Tweaking the Blog

As much as I hate to do it, I had to change the comment settings to exclude anonymous comments.  Although I moderate all comments, it is tiresome to have to deal with "anonymous" all the time.  It has been a problem for a couple of months now. 

I hope this doesn't create a problem for all my lovely, legitimate readers who comment. 

A couple of weeks back I went to the International Quilt Study Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.  They had a display of toy sewing machines that was outstanding.  I can't even imagine having one of those as a little girl. 

Y'all take care. 

WARNING! There are thieves among us!

No pretty pictures today, just a warning everyone should heed. 

An attempt has been made to compromise my husband's social security account using his social security number.  Thankfully, it appears that we've been able to correct the changes they had made and have put measures in place to prevent any further attempts.   Thus far, thank God, no monetary damage done.  The matter is under investigation by federal authorities.  

Please be very careful with your personal information.  Make sure that your bank accounts are protected, check your credit reports to make sure no one has tinkered around.  Be diligent about this.   Be very careful what personal information is shared on social media networks.

One piece of advice we received is that parents should request a credit report on the child just before they turn eighteen.  It seems that thieves somehow stockpile stolen social security numbers of underage children and as soon as they reach eighteen, they are ripe for exploitation.  

Y'all please take care. 

The Threadcatchers' Antics

Now, where was I?    After returning from the birding trip to Texas on a Sunday evening, I hurriedly did laundry and repacked my bags.  I left on Tuesday morning for my semi-annual quilting retreat.  I love that bunch of crazy women!!

What ensued can only be described as four and a half days of controlled (barely) chaos. 

One of the projects worked on during our stay by some folks was Quilts of Valor. 

Others had made blocks or tops or entire quilts for donation.   All together, about 15 quilts were donated that weekend.   We all sewed up a storm on various projects.  No pictures of what I worked on. It's at home on the design wall.

As usual, we had to have our fun.  After all, what would be the point otherwise??  :)     Seeing Stars and I made tutus for everyone, some in purple and some in turquoise.  After all, every woman needs to remember the carefree little girl inside. 

My reluctant model 

Now, once the tutus were presented to everyone, what else were we to do?   (Sorry about the lousy picture.  Totally wrong settings on the camera.)

And, the evening wouldn't have been complete without a little music. 

Y....M.....C.....A

Until the next time.......

Y'all take care.  

YES, I'm still around............somewhere

I'm still alive and well, just on the road yet again and with no reliable internet service except intermittently.  So, I'm behind in posting and reading of blogs. 

Hopefully, that will change this next week.  Meanwhile, enjoy a few pictures. 

Tulip poplar blossoms, Missouri 

Does this look like trouble?

Purple leg tutu, anyone?

Back soon.  Meanwhile, y'all take care. 

If this is Tuesday, this must be............

Now, where was I?   And what day is this?  There have been times lately when those questions were forefront in my mind and the answers were hard to come by!!

Virginia Rail

A thrush - hermit, I think 

I spent six days in and around High Island, Texas birding with a couple of friends.  We had a fabulous time and totaled 165 species for the trip.   Our days were long but fun. 

A small fraction of the birdwatchers!

male Scarlet Tanager 

Indigo and Painted Buntings 

Splish Splash -- Painted Bunting 

Willet on a fence post 

We'd pick a location and then devote the whole day, or a big part of it, to finding the birds that were present.   I added several new birds to my life list, including a White-tailed Kite and Mottled Ducks.

We spent a considerable amount of time at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.  I love that place.  On the surface it looks desolate and deserted, but if you look for the details you can see all kinds of critters and birds.  

It was mostly cloudy the whole time we were there, with only brief periods of sunshine.  And the wind!!!!   A cold front was coming through and our house (which was on pilings) was rocking and rolling all night.  We also went from air conditioning to heat within a twenty-four hour period.   And did I mention the ever present threat of rain?  

There's more to tell.  I'll be back. 

Y'all take care.  

Here and There

Hello my dear friends.  I'm going to be all over the place here, so hold on. 

I have always accepted comments from anyone since I do comment moderation.  However, I'm getting very frustrated here of late with someone attempting to comment anonymously and it is very obviously spam.  I've marked it as spam, I've just deleted them as they come in and yet it continues.  I don't want to change my settings to block legitimate readers from commenting but if this doesn't end I may be left with no other choice.

Previously there have been a few instances where someone did not want to post a name and commented anonymously.  I allowed those because the content told me who they were from.  So be forewarned that henceforth I will not publish any anonymous comments.  

Being spring time, that means strawberries are ripe.  My hubby would be appalled at the thought of eating anything but my homemade jam.  How in the world did I ever  wind up creating that monster?   Anyway, 27 pints of jam were made and now he's a happy boy. 

Strawberry Jam 

He's already wondering about the blueberries.  He eats those EVERY day on his breakfast cereal.

My squirrel population has increased since the neighbors behind me moved away.  There's no one there now to feed the squirrels --  uh, the birds -- so they've simply decamped to my yard.  They can be a pest for sure, but I've rearranged feeders so that they can't bother them so much and are reduced to ground feeding, which is fine.  They help the doves clean up the leavings from the other birds on the feeders. 

Five furry friends 

We've also had a ton of birds visiting our yard this spring.  The chipping sparrows are still here, as are goldfinches.  I'm surprised that goldfinches sticking around this long, but I'm sure they'll be out of here any day now. 

The normal backyard birds are busy picking nesting sites and defending territories.   They include Carolina wrens, blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, doves, titmice, mockingbirds and brown thrashers.  Oh, we also have bluebirds.  And who knows what else stops by on any given day.

My poor yard has been neglected for years but  I decided it was time to get started on it.  We called on the muscles of our lawn/yard guy last fall to remove these really overgrown plants. 

Overgrown monsters 

We wanted lower growing plants that would not hide the 4 foot hydrangea that's behind that sago! 

All planted

I got all the plants in the afternoon before we got some really good rain, so they should be settled nicely.  With the warm temperatures, they should be happy.  We'll see how they look in a week. 

The quilt top for my granddaughter's quilt is finished and now needs to be sandwiched and quilted.  That is my least favorite thing to do. I guess that's because I'm still intimidated by machine quilting.  But it must be done and I need to just suck it up and get on with it!! 

Under construction

Y'all take care.  

A Giveaway

I've never been inclined to do a giveaway, but I think the time might be right. 

Anybody want some squirrels?

Pot # 1

Pot # 2 

Pot # 3

And Pot # 4 now looks like 1 & 2. 

Not only did they break these off, THEY ATE THE PLANTS!!  I have never seen squirrels so much as bother my geraniums over the past 14 years and suddenly they decide they're gourmet fare.   I'd had some of these plants for close to ten years.  

I can only count 10 of them at one time some days. 

Y'all take care.