Trains

We took the day off yesterday and headed for a train show.

South of us the snow is not as deep..or piled as high.

It was a good train show..I bought a Zamboni..no that is not a train..and I bought some signs for Far Guys Train Set.  Far Guy bought a bunch of “stuff”..he says he might qualify as a train hoarder.  We stopped at a few antique shops on the way home to feed my old photograph addiction.  Chance is a good traveller..he likes all the activity and looks out the window most of the time.

He got to play ball when we got home.

Some of the snow melted while we were gone.  We have one inch less than Friday!  Making progress!!  At this rate in 11 days the snow will be gone!!

I think a bunny or a squirrel has been out there running around mashing down the snow.

I am certain that I am going just a little snow crazy..I emailed a friend in North Dakota where they are due to get 16 inches of snow and said:

“I just heard you will get 16 inches of snow..I laughed..sorry:)  C”

What are friends for anyway? 

We will honker down for the duration (again) ..sounds like this storm is sticking around for a little while, we are supposed to get 6 plus inches of snow and possibly some freezing rain:(

Snowing some more

As if we didn’t have enough snow..we got some more.

You can see the snow stick on the left of the photo..still pretty much covered in snow..about 12 inches I think.

In a month the GFO (Governors Fishing Opener) will happen in Park Rapids..it is a big deal for fishing/tourism for the area.  This morning they went out and measured the ice on the lake, there are 32 inches of ice.  It must melt at a rate of an inch a day in order for the ice to leave the lake in time for the Governor…he may have to just fish from shore in waders..or float around on an iceberg.  

Many of the snowbirds are disgruntled, they came back and couldn’t find anyone to remove an entire winters snow from their driveways.  What snow is left is hard as a rock..it is nothing but ice crystals..like a big old ice cube.  Septic systems were froze and needed to be unthawed..just one of the perils of leaving Minnesnowda for the winter.  Just one of the reasons we stay home all winter and wash a load of laundry everyday.

I have been busy “winter cleaning” the kitchen.  I am about half done.  I took down the flannel valance and put up a summery cotton one…maybe that is what made it snow.

Welcome to Springter or is it Wintering?  A whole new season.  More snow is forecast for Sunday..7 to 14 inches of winter wonderland..I can hardly wait:(

Chance: Looking outside

Hiya!  My turn, my turn!   I get to blog again yippee..life is pretty boring around here. Far Guy works on his trains all day..Far Side either cleans like a mad woman or works on “Museum stuff.” I don’t like to be left alone downstairs and I hate her museum printer upstairs..I hid under the train table, until Far Guy decided he wanted to play ball.

The big excitement yesterday was a trip to town for supplies that Far Side needed.  Usually she is more organized..but this last museum project kinda snuck up on her. 

It snowed.  Some of the roads were icy.  It was a gray day…no sun..and it was cold.

Back at home.

I wish I was taller..

I can see out the window.

There is a squirrel up in that feeder on the right..Far Side missed the great photo opportunity.  That squirrel leapt from the tree where the other two are all the way to that feeder.  Later in the day one ran right up the feeder pole.  Far Guy is going to have to come up with some kind of squirrel baffle.  Right now he just opens up the window and hollers or lets me out to patrol.

The turkeys came by to scratch around under the feeders.  We have several groups that come through, a group of eight, a group of thee and if you can call him a group..one solitary skinny turkey that would hardly make a sandwich.

I am not supposed to chase/herd the turkeys.  Surprising them is not the same as chasing..and herding.. well they are difficult to herd because they can fly.

The snow stick gained an inch and a half..seems we are going backwards toward winter again:(

Cold

It is too cold for the snow to melt.  Honest. It is fairly disgusting.

Chance and I had to go to the Post Office so we  stopped a few places to take photos.

The beach April 10 ..open water..but no swimming anytime soon.

The road home, there is a spot/approach at the top of this rise where I can pull over get out and take  photos now that the snow has left the edge of the road.

You can see we still have plenty of the white stuff.  More is forecast for today. FUN

Chance is good company. We turn the heater up full blast and I roll down his window so he can stick his head out.  He has been known to touch the door locks and lock all the doors so the open window is kinda a safety feature when I get out of the vehicle. 

