Friday, April 19, 2013

Reflection

 
This week has been an extremely sad week for Americans.
As we are all glued to the TV watching the horror unfold,
I have been reflecting on the events of April 19th, 1995.
 
In February when we went to San Antonio ,
and on the recommendation of a friend ,
we stopped in Oklahoma to visit the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial.
 
 
 
Sis and I had lived in Oklahoma for a few years when we were kids ,
and have always felt a kinship with the state .
 
It was a very moving experience to say the least .
 
 
On the morning of April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a rental truck with explosives in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and at 9:02am, a massive explosion occurred which sheared the entire north side of the building, killing 168 people.
 ( copied from the Memorial website )
 
 
This section of the Memorial represents the 168 people that were killed .
Each row represents the floor of the building they were on .
And each chair represents a victim.
 
The first row / floor has the most chairs,
that is where the daycare was located .
 
This was the hardest for me to fathom ...
innocent children.
 
What makes a person so consumed with hatred that they have no regard for the innocent ?
 
I can't and won't understand it .
 
The events of this week and the tragedy in Boston , have brought it to the surface again.
 
However, when you go to the memorial  ,
you have a sense of peace ,
of a city and nation that came together to create a beautiful and lasting tribute to those lost .
 
 
The Survivor Tree.
 
Just a common AMERICAN elm .
It withstood the blast and stands proud still .
 
 
Engraved on the wall surrounding the Survivor Tree,
 is this quote,
" The Spirit of this City and this Country will not be defeated ; our deeply rooted faith sustains us . "
 
That is my hope and my prayer for the city of Boston ,
all the victims and the loved ones of victims ,
and really , all of the citizens of
OUR great country .
 
Peace to you all ...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



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Monday, April 1, 2013

Fat Squirrel comes to the Hood



Ya'all know I live in the back of beyond ,
or as I loving refer to it ,
The Trailerhood .
( actually , my friend's sons named it that and it just stuck , but it fits )
 
I love the wild life we see here.
There is a herd of deer that come into the field across from us every afternoon.
There are hawks and bald eagles and coyotes ,
OK , I don't really like any of those ,
I am not a fan of predatory animals.
But it's the circle of life right ?
*sigh*
 
But... 
I feed a plethora of birds year round .
A variety of Finches , Woodpeckers, nuthatches,
 chickadees, a pair of cardinals and morning doves .
For a short time I can see Baltimore Orioles and in the summer ,
we have Hummingbirds.
 
I have two feeding stations and I go through a LOT of seed !
 
The one animal I have always been surprised we don't have is squirrels.
You would think they would be everywhere.
I mean they live in town ,
why wouldn't they be here ?
 
Then a few weeks ago ,
Fat Squirrel showed up .
This was one of those times I really wish I could take good pictures.
I made Hubs come to the window and watch him with me .
He was literally hanging upside down on my tree
with his front feet on the bird feeder ,
eating !
 
Then he climbed into the tray feeder .
 
 
I am AMAZED at how entertained I am by this squirrel !
I've named him Fat Squirrel cause he is just so puffy !
And I LOVE him !
 
I immediately told Hubs he MUST build me one of those squirrel chairs.
You know , the ones where there is a seat
 and  a screw or nail to put an ear of corn on .
He said he would ,
but believe it or not he kept putting it off.
I really think he was thinking
"here we go again "
first crazy with the birds , now a squirrel .
But bless his heart ,
he never said it .
 
Anyway...
I took matters into my own hands .
 
I found this little chair at the thrift store !
YAH !
He had no choice then .
 
 
Not too pretty ,
but it works .
 
Then I became one of those people I used to make fun of.
The ones that actually go to the farm store
 and buy cobs of corn in a bag !
YIKES !
 
 
 
 
It took me FOR*EV*ER to get a picture of Fat Squirrel in his chair.
 
and not even a good one ...
 
Cause here's the thing .
He doesn't really like the corn .
Funny , huh ?
He would rather eat the sunflower seeds from the bird feeders.
Go figure ....
 
 
He works hard at it too .
 
One day he was eating sunflower seeds off the ground
and Addie said ,
" look Grandma , a chipmunk ! "
Love that !
 
So ,
while most sane people are buying special feeders to keep the squirrels out ,
I'm just buying extra sunflower seeds ...
 
 
 
Squirrel!!!
 
I'm just the crazy bird / squirrel lady of the Trailerhood  :)
 
 
 
 



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