A peaceful Monday afternoon in the Southern Tier of New York.
Nature seemed to be drawing a line.
Joining Yogi and other skywatchers for #SkywatchFriday.
Last week, we heard something moving around the outside of our living room air conditioner.
I went outside to investigate and it was a fledgling American robin, fresh out of the nest. (A note to my European readers, this is a totally different species than your European robin).
I tried taking a picture without getting too close. Look right in the middle of the picture.
But how had it gotten up on a window air conditioner?
I looked up and saw my answer (middle left).
I had never seen the nest, high up below our eaves. I had seen a robin's egg shell on our driveway, perhaps at the beginning of the month. This fledgling may have been the end result.
Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.
It's Monday and it's time for music!
Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.
Why not join us? Our theme this week is "In the US, May is National Barbecue month. It’s time to go hog wild! Share music that make you think of a great cook out."
I saw this as two ways to go. One way, is songs mentioning barbecue, or, as many of us write it, BBQ. I've lived in several parts of the United States, and have experienced some of the various interpretations of what a sauce should consist of.
The BBQ Song from Rhett and Link gives us a rundown of those variations.
A favorite food at many BBQ's is sausage. Or, in our area, white hots. In many other places, hot dogs.Next up is Hot Dog from Led Zeppelin from 1979, and it's not about the food. Fun fact, the album this came from (In Through the Out Door) is my favorite Led Zeppelin song.
Cheeseburger in Paradise - Jimmy Buffett because there is nothing like hearing Jimmy Buffett music at a BBQ.
BBQ's are all about having a fun time. From Ray Stevens, Barbeque.
As for the music, let's listen...Listen to the Music - Doobie Brothers
Finally, let's end this virtual BBQ with Whisker Brothers and Good Ol' BBQ.
Well, not so fast. Today, in the United States is Memorial Day, a day that was originally intended to honor the war dead of our 1861-1865 Civil War. Originally called Decoration Day, this holiday evolved into honoring the war dead of all wars. Sadly, this holiday has also evolved into a major shopping day.
So I will end this with a song from Freda Payne, Bring the Boys Home, from 1971. That was our wish then as it is now.
And that's a wrap!
Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.
Wednesday, I posted a couple of pictures of a storage building where someone thoughtfully posted a sign warning of a bunny nest.
Here is a picture of the building, with accompanying shadows. The sign is on the lower right.
Joining up with Lisa and This and That: A Blog, for Lisa's #ShadowshotSunday.
Today, a variety of May cloud moods from where I live in the Southern Tier of New York State.
Blue hour before sunrise, May 12.
Clouds playing May 18th Follow the Leader
Clouds on a peaceful Sunday afternoon.
Around sunset, May 7.
Joining Yogi and other skywatchers for #SkywatchFriday.
I find many interesting things when I take a walk.
One of these finds were a bunny nest sign I saw earlier this week near an office.
The sign reads "Bunny Nest (with arrow pointing down). Please be mindful when mowing".
Rabbits build a shallow nest more like a depression in the ground. I think the nest was a depression directly below the arrow. It's hard to see in the photo. I didn't want to get closer just in case the little ones were still in the nest.
As much as I don't appreciate rabbits in my yard, they were there first. I'm happy someone cared enough to post this sign. Would you have?
Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.
It's Monday, and it's time for music!
Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie, and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.
Why not join us? Our theme this week is "You Pick". Any music counts.
Before I get into the Eurovision Song Contest, I've been featuring too many inductions into Rock and Roll Heaven in recent months. So, I wanted to pay a quick tribute to two musicians who passed away this May.
First, Dennis Locorriere, lead vocalist for Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, died May 16 at the age of 76, from complications of kidney disease. Here is Dr. Hook's hit Cover of the Rolling Stone done live in 1980.
And now for the Eurovision Song Contest. Saturday, the finals were held in Vienna, Austria. This contest is a big event for a lot of the world but I think a lot of Americans still have not heard of it.
