Waiting for Spring

So, the robins are singing, the juncos are singing, the goldfinches are turning bright yellow.  But where is all the beautiful spring weather?  I guess I should be happy that the birds are becoming more active and not worry about the weather.  The birds know what time of the year it is.

Matthew is waiting for his red-winged blackbird to return.  We've seen them in the fields, but the one that frequents our bird feeder hasn't been around.  I'm waiting for the return of my hummingbirds.  The feeders are ready.  In another few weeks, I'll make the nectar and then start putting them out for the hungry little birds that arrive after such a long flight. 

I did have a new bird in my backyard this week.  A brown creeper.  I haven't seen one of those since Alaska.  They are everywhere in Far North Bicentennial Park in Anchorage.  But this is the first one I've seen here.  And I haven't seen it again.  Or at least it isn't around when I'm looking.  The red squirrels destroyed yet another bird feeder (plastic one, not expensive), so the lack of extra seed may be keeping all the migrants away.  I think I'm going to need to spend the money and get a really good metal one.


In other news.  We have a new puppy.  Flora.  She's a lab/chow mix, is pitch black, and is only 5 months old.  She's a bit of a bed hog, but she's fitting in fine.  She needs a little training, especially when it comes to her name.  But other than that, she's all ours. 

I still haven't found a job.  I don't want to talk badly about the area I live in, but around here things are a bit backward and not completely up to date.  If you aren't from around here and they don't know you, they don't even look at you.  I still get stares when I go to my local grocery store, even though I've been going there for over 3 years.  It's a weird place.  I have met some nice people, though.  I just wish they could find me a job.

I guess that's it for now.  I'm just hanging around waiting for the birds and looking for a job.  And playing with the new puppy. 

Bye for now!

May your next bird be a lifer!

Spring!

Hello all!

Today I heard the first songs of a junco.  They had been quiet all winter with only little peeps here and there.  But this morning, sitting high in a tree, was a male letting his trill be heard for what he probably thinks was miles.  It made me think of Spring.  Even though the robins are singing and doing their crazy suicidal crossing the road thing, for some reason the junco feels more like spring.  

It's a gray day here in the northern tier of Pennsylvania.  It rained all day yesterday and we're supposed to get snow showers toady.  That's the thing with spring.  It can't seem to make up its mind if it wants to turn warm or stay cold.  I hope it makes up its mind soon.   Matthew and I want to go to the park.

Anyway, before I babble your ear off......

Enjoy your day!

Of Birds and Bears

Happy Pi Day!

Of birds....

The amount of goldfinches/pine siskins/redpolls had dwindled considerably.  I can only think that they were passing through.  Now I'm back to my everyday birds:  chickadees, titmouses, juncos, downy and hairy woodpeckers, white- and red- breasted nuthatches, my cardinal pair, and an occasional mourning dove.  I haven't seen any blue jays lately, which is fine, since they always take the suet.  Oh, and yesterday there were 2 crows checking out the seeds on the ground.

Of bears....

Last weekend while driving on Route 15 just about at the Bloss Mountain sign, I spotted a black bear crossing a road.  I'm going to have to start taking my bird feeders and suet feeders down every night now.  The one I have that frequents my back hill always seems to to know when I leave them out.  It doesn't always come by at night, though.  It's been seen in the morning and in the evening.  I just don't like having to replace my feeders.  It's gotten to the point where I get the cheap ones now.  

Of life.....

So, potty training is hit and miss.  Can't wait until I no longer have to change diapers.  He no longer runs screaming from the room, but some days he just doesn't want to be bothered.  He did, however, use it 3 times today.  And we're using training pants now.  We'll see.  

I'm still unemployed and it is putting a lot of stress on me.  I can't find anything around here. I've had interviews, but no job offers.  I'm beginning to think someone is giving me a bad review.  I also have 3 black marks against me.  First, I haven't worked in over a year.  Second, I'm not from around here and that seems to make a difference to the smaller companies around here.  And third, my age.  I just can't prove that one.  But when you are interviewed by someone who could be your child, you know you're not getting the job.

