Fast Forward to Spring!

Last Spring's Clematis

I have 6 of these Wonderful Plants

They are all Beauitful and I have no favorite!

Anyone can grow these Beauties.

We have had a few beautiful Spring like days here in Oklahoma. It gave me a chance to go out and clear some of the dead annuals out of my flower beds. As I am pulling out the dead Marigolds, Zinnias, and Spider Flowers I was reflecting on the past Spring and thinking of the one that is right around the corner. I love Spring! It is so amazing to see the grass start turning green, trees start budding and the seeds from last years flowers that have laid dorment all winter start to sprout. I love watching the birds building nests, knowing soon there will be babies. Baby Squirrels peeking out of holes in trees getting ready to meet the world. Spring is a rebirth of our World. Like the birth of a child, every Spring is unique, different and one of a kind. A Wonderful Gift from God.

Please do not forget to feed and water our Wild Birds this winter!

Banding a Baby Pigeon - 101

10 Day Old Baby Roller Pigeon

The Band goes on the foot.




Slide it over 3 toes.

The back toe will bend upwards as you slide the band onto the ankle.

This is painless to the baby.

Taa-Daa! Done.

This Little Guy is now Banded for life.
His name is "513".



I mentioned earlier that AJ and Me have 100 Pigeons, well as of 10 days ago we now have 101. We usually do not let the Hens hatch eggs in the winter, but this one sneaked by AJ. The Baby Pigeons grow very fast the first 2 weeks and you must band them at the exact right time. To early and the band falls off, to late and the foot is to big to get the band on. This little Guy was the perfect age and size. Pigeons make me think of the story "The Ugly Duckling". AJ loves every one of his birds and thinks they are beautiful even when they are Babies. He is looking at the Babies through the Eyes Of Love. He can see past the Pin Feathers and tell you what color they will be when grow. When I look at the Babies all I see is featherless chick, a body and beak to big for the head and almost see through skin. But in just a month or more these "Ugly Duckling" Baby Pigeons turn into Beautiful Birds.

My Husband is so dedicated to his Pigeons. He is out in the loft every day feeding and watering them. The waterers are washed clean daily. The droppings are cleaned regularly. He checks the birds to make sure there are no sick ones. He clips toe nails and beaks that grow long and start to curl under. There are large pans of water that are used for regular bathing, that is my favorite thing to watch. They are dusted for lice. This goes on daily, 365 days a year. In the Hottest days and the Coldest days, Aj is out with the Birds. I have gone out to the loft and found AJ inside the pen with Pigeons roosting on his back and on his head as he is cleaning. These are his Pets. We never destroy any bird, unless it is ill beyond repair. We have had birds live to be in their teens.

AJ has had Pigeons since he was a young boy. It is a great Hobby for a young person. It teaches them responsibility and gives them great gratification when they see a Pair of Pigeons, that mate for life, raise a Baby.

Don't forget to feed and water the Wild Birds this winter!

An Unseen Christmas Guest !

7 Month Old Buddy's first Christmas!

Madison and her Mu (M00).

I love my Camera and I have got to the point where I can take pretty good pictures. Christmas Eve I was popping pictures right and left knowing I could delete the ones that did not turn out good. When I got home after the Celebrating, I loaded them on to my computer. To my surprise, as I am going through them, they were all turning out good. The lighting and color was good there were just a few blurs where someone had moved. As I am clicking through them I came upon this one of my Mom, whom is 83 and Madison. I called AJ over to look at it and said to him " all my pictures are so good, I wonder what happened here? It looks as if a light is shinning on them" (there was no lamp or TV on that could have cast the blue glow). And he said

"There was an ANGEL standing in front of them casting the glow".

Now I know it just was a camera glich, but the picture of her and her Cat "Buddy" was taken just minutes after the the "Glowing" one and it turned out fine. Sooo maybeee, I will choose to believe it was an Angel.

Little Things Mean Alot!

Cass is really excited over a bag of NERDS

A Jug of Rib Crib Original BBQ Sauce for AJ!

Wade is pleased as punched with his Buttermilk!

