GRAND Social link party No. 104 plus a humming snow bird

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A humming snow bird

One of the nature centers in my city hosts an annual hummingbird festival the first weekend or two of May, the time when hummingbirds begin arriving to the area. The 21st Hummingbird Festival was held Saturday, and though I was in Boston until Saturday night, I understand the weather was fabulous for the festival and hummingbirds were appropriately honored.

hummingbird at feeder

Sunday morning it quickly...

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Awww-worthy BEARS entertains and inspires (review and activity freebies)

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I usually save movie reviews for Saturdays, but this one I simply must share with you now as Easter weekend is prime time for enjoying a movie with family. BEARS from Disneynature opens tomorrow, so if you're looking for a film both young and old will enjoy for the holiday (or any day), BEARS just might be the ticket.

Bears movie poster

I had the opportunity to...

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More than just a zoo

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I have a love/hate relationship with zoos. I hate that animals are caged and domesticated to a degree simply so we humans can ooh, aah and ogle the once wild — and sometimes rare — creatures.

That's the hate part of it. The love part is the amazement in the eyes of children when they see the creatures up close, as well as my love for photographing such moments. And I love, too, photographing the animals. It's hard to resist the lure of a good zoo.

boys at aquarium

When Jim and I spent some time with Bubby and Mac a couple weeks ago, we visited one zoo that's far more than a zoo...

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The view from here

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deer grazing 

When Jim and I bought our current house — after more than 20 years in a house that afforded us a daily view of Pikes Peak... in the winter when there weren't leaves on the trees to obstruct our view — we lamented the loss of any fantastic views. With this house, we had opted for a magnificent interior over majestic mountain views.

That said, I do regularly wax unapologetically about wanting to raze the house next door. It was built many years after our house, and it completely...

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