I was lollygagging at the top of this rise..just appreciating the silence..when I heard a vehicle approaching and slowing down.  I hurried up and took the rest of my shots..

a big voice said “ You Okay..you’re not broke down are you?”

I giggled..no just taking photos.. I am just fine but thanks for checking.   Nice to have a nephew that will stop and check on his old Aunt.

Chance and I checked the snow stick because we are sure that everyone wants an update. 

We still have ten inches of the beautiful white crap  stuff.  This is one of the most miserable Aprils I can remember in quite a long time.  It is just not warming up.  Where is that global warming that everyone talks about?  It certainly is not in Minnesnowda:(

Wistful Wednesday : Stuffed Animals

I found this old polaroid photo of Far Guy and his sister.  It made me smile.

Mostly likely this was taken about 1960.  Far Guy looks to be about 10 years old..his sister would have been 15.  His sister looks all dressed up and ready to go someplace. Far Guy looks like he is staying home.  The photo was taken in Far Guys room downstairs, his sister had her bedroom upstairs and when she went off to college he moved into her room.

They were showing off their collection of stuffed animals.. Far Guy says the tigers and the dog were his and the rest were probably his sisters..he knows for sure that the seal was hers.  He said “The monkey was really neat it had a rubber face, ears, hands and feet.”

I bet that bedspread was chenille..and was most likely yellow.  Far Guy remembers it as a wonderful warm covering that was yellow. There used to be so many beautiful designs in chenille bedspreads:)

Some Signs of Spring

The Fish Hook River is open.  It is a gathering place for Canada Geese, Ducks and Trumpeter Swans.  The river froze this past winter..so there was no open water for waterfowl.

There was only one pair of Swans when we drove by.  Usually there are more.  On our way into town a pair of Trumpeter Swans were running along in the ditch..maybe looking for water.

This group was huddled under a snow ledge.  The wind was cold.

We drove on to “the point.”   The point used to be a place where you could meet friends for a swim on warm summer evenings.

Not much swimming happening there yet.  The GFO will be here in a month and two days..will the ice be gone?  ( Governors Fishing Opener)

Our weather is cool..cold..miserable..

Here is the snow stick..there is still 12 inches of snow at the stick.  It could start raining any day now..the weather forecast is for temps about 35F (1C)during the day.  HEATWAVE!!

We called a repairman for the oven..we can bake again.  We both watched how the repairman went about opening the locked oven..he stuck a coat hanger in through the side and unlocked it..and then replaced the sensor…if it ever happens again we could repair it ourselves because the sensor just plugs in.  A service call out here in the boonies is $80 plus the part.  So next time we can save the $80. I am glad it is fixed with the days so cool having a meal in the oven baking makes the whole house seem warmer:)

14

Someone is 14 today.  She joins her sister for the next 9 days..they are  both 14.

She was premature..born a little early at 35 weeks.  She had some problems breathing..she had apnea and came home wearing the monitor with all the bells, whistles and alarms.   Far Guy spent quite a lot of time up in Buxton helping to keep the household up there normal.   With a new baby, a almost one year old and a almost three year old our daughter had her hands full.

Our daughter still has her hands full with three teenagers.  We had cake and ice cream for Paige’s birthday.  Paige does not like having her photograph taken..but since it was her birthday she relented.

She was not named for a few days after she was born.  Savannah wanted to name her Alice..like Alice in Wonderland, Far Guy suggested Robin, and I suggested Grace.  Her parents named her Paige.  Most of the time I call her Miss Paige…it suits her.  Happy Birthday Miss Paige:)

Stupid Stoves

Last week it was the outdoor wood furnace.  It has a busted underground water line..and you know with the snow we have a repair will not be happening anytime soon.  Last year in April we had mild spring type weather…not so much this year. We are staying warm..but it is not at all like our wood heat.  The cozy warm spot in front of the kitchen sink where the water pipes run..is now icy cold..even Chance was confused..he liked to lay there and melt after a romp in the snow.

