailand, came home after my husband’s stroke to help us through all the testing and the aftermath of the stroke. He will probably go back to his life soon. I’m am SO grateful that he wanted to be with us during this time. He has been a rock. SUCH a generous, caring man!

I hope you enjoy the first day of fall today – doing good things for yourself, feeling good, and finding great reasons to smile.

 

Thoughts on a Thursday 9-10-2019

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

My husband and son were out checking the irrigation system at about 7 pm last night (all is well) and saw 5 hummingbirds at one time! That’s the most we’ve seen at once this whole summer.  A sight like that makes everything right.

I told you yesterday that I was really trying to get serious about eating Keto and losing more of my lard. Thanks to my friend, Robin, I’ve signed up at a new website called CarbManager.com  I signed up for their Basic service, but they have a premium service, as well that I may consider in the future. My big thing on not switching was that I couldn’t find a carb tracker that would accept recipes from other places and let you log them in for the day without having to list each ingredient separately. This one did fine with Suzanne Ryan’s “Sausage, Egg and Cheese Bake” from her book Simply Keto easily. They have a good section that walks you through their website, explaining how to do things. The website on my computer links up with the app on my phone now, so that’s really handy, as well. Yesterday I ate 18 grams of carbs. They did NOT give me a message saying I wasn’t eating enough, so I was happy about that, too!

I found a wonderful artist who makes baskets that will make you drool. I’ll be sharing them with you in a bit.

Today I’ll make time for my yoga practice this afternoon (Day # 17) and I plan to play in my art room!

I hope that YOUR Thursday is full of cute squirrel photos, hummingbirds, and fun.

 

 

Thoughts on a Wednesday 9-18-2019

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Pinterest

I’m beginning to see a pattern on what provokes new anger issues after a stroke –

1. the need for quick actions (such as ‘turn here!” or “stop! You’re going to hit the ____.”
2. the need to decide which of two things the person wants.

As we recognize patterns, we can alter our OWN behavior. It’s better to miss the turn and have to turn around and go back, for example. (You DO have to yell ‘STOP!” to avoid hitting things, though.) It’s better to just ask if the person wants to do one thing, rather than ask which of two things is preferred.   Still hoping the anger issues will fade with time, but I’m learning how to deal with things better.

I’m delighting, once again, that we have SUCH GREAT pets to enjoy.

 

Amber

Example – Amber, our 94-pound yellow lab, LOVES to play her version of ‘FETCH.” This entails her bringing her spit-covered whatever toy to you, trying to put it and her head into your lap. When you try to deter this, she tries to climb up into the chair with you, eyes sparkling with joy. She doesn’t want to actually GIVE you the toy. She just wants to make you stop whatever you were doing, TRY to get the toy so that she can run away with it, doing her dog version of ‘nah, nah NAH, nah, nah’ as she goes, only to run right back and repeat. If she DOES drop the toy and allow you to throw it, it’s a one-time event. Today I added to the complexity a bit, playing with TWO toys. I would throw one, she would run like a bunny and grab it, bringing it back and refusing to give it to me. I then picked up the SECOND toy. She immediately dropped the first, eager to run after the second. We may HAVE something here….

Pixabay

We saw a whole bunch (gaggle/skein/team/wedge/plump?) of beautiful geese on the ground on a big wide lawn of a home we pass on the way to town. There were at least 20 and they were a wonderful sight.

 

Our son made me laugh like a loon describing trying to talk to an obnoxious man on the Internet in a chat forum about a product with which our son is involved. As he described the boorish remarks of the man, he became more and more animated, acting out what the man was saying. As I laughed, it spurred my son on to more and more detail and funny movements and expressions. My stomach is still hurting from the laughter.

 

I hope that YOUR Wednesday includes something beautiful in nature, some new ideas on how to handle a problem, and laughter so hard  your stomach hurts.

Thoughts on a Saturday 9-14-2019

Sven Zacek – http://www.zacekfoto.ee via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

We are having a very pleasant morning – doors open, front and back, ceiling fans on – so we have a nice breeze going through the house. It’s quiet. My husband is already enjoying a nap. We’ll have to close up and switch to a/c later, but it’s wonderful now.