As I blogged in 2022:
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual contest which originated in the aftermath of World War II, when Europe was struggling to recover from the horrors of World War II. The idea was for various European countries to cooperate with each other "through cross-border TV broadcasts". The contest started in 1956, based on an Italian music festival, with seven countries participating, and has expanded into the largest world music event there is.
Until last year, I had no idea that the singers Celene Dion and the group ABBA, among others got their start from Eurovision. I was aware that Riverdance had its start as the "interval" act in 1994. (An interval act performs after the last act in the final during the tallying of the votes, and some of these acts have won their own brand of fame. Additionally, I learned a new word, too, because "intervals" are what we Americans call "intermission" in an event.)
Winners do not get cash prizes, but they do get the Crystal Microphone trophy, and (best of all, perhaps) exposure. Also, with a couple of exceptions, the host country for the following year is the country that won the year before.
I was introduced to the Eurovision Song Contest several years by a fellow participant in Music Moves Me. This is the 2026 winning song from DARA, with Bulgaria's entry, Bangaranga. It's catchy and it would be a great song for an exercise class. It's already getting millions of listeners on social media.
You have heard some of the songs of the Eurovision Song Contest, even if you think you haven't. Previous winners have included Céline Dion , Lulu (of To Sir with Love fame, but not with that song), and Brotherhood of Man. (Save Your Kisses for Me).
Here are the performances of two previous winners. First, from 1974, perhaps the most famous Eurovision Song Contest performance: Waterloo, by ABBA, competing for Sweden.
And that's a wrap!
Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.
This year he gifted me with the large basket above, filled with fuchsias. I hope I can get to see hummingbirds visiting it. I also hope I can keep it alive. It's large!
Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday.
On this last Garden Bloggers Bloom Day May post (because Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who has hosted this meme for many years, is retiring GBBD at the end of this year) I have many blooms to show you in my zone 6a garden in the Southern Tier of New York.
Our weather has been so up and down. This week we had days in the 50's F (12.7 C) and by Monday, it will be in the 90's F (32.2 C). Then, by the end of next week, it will cool down again. This was after having a warmer (and wetter) April than we normally do.
I looked at my flower photos from May of 2025 and it appears we are slightly behind May of 2025, after all that up and down.
The daffodils are fading away.
These are the last good ones.
The Japanese tree peony buds are getting ready to open.
Euphorbia has been blooming for a while.
Now to the shady back yard.
First, a thank you to everyone who commented on my Wednesday blogging problem. Comments fuel my blog, and I thank everyone who verified on Thursday that they were able to comment.
Now, it's time to watch the sky.
This April 9 is a sunset that I would’ve missed had I not glanced out the window at just the right time. I'm been remiss in looking for sunsets recently.
So I wanted to capture this sunset.
I went running outside just in time to catch these images.
I may have a blogging problem.
Wednesday and today, I have had problems on my blog. My Wednesday post (which I am not linking to here) posted but the title of the post is not a live link i.e. if I was to send you a link it does not link to the individual blog post. Also, you can not comment on it. I can't, and at least two of my readers weren't able to.
So I am trying again today with this test post, although I am going to try without the picture in the blog post, just in case that photo was part of the problem. My Wednesday post was about a bird's nest on my front porch light.
Over the years, our front porch light has attracted various birds, who have built nests. When we first purchased our house, house finches nested there successfully several times.
But more recently, the nests have failed. Or they were decoys, which some birds do build.
A couple of years ago a Carolina wren built a decoy nest on the light fixture.
This year (above), it was the turn of an Eastern phoebe. We saw the bird a number of times. Perhaps this was a decoy nest, too - Eastern phoebes, many times, will build multiple nests but only use one of them.
Our porch light nest was never used.
We've had American robins successfully nest on our back porch, but not this year.
Maybe next year, we will get the approval of birds for a true nest.
So, let's see if this post goes through. If it doesn't, I'd sure like to know a possible solution that is simple for a non-tech person like me to implement.
I'd appreciate comments, if only to let me know that you were able to comment. If you can't comment, could you comment on my Monday music post and tell me you couldn't comment on today's post? I thank you for your time.
Thank you!
Over the years, our front porch light has attracted various birds, who have built nests. When we first purchased our house, house finches nested there successfully several times.
But more recently, nothing.
A couple of years ago a Carolina wren built a decoy nest on the light fixture.
This year (above), it was the turn of an Eastern phoebe. We saw the bird a number of times. Perhaps this was a decoy nest, too - Eastern phoebes, many times, will build multiple nests but only use one of them.
Never used.
We've had American robins successfully nest on our back porch, but not this year.
Maybe next year, we will get the approval of birds for a true nest.
Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.
It's Monday and it's time for music!!
Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie, and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.
Why not join us?
Our optional theme for this week is: "May 11th Kentucky Derby has long been hosted this month since 1875. This event has a long history of traditions. Use some of the traditions or gallop with the ponies in your own direction sharing your song inspired picks this week."There are quite a number of songs mentioning horses or ponies. Many times the horses/ponies symbolize freedom or connection. Other times, they are songs about....horses. There are a lot of playlists online for the Kentucky Derby but I decided to go my own way. I grew up in New York City and, while I never got into horses, my best friend did. (Yes, there are ways to learn to ride a horse in New York City.)
Rolling Stones - Wild Horses, recorded in 1969 and released in 1971.
The older I get, the more I get into the great songwriter and singer Willie Nelson. Ride Me Back Home is a song from 2019 about rescuing horses.
Finally, My Old Kentucky Home is traditionally sung by the crowd each year before the Kentucky Derby. This was recorded in 2024 at the 150th Kentucky Derby.
And that's a wrap!
Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.
Plant shadows are a sneaky way to blog about my plants.
In a shady spot, I have trillium has a flower that doesn't open completely. It has been slowly spreading. I bought it years ago at a plant show in Ithaca, New York.
The day before yesterday, the sun came out for a while. That's a good thing, because my mail order plants from Select Seeds came on Thursday and they need to recover from transit stress. They also need to be hardened off, which I am in the process of doing.
This is my second year ordering plants from Select Seeds. Last year, I put I in a small order of annual varieties I can't get locally and was pleased by the quality. I didn't lose any to shipping shock, either, a far cry from the last time (2015?) I tried to mail order plants. That time it was from a well known plant retailer and my experience was way different. So I finally tried again, this time with Select Seeds, and I am now a repeat customer. (Not being paid for this plug, either).
Mail ordering plants are expensive but it's also a big convenience for me. For example, scented geraniums and fancy geraniums are hard to find here.
So here are my plants, along with two basils and a rosemary (rosemary has to be grown as an annual where I live) I got the other day at a big box store. Three geraniums, two cuphea, two fuchsia, a salvia destined for a hanging basket, and a lavender plant, all perfect for containers.
Maybe next week (we may get a frost Tuesday) I'll be able to buy sunpatiens, million bells and a patio tomato.
Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday.
Today, some skies from the last couple of weeks, mixed in with views of spring.
So far, we've had one of the wettest springs since our area started to keep weather records 73 years ago.
Joining Yogi and other skywatchers for #SkywatchFriday.
The other day, I wondered if I had reached 20,i000 photos on my phone. I hadn't when April started.
Well, last night, I looked and I have (drum roll): 20,134 photos.
Yes, I'm a photo hoarder and I am not ashamed.
Yes, I delete photos every once in a while but, in general, my photos are precious to me. Each holds a memory.
Like this primrose, for example, from May 2. This was given to me by my late mother in law and reminds me of the Mother's Days (coming this Sunday in the United States) we used to travel some three hours to plant flowers in her yard for the summer and take her out to dinner. Now, we need some of that help.
I don't think this pansy is too impressed, though.
Doesn't it seem like the pansy is frowning at me?
What, I wonder, did I do to make it give me that face?