Yesterday I turned the oven on to clean..it got really hot and beeped and displayed error codes..and beeped some more.  I am not sure if the inside of the oven is cleaned or not because we cannot open the door, the lock will not unlock, and the fan is on and will not shut off.  We finally just shut the breaker off.. the stove top still works..if I want to cook which I don’t I will have to turn the breaker on to use the stove top.

Far Guy says, “I suppose all our stuff is getting old and will fall apart.”  Both stoves are heading toward that 15 year mark…as is the fridge.  I am sure nothing will happen to that fridge..I dislike it so much that it will last forever.  The Jenn-air stove I love..and new ones cost an arm and two legs…so we will hope this one can be repaired.

I am still doing my “winter cleaning”  and I am in the kitchen now.  I am having a blast:)

Chance: sNOw report

Hello!  It is about time..I finally get to blog again!  Didya miss me?

Newsflash: It snowed, it started yesterday in the afternoon.

Far Side said “Lets go sit outside in the snow.” So we did.  Her bench was wet..some of the snow melted..she had to go and get her towel.  She has an old ragged red towel she uses on her bench sometimes. She is not a fan of a wet butt.

She wasn’t real happy..or real warm either.  Usually the birds cheer her up.

The snow fell on me..and it fell on Far Side too.  She mumbled a bunch of words when she got tired of the snow falling on her head and put her hood up..I think she got snow down her neck.  Well I got snow on my neck too!

We finally went in for our afternoon nap whilst the ground turned white.  Far Guy says we all have cabin fever..could be..it is going to snow this weekend..maybe all weekend. 

Oh well I can always watch squirrel TV..I watch them watching me from the front step…it is anyone’s guess who will run first and fastest! :)

Lake Reports

Ice out will be late this year.  Most of the time the ice goes out of area lakes about April 18th.  The ice goes out and the loons show up about the same time. Our daughter Trica’s birthday is April 18, more often than not the ice was out of area lakes by her birthday.

Not so much this year..although it could rain.. snow is forecast for the weekend..oh joy.

The public access on Straight Lake on April 3 2013.

This year Park Rapids has the honor/headache of hosting the Governor’s Fishing Opener.  GFO for short.  That is a big deal here in Minnesota.  Along with the Governor and Lieutenant Governor comes their entourage and press and lots of free publicity for the area.

Just because I did not vote for the Governor doesn’t mean a thing.  I sent out an invitation to him for Egg Coffee and Cookies during the open house at the museum from 1-4 on the day prior to the opener.  The Museum could get some great exposure. ( Providing that I get the big mess we left it in last fall all cleaned up..remember we painted inside the museum well into October.)

Bass Lake April 4 2013

I had a thought.  What if the ice is not off the lakes for opening fishing?  Will they give him waders instead of a boat?

Shell Lake April 4 2013

Of course he will not be fishing these lakes..but the Fish Hook Chain of lakes.. I bet they look just as frozen as these lakes.

An eagle landed in our yard..Far Guy thinks he/she was after a rabbit or squirrel..Chance barked and scared him off.  Good thing Little Elvis is not visiting.  I see the eagles flying back and forth to the lake..probably feeding on fish carcasses that were thrown out on the ice during the winter.  Eagles are not above snatching your cat or a small dog..everything is fair game to them..it seems like there are more eagles this year..so more small pets will be sacrificed:(

Snow stick and bird butts

The freaking snow is not melting fast enough for me.  It is cold here, the wind is raw and bone chilling.

My garden flag holder reappeared.  It has been under the snow for months.  There is a flag on it..Chickadees I think.  It will be days before I see the flag and know for sure. 

That is the garden flag holder in front of the snow stick.  The snow stick is on the west side of the house..it should get the warmth of the afternoon sun.  I am not sure how much snow is at the snow stick..but it is plenty.

My bench is clear of snow..Chance and I sit there and watch the birds after a good ball game.  I love to sit in the afternoon sun..in my parka.

This White Breasted Nuthatch entertained us…and gave us a real show!

I think I have told you before I call these birds Assups because that is what my Aunt Marie called them.. this one gave us a beautiful view of his/her tail feathers whilst his ass was up in the air.

Now some of you may not find a bird’s butt beautiful..but look at those feathers!

