It was blustery last week, and we even had a couple of light freezes. Apparently the house protected the little rose bush from the worst of the north wind. Yesterday afternoon, it was covered in blossoms.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Thursday, October 07, 2010
This week's excuse
I've whined here about how I should spend more time blogging and less time Facebooking, to little effect. Recently, though, Holly pointed out that October is National Blog Writing Month (or National Blog Posting Month, depending on which way you swing). She followed that up with a witty post where she infused a common daily activity with tons of drama. "I could do that," I thought.
First, I just needed to pop in to see the dentist about a mild toothache. It had been worse over the weekend (naturally, when every dentist office in town is closed), but was barely noticeable yesterday morning. I was expecting, "We need to replace that filling," or "It looks like you have a crack - have you been eating almonds again?" But no. To summarize his diagnosis, "That wisdom tooth needs to go, and that tooth next to it isn't looking so hot, either. Here's the number for the oral surgeon."
I wasn't all that surprised that the wisdom tooth - my sixth, and last - was the culprit. I knew it was sitting up there, impacted, and would probably have to go someday. I called the oral surgeon's office, expecting to get an appointment in a few days, but instead was told, "We can get you in at 1:00."
Five hours after my first appointment, I was minus two teeth and dropping off a prescription at the pharmacy, trying desperately not to look desperate for the meds. Then I went home and dipped into my good meds from a previous illness, and that helped me keep my cool for the rest of the day.
I'm doing better today. There isn't a lot of pain, but I'm sort of groggy. Apparently, I didn't sleep as well last night as I thought.
And that is why I didn't blog yesterday.
First, I just needed to pop in to see the dentist about a mild toothache. It had been worse over the weekend (naturally, when every dentist office in town is closed), but was barely noticeable yesterday morning. I was expecting, "We need to replace that filling," or "It looks like you have a crack - have you been eating almonds again?" But no. To summarize his diagnosis, "That wisdom tooth needs to go, and that tooth next to it isn't looking so hot, either. Here's the number for the oral surgeon."
I wasn't all that surprised that the wisdom tooth - my sixth, and last - was the culprit. I knew it was sitting up there, impacted, and would probably have to go someday. I called the oral surgeon's office, expecting to get an appointment in a few days, but instead was told, "We can get you in at 1:00."
Five hours after my first appointment, I was minus two teeth and dropping off a prescription at the pharmacy, trying desperately not to look desperate for the meds. Then I went home and dipped into my good meds from a previous illness, and that helped me keep my cool for the rest of the day.
I'm doing better today. There isn't a lot of pain, but I'm sort of groggy. Apparently, I didn't sleep as well last night as I thought.
And that is why I didn't blog yesterday.
Friday, September 03, 2010
Buckeyes
This dish of buckeyessits in the Garst farmhouse at Whiterock Conservancy, Coon Rapids, IA, where it is VERY windy. Autumn, it has arrived.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Still trying to photograph ink samples
This sample is a little better than the previous one. I'm still having trouble getting the green to show up - proving, I suppose, how subtle the color really is.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Review: J. Herbin Ink, Vert Empire
Awhile back, inspired by Chas Wallace over at The Piker Press (this review in particular), and bored at the mall while T got a haircut, I decided to buy a fountain pen. The managing editor of the Press knows this, in part because I keep sending postcards to her house, just as an excuse for using my nice pen for something besides scribbling sticky notes at the office.
When the nice folks at Jetpens offered to send her some inks for review, she kindly passed one of them along to me, with the disclaimer, "I think it's green." That was okay with me. I have wine, turquoise and purple inks in my small collection, and green would make a nice addition.
The ink she sent me is J. Herbin Vert Empire. Empire Green, I determined from my rusty college French. J. Herbin should know about empires. According to their web site, this French company has been making ink since 1670. Louis XIV used their ink, as did Victor Hugo. Judging from the color sample on the top of the box, this ink would be a deep, solid, green.
The bottle is square and squat. Unlike some other ink bottles, I felt confident that this one was not likely to tip over if the cat whacked it with her tail while I was mid-fill. It also has an indentation at the front of the bottle - a pen rest. If you are using the ink with a dip pen, that is probably quite handy.
As I started writing with the pen, I was a bit disappointed in the color of the ink. It was a little more grayed out than I expected, more of a dark olive green. It wasn't a bad color, just different.
After a few days, though, the color started to grow on me. Sometimes it looks more gray than green to me. In fact, it was hard to photograph the writing sample so that the green showed very clearly. It photocopied well, and the color was subtle enough that I had no qualms about using it to sign documents or write checks. The ink is water-based, but it survived my low-tech attempt to remove it from a piece of paper. It is also supposed to be light-fast.
Feathering and drying times varied, depending on the paper. In the sample above, it feathered far less than the black Uni-ball in the comparison. On decent journal paper, it dried within a second or two, but on regular office copier paper, it took six or seven seconds.
This seems to be a good-quality ink, and if you are looking for a signature ink color that is not too flashy, Vert Empire might do the trick.
When the nice folks at Jetpens offered to send her some inks for review, she kindly passed one of them along to me, with the disclaimer, "I think it's green." That was okay with me. I have wine, turquoise and purple inks in my small collection, and green would make a nice addition.
The ink she sent me is J. Herbin Vert Empire. Empire Green, I determined from my rusty college French. J. Herbin should know about empires. According to their web site, this French company has been making ink since 1670. Louis XIV used their ink, as did Victor Hugo. Judging from the color sample on the top of the box, this ink would be a deep, solid, green.
The bottle is square and squat. Unlike some other ink bottles, I felt confident that this one was not likely to tip over if the cat whacked it with her tail while I was mid-fill. It also has an indentation at the front of the bottle - a pen rest. If you are using the ink with a dip pen, that is probably quite handy.
