This week's assignment: Starts with V, Favorite, and Valley.
Starts with V: VOLKSWAGEN starts with V. Is this a VOLKSWAGEN Bug? or Spider?
Favorite: This is my morning VIEW from the front porch. Coffee and horses. Two of my favorite things.
Valley: Another VIEW. This time of a VALLEY we saw while driving down the Talimena Scenic Drive.
Posting early since I won't have access to my computer next Friday.
Linking to The Weekend Roundup
This week's assignment: Starts with U, Favorite, and Under.
Starts with U: UMBRELLA starts with U. Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Fun trip. Warm, too.
Favorite: In order for a foal to nurse, it has to have it's head UNDER the mare. 
Unusual: This bird is rare in this area, so when I found this UNUSUAL bird, I was excited. Lucky me!
Linking to The Weekend Roundup
One of my favorite summer pastimes is to enjoy nature from the back porch. Thus, this story titled Back Porch Sittin'. I hope you enjoy it.
Back Porch Sittin'
Since retirement, Saturday is no longer a day to rush around cleaning, mowing, or shopping for groceries. Mundane chores are completed during the week. Now it is the day I like to stay home and relax. When weather permits, my day begins on the back porch with a steaming cup of coffee.
Gus, our red-heeler, comes along. He checks the perimeter for danger, before making himself comfortable at my feet. As dawn colors the sky, birds come alive. They are practicing their calls and singing the day awake. A cardinal makes a precarious landing on the edge of the feeder, followed by his lady. He hops off and sits on the fence while she eats her fill. A chickadee joins her, followed by a dark-eyed junco. A larger bird, practicing his menacing moves, swoops down and lands nearby. He utters a high-pitched call and the other birds quickly disappear. It’s the dreaded cowbird.
“Get
him, Gus,” I whisper.
Gus
swiftly advances toward the enemy. He barks. The cowbird flies to safety in the
top of a dead tree. Gus barks some more and then struts back to the porch.
“Good dog,” I say and give him a pat on the head. He flops down and closes his
eyes. He’s asleep.
A
hummingbird roars by, circles, and lands on the new red Hummerdome I found at the
hardware store last week. He takes a few sips of nectar before a WWII reenactment
begins. Mr. Hummer #2 in a Japanese Zero dives down from the clouds. Mr. Hummer
#1 climbs into his Hellcat and the fight is on. They forget they have an
audience. After a few passes, they each retire to the fence. One is on the
north side, the other on the south. They prepare to fight another war—they’re
off for round two.
Gus
jumps up, runs toward the west perimeter and starts barking his mean bark. It’s
the neighbor’s bull. I silence the dog before the bull charges through the
rickety fence. The bull wanders off.
The
sound of hooves beating against hard earth distracts me. The pasture has morphed
into the racetrack at Churchill Downs. Two horses are running across the
pasture at top speed—side by side—racing. Whiskey pulls ahead. With his muscled
body straining, Nero fights back to take the lead. By the time they reach the pond,
I decide Whiskey is the winner by a nose. At the track it would have been a
photo finish. The thunder of hooves subsides. Nero snorts, kicks, and nips
Whiskey on the neck. Whiskey reciprocates with a nip to Nero’s nose. With a
shake of his head, Whiskey walks over to the pond. Nero follows. In tandem,
they bend down to get a drink.
Don,
coffee in hand, comes outside. “Any excitement this morning?”
“Actually,
yes.” I say. “Have a seat, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
He
sits. I talk. We laugh. It’s another relaxing day of back porch sittin’. ~ 2021
This week's assignment: Starts with T, Favorite, and Top.
Starts with T: Found this beautiful place for a picnic. There are plenty of TABLES among the TREES throughout Chickasaw Recreational Area.
Favorite: While waiting to be saddled, this horse is TETHERED to the hitching rail.
Top: This Great-crested Flycatcher was enjoying the view from the TIPPY TOP of a TREE.
Linking to The Weekend Roundup
This week's assignment: Starts with S, Favorite, and Snow.
Starts with S: STONEWALL starts with S. STONEWALL, Oklahoma, population 470, is getting a new water tower and all new waterlines. After they finish replacing the pipes, they will begin putting in new roads. Our tiny little town is getting much needed water updates and a facelift.
Favorite: And you know my favorite will always be a horse if I can find a way to insert one. How about a SWEET face. Love this lady.
Snow: This pic is from last February when we had the most SNOW and coldest temps Oklahoma has seen in many, many years. Hopefully not this year. 
Have a wonderful weekend!
Linking to The Weekend Roundup
