Backyard Critters

This morning I was looking off the back porch and I saw a bunch of about 20 turkeys meandering along our fence line headed for the woods atop the hill.  So - I figured this would be a good time to try out my 70-300mm zoom lens that I got a couple months ago.  I had tried a couple of times but couldn't get the focus right.  Since these guys were about 3-400 feet down the hillside - it should be easier to focus on them. 

 

 

For my first shot I zoomed in on the closest group and snapped off two real quick photos.  Just as I was lowering my camera to double check on how the focus looked in the picture, 4 or 5 of the turkeys let out squawks, took to wing, then settled back on the ground.  I forgot about checking the focus and took aim again but the turkeys had moved further up the hill.

 

So I re-focused, took a couple more quick shots then headed back into the house to download and edit the photos that I had taken.  Low and behold as I was enlarging my first photos, I found out why the turkeys had spooked. 

If you look in the foreground, bottom center, you'll see one of our wild cats headed back up the hill after a defeated attempt to get himself a turkey dinner.  I'm not sure he'd have known what to do with it after he caught it because these turkeys are not the little birds he's used to.  I'd sure have liked to watch it though if he had grabbed one.  Now that would have been a picture.  By the way, the lens worked fine, it appears to be more operator error on previous attempts.













Crappy Weather

For the past three days it has been raining and chilly.  The ground is so saturated on the mountain that I'm wondering what's holding the house up.  When you walk across the yard the ground is squishy.  It's just plain dismal out there. 

 

 

This is what it has looked like off my front porch for the past few days.  It's so foggy out there you can hardly see the road.  This is the kind of weather people drive off the side of the mountain in.  Not me - I ain't going nowhere in this stuff, especially driving around in it.  Luckily it doesn't last forever.  Today it was clearing and the sun actually came out and the ground fog disappeared.  Whew!  We were starting to get cabin fever.  Just another day on the mountain.  But - it's still too wet to go out walking on the logging roads.  I was gonna take the 4 wheeler out for a spin but I'd be throwing mud all over me in the process - so maybe in a few days.  With all the rain we've had there should be lots of arrowheads lying around.  The water is still running off the mountain and the creeks and rivers are really up and running high.  Couldn't ask for better conditions to find these artifacts but you have to be able to carry about 20 lbs of mud on your boots to go out just now.  All in good time.

We did manage to get most of the Christmas decorations down before the weather set in so that's one chore over with until next year.  Still got the New Year to go then everything will be back to a more normal pace.  So - with a smile on my face, a prayer in my heart and hope for the future, we in the Elston household wish all of you a safe and happy New Year.  See you on the other side!!!

 



Christmas 2014

Wow - where did the year go.  It's already Christmas and the New Year is looming on the horizon.  This year it's just Cathy and I having a quiet Christmas together.  For the first time in a long time, we had carolers come to the house singing Christmas carols.  Wasn't a real big crowd and we knew most of them.  We invited them in to warm up and for some hot cider and cookies.  We enjoyed it but always miss the kids and grand kids this time of year.  To all our friends - you to Barb - Cathy and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you a joyful and prosperous New Year.

 

We really missed Christmas with our newest grandson, Kai. He was born in October and this was his first Christmas.  Maybe next year Stephen and Lisa will be able to bring him up for a visit at Christmas time.

 

 

Merry Christmas "little man" - hope to see ya soon.



 



 I got quite the surprise for Christmas this year.  Cathy found a great deal on a 12" double bevel compound miter saw with laser guide.  Actually - the guy I work with, Ken, found it on Harbor Freight and emailed the notice to her.  He told me about it and I discussed it with Cathy but she pointed out that we could use the money elsewhere, to which I agreed :(   As it turns out, she had already ordered it after talking with Ken.  

 

This saw will do everything I could possibly need.  Now I have no reason to tell Cathy "no" to any project she comes up with.  Smart gal that Cathy.  Which leads right into her newest project.  She's sick and tired of the hollow core interior doors we have.  I just happened to mention this to Ken and he pointed out that he had two solid wood doors that he had ordered but the people we were building for had preferred another style.  Since they were special order ($120 each) he couldn't return them and offered them to me at 2 for 1. 

 

I took a picture of the door, showed it to Cathy and she liked it.  So - this is my next project.  Only have two of them for right now.  Will give them three coats of polyurethane, then hang em.  I had to cut about 3/4 to an inch off the bottom of both of them.  For some reason our door openings are not the standard height.
And just when things were going soooo well - Cathy had a fall.  Early Monday morning Cathy fell on her back in the bathroom and hurt her hip/lower back.  Gave us one hell of a scare.  Doc took an x-ray of her lower back and everything seems to be ok.  Appears to be a deep muscle bruise and boy is it painful.  She's having trouble sitting or laying in one position of any length of time.  It's particularly bothersome at night when she's trying to sleep.  Has to keep changing positions about every hour or so and needs help getting in and out of bed, again.  Accidents happen but boy this is kind of setting her back on her exercise schedule.  Patience is what we need but she sure doesn't need anymore pain at this stage of the game.  We'll just have to be more careful and I'll have to keep a closer eye on her.
Will probably have a few more days of construction work next week before Ken starts a new bathroom remodel job.  I may do some of the demolition for that job but will be off till he finishes that project.  I'll enjoy the down time.  Maybe get to do some arrow head hunting.  We've had a lot of rain lately and I can just hear them calling my name.  Oh - Well - till next time.