Christmas Eve is so much fun here. We open preasents for hours! Really for hours! There is always the practical things like underwear, PJs, Slippers and Shower Gel. Then there are the great Surprises like a WII, a Sewing Machine, a Laptop Computer and a Talking Cordless Phone. Then the really GREAT Fun Gifts that keep us laughing. Wade loves Buttermilk so he was given enough to get him into next year. AJ loves "all you can eat ribs" at Rib Crib. Cass got him his very own Rib Crib Sauce to use at home. Cass got a bag of her favorite candy Nerds. I recieved Energy Saving Light Bulbs, Chap Stick and Antibacterial Wipes for my purse. Cats recieve Kitty Treats and the Dogs, Chew Toys. I could go on and on about the Silly Stuff we all recieve and get for one another. I would be very disappointed if my 99 cent Queen Anne Chocolate Covered Cherries were not under the tree. The point I am trying to get across is although it is nice to get the "BIG" gifts the fun is really just the togetherness of the Family. As I sat in the middle of torn, crushed wrapping paper, trying to save the good boxes and ribbons for next year and trying to make sure no instruction papers for toys were threw away, I thanked God for these people I call "FAMILY".

Madison & Murphy

The Bubble Gum - Bubble came 5 seconds after this picture.

Madison

Annual Trip to Sam's Warehouse

AJ and our Son-in-law Wade, whom we love like a Blood Son, make an annual trip to Sam,s to do some Christmas Shopping. This year they invited Madison, my 8 1/2 year old Grandaughter.

Madison belongs to my daughter Jennifer and Son-in law Wade, there only child. I adore this Child. When she was 3 months old Mom went back to work and handed her over to me 5 days a week. She is now a 3rd Grader and I still have her after school 5 days a week and daily through the summer vacation.

After about 3 hours the Trio came home. They carried in the Sam,s Goodies. I could hardly wait to see what AJ had purchased this year. Sam's has so many wonderful things to choose from! Madison was carrying 2 large 3 lb. cans of Planters Peanuts. Wade was carrying 2 large 3 lb. cans of Planters Peanuts. AJ was carrying 2 large 3 lb. cans of PLANTER PEANUTS ! Back out the door went the Guys. In they come with 2 Large 6 lb. cans of Stag Chili and a 3 1/2 lb. Plastic Bucket of Bubble Gum. That was it. I am sure there is a reason for AJ's maddness. They all dug into the Bubble Gum. They then did confess to eating at The Texas Roadhouse Steak House after all the strenuous Christmas Shopping. Christmas Shopping can work up your appetite!!!

Surprise Company!!

We call him Bandit.

AJ and Me love wildlife. We buy loaves of bread just to feed the birds, bags of seed, and suet squares. Corn is purchased for the squirrels and I hammer bags of pecans to feed anything that will eat nuts in the icy weather and when the ground is frozen. We pop batches of pop corn for the hundreds of Grackles that find their way to our back yard in the winter. So you can see we love and welcome the Company we get in the back yard. But for some reason we have been over run with homeless stray cats. They really do not hurt anything, but it is just very sad to see them out in all kinds of weather and of course having more unwanted babies. AJ has a Live Trap, so we decide to catch a cat and take it to the No Kill Pound and hopefully finding it a home. Well the next morning we awake to a Raccoon! He was beautiful! Alot of our wooded areas have been cleared out for New Homes and this is driving the Wildlife into the city. So very sad. We called Animal Controll and Mr. Raccoon was taken to a wooded area outside of town. He is now safer and happier.
Please don't forget to feed the Birds this winter and they need water also!

Who are we?

Ryan (Oct. 08 before Little Boy hair cut)

First Place!!

Murphy

Lillie



AJ is my Husband of 31 years that I absolutly adore! Me is me, Diana, but refer to myself as Mimi. This is what the Grandbabies call me and everyone else has picked up on. Company is whatever comes into my life. My permanent Company is :




1-Murphy, a year old Boy Cat. He was adopted as a Kitten. We believe he is a Maine Coon - Orange Tabby mix.




2-Lillie, an 18 year old Orange Tabby. She was a stray that we took in at about 6 months of age.




3-About 100 pigeons. AJ raises and shows these birds. We have Homers and Rollers.




Last evening my in-&-out Company was my son Wade, his sweet wife Julie and their Wonderful Baby Boy of almost 2 years Ryan. When they arrived I was resting my tired bones on the sofa. I really had planned to spend most of the evening there. This cold 9 degree weather makes me hurt all over! Well after about 30 minutes I really felt better, was not tired and the body didn't ache as bad. Isn't funny how young people can make you feel better?

Meet Murphey