July Backyard Birds

I've been home from our trip since June 28 -----and I'm just now doing a "Bird Blog"....  What's up with that??????  ha ha..... WELL, first of all,  I put all of my bird seed and feeders AWAY for the 3 weeks we were gone...(I knew that the raccoons would get them the first day or two anyhow!)  SO---when we got home,  I had a little fear that the birds would forget me and NOT come back.  Many people had assured me that they WOULD return --but I wasn't totally sure.  Guess what though?????  They did return!!!!  Yeah!!!

SO---since I know you are yearning for one of my famous bird blogs (GAG),  I am going to show you some of my sweeties who posed for the camera this week... Above is one of my good buds,  a PILEATED WOODPECKER. We have 3 of them --who flit around the trees in the backyard  --taking turns at the suet feeder... SO CUTE!!!!

Next is another favorite woodpecker of mine,  our  NORTHERN FLICKER.  This one is a female since she doesn't have a mustache.

Here's a regular visitor also, and is our tiniest woodpecker,  the DOWNY.  I think she was the first one back to the feeders when I put them up on June 29.  It's as if she was 'watching'... She does not have a little red spot on the back of her head like the males do.

Another frequent visitor is one of our noisy BLUE JAYS.  They are pretty birds and are with us except during the winter... I don't know where they go ---but they leave my home! Male and female Bluejays are VERY similar in appearance.

Always a favorite,  the AMERICAN CARDINALS frequent our area --and they were happy to see me come home I'm sure.  They have been busy (like most of our birds) having babies. They are the first birds at the feeders early in the morning and the last ones to come at night.
Above is Daddy Cardinal ---and he looks a little bedraggled since I took his picture after a rain storm.  He also is beginning to molt. BUT--he's still a beautiful little bird.  Wonder what that is in his mouth????  Looks like a green leaf....?????

More colorful summer beauties are our GOLDFINCHES.  We have had many Goldfinches around this summer.   This one is a female ---as she is duller than the males and doesn't have black on her head.

This little beauty,  one of our MOURNING DOVES,  loves to 'take over' the big plate feeder ---and protect it from other birds.  They are at the feeders in the late evenings more than any other time of day.  The plate feeder is close to our door--and I was taking the picture JUST  inside the door. He was 'watching' me --but didn't fly away when I got so close. The males have a blue head/nape and the females have a brownish gray head/nape.






Finally,  here is one more CUTIE PIE for you...

WHOOPS----how did this one get in this blog post??????  Goodness Gracious.... Maybe I will name her a "DEER-BIRD"... ha ha ha.....  (Just couldn't resist putting this one in for you...  She was having a staring contest with me when I took this picture recently.... I was telling her to stay away from our Lilies and Roses!!!!  Think she will listen??????)

Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my little Cuties....

Remember NOT to miss my blog post on Friday....  It's one which will probably make you say  "WOW"... At least I hope so!!!!!

Hugs,

Henry Whitehead Cabin, Cades Cove, TN

Now---take off your cowboy boots and let's leave the 'west' for today.... I'm taking you back to my area and one of my favorite places,  Cades Cove--in the Smoky Mountains.

On May 23, 2011,  George and I took a day-trip to the Smokies.  We went through Cades Cove and then rode across Parson's Branch Road.   You probably remember my June blogs talking about our 'crazy' trip on that rough road.   IF you missed any of those posts,  you can go to my sidebar,  scroll down to labels and click on CADES COVE 2011.

Today,  I will show you another cabin we visited that day near the Cades Cove Loop Road --entitled the Henry Whitehead Cabin...  Above is a picture of the cabin,  found in the Chestnut Flats area of Cades Cove.  Below are more.

When we post pictures of old homes and cabins,  many of you ask to see the inside.  SO---here is what the inside of the Henry Whitehead Cabin looks like now. Don't you just hate to see it when people scribble graffiti in places like this... GADS!!!!

Here is a picture of the side of the house.  Can you tell that this used to be TWO different cabins??????  Seems as if Matilda (Aunt Tildy) Shields married Henry Whitehead after her first husband ran off... (Shame on him!)...  Henry built the front portion, which was Aunt Tildy's DREAM HOME,  in 1895.

Note the brick chimney in the 'newer' cabin.  That brick chimney was unheard of in  this area at the time.  This structure might be called the ultimate log cabin,  or sometimes called a 'transition house' due to its near-perfect construction from logs sawed straight and flat at a nearby mill.  Soon the mill-sawed lumber would replace log cabins with frame construction.  By the way though,  this is the only cabin built like this still standing today in the Smokies.

SO---what about the little cabin in back, you ask???????   Well---when Aunt Tildy's first husband left her (shame on him)---her brothers quickly built this cabin for Tildy to live in. .  I love seeing the old stone-rubble chimney.   Miss Tildy lived in that little cabin until Henry courted and married her----and then built her Smoky Mountain Dream Home!!!

Here is a picture of the old fireplace --from the inside... Neat, huh?

This little building out back of the cabin was their corn crib.  Wonder if there were any snakes inside there????? We didn't check it out --for some reason!!! ha

While walking around the yard at the Whitehead Cabin,  I noticed a group of butterflies on the ground ---so knowing me,  I just HAD to take a picture... Some of you butterfly people will need to tell me what these are..  All I know is that they are 'purdy'...

Finally,  here is one more picture of the Henry Whitehead Cabin for you... WE enjoyed visiting Aunt Tildy's first home --and then her 'dream' home....  Sounds like she did well the 2nd time around when it comes to husbands.

By the way,  some trivia for you (which I'm sure you want to know):  Aunt Tildy's son from her FIRST marriage became one of the prominent producers of moonshine in Cades Cove during the Prohibition.... (Just knew you wanted to know that!!!!)

Have a great day, and mark your calendars now:  Don't miss my blog on Friday this week... It's a favorite of mine....
Hugs,