For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Good morning everyone! So glad to see you all again! It is such a beautiful morning that I was outside on the deck until now enjoying things with my cup of coffee. Things have sure changed at the feeders now. All the juncos have gone and I only saw 3 white-throated sparrows and a chipping sparrow. Even the pine siskins were not here and I only saw 2 purple finches and 9 evening grosbeaks, 2 days ago there was more than 60 grosbeaks. But they are all spreading out now to fill the forests with their cheerful songs and little nests. I finally went back down to the river yesterday afternoon. It was beautiful, the temp was 68F (20C) and a light south wind. It was nice to hear all the birds along the path again and at the river too. It had been so quiet before. But now it is more alive once again.
There were 4 different species of butterflies as well, one small blue one that wouldn’t sit still for me, a large white butterfly which also would not sit still, then there was the mourning cloak which I have shown before and is always our first butterfly of the season. That one has been out since early April. Then there was a nice orange type butterfly that doesn’t seem to really fit anything in the book I have. The closest is the “eastern comma” which is an angelwing butterfly. It still doesn’t quite fit, but I’m staying with that name until I find something else. While I was sitting on the bench some ducks flew past, 2 others landed on the other side of the river and 2 more were already on the other side of the river. What’s wrong with this side? They never come swimming along on this side so I can get pictures of them. Amazing really.
This path I walk on is 6 feet wide (not quite 2 meters), so it’s plenty wide enough when passing someone to keep with physical distancing. In some places it’s even wider, like the place I met this guy, his little girl and his big dog. He did say “good afternoon”, though he didn’t exactly look happy. I said the same and mentioned our nice weather, but he said nothing else. His little girl hid behind him when she saw me. She looked terrified, like “there’s another human being on this path, we need to hide”. That’s what it looked like. Or do I really look that terrifying? I know I don’t like to look in the mirror any more than I have to, but still.
Then the other day when I was walking along the path I met this young woman who wouldn’t say hi and actually went off the path, easily 20 feet off (about 6 meters). She had to go through bushes and slide down a rock. So maybe I do look that terrifying. Such things could give a person a complex of some kind. I will admit, I do have a bit of a terrifying look to me, which is why you don’t see a lot of pictures of myself on this blog. I don’t want to scare people away. So now I have proof that I’m scary looking. Now, let’s see, how can I use that to my benefit? Oh well. It’s still a beautiful morning. Lots of squirrels out here this morning, more on that tomorrow. Have a wonderful day and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
Β©2021 Steve McLeod.
Very nice!π
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Thanks!ππΊπββ
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You are Welcome.
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Thanks!
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Welcome
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Hey, it looks like I have a phone interview on Saturday morning…. Nothing great as jobs go but at least it is in the warm part of the country.
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Hey, that’s great news! The job isn’t so bad and like you say, it’s in the tropical land so that makes it fabulous!
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Yeah, it’s a reduction in pay, but at least I won’t be needing to fly back up north all the time. Wish me luck on the interview!
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Right, you’ll save all that money and time and leaving all that cold weather behind, which I know you hate doing, but you’ll get used to it I’m sure. And at least you’ll still have some squirrel friends down there to keep you entertained. Just watch out for those acorns, they’re bigger down south!ππΉπ€£
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Wait! What?? The acorns are bigger??π²π³ Why didn’t you tell me about that sooner?
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Did I forget to mention that? Feed them peanuts and you won’t have to worry.ππΉπ₯π₯π₯
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If they have such big acorns… why do they need peanuts? π₯π€π€π
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So they don’t throw the acorns at you. Those things hurt!π¬π€
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Only from the tree.. as I’m raking up the leaves and acorns!!π¬π¬
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Oh, oh, you’re in trouble now!π³π¬
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In so deep the light is fading!!π¬π₯΄π₯΄
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That could be because it’s evening.
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Hey! π²π³ that’s it!! You are amazing!! How did you figure that out??π€π€π€π€ͺπ€ͺ
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It was easy, it’s not morning, therefore it must be evening. I think. π€π€―
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Ahhhh.. process of elimination!! You are sooooo smart!π€π€
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Thank you, thank you, thank you. Kind of like those old multiple choice tests, just pick the one that doesn’t sound right and it most likely is right!ππΉ
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Hey… I thought it was just me that figured that out!π€¨π€¨πππ€π€
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Really?π€ How about that.π³ Maybe I just dreamed it.π€ Or something.π
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Or you were stealing my thoughts!!π€¨π²π³
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As they say in the old country, “never climb a step ladder in a canoe just to get a better view.”
