Leaving the Nest

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of one of a pair

of hawks that has been raising their babies in our

oak tree for the past ten years or so. There are two babies

each year as a rule and the process of teaching

 them to fly and be independent takes several weeks.

The weather has been extremely hot and dry this year and 

the babies have been making trips to the bird bath in the back yard. This is a first and we can only attribute it to the fact there is no lake water behind our house right now.

Here are some pictures David took one afternoon as the youngsters

sat in the tree above the birdbath. You can tell they are still very young by their size and the large eyes that aren't hooded yet.

They are pretty much on their own by now.

Quite a few homes have been built in our neighborhood

in the past several years and I am concerned that we are becoming too populated for them.

I am glad the hawks still feel at home here and chose to

raise another family this year.

We are still experiencing extreme heat and I am staying

indoors so not much to share. I am ready for Fall!

And in the case of butterflies,

So rich it looks as if all summer settled there and died.

                                                                                     Philip Larken, "Autumn"

It has taken somewhat longer than expected to bounce

back from the surgery. That, along with the unbelievable

heat and continued drought,

 has left me with little interest in the outside world.

This butterfly caught my attention out the

kitchen window. Maybe it is a sign of better days ahead!

Hope you find beauty in your world today.

TAKING A BREAK

Our weather continues in drought conditions.

The rain we had so hoped for didn't appear.

There are chances of thunderstorms every afternoon,

but so far, none for us.

The temperature continues to climb over 100 daily.

This is summer in the south.

The flowers I planted with such promise 2 months ago

are showing signs of severe stress.

I am a little stressed also by dragging

that water hose everywhere the sprinkler doesn't reach :)

I will be taking a blogging break for a couple of weeks.

There is a little matter of unplanned surgery that has

to be taken care of. I expect to be fine and back to normal

soon and I hope to check in from time to time but it

will be a while before I am out and about again with my camera.

Hope your summer stays green and under 100 degrees!

See you in a few weeks.

Carolyn

* Happy 4th of July *

Thank you, to all who make it possible

to celebrate this day of freedom.

 These pictures were taken July 4, 2008 at my

 mother's house in Mississippi.

My daughter and I are planning to visit again this weekend.

I am looking forward to visiting with my family, catching up

on what is happening in their lives and seeing how much the

children have grown (not to mention eating mother's good cooking).

Have a Blessed and Happy Holiday.