Chance: Sharing My Yard

Hiya!  It is finally me, Chance the wonder Bored Border Collie.

What a winter!  I have learned to share my yard. It ain’t easy.

I am supposed to lay silently on the landing and watch the Turkeys eat.  They come almost everyday.  They stay about fifteen minutes and then they move on.  Do you have any idea how hard it is not to bark?  It is very difficult.

Didyaknow they can fly?  If Far Guy isn’t paying attention and he lets me outside before they have left the yard..yes they can fly.

I get lectures about them, “Chance, don’t you be chasing turkeys..especially that Tom he has spurs on his feet and he will rip your eyeballs right out of your head.” Sounds serious.

Then there are the wild parties that the squirrels have..and that bunny.

That bunny keeps Far Side entertained every morning.  She says he can leap two feet straight up in the air.. I have never noticed that..I have  noticed he can run like the wind. I can tell when he leaps in the air..Far Side giggles..then she goes on and on about when she used to raise rabbits. I am not supposed to chase him either. Far Side has a soft spot for that bunny..and so far the fox and the coyotes haven’t got him.

We have a thief.  Yessiree right here in the yard..he is not happy with what the birds and Far Guy spill on the ground..he wants to help himself.

I share my yard with a host of creatures..yesterday there were nine turkeys, eight squirrels and one bunny rabbit.  I tried to herd those thieving squirrels..not chasing..herding.. there is a difference:)

Cancel Winter

I wish I could cancel winter.

Over half of this cold, dreary month is over.  January is one of my least favorite months, it runs a close second to December the other month I am not so thrilled with.

February comes in as my third least favorite, one of it’s redeeming qualities is that Far Guy celebrates his birthday and the month is short. What is not to like about a month that is almost over before it starts..and then March my fourth least favorite month..March is always a surprise and Spring can rear its head a time or two to keep things interesting.

I put up the January flag.

We rarely see Cardinals..and this is one of my favorite flags…even if we don’t have holly or holly berries in Minnesota..I still like the bright colors in this flag.

Sometimes I wish I could cancel winter..go into hibernation after a great Thanksgiving dinner and wake up when the snow begins to melt in late March:)

News

Good news..I DO Not have Glaucoma..all the extra tests were for naught.  I was not worried…much.

I got my $10.00 gift card reinstated by the people from the Corporate offices of the corner of Happy and Healthy.  I have not used it yet, I will use it one day soon.

We are headed into the Deep Freeze early next week..possibly on the weekend. I will take a photo of some obscenely low temperature and you will all shake your heads and say “Tsk Tsk..she is nuts.”  I look forward to that every winter and I don’t want to disappoint y’all.  Us born and raised Minnesnowdains can take it..we have lots of body fat that will help protect us.  Once I get my three or four layers on..I find it difficult to walk..and I am exhausted..reminiscent of when I was a little kid getting my snowsuit on..If I fall down I will probably just roll.

Bad News..there have been many deaths lately. I will have to make up more cards one day soon.   Recently I was in the Detroit Lakes Mall getting more card supplies, I walked right past the Hallmark store..they were going out of business…another one bites the dust.  

How about American Idol ..Randy is the only one I recognize..who are those other people..someone so famous I have never heard of them before.  The chick with the blonde hair drives me nuts.  That show will be going down the tubes..oh well.

Our grocery store in town was bought by a chain store that is located in North Dakota and Northern Minnesota.  You can sure tell a difference.   Supposedly the same employees are working for the new store.  There were carts willy nilly all over the parking lot, the entry was filthy, there was product knocked from the shelves on the floor, the produce department is different and they were out of several of our usual items.  Perhaps it will take some time for the new manager to get everything on an even keel again.  I left them one of my famous notes, if they are out of something or have moved something to some obscure spot..I write a friendly note signed with my name and phone number..I am sure the former owners looked forward to my little notes with great anticipation. It took the new manager four days to return my call to answer my question.

The hospital in town is full up with flu patients.  It seems to be hitting some people really hard.  So far so good our flu shot seems to be working! 