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Catchy prose right there!πππππ I would never dream of doing that!π¬π³
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Might be exciting unless the canoe tips over.π³π
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That could make it more interesting that’s for sure!πππ
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It would be really bad if suddenly the ladder got shorter because it punched holes in the bottom of the canoe. Just make sure to bring the paddle up the ladder in case you have to get going fast.π³π
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I go nowhere without my paddle!πππ
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Better make it a long one.
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It will reach the water no matter how deep the canoe is..ππ
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Now there’s a good point if I ever saw one.ππΉ
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Thank you!ππ
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I gotta be honest… I am a bit off tonight… this work in the office edict . It has me stressed a bit! I have a ticket back south next weekend, but unless I get a job there, I need to be back here on June 1st to be in the office full time.. then what do I do with my apartment? My vehicle that’s there? This whole situation has me off center so to speak. Sorry if I seem distracted.
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Hmm, they must have found out you were heading south in between. Yeah, if you have to be there all the time, that will make it tough with your apartment. Did you sign a lease? And what about renting your house? Now you’ll need it full time and won’t want to be stuck in the bedroom of your own place. But there is this interview coming up, that could be the answer. Don’t lose hope yet. Wait, don’t lose hope period!
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Well I’ve signed a lease on the apartment. That expires in Dec. So I’ve got to pay for it. The advantage to that is that I can keep looking for work there and have place to stay right away if I get a job. But I will need to stay here until a job comes along so I can afford both places.
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That makes sense to me. Too bad they changed things on you like that. Not nice at all. If you can get this other job that will be good, you can still keep looking for something better once you’re down there if you want to.
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Yes!! That’s the hope!ππ Or maybe just keep it..
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Right, my thoughts exactly!π
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We are in sync today!!π€―
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As they say in the old country, “just because it’s raining doesn’t mean you can paddle a canoe across the yard.”
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Oh yeah??? Just wait and watch!!ππππ
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Hmm, I don’t have a lot of weight and I haven’t had a watch for years so I’m at a disadvantage here.π€π³
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Are you a patient??πππ
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I always try to be patient.ππππ
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LOLπ€£π€£π€£ that was a trick question!ππππππ
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Didn’t seem too tricky to me.
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That’s because you are exceptional!ππππ
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Perhaps, but an exceptional what?π€π
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I would say person!π
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You have plenty of furred and feathered friends
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Yes, there is still a good variety yet even though the numbers are down so much. But there are still more birds to arrive for the summer too. At least I save on bird seed this way!πΉ Have a great evening Sheree!ππΊ
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You too Steve
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Thank you!
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you are getting some great photos of your animal friends
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Thank you very much Buddy!
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ππ·
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Did you say comma butterfly πΊ nice name to catch and play π beautiful nature π what ? you don’t look in the mirror anymore ? π³π€when was the last time you did π appreciate how you look, take some picture and keep the record, history should they there was a Legend with so much knowledge, don’t you want to be like Einstein π or Newton π. Have a lovely day Steve β¨π€π₯³π
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Yep, an odd name for a butterfly.π No one ever asks me to name a butterfly,π³ I could come up with a better name than that,π something really catchy like “orange butterfly”,π€ or maybe “flutter butterfly”π or something like that.ππΊ I don’t like being scared so early in the morning, so I started shaving after breakfast,π not so scary then.πΉ But it’s not really my face that’s the problem anyway,π its, well, doesn’t matter.π€ͺ I’m having a great day!π€ΈββοΈ Have a great evening Simon, don’t stay up late!ππΈππ΄
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I know that, and don’t worry that won’t scare anyone around us a Virtual HUG to youβ€οΈ. I am addicted with mirror π it’s hard for me to get away from the mirror π π. I should stop doing that, but as you know it’s hardπ. Yes that a better name for butterfly, people should start asking you π Have a lovely day β¨π€π₯³
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It has been a great day!π Lots of warmth and sunshineπ and funπ€ΈββοΈ and warmthπ and workπ¬ and warmthπ and taking picturesπ· and warmth.π Oh, did I mention it’s warm too?ππΈππΉππ
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Wow… warm day πβ€οΈ Have fun.. and looking forward to your warmth photography π₯³
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Another warm day and now a thunderstorm, but with no rain!π³π³π³π³π³ππππππππππ
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π€Thunderstorm with no rain π€ strange…. are you sure? that isn’t you breaking something at home ?
