I MISS BIRD FEEDING

One of the joys of the changes in the seasons, especially the coming of winter, used to be getting out the bird feeders and stocking up on various bird feed, including sunflower seeds.  We have found that it is a joy that seems to have become very limited since returning home to our area of northwestern Pennsylvania.

Apparently, over the last thirty-nine years we were living in Florida, it seems that here in mid-western PA, bear and deer have taken a partiality to the free hand-outs of corn and seed that the feeders present.  When approached about doing something to alleviate the danger of free-roaming bear in residential areas, especially where children live, the Game Commission’s lack of concern is reflected in its glib reply, “Then stop feeding the birds.”

I have seen pictures of the damage these bear do to feeders, mauling and mangling not only the feeders, but the posts that hold them, too.  I have even seen pictures of dumpsters that have been dragged as far as a half-mile from their designated locations by bear on the prowl.

Ridiculous, you say.  Bears sleep all winter long and can’t be that kind of a threat.  Usually, true.  But there has been a weather change over the last several years and the winters have not been as severe as they used to be to keep these animals dormant.

This is deer area.  We, living in one of the more rural areas, have always enjoyed watching the deer as they moved from one stand of woods to another through our yards.  They have not been too bothersome, except for their unappreciated nibbling on flower beds.  However, I just learned this week that classmates of mine have had bird feeders mauled every bit as badly—by deer.  And they live in more populated, residential areas!

I’m hoping to find the pattern I saw in one of my DIY books of a feeder that could be extended on a PVC frame from a deck railing.  It enables easy access to filling the feeder, but puts the empty hull mess out into the yard—and keeps it above marauding animals.

This is a problem we did not have in our panhandle section of Florida.  The worst problem was the ants that would be attracted by the spilled seed that the birds did not get around to cleaning up.  I had two feeding stations…one small feeder right outside our kitchen window in my Japanese magnolia tree, intentionally for the smaller birds like the various sparrows, finches, vireos and chickadees, to name a few.  One winter, we even had two pair of indigo buntings winter over.  The other feeders were at the end of the yard near the privacy fence.  That station held seven feeders on posts embedded into a cement pad.  The purposes of the cement pad were to: 1. help the birds find spilled seed easier, and 2. eliminate unwanted plants from growing in the yard, again as a result from uneaten spilled seed.  The bigger birds, like cardinals, jays, a woodpecker or two, and the pesky cowbirds, usually ate there.

Yes, in our section of sunny Florida, we usually had at least two weeks of straight sub-freezing weather, usually in late January or the first part of February.  Sometimes we even had snow, and sometimes ice storms.  Since the feeder by the kitchen was in the tree, the birds waiting their turn at the feeder would perch on the branches.  The branch beside the feeder was slanted.  It was kind of funny watching the birds when that branch was icy.  They would perch near the top—and slide down and off the branch!

I hope you enjoy the pictures below of our feathered visitors.

Do you feed the birds?  What kind of birds visit your feeders?

PURPLE FINCEHES AT FEEDER.   BACKGROUND IS A LAWN CHAIR--NOT SNOW,

CAN YOU FIND THE SPARROW?  HE'S BLENDING IN WITH THE SEED!

RESULTS OF 2014 ICE STORM--PACE FLORIDA

FEMALE CARDINAL AT FEEDER,  ICE ON SMALL BRANCHES, WHITE ICY-SNOW IN BLOCK 

DAYS AND CHORES OF THE WEEK

I started today with the chore of baking sugar cookies, and my mind began to remember how the different days of the week used to mean the special task that was to be done that day.  You know, Mondays were washdays, Tuesdays you ironed, on Wednesday you did a mid-week straightening of the house or the mending that couldn’t be done Tuesday evening while the whole family was listening to the radio.  (No, we didn’t have television, cell phones, or computer games back then).  Sometimes Wednesday was baking day and Thursday was shopping because Friday the house was made spic and span for the weekend.  And Sunday was church day.

