Outdoor Wednesday: The Finches and the Fans

We have ceiling fans on our front porch. We've never really turned them on because the wind up here on the mountain (OK -- on the hilltop) blows most of the time and cools things down without the use of electricity. We also have some House Finches who keep trying to build their nests in/on those fans, even though all the surfaces are completely flat, with no cubbies or crevices to hold a nest. The birdies keep taking their twigs and bits of fluff up there, and the twigs and bits of fluff promptly fall right off onto the porch below. But the stupid persistent birds go right on trying.


Sometimes, though, when the wind is really blowing and making the fans whirl, the Finches do take a break; they hop out onto the blades of the fan and just ride around and around and around....



I guess it's like a carnival ride for birds.

Outdoor Wednesday is hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.
To see many, many more outdoor photos or to post some of your own, please visit her blog.

Saturday Snapshot: Wild Life

I've been just sort of ignoring this blog for the last few months -- concentrating on my book blog when I have some extra time on my hands. But I don't want to let Joysweb die completely, so here I am again!

M and I recently moved back home to Texas, after living "up north" for the past twenty-some years (uh-oh! -- all our Virginia pals would hate hearing the Old Dominion referred to as "the North" -- sorry about that). And our situation is vastly different now -- we went from a highrise in the city to a large house in the Texas Hill Country. I've been experiencing quite a bit of culture shock, but also enjoying the wide open spaces -- and the array of critters that visit our yard everyday. So here's a sampling of some shots I've taken since moving in (click on photos to enlarge):

These two show up most evenings around dinner time. Of course, I think of them as Bambi and his Mom. Hope this Mom has better luck than Bambi's in the story.

Mr. Bunny is one of a pair of rabbits that come around very early in the mornings and nibble on what's left of the green grass in our yard. I think the drought is officially over now, but things are still really dry down here. He's not easy to see because he's pretty much the same color as the vegetation.

This guy shows up most evenings, too. He was a challenge to get a shot of -- at the slightest hint of movement, he speeds into the bushes or under a rock. Had to take this with my telephoto lens which makes him look formidable and distinctly dinosaur-ish. In reality, he's only a few inches long.


Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books, and as she says: "To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online."

ABC Wednesday: "M" is for...

Well, naturally --

MOTHER!!!

And today, it's even more definitely for Mother, Mom, Mamma, Mommie because today would have been my mother's 91st birthday. I miss her so much, and this is one of my favorite photos of her. She was probably about twenty (or maybe younger) in this one, and the photographer must have said something really funny to inspire that grin -- generally, she hated having her picture taken.

If you'd like to see more ABC Wednesday offerings,
or contribute one yourself,
please visit the website here.

Blue Monday: Springtime Blues

Blue Monday is hosted weekly by Smiling Sally.
To see more offerings, or to participate yourself, please head on over to her blog.

I've really been neglecting this blog again. No posts in March, and this is the first one in April. Not very happy about that, but STUFF just keeps getting in the way of my blogging. And I've been concentrating on my book blog lately, so Joysweb has had to take a back seat.

But spring is here, and I'm feeling a little surge of blogging energy. And we're having a really spectacular spring around here -- abundant blooms everywhere, and lots of unusually warm sunny days. Soon our condo community's outdoor swimming pool will be open for business, and I always think of that as sort of the unofficial beginning of summer. Last week on one of our walks around the place, M and I stopped off and checked out the pool area and I took a few shots of the pool and the gazebos above it (used for outdoor parties when the pools are open).

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Not the best of photos -- I'm still learning how to use a new camera. But I loved the two different shades of blue in the pool and sky. Now if it would just stay like this until next fall, I'd be absolutely content.