Happy Father's Day

 To the Father of the best kids in the world (some prejudice in play here) and a darned good companion for lo, these many years.

To the fathers of our grandbabies. (Also among the world's most outstanding children... much loved by Grandpa and Grandma Friers)

To my beloved brothers, great dads as well.

And to my dad in Heaven. Thanks for the Hooded Warbler yesterday, Dad. What a delightful life bird on such a special day.

BITD, my favorite auctioneer

Love to all. Hope your day is all you could wish.

Father's Day

 

For my brothers and me this will be our first Father's Day without Dad. It is hard.

It is the same for several of my cousins. We have always been a close family and those dads who were uncles too will be missed painfully today. Too many losses over the past few months, way too many.

However, for our own dear boy, it will be his first Father's Day, and that is what lights up the world for me. His new baby girl was much anticipated and loved long before she joined us here, and now... 

Welcome to the world Bailey Rae... and Happy Father's Day, Alan.

For all of you who read this, if you have your dad, hug him. Then hug him again, and then once more. I'm glad you can.

And if you don't, may the loving memories sustain you through today and all the other days without the ones who raised you.

A special Happy Father's Day to the dad of my three kids...I'm talking to you Ralph.... and to his wonderful son, Scott, who is a terrific dad to his two girls. And to all of you dads who might be reading this...it's your day!

Happy Father's Day

To my dad, my dear husband, my brothers, uncles, friends, and family men, and all the men who were there for their kids and raised them. 

Well done, guys, kids need daddies.

And especially thanks to my father for giving me a lifelong love of learning, books, the outdoors, music, and especially birds. 

Love you dad!

Happy Father's Day

Father's Day

To my dad, who pointed me at the birds and little fishies, and all the other wild outdoor things. All my life he has demonstrated and shared a love of learning that keeps me racing against time even now. Hope you are finding good books to read and enjoying those apple bites. 

And to the father of my children, a guy who will sit patiently in the car for four hours while I go on a birding trip and then be willing to forego his planned auction visit so I can do more. I missed a life bird not going on the second half of yesterday's birdy expedition, but I was pretty pooped and we got a little Schoharie County birding done as well. It was all good. I'll get that Louisiana Waterthrush some other time.

To my dear brothers, both fine men, who have raised a number of delightful offspring.

To the fathers of our amazing granddaughters, who are of course, the brightest and most entertaining young ladies in the world.

And to all you dads out there. Hope you can feel the love flowing through all the neckties and grill accessories straight to your hearts, at which they were aimed. 

Love to all.

Watching a wild storm come in across Beardsley Reservoir, while the birder
clambers out across a narrow peninsula stretching out over the lake.

Also, Happy 34th Wedding Anniversary to the same guy above. Two holidays for the price of one. We somehow survived farming together for decades and are still having fun. Hard not to like that.

This pretty bird was right next to the auction barn, being harassed by a flock of
Common Grackles

Caution

Silver King

......NOPE.....

That moment when you realize that your first car was a pick up truck
just one year newer than this one.....

Look who we found on the way home.....

Happy Father's Day

To these fine gentlemen and to any others I may have forgotten to mention. Hope your special day is special indeed!

To Our Fathers, Our Teachers, Happy Father's Day

To my own dad, who led me to the wide world, and showed me amazement, from starting my interest in birding when I was just a little kid, to getting me going on nature and camping and history, books, and art, music, and all that this wonderful world has to offer. If you notice that I notice the wonder....it is because Dad noticed when I was little, and always wanted to learn...... So much of who I am grew from the roots from which life sprang.

Thanks Dad, for teaching me see what a spectacular sphere we spin upon. Hope you have a wonderful day!

Love you!



And to my husband who taught me purebred cows....I knew a little when we met, but he built the foundation of understanding pedigrees, type, production, and the beauty of the right cow, the good calf, and the feet and legs and udders and ribs, and all the other parts that make them up. Incidentally along the way he taught me to drive tractors, pull the forage chopper...and rake, and ted, and unload and store hay, and much....most....of what I know about what it takes to be a farmer.

Hope your day is all you could wish it to be....love you too. 

Oh, and happy anniversary....I am not going to ever forget a certain small wedding 29 years ago....just two best friends beside us and tears of wonder at the joy....We have come so far since that distant, fondly remembered, day. I hope the journey can continue. Never a dull moment in all those decades......

And to the new dad under our roof, having his first Father's Day today....you must be doing something right because that beautiful baby girl sure gets mad when you have to work late. Happy first Father's Day, Jade. Have a good one and many, many more to come. 

And to all you dads out there, who are there for your kids from birth through youth, the difficult teenage years, and whenever you are needed, knowing you are loved, even as grandpas with grandbabies bouncing on your knees. Changing tires, offering advice, giving rescue, and succor, and love, and the solid strength of good men to your families all their lives. Where would we be without you?

Good job, good fathers, this is your day.

Sunday Stills...the Birds and Bees

This guy was about the size of a grain of rice and right next to my garden chair.

See where he has been nibbling?

Red Bird

Hunter of the hard corners

Hunter of the lily buds

Hunter of nervous old ladies working at the stove.

This eyed click beetle came buzzing loudly and landed right on my shirt.

Did I jump?

You betcha!

I love Sunday Stills but I wasn't really looking for volunteers

Dedicated to my dad on Father's Day. Thanks Dad, for giving me the interest in the birds and the bugs and all things scientific and natural and outdoors. My life has been much better because of all the interests you passed along. Love you!

For more Sunday Stills.....