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#AtoZChallenge: Hummingbirds
© 2013 by Diane Weidenbenner Now that spring has sprung, I can’t wait for the inquisitive, charming ruby-throated hummingbirds to return. Last year was the first year that we had a feeder and faithfully tried to keep it stocked with precious sugar water. We had at least two hummingbirds visit fairly regularly and they stayed quite late in the season last year. In previous years, before we had a feeder, I’d go out front on our porch and was met by a friendly hummingbird, who would regularly visit at dusk. At first I thought it was a large dragonfly but I figured out that it was indeed a hummingbird and…
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#AtoZChallenge: Donkeh
I like animals – I always have. Domestic or wild, I have a deep respect for all living things (except for wasps and spiders but that’s for another time). © 2005 by Diane Weidenbenner When I first moved to Indiana, on my way to work, I would drive by this beautiful donkey. He was never busy doing too much but he always looked content. I think he belonged to the farm that was nestled next door to his field. He had soulful eyes and beautiful fur. One day I decided to make friends with this handsome animal so I pulled my car over, went across the road and began talking…
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“T”horoughfare
It’s been raining a lot in the Midwest! And, we’re not unique. There has been flooding throughout the United States this season. There is actually an area of Terre Haute that floods regularly when it rains heavily. People live near the Wabash River and their houses are on stilts. When the street floods leading up to their neighborhood, and their homes, they actually have to park on a nearby street and take a boat the rest of the way home. I’m wondering how the “For Sale” description reads for these houses! “During periods of heavy rain, house is accessible by boat. However, no fishing license required.” I’ve actually driven down…
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“P”arks
Hawthorn Park is beautiful in the spring, summer and fall. It can even be peaceful in the winter, with new fallen snow. Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. One benefit of living in Indiana is the abundance of natural parks and wetland refuges within a short driving distance from towns and cities. It’s not uncommon to drive 15-30 minutes or up to one hour to reach parks, rivers, lakes and other such beautiful natural settings to relieve stress and enjoy time away. I live in Terre Haute and in a 15-30 minute drive from my house, I have access to Hawthorn Park, as an example, which is on 250-plus acres and includes…
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“L”ife in the country
I appreciate where I live, in Terre Haute, Ind. Recently I saw an episode of TNT’s Cold Justice where the prosecutor and detective reopened an old murder case and proceeded to solve the mystery, from our town. During the episode, they referred to us as a small town. Hmmm, I’d never considered Terre Haute a small town, even though I used to live in Denver, Colo., and knew it was quite different. The more I pondered this fact, the more I began thinking about those things that happen “in the country” that you don’t experience in a bigger city. These are just a few of my thoughts: 1. Roadside food.…
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“Z”zzzzz’s
We live in Terre Haute, Ind., with a population estimate (as of 2011) of 60,961 (okay, I have to ask – where did they get the “1” from?) It’s a fairly small town compared to my birthplace of Denver, Colo. (estimate of 619,968). It’s amazing to me the number of sounds that we had to get used to, after moving here. Especially at night. When you’re trying to sleep. Photo thanks to en.gtwallpaper.com First, there are a lot of trains going through Terre Haute. I can’t emphasize “a lot” enough! There are trains coming and going. There are trains stopped, slowly moving forward or slowly moving backward. After awhile, the…
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“S”napper: mow, mow, it’s off to work we go!
When we moved to Indiana, my father-in-law kindly donated his “seasoned” Snapper riding mower to our almost-one-acre of land. (The fact that he wanted a new, zero-turn radius mower sweetened the deal). Husband Joe was up to the task of tackling the brambles, branches and bushes as well as neatly mowing and trimming the grass. The first mow of the season took two and a half days – not solid mowing time of course and only during daylight hours. Adjustments needed to be made to the seat, spark plugs, carburetor and blade. And, it quickly came to our attention that mowers need oil. Who knew? Joe’s dad knew. However, Joe…
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Blogging from A to Z: Knitting
Über soft scarf knitted from alpaca fiber. My grandmother was a big knitter. She’d knit sweaters and afghans for all of her grandchildren. If you were pregnant, your newborn would receive a knitted sweater, booties and hat, all hand-made by my Grandma. One of my most prized possessions to this day is the collection of knit clothing she made for my Barbie dolls. She made a skirt and blouse combo, a stole (women had those in the 60s and 70s), dresses and many other items. She must have knit them with teeny weeny needles because I’ve never seen such fine stitchery. I thought I was the luckiest girl in the…
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Animal house
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All creatures, great and small
I’m a big fan of God’s creatures. The only things that make me uncomfortable are large, jumping spiders or roach gangs (you know they never travel alone). That said, when I woke up in the middle of the night to let my dog outside, and happened to wander into the living room to find our three cats strategically hunkered down around the swivel chair, I became apprehensive. Tails were swishing in wide strokes (except for Ollie, the Manx cat sans tail) indicating the hunt was on. With only my outdated eyeglasses and lack of courage to guide me, I returned to bed. One of three things would happen: 1) Whatever…
