The lilacs have bloomed and smell oh so wonderful!! The attic fan is on and the smell of lilacs is heady in the house. I couldn't believe the butterflies were out already, but here they are..lovely !!

I'll be at Cinammon Creek Cabin "A Gathering at the Cabin" in Kentucky this weekend..If you go, stop by and say hello
fondly, Deena

The leaves in the trees will sing!!

Tis Sunday, May 6th, 2007
We had the BEST bird day
..check my " Scenes from The Singing Woods "Picture Trail link to the left for some great pics.
We EVEN had a Great Blue Heron fly overheard
smiles, deena

What a difference FIVE days makes

Here are pictures I took from our back deck..one on Saturday April 28 and one today Wednesday May 3..what a difference a few days of nice weather makes ..The leaves look so lovely ..a provide a haven for all matter of wildlife.
smiles, Deena

New Life a Coming

Some new birds are a coming to The Singing Woods!! A Mourning Dove laid the single egg on Saturday morn. They just roost on the ground, no nest or anything..I sure hope the babe makes it. It' next to the Catmint inside our fence on the side yard.
The other picture is the nest full of eggs in the Bluebird house. I am sure it's Chipping Sparrows, and today I heard some faint peeps coming for the house, so I think some babes have hatched already. I'll try to get pictures of the babies too.
I also have a new nest in my birdhouse above my gate, I can't tell what it is, but tis something SMALL who is bringing very soft scraps to build with. Oh I hope I can eventually figure out who's nesting there.
Tis turned EXTRA warm here & the tree leaves are finally coming out!!
Happy May Day to you all,
Deena

A bit about the Singing Woods

This is our backyard at the edge of Singing Woods.

Owned by the Peoria Park District, Singing Woods is nearly 1000 acres of wooded river bluff. It also includes several hill prairie restoration areas. Although there are no developed access it provides important migratory and breeding habitat for forest interior birds.
Sheer size makes this among the best areas to search for migrating songbirds in spring and fall. Barred, Eastern Screech, and Great Horned Owls are also common in winter. Since this is an undeveloped area, with few trails, and steep bluffs plan your hike accordingly. The area along the creek, off of Ivy Lake Road if the most productive during migration. The upland wooded bluff and hill prairies can be good for finding breeding woodland birds.

Commonly Seen Birds Spring/Fall -- Good for woodland warblers
Summer -- Red-headed & Pileated Woodpeckers, nesting owls, Cooper's Hawk, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Scarlet and Summer Tanager
Winter -- Owls
This is some info I found in the "minutes" of Illinois Wildlife Preservation meeting

Peoria Co. - Singing Woods Nature Preserve, Dedication Singing Woods is part of the 899-acre North Bluff Wildlife Preserve, owned and managed by the Peoria Park District. The Peoria Park District proposes to dedicate 694 acres of oak-hickory forest, interspersed with hill prairie, barrens, wetland seeps, and intermittent streams, as Singing Woods Nature Preserve. The natural communities of Singing Woods are representative of the Grand Prairie Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division. Singing Woods is part of a corridor of large tracts of woodlands (known as the Peoria Wilds Resource Rich Area) within the bluffs overlooking the Illinois River Valley, north of Peoria. This site is the largest contiguous tract of oak-hickory forest in Illinois, north of the Shawnee National Forest. Singing Woods supports a diverse population of high sensitive and moderate sensitive forest breeding birds such as the Ovenbird, Hooded Warbler, Black-billed Cuckoo, Scarlet Tanager, and Louisiana Waterthrush. The state-threatened downy arrowwood (Viburnum molle ) is found at two separate locations within the proposed preserve, as are a vast array of conservative prairie and woodland plants.

ONCE a year

Usually one time a year we see Mr Red Headed Woodpecker at our backyard feeders. I saw him yesterday about
5.45 AM & told hubby ..redhead, redhead..come quick. My dear hubby got the camera out, the window open & RedHead decided to fly to the tree~~but still Rich got a decent picture of him!!! I love how cool his markings are
and sure wish we'd have gotten him up close. Tis a joy to see new friends in The Singing Woods.

