Nature and Feline Friday

 Nature Friday host LLB Gang   

Mom Beth and the Girls made a beautiful new 
Nature Friday Badge honoring the Memory of our friend Gail

Feline Friday 

Click here Hostess Miss Mimi 

 Dear Auntie HiC,

I was preparing for my scheduled 1:35 afternoon nap on May 2, when the windows shook from a thunderstorm!

I found the storm quite entertaining, as I share Mom’s fascination with meteorology. I particularly enjoyed the pea sized pieces of ice falling from the sky!

Despite their bravery, Kat and Rocky are terrified of storms and quickly took cover under the bed.

As the storm passed, I found myself bored, washed my paws, and slumber soon followed!

Enjoy the video! 😹

Hey friends, do you like thunderstorms? Every dog in Mom’s life has been terrified during bad weather, and she is extremely sympathetic.

❤️ Cali

Dearest Cali

Auntie HiC does not like Tstorms or lightning.  I would have been snuggled under the bed with Rocky and Kat.

Angel Madi would run to our half bath, wedge herself between the loo and the wall.

Lovingly Auntie HiC

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday #210 and HiC meaning

 Today is Poetic Thursday hosted by our pals Teddy and Angel Sammy at

 Two Spoiled Cats

 

This week's photo challenge  

Spring is spent outside

Terraces come alive, activities galore

Please no standing here.

********************************************

MOL BOL LOL

The meaning of HiC

A bit of background first.

In 2006, long before I blogged, I met four ladies, Bette, Chelle, Kathy and Kit in a chat room all about Alaska.  We had a grand time email and discussing our love of the great state of Alaska. Kit, mom to Kat, Rocky and Cali.  I've known Kit and Chelle almost 20 years. Chelle was born in Alaska now lives in Florida.  Every day I email Chelle and Kit.  They are the sisters I never had. Bette whom we called 'Our Bette' passed away in 2017.  Kathy no longer emails.

Now how I came to be HiC

One morning on of the gals was replying to an email.  It started 

'Hi C'...but she hit send before she complete spelling my name. I thought she was just shortening my name. I wrote back if we are gonna shorten it lets go with

HiC, 

which is one of several shortened versions of Cecilia,

Cil, Ceal,  just plain C

Wordless Wednesday with Kit and Kat

Thank you to our Hostess

Sandee at Comedy Plus

 Dear Auntie HiC, 

This Wordless Wednesday is brought to you by Mom, The Late Great Artie Shaw, & me. So sit back, relax, & enjoy!

Auntie HiC I am laying on top of Mom getting combed

❤️ Kat 

Cool Cats Like Jazz

Dearest Kat that looks so very very relaxing it almost made Auntie HiC fall asleep

Happy Tuesday with Cali

 

thank you to our

 We thank our Hostess Sandee at

 Comedy Plus 

Dear Auntie HiC,

Mom never asked Kat or Rocky this question! 

Don’t I look innocent? 😹

❤️ Cali

MOL MOL that innocent face could never do any thing bad; however, no telling what the Calio brain is working on.

Cali anytime mom asks if you are/have done anything bad.  Your answer should be....Mom girls just want to have fun and rule.

WE all know boys just drool and wait for da Girls to entertain them.

Lovingly 

Auntie HiC

******************************************

Kit would like to thank everyone for your kind comments today!!

She will keep us posted how things go with her treatment for her back

Awww Monday from Georgia...



 We thank our Hostess Sandee at Comedy Plus    

Dear Auntie HiC, 

Mom’s achy-breaky back has been giving her fits for quite a while. She finally saw doctor who gave her a prescription for Medrol Dosepack.  She’s schedule for another MRI mid May, and hopefully will receive spinal injection, & be on  the road to full recovery. 

Mom has always an active and healthy lady, is now facing significant challenges due to her back pain. This setback has been deeply discouraging for her. This is the main reason The Peeps cancelled their annual RV trip to Colorado.

We’re happy to report  the steroids have already kicked in & she had a whole new attitude day.  

She was able to walk on the treadmill,  & then took a walk in our woods, enjoying the many beautiful Mountain Laurel bushes . 

Friends, if you’re feeling discouraged, depressed, or despondent maybe these words will provide comfort & hope. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK. 

Get outside! 

