Behind the Scenes

Song - Unchained Melody cover by Austin Brown

 

 

Just when you think there is nothing going on because it is winter......just take a walk outside.

 

 

 Here is some happiness in my garden just yesterday....

 

 

 

 A white camellia just outside my office window

 

 

 

 

 The rosemary is full of blooms and bees

 

 

 

 

 

 The hellebore is getting ready to bloom.  I just love this winter plant!

 

 

 

 My dogwood buds are getting plump

 

 

 

 

 Heard this plane and caught it as it flew past the moon

 

 

 

 

 My narcissus are ready to pop!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I have had a plethora of lemons and limes this year

 

 

 Alyssum flowers have reseeded everywhere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A lovely begonia that I got from my mother

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I planted several six packs of pansy's in the front yard but as you can see the deer love them!

 

 

 

 

 

 I have two urns of salvia that usually bloom late summer and through fall

 

 

 

 

 

By our front porch we have a Strawberry Madrone tree and I love how the bark peels off each year

 

 

 

 Here are her flowers....

 

 

 

 

 

 Daphne should be in full bloom and scent in a few days.  

Another winter favorite!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Some old primroses are popping though the garden leaf clutter

 

 

 

 This is an azalea that a friend bought for me when my father passed five years ago.

It blooms year round.

It is amazing!

 

 

 

A little snowdrop pushing her way though the earth

Midlife: when the Universe grabs your shoulders and tells you “I’m not f-ing around, use the gifts you were given.”

 

--Brene Brown

 

New Beginning

 

After a lot of deliberation I finally came to the conclusion that I need to "branch out"......he he....

I love doing my personal blog but I have also put years (about 50) collecting family history.  My own family, Mr. B's family as well as his bio-family, friends and family members trees, documents and photos. So I have decided to cut back on my personal blog to give "Twigs on my Branches" room to grow.

 

 

It is still uncertain how the new blog will develop but I need to get some of this information organized and out there for others to enjoy.  I thought for a long time about doing a small book but realized that it might be boring to pour though pages and pages of data and sources.  Several weeks ago I came across a woman's blog that resonated with me.  It was organized in a way that made it fun to read as she put the facts together along with some history.  For instance her relatives worked in the weaving mills in England and Scotland as did mine.  BUT...she found that they spoke their own dialect in each mill.  Apparently it was so noisy in the weaving sheds that they developed a form of speech with exaggerated movements to allow lip-reading and it was called Mee-mawing.

 

 

This is my 3rd Great-grandfather Henry Grieve, he is 50 years old in 1851.  His occupation is listed as HLW Cotton, meaning Hand Loom Weaver in Cotton.  

Come along with me for the fun. I know we will meet some colorful characters and you & I may even turn out to be cousins!

Twigs On My Branches

Twenty-twentyone

Song - Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springfield

 

 Happy New Year!

Here's to a year when we can hopefully start hugging again.

And dining with family & friends sharing our stories and love.

Hold on tight to the small, important things that make us happy...

...a sunrise...

...puppy love...

....a meal cooked with love...

...a frosty morning spent by the fire...

...a long walk by the ocean...

...live music..

...traveling to far off places and getting to know the people who live there...

...a little cabin in the woods (and I know just the one for me!)...

...a child's laughter...

...a great book...

...a road trip...

...the joy of seeing people smile again!

 

Whatever makes you happy, I hope you find it in this New Year!!!

 

"You are never to old 

to set another goal 

or to dream a new dream."

--C. S. Lewis

 

 

..

An Ear-full

 Song - Three Little Birds by Bob Marley & The Wailers

Last week I looked out of a window and I saw a flock of birds that were bigger than the song birds we normally get.  I thought they might be Cedar Waxwings as they were in an Oak tree and flying across our little lane to a Privet tree.  They were too far away to see their markings but they sure were acting like Waxwings. And besides I don't usually see Waxwings until January or February!

And sure enough yesterday they reappeared in my shade garden.  There are six of them in this photo. Can you spot them all?

As soon as I saw their yellow tail edge and that distinctive black eye makeup I knew it was them! And guess what a flock of Cedar Waxwings is called?

An "ear-full" or a "museum" of waxwings!

 

 

See the bird on the far left with the red tipped wings?  That is a small appendage on it's secondary feathers and is made out of red wax....therefore "wax wings".

 

I'm out to clean out that birdbath now as fruit eating birds get very thirsty.

 

 

Enjoy your weekend!

