Monday, February 28, 2011

Goodbye February

Ticking off the winter months. Spring isn't far off. And I'm so ready. Although even I have to admit the wildlife look so pretty against the background of bright white snow. Birds, birds, birds, squirrels, and deer.
  
Mr. and Mrs.




Regular visitors include cardinals, tufted titmice, nuthatches, a red bellied woodpecker, downy woodpeckers, doves and, and, and...


                            ...squirrels.











But, oh baby, it's been cold outside. So we've snuggled in...even on sunny days...keeping company with laptops, TV, cat, and dog.
 
Cleo didn't like the sun so she moved on over to the other couch and snuggled up with me. 

Cat nap.     


Phoebe toweling off after a bath.




Monday, February 21, 2011

Yep...more snow

Heavy, wet, 8 or 10 inches. Maybe a foot. Trees sagging, roads slippery, parking lots inaccessible (at least the one I wanted to get in this morning). Tom cleared off my car before he left for work, bless him. The trail he and his van forged down the driveway helped me and my little P.T. get out a couple of hours later. Once in town I parked on the road rather than risk getting stuck in the church parking lot. I couldn't update the church website -- my main job on Mondays. The toner for the copier won't arrive until later this week -- I've been dead in the water on that front since last Wednesday. And, I spent way too much time on the phone with Verizon this a.m. -- but I think the issues are all worked out now.

My faithful P.T. powered his way right back up the driveway this afternoon. I was expecting to get stuck. Sometimes it's nice not to get what you expect.

I thought of a way to solve the website problem -- not a for sure fix, but a definite maybe. If I go back to the church. I could combine the trip with errands and  picking up groceries. Should I chance my luck one more time with the driveway? Or snuggle on the couch with a good read? I think I'll close my eyes and think about it...  just for... a few minutes. 

zzzzzz.....

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Winter's Broke

Poor grammar aside...we enjoyed a very welcome melt down. Parking lots that were veritable ice rinks and huge piles of snow clogging intersections and driveways are reduced to mud and slush -- so much better than frozen dirt, slippery pavement, and snow -- sort of.  Across the fields plenty of white can still be seen, but it's crusty and sparse. More grass is visible than snow. The thermometer hit 59 degrees yesterday. Harbingers of spring teasing the daylights out of us. Today, down to the 20's. Brrrr. During those two warm days I didn't hear any spring peepers.. So even though it seems winter's broke...I know it'll gather itself back up...won't be on its way out of town till about the end of March. Nice break though.
French Creek fertilizing our back field -- the flats.
For short periods of time every year, winter/spring meltdowns makes ours a river-front property. When it all settles, the creek bank is just beyond that tree line. A lovely walk across the field to have a picnic, launch a canoe, build a fire and roast marshmallows. Hope springs eternal.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Here's What I Was Trying to Add

The World Wide Idol

That's my boy! Well, one of them.
David won a music contest at the World Wide Idol dot Com but I can't seem to capture the picture, so in lieu of that, here's the link. I mean there's the link. And another:
www.youtube.com
Chris Tomlin's I will follow mashup by David Henning. Featured songs in medley: Our God and I will rise. imovie and Garageband tools used.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Vitamin D, Frostbite? Vitamin D, Frostbite?

Ow, ow, ow, my fingers hurt.I was out catching a little vitamin D. All you need is to bare your forearms, hands and face on a sunny day (no matter how cold?) for 15 minutes and the exposed skin will absorb a day's worth of vitamin D. I did that. Walked to the mailbox and back 3 or 4 times, frontwards down, backwards up so my face would keep facing Mr. Sunshine. I'm not sure that was 15 minutes worth so I decided to sit on the front porch and continue my sunbath. Chickadees and nuthatches, a tufted titmouse and a ladder back woodpecker joined me. They weren't the least bit intimidated by my presence near their feeder. I was talking to them and still they didn't flutter away... That was just too good, I had to get a camera. Look at this. I took off my slipper so the camera could see how close a little chickadee was to my foot -- when his buddy landed right on my foot. Another sat on my lap and hopped down my leg. Another landed on my head. I swear I'm not making this up. I couldn't capture those shots with my digital camera, my feathered friends aren't that tame -- but if I had a photographer I'll betcha it could have been done.








This is the big attraction -- a snowman birdfeeder filled with shelled sunflower seeds, a Christmas gift from Tom's sister.
The little birdies are feeling the love and showing their gratitude, which blessed me no end! Blessed me so much I didn't notice that my fingers were freezing off. I hope I got the vitamin D I was after to make up for the painful thawing out process. Ow, ow, ow.