❤️ Kat, Rocky, & Cali 

Dearest Kat, Rocky and Cali and YOUR sweet Mom

The mountain laurels is gorgeous I have never seen it..well not that I knew what it was seeing.  I am so happy mom has seen improvement with the new med‼️‼️‼️‼️giving her a great attitude day. The close up photo looks like a very fine China cup

Lovingly Auntie HiC

Sunday Selfies New pup on the Cul de sac

OMDs recently I went down to my neighbor's house to meet her new Australian Terrier puppy Izzy she is 3 months old (in the pouch). Until she has all her puppy shots Izzy can only mix and mingle with her big sister, Maggie (also an Australian Terrier) on the leash. When they take walks or other dogs are around, Izzy is in her pouch. Kinda tickled me the pouch reminded me of a Joey and Izzy is an Australian Terrier

OMDs I sat on the front porch and thoroughly enjoyed Kisses from Maggie and Izzy.

Jack the most handsome Black Lab lives across the street from Maggie and Izzy

Jack and Maggie are best buddies x 100.  When Maggie sees Jack, she gets a spring in her step and I think her heart skips a beat.  

Maggie, Izzy their mom and Jack and his mom were getting ready to take a walk

Jack and Maggie are snoopervising things.

 

Saturday Symmetry

 

Nature and Feline Friday

 Nature Friday host LLB Gang   

Mom Beth and the Girls made a beautiful new 
Nature Friday Badge honoring the Memory of our friend Gail

Seen on a recent EMW outside 

Finally the worst of the pollen has gone I can take walks in the great out of doors

before the HOT HAZY HUMID days arrive

This portion of the Crabtree Creek, it meanders behind Crabtree Vally Mall

We jokingly call it 'mighty' but it really is very important.

The Crabtree Creek Watershed Project (CCWP) was built under the authority of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954. The CCWP consists of approximately 90,750 total acres located in Wake and Durham counties and contains 10 flood control structures, which include engineered components, flood pool and flood easements. They were assembled on behalf of the federal government for the purpose of preventing loss of life and managing sediment, erosion and property damage caused by flooding within the Crabtree Creek Watershed.

Lovely new area recently added to the front yard of a home not far from us

Lavender Azaleas Rhododendron about 2 blocks from home.

Click here Hostess Miss Mimi 

Feline Friday Flashback May 2012

THE SIGN BELOW MADE US

MOL

AND  LOL

WE HOPE IT TICKLED YOUR FUNNY BONE

TOO. 

MADI AND MOM

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday #209

    Today is Poetic Thursday hosted by our pals Teddy and Angel Sammy at

 Two Spoiled Cats

 

This week's photo challenge  

OMCs Girl

Curls and curves

It takes lots of nerve

to walk the runway

no arms, no hands

to balance

If you fall, I hope you bounce

Wordless Wednesday

Thank you to our Hostess

Sandee at Comedy Plus 

Snapped this photo in the 'loo' at my Dentist's office. 

First Watch Cafe has their silver ware wrapped with funny

sayings.  I 100% agree with coffee before talkie

Wall decor at First Watch you might see this again on Symmetry Saturday
Interior of First Watch

Happy Tuesday Rocky's 5th gotcha day

 Dear Auntie HiC,

I can’t believe it’s been 5 years since the Cat Distribution System delivered me to The Hill.  I arrived at 11:29, on a chilly April morning.

Mom said it was “Love at First Sight❣️”.

 I was exhausted from my journey & spent the first few days sleeping. But every time I woke up, Mom was right there to assure me she would never leave! 

I love Kat, Cali, my peeps, Auntie HiC, & all my blogging friends. Life is Good! 

Video from my first week here:

I quickly went from sleeping on the sunporch to

sleeping with my humans.

💓

 Rocky the Gingerbread Boy

Rocky this is proof pawsitive how a loving home filled with lots of loving staff and siblings can turn a Gingerboy's life around.  Auntie HiC says you were so very very brave and she is so proud of you.

Awww Monday with Birding Facts with Rocky



 We thank our Hostess Sandee at Comedy Plus   

Dear Auntie HiC,

Spring bird migration is in full swing here on The Hill. It’s alway exciting to see the variety of visitors at our feeders this time of year. 

Here are some interesting facts about bird migration:

About 4,000 species of birds are regular migrants, which is about 40% of the total number of birds in the world. 

Birds can reach great heights as they migrate. Bar-headed geese are the highest-flying migratory birds, reaching altitudes of 5 1/2 miles high. 

To prepare for their long journeys, birds enter a hyperphalgia state, eating massive amounts of food. 

Kind of like bears preparing to migration. 

Thanks to Merlin Bird app we are able to identify the songs of birds we aren’t lucky enough to observe. 

