A Tad Cranky

 I am sure Far Guy would agree with me...that I am a tad cranky.  

My visit to the Dermatologist was a failure...biopsies of head, shoulder and chin ( betcha thought I was going to say knees and toes). Uffda.  The chin one was something she called a pearl...and she doubts it is cancer.  For the others we await the pathology report.  Since taking all the biologics for Rheumatoid Arthritis...skin cancer is popping up all over.  

Our town is changing, one of the grocery stores is closing. It was a store I only went into a few times a year...because the produce department smelled rotten all the time and the meat section had a strange odor. 

 One of the restaurants is closing. We went there once in awhile for breakfast.  Since covid they have been closed Tuesdays and Wednesday. 

Walmart did an entire remodel...I have not been inside Walmart since last Fall...I just order groceries to be picked up.  Who knew...new floors...stuff stacked higher than a very tall person can reach...nothing is where it used to be.  I went inside for Aileen's Clear glue...they don't carry it anymore or they moved it so far I never found it...Elmer's tough glue will have to do. It remains to been seen if it works as good as Aileens.  I complained at the self check out when the gal there asked if I found everything...yum...NO.  She said she was sorry but many things have been discontinued.  Oh well...I am a Walmart Plus member so I get free shipping...so if Fed X has to deliver stuff a couple of times a week...

Then...get this...I noticed on Facebook that one of the small Mom and Pop restaurants in a really small town nearby was bought by a honest to goodness Chef.  I saw their ad...it said half price dinners $60.00  I thought wow then half price would be $30.00 alrighty then.  I went to the website...the regular price is $120.00 per person, they have two seatings a night and you should make a reservation with a deposit of $20 per person.  The menu...lots of fancy stuff that I would not eat anyway...well maybe the brownie for dessert!  This restaurant is located just off a highway that is going to be under construction all Summer.   So much for fancy...then again maybe people will show up in limo's from Fargo and Minneapolis/St. Paul.   I can just see ladies in heels walking through a road construction zone. 

Needless to say I rarely spend $120 a week for groceries...so those prices are out of my comfort zone. 

Other small town rumors: The old bowling alley was demolished last Fall and a new building is being built in it's place...it may or may not have event rooms and pizza.  That makes four pizza shops in town. The Furniture Store in town that has been having a moving sale for a couple of years is moving into a different building...and the event rooms there may or may not be used.  A new Ice Cream shop may open...that makes four ice cream shops in town not counting Dairy Queen.  One eatery downtown may or may not have caused a whole family to have food poisoning.  As far as I know there are no new auto parts stores slated to open...perhaps the max has been reached with four.  So if you need auto parts, pizza or ice cream you should be able to find some in town....oh yes and candy...but there are only three candy shops to choose from. 

Not much green here yet...this is Shell River at what we call the dead beaver area. 

Far Side

Out

 I went out to lunch way back in the boonies with a very old friend yesterday who is turning 70 years old today!  Happy Birthday Susie!   We lived across the street from each other when our first borns were just little...that was 47 years ago.  We had so much fun at lunch!  She was daycare for our grandsons Noah and Adam when they were just little. 

I came home to rest in the afternoon and in the evening Far Guy and I went out for a ride. 

Shell River at the Dead Beaver Area the water is way down.

We need rain the lawn is turning brown and scrunches under your feet. 

Far Side

Mostly Brown

 The grass is greening up nicely but the woods are mostly brown.

Shell River is up a tad, I suppose the suckers are running....that was practically a Holiday in years past. 

A Indigo Bunting visited yesterday, some times they stick around most of the Summer hanging out at the edge of the woods.   We have a Blue Jay that irritates a Robin every morning....not sure if they are fighting for food, space or territory.   I put out the Humming Bird Feeder and low and behold a hummer visited! We also have a male Bluebird.  

Far Side

Day off

 I ran errands in town on my "day off" due to no ironing.   I visited my parents, they are adjusting well and seem happy in their new apartment. 

Far Guy cooked supper...hamburgers with bacon, corn and french fries.   I laid on the couch with my feet up and was available as a consultant if need be. 

Far Guy's sister was very sleepy and hardly awake at all yesterday.  She did send a message to her brother via her husband that she loves him.  She is not eating much at all anymore, a spoon of applesauce with her pills and a spoon of carrots.  Very hard to see her go downhill. We hear that the Hospice nurses are very kind and good about helping out her husband, daughter and son in law as they all care for her at home. 

We went for a ride down to the river to the area I call "dead beaver area."