Today, I again checked the bluebird house & again, there was a Sparrow's Nest in it
..I reached in, pulled the nest out, in ONE piece & right before I tossed it to the ground
I looked inside the nest..OH MY , I am SO glad I did. There were four tiny eggs nestled in it.
Needless to say, I gently put the nest back in the box & closed the front. SO , I guess the
Sparrow's will have the box, as no matter what sweet bird that house was intended for, I
would never destroy eggs!!
soo, I hope to get some Sparrow babe picks soon.

enjoy life, Deena

A Journal to treasure

Oh how I love this sweet treasure! My sweet friend Katie of Sparrow's Cottage made this. I was delighted
to own it. Isn't it lovely??
Katie has some of the best paper treasures ever. Tis always a good day when something arrives with Katie as the sender!!
Her site is listed on my Eclectic Places to visit. Tis a soothing and fun site!
fondly, Deena

GoldFinch & Red Belly Woodpecker

I have seen so many GoldFinch at the feeders, but they are more shy than usual. I can sit out & see tens of them
in the trees, but right now, they don't want me any closer
..Well I finally got a lil guy who wasn't so fearful of me today. The males are SO bright at nesting time & the gals are just a dull shade of yellow green. In the animal world tis opposite of us humans ..as we ALL know the FEMALE is the one with beauty in the human species.

I was at the SIDE yard ..with my NEW eyes & spotted this FEMALE Red Belly Woodpecker at the feeder, zoomed in & here she is. She has a bit of red on her nape as opposed to the male , who has red on the top of his head..just a touch more than her. And though you can't see , YES their lil bellies are red.

The are nesting in the Hickory Tree, in the back ..even though our bird book says the are NOT nesters in this region...and we had a family last year too. What a delight

Hope life is good in your corner of Heaven.
Fondly, Deena

A bit of SPRING

Mother Nature gave us a wee taste of Spring & now it's disappeared so I've created a bit of
Spring for all to view . Here's a couple of vignettes, birds by Paula of Hidden in the Attic & the
hearts in the apothecary jar are by Stacy Nash. In my other photo, the bunny is by Annie
of Chickadee Primitives & the Bunny Hop picture is by Cheryl Kuhn of Small Stories Studio.
All of these folk artists are currently on
www.ThePrimitiveGathering.com. Hoping winter leaves SOON!!!
greetings from
The Singing Woods
Deena

Silly ME with no glasses

TIs Saturday & I went for a follow up visit of my Lasik today..I'm seeing BETTER than 20/20
woohoo
I also got a pair of sunglasses OH YEAH BABY!!
I slept most of the day yesterday which was good, because
there is some pain in the first 5 hours or so after surgery, but
feeling great today!!

I can see for miles!!
Deena

Me with Glasses for the last time I hope

My gift for my birthday this year will be eyes that see without glasses!! My birthday is Sunday
and tomorrow the 13th, I will be having Lasik Eye Surgery. It will
be wonderful to see the clock in the AM, see the birds in The Courting
Tree without rising to get spectacles on . By Saturday I should be
seeing quite well.

Now the world may see my BLUE eyes again!! Tis a delightful gift from a loving husband.

Till we meet again, Deena

NOT SNOW!!

Tis been so cold here, after all the nice days & warm weather, the buds promising flowers, waking to SNOW
today was so disappointing. We've had COLD days & nights , and after such a long hard winter , the promise
of Spring was so uplifting. My lamb's ear was so growing so fast , I'm sure the bit of snow cover will not harm it.
Can you see the snow atop the bird house?


The migration maps for the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds show them in our area, but I am not able to put
out feeders as the lows in the 20s & not much better in the days will only freeze any nectar. Alas I long for
the little guys to greet me in the garden. I long to dig my hands into the dirt & see the fruits of last years
labor begin to sprout.

I know Spring will come, but I so wish it would come NOW!!

I've been trying to capture the Goldfinches on my camera, but they seem shy right now. Such BRIGHT colors
the males have.

