Tales from the Raven

The stuffed suitcases are still waiting to be emptied, but I’m finding that after a summer of packing and unpacking, they can be ignored rather nicely.  Give me another week or two, and they’ll just be another piece of furniture I walk around.
Maybe if I put up a few pics from the summer trips, I can [...]

We’re delighted to announce the arrival of the first egg from our spring chicks!

We recently looked up the age that we could expect eggs, and figured theses pullets wouldn’t lay ’til the middle of August, so this was a fun surprise.  Of course, they couldn’t be accommodating and lay it in their nesting box…that would be sensible and [...]

Tomorrow, bright and early, we roll out the door and begin the first marathon day of our cross-country trip.  I’ve said no to the over-ripe bannanas which thought they should be made into muffins before we leave.  I told the turkeys and chickens no when they begged to have free range of the pasture while we’re gone.  [...]

“Mom, there’s a copperhead in the garden.”
That got my attention, and got me off the phone.  A smart tactic if the kids just wanted to give me a scare, but it turns out they were right.  A copperhead must have been prowling in the pasture last night, and got himself tangled in the deer netting.  [...]

Where would summer be without a sizzling grill, time splashing in a pool, and . . .
Rainbow Toe Decor!

We have here (because I know you’re just dying to know) Jolted Jade, Red Glamour, and Deep Blue Sea.  Oh, and a bit of honestly obtained dirt, just to keep it real.
Painting my daughter and my nails brought back fond memories [...]

We’ve had a spat of trouble with our computers lately.  Nothing we can’t deal with . . . eventually.  I know nothing is built to last forever, but it seems to me that computers are one of those devices which ought to come with a warning:
Your computer will self-destruct in five,
four,
three,
two,
dzzzzzz….
And it’s dead.  Maybe I’m just [...]

On Sunday evening I was driving to a friend’s house, listening to the thunder and feeling grateful the rain hadn’t hit yet.  Then lightning split the sky–just in front of me and off the road.  It was one of those straight up and down streaks and the tail disappeared in the trees.  I’m a pretty [...]

We’ve had a great spring for wildlife.  Here’s a pic of our recently flown Eastern Phoebe chicks while still in the nest.
 
Their nest is on a light in the barn–the same space we spent weeks modifying this spring.  These guys put up with hammering, measuring, and even an air compressor.  That’s loud!
I think this fledgling is [...]

As my friends, family and Facebook buddies already know, I’ve been in Utah for the last week for the funeral of my brother and his bride of almost three years.  This blog isn’t about exposing my most private and tearful moments, so I won’t go into details.  I will just touch on a few thoughts [...]

Today I swapped my daughter’s black Sunday shoes for white sandals and we checked on the status of everyone’s swimwear.  The garden is in, the trees are leafed out, and summer’s just around the corner.

I’m excited to dig in to the summer projects we have planned–but rushing to finish up the spring list.  Of highest [...]