Fireworks May 2007, this is what happens when you don't know what you're doing!!

Steven Spielberg eat your heart out! :-)

Like something from outer space

Falling fire - when you double click this one, at the end of the long strings of fire looks like little "Q's" are attached.

Musical tune space ship?

Firey slinky?

circle of musical notes

more falling fire, spirals of light

End of show, couldn't even get one true shot,

sigh...............

Jacob, age 20 months. When he wants juice and milk he doesn't have to choose!

June, 2007

Jacob with Mommy Mandy, Daddy Ernie, soooooo cute.

Pileated Woodpecker, is 18" tall, and the largest of all Woodpeckers.

A pair of Pileated Woodpeckers frequent our feeder - they are very shy, making it difficult to take pictures when I am within a couple of feet of them. They can see me inside the kitchen where I take most of these type photos.

Same Pileated, little glare from glass window

Small Downy Woodpecker, 6" outside bedroom window

The Downy, 6" and the Hairy 9" Woodpeckers are not at all shy. I've seen them wait on a branch while I add a new suet block to the feeder and then go to it the minute I leave.

9" Hairy Woodpecker. I was told if I put covers above the suet feeders the Starlings wouldn't come and dine. Not true, it didn't bother them

after watching the Woodpeckers, the Starlings saw there was no threat from the overhead plates.

STARLINGS: This mom brought her brood to our bath. I am sorry to say, but I really hate Starlings. They are bullies, and rob nests.

Starlings gobble up my homemade suet, they can go through a block in one day. Solution - next slide!

Solution: Sitting on this new feeder is a handsome 13" Northern Flicker. He can easily get food from this brand new suet feeder but Starlings can't!

The tongues of Woodpeckers are very long and sticky, so if their beak can't quit reach the suet, their tonque can. It is a blast to watch all the extremely frustrated Starlings trying to get a bite, but the food is out of reach for them. Horray!!!!!!

Crow, who I called Sorrow. I used to give him special treats. He often takes the food to our bird bath to dip in the water. That stopped when ...

one day when I went to fill the bird bath I saw pieces of Goldfinch wings and feathers. I don't know if Sorrow killed one, but I am suspicious, so I've stopped encouraging him to hang around. Too bad, he was losing fear of me, and not flying off when I came out.

Last fall Bryan set up a greenhouse for me. I live for spring. All my gardening is in container pots or hanging baskets. It's a lot of work -

but great therapy for me. He built an area around the greenhouse, where I planted a few corn, leaks, pumpkin, squash, and some flowers ... don't know if the corn will grow though!

Bryan set up a long potting bench for me - to do my potting...this is the mess left over after most of the bedding plants were done.

Baby Hairy Woodpecker, small enough to walk into this great suet feeder

Brown brat ... squirrel, fearless, knows where the kitchen is!

Wishful thinking ... Takoda watching squirrel I chased from the tree in the front - smarty pants immediately went to feeder we have in the driveway

Black headed Gross beak - we have 2 pairs that frequent these feeders, haven't seen any babies .... yet

I watched this little Goldfinch sit for over an hour - he didn't look well. A bit later he went to the next feeder and sat and sat

and sat, and sat. Bryan just picked him up and brought him in. We put him in our canary cage he bought to nurse injured birds we sometimes find

Poor little guy died within 3 hours. He had no puncture wounds. His little wing was sprained. I HATE when this happens. But more often than not, we are able to save injured birds.

Early morning happier picture. Two Flickers having a quiet breakfast. The male is on top, note the orange slash under his chin

Red Shafted Northern Flickers

The look out. Note this is the female, no orange slash