Hope Spring is visiting all of us soon, Deena

Cedar Wax Wings & The Courting Tree

We've been blessed with Cedar Wax Wings for the last week. They love the berries on our tree. Tis just outside our
bedroom window, which gives me a great view of them from my bed.
Tis nesting season & Waxwings use berries to court. The male will take a berry, offer it to the female, she takes the berry & offers it back.
So our crab apple tree has been lovingly renamed to
"The Courting Tree"

I was so lucky today, despite the cold, to get LOTS of pictures of the "lil masked bandits"
So happy to be able to share them!!
enjoy, Deena

The Olde & The New

Oh I love the way the Olde leaves & berries cling to their mother plant, at the same time the New blooms & blossoms appear on that same mother plant.
The contrast is glorious. The forest looks barren, but in the distance you can see a bit of RedBud Blossom.... then as the crab apple begins to sprout new leaves & blossoms , last year's berries still cling to the branches. Tis time to renew & refresh.
And ALAS the birds are a flurry of activity as they begin their nesting season & their colors become bright again.

Nature is our Lord's gift to each of us & Spring is a reminder that all things Olde become New again.
Stop & renew your soul.
Deena

The Primitive Gathering has OPENED

Please take a few minutes to browse the site , our news, our Goode Things & our Guest Arist

and thanks to Shelly Auen of Primitive Stitchin for our lovely Spring Welcome banner

www.ThePrimitiveGathering.com

Let me know what you think
smiles, Deena

Daffodils

What a great few days it's been here. VERY hard to get any work done inside, when nature is so wonderful ..As I've said before, I'm fighting the deer to keep my tulips. Caleb, one of my youngest grandsons, took the liberty of picking my daffodils yesterday.
Well I told him I wanted him to look sad cuz he picked Gramma Deena's flowers..doesn't he look remorseful??
Honestly though, I'd be surprised if he picked my flowers without asking again!!
He's so funny, tis hard to be stern with him & keep a straight face!

Going out to snip some hyacinths now
Hope life is good where you are
Enjoy the day the Lord hath made

Happy Day

Even though it's a lovely home, we are GLAd to have transferred ownership of our Victorian to a young couple
yesterday. They are thrilled to have the home. Things are in bloom at the home & it's a lovely time to be in the
garden there.
It's been almost two years, since we moved here to The Singing Woods.

Someone moved a BIG house to a location down the holler here in The Singing Woods, so I'm going to try
to sneek there today and get a couple of pics!!
It was QUITE a BIG home..and it was dark a & the roads were blocked
an adventure!!
smiles, Deena

Life is Good

What a glorious day here, signs of Spring everywhere..tis too nice to stay inside. The sparrow's, phoebe's, Red Belly & Hairy Woodpeckers are building nests.
Even though we've spotted Bluebirds, we've not seen them nesting.
We'll be sitting on the deck tonight .listening for owls , bullfrogs & coyotes~~
Enjoy life in your little corner of the world, Deena

Tis Spring

So welcome, is the Spring. Yesterday as I was "spraying" to keep the deer away from my tulips
I noticed some blooms!! I was so excited to see them, as they are the VERY FIRST of this Spring.
I also noticed someone (thing?) had already munched off the hyacinths & some of the tulips.
Alas, can they just eat something ELSE??
I heard the bull frogs at dusk & our Barred Owl friends were hooting in the Wood.
The sparrows are once again building their "nests" in our antique yard lamps..Loose
clumps of grass is not quite a nest to me, I find sparrows too lazy to make their homes
nice!!

My other challenge is to keep the Sparrows out of the Blue Bird box ..as we spotted
Blue Birds over the weekend..and we'd love for them to bless us with lil nestlings.

Hope today brings sunshine & smiles,
take a breath & know it's Spring
Deena

Kindred Spirits

A good friend is to be treasured. On the Christian Radio Station, I heard three things you could
do for you health each morning. Socalizing with friends was one, it helps us set the tone for the
day and is good for our physical health..(and our mental health).
So each day, finding a few moments to chat with a friend or loved one will help both of
your health & keep you close.

My friends have carried me through the ups and downs of this sweet life..and I love them
for it!

