Weekend Roundup - D

 Today's assignment: Starts with D, Favorite, and Dog.

Starts with D: During a recent trip to Tennessee to visit family, we saw lots of DEER. They have a beautiful piece of property that backs up to a wooded area. The twins are my favorite.

Favorite: Of course, Gus is my favorite DOG. But today, meet Buford, the neighbor's DOG. Gus is not a fan of other pups, so when I took him out one dark morning, I failed to seen a stranger sleeping in the rocker on the porch. When he hopped down and came over to me, I felt certain I would soon be in the middle of a dog fight. Instead of barking and attacking, Gus simply walked over to Buford with his tail wagging, and the two became fast friends.

Dog: Gus was born on November 3, 2015. He is an Australian Cattle Dog a.k.a. a red heeler. I'm not sure of the date he came to live with us, but it was early in 2016. He was a frisky fella. He enjoyed chewing on house slippers, furniture legs, and basically anything he could fit into his mouth around. Lucky for him, he was too cute to get into too much trouble.

He sure loves to play and he knows the names and colors of all of his toys. If I ask for his green ball or monkey, he comes back with the correct one. 

He also likes to nap.

In Oklahoma, we lived near Tishomingo where Blake Shelton's Ole Red is located. Gus is a proud member of the Dog Wall.

Linking to The Weekend Roundup

Flowers and Bees

 During a walk around Bde Maka Ska lake in Minneapolis, I stopped to take pics of wildflowers. The bees were an added bonus.

Linking to Nature Friday

St. Louis Park, MN

I enjoyed a weekend trip to St. Louis Park, MN with daughter and one grandson. It wasn't my first trip to MN, but the Minneapolis area was new to me.

The streets of granddaughter's neighborhood are blooming with a new kind of beauty. Many homeowners seem to be ditching the mower, opting instead for wild grasses and flowers that invite nature right to their doorsteps. This eco-friendly shift supports local wildlife and adds a unique charm to the area. 

During our drive through this area, we saw Wild Turkeys,

A young buck,

and a Great Egret.

We also went to Cedar Lake ...

And Bde Maka Skak Park where we saw an immature loon, sail boats, and people paddle boarding.

Were ate too much, but in our defense, all the restaurants had such awesome food. Of course, we also watched granddaughter try on wedding dresses. She said yes to the dress and it is beautiful. 

Wordless Wednesday - Cathedral of Saint Paul

 

Linking to Wordless Wednesday

Wild Bird Wednesday - Loon

Common Loon. I recently visited granddaughter in Minneapolis. We both enjoy birds, so we headed for the lake. Common Loon is the state bird, so we hunted for one. While visiting Bde Maka Ska Park, we saw something bobbing up and down in the distance. A zoom and the trusty Merlin Bird app revealed this immature loon. Lucky us!

 Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Weekend Roundup - C

 This week's assignment: Starts with C, Favorite, and Colorful.

Starts with C: In researching red CLOVER, I discovered it has many uses. First of all it is a valuable forage crop for livestock, but it also fixes nitrogen in the soil, making it a good cover crop for improving soil fertility. Plus, it has medicinal qualities. Impressive plant.

Favorite: Since I don't have a horse to post, will make do with a CHAROLAIS COW. This one lives in the Westmoreland, Tennessee area. Charolais are the second-most numerous cattle breed in France. The bulls weight ranges between 2200 to 2600 pounds, and the cows 1500 to 2600 pounds. They were introduced to the southern United States from Mexico in 1934. Isn't she lovely?

Colorful: This is also a favorite of mine. Meet Gus. Our CATTLE dog, a.k.a red heeler. He is quite a handsome fellow, especially surrounded by COLORFUL pillows and an afghan CROCHETED by yours truly as a gift for my mother many years ago. 

Linking to The Weekend Roundup 

Twins

Happy Wednesday!

Linking to Wordless Wednesday 

Weekend Roundup - B

 This week's assignment: Starts with B, Favorite, and Bridge. 

Starts with B: Barn

I'm finding a lot more interesting barns in Illinois than in Oklahoma. This is one of my favorites so far.

Favorite: Buffalo

Since I don't have any new pics of horses to post. I'll share another impressive creature.

Bridge:

A kayaker's view of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, where I-495 (Capital Beltway) crosses the Potomac River.

Linking to The Weekend Roundup 

The Weekend Roundup - A

Starts with A - Airplane

 I haven't had a premonition type dream in a long time, but in my younger years they sometimes came true. This is one of those times. 

In my early teens, I had a recurring nightmare about an airplane crashing in our yard. It was vivid and always the same: a loud crash, debris everywhere, right outside my bedroom window. Years later, something similar happened.

I no longer lived at home, but often stopped by to visit Mom on my way to work. One morning, about a half-mile south of their house, between the railroad tracks and the road to our house, I saw a small private airplane had crash-landed. It wasn’t in our yard, but the location was close enough to remind me of those nightmares. 

The event felt strange, like my dream predicted this crash even if it wasn't in the backyard. Oh, and the pilot wasn't injured.

Favorite - Art

Since we no longer live in ranch country Oklahoma, horses are few and far between, so you'll be happy to know I won't have a horse every week anymore. But I did dig into the archives and came up with this specimen from Shawnee, OK where they have this type of art scattered throughout the city.  

Across

On one of our backroad rambles along the Illinois River, we spotted this barge across the water.

Linking to The Weekend Roundup 

Nature Friday

Turkey Vultures are not beautiful birds, but this one surrounded himself with the beauty of nature.

Mr. Squirrel enjoys hanging out on this limb just out of reach of the dogs.

Happy Independence Day!

Linking to Nature Friday

Wordless Wednesday

 Linking to Wordless Wednesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

Bluejay

Great-crested Flycatcher

Goldfinch

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Barn Day

I doubt I'm alone in my love of barns, especially the weathered, gambrel roofed kind like my brother and I spent a lot of time in when we were youngsters. Barns are more than agricultural buildings, they’re iconic symbols of rural life, history, and rustic beauty. They tell stories of times past. Their weathered wood, faded paint, and sturdy frames evoke images of hard working farmers. A photograph of an old red barn against a field or pasture can transport viewers to a simpler time, sparking curiosity about the lives lived around it. These are a few I've found on our backroad rambles.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

I discovered a new lifer yesterday. We took a drive down to the river access and found a flock of birds swarming a corn field with some perched on a wire. I couldn't tell what they were, but when I uploaded the pictures and checked my Merlin Bird App, I discovered a nice surprise.

 Linking to Saturday Critters

National Foodie Day

It's National Foodie Day. I had to look up the definition which is, according to the Oxford dictionary, a person with a particular interest in food, a gourmet.

It seems being a foodie is about more than eating … it’s a lifestyle. Foodies connect over shared passions, swapping stories about their favorite Italian restaurant or the perfect wine paring. Me? I’m more of a do you want lemonade with your hamburger type of gal.

I guess food blogs, social media, and Food Network cooking shows made the term popular. So, what is National Foodie Day? It is the perfect excuse to try a new restaurant or maybe grab your apron and whip up that new recipe you’ve been considering.

These are breakfast tacos from a visit to a new restaurant for brunch.