Of course, sometimes that schedule got changed and Saturday morning, when the kids were all home, the house was cleaned.  Each of us would clean our own bedrooms, including changing the bed linen and often washing the windows.  If we shared a room, we took turns; one cleaned the bedroom and the other cleaned the bathroom.

When we got to the downstairs, we would split up wisk-brooming the furniture, dusting, shaking all the throw rugs and vacuuming the carpet.  While we were busy we would listen to the radio.

Let’s Pretend was my favorite program, which featured Fairy Tales.  This is where I first heard the story of Beauty and the Beast, and it has remained my favorite to this day.  My older sisters enjoyed a program called, if I remember correctly, A Girl Named Smith (or was it Two Girls Named Smith?).

That did not mean Mother wasn’t doing anything.  She was always in the background cleaning out closets, or drawers, mopping something or other, or shining the mirrors.  Sometimes she would be doing special baking or cooking for the weekend.  And Father, if he wasn’t working at his job, he was mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, or working on or washing the car.

When the work was done, we were paid our allowance, and usually given permission to walk the mile to town.  We had four five-and-dimes, and not a penny was spent until they were all checked out and we found which items we wanted to buy and which of the stores had them at the lowest cost.  We often spent most of the afternoon spending our allowances—a quarter went a long way in those days.  Once in a while we went to a movie, which cost six cents if you were under twelve, and thirteen cents if you were twelve or older.  A box of popcorn cost ten cents and a candy bar cost a nickel.

We might not have had all the “modern conveniences” that are available today, but we had the luxury of time and ease.

Today our week goes something like:  Mondays we do the laundry, clean the house, and bake cookies for one of the children’s sports events.  Tuesday we have to take the household pet to the vet, stop at the store to get something for super, rush off to an afternoon church meeting, rush home to get supper, and then attend one of the children’s sports in the evening.  Wednesday we have to straighten up the house, go to town for something one of the family just has to have before tomorrow, and be back in time to carpool the neighborhood kids to their next activity.  

Thursday is our day at the civic center and Friday we clean house—again.  Of course we do get a break because that is the night we get to order in pizza, or some other ethnic food.  All the while we are constantly in touch 24/7with our BFF—the cell phone.

Yes, times have changed.  In some ways for the better, in other ways--  Well, let’s just say sometimes I miss the ways of our Yesterdays.

How about you?

INTRODUCTION TO MY NOVELS

For those first-time visitors to my blog, you can learn about its purpose and intent by reading the first article, which is listed in the archive.  In this second posting, I want to introduce you to my three published novels.   

I am fortunate to have two “tween” books published in both the E-book and print formats.  For those not familiar with the term Tween, it is the age group of nine-to-twelve years old.  But don’t let this fool you.  I have many young adults (YA) and adults who have read both of my tween books and told me how much they enjoyed them.  I am just sorry they have not posted any reviews in the online book markets.  

All Because of Chickens and its sequel, Lessons from the Sheepfold, my first and third books are published by MuseItUp (MIU), out of Canada.  These two volumes are the beginnings of a tween series entitled Adventures of Half-Dozen and are available in both formats on-line from the MuseItUp Bookstore, as well as many other book sellers, including Amazon, Books-A-Million and Barns and Noble.  Those who happen to live in the neighborhood of DuBois, PA can also find them at Rosie’s Book Shoppe in DuBois and the Brockway Drug Store in Brockway.  Those living in the Dothan, AL area can find them at Red House Books. 

Unlike many Tween and YA books in this day and age, my pages are free of aliens, sorcerers, and monsters—as well as bad language and sexual overtones.  They are, however, full of fun, exploring new experiences, and adventures.  My purpose for writing these books is to entice non-readers of this age to discover the excitement and friendships that can be found on the printed page, whether on paper or a computer screen.  

