PawPaw's Card Shark...

June 18-21, 2011  Father's Day Weekend and Beyond... John and Ashley brought Tully and came to visit for Father's Day Weekend.  Since John was leaving on a business trip on Monday, Ashley and Tully stayed for a few days longer to visit.  I loved having them here.  He is such a good boy and such a joy!

On Friday evening we played cards on the patio.  We had Tully all ready for bed, but I think he wanted to play cards too.  I could see that look in his eyes, he is just beginning to reach for things...

Hmmm... what are these things?

...maybe I'll get closer

...almost there, maybe PawPaw won't notice!

... now maybe I should tell PawPaw which card to play

It's so fun to watch Tully see things and be intrigued with the colors and to see him use his motor skills as he begins to reach for things.  He loved those cards!

He is also easily entertained with his Activity Center at Grammy's.  He waves his arms around and whether it is intentional or not, he manages to bat the toys that hang down once in a while or he will kick one of the cross bars and it shakes the hanging toys... either way he is amused with their movement and improving his motor skills.

He watches the star light up that hangs from the top
and listen's to the music, he is such a happy baby!
June 18, 2011

Grammy's sweet little Tully is a little over 2 months old

Papa Jim and Marge also made it over for Father's Day and dinner.  Always nice to have family together.

Tully just woke up from his nap... he was full of smiles!
June 19, 2011

Cool Cat for a swim with Mommy... where's my speedo?

More Pictures?  I'm ready to stroll!

We took a few three-mile walks, even Zac got in on the action

Mommy gets some snuggle time after Tully's bath!
June 22, 2011

Baby Wrens Are Here...

I've learned a few things about the House Wren... and yes, in fact it is a wren who built a nest in my Coleus planter!  I finally got a good view.

After reading, I learned they usually choose to build nests close to the ground and close to human homes, thus being called the "House Wren".

First of all, the male wren is the one who begins building the nest and attracts his mate by singing.  If she finds the nest to be suitable, she then finishes the nest and lays her eggs.  Sound familiar?

To solve my dilemma on how to water the plant without getting the eggs wet, I decided to buy the "as seen on tv" Aqua Globes.  (Which I had previously seen at Wal-Mart.)

I placed three of them in the planter, one at the base of each plant and somehow I have managed to keep the plants alive and not kill the eggs... because we now have baby wrens, three of them I think, maybe four.  The hole is so tiny and in an awkward spot that I can barely see inside the nest.

On June 18, I peeked in and could see the eggs had hatched

Very quickly all their little beaks were open and ready to be fed
but, obviously I had nothing to feed them!

This pic is taken a couple days later and I can see
their feathers beginning to grow.

I've learned that the male and female wren both feed the babies.  I'm sure we disturb them some when we are out on our patio, but we rarely see them coming from or going to the nest!  I understand the babies will leave the nest in approximately 12 to 18 days.

Their diet mostly consist of crawling insets and spiders...  I hope they are really hungry and clean up all my gardens!

See Other Wren Posts:
Mama Wren
Wren Family Update
Empty Nest Syndrome

Reflection in Tully's Eyes...

June 11, 2011-- 2 months

I loved this picture that Ashley sent to me...

If you look close, you can see a reflection in Tully's eyes... it is of his daddy in a blue shirt holding him AND Mommy taking the picture over daddy's right shoulder!

This is the original pic she sent me...

but, I got to looking at his eyes and noticed the reflection and zoomed in.  I was amazed that I could see them!  I emailed Ashley and asked if she had noticed it... she had not.

I thought it was a pretty cool picture... I'm lovin' his big, bright, blue eyes!

I Might Be A Farmer...

As if I am not busy enough, in April I decided to buy a few vegetable plants -- squash, zucchini, and tomatoes.  The next decision was where to plant them?  I  knew I needed to have a spot that I could easily watch and water them.

For some unknown reason to me, I had lost a few of my plants behind the pool waterfall -- my 2 Dwarf Alberta Spruce's just died along with an Euonymus shrub that I had transplanted there several years ago.  The Euonymus was just old and got a disease; and I think the Spruce's were a lack of water by me during a harsh dry winter... I really don't know.  Even with that bad luck or lack of my green thumb, I decided that would be a good spot for my vegetable garden.  It gets good sun mid day but has late afternoon shade.

