Spring is in the air in Northwest Arkansas but one has to be cautious about rushing the season. We have had cold spell in March and April. A few years ago we had a foot of snow just prior to Mother’s Day, so planting tender flowers too early can be an expensive mistake. On the bright side, birds are beginning to come to the feeder in variety and number. Here are a few examples.

You might expect the Cardinal to be a winter visitor but they are pretty much year-round residents.

Mocking birds are more frequently found in the rural parts of the county rather than amongst us city dwellers.

Robins are starting to show up and that is a sure sign that nest building will begin soon. They don’t seem to be the sharpest tack in the box, as I have seen them set up housekeeping in some very questionable locations.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

The theme this week at 4M is…Mar 16th yesterday was the “Isles of March” and tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day. Based on these find song picks to express whichever occasion inspires you.

I have chosen the Ides of March.According to the Roman calendar, the Ides are a monthly occurrence. In March and other months with 31 days, the Ides always falls on the 15th; it falls on the 13th in months with 30 days. The Ides traditionally marked the arrival of the new Moon and was cause for celebration. The word “Ides” is derived from Latin, meaning “to divide.”

Downy Woodpecker (Woody)

Aww…some Mondays

Yes, we still have squirrels and Rocky has taken over the feeder. First thing in the morning Lucy will sneak out onto the patio, come to a point and then chase the squirrels out of the yard. It gets the dog’s heart rate up and is great fun to watch.

When Lucy shows up, Rocky can be seen “high-talin’ it to his safe zone. Only to return as soon as the dog comes back into the house. It’s a game we play.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week at 4M it is freedom of choice, so anything goes. I noticed that The Voice and American Idol have started their seasons and both have made major changes to the format. The biggest change a The Voice is reducing the judge count to three. Over at Idol all of the preliminaries, including Hollywood Week were done in Nashville. Hollywood Week did not include a group sing challenge. All of these changes speak to shows that are maturing and production costs need to be controlled. I’m sure the cost of a forth judge at The Voice was several million annually. At Idol, I cannot imagine the cost of having the production crew set up in four or five cities for auditions. The expense of travel, hotels, meals etc for who knows how many staff versus planting the auditions on the Vanderbilt campus and inviting the talent to come to a single location, especially since two of the judges have residences in Nashville. With that said, let’s listen to a little music from previous Idol winners.

First up is Season 16 winner, Maddi Poppe. I’m not gonna lie, if you listen to more than a couple of songs you can hear a very heavy Taylor Swift influence.

Next up is Season 17 winner and Louisana heart throb, Lane Hardy with a song called Hurricane.

One of my favorite Idols was Jordan Sparks, winner of Season 6

Last up is 10 Winner Scotty McCreery.

That’s a wrap for this short trip down memory lane. What idol do you remember most and were they successful after the show. Carrie Underwood is the reining queen of country music and Kelly Clarkson has had a very successful career after her Season 1 victory. Have a blessed week.

Spring is Almost Here!

Aww…some Monday

Breakfast at the Bird Feeder

Monday’s Music Moves Me

Our prompt for this week at 4M is…The early Roman began the calendar year with March because it brought the first day of spring and new beginnings. The approaching changing seasons with the evidence of life’s return is visible in our area and perhaps where you live, too. Pick songs that reflect the mood of sunny spring weather.

The challenge here is that March in Northwest Arkansas can bring 8″ of snow, thunderstorms and 8″ of rain, or sunny skies and “Chamber of Commerce Weather”. I am inclined to pick thunderstorms so here a a couple of songs that come to mind.

Stormy weather has long been the inspiration for love lost or gone wrong. A song, with the title, Stormy Weather, was first sung by Ethel Watters in the Cotton Club, New York City 1933. Here is Etta James with a classic recording.

Most of us have experienced a little Stormy Weather in romance, but some have seen the relationship go wrong and they’ve heard it when TheThunder Rolls.

In 1940 there was a movie called Stormy Weather. There is a showstopping dance number called Jumpin Jive! Let’s wrap this up with a video that will put a smile on your face and long for the days of pure entertainment.

Squirrels 2.0

Aww…some Monday

We have several squirrels in our neighborhood. I have a bird feeder in the back yard and the squirrels hang out on the ground eating the seeds that the birds kick out of the feeder. I have had as many as four of these critters around the feeder at one time. When I let Lucy outside, she literally sneaks out onto the patio without them spotting her, then she does what cocker spaniels are supposed to do. She flushes them like a covey of quail and I get to capture Rocky and his friends scrambling in all directions, climbing the fence and leaving the area. When they’re not running from Lucy, the squirrels have spent their spare time trying to break into my birdseed source.

I have a five gallon bucket and lid that I got from Lowe’s. The lid seals the birdseed very well. The squirrels have literally tried to chew the lit off of the bucket to get to the birdseed. There are small pieces of blue plastic on the patio and the lid looks like it was attacked by a chainsaw. It looks like Lucy is going to have a very busy spring guarding the bucket and chasing these little bandits.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week at 4M is freedom of choice, meaning there is no theme and I can play anything I want, which is pretty much what I do anyway. I don’t really have a theme this week either so I thought I might just pick some songs and artists that are new to me. First up is Willow Avalon. I have never heard of her but she is a new country artist and this sound is one that is becoming popular in Nashville these days. Only time will tell if Willow is going to be a long time resident of Music City.

What do you get when you have an Englishman from Birmingham, UK, playing the sort of vintage two-steppin’ tunes that country’s founding fathers would be proud of? The unique and intriguing sound of Dom Glynn & His Sunday Best. I love these guys!

Kashus Culpepper hit it big in 2024 with the release of his tune ’After Me?’ to viral acclaim. From there, the hits just kept on coming, soulful country offerings like ‘Who Hurt You’ and ‘Out Of My Mind’ following and drawing more and more fans to his undeniable talent. Yet, there’s still so much more on the horizon for this quickly rising star.

Let’s wrap this up with Lanie Gardner, who has the only song here that I have ever heard. She wrote and recorded this song for the movie “Twister”. Have a blessed week.

We Had A Wedding 2.0

Bride & Groom with Bride’s Family

Bride & her mom having a quiet moment.

Father of the Bride having a special moment with his daughter.

It’s official!!!

We Had a Wedding!

Back in December these two got married and the photos just got back from the photographer. Yes, I did NOT take any of these photos. There were two photographers and they snapped over 1000 images! The gallery includes only the best, because a photographer never gives the client the good, the bad and the ugly! It was a beautiful ceremony and a very special day for the whole family. Enjoy the images.

The bride was stunning!!!

The Bride and her parents (Our daughter and son-in-law)

The Bride and her siblings.

The Bride & Groom with the Bride’s Family

The Bride & Groom with Us

Stay tuned, I will post additional images for Wordless Wednesday.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

What could be more appropriate for a post Valentine’s Day post than a wedding? Nothing, that’s what. So, in keeping with the photos above I’m going to post a few songs that I think are right for the occasion. First up, when we fall in love, there is that awkward time when you don’t know for sure if the person you’re dating likes you as much as you like them. You would just like to hand them a note and have them check the box.

The relationship becomes serious and you decide you want it to be a lifetime commitment, so you have to ask another question. Could I have this dance?

Both families come from a background of faith and these two will make the Savior the center of their marriage. Based on that, they can both say, “I’m Gonna Love You Forever and Ever, Amen.”

Happy Valentine’s Day