chipmunk and red-winged blackbird through my kitchen window......

these were taken THROUGH my kitchen window at 40X zoom so they are not ideal or very clear......this chipmunk came up and started to shove the bird seed on the ground into his pouches so fast and so much he was like a sweeper. His little pouches were filled and his head looked HUGE by the time he was done. I don't know how he could move let alone lift up his head and keep walking around. He pretty much laid on his belly the way it was with his head to the ground and sucked the seeds up into his pouches like a sweeper!

The red-winged blackbirds make appearances in my backyard every so often. I found that very interesting as you usually only see them out in the country on fences, or at least that was the only place I normally would see them until I started putting seed out in my backyard and they started showing up here too. Only a couple or handful come at a time...sometimes only one as in this shot.

Opie lying on his new camouflage mini cat afghan Grandma C. made for him.........

Not the best pic in the world.....and I think he looks sad.

He is a stinker.....biting me hard again today on my arm above the elbow inner side..for no reason. Through my shirt...made me bleed and a bruise/knot. Not sure what sets him off other than I think he really would rather just be OUTSIDE all the time. Noah wants to keep him in...I am ready to let him OUT.

sigh......

Tom-Kat

none of us looked too thrilled in this shot did we?

this was in my backyard when I was a kid....dad took the shot. I can remember being that age and those times as if they were yesterday though. I am on the end, right side looking at the picture. In fact...there is something black sitting beside me on the bench.....can you guess what it is??????

OLD SCHOOLS THAT HAVE SEEN BEEN DEMOLISHED.......

WHY WOULD ANY CITY DEMOLISH SUCH A BEAUTIFUL OLD SCHOOL IN THE PAST INSTEAD OF TRYING TO MAINTAIN IT AND KEEP IT AS PART OF THEIR HISTORY/HERITAGE? THIS SCHOOL WAS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS AND I WISH IT WAS STILL THE SAME SCHOOL HERE TODAY....BUT IT IS NOT. IT WAS REPLACED WITH A MORE MODERN SCHOOL BUT THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO SO EVEN THAT SCHOOL IS NOW OUTDATED, AND OF COURSE IT LOOKS NOTHING LIKE THIS OLD ONE. I LOVE THIS KIND OF ARCHITECTURE AND WHILE THERE ARE STILL MANY PLACES AROUND TOWN SIMILAR TO THESE OLD SCHOOLS TODAY....I WISH THERE WERE MORE. I WOULD LOVE TO LIVE IN ONE WOULDN'T YOU?


HERE IS ANOTHER SCHOOL IN THE SAME COUNTY....ALSO BEAUTIFUL..ALSO NOW GONE. SO SAD TO ME.



THIS ONE REMAINS TODAY BUT HAS BEEN MODERNIZED...ALL THE FANCY ARCHITECTURE IS MISSING...AND THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN ABANDONED. IN FACT..IT WILL BE AUCTIONED OFF SOON. I PRAY THEY ALSO DON'T JUST DEMOLISH IT. I HAVE SEEN THE INSIDE AND IT IS STILL VERY USABLE AS A SCHOOL...OR SOMEONE COULD TURN IT INTO A LARGE HOME I SUPPOSE. I PERSONALLY WISH IT WOULD BE TURNED INTO A SPECIAL SCHOOL FOR SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS.....BUT DOUBTFUL THAT WILL HAPPEN.

Daylight savings begins Sunday.....set those clocks up 1 hour!

Opie checking out the birds outside the window.....