Spring NESTING

 

Spending lots of time home, relaxing in my recliner recuperating from my fall while outside a female hummingbird is building a nest on our outside patio fan which turns slightly in the wind. It's fun watching this event take place and learning more about the process. According to the internet-the source of all wisdom and knowledge, the hummingbirds mate then the female makes the nest prior to laying her eggs and in 5-6 weeks they will hatch. This isn't our first hummingbird family to nest in this exact place. See  https://lettersfromlin.blogspot.com/2014/06/june-is-here-again.html

It's quite the process to make the nest with many trips required to bring materials in her beak to build a foundation to stick to the chosen spot then add to the nest with found materials including spider webbing which allows the nest to expand with the eggs and babies growing. I love how she sits in the nest and works on the outside of the nest adding height to it and volume.

SPLAT...

A moment ago, I was on my feet
now I find myself flat on the ground
Splat, didn't see the cement lifted
in the sidewalk as I walked by.
But it saw me hurrying along
and did its thing, tripping me.
Too quickly, I'm down-looking up
at shocked hubby and bystanders.

Who ask...are you okay? Definitely
not, I think but quickly reply...YES!
Except for blood dripping from somewhere
only a small cut on my wrist but...
I hit my arm going down, missed
breaking my fingers, shoulder or hip.
I only have several bruises here
and there now purple, swollen and sore.

I'm FINE, just disgusted with growing
older and forgetting to SLOW DOWN! 

Another BUSY weekend

I flew to SLC from St. George for the UTAH STATE POETRY Awards Festival in Provo which enabled me to also visit family. I stayed with my son Daniel's family and was happy to see everyone again. It was a busy time with the festival, but Emilee and I managed to attend the Provo City Temple for the first time and have lunch with Daniel, then visited on Sat evening. I attended church with them on Sunday for a special occasion as my grandson JAMES received the Aaronic priesthood last week and was able to pass the sacrament at church. Best part was getting a good bye hug from everyone as I left for the airport on Sunday evening and arrived home that night after a 40 minute flight much easier than a 4.5 hour drive to my chauffeur hubby and another hug. Also I won another award for a poem that took 3rd place and I got $20. Quite the weekend!

Son Daniel, me and grandson James now 12 years old

Grandma Lin with her favorite twin grand daughters: l-r Heather and Emilee

 

View of the great Salt Lake at sunset

Salt ponds in the Great Salt Lake

The Salt Lake City from the air

Utah State Poetry Festival and awards celebration in PRovo

And the WINNER is ME!

Poets not shown: Marilyn and Marleen

Wow, surprise I came out a BIG WINNER at the annual Mesquite Fine Arts Gallery Poetry to Art show. It's where we submit about 5 poems each and then artists select a poem for their inspiration to make a painting or other art piece. We had many of our St. George poets participate but unfortunately I was the only one win to any prizes. Would have liked to have others win also. But other years I wasn't a winner so guess you just take your turn.

L-R Marissa who came to cheer us on, Julie, Susan, Marie, Bonnie and me

I won Best of Show with the artist who made the batik for my haiku-$100 each

This lovely collage won us 2nd prize $30 each and People's choice ribbons

Lovely buffet was enjoyed by all

Wow, two BYU dance educators die at age 100!

Mary Bee Jensen was my folk dance teacher when I arrived at BYU in 1960 as a transfer student from El Camino Jr. College in Southern California. I had majored At ECC in Math-Science hoping to become an engineer, but didn't enjoy my classes. After graduation I decided to transfer to BYU and major in Dance since I had taken up balled and loved it as a teenager. BYU didn't have a ballet major but did have a dance major which included modern, folk, social, square and tap dance. Mary Bee Jensen was a super enthusiastic dabce teacher and soon I was part of her International Folk Dance group that eventually toured Europe in 1964. She just died at age 100 yesterday on my hubby's birthday. What a talented woman and such longevity!

Another modern dance teacher that I came to know is Aline Coleman Smith. A true pioneer who started the dance program at BYU under the leadership of Leona Holbrook( who died young of cancer.) Listen to Aline's interview and see her dance at age 100. Alilne died several years ago, but was such a sweet lovely person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcHC507Zn98 

Spring Desert Beauty

Mesquite Nevada Fine Arts Gallery where the Art to Poetry show is held

Cactii blossoms

Gorgeous up close

love the lizard in the roadrunner's mouth

Happy Birthday JAMES #12

 

 

Can't believe my grandson James is 12 today...congrats!

New HOBBY for HUBBY

Now that the weather is warming, hubby is off daily for a walk down by the Virgin River that runs by our retirement center next to the golf course. Instead of looking for Easter eggs, he is finding lost golf balls from golfers who hit their ball off the course and couldn't climb down to see where it landed. Allen gathers these golf balls daily and has quite a collection––several hundred that he plans to donate to a worthy cause locally. Perhaps a youth golf class. It's fun to see all the different colors. Any one in need of golf balls?