Fridays are Golden

Thanks, everyone for the definitive ID on the Purple Finch. My husband was not as pleased as I expected. He said, "oh," and took the news in stride. But we will both look at these birds with new eyes from now on. And I will try to get more pictures showing all sides of the birds.


Several days a week, our Golden Girls get to run on one of our community trails. It is much longer and steeper than the trails on our property and they just love it. Fortunately, the trail is little used by people. There is no view, no dramatic scenery, no waterfall. It's just a wonderful place in the woods. So the girls can run off lead, up and down the hills and along the trail.

The girls know the word "trail" and they get very excited when they hear it. They know they are going for a short ride and then will be able to explore the forest and trail. Here they wait for instructions. This is a side entrance that leads into the foyer outside their room. It's wonderful when they are a bit muddy since they don't have to go through any other parts of the house before they get cleaned up.

They wait in the yard before heading up the steps to the garage.

Back home, they are exhausted but happy. See those smiles?

Big dogs need free running on a regular basis. We are so fortunate to have so many safe places for them to run.

Another week has past. We had unbelievable weather extremes this week. But the wonderful full moon every evening was a sight to behold. Wherever you are and whatever your weather, I do hope you have a wonderful weekend. Our thoughts go to those who have lost their jobs or homes or who are suffering for any reason.

Take care this weekend and stay safe. Have fun and pamper yourself a little. Do at least one thing that is fun and takes your mind off your worries.

Bird Quiz

My post about House Finch v. Purple Finch has started some controversy among some very knowledgeable readers. I am far from an expert and would love to have others speak up. One reason for my saying it is a House Finch is the phrase, "If you see a Purple Finch, you will know it." This bird is like all the others I have seen all winter, surely too common to be a Purple Finch. Additionally, while not all the photographs show it, he was svelte, not chunky.

I would love to be incorrect. It would give my husband such a thrill. Since I'm not a bird expert by any means, I will take it as a learning experience and will indeed say, "Yes, dear. That is a Purple Finch."

Any experts out there?

It's Purple and it's a Finch

[LATE ENTRY NOTE: Because of some of the comments, especially from Zen Birdfeeder, and a new one from Lynne, I am putting this disclaimer. Watch for the comments on the next post. Wow! I have been watching Purple Finches all winter. (Sorry, Mary.) Word in from Kathi confirms it's a Purple Finch. Read her comment on the next post for a great explanation of why this is true.]

"Come here," he says several times a week. "That's one, isn't it? "No," I reply. "That isn't one either."

My husband desperately wants to see a purple finch. This year the house finches are amazingly rosy, perhaps from all the delicious berries around. They also vary a lot in depth of color, so each one looks a bit different. So each time one appears in the trees or at the feeder, my husband's hopes are raised once again. [New note, late entry: I have apparently been totally wrong in calling these birds House Finches. Poor guy, he's been seeing Purple Finches all along.]


Look at this group of messy birds. You would think they hadn't eaten in weeks.

Note that the siskin seems heavier than the finch.

Well, lady. I can't help it if you don't know the difference. Poop on you.

He goes about his eating and ignores me.

One bird is very easy to identify and there's no confusion. That's one of our mated Pileated Woodpeckers. This is Big Mama, checking out the trees for some tasty stuff.

I can't wait to see my husband's face when I respond, "Yes, dear. That's a Purple Finch."

Raspberries and St. Francis

When we lived in Wisconsin, my husband had a statue of St. Francis outside his study window. During a prolonged subzero spell, his head fell off. (St. Francis, not my husband.) Does that sound familiar, Shelley? We put his head back on and it remained while he stood for many years protecting the wildlife in the garden.

When we moved, we decided not to move St. Francis. He was large and heavy, not to mention his unstable head. My husband has missed having St. Francis around and we have plans to get another large statue for the yard.

Meanwhile, I have found a lovely plaque of St. Francis. Doesn't he look inviting on this tree? There is a creeping hydrangea (well, that's what we call it) at the foot of the tree which will grow and bloom around him this summer.

I have always been a promoter of shopping locally whenever that is possible. I pay more money to buy books at my local bookseller when I could easily order them more cheaply Online. But I NEED my local bookseller. And the only way to keep local business in business is to purchase from them.

I have now expanded my definition of "local" to include bloggers I follow. One of those is Helen Ellis, the owner of an online (and in-store) boutique and that is where I purchased St. Francis. From her blog "Wings and Things," you can access the Online boutique. Here is the direct link to the Online store: http://shop.backyardboutique.com/. Helen is a wonderful photographer and sells her photographs and cards at the boutique. But there is much more. There are all sorts of nesting boxes, birdfeeders, birdbaths, and garden art work. I urge you to check it out.

