Two Years Old

Today my blog is officially two years old. I wasn't always sure I'd be able to keep up with the CDP challenge. But I'm glad I have especially for all of the virtual friendships and voyages. In celebration, I'm posting a picture of a beautiful juvenile cardinal who loves to feast at my feeder.

Here's a look back at my first post. I hope there will be many more to come!

And some bonus woodpecker footage!

Skywatch Friday

I can't resist a reflection shot! There's nothing like a beautiful sky reflected in the plate glass water. I hope to play the Dancing Rabbit again before I leave the state of Mississippi. Maybe next year on my husband's Gentleman's Cup Tournament.

Happy Friday everyone! To see other skies from around the world, click on the skywatch link.

The Clubhouse

The clubhouse was quite grand. There were also eight guest rooms upstairs where golfers could stay - we didn't know about that before though, maybe next time! They were setting up for a wedding on the back porch Saturday, it looked like it was going to be a fancy affair. I'd say there are worse places to get married.

Dancing Rabbit Part II

Here's a look at one of the holes on the Azaleas course. We played this one on Saturday and I shot one of the best rounds of my life. I had one birdie and several pars. A wonderful day of golf! I just wish I could play like that on my home course.

Dancing Rabbit

This is one of the beautiful holes on the Oaks course at Dancing Rabbit. We were lucky that it didn't rain while we were playing, but the course was still pretty wet from the rain all week. All this rain has certainly made it green though!

Golden Moon by Day

I thought it would be nice to see the same hotel in the light of day. It really looks different. I prefer the magical night view, and you?

Night Shot Part II

I was really excited about the August theme day. A night shot seemed to hold endless possibilities. The Cock of the Walk was my first choice, before my husband took me on the surprise trip to The Golden Moon. It's another restaurant right on the Rez. The name might lead you to believe they serve chicken, but their specialty is actually catfish. I've never actually eaten there (not a big fan of catfish and especially not fried), but I have had a drink there. They serve their draft beers in tin cups. Quite original!

August Theme Day: Night Shot

So the big anniversary surprise was a trip to The Dancing Rabbit Golf Club! The course is part of the Choctaw reservation resort which includes the Silver Star and Golden Moon Casinos. We stayed in the Golden Moon which is like nothing else I've ever seen in Mississippi! I'll show you more of the golf course next week. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Happy theme day! Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Skywatch Friday

We haven't seen skies like this lately. It's been raining almost non-stop all week. I hope we'll see blue skies again this weekend - especially since I think the trip involves golf!

Happy Friday everyone!

Unexpected Visitor

This little guy flew into my garage Tuesday afternoon when I came home from work. I left the garage open all evening and I thought he flew out. Come Thursday morning, I heard a chirp-chirp from behind the charcoal bags. I pulled one aside and there was this little brother, calling out for his mama.

It was raining like mad yesterday morning, so I couldn't let him out. Once the rain let up, his mama flew into the garage and started feeding him. He was still too afraid to follow her out though. After several hours, I finally got him out of the garage and into the bushes. When I came home this morning there was no sign of him. I hope he made it back to the nest before the rain started again. I hope he enjoyed his overnight stay in our garage at least!

PS: Today is my two year wedding anniversary. My husband is taking me on a surprise trip for the weekend. I hope the automatic posting works!

Pink Crape Myrtle

This is a specimen I caught on the golf course. It provided some nice shade on the 16th hole, which is usually about the time I'm so exhausted I'm not sure how I'll make it until the end.


Also, my sincere thanks go out to Olivier at Evry Daily Photo for the Major Award. I am making sure it passes into good legs.

Here are my choices for three bloggers that always bring a smile to my face.

B Squared at Fort Lauderdale Daily Photo
Sam at Versailles Daily Photo
The Pixel Bloggers at Stockholm Daily Photo

Life on the Course

There are many nice houses on the golf course we play. I especially like this particular garden. There are lots of boxes for the birds to make homes in and feeders too!

Everyone keep their fingers crossed for me today. I'm auditioning for A Few Good Men at Actor's Playhouse and there's only one role for a woman.

Table and Chairs

I found these wonderful colorful chairs and table at the Pelican Cove. It's a bar/resto place right on the water. There was live music the night I was there and the temps were nice and cool, leaving all the chairs inside empty. But believe me, it was tough to find a place to put your rump outside on the deck!

Where's the Seed?

I've been thinking that my backyard birds were pretty hungry. Last week I was filling up my feeder almost every morning, only to come home later and find it devastated. Luckily my wingscapes camera showed me what was really going on. The damn squirrels have been eating all the food!


This is how he does it.


And this is the result... a poor hungry bird!

Jackson Yacht Club

I still think it's a bit pretentious for a landlocked city to have a yacht club, but the view over the reservoir can't be beat, especially at dusk.


Happy Friday everyone! Click on the skywatch link to see other skies from around the world.

Sign of the Times

Another business has closed in the Jackson area. I never ate here and probably wouldn't have, but it's sad to see so many shuttered doors and for sale signs.

More Food!

As I said yesterday, my husband and I often lack the motivation to make dinner after a hard day at work. Last night he invited me for a wonderful meal at Ely's. I recently noticed a sign for the place in one of the new shopping areas around our house and I thought it sounded good.

