Quick one!!

Ok, so I know I promised a owl update, but I haven't gotten around to checking the firelite for some of what was happening last year. I promise I will get on that right away! In other family news: My mom has a display at the library in Wayland on the traditions of Easter in Czechoslovakia. A number of years ago she and her brothers traveled there and brought back many interesting things.

She had books and maps and some of her crystalware. She even had some fresh Easter grass. Below are some of the painted eggs that were painted in the old world tradition by my sister Janet. (she is such a S#%^ up) :) They really are very pretty and she is very talented.

How many people do you know that have a Barbie doll that has the native garb? She also has a Barbie book and a Disney book all in Czech.

Ok, so I know you wouldn't expect a blog that was Lukas-less. Amy's first week at work was not without it's challenges. Her sitter and her children were sick so Amy and Jesse had to scramble to find someone to watch Lukas. His Nana O came down one day and their wonderful neighbors, Joe and Sara watched him another. I went down this morning and watched him again,hhhhmmmm did I mind that?? He is getting better with tummy time and really gets that head up there. He rolled over many times but of course never when the camera was rolling!!

What a little ray of sunshine. He is such a happy boy!!

Here he is in his Bumpo chair again. As you can see he is a little happier in it than he was a few weeks ago. We carried on a great conversation and he was giggling up a storm. I know it doesn't look like it here. How much fun am I having?????

More updates coming soon, I promise. Happy Easter if i don't get to it before then.

Family Time

Amy had to go back to work this week and she and Jesse asked if I would watch Lukas the first couple of days......hmmmmmm let me think!!?? He was such a good little fella for his grandma. He had a little case of the snuffles, but was a trooper. He barely even complained.

Here are a couple of pictures with buttons (as Sami calls video clips) for you to see. I know I shouldn't say this because I know he wasn't feeling well, but he sure made me chuckle when he was sleeping.

I was sorting some things in the basement and found something I had forgotten I kept. When Jesse was a little tike he carried this little grey doggy everywhere. It was is surprisingly good shape and after 3 baths I took it to Lukas. Jesse remembered and was surprised. Neither of us could remember what he called him, but I am pretty sure it was just gowggy(doggy).

Again, I channeled my inner Ansel Adams ( did he do non-nature shots?) and took this one in black and white also.

While I was there alone with Lukas, he was well guarded by his real life doggy, Schaffer. He would lay right next to the couch and put his nose up next to Lukas to keep an eye on him!!

And again when he was sleeping in his swing. For the first couple of hours whenever Lukas would stir a little Schaffer would come over and check things out. Just after I took this picture he did give Lukas a real big lick. He slept right through it. I guess Schaffer started to trust me after that and whenever Lukas got a little fussy Schaf slept through it.

Schaffer and his little buddy and play toy Otto. They enjoy wrestling together.

Amy was very happy to be home with her little man. While she was catching up with Lukas, Leo came for a visit. It was really cute because soon after this Kitty came by and was sitting on Amy's lap also. It was a really cute picture, but by then Lukas was hungry and I didn't think Amy would have appreciated me taking that picture!

So this was the first great couple of days back from our weekend. I had such a wonderful time being grandma.

We heard the owls last night in the woods and I got a video of the dark sky's and the sounds of the owls. I will search through the April owl pics and post a update maybe tomorrow. For now I am out!!

Our Time Away!!

Here is our little home away from home. Finally a day in the sun!!

We have been surprised by the terrain here at the park. We took a walk near the nature center. This is one of the set of steps on the trail. I think Dave said 160 some steps.

I went all nature photographer while we were out today. Here a little violet and a fly.

There are 2 lakes in the park. Here you can see the sun reflecting in the lake.

I really liked all the contrasts in this shot.

Some moss on the rocks.

Some very interesting tree roots.

The waterfall at the end of the lake.


A close-up of the water in black and white, just because I thought I was Ansel Adams for a few minutes.

We head home tomorrow. It was nice to get away. The weather report for the next week doesn't sound too nice, so we will hang onto this sunny day. Enjoy!!!

Gone!!

You know how sometimes ya just need to get away!!??? Well, that is the way we were feeling so we loaded the trailer, (left the winterizing fluids in, as we heard the forecast) hey it is still way better than a tent, and headed out. Nothing spectacular, just to southern Indiana where Dave read there was some awesome biking trails. It is at Brown State Park, just south of Indianapolis.

No this is not our trailer. :)

The farther south we drove the more signs of spring could be seen.

When we finally arrived at the park we were surprised to see the terrain. Lots of hills and Valleys....who knew in Indiana????

We decided to take a ride into town and saw this house...Just had to include the picture , is there such a thing as too many cats???

Just outside of town there is a very large reservoir. They also a huge campground right on the reservior.

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Back at the park....the views are really pretty...now for a little more sun.



There are tons of red bud trees in the area and they are just starting to come into bloom. I bet in another week it is really pretty.


There are a couple of watch towers here at the park and you can see Dave climbed this one. It is really chilly here and it was blowing like crazy so I stayed grounded!!!!




Another more rustic tower....more to my liking.


This was the view from this tower looking across the valley.