The St. Francis plaque is made by Carruth Studios. One of our local shops sells Carruth Studios art, but I feel that buying from Helen is like buying from a friend. Her prices are better too.

Here is another Carruth piece I've had for a while. I have it hanging at the end of a kitchen cabinet. It amusingly gives the "raspberries" to our guests.

If you know a fellow blogger has a store or an Etsy site, browse there for your next gifts. If he or she has written a book, buy one. Let's keep it in the blogging community whenever we can. Just as we need our local stores, we need our friends in the blog world.

Icy Waterfall

Last week brought us much colder than normal temperatures. For four days and five nights, we were sub-freezing with daytime highs not getting out of the 20s. My camellias were loaded with huge and beautiful buds. The freeze turned them brown and they are beginning to drop. Bummer.

On the other hand, sustained freezing temperatures, just like heavy rains, signal the need to visit waterfalls.

Looking Glass Falls is a very popular waterfall in our county. I was surprised to see the amount of ice on the top and sides of the falls. (You can click to enlarge any of the photographs.)

The plunge pool at the foot of the 60-foot drop was frozen over.

It was REALLY cold at the foot of the falls. The normal mist was not water vapor but ice.

Along the sides of the falls, the brush was heavily coated with ice from the cold mist. It was absolutely beautiful.

The pool is not white water...it is ice.

We felt as if we were standing in a fairy land, the sound of the waterfall somewhat muted by the ice. Tiny crystal ice palaces were everywhere.

We could have stayed there forever, if not for the cold. My fingers were numb before I finished taking pictures and put on my gloves.

I would love to be there as the ice breaks up. Can you imagine the cracking and sound of the ice falling into the pool?

These photographs were taken Thursday monring. As further proof that there is no such thing as "normal" weather, our high today will be in the upper 60s and might even reach 70!

Fridays are Golden

We interrupt the Golden Days to bring you this little picture. It has been cold here by anyone's standards. Thursday morning dawned with a 4-degree temperature. My husband put out the feeders and filled the little bird bath. It was so cold the water "steamed" up. This little siskin seems to think we put out a sauna.

(Now back to our regular Friday post.)

Whenever I get out the vacuum cleaner, Ellie goes to her crate for the duration. Lucy, on the other hand, has a knack for lying exactly in the spot I plan to vacuum next. This little game plays out until the vacuuming is complete.

Here she is, eyes open, knowing she is going to have to move.

She staggers up, looking quite unkempt and goes to lie somewhere else.

When I need to vacuum the new resting place, Lucy goes back to her favorite spot on the rug in the foyer.

When the vacuum cleaner is put away, Ellie comes out of her crate. She often takes a bed by the window. Wouldn't you know? The instant Lucy knew Ellie was here, she got up and moved over to share the bed.

Another favorite spot for both dogs is under my husband's desk. Whenever he is working at the desk or computer, both dogs are lying at his feet.

Another Friday is here. The hours of sunlight are lengthening. Weather across the country should be better this weekend. Our thoughts are still with the folks in Kentucky as they enter yet another week without electricity.

HAVE A WONDERFUL AND SAFE WEEKEND. DO AT LEAST ONE THING THAT BRINGS YOU JOY.

Gated Communities

I do not like the idea of gated communities. They bring to mind a certain type of person who wants to exclude people from his or her community. These people seem to achieve a sense of power when the guard recognizes them at the gate.

Well, I have a confession to make. I live in a gated and guarded community. Some people think we live in this community because we are rich. In fact the opposite is true. If I were truly rich, I could afford to purchase enough land to give me a buffer. Alas, I cannot. So the next best thing is a gated community that provides the same land use values I hold dear.

My community is almost 40 years old, ancient for a gated mountain community. It is four thousand acres and more than 50 miles of paved road. Green space between lots is owned by the Property Owners Association (POA), as are the facilities and amenities. Yes, we have a clubhouse and a golf course. But we also have a bluebird club that builds and maintains bluebird houses all over the golf course. The golf facilities are increasingly subsidized by the POA because more and more of the residents are hikers and fewer and fewer are golfers.

My community has very strict land-use regulations that some people would not want to live with. We have no problem, because the regulations mirror our own environmental concerns.

So why, you may ask, do you need a buffer? The answer is quite simple. Transylvania County has NO county-wide zoning restrictions. The idea is that "a man can do what he wants to do with his own property." There is nothing to prohibit your neighbor from opening a loud honky tonk, or a dirt bike rally, or a garage. Almost as important, there is nothing to prohibit the junk he may accumulate in his yard.

Here are a few snapshots of people I don't want for neighbors:

So I live in a gated community. Where else can I go less than a mile and watch the hazy mountains come to life? This view from a byway near one of the trail heads.

Where else can I take a hike down to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the area? This is the waterfall for which my community is named.

One of these days I will take you on a tour of my community. You would love it here.