Thursday Theme=Wild

Living in a wooded area on the side of a hill sometimes can be challenging with the deer eating the vegetation I want to keep. You can read about their latest doings in the blogpost on Sept 2oth. But the pleasure of living among the wildife far out weighs the damage they do.

Here are some pictures taken in the past year.

One of the deer in the herd of eight that usually pass through.

Pair of Doves

Cardinal

Flock of Wild Turkeys just strolling through.

Visitors

Generally we wait for an Autumn frost to come along and kill the Summer flowers, but this year the killing of the flowers is being done by four-legged visitors.


A couple of weeks ago I opened the bedroom blinds in the morning to see all the beautiful soft pink waxed begonia had been eaten out of the pot that sits on top of the well cover. They didn't touch the upright plant that was also in the pot. I guess it just wasn't part of their diet.



Now this morning when I looked out the dining room window I saw they had made a feast out of the four hanging plants in a seating area. They not only ate the flowers, but had strewn a couple of the pots on the ground.


All is not lost at the moment there are still some marigolds bordering a very small garden coming into bloom. I wonder how long it will take before they decide to eat those. Just encase you don't know who the four-legged visitors are. They are a herd of about eight deer who roam this wooded area. I spotted them in the backyard a few days ago.

Thursday Theme=Over the Hill

Sacre Coeur in Paris, France

This week's theme is over the hill, now what does that mean. According to the definitions found through Google it has many meanings. It can be anyone over the age of 40 or someone who is beyond their prime to play a certain sport or someone who has lived the best part of their lives. Well I can say after the age of 40 I graduated from college with a degree in chemistry and had twenty-five years of a successful career with publications in the field of science. I can also say being over the hill I am still doing a lot of traveling in the world seeing all the places I have read about as an avid reader. As some of you know a trip to Egypt is just two months away. And China is in the next two years. So much for over the hill, it is what one chooses to make of it, I chose to make the most.

Here are some pictures of hills taken last year as well as this year. The Sacre Coeur, pictured above, sits on a hill in Paris. One way to reach the Basilica is to walk up, up and up 234 steps. All I can say is you had better be in good shape to get there. Along the way you see many former smokers taking a much needed rest. Last year was my second time to make the walk and it is well worth it. For those who can't make the walk there is a Funicular. Another treat once you get up there is the famous artist plaza (Place du Tertre).

St. Guilhem Le Desert was a nice stop on a rainy day on our way from Barcelona, Spain to Arles, France where we started a week cruise up the Rhone River.

Ruins in the hill at St. Guilhem Le Desert

St. Guilhem Le Desert

These pictures of hills in New Mexico were taken on a tour to Taos while I was spending a long weekend at a book retreat in Santa Fe.

New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico

Thursday Theme=Beginning

Beginning is the start of something, it might be something you have never done before or it could be the return to something you have done in the past. In the past I had the most beautiful cat. Her name was Shortie. She was all white with pink paw pads. She had one blue eye and one yellow eye just like her mother, Cue. Now she didn't live a very long life. She suddenly dropped dead at the age of two and a half after running through the house. That was about five years ago, at that point I said I would never get another pet, because it was very heart breaking to lose her. Last year I saw the heartbreak of my daughter when her cat Cue was killed by a car and the heartbreak of my son when his cat Khalis had to be put down after a losing battle with cancer. But, they showed me how to start over again with another pet. My son got a cute little dog, Rachel. And my daughter got a tiny kitten, Princess.

Well Princess had six kittens this summer and I decided to become the owner of two of them, so they could keep each other company. They are eight weeks old males. One is Black and grey striped with white paws and chest. My daughter had named him Paws and he is keeping that name. The other is Brown and chocolate striped. I have named him Bugzy, because he is such a lovebug. He loves to be cuddled up on my shoulder. I couldn't see naming him Lovebug. Imagine calling Lovebug, Lovebug where are you. Likewise Bug, Bug where are you. Therefore Bugzy is the name.