Table Rock Lake

I promised some pictures of the Lake and here's the bridge at Shell Knob.  The Lake is way-way up.  Normally you can see a lot more of the piers.

Here's a slippery slope you wouldn't want to step off of.  The loose gravel would send you on a nasty trip.

There's a rock ledge in the center of this picture that is usually where people go to dive from pretty high up.  I enlarged the center of the photo below.

Now, it's just  small step into the water.

Here's the birdies today.

Momma finch puts all the poop around the edge--tidy huh? 

In the picture below you can see one of the birdies has his eyes open.  Click on the picture.  I think the nest is getting crowded.

Today after church I picked some of my pink roses, and took one to each my sister's grave and my brothers grave who happen to be burried clear across town from each other.  The rest of the bouquet went to my MIL when we visited hubby's parents this afternoon.  We watched the ending of the Indy 500 race with them.  That was quite an ending.



Decoration Day

We went to Shell Knob today to decorate our parents graves.  Isn't it beautiful there?

I had to take the old decoration apart because the foam had an ants nest in it, and I sure didn't want to take that home with me.  I think Erin's snickering about something here, but I'm not sure at what; I think I missed something.

Best Buds, my sister, Alice and I.

Our hubby's are there for us.  Mine kidnapped us drove us around many places that we did not want to go---that's something he picked up from his dad---just a chip off the old block.

Erin usually helps me put the decorations together, but I bought one that was already made this year, since I didn't get the flowers while they were on sale last year.  I usually do that because it's cheaper, and I enjoy it.

I'll have more pictures of the lake to show you later.  (I need a hair cut, or transplant, or something.  A tummy tuck wouldn't hurt either, or maybe just a good airbrushing.)



Baby Finches

The baby birds are growing a little and changing--you can see their bald little heads.  This picture was taken yesterday morning.

Here's today's pictures, although this first one is a little fuzzy.  I actually need to use a tripod, but momma finch just carries on so.  They are holding their heads up a little better---you can see a couple of beaks.

You can click on these pictures a couple of times if you want a close-up.

They fill the nest pretty good.  You all have a good holiday--keep safe.

Five Little Finch Chicks

They have all hatched--this is this mornings picture.  Momma Finch has a job to do now---five little hungry mouths to feed--I suppose she can find them because I can't.

My bright pink peonies are beautiful.

Yesterday I potted up some plants, and all I have left to plant are these hollyhocks to plant out front.

Our pond is growing hairy algae again-eek--can you see it?

Wow!  I need to work on that.

Finch Chick Update

First I must show some of my flowers, then I will show the chicks.

The Columbine Bed:

My sedum is blooming (yellow) behind the Johnny Jump-ups, then behind that my rudbeckia is really growing.

Here is the reason our backyard smells so good.  The Mock Orange bush I got from my Mom many years ago, and honeysuckle are both blooming, and trying to overtake one another. 

I love pink roses.

Now the chicks---I set my hanging fern on the bench to take pictures today.  Here you can see where the nest is located in the fern.  Momma and Papa Finch didn't much care for me taking the fern down for a little bit, but they'll be fine.

Today we can see a little footsie, and one more egg to hatch.  They still have some serious "cute-ing up" to do.

My hubby said they're seed eaters, but Mom and Pop feeds them small bugs and seeds.

Stormy Weather

We are having a lot of stormy weather,  matter of fact, we just had one of the loudest claps of thunder I've heard in a long time--I just about jumped out of my skin.

 

This picture was from the same storm that hit Joplin with a deadly tornado last night.  We were playing cards with my sister and brother-in-law last evening and had to run outside and take this picture--WOW--a double rainbow.

A few minutes later, we had to run outside and see the sunset--amazing!

It looked like the sky was a blazing inferno.

Here's how the finch nest looked this morning.  Three hatched and two to go.  Those poor little creatures look pretty helpless.

Finch chicks

This was the finch nest yesterday morning when I watered.

This afternoon I watered and took pictures, and this first picture didn't get the whole nest, and the flash didn't go off.   My camera is contrary.

So I took another one---it was fuzzy, but something was happening in the nest.

So I took another one, and as they say, third time's a charm.  Keep in mind these finches are small birds.  The nest is about 3-inches across.  I can't quite make heads nor tails of the chicks right now, but I'm sure that will change.  There is a small fern leaf in the nest, maybe that will help put it to scale.



Gardening

My Queen Elizabeth Grandiflora Rose is blooming--I love this rose.

Pink Peony also blooming.  I got this one from my mom many years ago.

Columbine too.

This is a white florabunda rose with mint growing amoung it.

Here's the flower bed I worked on this morning.  The little sticks are to keep the critters out of this bed until the flowers are big enough to keep them out.  I planted whisper mix Nicotiana, single mixed hollyhocks, purple nicotina, phlox-mixed, allysum, evening scented stocks, and mixed small dahlias--I think that's all.

I still have more planting to do.

This was the finch nest this morning.  Still no baby birds yet.



Finches Nest

A pair of purple headed finches have made my front-porch-fern their home.  My fern isn't looking so great, but I guess that's okay.  It's up high so I can't see the nest without my camera-----so every morning when I go out to water my potted plants the camera goes with me so I can see how things are progressing.  This is what it looks like now.

 In the first picture I got, there were three eggs----

Then there were four eggs.

I took this one in the morning with four eggs, and in the afternoon there were five.  I think that will be all.

I think the bird must rotate the eggs, because their positions change.