Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from our Home to Your Home

(Via)

Had a visit from a Red Tail Hawk

That was Playing with It's Food

It used It's wing to block Escape

Only about 15' Away from Me

A little Wild Life Video

Note the really steady camera action and ya, that

was me whistling. It didn't care.

A Visit to Newport for Dinner

New Fangled Christmas Tree Stand

2" PVC Pipe stuck in a Hole in a work stand

Happy New Year!

I was on vacation last week which happened to coincide with another week of no contractors on site. While most would attribute it to the holidays (or lousy scheduling), I’m wondering if they knew I was on vacation and with my propensity to ask about the why’s and how’s of their work they beat feet to other locations. I tried to make the best of it.

With winter less than 10 days old I’m already feeling cooped up. So I told my better half that I was going to do some work outside over at the other house. She looked at me with that look of “What could he possibly be doing outside in 20 degree temperatures? But he’s driving me crazy…” “Ok, have fun!”

I thought I would go fill in a hole that needed filling with the material that was stacked next to it. The same material that had been soaked with rain, turned to mud and then subjected to 20 degree temperatures. I figured I could use my heavy steel pry bar to break it up. Ya, no. A couple of hard bangs on the frozen dirt that had the cold steel vibrating through my gloves into my hands told me that wasn’t happening. It’s funny how you can so quickly change your mind from what you thought was a really good idea to thinking that was a really stupid idea. So I figured checking the mail was going to be something else I could do.

When walking to the mailbox out front something caught the corner of my eye. Holy gadzooks (my better half made me change what I wrote originally). It was a big Red Tail Hawk and it was only about ten feet away from me. Now most birds fly away as soon as you get within viewing distance but not this one. It wasn’t concerned at all with me because it obviously had not listened to its mother growing up and was playing with its food. Not being sure how protective it could be of whatever it was playing with and having grown up watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Animal Kingdom (back when we only had three TV stations), I knew its talons could make quick work of my face. So I backed off a bit and watched. I have to admit it was pretty cool watching this large bird play around with something in the grass and completely ignore me. I watched for about ten minutes and then decided to move off in case it got bored with the small thing it was toying with and started looking for something bigger to play with…

2013 is now a memory. Outside of an economy that is still in the doldrums and a do nothing congress, it was a good year for me personally and I’m thankful for any blessings that came my way large or small. I hope the New Year brings an even better year for all of us.

2014 is starting out with today’s Pro Jo (Providence Journal) headline reading “Region Braces for up to 10 inches of snow” I’ve gotta go brace. Whatever that is. I think it means get more coffee.

Enjoy your day.

Enjoy your New Year.