Melting and Muddy

The snow is melting and the water is running.  The skunks are out doing what skunks do to escape extinction.   We smelled one a couple miles away.  There are none in the culverts because the culverts are running full of water. They will go back to sleep before emerging in spring with babies.  I have taken the peanut butter jar in for now …no sense flirting with danger. ( Have I said I hate skunks?  I do.  I am not sure what purpose they serve other than to be stinky and irritate me.  We don’t have a compost pile that has food scraps in it…only leaves.)

Three inches of snow at the snowstick in the morning March 7. Photo taken from the inside of the house.

Later in the day the stick was surrounded by 3 1/2 inches of water. Is it premature to call Sam the winner?  She guessed March 10.

With the exception of one day we are supposed to have highs in the 50’s until mid March.  Unseasonably warm for March.

Sam you are the winner this time!  I have your address.  If it should snow again and get at least three inches at the snow stick I will reopen the contest with the same guesses that can be found here.

Here is some mud for ya x 12 paws…

When you get tired of playing ball you eat snow with friends at the snow bar and the snow helps clean your paws.

Chance: I got company

Hiya it’s me Chance!  I have been busy, I got me some company…I love them and they love me.  One day we parked next to them and we serenaded the whole parking lot.

Here they are Miss Miney and Little Elvis….they are barkers Shetland Sheepdogs or Shelties and they are my bestest friends in the whole world.

We are the official escorts to get the mail. We all herd differently, the main idea is to get the mail and take it back home. 

Along the way we saw Lumbermason…and he stopped to visit.  He even petted Miss Miney…strange for her to let a stranger touch her…perhaps she is mellowing in her old age.  Little Elvis didn’t want anyone strange to touch him…his stranger danger meter is high.  Me on the other hand…well I love everyone and consider everyone my friend even if they don’t like dogs.

Lumbermason lives next door….his name should have been Jack…he likes to cut wood.

We all had a good walk, Far Guy has a walking stick with a sharp end that pokes into the ice. About this time Far Side headed home and I followed her and then Miss Miney and Little Elvis followed too…so we got to play ball!

We still have snow.  Here is the snowstick.

Stay tuned it may warm up and rain this week.

Melting

Yesterday it melted a bunch.

Will it be a mud hole or skating rink on Sunday?  Depends on the temperature.  Saturdays high was 50F or 10C eh!

Don’t worry there is still snow at the snow stick.

I went to the wood shop for awhile.  Still don’t have the Christmas Ornament for 2016 decision made, I will be working on a prototype this week. My first idea is just not workable.

We went for a ride before supper/ after my nap complete with dreams of playing cards with Barry from Oklahoma with photographs and arguing with him about a trip to the casino.  You know how hard it is to shuffle photographs?  But it was nice to have a lively discussion with Barry.( We always play cards with Barry and laugh and argue.)

There are eight deer in the distance. 

Snow and other stuff

We got some more snow it brought the snow stick up a bit.

Lovely isn’t it.

We have been busy and exhausted.  Far Guy said yesterday “If I croak you will be so bored.”  This was during our second trip to town for the day…usually we go to town once a week…not twice a day.

Men do read instructions, I have proof I caught him reading the instructions to the IV Pump.  They sent a checklist so we should be able to figure it all out between the two of us.  The bill said it would be $ 2,500 weekly …so I hope insurance covers it…yes you read that right a two and a five and two zeros with no decimal point…must be the new and improved affordable care act.

The driveway.

We had a thought about ten days ago, we were in the vehicle going for a ride, it was something we should have done before we left the house but we could do immediately when we got home.  Well that was ten days ago and neither of us can remember exactly what it was.  Old age is coming on fast.

We had a long time friend who we were both very fond of.  He carried a little notebook and a pencil in his pocket of his True Value Hardware blue shirt. Now we understand.

The store in Osage was getting new shingles yesterday.

Yesterday there was a strange bright orb in the sky. I had to wear my sunglasses.

February Thaw

We are having a thaw, what a mess.  It just makes for icy areas that will eventually be covered by snow.  Hip breakers.

We still have some snow. It was 36 F or 2 C eh! yesterday.

Lets call it five inches of snow at the snowstick.

I tried to work in the woodshop yesterday…tool troubles caused a hissy fit and a near melt down, I came in and collapsed on the couch.  I am going to buy my very own Rotary Tool and smile when I hand back Far Guy his piece of crap junk that doesn’t work for me.  He has no problems with it…when he is in the woodshop I just ask for his assistance.  I know I am mechanically challenged…but still…why do some things have to be so difficult.

This is my after Christmas look at the wreath by the door.  Rummage sale stuff.

This is another rummage sale bargain.  I need to touch up the paint on the flowers and fix that poor birds leg.  I know it is kinda Christmasy but I still like it.

HP is sending a box so Far Guy can mail back his computer.  He is using the laptop for the moment.  He has it hooked up to his monitor and says it isn’t too bad.  We usually only use the laptop when we are away from home. 

Snow Stick Contest 2016

I figured I better get a move on with the snow stick contest.

Right now we have nine inches of snow at the snow stick.  A winner will be declared when the stick is surrounded by water or when the snow is all gone.  Here is some snow stick history.

2011  April 8
2012  March 13
2013  April 30
2104  April 10
2015  March 11
Right now we have nine inches of snow at the snow stick.

I took this photo last night just before dark through the window…too lazy to go back outside…it was cold out there.

Please enter a date and either morning or afternoon with your guess.
So what about a prize?  It might be a carving!  Maybe…it is a good possibility!

