I’m Still Birding

Truly my Back Forty is a piece of Heaven on Earth.  I’m still walking each evening and enjoying a whole wealth of birds and grass and goats.  It’s wonderful!

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I’ve seen several goldfinches, but they are not very good at following my instructions to wait while I can be on the proper side so the sun doesn’t wash them out.  Sit still is another one they have a hard time with.  I had to settle for this shot.  For now.

I’ve decided I need to change from winter bird food (dog food) to summer bird food: thistle seed, fresh oranges and who knows what else.  The finches and bluebirds will like it.

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Pretty sure I’ll attract some orioles too.  Two males came crashing into my window today.  One was a little shaken up.

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The other knocked himself silly.  Not quite unconscious, but right as I took this picture, he tried standing up and his leg fell through the deck.  I put the cat in the house and took the bird in the shade so he could catch his breath.

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Finally, he agreed to look really pretty before taking off.

Don’t know why these birds can’t get along.  The two red-bellied woodpeckers were being hostile to each other too.

Really.  I think it’s a guy territorial thing.

Linking to Bird d’Pot, SOOC Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Mandarin Orange Monday, and Weekend Reflections

Random 5 Friday

1.  For Nurture Photograph this week the theme is ivory/dream.  Well, I’m dreaming about spring.  Really.  We had a few nice days, and then it was back to winter, like I showed you yesterday.  My magnolia tree was finally getting ready to open.  I took these pictures before the winds came and blew the buds off the tree.  At least the goats were getting a nice snack as they were blown from the tree.

2.  Not a big fan of winter weather advisories and snow in May.  Really.  I’ve had to hay the goats again the last two days.  The rich alfalfa after not having it for a while seems to have given Casey a touch of diarrhea.  I’ll try to do a fecal to make sure that’s what it is, but those sudden diet changes will do that.  I only have one bale of hay left, so I need to get some more to feed my moms as they give birth for round two of kidding.

3.  I have my editor’s notes for my new novel.  I have a second set of editor’s notes that should be done within the week, so my next big project is to revise my new novel.  It is completely different from the first, including genre.  This one is fantasy/romance.  I’ve had a lot of fun writing it, and I have to say, two of my characters are straight from my farm.  My Millie goat and my Bob cat are both in the novel.

4.  I have no idea what that is in the tree below.  Well, I assume it’s a bird nest, but does anyone know what kind of nest?

5.  My mom and dad and sister are on their way to help my nephew, Christopher, celebrate his graduation from Ball State University.  I really wish I could have gone, but the animals do like to be fed.  I did find out he’s coming back to visit for a few days before he starts his brand new job!  I am proud of all four of my boys (son and three nephews)!

All of the photos are SOOC.  Here’s a bonus snow picture that isn’t SOOC.

It is what my world looked like this morning, May 3rd.

Linking to Nancy’s Random 5 Friday, Nurture Photography, Weekend Reflections,  and SOOC Sunday.

Random 5 Friday Rant

1.  I suppose my first thing is that I still have no flowers blooming, and this week’s prompt for Nurture Photography is flowers/lilac.  Well, good thing I bought those flowers last weekend.

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2.  I absolutely love blogging.  I started my first blog when I was so excited about adding to my farm that I thought I would explode if I couldn’t share it with someone.  It started simple and personal.  As I continued, it became a way to meet like-minded people and share my knowledge of goats.  Then I started my poetry blog for that creative expression that I hadn’t had in many years.

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I’ve grown so much as a person, a writer, and a photographer directly because of blogging.  It’s very motivating, and I haven’t missed a day of blogging in over three years.

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3.  I am absolutely addicted to my comments.  I love hearing from people and visiting them to get to know what’s going on in their lives.  I’ve laughed and cried and been amazed at how much I care for people that only exist in my life through this blogging community.

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4.  When WordPress changed their commenting to require people to sign in if they had a WordPress or Gravatar account attached to the e-mail address, it was very annoying.  Of course, you could use a different e-mail address, or you could use Twitter or Facebook to comment also, but I hate that they tried to force people to use their platform.  It completely goes against the idea of a blogging community.  That’s why I removed the requirement of putting in an e-mail address.  I want to be able to click on a person’s name a visit their blog, not their Gravatar picture or Twitter page.

I find the Discus comments asking me to register with them annoying because I don’t want to register with any more things.  I already struggle remembering my user names and passwords for the way too many I already have.  At least, I can put my blog name or just a first name and comment.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t allow people to reciprocate.

I also get annoyed by those pages that track and rate your comments.  Really, what is up with that.  I must say, my comment rating was one of the highest I’ve seen, but it still is annoying.

I quit going to blogs that require a Blogger id.  If they don’t want my comments because of my WordPress platform, there are plenty of blogs that welcome me and my comments.

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5.  Next, I really need to air my thoughts about the Google+ commenting that some people are changing to with Blogger.  I do have a g-mail account.  I got it when my goat Millie decided to be the spokesgoat for Eden Hills.  She used my e-mail to set up her Blogger account.  For over three years, she’s had her blogger account, and she posts and comments as Millie Ann Saanen.

Suddenly, people have started this Google+ commenting, and if I click in the box to comment, it pops up a page requiring me to create a public Google+ account.  If I do that, it suddenly eliminates Millie’s Blogger profile.  It takes people to this public Google+ account that I was forced to create, didn’t want, and it doesn’t let anyone find my blog.  With the open id, I can link to my poetry blog or my farm blog, and  Millie still has her Blogger id.

Let’s face it, we blog because we like the interaction.  Google+ does not let us interact as a blogging community; it’s a gated community.  I’m sorry to say, if you change your comments to require Google+, I won’t be commenting anymore. I did everything I could to eliminate those restrictions when WordPress made their change, and I hope people will keep in mind that they only limit their blogging interactions when they require people to use Google+.

Sorry to be on my high horse, but I just wanted to share my opinon.

Linking to Random 5 Friday, Nurture Photography, SOOC Sunday, Weekly Top Shot, and Weekend Reflections.  Homestead Barn Hop and Clever Chick’s Blog Hop.