 It was a dreary evening we are supposed to get some more snow to make it look like a winter wonderland again...ain't that just peachy keen. 

Far Side

Fall Activities

 I am getting ready for retreat.   I packed most of what I will need.  For days I had stuff laying all over.  I plan to work on the Christmas Cards and one of my Mosaic Crochet Projects....the one that has 20 squares and I have 13 done working on number 14.   I have not been to retreat for two years.

Yesterday I mowed the grass...with the rain we had it is actively growing again.   I mowed it pretty short with hopes that the leaves will sail across the lawn and go into the woods!

Very soon it will be leaf mulching time... I usually can get it done on 10 nice days before it snows.

Far Guy worked on woodcarving the Christmas Ornaments.  I have 70 ready to paint someday when things slow down. 

Far Side

Shell River at the Dead Beaver Area

Rain and more rain

Our rain amount increases just about every day.

The Shell River at the Dead Beaver Area is up….not over the road yet.  And no I did not get out of the vehicle to see how much more until the culvert is full.

You can probably hear the corn grow inbetween rain storms.

Dry Farmer’s field is looking good.  I could see some tassels just emerging.

I am waiting for the rain to stop so I can mow the lawn.  I have been keeping busy inside, seems like I always find something to do.

We have a couple of wild dogs running around.  We are keeping a good eye on Chance. We don’t want him hurt.  Two dogs could overpower the old guy.  Far Guy is taking his hiking stick with him when he walks.  I encountered the Black Lab/Pitbull Mix one morning, I think his name is Chance or something that sounds like Chance.  I have not seen the Great Dane yet.  I have been trying to get a photo of them with no luck.  Social Media has been no help finding the owners IF they want to be found.

Our Internet Provider is having issues since the storm the other day, our internet is intermittent at best.  They say they are working on it.

Catkins

The fuzzy little catkins that are an early sign of spring have sprung.

The river at the Dead Beaver Area is a nice backdrop for some Pussy Willows.

They give me hope that spring will come someday.  The daily snow flurries will stop, the North wind will stop blowing and our daytime temperatures will go above the 30’s maybe even into the 40’s. 

Early Spring Wildlife

We went for a ride after supper on a wonderfully warm evening.  As it turns out we were not the only ones out.  These were all photos taken within 3 miles of home.

One duck at the dead beaver area, there were more but they flew off into the sun.

Two Swans on Guyles Lake, we called them early squatters because there is no open water yet.  Usually Guyles Lake has two set of Swans.  We decided they had a long flight and were resting out on the ice safe from predators.

Six Wild Turkeys in the shadows of the Smoky Hills.

Six Deer down by the creek on Ashley’s Road.

 

A gaggle of Canada Geese in Steve and Jo’s cornfield sparkling in the evening sun.

We also saw three pair of Trumpeter Swans in Donnie’s corn field and two deer (one a huge buck…we could tell by the way he was walking) in the opening by my parents old resort and five or six more deer on the edge of the Canada Geese cornfield.

It was a great wildlife ride. 

Life at the river

We went for a ride shortly before sunset last night.  Chance is ever vigilant looking out his window..for him one last game of ball after supper and a ride cap off a perfect day.

It didn’t snow yesterday!!

Dead Beaver area is just about two miles from our house and it is a favorite area of ours.  I named it Dead Beaver Area the year that we saw a beaver struggling and then dying in a trap.

The beavers are alive and well this year..

This is their work area.

These ducks took off.

Not perfect photographs..but at least they are not total blurs.

Some kind of water fowl taking off and a Bufflehead Duck in the lower right corner.

As you can see we still have plenty of snow.  The sun was out all day long but it looked warmer than it was. My parents came out for lunch.  I worked on some wood carvings, Far Guy made a couple of woodcarving knives.  We just putzed the whole day away.

A pair of Swans came down the river.  We drove around some of the back roads and came home just as the sun was setting.  It sets way North now..since we still have snow it doesn’t seem right..but it is what it is. 

No field work being done yet.  I am sure the farmers are just as anxious as everyone else to have spring.  I hope you have spring where you live..enjoy it for me too! :)

March 17 2012

The yard is brown.  Even though the temperatures are warm..almost 70 degrees yesterday, it feels like spring but it does not look like spring yet. 

You can see the snow stick on the right.   Far Guy has been waging war with the acorns.  There was such a good crop that you could be propelled across the lawn on them.  He had the old mower out and tried to chop them up..you cannot blame a guy for trying.
Ugly bug warning!

