Ten Seconds

We'll be counting down the big seconds soon. 

Here's another countdown, 10 favorite photos from 2015 (click for lightbox):

10.  Female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Hummingbird Addiction

9.  Wild Rabbit and Eastern Chipmunk

Wild Morning

8.  Eastern Wild Turkey Hen and Poults

Mother Hen

7.  Barley, Golden Retriever

Dog Dreams

6.  Dogwood Blossoms

Ten Reasons to love the Ozarks in the Early Spring

5.  Whiskey Creek on Bull Shoals Lake

Blurb Magazine

4.  O'possum

School's Out

3.  North Branch Creek and Bull Shoals Lake

Winter Dog

2.  Sunrise Over Bull Shoals Lake

Winter's Pallette

1.  Yellow-Shafted Flicker with Dogwood Berry

Shadows

Linking with Saturday's Critters

 and Wild Bird Wednesday

Winter Dog

Barley is ten now, and this summer he retired from our walks through the neighborhood, preferring to lay inside in the air conditioning. But recently, the edges of the pond have frozen, and his old nickname, Lightfoot, fits him again. Today, he's on his feet as soon as he hears the front closet door open, and before my jacket is on, he's prancing at the door.

The sun is just up, and we head to the hollow, our favorite spot, about a half mile down the hill from our house. A side trail gives us an overlook before we get there. The broad valley of government land, about 160 acres, is still in the shadows; the sun hasn't made it to the hollow yet, but the frost has. Patches of standing timber and bushes and tall grass are all covered with white, dressed for the season. Recent rains have left a little water in the nearby creek, which joins another, out of our view, and flows across the valley to the lake.

As we leave the woods, we pause and listen.

 No roads access this hollow, and there are no sounds in this private place this morning;

even the birds are hushed. Then a slight breeze rustles the trees and sends it's whisper through the valley.

Deer trails criss cross the flat ground...

...and we follow one to the creek on the other side of the hollow. 

To our left, the lake is covered with steam, and sun gilds the distant hills. We head to our right, up the creek bed, walking over the rocks, where water is confined to small pools. A little fish flops in the receding water, and I imagine he will make a good meal for a raccoon before long. We move on, then, deciding that wasn't going to be a happy ending, I turn back and scoop the fish from his prison. Holding him carefully, I hurry back to the lake, willing him to live. When I lower him into the water, he darts away, out of sight behind a rock.

Barley runs ahead, and wades into the frigid creek, waiting eagerly for a stick to be thrown. When I comply, he swims after it, then scrambles up the bank and past me toward home, head held high. He stops to shake, and then he's off again, prancing like a puppy.

He pauses briefly before he reaches the woods, glancing back at me, and then he's gone. He'll be waiting for me when I get back home. By now the sun is up, and I hate to leave this place, which seems frozen in time. But the hands on my watch are still moving, and there’s a full day ahead, so I follow Barley back up the trail. 

I could have walked somewhere else today, but I'm glad I didn't, and there's at least one fish, and one wet dog, who are glad, too.

Linking with Saturday's Critters

Daylight Deer

Whitetail bucks rarely make an appearance around here in the daytime except during the rut, when they throw caution to the wind and chase the does, or when something is wrong, as seemed to be the case this past week. Early in the morning, as sunlight crept over the ground, a four point buck lingered near the tall grass below the house, holding his head high. He didn't seem at all embarrassed that his four antler points were all on one side of his head. Since bucks don't normally shed their antlers until at least January, we envisioned a fierce battle with Four-point on the loosing side, but his carriage seemed to say "you should have seen the other guy".

We just may have seen the other guy a few days later. It was one of those mornings that pose a dilemma for photographers. Fog hung in the valleys and the sunrise could be promising either from a nearby hilltop or down at the lake.

I opted for the hilltop, driving through thick fog in the valley and emerging only at the last rise in the road. 

A misty white blanket lay below. I shot a few pictures, then headed back by the lake, where the fog was too thick to see much of anything.

Returning home without the photo I had hoped for, I found the photo op of the day munching leaves in our yard. A trophy ten point buck was systematically defoliating the tall phlox a few feet from our bedroom window. He lifted his head and looked at me as I drove into the garage, closing the door behind me so as to disturb him as little as possible.

Once inside, I saw that Don had already been clicking away with his camera, and, amazingly, the deer was still enjoying his phlox breakfast.  The animal's reactions seemed slow; he didn't have the wary attentiveness that usually characterizes deer. He turned his head briefly, and deep wounds on the other side of his face seemed to indicate a fight. From the looks of him, he must have taken second. That would certainly explain his malaise.

The deer moved down the smorgasbord line to the Sweet William, a few yards away, and took his time browsing. 

Then he walked, a little unsteadily, past the dog kennel, down the hill and into the woods.

We probably won't see this trophy buck again, but we hope the hearty breakfast gave him a start toward healing, and that he can return to full strength.

Linking with Saturday's Critters

and Skywatch Friday

Blurb Magazine

 

When I want to publish a book online, Blurb is my go-to company. Here's their ad on the internet:

Passion + Design = Perfect Book. Make a Book. Leave Your Mark.

If you, like me, have a passion, and love to design, how can that not speak to you?

Recently, I posted a blog entitled Eternity, and my sister suggested I might add to it and turn it into a book. 

So that's what I did.

Or, more specifically, I used Blurb's magazine format to make a book.

Blurb's design and layout application, Bookwright, is downloadable, and I found it to be intuitive and user friendly. I chose the magazine format, quite honestly, because the price was remarkably low. On my first attempt, I ordered the economy magazine--20 pages for $3.99. The paper was thin, and the photos didn't have the rich saturation I had hoped for.  So I ordered another one with premium paper, still only $5.99 (plus postage, which runs high) for 20 pages, and I am very happy with the result. The cover has a soft gloss, and the colors pop off the substantial matte paper inside. Perfect.

About that passion? 

I think knowing about the next world is one of the most encouraging things in this one, and who of us can't use a little encouragement?

Linking with Our World Tuesday

A Glimpse of Eternity by Connie Smiley | Make Your Own Book