I managed to get the few things planted... but weather did not totally cooperate!  It was obviously too early to plant... I don't remember exactly when, but I think it was early April, and we had a nice spell of great temps, but it seemed that soon after I planted them -- every other night temps were dropping into the 30's!  So, I began to cover them each evening with a plastic ice cream bucket until finally the  temps were suitable.

The vegetable plants actually survived and began to grow...

Squash was first to have signs of produce

Then the zucchini

and now the tomatoes

Woo Hoo... can't wait for my taste buds to savor the fresh veggies!!   I actually have harvested two squash and two zucchini and have lots of green tomatoes.  I went out on a limb and got 3 different types of tomatoes, each are to harvest at a different time, so I'll guess we'll wait and see how this farmer does!

Ashley and John were here Memorial Weekend and we grilled the first squash, but I had two zucchini and another squash just waiting for us to eat...

Father's Day was a good day for grilling them...
They were yummy!

Now, I'm ready for my tomatoes; but they are not ripe yet.  Marge tells me it is too hot for them, that the  blooms on her plants are just falling off and won't produce.  I have lots of green tomatoes, so I'm ready for them to grow and ripen!  Come on... bring on those tomatoes, my taste buds are watering!!

Mama Wren...

I went out to water my plants one day...

They look pretty normal, huh?

Well, look a little closer at the two twigs hanging out of the pot...

I started watering the plant and pulled on one of the twigs to throw it away, but it didn't come out... I then realized there was a bird nest in the pot.

This is the back of the nest

I looked closer and could see the opening to the nest in the front.  There were no eggs, so I just watered the plant and went on.  I had noticed a wren previously sitting on one of the patio chairs for several days, which is unusual for a bird to be under the patio.

The next time I went to water the plant, I moved the leaves to look in the nest and a bird flew out... it startled me; but, I could see several eggs in the nest...

...so now watering the plant is a challenge!

The challenge is to get water to the roots of the plant without getting the eggs wet... but, that is not easy  because she has burrowed down into the dirt for part of her nest.  She has built the nest with twigs all around and over the eggs, with only a small hole to fly in and out of.  I'm afraid if I water too much the water will run onto the eggs... and my well water is cold!  She flys out every time I water, because I have to move the leaves to get to the base of each plant in the pot.  She is so fast and flys low behind the patio chairs... 

This is her flight path behind the chairs...

I can never get a good look to see the exact species of the bird and I have never seen her fly back into the nest.  By color of the bird, eggs, and the way the nest is built, I think it is a House Wren.  Will be interesting to see if the eggs make it with me trying to water and keep the plant alive.  I hope so, I love my birds and my gardening!

Last night was a downpour of rain and I thought how lucky this little bird is with her eggs all snug and protected under the patio.  This plant only gets a peek of sun and then is mostly shaded.

I'll update this blog when the eggs hatch!  I'm thinking positively  :-D

See Wren Updates:

Baby Wrens Are Here

Wren Family Update
Empty Nest Syndrome

Those Awful Immunization Shots...

Wednesday, June 8, 2011... 9 weeks old

Time for the dreaded immunization shots.  It was hard for Grammy to watch that blood curdling cry for the first time -- only in the Dr's office!

Tully didn't feel good all day...

Poor little legs... 3 shots!

A nap with Grammy seemed to help!

Almost a smile...

He is such a sweet boy and is growing so fast!

Papa Jim's 75th Birthday

Thursday, June 2, 2011

It was a nice surprise birthday dinner for Papa Jim with family & friends at Freddie's Steak House in Mannford.  We celebrated Jim's 75th birthday and it gave him another opportunity to spend time with Tully.

4 Generations...
Ashley, Papa Jim, Dennis, and Tully

Marge takes her turn holding Tully

Jim Tull, Jimmie Donaldson, George Worthy

Sweet Audrey Donaldson

Rick & Linda Bruner, Lou Worthy, Missy Donaldson, Audrey

George Worthy, Debbie &  Joe Maggard

Marge Overlease, Sherry Rowland, Don Stafford

Ashley, Tully & John Cockerham

Me with my sweet grandson, Tully

Tully made a quick change of clothes
and was headed to the kickball game
8 weeks old