When we arrived here at the campground it was sunny and 70 degrees. Soon after our arrival the weather turned on us and we had a ton of rain as can be witnessed by the following video of the road.





Since I started writting this the sun has once again made an apperance. They are calling for cold temps tonight, (thank you to the heater) and then tomorrw it is supposed to be sunny and 65. I can live with that. This is definitely a must do place to go again. Tons of trails, both hiking and biking, and many other activities. Dave says the trails remind him of Colorado in some ways. It is close enough that you can get here in just 5 hours, not bad. Come on down....do I sound like an add???

Spring has Sprung...........or has it??? One very small sign that it is at least trying to make an appearance.

I probably should have put this post together yesterday as my mood was different. Oh well, today is the day and the mood is the mood, so read on. We live in a pretty crazy world these days and everyone has there ways of coping. For me the pictures that follow speak volumes!!!!

Jesse, Amy, Lukas, and Sarah came over for a visit on Sunday. There is a bright spot after all!!! It did not matter how we tried...Lukas was fascinated with anything near the ceiling. He arched his back and no matter what position you tried he would not bend. WOW! what an awesome ceiling fan!

Even when his loving Grandpa took him on a tour of the windows.

Grandpa even tried to help Aunt Sarah straighten him out to no avail.


Two of the most special people in my world. My sweet Sarah and her favorite nephew. My Sweet grandson and my favorite daughter!!!

Lukas is figuring out the whole hand thing. You can give (OK, force open his fingers and place) items in his hand and he will hold on to them.

Here are a couple of videos of Lukas the weightlifter. We were surprised to see how long he held on to his rattles and he seemed to be aware that when he moved his hands they made noise.






Here is my sweet son with his wonderful son. My wonderful son with his sweet son.


What a incredible family!! My special son with his loving wife and son. My loving son and daughter-in-law and there special son.

If you question how you put some of the angst of the world behind you......view the following picture......ENOUGH SAID!!!

Owl update!!

So yesterday I got brave and decided to try and upload some pictures to my face book page all by myself. I know a real daring move , if I do say so myself. So, while going through the files I came across some of the pictures from last year. Since the camera in the box is not working I thought I could share what was happening at the same period of time last year. All of the following were taken in march 2008. This particular picture was actually taken from the window of the jeep as I was going out the driveway. Hootie sat there the whole time and I was maybe 30 feet away.

A few days later I found Blowfish in the tree just across the driveway. The strange thing is that the last couple years while she is in the nest, he sits near keeping watch . This year I have not seen him around in the trees as often. We definitely hear them both but, he is usually far away. I am not sure if this is because there are so many D@(* crows around and he is trying to draw them away from the box. We have also seen the hawks flying overhead. They are both predators to the owlets and when they are around he will not go to the nest.


I remember this night very clearly. We were sitting in the living room and they were really chattering up a storm outside. They call it monkey chatter and is can get VERY loud. I ran to the deck door and they were both in the tree side by side. It is the first time in the 3 years we have followed them , that we have seen them together in the same shot. They were a lot closer when we first saw them and I will let your minds take it from there!!



A little background info for those who haven't followed the owl saga. They are a pair of Barred Owls we named Hootie and Blowfish. They mate for life and pretty much stay around the same area. In the winter they will occasionally use the nest box for shelter or for storing food. When we first hooked up the camera in the box it was empty. One day in January I turned on the camera and dinner was waiting!!. This was in the box for weeks before one of them came and (sorry about this) would sit on it ,thaw it a little, and have a snack.


Another day there was a visitor to the box. Brave little thing, as very often they turn into dinner themselves. The chipmunk in the box was snack food for many days and it was very surprising to us to watch, what can I say. Most of my friends find it gross but, I find it fascinating to watch and listen to the goings on in the box.


This was a picture from very late in the evening. Blowfish will hoot from the woods and Hootie will coo from the nest . Usually within a few minutes he would come with food. I was surprised last year how little she left the nest even before we saw eggs. I am hoping that is what is happening now.

Here you can see that she has a vole for lunch. You can also see feathers in the nest. Last year I felt bad that I have a bird feeder on the deck and then you look in the box and they have turned into dinner. But, that is nature. They usually eat voles, mice, red squirrels, birds, and last year we saw snakes and frogs.

She spends many hours preening and scratching around in the box. She starts at the base of the feathers and chews her way up to the very tip. I will include a video of that at a later date.....Have to keep you coming back ya know.

Again , while looking through the pictures I remember quit plainly these next 2 pics. I was watching the camera on the TV and saw Hootie sitting in the nest box opening. I ran to the kitchen window in hopes she would still be there.

She was!!!
I was able to get a picture of her. Hey, what can I say I am an excitable girl!!! Maybe not everyone would get so excited that they saw both the inside and the outside of an owl in it's nest at the same time!!! I am weird that way.

I mentioned that she scratches around in the box ALOT! In the fall we have to clean out the box and put new wood chips in. She then spends most of her time chewing them into smaller pieces and scratching them into just the right spot. You have seen the pictures of her claws so you can imagine the sound that makes. Dave was a little concerned she would claw through the bottom of the box.

I will look through some more shots and video and do another post soon. Hope you enjoyed this one.