Saturday Critters #472

 We took a ride around Lake of the Lilies...

the wildlife are in quite the "pickle" trying the escape the ice and find water.

Most of the lake is frozen, with only a few small "puddles" for them to bathe and frolic.

There must be one large strip of water right in the center...

best I could tell, the geese and gulls have first dibs here.

There is one very small thawed area on the shoreline...gulls, geese and a hand-full of ducks were there.

The best sighting of the day was this Great Blue Heron.

And the smartest water foul of all, the Coots.

Out of that freezing water there are probably about 30 Coots here right now.

There are still electronic signs posted at the lake,

 warning that the waterfowl are dying due to avian/bird flu.

Over 30 Swans, 1 Goose and 1 Duck have died due to the flu.

Sharing today's images with Eileen at 

Viewing Nature With Eileen 

for Saturday Critters

Planting Our Spring Bulbs/Flowers

 Before we get to the outdoor planting, let's talk about planting the Paperwhites, indoors.

I picked up some bulbs at Barlow Flower Farm, my go to spot...

and decided I would do a post here about planting them.

That went out the window after two pictures, I am always off to a grand start,

but get caught up in the moment, and forget what I am doing.

I have this pot that I use every year for my paperwhites.

If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you have seen it.

I wash the rocks...

the bulbs come out of the bag and that's when it all falls to pieces.

There are no more pictures.

Picture them placed between the rocks, (you do not need potting soil), 

point side up,

filled with water to the bottom of the bulb.

Fast forward only 2 weeks and look at them now...

On to the hubs, and the outdoor planting of the spring bulbs,

tulips and daffodils! 

He uses a drill with a mini auger to make the holes...

it makes fast work of it.

He planted about 320 bulbs, a bit less than usual.

This garden, around the mailbox, is fully planted with tulips and 

it is always gorgeous.

Those that walk our street always enjoy it and if we are outdoors, 

always comment about how pretty it is.

Christmas...It's All Fun And Games

 I love Christmas...that feeling I have always experienced has not left me.

When my boys were little, I always enjoyed Christmas.

It was different back then...

every day, every thing, leading up to Christmas morning and the excitement of it all.

They were super fun Christmas lovers.

Now it is different.

I enjoyed all of the day drips and things the hubs and I experienced leading up to Christmas.

I loved having Michael home, he was here for a week.

 And what I really enjoyed most were my great nieces, Lorelei 8 and Adelina 10.

Dinner with them was awesome, 

the rest of the family is crazy and we have so many hysterical stories we share.

We have Chinese food every year for Christmas dinner, so no one has to cook.

We brought desert from a local bakery.

This was the cake we brought, it was beautiful...

and ditto for the cupcakes, 

they were so pretty and tasted delicious.

We are still working on our 

Winter Bucket List

I baked Christmas cookies and just noticed I never crossed that off.

We played a lot of games...

Winter Scattergories was super fun.

all of these games were pretty entertaining.

I set a timer for each game, 

the amount of time depends on the difficulty. 

We watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, an annual tradition...

and one new movie The Noel Diary that was very good.

Clark Griswold And More

This house is decorated in the same fashion as the 

Clark Griswold house in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation plus they have way more.

Some say it is a bit much...

I would rather go and see it and think about all the Christmas spirit this family has.

All the work that has gone in to this display.

This home is right here in my town and we pass it pretty often.

They do this every year, have there own radio station to tune in to,

and a Facebook Page to boot.

The lights dance to the music, so you have to time your picture just right, to get all of the lights lit!

The homeowner comes out every so often,

dressed as Santa or the Grinch.

This is an awesome display for kids of all ages.

And some adults too!

Merry Christmas To All Those Who Celebrate

 

Happy Holidays to everyone, whatever you celebrate!

Saturday Critters #471

 Inside the Hershey Gardens, there are 100's of butterflies in flight in

 The Butterfly Atrium

Butterflies from around the world fluttering about in a tropical setting,

are dozens of rare butterflies from South and Central America,

Africa and Asia.

Colorful plants and soothing water features surround these beautiful critters,

this Butterfly House is open year round!

Sharing today's images with Eileen at 

Viewing Nature With Eileen 

for Saturday Critters