Much to our surprise, we had two visits from a gorgeous hawk in our backyard bird-feeding area this week. We've identified him as a juvenile Red-Shouldered Hawk, and being a youngster, he doesn't seem to have figured out how to catch our songbirds. He watched them for a long while, but didn't make a move. Later, Barry saw him at the birdbath.
What a handsome bird, and a very unusual sighting for our yard, normally inhabited only by mulitudinous hummingbirds and goldfinches this time of year!
Last weekend Barry and I took several days and drove to Ohio for our niece Dena's high school graduation party. We had a wonderful time and fantastic weather -- a welcome break from the sweltering humidity here in North Carolina. On Saturday morning we were able to get out for a lovely 19-mile road ride, and let me tell you, Ohio ain't flat! We looked a bit fresher before our ride, when my father-in-law snapped these shots, then we did after!
On Sunday we went up to Cleveland for the party. Dena has lost a lot of weight since we saw her in August '06 and looked absolutely radiant.
She is off to Wagner College in Staten Island, NY on a golf scholarship next year. We hope to see her on the LPGA circuit one day! She is already very accomplished, having hit her first hole-in-one lately.
Barry, Dena, and me
Dena's cake
Barry, his brother Dave (Dena's dad), their Mom and Dad, and our nephew Derek lurking in the background
Barry took this photo today so that I could see the pretty water lilies in three different colors (yellow, pale pink, fuschia) all blooming at once in our pond for the first time. The buds close by the time I get home from work. Now that we no longer have fish in our pond, the plants (and Bully the bullfrog) are really thriving! And with the shade cover the lily pads provide, the water is clear at last. Compare this photo to the ones from May below, and the difference is noticeable!
Much to our surprise, we had two visits from a gorgeous hawk in our backyard bird-feeding area this week. We've identified him as a juvenile Red-Shouldered Hawk, and being a youngster, he doesn't seem to have figured out how to catch our songbirds. He watched them for a long while, but didn't make a move. Later, Barry saw him at the birdbath.
Last weekend Barry and I took several days and drove to Ohio for our niece Dena's high school graduation party. We had a wonderful time and fantastic weather -- a welcome break from the sweltering humidity here in North Carolina. On Saturday morning we were able to get out for a lovely 19-mile road ride, and let me tell you, Ohio ain't flat! We looked a bit fresher before our ride, when my father-in-law snapped these shots, then we did after!
On Sunday we went up to Cleveland for the party. Dena has lost a lot of weight since we saw her in August '06 and looked absolutely radiant.
She is off to Wagner College in Staten Island, NY on a golf scholarship next year. We hope to see her on the LPGA circuit one day! She is already very accomplished, having hit her first hole-in-one lately.
Barry, Dena, and me
Barry, his brother Dave (Dena's dad), their Mom and Dad, and our nephew Derek lurking in the background
Barry took this photo today so that I could see the pretty water lilies in three different colors (yellow, pale pink, fuschia) all blooming at once in our pond for the first time. The buds close by the time I get home from work. Now that we no longer have fish in our pond, the plants (and Bully the bullfrog) are really thriving! And with the shade cover the lily pads provide, the water is clear at last. Compare this photo to the ones from May below, and the difference is noticeable!
