Sunset and Snow Report

 We had a nice sunset what we can see of it here in town.

Here there are houses in the way and back at home there are trees in the way.

Another warm day so the dirty snow melted even more.

I frogged a crochet project that was not as pretty as I envisioned...frogged it as in rip it rip it...wind it all back into a ball and begin again.  The new beginning was and will be worth it in the long run.  I watched most of Forgotten Love on Netflix in the afternoon and plan to finish it soon...I highly recommend it.  The kids have a recliner down in the movie room that I really like sitting/napping in...I plan to order one for back home.

It was a quiet day, Sadie was real tired after her day at doggie day care yesterday...that and one of her favorite people is gone again to a robotics tournament.  Jen is working double hours as she ended up filling in for a colleague that was dismissed....picking up someone elses classes half way through the semester is not easy.

Far Side

Melting

It is melting and getting icy in the yard.  Mom and Dad stopped by to visit. They called us from the vehicle when they first arrived to make sure we were home.  When I answered the phone Dad was already walking on the ice.   I hate that they walk on ice.  When they left I drove the car to the end of the walk so Mom could get in and then she could turn the car around and let Dad in from the walk where it wasn't icy.   It worked and no one fell. 

Most of the snow finally came off the roof of the house.  Spring must be coming!

I am NOT looking forward to the time change,  I get crankier than normal.  I wish they would just leave the time alone.   Sure it means more light at night but it is too cold to be outside and just think of all the little kids that have to get on the bus in the dark mornings.  Makes no sense to me at all.

Spring like flowers at the store last week

I worked on some crochet wildlife nests I am sure that the Rescue Organizations will be needing them soon. 

Far Side

Yard Report

The snowstick still has snow and ice and water.   It spit rain off and on all day yesterday.  It was a dark dreary day.

Pauline asked why we place the snowstick where we do...it is a level spot in the open and no snow from the roof reaches it or snow from the snowblowers.   It is a pretty good indicator of snowfall amounts over the winter.  See that  long pile on the right?  That is snow that came off the house roof.

The snowbank named June is getting smaller.

 We worked in the yard for a bit....removing 2 more wheelbarrows of spent bird seed.  We feed about 150 pounds of Thistle Seed, 120 pounds of a Premium Sunflower seed (mostly sunflower hearts) and then about 400 + pounds of Black Oil Sunflower seeds during the winter.  We rake off what we can until we run into a layer of ice...then we let it thaw out.   Spent seed is moved into the edge of the woods so the birds and squirrels can still scratch around and get seed remnants. Thistle seeds comes in 25 pound bags, Sunflowers seeds in 40 pound bags.

Bird feeder area

The tin on that far tree helps to discourage the squirrels from running up that tree and leaping onto the bird feeders and emptying them...don't feel too sorry for the squirrels they have their own feeder area. 

Will the snow, ice and water clear away from the snowstick  before the snow that is forecast for this upcoming week?  Probably not.  We will have to wait and see. 

Far Side

Almost Halloween

I bought some candy and bagged it up for the little ones that I hope will show up on Saturday night.  Bagged it up so I couldn’t eat it.  Then I bought some more of Far Guys favorite…so he can share if need be.

The witch is up…I like Halloween almost as much as May Day!  Fun days all about kids!  Our weather is supposed to be in the high 50’s for Saturday Night!! 

The scarecrow flag is up…I did get a few things crossed off my list yesterday.

We had a very interesting night before last.  I kept hearing strange noises like someone was outside horsing around.  I thought about waking Far Guy up but finally figured out what it was and went to sleep.  Far Guy was awakened by the strange sounds and thought we had a intruder…and he thought about getting the gun….then he realized what it was.

 

It was a sound we had not heard in a while…Chance heard it too and headed for the bathroom “his safe spot.”

When the snow slides off the steel roof it makes a rumbling noise and a swoosh when it hits the ground and we got enough snow to make noise on Wednesday night.  The photo is what is left over from the snow on the roof.  We have rocks on the east and west sides of the house…the snow makes a mess of anything planted…and gutters well you may just as well forget them…when the snow slides it slides.  One less thing we have to worry about during heavy snow years when people have to shovel snow off their roofs.

The snow is gone except for a few areas

Springing Ahead

Wow what a difference a few warm days make. 

It gets above freezing and we think it is summer!

The clouds were even summerlike!

There was a lone Bald Eagle soaring over the fields.

We had a nice Sunday drive…Chance enjoyed the ride.  He is feeling stiff and sore after a round of nonstop ball games with the neighbor kids.

What little snow we had is melting.   Chance doesn’t like walking through the cold water…but it cleans off his feet.

I don’t like springing ahead, I would just like one time or the other all year long. 

Back to Brown

It was unseasonably warm one day..it was almost 50 degrees .  So all the snow melted.  Let’s all say AWWWW together.

So our second snow has come and gone.  The next snow.. the third will stay.  We are back to brown.

My Dad stopped by one day, I told him that we were going to have a frosty winter without measurable snow until February.  He said “Oh no the muskrat houses never lie and we will have lots of snow.”  I asked him if he wanted to bet 20 dollars…he didn’t.  he said “ If the muskrat house is low..there will be lots of snow.  If they are built high..not so much snow.”  We will just have to wait and see. 

We are still working on the carved Christmas ornaments.  In the next day or two or three I will have it all wrapped up!  What a pain in the butt this design has been.  As soon as I have them all packaged up and mailed out I will share all the details.

I passed up shopping Black Friday..and I passed up shopping on Small Business Saturday too..and Cyber Monday passed without me buying a thing.  I never got that shopping gene that women are supposed to have…you know the one where they get all dressed up and shop all day long and smile as they rush from one store to the next picking out the perfect gift for everyone on their list. Was I gypped or just one of the lucky ones?:)

Early Spring Happenings

Snow: It is almost gone, the huge drifts are always the last to go and we still have a couple in the yard. We really need a rain to clean things up..everything is brown..sure, various shades o' brown..but still brown.

Chance enjoying one of the last of the snowbanks.

Bluebirds: They are here, building a nest, they first showed up on Monday April 13. I sat out for an hour one day trying to get a photo, no luck..it didn't help that Chance wanted to play ball, instead of watching for birds. As soon as I got up and played ball, the Bluebirds were behind me chirping away.
Loons: None heard yet, a neighbor said he heard one.. so any day now.

A couple of Swans.

A Red Winged Blackbird

Canadian Friends!

Deer Ticks: They are here. The little tiny itty bitty size of a pin head ticks. Chance had one crawling on him yesterday April 15. We capture them on pieces of scotch tape, then we fold the tape over on itself and then cut the tick in half with a knife or a scissors. Duct tape works really well too..you can line them up and then smother them. You can also get out a magnifying glass and watch their little legs go a hundred miles an hour trying to escape the tape. We use Frontline on Chance, I stopped by the Vet's Office and they said "Yup the Deer ticks woke up on Monday..and Frontline business was booming." They have a new Office gal..I am not sure that she will work out either..she might be a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

Chance perfectly framed, gathering ticks :)