Meika and Eugene are hanging in there.  They are getting older and it's become obvious.  I don't know how much longer they will be with us.  

So, I guess that's all for now.  If I don't see you before then, have a very Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May your next bird be a lifer!

Laura

 

Wordless Wednesday

Let's try this again

One more time....

I really like blogging.  I really do.  I'm just not very good at it. I'm not good at time management.  I think that's the problem.  Before I had a child, I had more time to do things like this.  Now, I'm lucky I can find time to shower.  I know many of you can relate.  But how to others do this?  

So, what exactly have I been up to?  First of all, I'm unemployed.  Not by choice.  And finding a job around here is near impossible.  It's getting to the point where I am going to have to start at the bottom and work my way up again.  And I'm starting to think I just might be a victim of age and mother discrimination.  But how do you prove it?

Second, Little Man is now 3.  3!  Can you believe it?  He's really into cars.  Any kind of cars. His favorite are mustangs, camaros, and corvettes.  He's a typical hellish pre-schooler.  Favorite word is NO; won't eat anything; stubborn.  Did I mention his use of the word NO?  

Let's see.  I'm still into birding, however, I am starting to forget my birds.  I really need to get out more and get back into the mode.  I noticed this when I thought that I had over 60 goldfinches in my yard.  Turns out I have over 80 pine siskins. I was so upset with myself over that.  I should have known what they were, but I'm out of touch with birding.

I'm crocheting a lot lately.  Almost too much.  I like it, but it's not my favorite craft. But I really started crocheting with Matthew.  It's easier to sit and crochet around him than to have him tangle up all my cross stitch supplies.  Plus he doesn't let me do this for long periods of time and crocheting is easier to stop and start.  But I prefer cross stitch.

I really wish I could figure out how to do this blog thing, along with the craft thing, for a living.  I would really like that.  

So, I'm going to try and do this at least once a week.  (Heard that before, haven't you?)  We'll see.  If I don't, I'll apologize now.

Until then, may your next bird be a lifer!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Another spring bird!

Saw another (actually 2) new bird flying over the yard.  A barn swallow!

 

Spring Migration

So, spring migration is nearly over.  I haven't had many new birds this year.  Here is a list of the birds that have been seen hanging around my feeders, or my yard, or just flying through.

Black-capped chickadee
Dark-eyed junco
Red-breasted nutchatch
White-breasted nuthatch
Mourning dove
American goldfinch
Purple finch
Northern Cardinal
European starling
American robin
Bluejay
Turkey vulture
American crow
Sharp-shinned hawk
Chipping sparrow
Song sparrow
White-crowned sparrow
Hairy woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
Northern flicker
Red-winged blackbird
Common grackle
Eastern bluebird

And of course, the ruby-throated hummingbirds are back!!

There are also the "others"

chipmunk
red squirrel
gray squirrel

If anything new shows up, I'll keep you posted!!

Long time, no talk

It has been a long time since I've been here.  Lots of stuff has happened since then.  The main reason for not posting is that now I have a 14 month old son and he keeps me busy, busy, busy. 

I have been birding, of course.  We went to Florida in January for the Space Coast Birding Festival.  The 3 of us had a great time.  I have a little birder on my hands!

Anyway, I'm going to try to get back to this as much as possible.  Writing about my birding adventures is very therapeutic. 

Talk with you later!

www.facebook.com/laura.kluge

Update

Today would normally have been a Wordless Wednesday, but it snowed this morning.  (I have no idea what the connection is, but there is.)

So, what have I been up to?  Nothing.  Same thing as the last time.  My second quarter at Strayer is over and I earned 2 more As.  This quarter was extremely simple, at least for me.  I now have a 2 week spring break.  I'll be doing all the stuff that I haven't gotten done in the past 11 weeks.  Like dusting.  I think there is a 1/2 inch layer of dust on everything.  I was planning on doing some yard work, but it doesn't look like it.  My daffodils and hyacinths and tulips have started to bloom, but I have yet to be able to get out there and clean out the beds.  