These bugs are hitting the windows at night..this one was out during the day.  I call them June Bugs..I did not take Entomology.  Anyways these bugs did not get the memo that it is March and technically still winter. They usually hit the windows in May not in March.
Our hundreds of Red Polls that were here and eating thistle seed like it was their last supper left with the warm weather.  There were about six hanging around the feeders yesterday along with our normal Woodpeckers, Nuthatches and Chickadees.
We went down to the Dead Beaver Area on the river yesterday to see how it was melting.



We are having great date nights this week. Tonight is the third night in a row for a “date.”  Hockey is pretty good  lately..The Fighting Sioux pulled out a win last night..they played the Minnesota Gophers.  We are Sioux fans..turncoats, I know. Tonight they play again..Denver.  I usually watch from one couch and Far Guy from the other, I sometimes doze off between goals,  Far Guy does a play by play commentary so I can keep my eyes closed and still keep up with the game…sometimes I find his voice so soothing I wake myself up snoring:)

Out and About

One afternoon ( Wednesday Nov 08 before the snow..which melted! ) we went out and about for a ride.  Chance and I  were a little stir crazy.

There is ice on the river at the Dead Beaver Area.

This was taken at 4PM..the sun is on it’s way down.

We headed over to Guyles Lake..it was frozen over.  A group of Swans came over looking for open water..they attempted to land and took off trumpeting.  You can see them off to the left by those two trees.

 

The moon was almost full.

The sun was retreating.

The turkeys were in the neighbors field scratching around for leftovers.   Chance opened his window..but he just watched and watched until the turkeys took off. 

We headed home in the twilight just before dark..and it wasn’t quite 5PM.  We thought we might see a deer or two..no luck..we did see some hunters on their stands.  It has been quiet around here with very little shooting.  Two more days and  Deer Hunting season will be over:)

Shell River Flooding

Far Guy suggested we just go for a drive after supper.  He got the OK to drive again..his physical therapy is going great and his therapist said he can drive..Whoo hoo for me! I like it when he drives ..I can take photos.

We went to the River..the part that I call the Dead Beaver Area that is a mile plus from the house.

The river is over the road in two areas. We did not drive through the water..I did get my feet a little wet..the water is icy cold.

Chance thought it was a lake. A vehicle came by, it was Far Guys cousin PD. He said that the river at the farm was really high and we should go and look.

The view of the river at Far Guys Grandparents old farm.

The rain the other day coupled with the snow melting in the swamps and running off has raised the river levels.

PD said that even the old cattle crossing under the road was full of water.  I didn’t know that there was a cattle crossing.  There is.  Far Guy remembered it, he said he had to reach way back in his memory to recall it.  His Grandparents H. lived very close to this area..and as a kid he played and explored the woods.

When Highway 34 was built, the farmer to the south ( in this direction) had no safe way to get his cows from one side of the highway to the other..so a cattle crossing was built under the road.

The cattle crossing is on the left near that post..it is hidden quite well from this direction.

From an approach I was able to zoom in and document that there is indeed a cattle crossing there and the river water is flowing through it.  PD said “Even with the high water we had two years ago the river never made it to the cattle crossing.”

It is supposed to rain again today..April Showers brings May Flowers..I am happy there is not much snow left on the ground..a few snow banks here and there in shady areas:)

After Supper Ride

Last evening after a wonderful meal of grilled pork chops and spaghetti squash Chance and I headed out to capture the sunset..and whatever else caught our eye. It was too nice of an evening to stay indoors. 

Chance was the copilot, he helps to keep watch.  He is very alert and attentive to our surroundings.  I have a rule, when I stop to take photos..he stays in the car and observes.  I either take my keys with me or roll down my window so I can unlock the door..he would never be able to unlock the door for me if I locked the keys in the car..would he?

We drove slowly to the Dead Beaver Area, I have not been there for long time..and the water was really high from all the rain we have had.

We ventured on to one of my favorite spots, to capture a photo to show you the purple and yellow wildflowers on the prairie. The light was fading fast, all summer the sun takes forever to set..I have time to think about where I want to go and time to get there.  Not so with Fall sunsets..they sneak up on you really fast..you are where you are.

We saw some deer in the neighbors hay field..four of them..all those photos were too dark and blurry..they were running away..but we did get a nice shot of the moon..and then we drove over to Hooch and Oddas to visit.  We drove a whole six miles and it took us two hours, we still have mosquitoes and the air was full of some kind of fish fly hatch down at the Dead Beaver area. The leaves are slowly starting to turn, I hope we get some good color this year..it has been pretty wet..so I am not holding my breath :)