Deena

A wonderful day in The Singing Woods

Today was really our first day with a hint of Spring in the air. As I was out exploring the yard, I found signs of
Spring coming up from the earth. The tulips have been busy making their way towards Mr Sun, even though
the days have been cold. I am so excited to see them. NOW , to keep the deer away so I may enjoy their blooms
is the battle. Smiles to you , Deena

Spring must be coming

Today as I was visiting with my grandson, we walked to the mailbox, we stopped to listen to the birds singing, feel the sun on
our faces & watched the robins pluck berries to eat from the crab apple tree. Spring is welcome &
this weekend marks the beginning of DayLight Savings Time. Alas I can't wait for the April showers
to bring May flowers.

At last I have created a few things for eBay. Our new group, The Primitive Gathering, is having a "birds of the feather" theme. Be sure to visit for lots more lovelies..
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&satitle=pgks
as always, smiles to you, Deena

A New Venture

I am so excited to announce that I will be starting a new website market
in early Spring.
It will be
www.ThePrimitiveGathering.com
We have some wonderful artsits already lined up. As things get closer to
the GRand OPEning ..I will share more information

You can find us on ebay.com, just search PGKS

I've begun work on the site
but only a generic "park page" is viewable now

Email us @ webmaster@theprimitivegathering.com if
you would like to be considered or if you have some suggestions.

Many Smiles, Deena

We've had a GREAT beginning

I am so excited about the response so far to my new venture~~

The Primitive Gathering
We have some wonderful artists already , with more coming in the next few months.


You can find us on ebay.com, just search PGKS
Some of us sell on Etsy.com also.

Email us @ webmaster@theprimitivegathering.com if
you would like to be considered *this is a juried site* or if you have kind comments.

Many Smiles, Deena

Some eagle babes

Here are two young eagles, one even still has speckles. This year was the first year Peoria County had a confirmed nesting
site for Bald Eagles in ONE HUNDRED years!! They seem to be quite plentiful at river's edge.

Bald Eagle

Here's another mature eagle looking for food.
bbbbrrrr

Eagles on the River

It's Feb 2, 2007 and VERY cold here in the Midwest. We ventured down to the river road and found Bald Eagles searching for
fish in the areas the barges had broken up the ice. Here's a picture of two eagles looking over the river for food. The Bald Eagle
gets his white head and tail feathers in their fourth year!!

Hoping your warm & safe at your home.
Smiles , Deena

A bit of Winter

We had a bit of Winter weather visit this weekend. Ice hangs everywhere and the grass is CRUNCHY. Looks so pretty, as long as we can stay inside and safe AND warm. We are suppose to get more ice thru Monday.

FYI the bird on the feeder is a Tufted Titmouse, a frequent visitor to our feeders year round.

Not much news, it's a slow uneventful time here in the MidWest.

Check back soon, Deena

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Hi!! I've finally got to my Blog, tis been awhile since it's worked for me. Christmas was great. We had 15 inches of snow BEFORE Christmas , but it was all gone by Christmas. I took a nice fall on the ice and had 7 stitches in my lip. Had to have a CT make sure my brain was still there and knocked 5 of my teeth loose. Mostly healed up now.

Everyone was here for Christmas Eve breakfast...so much fun and so crazy with SIX boys and all the excitement.

Hubby was quite generous with presents this year. My fave is new windchimes!! They are GREAT.

Heard an owl tonight when I let our Hannah dog out, and the coyotes were WILD on Monday. I sure love not having to drive Mercedes to school and home each day. FIVE more months and she's OUT of HIGH SCHOOL.

Mercedes got her Driver's License finally ..and with all the snow we had she did great with her driver's exam , past FIRST time.

I'll try to keep updates going.

Above is a pic of my two grandsons, they spent the night on Thurday after Christmas..so good and they had so much fun

Cole (redhead) is 5 years and my oldest daughter's oldest boy. Joe is 6 years and my son's 3rd of 4 boys!!

Morning visitor

Yesterday, Tuesday, I saw MY DOG run by the front window early in the AM. I ran out to get her back in the fence~but all I saw was a small DEER.

I talked to the babe & it just stood listening.

Today when my friend ran past, I knew it wasn't my

dog, so I got the camera.

We have some type of crab apple tree in the side yard, BIG for crab apples, but

seems my fawn friend likes to eat those.

I couldn't see the spots until I took my pictures.

My collie can look a bit like a fawn..so you see why I'd be tricked.

I am hoping to see my lil fawn again.

Tis Autumn weather here

I love it!

Deena