January 19, 2015

We had our first letterboxing jaunt of the new year today.  

It was great to get back to it.

Found 2 boxes, 1 hitchhiker, and 1 great trail we didn't know about.

The trail is in the Abbey Nature Preserve, which is adjacent to the Poplar Grove Plantation, one of the oldest peanut plantations in North Carolina.  The nature preserve consists of the farmland of the plantation, which includes a nice-sized farm pond.

 It also includes the highest swing we've ever seen, out in the middle of nowhere.  :)

 There are plenty of farm animals, including these two resident peacocks.  

 Love the coyness!  :)

January 15, 2015

We spotted this heron under the dock today.  I've never before seen one actively fishing/hunting...usually they're just standing around looking half asleep.  This one was actually stalking his prey, which he eventually captured and ate, though I couldn't tell what it was. 

Jed went out to get a better look at him and offer some bread but he was having none of it, and let Jed know just what he thought about it as he flew away.

January 13, 2015

Sweet friends in Texas sent us this bird house/bird feeder.  I've never seen a bird house with an attached feeder before (it's the chimney on the other side of the house), but it will be mighty convenient for the lucky inhabitant.  :)  I'm hoping we might attract a few birds to feed here before nesting season arrives...we'll see how that goes.

January 8, 2015

Finally, it feels like winter in these parts.

I'm hoping it lasts more than a couple of days.

It always tickled me to hear Mainers talk about winter in the middle of summer...

they dread it like the plague,

and that dread casts a pall over even the most beautiful August day,

because they know it's coming.

Winter is coming.

Now I understand.

I feel exactly the same way.

Except in my case it's summer, not winter.

Most winter days here are in the 50s at least,

and many times it's the 60s or 70s.

But those days are hard to enjoy with the spectre of  summer looming on the horizon.

And our summers last way longer than any Maine winter ever did.

Not that you'd ever convince a Mainer of that.  :)

January 1, 2015 - Part 2

While Jed and I were delivering Christmas goodies to the neighbors, one of them, John, was out working in his yard. We chatted a few minutes and he asked me something that just about blew me over: "Would you mind if I trimmed your bushes?" "For free," he added. Who in the history of ever does that?! Apparently John loves to do yardwork and has exhausted the possibilities in his own yard, so he is branching out into neighboring yards. What a way to start the new year!

January 1, 2015 - Part 1

This is the only picture I got of our annual New Year's Day parade. It's blurry, and it doesn't include Grandma and Grandpa - they were lagging behind and my camera was acting up.  It's too bad I have no proof that Grandma and Grandpa once again marched around our house with musical instruments acting silly. :D