I got an email from a reader in North Dakota..he said “I saw a robin today..it had a snow shovel.” :)

Wistful Wednesday: Ironing

I don’t iron much anymore.  A few table runners and my kitchen valences. I do know how to iron.  I double starched many a uniform for Far Guy and when the girls were little they had cotton dresses.

Yesterday I cleaned the laundry/furnace room.  I dusted off the iron..and vacuumed off the ironing board.  That is one old iron I think I have had it about 20 years, it used to steam, not so much anymore.  The ironing board is older, we got it for a wedding gift over 43 years ago.  I hardly ever take it out..if I iron something I usually put a towel on the cupboard and iron away.

I learned to iron when I was 7 years old in 1958.

My mom wrote on this photograph “My Helper.”

I was ironing in the old farm house kitchen.  There are clothes folded neatly on the table that is covered with an oilcloth and more laundry must be in that basket in the chair.

I know we washed one day, and almost everything was hung out on the line outside to dry.  In the winter the clothes freeze dried stiff as a board.  My Mom had a wringer washer in the basement.  She would painstakingly get everything ready to hang..she would fold the sheets in half and then put the four points for the clothes pins all together so they were easy to hang, one after another the sheets would go into the basket ready to hang up outside.  No matter what breeze was going through the yard, clothes were wrinkled after going through that wringer.  Dads pants would go on the pants stretchers..just so..so the creases were right.  Mom’s hands were constantly red and chapped in the wintertime.  Sometimes the unmentionables and socks would be hung on the old wooden drying rack.

I liked to sprinkle clothes and then roll them up and put them in the plastic bag to be ironed the next day.  I liked the smell of the clothes fresh off the line.  When you ironed that outdoor fresh smell filled the air and delighted the olfactory senses of the person wielding the iron.  Can you smell it? :)

Shopping

Jen helped me do some shopping..I got what I needed..a few tops and some new over the shoulder boulder holders. 

Jen is good to shop with.   “Try that one Mom maybe you will like it”  “That one looks like you”  “That one is cute”  “Here try this”  She picked out a very soft hooded red sweater..pullover..with no pockets..but it felt so cozy and warm that I had to have it.  I explained to her that I really need pockets for my office keys..she said “Get a lanyard.”  Great idea..pocket problem solved.

I complained that I hadn’t had time to get a haircut..Jen said “Well we can fix that” and thirty minutes later we both had haircuts.  Bigger cities have places you can just drop in for a haircut, what a convenience.  The last time I got a haircut in Park Rapids it took three hours at the beauty school.  Far Guy didn’t even notice…so apparently it wasn’t much of a change. I am all grey now, all the blonde is gone. The beautician said “Call it silver..it sounds better.” It is what it is..and now it takes less time to blow it dry..so I am happy. I usually have my hair cut all one length..this time I have some layers..I can still get it into the “old lady bun.”

One by one things are being checked off my list.  I have just one month left before I go back to work:)

  A lone tree in a field in Minnesota.

Dinner and Family

We headed North to Jen’s for Easter dinner.  There is still snow there.  In places where there is bare dirt in the fields the steam was rising causing a bit of a fog.  There is no work happening in their fields.

Jen and Andy are great cooks.  Andy smoked both a turkey and a ham and made an Italian Sausage dressing/stuffing.  Jen made scalloped potatoes, a relish tray, vegetable tray, lefsa  and her famous Carrot Cake!  It was a wonderful dinner.

I made a “salad” that the boys will eat.  Granny Smith apples chopped into fine pieces, chopped Snickers candy bars and Cool Whip.  Easy peasy. And corn..some we froze up last summer, nothing better than corn that tastes like summertime.

After church eggs were colored for dinner.

Chaucer a much loved old kitty cat supervised.

I showed Adam how to do an egg in two colors.  He thought that was pretty cool.

Jen and Andy did a Easter Egg Hunt with clues for the boys.  They had to work together as a team.  The first clue said they should clean up their room before starting on the hunt.

Eventually the clues lead to their Easter Baskets.  As soon as we arrived, Adam told us he no longer believed in the Easter Bunny.  When asked if he was still getting an Easter Basket..he said “Well of course.”

On our way home there was snow in the air..it seemed more like Thanksgiving weather than Easter weather:)