Our yard and walkway will soon be covered in corn kernels.  One of my old friends suggested it as a way to combat the icy conditions after it rained.  The turkeys and squirrels think it is a fine idea.  Whole kernels work the best versus cracked corn.  It gives you some traction…Chance kinda likes it for a quick snack too.

The soft sunset colors were quite beautiful January 16 2013:)

Wistful Wednesday: Do you see it..yet?

I am busy scanning all of the newspaper clippings that Far Guy’s Grandma Tracie tucked and glued into a 1915 Agricultural Yearbook.  In essence she made her own scrapbook.

I call it Grandmas Purple book.  It has weddings, engagements and obituary newspaper clippings and other “stuff” important to Grandma.

I have scanned the entire book ..now I am dating all the clippings..if possible.  Sometimes it takes a bit of research to come up with a date..and sometimes it is just impossible.  I will present them in a timeline on the private family blog when I get them all dated.

I  crop the articles..Far Guy sits next to me and often looks over at my monitor.  I got his attention with this clipping.

Far Guy said “I remember that!  Grandma showed me that years and years ago!  I couldn’t ever see anything.”  He still cannot.  I tried and tried to point it out..nothing..he said “I guess I am never meant to see it.” He remembers his Grandmother pointing it out to him many times..to no avail.

I can see it just fine..how about you? :)

The Bored Border Collie

Nothing worse than a bored Border Collie.  Chance has been in a funk.  Miney was here for one day and since then he seems lonely and bored.

He loves to go for rides..so we do that.  He loves to play ball but quits..I think the ice and ice crystals are hard on his feet.  He plays a bit and then he quits.  He has done that before when it has been icy in the spring.  If we get some fluffy snow perhaps he will play ball again outside.

We play ball in the house.  We have discovered a new game..which he really likes.  I take him into the kitchen and put him in  a “sit stay” and leave him there. Then I take his favorite ball and hide it in the living room.  I hide it under pillows, in the crock near the fireplace, inside the old boiler that holds magazines, hidden under the stuffed Sheltie in a basket, under blankets.  He finds it in short order when I call him to “Come” and then tell him to “Search”..then we repeat until he is tired of that game.

The evening that Adam, Jen and Miney were here, Adam liked playing the search game with Chance.  He tried to involve Miney but her “sit stay” needs some work. 

During the evening Chance roots around in his old enamel toy pan looking for what I am not sure but he drags his toys all over the house.  I have found that stepping on one ball isn’t so bad, but I wouldn’t want to step on two of them.

He watches the squirrels..Far Guy puts corn on the ground for them..sometimes he will lay in front of the door outside and just watch the squirrels..sometimes he chases them away..and sometimes he lets them eat.  Perhaps it is entertainment for him.

He quietly watches the turkeys from inside..the turkeys seem to know when he is in the house. After 15 to 20 minutes he has had it watching and barks at them so they run away.

Far Guy and Chance walk through the woods everyday..sometimes I walk with them..they even walk on the rainy icy days.  When a Border Collie is ready for his walk..he is ready for his walk:)

Doo Doo Doo Lookin’ Out My Back Door

Recently we went over to the Far Guy’s Grandparents old farm to take some photos.

As I walked in back of the house I noticed that someone a long time ago  planted a little Cedar seedling in a metal tire rim.

I asked Uncle Archie about it.

He said “ My Mother planted that after they filled in the old outhouse hole.”

“I have tried to plant other Cedars since then, non of them seem to want to grow like that one my Mother planted!”

As we walked back to the vehicle Far Guy said  “I remember it being in line with the back door.  I thought it was closer to the house.”

So I took a photo:)

Making a list

I made the dreaded list.  The list of things that I feel must be done in the next couple of months.

Some projects are fun..I don’t mind organizing, remembering to repurpose, reuse or recycle.

As I smashed down the last cover on the Christmas tote..I felt guilty for a couple of days..then I went back upstairs..emptied them all out..and repacked them.  One tote had not seen the light of day for a few years.  Inside I found a wonderful little surprise.

