Bye-bye Baby Blue

I Got Those Fledgling Blues!

Getting Ready for the Empty Nest Syndrome

Just thought I'd give you a full view of the tree this family of Bluebirds live in.

The large knot you see sticking out on the left side of the tree is where they call home.

This tree was hit by lightning last year and what you see is all that was left...fortunately the hole that has housed Bluebirds for the past few years was spared!

Mama is feeding her babies who are now climbing to the top of this hole to get fed.

As you can see the baby Bluebirds are impatient to be fed and now come to meet Mom.

Butterflies...worms and insects...all are welcomed by these hungry mouths!!!

It's getting harder and harder to feed these growing babes!

Although Dad and Mom spend most of their days hunting...

The kids are eating them out of house and home...or should I say hole. haha

So the kids are now thinking about exploring that great big world they can now see from here.

You can see the younger sibling whispering...Let's sneak out and explore while Mom and Dad are gone!

Like any mother and father...there are mixed feelings about the kids going out on their own.

The only difference is...these parents will only suffer from the empty nest syndrome for a very short time. They just go out and build another nest and start another family! haha

A Tale of Two Redheads

This is a tale...or should I say tail (haha) of two redheads. My Red-headed Woodpecker...

And my...Red-belly who also is a redhead and very photogenic!

Of course...this is my favorite redhead!!!

Oh yes...and I almost forgot...there's a third redhead:

the photographer...yours truly. hee-hee

A Tribute to Mothers...Happy Mother's Day!

A beautiful mother Bluebird bringing her babies dinner.

Of course...only the biggest baby can reach the top of this hole in the tree.

Mom successfully chases baby back down into the hole after feeding it.

Now it's time to fly off to get more food for her growing babies.

Whoops...baby popped back up...impatient for it's next meal!

Next Mother's Day story lights up my life...literally! haha

This mother...a little Carolina Wren...chose to build her nest inside my light meter.

She brings dinner to her very tiny tots.

Not very appealing at this young age are they? hee-hee

Mom is poised to fly off in search of their next meal. A mother's work is never done!

I hope you enjoyed this tale of two mothers...Happy Mother's Day!!!

My Show Stallion

This was the first and only time this trainer ever rode my Morgan park horse.

Although he was a world champion trainer...Devon Booby was a ladies stallion! haha After this show...he told me I was on my own and had to show Bobby myself...in both the open and amateur classes. I was showing out of his stable and really enjoyed showing my own horse.

Come Along to a Carolina Horse Show

This little girl looked like a real cowgirl even though it was her first show.

The nice looking horse below was a teenage boy's birthday present from his Grandmother.

Here is the boy and his horse...they won a lot of ribbons...wouldn't Grandma be proud!

These riders are all riding out of the same stable...a lot of ribbons won by this trio!

Couldn't resist snapping a portrait of this handsome horse.

The little girl from the first photo and her beloved friend. They won second place today!

Two English riders that looked nice sitting there...so I captured the moment.

The fellow below and his high stepping horse won this class for gaited horses.

This pretty little mare and her rider won some nice ribbons in spite of it being the mare's first show...including a blue ribbon!

What a dashing pair this horse and rider make...we need to send this picture to his Grandmother! BTW...they won that class!

Hope you enjoyed the Carolina horse show...a good time was had by all!

Lady Sings the Blues

It was a morning that had this lady singing the blues!

It was my first time capturing a Blue Grosbeak...I was so excited!!!

Just too bad it was a little out of reach for my zoom lens.

This was in the same place I go to photograph my Bluebirds nesting in a dead tree.

Needless to say when I saw the Grosbeaks...I temporarily forgot the Bluebirds. haha

Not for long though...especially when I saw the male fly in to join the female.

Please forgive my BIF's...I'm not that good at them and my camera and lens are too heavy for this old girl.

Yes...and I'm too stubborn to use a tripod. haha

It's certainly rare for me to catch them together...so this really had me singing the blues!!!

Guess mother was doing a little nest keeping below.

The only thing that would have made this morning bluesier...would've been a Blue Bunting!!!