I have been working on some little carvings.  These still need window and door holes but it has been too cold to go to the wood shop to finish them. I use power tools that raise dust. They also need to be painted…but they will be finished sometime this spring…probably about the same time as the snow melts.

Please enter by leaving a comment with your guess, for you shy ones you know the email. Guessing will remain open until Sunday night Feb 14 at 9PM.  Please check back to make sure I got your guess correct!

Date and AM or PM   Happy guessing!


Guesses:
Auntie Pam Feb 29 PM
Linda Reeder March 4 PM
Sam I Am March 10 PM
Elaine S March 12 PM
Gail March 13 3 PM
diane March 15 AM
linda M March 15 PM
the crazysheeplady March 16 PM
Linda in Alberta March 18 PM
Shirley March 20 PM
The Furry Gnome March 21 AM
Sonja March 21 PM
LD March 23 PM
Cynthia March 25 PM
Gravy March 26 AM
Intense Guy March 26 PM
Jan March 27 AM
Karen March 27 PM
Rita March 28 PM
Kathy March 29 PM
Pee Jay March 30 AM
Wendy Danielson March 30 PM
Red March 30 PM
Country Gal March 30 PM
Terry and Linda April 1 AM or PM??
DJan April 1 PM
Mildred April 2 AM
Anonymous ?? April 2 PM
Anonymous (Sharon) April 4 PM
lisa April 5 PM
carrington April 9 PM
MJM April 15 AM
Molly M April 21 AM

Odds and Ends

I finally got the Christmas Flag down and the Valentine’s Day Flag up.

Then again everyday might be valentines day around here…we already passed the card aisle in Wallyworld and I said we should look at the cards now while the selection is good.  Better yet… together we gazed down the chocolate aisle!

I spent one morning working on taxes and can go no further until all the W-2’s are here.  I kept the shredder going for a good long time.  I will be glad when it can be taken to the accountant. 
It rained some more and the snow at the snowstick is shrinking.
See all the leaves and twigs?  That is from the gale force winds we had for a few days.
I gave Chance a bit of a trim…feet and in between the pads of his feet. Trimmed his nails too…he really doesn’t like it but I felt he was a little ouchy.   Sometimes he even refuses to play ball…and since he is not running like he used to his nails are growing. He is having a hard time going up and down the stairs, his hind legs just don’t want to cooperate sometimes.  

Snow and A Gift

It snowed and snowed some more.  It snowed most of the day Thursday.  We had about three inches at the snow stick…now we have more.

I waited for the snow to stop so I could shovel, it never stopped so I will shovel today.  We are going back into the deep freeze this weekend so all outside work must be done Friday.  Fun.

What makes a snowy day better?  Why a gift in the mail! Isn’t the card just the cutest!

These are Benne Wafers a gift from Cynthia who lives in the Lowcountry.  (Former Minnesota gal) Thank you so much Cynthia!  They were delicious!  One was broken so we even shared a little with Chance!

Cynthia shared the history: Benne Wafers are unique to the Lowcountry.  Benne (the Bantu word for sesame) seeds were brought from Madagascar through West Africa to the southern United States by African slaves.  The sesame plants were set among the rice fields and tended by slaves.  Benne Wafers were made and enjoyed from pre-Revolutionary war times to the present.

The Third Snow

The rain turned to ice and then to snow.  It wouldn’t have been so bad if we could have stayed home.

Far Guy had an early appointment in Fargo ( 85 miles away).  We slipped and slid there early in the morning.  His Doctor ordered a CT Scan of his lungs and an Ultrasound of his liver.  All tests were completed in 42 minutes. The technician said “I thought for sure you would call and cancel.” Nope we wanted to get it over with. The sun came out and the roads dried out and they were just fine until Detroit Lakes where we stopped for breakfast…blueberry pancakes for me yum!  Far Guy had some Chicken Biscuit Gravy thing.

The price of gasoline is  under $2.00 a gallon.

The last 33 miles home were icy.  Three cars in the ditch.  We slid a couple of times.  Enough to say “Oh crap” or worse a couple of times.

This car crossed over three lanes of traffic to hit the ditch.

People were driving too fast, and it didn’t help that the wind was gusting to 40 mph.

Winter is here.

I took a photo of the snow stick just before taking my afternoon nap.  We were glad to be home safe and sound. 

My report:  Far Guy does have a gizzard (gallbladder) all these years I thought he was missing his…but I saw it on the ultrasound.  He also has a liver, and he has a small cyst on his right kidney…which according to the Ultrasound gal is a normal occurrence.

Evening comes early

Evening comes so early it is still afternoon. 

Chance and I sat out long before supper and watched the sunset through the trees.  Ribbons of pink mingled with the blue sky.  The day started out dreary and cloudy but then the sun broke through the clouds!  It was just about 60 F or 15C eh!  It was almost summer like.

We could hear Mason and Anna next door enjoying the last of the day. The childhood chatter mingled with the noise from the highway.  Noise easily filters through the naked trees…cars slowing for the corner and then racing down the road for two miles before the next corner.

We checked the placement of the Snowstick for 2015-2016.  Ready, set don’t snow yet!

I should have had it out last week when it snowed!  Whatever… it is ready now.

I threw the ball for Chance until he was tired.  Then we settled down on the patio to watch the solar lights come on slowly one by one…one flickers and has been flickering nightly for about 20 minutes and then it just goes out.  Have you ever tried to take apart one of those little suckers…other than a pinched wire they somehow get water inside and won’t work after that….at least that is my diagnosis.

I might put a couple of glass flowers out by that wagon wheel…no one should be flinging snow in that direction.  I will have to make a decision soon…maybe tomorrow.