My second book, a sweet romance, is published by Clean Reads out of Alabama, and is available in only the E-book format, from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other on-line book suppliers. 

Featured below are the covers and back-cover introductions of each of these endeavors.

Returning to the family homestead intensifies twelve-year-old Sammy’s longing for the family heritage—farming. But Dad’s ultimatum, “… no crops, no animals, no barn…” shows Dad wants nothing to do with farming, for himself or Sammy. Then why did Dad insist Sammy join a farming club?

Permission slips for Ag club summer projects are due. Sammy defends his project choice with, “Technically, Dad, chickens are birds not animals.” Miraculously, he wins Dad’s approval.

Sammy’s problems begin with the early arrival of his peeps and the loss of his best pals.   His ingenuity to care for his chicks, make a new friend, and design a compost bin win him a new name. His biggest challenge—can he butcher his roosters? 

Summer’s many adventures include solving a mystery, fighting a hawk, and being disqualified at the County Fair.

At the end of the project, has he won…or lost…the thing he wanted most—Dad’s change of heart about farming.

Sam plots a triumphant coup for next year’s County Fair exhibit—both to celebrate graduation from Middle School and to erase the disgrace of this year’s disqualification.  He’ll raise a calf…and Mai Li will use her herbs for their joint exhibit of—cheese!  

Until Sam learns…it takes two years for a calf to give milk…their farm is too small to support a cow…cows don’t eat goldenrod! 

Determined, Sam finds a way to accomplish his plan.  But will he have the strength, daring, and courage it will take to raise sheep in a cow county?

Sam, staunchly supported by his friends, the Half-Dozen, experiences many challenges: a barn raising, acquiring sheep and a battle line, squelching a middle-school cow vs. sheep feud, sheep shearing and lambing, attacks on his sheep, challenging the local vet at a Grange meeting, and of course, County Fair.  

By close of CAYC Fair Day, the whole county has learned lessons from the sheepfold.

 Caught in a web of terror, Allison decides her only choice is to abort her baby. 

That is, until she meets Mark Copeland, who offers her a marriage of convenience. Since they each believe their destiny is a marriage without love, they cannot realize what is so apparent to everyone else…that both of them are already under love’s spell.

Many things—blue eyes, cookies, mysterious envelopes, secrets, a dangerous fall, an unexpected visit from a stepbrother, military deception, legal intervention, a birth—bring to awareness and fruition a bounty of love and understanding. 

And Allison…it all started with a girl like you! 

Although I do not have any printed ratings on my latest effort, the ratings of the first two books have all been 5-star.  Perhaps you would like to be the first to post a rating for Lessons from the Sheepfold?

I am currently working on book three of Adventures of the Half-Dozen, as well as a second sweet romance.  I hope to have them in the hands of a publisher, as well as the hands of you readers very soon.

Read my new post next Wednesday.

Please leave your comments below.

GETTING TO KNOW ME

As a comparatively new and not widely known author, I thought it would be nice to let my readers know a little more about me as a person.  Since I am several generations removed from my readers, the purpose of this blog is not only to let you get to know me as a person, but also to introduce you to the ways and times of the era I grew up in.  In exchange, I would like to get to know some of your experiences along these same lines.

For instance, we might talk about the games we played as a child, or the places we visited, or the pets we had.  For those who have worked, either for pay or as a volunteer, we might talk about some unusual occupations we have had, jobs we liked best, jobs we didn't like so much.

I am hoping to have a new post each week.  In some of them I will be just reminiscing about the way things were, maybe sometimes I'll compare them to how they are now.  In these cases, it will be up to you to decide if indeed there are such things as "the good old days."

Some of the things I share will let you know what is happening in my life now; like things I am doing, or places I'm going, or writings I am working on.

I am hoping to share visits from my fellow authors so you can get to know them a little more as a person, too, as well as learn about some of the stories they have written, or may be working on now.

All in all, I hope you will visit my blog often.