 

COSMOPOLITAN South Africa

 

Apparently my yoga practice yesterday was a bit TOO exuberant. I woke up with a super sore back today. My good husband slathered some muscle gel with Arnica on me first thing, and then I took two Tylenol to top it off. I’m better now, but still very aware that I overdid. I’ll practice SUPER ‘Gentle Yoga” today to see if I can finish the relaxation process.

 

Yesterday on the way back from Lunch Bunch, we had a very nice, nature-filled bunch of sights. On the road there were two deer. We only saw one of them on the road, but I saw another as we passed. Such beautiful animals!

Richard Johnson – Mass Audubon

 

Later our son came and got me so I wouldn’t miss the roadrunner that was perched on top of our deck cover. I wish I could describe the sound one makes. Truly unique.

 

Nat’l Audubon Society

 

My husband got a second hummingbird feeder to put out. Before you give him total kudos on providing for our feathered friends, I have to tell you that his REASON was that we have one hummingbird who sits, guarding the feeder, daring the other two hummers to come and try to get some food. My husband put the new feeder on the other end of the deck so that he would go nuts trying to guard BOTH of them.

 

Mother Nature Network

 

Finally, there was a praying mantis on the screen outside out dining area window!

 

Tree Hugger

My only plans for the day are to start clearing out our square foot garden. Even with daily irrigation, it has just been too hot for the plants to survive. This will take several passes to accomplish, but I’ll try to get started today. I’ll go armed with bug killer spray in case I encounter aggressive ants in the boxes. I’m hoping that our onions are still doing well out there.

Happy Saturday to YOU! Have a wonderful day.

 

 

Sly as a Fox

Carla Stafford – LinkedIn

“A fox is a wolf who sends flowers.” – Ruth Brown

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

“Let every fox take care of his own tail.” – Italian Proverb

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

“A fox should not be of the jury at a goose’s trial.” – Thomas Fuller

Barn Owl

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

BirdLife International

 

Kentucky Dept of Fish and Wildlife

 

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

 

The Enchanted Portal

 

YouTube

I Love Raccoons – Elsewhere

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

I love raccoons. They are so CUTE!  Our personal experience, though, living on top of a ridge line outside of town in Greenwood, Arkansas, is that they don’t share. They want ALL of the birdseed in ALL of the feeders, PLUS they trash the feeders!

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

We have a humane trap we use from time to time, when they have trashed yet another feeder, to catch them and then relocate them way to our south, further out in the country beside a stream.

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

Once our problem starts, it continues until we catch each one of the family separately. We put them in the same stream, hoping they’ll find their family again, but NOT come back to us!

 

* Jeff Jett posts wonderful pictures in an effort to preserve wildlife and their habitats. When we know who the photographer is, we give credit.

Glorious Pet Portraits

Niki Firmin – Therapy dogs Oliver and Lily

 

Commissioned Portrait – Bethany Kerr

 

Original photo from which portrait was done – Bethany Kerr

 

Kelly Armitage – LinkedIn

 

Kelly Armitage – LinkedIn

 

Niki Firmin – Lily

Thursday Joy

Photo posted by Jeff Jett on LinkedIn

Ducklings for a Wednesday

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

I never really thought about it until I saw this photo, but I LOVE duckling feet. :0)

To Start Your Monday Nicely

Bo’s Corner via Jacqueline Lyons

So Cute – But Not Here

Via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

I’m definitely of two minds about raccoons. On the one hand, I melt into a puddle when I see pictures like this. Awwww.

The other half of me has to deal with the problems they cause us when a whole family decides that our deck is a wonderful place to eat us out of house and home. Not only do they eat every single seed of any type in our feeders, they trash the feeders!  If we had raccoons who understood the concept of sharing, or eating without leaving the feeders needing to be replaced, we would welcome them.

We saw one of our long time friends at the store recently. He had a possum on his shoulder! It was really cute, and super affectionate. He had had the possum since he/she was a baby. He also told us he had a raccoon and a squirrel who both traveled with him and his wife, and were trained to walk on leashes! He also mentioned he had 7 deer…. Such a rich, full life!