"Birds of a feather flock together"

--an old Welsh proverb

Let's Give Them Something to GOBBLE About

 Song - Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie 1967

 

 Welcome to my home for Thanksgiving through the years.....

This is me, my brothers and cousins.  We are at my Grandparents home in Oakland 

celebrating Thanksgiving 1957.

Here we are at our new home on Ponderosa Lane standing in front of the

 old walnut tree, one of many that lined the street.

Thanksgiving 1958.

This will be my first Thanksgiving with out my mom.

She taught several generations how to make her gravy.

It still amazes me how she did the whole meal by herself.  

Never asked anyone to bring anything!

 

Every year we would pose in front of this October Glory Maple tree to take our family portraits.

We will miss all of those who could not join us.

Last year we had 26 and this year we will be 7.

Glad people are taking care of themselves and us!

 

 

Same place same time next year!

Stay safe and know we are Thankful to have you in our lives!

 

 

Bursting with Color

 Song -  Bring it on Home to Me -  Sam Cooke cover by Marc Broussard & Jamie McLean

Autumn begins slowly and before you know what hit you it is a riotous state of color!

 

"How beautiful the leaves 

grow old.  How full of 

light and color are

their last days."

--John Burroughs

BONK!

 Song - Hawks and Doves by Neil Young

 

 

Several days ago I was sitting at my desk working when I heard a rather loud bonk on my window directly in front of me. From the bushes below the window a rather large bird emerged and wobbly flew up onto the pergola and sat for about five minutes.

 

A Cooper's Hawk that had missed his mark (the bird feeder full of birds hanging in front of my window) and bashed into the window instead of grabbing a song bird. 

He seemed OK other than a little shaken and flew off into the oak trees above.

I doubt he will be back here very soon!

 

"Listen to the wind

it talks

Listen to the silence

it speaks

Listen to your heart

it knows."

 

--Native American Proverb

A Day in the Country

 Video - Through the Lens: Snow Goose Migration

What began as a quiet trip north to the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge turned into a full day of birds, fun and adventure with Mr. B, which included one of his world famous "Short Cuts"!  Above is the first bird we spotted on the auto tour - a White Tailed Kite.

And a lovely Snowy Egret sitting atop a dead tree.

I had Mr. B open up his car's sunroof so I could see more.

 

A few Greater White Fronted Geese flew by (they are much darker than the Snow Geese)....

....and to our left we could see some Snow Geese and ducks had landed but if you look really hard near the horizon you will see thousands of birds flying in to the refuge.

    The geese migrate from the upper northern reaches of Canada, Alaska & Greenland to overwinter in a calmer climate.

 

 

As we drove further along the auto route we began to see and hear more and more geese.

 

 

 They were so excited and so noisy. 

 

 

You could make out the Greater White Fronted Geese from the Snow Geese as they flew low overhead.

  Good thing Mr. B remembered to close the sunroof!!!

 

 As they settled on the water more and more flew in.

Suddenly we were in the middle of it with birds next to us, in front & back of us and overhead.

 

And then we rounded a corner.....

 

....and in the relative calm I noticed a Northern Flicker on a tree branch watching the excitement below as well....

 

 ...as three hawks soaring overhead.....

...and calm ducks enjoying the beautiful day.

 

As we drove away Mr. B suggest taking an "alternate" route home.  That only meant one thing - his epic "short cut"!  (cue in everyone in the car doing a big groan!)  While I love Mr. B, his short cuts are almost always long cuts.  The joy is in his face as he shows whoever is in his car the delights of getting off the main road and experiencing the country.

 

At first I said "no" but then looking at his long face I changed to "OK" and his grin was so big it made it all worthwhile! 

Here we go......he swung West from Williams on Hwy. 20.  Then South on to 16 through some tiny towns I have never heard of in my lifetime of living in California.

The first exciting thing we saw was a Cowboy Camp where I guess they teach you how to become a cowboy?  And then several "Watch out for Elks" signs.

 

 

 We followed Cache Creek through Rumsey, Guinda and on to Tancred and Brooks.

Onto Cadenasso, Capay, Esparto and Madison.

We didn't see any Elk but we did see....

....an elk sculpture.....

 

 

 ...a bear climbing a pole and a.........

....a bull on top of a BBQ joint.

And some pretty country that I never knew existed!

 

Thanks Mr. B for the "short cut"....at least this time!!!

Now back to civilization......

 

 

"Civilization is a limitless multiplication of 

unnecessary necessities."

--Mark Twain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Mr. B close the sunroof quick!!!"

-- Jeanette

PS - when a million birds are flying overhead, protect yourself at all cost!