I didn’t remember this package of ornaments.

Shiny Brites made in Italy..and unbreakable…who woulda thunk it?

Some things needed my attention..the box of ornaments that were handmade for Far Guy’s Mom..will the next generation know or care?   Will they know that the Christmas Choir Children were her favorites?  Well now they are all marked. 

One tote of Christmas decorations will be sent out to the garage to be donated or sold.

I ripped apart half of the walk through closet upstairs.  I enlisted Far Guy to help vacuum the walls and ceiling. He survived.  I still have oodles of drawers to go through upstairs.

The weather outside was frightful.

It rained and then it froze so everything is covered in ice.  Chance was surprised to find out that even in four paw drive he could not stop sliding.  Then it snowed but only an inch or two..maybe.

We ventured out to the Post Office on Saturday morning. The roads are terrible. We won’t be going out again for a few days.

We hunkered down the rest of the day..me with my project list, and a movie about Whales in the afternoon called The Big Miracle and a long nap:)

Tears

It rained yesterday just like summer.  Someone once told me when it rains it is tears from heaven. It must have been a good day for dying.

Our friend Joe from Indiana the WWII Veteran left this world early in the morning Friday.

That little town in Indiana will never be the same without him.  Happy Trails Joe..it was an honor to be your friend!

During his last few days, Sue would bring the horses over to the yard so he could see his friends from his bed near the window.

I wrote about Joe on Veterans Day 2012.  Sue said Joe liked what I wrote:)

Out and About Before The Storm

We are in a winter storm watch.  Rain and then snow and blowing snow are forecast.  This storm has a name Gandolf.

I am writing this at midnight..and it is raining out now.  The windows are wet.  It is 30 degrees F or –1C.  Yesterday was sunny and warm 41F or 5C. I finally got all the ice off of the walk and the patio!  There are certain things I like to do before a storm.  Make sure our supplies are adequate and that the bird feeders are full.  Check on the elderly..I called my parents to make sure they were doing okay..my Mom has a terrible cold…but is feeling better and they went to the store to get what they needed to survive for a few days.

Chance and I knew that if we didn’t go for a ride.. we would be SOL for a few days.

This is Shell Lake.  Those little buildings are Ice Fishing Houses.  And yes, there are vehicles out on the lake.

This was a scene on one of the back roads that we haven’t been on in a while.

When we got home we could see the storm system moving in from the south.

Ready or not..here it comes.

We are ready and we will stay hunkered down here at home for the duration.   The worst thing that will happen here is that our Satellite Dish will ice up and I will have to resort to watching DVDs or old VCR Tapes.  If we lose electricity we have a generator and we have a gas fireplace so we will not freeze to death..I will put an extra pitcher of water in the fridge so Chance has water.  Of course if we lose electricity most communications will come to a halt.  If you are close to the storm area..stay safe and stay home:)

Turkey Traffic Jam

Only in Minnesota.

The Wild Turkeys take so long to cross the road that they stop traffic.

We were at the crossroads watching them cross a ways down the road.  Far Guy was hollering run..turkeys ..run!  They were just poking along taking their sweet time..there were many turkeys in that flock rafter.  Yes, a group of turkeys is called  a rafter. 

Luckily it was Edie and she brakes for turkeys.  There were turkeys flying and running every which way.   I did not realize that they could fly so high when they want to.

They are still coming into our yard to feed..how they can tell when Chance is indoors is beyond me.

That is the tom in charge on the right.  He leads his group of hens into the feeders.  He has a tuft of modified feathers called a beard in the center of his chest.  You can also see the spur on his leg. He is also larger than all the hens.  He has 7 lady friends and sometimes 8.  They usually stay about 20 minutes and then they wander off..unless Chance barks.  He watches them from the landing.

I usually watch them out the window and take a few photos..looking for that perfect shot:)

Wistful Wednesday: Old Family Photos

This winter I am working on Far Guys Family History..the Paternal side.

