Ike meets us in Kentucky

While we were visiting Mom and Dad, Ike's winds blew into Murray during the last night we were there. I woke up to see the trees being tossed about in the woods behind the house. I walked into the living room to check on the hummingbirds and was brokenhearted to see the wind blowing all the little birds down onto the concrete porch. Poor things. When the winds calmed down, we got dressed and went to breakfast. When we got back and discovered there had apparently been some very strong winds blowing through the area while we were eating.

Mom and Dad's roof suffered a bit of damage.

Unfortunately we discovered the path those missing shingles took...

Yep. Right across our bug!

Power and water were both out at Mom and Dad's house so we decided it is time for us to go back home.

Rick put the last of our things in the trunk.

Homeward bound

What's that in the road up ahead?

A tree has taken down the power line and blocked the main road out of town.

DETOUR

OH NO, the detour road has been blocked by a large tree across the road.

WOW! that is a BIG tree!

Back to Mom and Dad's to take more pictures of hummingbirds.

Since the electricity was still out and it is dark in the house, Mom and Dad had decided to stay outside to cleanup after the storm after we left.

So when we got back to their house and told them we were trapped, Rick and I volunteered to help them with the clean up.

I think all but two apples were blown out of their apple trees. We started off having an apple throwing contest. My arms are sore and I have a large bruise on my hip where I slipped and fell on an apple. But it was fun playing with my parents.

We raked apples out of the yard, Daddy shoveled apples into the bucket on the front of the tractor and Rick carried them off into the woods.

Daddy tells Rick to take the apples to the woods.

There were a lot of apples!

Mom loves to explore the woods.

Come on Nicki, let's explore the woods.

Mom, I am NOT going tracking through the woods in my flip-flops!

Here comes Daddy to clear out the woods and search for us.

More storm clouds rolling in.

Hummingbirds at mom and dad's this weekend

It looks like this one might be checking out his reflection in the water.


There is a was wasp on one of the flowers that is stirring the birds up. Look at the bird on the bottom left of this photo. It's tail wings are spread out to halt its flight because the wasp is on the flower it want feed from.

This little guy is minding his own business when along comes another,
and POPs him on the head. OUCH!

The hummingbirds were so thick this weekend, the porch was nothing but a constant buzz with an occasional chirp. All the fuzzy things in the background that looks like something on the camera lens are really a bunch of hummingbirds out of focus. There were so many!

There were anywhere from 50 to 100 birds flying all around the front porch at any given moment.

Here are two others fighting in mid flight. One of them is upside down. Talented.

These two got into a spat. You could hear their wings hit each other.

Look at all the birds out of focus - tons of them!!!

Hummingbirds do have mouths.

missing her

I miss my little Miss Morning...


Look at how sweet they are.

Laci Nicole

Laci has her Daddy's eyes.
Look at those lashes!


Silly girls....

Alicia's 21st Birthday . . .

Alicia's 21st birthday. We ate at Olive Garden where we had a glass of wine and toasted her birthday. We then went to her place and let her balloons go.

She is such a sweetheart and still takes care of me today.

She came to me in my dreams this morning while I was sleeping.

She was a little thing, probably 3 years old.

We played in the snow and made beds. - silly.

I really miss her.

(I downloaded these photos backwards, last is first so you should start from the bottom and scroll up to the top)

A rose for Grandma Rix.

Nanny, I took a rose petal and traced the A in Alicia and saved this for you.

Blakers is leaving a rose petal for Alicia.

I love you Misses Morning.

I wish I could hug you.

Away to heaven ...

Off her balloons go...

Blake releases Alicia's 21st birthday balloons.

Blakers writes Alicia a note.

Dadders and Blakers write Alicia love notes on her balloons.

We always save one of Alicia's roses to take home and put with those from her funeral.

Alicia's glass of wine, balloon and rose at Olive Garden.