Regarding ants and applesauce...

Yesterday, I cleaned out some of the budding science experiments in the back of my refrigerator. I think there is a zone back there that must utilize some sort of cloak of invisibility. No matter how hard I try, one or two bowls or jars always end up way in the back of the fridge undetected for months.

One of the jars had a little bit of applesauce that still looked OK, but I didn't want to take a chance on it. I decided to share this snack with the ants way out in my yard, so I carefully spooned the applesauce next to the edge of the ant bed.

Almost instantly, the ants scurried out of the ground to see what was up, but to my surprise, the little guys did the opposite of what I expected. Instead of crowding around and crawling all over the applesauce hill, they began a building project. Within moments, they were hauling in bits of grass, balls of dirt, and tiny twigs. They began to create a wall to cover the bottom of the applesauce hillside. Many of the ants carried items that were huge compared to their own size. It made me think that, if we had such strengths, we could walk around carrying around a pickup truck or a fully grown redwood tree with our bare hands.

They worked quickly and with purpose. I pulled up a small chair and watched them for a while. I don't know if they wanted to disguise the food source or keep it from drying out. I noticed today that they made quite a bit of progress, but the applesauce hill is still mostly uncovered. Did they give up, get distracted with another project, or do they now have a covered walkway leading to a tunnel within the the food source? I'm not sure, but I do know that watching them work was fascinating and one of the most restful parts of my day.

If you have time this week, find an anthill, pull up a chair, and see what you might discover. Just watch where you put your hands and feet. :)

Be grateful for the simple things...

Recently, I was without running water for several days. It had been very cold one night, and when I came home from work to find the water faucets empty, I guessed that the lines had frozen. Even though the the weather warmed up a few days later, the lines remained dry. After a comedy of errors and numerous attempts to solve the mystery of the missing H2O, all was finally back to normal.

Through it all, I took things in stride and came up with creative ways to bathe, cook, and stay hydrated and clean. Also, I am blessed with a lake that provided a source for "gray water" for the plumbing system. Several times a day I walked to the lake with a bucket to dip water. In my head, I could hear the rhyme, "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water..." I now have a better appreciation of the famous poem. :)

I was most surprised to find an unexpected side affect of this situation. Many weekends, I spend a good bit of my time with laundry and dishes. Without those chores, I actually had time to relax and quietly read a book. The house seemed more restful. I felt as if I went on a camping trip for the weekend. Even though I am glad to have the ability to do the cleaning chores again, I want to remember the lesson to take time occasionally to do nothing. Find time each day to relax and recharge.

Thank goodness for the simple things-a fresh glass of water, peace and quiet, and friends who are there to help out when needed.

Happy New Year

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It is hard to imagine that another year has come and gone, but thankfully, tonight, I am off the roads to enjoy a relaxing start to the new year. I am posting this picture of a bluebird to remind all of us to be happy this coming year. Remember that you don't have to have a lot to do this. Just be content with the little daily joys you encounter. Let the drama go. Most of the time, the things we worry about do not come to pass, and, even if they do, we usually make it through better than expected.

Be safe and take care of yourself in 2009! :)

I'm still here

Still here even though it's been a long time since I posted. I am back to my hobby of photography, so I have been posting to flickr.com a lot. :)

Sci Fi images? No, they are here in your back yard...

Look closely enough in your own back yard, and if you are lucky, you might see things and creatures that look like they are straight out of a sci fi movie.

Here are a few that caught my eye... ;)

Spider on the Magnolia Tree

This weekend, I was supposed to attend a family reunion, but threats of rain kept us at home. While hanging out at my grandmother's house, I decided to take a walk around her yard. The wind was blowing in chilly gusts as I took these photos of her magnolia tree.

A little spider caught my eye. The spider would crawl to the opposite side of the magnolia leaf as I took a photo. I would turn the leaf over and take another, and once again, the spider would hide on the other side of the leaf. We had a little dance with the wind serving as our choreographer.








The most interesting find in her back yard was a barbecue grill that needed a bit of mowing! :)

Snow pictures in spring

Yes, I know it is springtime and the grass is already green and the roses are in full bloom, but I still want to post a picture or two from a late winter snowfall out by the lake. Enjoy! :)