Years ago Uncle Jimmy gave our daughter Jennifer an old family photo.

Here I have made a copy of it and taken it into my scrapbook program and identified everyone.  There is more than one way to skin a cat nowadays..and more ways to mark group family photos without marking up the original.

Xaver and Christiane are his Great Great Grandparents and Martha Jane off to the right is his Great Grandmother.

Cousin Jay has a copy of the photo also.  He let Far Guy hold it  so I could get a photo.  

I found a few photos that I cannot identify.

This is an old tintype.  It is marked Aleck girls!  Which ones?  There are six sisters.  It is a lovely tintype. It looks to be taken sometime in the 1880’s. Ladies dresses were often severe and tight fitting, might have a bustle, skirts often had pleated edges.  Hair plain and pulled back, high white collars , lots of buttons in rows.

Martha Jane was born in 1868.  If she were 17 in this photo the year would be..1885.  I think she is the gal standing on the left, but I will probably never know for sure.

Mark your photos..do your relatives down the line a big favor:)

Clouds and Blue Skies

The clouds were really weird yesterday.

The clouds were strung out like huge strings across the sky.

It was warm 34 F or 1C and windy..maybe a Chinook..the wind was blowing from the west..and where it blew snow over the highway it froze and made the roads slippery.

We ran all kinds of errands..it was one of those catch all days.  I had to take some photos of the outside of the museum for a report on a grant from years ago, and get into my office for some more supplies.  We needed Black Sunflower Seeds for the hungry birds.  We had to mail the mail and drop off a catalogue for a friend.  We also shopped for groceries. 

Whilst we were shopping my other baby brother called.  His tenth Grand was born!  Ava Michele weighing 7 pounds and 11 ounces. My Niece Stacey is now a Mama to four little girls! I figured that she would have a little girl..they chose to be surprised and didn’t know if they were having a boy or a girl.   There have been four new babies in the family in the past 7 weeks..praise God they are all healthy!

On the way home from town there were sundogs on both sides of the sun.  We usually only see sundogs on really cold days. No photos.. I packed the camera away in the back of the car..silly me.  It was lovely to just enjoy some sunshine and blue skies:) 

On the corner of happy and healthy

That commercial rankles me something fierce. 
December 20..that would have been 17 days ago.  I used a gift card online at the corner of happy and healthy..for a photo gift for myself.   Of course my purchase was for more than my gift card..so I enter my credit card number..but the wrong expiration date..boom my card was refused and my gift card eaten up or out there in cyber space someplace.
I called the “number” and was told that gift cards could not be used online for photo gifts…it is not permitted.  I asked for a supervisor and was transferred to someone else who had no idea how to fix the problem.  Then I was given a different number to call..I did and the cranky non helpful teenager I spoke to..said that there was no way she could check my balance on my gift card or do anything about it for two days.  I said “fine”.
I wrote a very detailed account and emailed it to Customer Service..with a request demand that they call me in two days when they found my gift card money.
Since then I have received numerous emails saying they are working on it and it should be resolved shortly.  They gave me 20 free 4 X 6 photo prints.  I used them too.
They emailed me a customer service survey..the dummies ..you can guess what my reply was to that.
Seventeen days I have been waiting..the gift card was a gift..I guess it is no skin off my nose if it is never resolved..but it is just the principal of the situation.  A less bitchy  stalwart person would have given up by now.  They stole my gift card or at the least they are holding it hostage.   I am not real pleased with those people at the corner of happy and healthy.  If this ever gets resolved I am going to go into the store and buy something ..anything..and they will never see me at their online or local store ever again.  So there! :)  (  I feel much better now.)
Update 11:33 AM It pays to bitch in a blog..they called from Corporate Headquarters and the 10.00 should be back on my gift card:)

1910 Wedding Dress

We have a number of old wedding dresses at the museum.  One day I photographed some of the small details on one of the dresses worn by an early resident.

This is the collar.  The fabric is starting to fray.  I am not sure what the material is..but it has lots of trim detail.