We have a humane trap that we use on a regular basis after we have clear evidence of more raccoons. We bait it with apples or crackers and peanut butter. We have to be careful where we put the trap because they do everything they can to get out of the trap – of course – and have trashed our barbecue grill cover, plants in pots, etc.

When we catch one, we put the cage into the back of our truck and drive about 5 miles away, relocating the raccoon into a nice creek that flows under the road. Hopefully, this gives him/her another chance at a happy life, reunion with other relocated raccoons – far enough away that they don’t find their way back to us….

 

Happy Saturday

Aww Station via Marianna Bellantoni

Sly as a Fox

 

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

“A fox is a wolf who sends flowers.” ~ Ruth Brown

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

“The fox changes his fur but not his habits.” ~ Anonymous

Did You Know?

Bob Bennett – LinkedIn

• Many owl species have asymmetrical ears. When located at different heights on the owl’s head, their ears are able to pinpoint the location of sounds in multiple dimensions. Ready, aim, strike.
• The eyes of an owl are not true “eyeballs.” Their tube-shaped eyes are completely immobile, providing binocular vision which fully focuses on their prey and boosts depth perception.
• Owls can rotate their necks 270 degrees. A blood-pooling system collects blood to power their brains and eyes when neck movement cuts off circulation.
• A group of owls is called a parliament. This originates from C.S. Lewis’ description of a meeting of owls in The Chronicles of Narnia.
• Not all owls hoot! Barn Owls make hissing sounds, the Eastern Screech-Owl whinnies like a horse, and Saw-whet Owls sound like, well, an old whetstone sharpening a saw. Hence the name.

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

*Fun Facts about Owls” ~ Audubon.org

Beautiful

Inna Kashkovar – LinkedIn

 

Chat Desh Photography via Mara Spirig – LinkedIn

Happy Sunday

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

Friday “Awwwww!”

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

Happy Fish?

Because of life getting in the way lately, I’ve gotten behind on my responsibilities around the house.   Yesterday I finally vacuumed our first floor – first the tiled areas and then the carpeted ones. I have a very nice vacuum. The only thing it could do better would be for it to run itself. (We actually HAD one of the round turn-it-on-and-it-runs-around type thingies at one time. It would regularly get stuck under something or wedge itself into a corner, or choke itself to death on the dog and cat hair, so we gave it up.)

Another thing I had neglected was the aquarium. I finally cleaned that out yesterday, putting in different decorations, clean water, new filters, etc. The fish didn’t say anything, but breathed sighs of relief when I put them back in their now clean home.

 

Here you can see all four of the fish. We have one that has gotten huge – they were all about the same size when I bought them – about an inch long. The largest one is now at least three inches long in the body, and then has a long tail. All seem to be doing fine.

 

Somehow, the girl-in-the-bathtub’s feet broke off quite a while back. I glued them back on and the fish don’t seem to mind it that she isn’t perfect.

I’m not sure if the weather will cooperate and I can finish getting the garden back in control or if I’ll have to tackle more projects in the house today.

The best thing is that we have Lunch Bunch – our every Friday meal with long time good friends in about an hour. Our son will go with us today, and it’s been years since our friends have seen him. I look forward to the reunion.

Have a happy day!

Thursday’s Happy Wake Up Call

Eunice I – LinkedIn

Nice Way to Start Your Day

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

A Dog and Her Ball

We are having a bit of a confrontation at our house. WE want Amber to FETCH the ball. SHE wants US to play TUG OF WAR….

Amber truly loves a ball. She will tolerate the really hard ones, but prefers the soft, squishy ones. She doesn’t seem to have a color preference, but it’s obvious that her true love is one that squeaks loudly.

 

She squeaks the ball as she brings it to us, hopeful that THIS TIME we’ll grab the slimy ball and give it a vicious tug. She has a strong grip, so we can never take it from her. Finally, after we have failed to play her game correctly over and over, she drops the ball at our feet. We throw it, she leaps to get it, and brings it back – not to GIVE it to us – but to offer it again for a great game of Tug of War….

Sunday’s Cute

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

Sweet Cubs

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn