Five Photos – Five Stories – Day 5

I enjoy watching the hummingbirds and so did my cat. Except, my cat watched them for a different reason. One day she “gifted” me with a hummingbird. Of course, when I saw the little bird laying on the living room floor, deader than a doornail stiff, I shrieked. My cat was very proud of the gift she had given me. I was horrified. They are sweet little birds that shouldn’t be on my cat’s menu. Sassy was a well fed cat and didn’t need to kill birds to eat. Therefore, she got no pity from me.

Picking up the little body, I wrapped it very carefully in paper towels and gave her a quick funeral in the trash can. I walked off to do something else and my conscience told me to go get that little bird and bury her outside. I turned around and went and took her out of the trash. Wait… What? Why is this little bird moving? Dead birds don’t move. I quickly unwrapped her from the paper towels and discovered she was alive! She had only been in shock. After inspecting her and confirming there were no wounds on her, I took her outside and sat her on the patio table hoping she would fly away. She tried, but her little wings couldn’t take flight. I determined she must have a broken or bruised wing.

I set up housekeeping for my little bird, in a box with a hummingbird feeder. To keep her safe from a certain death, I kept her locked in my bathroom for a few days.

I bought her a bird cage and put her in the area where I am most of the time, the kitchen. My cat wasn’t too happy about her “gift” being in a cage on top of the freezer, but she dealt with it. One day I tried covering her cage thinking that might be calming to her. She threw a fit. So, I took it off. I named her Flower, and she would cling to my finger as I lifted her out of her cage to kiss the top of her tiny head. Every few days I would set her on the patio table to see if she would fly, but to no advail.

Thanks to the Humane Society, a couple was found that rehabilitates birds and then releases them. Reluctantly, I gave them Flower.

Two weeks later the woman called me and told me she found Flower flying around her cage that morning. So, she put her cage on the picnic table, leaving the hatch door open. She said she watched as Flower poked her head out the hatch door but she wouldn’t fly out, until another hummingbird flew into her cage to eat from her feeder. Flower then made her escape to freedom and in just enough time to migrate with the other hummingbirds.

Last summer, while I was sitting in front of my large kitchen window a little hummingbird came flying right up to the window, hovering for a few minutes as it watched me, then flew away. I can’t say for sure if that was Flower, but I certainly like to think so.

My cat never again gifted me with a hummingbird. But at least I got to save one little bird, and her name was Flower.

I was kindly nominated to participate in the Five Days Challenge by snowsfissuresandfractures and was asked to post five photos, one per day for five days, and write five stories, one for each day. Today is day 5.

Next, I am to select one person (each day), to carry on this challenge.

Today, I choose JR, author of the blog, Nuggets of Gold. I am asking you to post a photo every day for five days and write a story to go along with each photo. This story can be fiction or non-fiction and can be from a short paragraph to a page. Next, please select one person each day to carry on this challenge. This challenge is not mandatory and can be refused. (However, I hope you will agree to participate and to join the fun).

This is my last day of the challenge and I wish to tell snowsfissuresandfractures thank you for this opportunity.

I would also like to thank all of you who have so graciously accepted this challenge.

 

Five Photos – Five Stories – Day 4

I was given this Cactus for Christmas 2013. I had no idea that you need to put it in darkness, or semi-darkness for 12 weeks prior to Christmas in order for it to bloom for the holiday.

When I found this out in December, I immediately put it in the back bedroom and didn't give it water for about 8-9 weeks. Then, I gave it a little water. Almost immediately it began to bud. After a few more weeks, it has fully bloomed, and it was approximately 12 weeks from the time I put it in the semi-dark.

I'm kind of proud of this pretty little cactus. However, Christmas for this little cactus came in February.

I was kindly nominated to participate in the Five Days Challenge by snowsfissuresandfractures and was asked to post five photos, one per day for five days, and write five stories, one for each day. Today is day 4.

Next, I am to select one person (each day), to carry on this challenge.

Today, I choose Yinglan, author of the blog, Hidden Stars Fiction. I am asking you to post a photo every day for five days and write a story to go along with each photo. This story can be fiction or non-fiction and can be from a short paragraph to a page. And, please select one person each day to carry on this challenge. This challenge is not mandatory and can be refused. (I hope you won't refuse and will agree to join the fun).

 

Five Photos – Five Stories – Day 3

Sputtering and spitting, the motor coughed one final time and came to a complete stop. Steamy water started spewing from the radiator. In the blackness of night, Lisa pushed the numbers to call her husband.

“Damn! No charge!”

She panics when she realizes she has no choice but to walk back to her friend’s house for help. The problem is, they just finished watching a horror flick on television and her nerves haven’t settled down yet.

After 30 minutes of trying to conger up the courage, Lisa faces the trepidation and starts the walk to her friend’s house. She tries to think of anything except that damn horror movie or wild animals in the woods. A wolf howls a long soulful sound in the distance. An owl hoots and crickets fill the silence with their noisey racket. She tries to find comfort in the sounds. They add to her foreboding. She watches with dismay as the shadows of the leaves flutter and dance across the asphalt causing her to wrap her arms around herself even tighter.

She feels a light breeze on her neck. Or was that someone’s breath? She jerks herself around but no one was there. She continues walking and hears a scream. She convinces herself it is a wild animal and not human. Her heart is pumping so fast she is afraid she might pass out. All of her senses are on high “terror” alert.

She hears a car coming and sees the lights but suddenly it is gone.

“That’s creepy! That car just disappeared into nowhere.” Panicing, she stops and looks around, nothing. No car. No lights. Just pitch black night. She continues to walk, but cautiously. She hears steps behind her. She’s sure of it. Just as she was beginning to run, something jerks her shoulder back and she turns around and screams,

“Oh my God, you scared me to death Richard!”

“Sorry honey, I waited for you to come home then called Susan. She said you left almost an hour ago and I was worried about you and saw your car parked on the side of the road.”

Relieved, she sank into her husband’s chest and cried.

I was kindly nominated to participate in the Five Days Challenge by snowsfissuresandfractures and was asked to post five photos, one per day for five days, and write five stories, one for each day.

Next, I am to select one person each day, to carry on this challenge.

Today, I would like to select Ruchi, author of the blog, Come Travel Along to participate in this challenge. Please post a photo for five days and write a story, within the remaining days of February. The story can be fiction or non-fiction and can be from a short paragraph to a page. You can write about the photo if you wish, or even embellish the story of the photo. The story is your call. This challenge is entirely elective and you may refuse, if you wish. But, I hope you won’t and will elect to join the fun.

 

One Four Challenge Feb 2015 Wk 3

This week is week 3 for the One Four Challenge hosted by Robyn G of the blog:

Captivate Me

On the first week of the month we each select an image that we would like to work with for the month and each week we perform edits to our image. We then publish a post with our new image each new week and explain the edits we have performed for that week. It is a fun challenge learning to use photo editing tools. If you are interested in joining, please click on Robyn's link above.

This week I have chosen to use my photo from Week 2. I edited the photo using Aviary by adding the Effect/Sage, then adding the Enhancement/Portrait. These were the only edits I performed this week. Although I like the sky and the water appearing to be the same color and the foliage appearing thicker, I feel the colors do not look realistic.

 

 

Symetrical

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Symmetry.”

Michelle’s Weekly Pet Share Feb 3, 2015

Every week, Michelle, author of the blog, “Hope* the Happy Hugger, hosts a “Weekly Pet Share.” This week I am sharing an adorable little kitten, “Sugar.”

If you would like join in with this weekly “Pet Share” please click on this link:

Michelle’s Weekly Pet Share

 

Depth from a Porch

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Depth.”

Although I took this photo during our last snow, this is what it looks like here in the Four Corners today.  It is cold and snowing. This probably isn’t a good photo to use for depth but I’m using it anyway.

A View From my Porch

Michelle’s Pet Share 1/27/2015

This is one of my last images of my beloved dog, Princeton. I wasn’t able to get very good photos of him because he wasn’t the ‘posing kind of dog’. He would move every single time I went to click the shot. So I’m lucky to even have one decent photo of him.

Last March, he had a stroke and I had to make the heartbreaking decision to have him euthanized. I am still grieving.

~~~~~~~~~

When I decided I wanted another dog (years ago), I went to one of our local animal shelters. I saw this poor dog, about 2 years old, who was very badly emaciated, along with being very ill with an upper respiratory infection. I adopted him on the spot and immediately took him to the vet where they kept him on an IV overnight.

He turned out to be a wonderful companion. He would ride in the back seat of my car and stick his head out the window while his ears would flew in the breeze and he just loved it. That was one of his favorite things to do. Children who saw him riding in my car always got a kick of seeing his flying ears.

Having to let him go was excrutiatingly painful.

Today, I am sharing the memory of my beloved pet, Princeton, on Michelle’s (Hope* the happy hugger) Pet Share.

Interested in participating? Click on: Michelle’s Pet Share

 

Princeton

Adopted: June 19, 2003

Passed: March 18, 2014

~ We grew old together ~

 

One Four Challenge Week 4

This week is week 4 for Robyn G’s, One Four Challenge, hosted from her blog, Captivate Me. At the begininning of the month we choose a photograph which we will work with for the entire four weeks. Each week we make computer edits to the photograph and publish the newly edited photo for that week each week. In addition, we are to explain the edits which we made (if we can remember). On the 4th week we are to attach a poll to our post for others to vote for their favorite.  I am sorry to tell you that I did the edits on my 4th week photo about 2 weeks ago and have forgotten what I did.  I think all I did was add more bluing to the water. I apologize for jumping the gun on my 3rd week photo.  (I tend to lose the concept of time/day of the month, since I have retired).

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Which is your favorite?

Michelle’s Pet Share

 

Michelle's Weekly Pet Share. For more information or to join the Pet Share, click on the Weekly Pet Share Icon.

I am featuring “Mamacita.” She was my cousin's daughter's cat and has a story all her own, which now, thankfully, has a happy ending.