I had a grilled shrimp salad and a glass of white wine. It was delicious! The shrimp were firm and fresh and the salad was crisp and varied. It was a bit expensive for what it was, but the atmosphere was nice and we enjoyed the company of our bartender. I would definitely go back for a special occaison or maybe just for drinks.

Home Cooking!

My husband and I both enjoy cooking, although during the week it's often difficult to find the time and motivation to whip up something lovely for dinner. So we use the weekend to experiment with new dishes and fix old favorites. Last Sunday I tried a new pasta recipe: penne with sun-dried tomatoes, wilted spinach and goat cheese. It was delicious - we'll definitely put this one into our weekend rotation.

Albritons

Albritons is a Jackson institution. It's a jewelry store also located in the Highland Village shopping center. Although it's an upscale store, I've hardly ever seen it empty. I guess there's always a couple shopping for wedding bands or a husband looking for the perfect anniversary gift. I like their crest near the entrance. It might also be the only place in town with its own heraldry.

Up Close and Personal

My birdcam got a little turned around during some of the recent storms. It wasn't exactly pointed directly at the feeder, but it worked to my advantage for this photo. I love the close up on this little brother. He's a tufted titmouse and I've seen him quite a bit at my feeder now.

I'm very pleased with the results I'm getting from my wingscapes cam. I don't want to overwhelm my blog with bird photos though, so I'm thinking of dedicating one day a week to my feathered friends.

Crape Myrtle

My crape myrtle is in bloom. I'm not sure, but it seems to have less blooms than last year. I still think it's quite a beautiful tree though. It's just too bad we only have one in our yard.

Happy Friday everyone!

Neigh!

I found this piece of sculpture in the Highland Village shopping center. It's a very upscale area, I'm not sure who actually shops in most of the boutiques. And apparently there are problems with clientele since more of the spaces were empty last time I was there. They have wonderful landscaping though - sculptures, fountains, loads of beautiful plants and flowers. It makes for a very pleasant experience even if all you're doing is window shopping!

A Southern Affair

This is Jackson's premiere bridal dress shop. While I'm not so into the whole big, white wedding thing, they do have beautiful dresses and beautiful displays.

Tufted Titmouse and Woodpecker

I was just informed that the little blue brother is a tufted titmouse. Apparently they are quite common in this area. He's very cute in any case and has a wonderful song! You can also see the big woodpecker feasting on the other side. Our neighborhood is filled with old pines, so we have a lot of them around.

I'm really excited about the birdcam now. I think it just took awhile for the birds to get used to the camera. But now that they are, they're flocking to my feeder! I popped out the memory card this morning and there are several really nice shots (and plenty of bad ones too). I'll be sharing more in the coming weeks!

Pollyanna

This is going to be my last show for awhile. My golf has really been suffering from the overabundance of theater!

I played Monique, the local French townsperson. I'm not sure why a French lady would move to Beldingsville, Vermont. But I decided that every small town in the 1910s had a local saloon with dancing girls. Monique was obviously needed to teach them the can-can and to dispense fashion advice. (Of course that was not really in the script). This is my third time to play a French woman, I guess I should be thankful I have that special skill. It was a lot of fun though and I hope to work with some of the cast again, there were many talented people.

Wingscapes Squirrel

I listen to a local gardening show The Gestalt Gardener almost every week. A few weeks ago, the host Felder Rushing talked about something new - the Wingscapes camera. I finally decided to buy one and I've been experimenting with different set-ups. So far all I've caught is squirrels and mourning doves. But I'm hoping to get some of the nicer birds that come to my feeder. I'm starting a new tag for this series, they'll all be filed under Wingscapes.

Skywatch Friday

Here's another beautiful Florida sunset for you. There's no shortage of those in the sunshine state! This one was taken from the terrace of the Boathouse Oyster Bar. If you've ever been to Destin, you probably know what I'm talking about. It's the shack on the water where they have cheap beer and live music. The food is pretty good too.


Happy Friday everyone! Click on the skywatch link to see more skies from around the world.

Pensacola Beach

On our way back, we stopped for a few hours in Pensacola Beach. We thought we left Destin early enough to get in a little beach time and beat the tunnel traffic. We were wrong, but we enjoyed our last hours in the sun and sand. My question is, what did people do before they had umbrellas and spring-into-place tents? I don't remember having so much gear when I was young.

Magnolia Groove

We started our long weekend off on Thursday with a round of golf on the Robert Trent Jones golf trail in Mobile, AL. We played the Magnolia Grove Falls course. It was really nice, but I still think Capitol Hill in Prattville is more beautiful.

After two rounds, we headed east towards Destin. I doubt my husband and I will ever go back on such a busy weekend. The Mobile tunnel was a nightmare both going and coming. Ugh - it is no fun to be stuck in traffic!

Fireworks!

I hope it's not too late to show some of the grand spectacle I witnessed last Saturday night. My husband and I stayed at the San Destin Resort and their fireworks show didn't disappoint. The only thing I would have liked better is if they had included some music, or at least played the national anthem.

My pictures didn't come out as well as I'd hoped, but I think the video is quite nice!