Do you remember Pesky Squirrel?

It's hard to believe it's been over three years since our relationship with pesky squirrels began. You may remember that when we first moved here we set out to make our backyard a sanctuary for birds and the occasional chipmunk but a certain squirrel was eating all the food. Thus began our battle:

This squirrel is brash, I tell ya, brash!

At first, it was just a battle of wits. But then the guy made a hole in our porch screen and helped himself to an unopened bag of birdseed.

Seriously! A squirrel was bold enough to come INTO the house.  This squirrel just was not to be deterred.  This bird seed?  Must be like crack for squirrels!  It causes squirrels to commit bolder crimes.

I'm not sure when it "happened". I guess it didn't happen all at once. But sometime between then and now the squirrels have become part of our backyard party. I think it became a game that Jordan and I were winning. We cut back nearby trees so that there was not easy access to the feeders. It actually took two years for one of the squirrels to figure out how to get on the feeders. He was aided by some very rogue shrubs that grew up around the feeders. We had to give props to the little guy when we saw the acrobatics involved in the bird feeder dining.

One fella has gotten fairly proficient. But some of the others have tried and failed. They always seem to bounce back...so there's little to worry about. The birds have shown that they can manage to eat with a silly squirrel on the feeder. So we've kind of taken a let's not let it be too easy...but, we don't mind if one or two squirrels are able to outsmart the obstacle course to the feeder. See? What a difference a few years can make.

Spring Babies

This goose made a nest in the middle of a median in our work parking lot. Yep, right there beside where people actually park.

Although I didn't get a picture of him, the Pappa goose was never far away. The two walked around the parking lot for a couple of days before deciding where the nest should be.

And then...BABIES

The first hatchling appeared at about 1:00. Over the next hours, three more babies hatched. They left the nest the next morning for their new home. I'm going to miss seeing Mamma goose each day. She never left the nest. She was there every morning when I drove into the parking lot and still there every evening when I left.

Both parents and babies are doing well...

A new goose family right in the office parking lot? AWESOME. 

Beach Retreat

This past weekend I went on a Beach Retreat with the women in my church. We were on Oak Island. I've never been there before but found it to be lovely. Here are a few pictures I took while I was there.

Our Retreat theme was "Relax, Rejuvenate, Reflect and Re-connect". The setting was perfect for all of those things.

I'm still processing some of the things we explored. It was a difficult transition back to real life on Monday. Sunday was in the 60*s. Monday was cold, rainy, and sleet. What a difference!

But like they say: "In like a Lion out like a Lamb".

Spring is Almost Here

So excited that Friday is here! And spring will be here before we know it. Just nineteen more days until spring is officially here. We just need to hold on a few more days!

I had my third B12 shot on Monday and my last shot will be next week. I'm hoping to feel energetic in time for spring.

Soon I won't have any excuses for not starting my "Get Lean in 2013" project. I keep thinking about it....I'm almost ready to start.

I'm sharing a pic of the jeep I saw the other day. How funny is this?

Happy first day of March! And happy weekend.

Rainy Days...

Today was a crazy, cold, rainy day. And, the cloud cover was very low. Not typical Piedmont, NC weather at all. The cloud cover so close to the ground...that is Seattle weather.

The pic to the left is from Bellevue (East Side of the Seattle/Puget Sound area). We lived in a high rise in Bellevue. A different life, but a good one. I took this pic one morning before work. Jacob's early life was in a high rise. The cloud cover and drizzle is what I mean by Seattle weather.

Last week I was thinking of giving up the blog. I hadn't written all weekend and I just thought...maybe I'm done.

But then I didn't actually quit. Wednesday night driving home I heard a song I had not heard before. I was seriously happy to hear this song that was new to me and I was inspired to post.

Outside My Window

I have a wonderful tree outside my bedroom window. Every chance I get, I leave this window open. There is usually a bird that is nestled inside the foliage that wakes me up with lovely songs. In the summer months, sometimes the bird(s) are awakened and sing just a little when they should be sleeping. --I think that the light in the bedroom must confuse them. I kept this window slightly open almost all summer. I was always surprised by how early the birds begin their morning chirps. Let me just say it is before actual sunrise.

Looking out my window, I often see branches moving and assume it's a bird making themselves at home. This morning it was a squirrel.

There must be some sort of berry on the branch tips because Squirrel was going from limb to limb and furiously eating something. Squirrel did not know I was there. He did not feel me watching {spying}as he kept stretching a little too far for his next berry.

If I want to see Autumn, I just have to look out my window! 

Lake Visit (s)

Yesterday I was true to my word. We were OUT. {All Day Long} We didn't quite get out of the house before sunrise. But we did get out pretty early. It was really early for a Saturday. And, just as we planned, we were out taking photographs. Well...the Hubs was taking photos. Something happened and neither of my cameras had their batteries charged. 

~~Oops. 
No matter...off we went. Hubs had working cameras and I was excited to get out into nature. We went to the same lake where I participated in Dragon Boat Racing. 
We went to two lakes, actually.  The lake was a good 40-minute drive and by the time we got there the lake's morning mist had lifted. The day was a perfect blue sky autumn day. The sun burned brightly early while the wind was soft and the air crisp. 

When we drove into the lake park's entrance I breathed a sigh of happiness. 

You'll remember that we lived in the Seattle area for quite a few years. For three of those years, we lived walking distance to Lake Washington. 

Here's a pic of D. on our porch/deck when we lived in Kirkland. Can you see the lake beyond the trees? This is what I fell in love with. 

And This,

And This.

After my life in the Puget Sound mountains and lakes make me feel at home. 

So, while my husband was taking photos around the lake's perimeter I was soaking in the view. Just sitting and watching and looking and loving! 

Oh, and I snapped this pic with my iPhone. 

NC Waterfall Photos Available for Viewing

You remember that last month that my Hubby and I spent several days in the NC Mountains, photographing waterfalls.  I promised photos would follow...and here they are. I hope that you enjoy the photographs.