AUGUST 2018 - JUST THIS MOMENT

“Just This Moment” is intended to be a collection of those small moments in which you are truly present in your life - at just that moment. The images may not be frame-worthy, but are moments that fill you with joy, allow you to experience a moment of gratitude, make you smile, touch your heart, and/or make your soul sing. I encourage you to share your “moment” here with me, but I will get us started with this…

HUMMINGBIRDS AND A RACCOON

I am very fortunate that our home has a sunroom that I use as my studio. All the windows provide great light, but they also allow me to enjoy all the wildlife that visit our yard. We have a lot of birds, butterflies, foxes, deer, roadrunner, … and one ornery raccoon that is not scared of us in the slightest. He bangs around at night and cops an attitude when we turn on lights to see what is going on in the backyard. So, he/she made for some funny emails and text messages this month. Here are a few that I hope will make you laugh:

August 9, 2018
I have a funny story. I’ve been feeding the hummingbirds right outside my studio window. Night before last, the feeder was almost full before I went to bed. Yesterday morning it was empty so I made more “juice”. This morning the whole feeder was gone. I think the raccoon who visits at night has a sweet tooth. 

Just so you know, I searched the yard. I found the feeder dirty, but, thankfully, unbroken - including the glass.  Whew! Unfortunately, the “S” hook that allows the feeder to hang was not to be found. So, I got a metal binder ring and put that on the feeder until I  could find a replacement. After going to a few stores over the next few days, I finally found a new, larger, hummingbird feeder, and started making new batches of “juice”. Boy, was this becoming a chore keeping up with the raccoon - I mean, hummingbirds. It all makes it worthwhile when the hummingbirds hover outside my window, almost like they are telling me thank you before they zip off to other adventures. But, Sunday morning, the new feeder was missing - AGAIN. I had to search the yard and finally found it  close to one of the gates in our yard, and the “O” ring was in the flowerbed. I am determined to keep this feeder for the hummingbirds, so I implemented a plan…

August 20, 2018
So… yesterday I made another batch of hummingbird nectar. I’ve almost run through all of the sugar we have so I decided to zip tie the hummingbird feeder to the Shepherd’s hook. This morning I came into the studio to find the zip tie, or, maybe I should say, the remnants of the zip tie, untethered from the feeder. The feeder is empty and the “O” ring is beginning to resemble an “S” ring. BUT, the hummingbird feeder is still on the hook. I’m not sure this is progress, but it sure is an adventure every morning. :-) I guess I’ll be purchasing some sugar when I get out again.

YOUR TURN

So, what was your Moment this month? Post your image, or leave a comment below. If you prefer, tag me on Instagram using @siennasuzan and/or use the hashtag #gratefulmomentphoto.