The Hermit Club

Happy New Year Teka! I hope your holidays have been wonderful!

My new year's mantra is "loose the attitude, and embrace the gratitude."

Happy New Year-- here's to a happy healthy 2016

Jazzy,

;o))

Goes well with your New Year's Mantra! ;o)

Good morning friends. New Mexico has had snow every day this week so far. Flurries falling again this morning too!

Went out to a very quiet world this morning and noticed no birds around, even at the feeder. That usually signals there may be a bird of prey around. I looked up to the neighbors cottonwood, and spotted this bird high up. Went in to get my good camera, and got this zoomed in photo before she flew away. A female american kestrel, I think.

Our last house was on an acre of trees, we had a hawk nesting in one but always lots of birds around. We also had a lot of Mississippi kites. Easy to spot with thei crescent shape in flight. Sure miss my woodpeckers.

Lily- I had some weird stomach stuff this week. GI track does not work as well as it used to, especially after big abdominal surgery a few years ago. Lots of stomach bugs going around here in the states right now. Hoping you feel better!

I am doing well, started a new contract and happy about that. Glad we are into a new year. Hoping it to be good for all.

Mags- I love woodpeckers too. I hear one in the back yard in the trees in the summer months. Lots of them here in NM.

Teka- the hawks here come and take out pigeons all the time. Sometimes they leave the remnants in the yard (ick). Cats and birds of prey around the feeder area often in the winter months!

i am rooting for you to win BB! Thank you for your kind thoughts

Happy New Year Mommy! Good to hear from you! How were the holiday and how is school going?

Mommy- you will do great! Hopefully you can get topic you enjoy speaking about!

Mommy- as gabby a girl as I have always been, public speaking used to terrify me. I remember my public speaking class in college (called a "speech class" back in the 1970's) and was terrified. I remember talking about the subject of "black holes" and whether they truly existed or not? Could I have picked a harder topic? Probably not, but I was taking astronomy at the time too, so it fed my subject ideas.

Like everything else in life, the more you do it, the easier it gets!

My mom gave me a bit of advice that my daddy gave her when they were first married and she was shy around new people, it made me howl! She told me "to imagine everyone in the room is naked and covered in paint!"

Hope if I follow that advice that I don't burst out loud laughing! I'd be so embarrassed!