These birds were in our backyard today:

This is an incredibly cool website that allows you to track migration in your vicinity! Change add your county to the top. 

https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-GA-311

We did see a pair of male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks this week. The doves were not thrilled to share their feeders. 

❤️ Rocky

Dearest Rocky,

You know Auntie HiC is a lover of all our fine feathered friends...however, 

I must say the doves are really bird brains if they don't realize how very very special it is to have Rose Breasted Grosbeaks stop at your home for some R&R and food.

Lovingly your Auntie

Bryan thanks each and everyone of you for the very lovely birthday wishes.

Happy Birthday to my Hubby aka Dad of Angel Madi

Flashback to April 27, 2011 

Madi and I started her blogs in June of 2010...  

Today I am sharing her very first happy birthday post to her Dad  April 27, 2011.

Happy Birthday to Dad...he is the one in the purple shirt

Every year the last weekend of April there is a live steam meet in Apex, NC by a local live steam railroad club. The trains run on 7 1/2" gauge track and are quite powerful for their size.

Luckily it coincides with Dad's birthday (4/27). Mom and Dad attended

this year's meet on April 24.

Many of the engines are made by their owner's as in the one shown below.
This gentleman traveled from Kentucky for the show. Most burn coal, some burn
oil and some propane.


The meet is held on the property of one of the local members. Below are a few pictures of his
property. We aren't sure how many acres he has but there are 2.1 miles of meandering track

throughout lovely woods and gardens

below is on of the 3 bridges the trains cross over.

The engineer on our ride around the property traveled from Michigan.

Below is the train we rode taking on water drawn from one of several ponds on the property.

Below is a picture of Dad shortly before he was given the privilege of playing engineer for a day.

This train is owned by one of his close friends from Virginia.

and finally  picture of Dad just before became the engineer for a few seconds.  It was his first driving a live steam engine for the first time after many, many years of attending this meet. 

Snicker Saturday

 Spotted Monday, April 21 on my EMW in the neighborhood

Who knew dinosaurs liked Easter Peeps

Nature , Final Friday Feature and Feline Friday

Happy Birthday wishes Sunny today April 25th 

one of our hosts for Nature Friday host LLB Gang   

Mom Beth and the Girls made a beautiful new 
Nature Friday Badge honoring the Memory of our friend Gail

YAM Aunty tomorrow April 26th

Click here to visit YAM

 OUR HOSTESS FOR FINAL FRIDAY FEATURE  IS

YAM AUNTY, HER BIRTHDAY IS TOMORROW APRIL 26

🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈

YAM AUNTY I SAVED THIS POST JUST FOR YOUR BDAY

Power lines as public art? Wait ‘til you see these sunflowers planned for Dix Park. By Anna Johnson November 8, 2023 8:00 AM Power poles over Dorothea Dix Park will be transformed into metal sunflowers Dix Park Conservancy Power line poles along Dorothea Dix Park will transform into large metal sunflowers, nearly 80 feet tall. The two power poles will become large-scale public art in a collaboration between the Dix Park Conservancy, Duke Energy and Raleigh-based artist Thomas Sayre. “This inspired project exemplifies both the creativity we aspire to foster at Dix Park

Thomas Sayre, the prominent Raleigh artist behind many of the city's most beloved public art installations, is bringing his work to Dorothea Dix Park.

Driving the news: Sayre, using private funding, will turn two power poles in the park into giant, steel sunflowers, the Dix Park Conservancy announced Wednesday.

• The 73-ft. sunflowers** — an homage to the park's sunflower fields — are near the entrance to the under-construction Gipson Play Park.

These photos were taken from the car

Click here

to see a WRAL News video about the Metal Sunflowers.  You will have to click on another link at the top of the page.

I don't think you can read the newspaper link below w/o being a subscriber.Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article281524403.html#storylink=cpy

In July Dix Park has a field of sunflowers that draws visitors from all over the State and beyond.  They were the inspiration for the Sunflower Power Pole ART

click here

More Nature

**Below is a picture from July 2024

A sea of cheerful, golden sunflowers stretch out in a Raleigh field for a couple of weeks each summer. The Dorothea Dix Park Sunflowers are a spectacular sight to see and not to be missed - though you'll have to plan your visit just right since the golden beauties only bloom for two weeks.

Click here Hostess Miss Mimi 

Feline Flash back April 2017

No tricks, no editing....for once mom's fingers were quick..

I'm not walking on  dresser as it appears...I'm in mid jump

I call this Downward Cat...