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It happens here sometimes when it’s a very dry year. Very dangerous as they can start a lot of forest fires.π³π¬π²π₯π³π₯
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oh, that’s bad, hope that doesn’t happen.ππ
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Yes, dry thunderstorms are bad, and several went through the area last night.π³π¬π₯π²π₯π³
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Hope there is no fire.. Stay safe.. keep the fire extinguisher in hand…βΊοΈ maybe you can save the entire forest π
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Seems no fires were started which is good!ππΈπ
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that’s a good news π π₯³yay!! hope the new banners worked “no fire” π
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However there is a fire about an hour away from us. But that shouldn’t be a problem.π³π¬π₯π²π₯π³
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I’m sure fire officers will be there to stop that, rightπ€
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Yep, they are fighting it hard right now. Some houses and cottages have been lost though.π
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that’s the sad part of this forest fireβΉοΈ hope people are safe
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Yes, people are safe, but it’s hard losing everything. You don’t get a lot of warning when being evacuated so you can’t take much with you.ππ
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This in unpredictable, life is the priority, they are doing the right thing, but nature doesn’t support, there should be a hold your fire banner next time to help these officers π€ what do you think π€
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Hmm, I think it might burn, the banner that is, and who gets to hold it, not me!π³π³ππ
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Are you sure? you should try once π€ my somewhere nonworking sense said the idea might work, it doesn’t make sense, but why don’t we try π€ππ»
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Not me, not me, I go nowhere near fires when they are firing, unless it’s a bonfire. Have you had a bonfire lately?π€ππ₯
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Not lately, I have been inviting people since last lockdown, no one is coming π I wanted to have a bon fire, people around, cook a chicken, and cook my fav mutton on another side, and make our favourite Briyani and eat at the middle of the night πβ€οΈ … I wish ….π
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You want to eat in the middle of the night????? Steve faints.π€ͺπ€ͺ
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Ha ha that’s the fun with our bonfire, we chat, we eat, we talk π how about there, what else you do on a bonfire?
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We chat, we eat, we play games, we eat, we talk, we eat, we tell jokes, we eat, if it’s hot we fill plastic bottles with water and squirt them at each other, we eat, we sing, we eat. Then it’s time for bed.πππΉπΉ
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Almost, we do the same π Have a peaceful night Steve ,β¨π
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maybe it’s all the birds hovering around you and squirrels following you that throw people off for a second while walking on the path. Glad you got to the river with no bear sightings…
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Hey, maybe that’s it! Complicated by the fact that I also talk to the birds and squirrels! Yes, that was a relief.
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Your butterfly looks like a Gulf Fritillary. Read about it here: https://www.butterfliesathome.com/gulf-fritillary-butterfly.htm
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Thanks, but that’s not it, much too big for my little butterfly, plus the wing shape is different, this one has very square like cut wings. But thanks for trying, I appreciate it.
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Guess it will remain a mystery.
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I need to get a good book on butterflies, but we have so few up here I just never figure it to be worthwhile.
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The internet is good for finding things or try your local university that specializes in insects. Someone might be willing to identify it.
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Now I am wondering what people are thinking when they see me masked up, wearing sunglasses, and topped off with a baseball cap.
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Thanks for the laugh! This did make me laugh when I saw these people trying to avoid me at any cost!
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Thursdayβs Thoughts #2.. that’s thinking
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Thanks Cathy!
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Welcome
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A female walking alone along a path is dangerous nowadays…I would have moved away too ! Enjoy your evening ! Pics are great ! πΊππͺπͺ
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Somehow I don’t think that was the problem here. Safe to say, it wasn’t.π Thanks so much!ππΊπββ
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You are so lucky to have such a beautiful environment around you…π
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Yes indeed, this is a beautiful place! Thank you for reading!ππΊ
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So lovely ππ·morning story and beautiful photos , specially the orange colour butterfly ππ»π·
1st time seeing ππ
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Thank you so very much!ππΊ That orange butterfly is beautiful, next time I hope to get closer for a better picture.ππΊππ·
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The Butterfly photo lovely πcan see very rare I think π·ππ·
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It might be, hopefully I can identify it soon.
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π·ππ·
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