Was it because I didn't feature her in the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge?
Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday
It's time to reflect on my experience in the 2026 Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
Along with many other bloggers, I participated in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge this past April I've done this Challenge successfully every April starting in 2015, missing only 2025 because, well, life happened. What happened also made the 2026 Challenge more difficult than previous Challenges but I had the time and energy this year. Last year, it never would have happened.
Life lesson: never take anything for granted. Life is fragile and can change in an instant.
Many of us assign a theme for the month and yes, I did, also. Mine was: beauty of our land.
If anything, I appreciate the beauty around me even more than in the past. I am a digital photo hoarder (I may have passed the 20,000 mark on my phone recently-I'm almost afraid to look) and going through my photos to choose the ones I would post this past April brought back so many memories.
Good memories.
Good memories sustain us for the hard times, and also make us realize that beauty still exists even if we are not in a mindset to enjoy it. It will be there for when we can be receptive enough to enjoy it.
So, looking at these photos also made me feel, once again, gratitude. Gratitude for the blogging community I discovered, after nearly two years of blogging, when I participated in my first blogging challenge (not A to Z) back in 2011. Gratitude for the blogs I read regularly and for the blogs I discover each year of the A to Z Challenge.
We are asked to answer some questions. I'll put them at the end so if you weren't part of the Challenge, you can skip them, but I'll answer one up front so you don't have to wade through questions and answers that don't interest you.
I won't name the blogs, as I don't want to leave anyone out.
So, how am I feeling? Tired. I pre-wrote many of the posts, but still had to scramble towards the end. But then again, I wasn't the only one.
In reflecting, I also decided I would not go back to daily blogging like I did for so many years, but it's good to know I still have it in me to do that.
Finally....
Today is a special one year anniversary in my life.
So, to any new bloggers who discovered me during the Challenge, thank you. And, if you are a regular reader, thank you, too.
I appreciate all of you.
And now the questions and my answers in red
Our team theme this year was: A is for Aspirations: Blogging hopes, dreams, and goals
It's Monday and it's time for music. Sadly, it's also time for another induction (actually, three inductions) into Rock and Roll Heaven.
Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie, and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.
Why not join us? Our theme for this week is "you pick".
Dave Mason, a founding member of the group Traffic, died on April 19 at the age of 79. He was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter.
Here is one of his songs with Traffic: Feelin' Alright? performed by Traffic. You may recognize it from a cover by Joe Cocker in 1969.
Nedra (I've also seen it spelled Niedra) Yvonne Talley-Ross, last surviving member of the Ronettes, also died on April 27 at the age of 80.
Here is their hit song Be My Baby.
Country singer/songwriter David Allan Coe died April 30 at the age of 86. Some of the hits he wrote are known even by non-country music fans, such as Johnny Paycheck's 1977 hit Take This Job and Shove It.
Finally, because this is (the way we write dates in the United States) May the 4th, we informally are celebrating May The Fourth be With You, so I can't resist this Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band theme. Enjoy!
And that's a wrap!
Oh, wait. One more thing. How am I feeling? All right? Actually, tired, after a month of daily blogging in April. But now, I am going to return to my normal Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday schedule, except for tomorrow.
If you followed the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I invite you to tune in tomorrow for my Reflections post.
Join me next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.
Crabapple shadows from April 27.
Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday.
Whew! It's May 1st.
Now I can rest. The Blogging from A to Z Challenge is over (except for my Reflections post next week) and I can get back to watching the skies.
But the skies lately, where I live in the Southern Tier of New York, haven't been too sunny and blue recently. So, for May Day, I bring you these.
Yes, these are color pictures.
April 21.
April 30.
Contrast with this picture from April 27.
After warmer than normal temperatures, we are going to return to cooler temperatures. We may even have a frost next week (which would be a disaster for our local apple crop).
I was going to show you some lovely spring pictures but maybe I'll get back to the beauty of spring next week.
Joining Yogi and other skywatchers for #SkywatchFriday.