This is part of the trim on the dropped shoulders…the trim minus the fringe runs down the bodice and is repeated on the skirt. 

I am not sure what is on her left arm..a wrap or stole of some sort.  I think the collar is not straight with the world either.

Recently I have ben going through many of the photographs I took in the museum last summer..it gives me a chance to look at small details..like the wrap/stole..does it belong with the dress..is it period correct?

This gown is in the room we call the Toggery.  A toggery is a clothing shop. 

This room will be undergoing a transformation.  We got a grant and were able to purchase three  8’ tall cabinets…they should help us to display some items better. Plus they have bottom shelves for storage!  I have oodles of hat boxes that should go someplace.

What I wouldn’t give for some museum improvement TV Show to come in..take everything out of the room..repaint..and then display everything anew.  I will probably have to settle for shuffling everything away from the walls..cleaning the nooks and crannies and installing the new cabinets.  I have never had to close rooms before in the museum..I am thinking that next spring a few will have to be closed until the work inside is complete.

Like a ninny I have invited the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to egg coffee and homemade cookies in the Pioneer Room on May 10th the day before opening fishing weekend.  Every year a town in Minnesota hosts the Governor’s Opening Fishing Tournament..it is a big deal..and Park Rapids is the town in the spotlight in 2013.

Back to me being a ninny..as soon as I heard that Park Rapids was chosen I submitted the invitation..figuring the early bird would get the worm ..and the free publicity.  That was back in September..before we began painting my office, the Military Room and the High School Memory Room downstairs.  All of those rooms need to be set right..before May 10.  I will have eight days to get ready..what was I thinking?

I am trying not to think about it too much:)

Beans

Have you ever heard of Harrycovair?  I have been hearing it on the food channel..lots of times I just listen to TV..instead of watch.  Imagine my surprise when I saw that they were skinny green beans. Then I tried to Google them..well ya havta know how to spell the little buggers.  I never took French..and my three years of Latin was no help.  Haricot verts.

Here in Minnesota we just eat Green Beans..the most fancy smancy we get is to doctor them up with onion and bacon and a splash of vinegar and freshly ground black pepper or drown them in Cream of Mushroom soup throw some French Fried Onions on top and plop them in the oven for awhile.  Sometimes we just heat them up and eat them plain.

Sometimes I miss my Maternal Grandmothers Yellow Beans..they were awesome..she used to can quarts and quarts  of them.  People don’t can like they used to.  I don’t can anything..we put “stuff” up in the freezer.

Old Ball Perfect Mason jars and zinc lids in a canning basket..repurposed:)

Dreary Short Days

It was –25F on New Years morning at 6AM.  That would be –31C.  YES a MINUS.  We went for a walk in the woods..I swear it was still –25 F in the woods..even though the thermometer showed temperatures above zero I am positive that the woods was still BELOW zero.

We can still walk on our trail because the snow is not real deep yet. I let my walking partners get way ahead of me..I often stop to take photos..Chance runs back to make sure I am coming along..but he likes to be the leader.

Three inches of snow at the snow stick.

We took off on an adventure one day to one of our favorite wintertime antique shops only to find it was closed.  Bummer.  So we drove on..and ended up in Detroit Lakes at the antique shop, we are regular customers there..and since we had all day we went to the thrift store too.

Have you ever read about Bomba?  I spotted this book..it looked 1950ish to me.  Originally it was 49 cents..at the thrift store it was a quarter.  I could not resist.

I read parts of it..it would have transported a young reader to the jungles of Africa for adventures. This one with the picturesque cover was published in 1953 by Clover Publishing.

Far Guy found something interesting for his Gene Autry Collection.

It is from a cutout book much like paper dolls. The original book that it appeared in was three pages with various scenes of Gene and his friends with their horses. So it was a good find at $3 and promptly found a spot in the collection.

8 Hours and 38 minutes of daylight today.  The sun rises at 8:05 AM and sets at 4:43 PM.   Short dreary cold days are here in Minnesota…very typical for January.  That doesn’t make them any easier..but they are not unexpected:)