Great Blue Herons? or Sandhill Cranes?

A couple of weeks ago, we were awakened to the sound of herons calling to each other. "Breakfast is served...Breakfast is served"! :) It was a grey foggy morning, and though we looked and looked, we couldn't see anything. Then as the fog lifted...there they were. Hundreds of them across the road, eating to their hearts content. Watching them fly in to the "restaurant" was quite something. Their wing spans are 6' plus. We have always called them Herons but after looking in my birding field guides, I have come to the conclusion that these were not Herons, but Sandhill Cranes. Herons DO frequent our area, but they are primarily, believe it or not, carnivorous. They feed on fish and small mammals! Sandhill cranes on the other hand are grey, with a very similar look, but feed by "probing and gleaning the ground for insects and waste grain". Well, this was not waste grain! The field had just been planted but a week before!! Either way, Heron or Crane, they were fun to watch and listen to.

Thanksgiving Day

Think I should post for Thanksgiving before I do my posts for Christmas! Now that's a novel idea isn't it??

We picked up Mom from Bethany Home on Thanksgiving Day. She was anxious to go and looking forward to having a good 'ol home cooked meal. I don't think she was disappointed! It was going to be just Les, me and Mom for the meal, so Les suggested I cut back a bit on the whole Thanksgiving FEAST idea. But you know, it's like cooking spaghetti.....when you put it in the pot, it never looks like enough! So, you keep adding.... Well, if we were having a turkey then you HAVE to have dressing, gravy and mashed potatoes..right? Then, it just doesn't taste like the full meal if you don't have cranberry sauce, home made applesauce (by Les), jello salad, green bean casserole and hot buns from the oven. A FEAST it was! Les helped out by BBQing the turkey, so the oven was all mine.

After such a feast, with the sun shiny and bright, it was time for a "walk". Since Grandma was in the wheel chair, it was a "ride" for her :) We started out taking the easy way...down the paved road, but quickly changed out minds and decided we could roll in the orchard just as well. It was a gorgeous fall day....all the leaves were a carpet for the wheelchair and Mom thoroughly enjoyed herself as did Les and I.