My next quarter is going to be a bit harder.  I guess that's a good thing, it will finally be challenging.  Now that I got all the fluff classes out of the way, I can go on to learn something.  

Still looking for a job.  I have picked up the job search.  It would have been nice if I could have found something and moved into it during the 2 weeks I have off.  Jobs are few and far between out there.  I'm really trying to avoid going back to Knoebels.  It's more important to me and Bill that we get our lives back together.  We are better together than apart.  

Bill's job is going fine.  He's been there for a year now.  The current budget stuff in Harrisburg is going to affect the department he's with, but he should be fine.  He really likes Mansfield and the Twin Tiers of PA/NY.   And I like it too.  Not my ideal place to settle, but it will work for a while.  (Better than where I am now.)

The dogs are doing good.  Meika will be 7 tomorrow.  She is no longer shy and stand-offish.  She is now into telling you when she wants something.  Loudly.  Eugene plays ball continuously.  He now has a large ball to go with his smaller Jolly Ball (the hard plastic balls made for horses).  Apparently the smaller ball is better in the snow.  The bigger one is better in the mud(!).  

So, live goes on.  Slowly.  Just taking things one day at a time, hoping something better comes along.

On the birding front:  I have a gang of House Sparrows.  A LARGE gang.  Depending on the day, I can have 65 birds at the feeder.  I also have a few Mourning Doves that come by, and of course, the pigeons.  Once in a while a House Finch will come by.  And this morning, I spotted a Dark-Eyed Junco flying out of the grass.  I haven't seen the hawk in a while, so it must be finding food elsewhere.  I live in the middle of town, and there isn't really anything to entice other birds to come to my feeders.  When I do a couple of streets back, in the alley that backs up to the woods, I can hear Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, and even the occasional Thrush (not a Robin) in the summer.  

Last week when I went to Mansfield, I stopped to look at a field just filled with Snow Geese.  Thousands of them.  And then spotted a flock of Trumpeter Swans in a flooded field.  But those are the only other birds I've seen other than the daily dose of sparrows.

So, on that note, I'm off to do my taxes.  (Paying the government this year, not in a rush to finish them.)

So, may your next bird be a lifer!!

My cousin Blaise

http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2011/02/going_deep_blaise_alexanders_d.html

My cousin died 10 years ago in a NASCAR race.  Many things have changed since then.  I feel better knowing his death was not in vain.  Not a single NASCAR driver has died since. 

Resolutions

So, this part of my New Year's Resolution isn't going so good, is it?  Had high aspirations of writing at least once a week, but can't seem to find the time.  For someone who at present is unemployed, I'm really rather busy with my days.

Right now I'm going to school with Strayer University, trying to finish my Bachelor's degree in Accounting.  Yes, I have an Associate's degree, but employers seem willing to overlook that.  I do have a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology, but around here, people don't seem to understand what exactly that is.  I'd prefer to continue in Anthropology, but we'd have to pick up and move to a better environment for me to do so.  Right now, that's out of the question.  Maybe someday.....

I do want to make one little statement.  I'm glad I found Facebook.  I have found many old friends that I have lost touch with in the past 20 years, and I have found new friends that I am very thankful I have found.  Many I may never meet face to face, but I enjoy their company through their posts on FB.  

Have a great weekend.

And may your next bird be a lifer!!
 

Wordless Wednesday

Along the Seneca Lake Winetrail.

Happy New Year!!

I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!  

Thank you for following my blog.  I have made a new year's resolution not to ignore the blog.  However, I need things to talk about first.  I promise to post at least once a month, if not more.  And I promise to carry my camera and binoculars with me more.  

Although the blog is mostly about my birding adventures, it is also going to include my crafting adventures, my work adventures (or misadventures), my cooking adventures, my travel adventures.....you get the idea.  

May 2011 bring you new adventures!

And may your next bird be a lifer!!

Wordless Wednesday

Columbus Day

Today we celebrate the anniversary of the day in 1492 when people in the Bahamas discovered some lost Europeans wandering aimlessly on their shores.  

Have a good day!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday