Almost a month has passed and I'm taking the time to update again.  Isn't it amazing. 

This weekend we're heading to NW Iowa for Sharon's nephew's (Austin) graduation.  So, you ask, what's been happening these past few weeks.  Let's see if I can remember.  I'll start from the most recent and work my way back.

Last Wednesday & Thursday (May 8 &9), Sharon and I took a trip to Adair, IA to visit my sister, Pam.  At the end of April she found out that she has cancer.  In less than 6 weeks time:  diagnosis, surgery and recuperation.  She'll have treatments over the next several months.  We were going up the week after her surgery but snow occurred in Iowa and Missouri.  

Here she is sitting on her new front porch.  We were enjoying the outdoors for a little while.  During her surgery, they removed 16 lymph nodes from her leg.  This caused her leg to stop functioning.  Hence the cane.  She's able to walk and go up and down the stairs but still trying to get those nerves to "fire up".  She was extremely happy the day we came, she is now able to stay at home by herself now.  My other sister, Marcia, came over for the afternoon and early evening also.  And, of course, we played games.

As I mentioned, the week before we had snow.  Not as much as Iowa but still it looked gruesome for a little while.

We had planted some flowers just the week before.  Most have survived.

This one is my favorite.  The daisies with all of the colorful zinnias around them.  They're growing up fine.

You should see the geranium now.  Three very large blooms.  Needless to say, this one survived.

This didn't survive the snow and frost.  At least we have a picture to prove it did exist.

 

 

 

We bought a new birdfeeding station.  A couple of hummingbirds tried to eat from the chickadee feeder so we went and bought a hummingbird feeder.  We have two pairs of hummingbirds, so far.

 

 

 

 



We've had several birds visiting.  We've had a couple of Baltimore Orioles stop by so now we have a container of grape jelly on the feeder. 

We've had grosbeaks for the last few weeks.  Sharon got a picture with 3 females, 1 male and an immature male.  We've had an indigo bunting stop by also.  Of course, we still have all of the normal birds:  red belly woodpecker, downy woodpecker, house finches, goldfinches, white throated sparrows, song sparrows, and a couple of other sparrows that I can't remember at the moment, bluejays, cardinals, mourning doves and of course, the red wing blackbirds.  I'm sure I'm forgetting a few.

Well, it's almost time for me to start lunch so I'll sign off for now.