I decided to go with a letter “B” theme for this post since December has been filled with good things that start with the letter “B”. First…

Birds. Our dining room has become a bird blind with the addition of multiple feeding stations outside the windows in all directions. It is fun to sit inside on a cold day with the Christmas lights and decorations, watching our own little nature channel right outside. So far we’ve attracted a good variety of regular visitors: Carolina Chickadees, Tufted (Black-Crested) Titmice, Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, Scrub Jays, White Winged Doves, House Finches, American Goldfinches, Bewick’s and Carolina Wrens, Chipping Sparrows, Yellow Throated and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, and Ruby-Crowned Kinglets. Oh and squirrels. Active, agile, cute-as-a-button, orange-bellied squirrels (Eastern Fox Squirrels, to be accurate). I’ve heard them described as “cute tree rats”. Oh well, we like them anyway.

We have seen a Greater Road Runner out front but not since putting up feeders. We’d like to see it again. I wonder how one attracts a Road Runner? Hmmmm… National Geographic’s “Birds of America” states they eat “insects, lizards, snakes, rodents, and small birds”. With all the small birds at our feeders, maybe we just need to wait and be patient! I know there are lizards too as Grayson brings them in and lets them go. If Dottie is barking and whining madly under the bed, we’re likely to find one there!

Our most exciting sighting wasn’t at home. We were almost to Rockport on Christmas Day when I spied a couple dozen cranes in a flooded field next to the road. We were really stoked as the majority of endangered Whooping Cranes, about 250 birds, winter on the Texas coast. People come from all over the world to see them. And there they just were. Merry Christmas to us! Well, upon further investigation, they were Sandhill Cranes, not the rare Whooping Cranes, but oh well… like the squirrels… we liked them anyway.

Babies. Won’t be able to use the “B” word for the twins much longer. Grace and Emmett are 1 year old now. And they toddle. Not without a little support quite yet but they are speedy as it is. It won’t be long before they’re doing it fully on their own. I flew to California for the birthday event. I hadn’t seen them in three months and wow … they changed. Imagine how grown up they’ll be when I see them again in June! It’s hard to really believe how it was this time last year, with both of them still in the hospital. They’ve come so far. We are forever grateful for the blessing of Grace and Emmett.

Boat. We bought a boat this week! It’s raining and cold so it has only sat in the driveway so far symbolizing fun to come! It’s a 1997 22′ Parti Kraft pontoon boat, not pristine but we had a budget! It’s intended to be our “living room on the lake” and we can’t wait to get out on the water. Some sun and temps over 40 degrees would sure make it more inviting and … good news on the weather forecast just now … sunny and warmer coming right up for New Year’s Eve. And we have sparklers too!

My fingers are crossed it will be nice the first week in February when Judi comes to visit. Our first out-of-state visitor, I’m so excited! For the rest of you… you know you’re welcome. We’ll leave the lights on!