As I started writing with the pen, I was a bit disappointed in the color of the ink. It was a little more grayed out than I expected, more of a dark olive green. It wasn't a bad color, just different.
After a few days, though, the color started to grow on me. Sometimes it looks more gray than green to me. In fact, it was hard to photograph the writing sample so that the green showed very clearly. It photocopied well, and the color was subtle enough that I had no qualms about using it to sign documents or write checks. The ink is water-based, but it survived my low-tech attempt to remove it from a piece of paper. It is also supposed to be light-fast.
Feathering and drying times varied, depending on the paper. In the sample above, it feathered far less than the black Uni-ball in the comparison. On decent journal paper, it dried within a second or two, but on regular office copier paper, it took six or seven seconds.
This seems to be a good-quality ink, and if you are looking for a signature ink color that is not too flashy, Vert Empire might do the trick.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Tiny Turk
I know, I know. Bad blogger, no cookie. It's truly sad that I have gone almost 5 months without a post. It's sad that I've had a couple of comments awaiting moderation since June. But then, they came in three months after the post, so I'm not alone in my tardiness.
Sometimes I just get out of the habit of public self-reflection. Sometimes I get busy. And sometimes I spend my free time doing other stuff.
This month, I have been spinning. You know, yarn. Spinners have taken to adopting the time of the Tour de France as their own Tour de Fleece. Participants strive to spin every day that the Tour rides.
I decided it was time to put up or shut up about learning to spin. I "learned" several years ago, but my progress has been sporadic. Just like many things, you need to practice regularly in order to improve. What a concept.
I jumped in with with abandon this time, and finally, something clicked. I finished my yarn from last year (at left, below). I tried some new fibers and new techniques. I made some mistakes, and I learned some things. I got comfortable enough that I have kept spinning even after the event is done.
As my own personal reward, I ordered a tiny Turkish spindle on from Threads Thru Time on Etsy. It arrived today, and oh my, is it cute!
You can see in the first two photos on the left how it is in three pieces. That is interesting because once the yarn is spun and wound onto it (center photo), you can just remove the arms and have a nice little center-pull ball of yarn.
Sometimes I just get out of the habit of public self-reflection. Sometimes I get busy. And sometimes I spend my free time doing other stuff.
This month, I have been spinning. You know, yarn. Spinners have taken to adopting the time of the Tour de France as their own Tour de Fleece. Participants strive to spin every day that the Tour rides.
I decided it was time to put up or shut up about learning to spin. I "learned" several years ago, but my progress has been sporadic. Just like many things, you need to practice regularly in order to improve. What a concept.
I jumped in with with abandon this time, and finally, something clicked. I finished my yarn from last year (at left, below). I tried some new fibers and new techniques. I made some mistakes, and I learned some things. I got comfortable enough that I have kept spinning even after the event is done.
As my own personal reward, I ordered a tiny Turkish spindle on from Threads Thru Time on Etsy. It arrived today, and oh my, is it cute!
You can see in the first two photos on the left how it is in three pieces. That is interesting because once the yarn is spun and wound onto it (center photo), you can just remove the arms and have a nice little center-pull ball of yarn.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Gone
T checked as soon as he got home from work. Apparently our friends from the city figured out how to remove the deer.
I hate finding dead wildlife on the property, especially if they are regular visitors. Even if I've only watched them from the window, I feel like we are friends. I'm a sap that way.
I hate finding dead wildlife on the property, especially if they are regular visitors. Even if I've only watched them from the window, I feel like we are friends. I'm a sap that way.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Ah, homeownership!
Remember when I posted that a deer was spending hours hanging around our shed, and I wondered if it was sick or injured? And it finally wandered off?
Well, it came back, and it ain't wandering off this time.
I opened the blinds when I got home from work, and there was the deer lying in the classic dead-deer position, at the usual spot in front of the shed. T went out and checked, and it is indeed dead.
Then we hemmed and hawed about what to do. I mean, you can't just bag up a dead deer like you can a groundhog. Fortunately, a little web searching turned up a city number we could call, and they have a contractor that will come pick up dead animals.
The contractor called to ask questions about the corpse in question. Where is it? Will one person be able to move it? T replied, just a tad brusquely, to the second question, "I don't know. I've never had to move a deer."
They are supposed to come pick up the deer tomorrow. I hope so. Seeing it outside my window harshes my vibe.
In other "news", if you want to call it that, Friday marked five years that I have had this blog. As you can see, it has languished recently. It seems like there is always some new shiny spot on the intrawebs battling for attention. It's easy to dump a bunch of photos on Flickr, or make a quick comment on Facebook, but it misses some of the narrative storytelling that is possible in a blog.
We hear about kids having shorter attention spans because of the fast pace at which information can move, but I see myself in that, as well. I've been thinking about how I can slow down a bit, and give more attention to quality than to quantity. Maybe this is a place to start.
Well, it came back, and it ain't wandering off this time.
I opened the blinds when I got home from work, and there was the deer lying in the classic dead-deer position, at the usual spot in front of the shed. T went out and checked, and it is indeed dead.
Then we hemmed and hawed about what to do. I mean, you can't just bag up a dead deer like you can a groundhog. Fortunately, a little web searching turned up a city number we could call, and they have a contractor that will come pick up dead animals.
The contractor called to ask questions about the corpse in question. Where is it? Will one person be able to move it? T replied, just a tad brusquely, to the second question, "I don't know. I've never had to move a deer."
They are supposed to come pick up the deer tomorrow. I hope so. Seeing it outside my window harshes my vibe.
In other "news", if you want to call it that, Friday marked five years that I have had this blog. As you can see, it has languished recently. It seems like there is always some new shiny spot on the intrawebs battling for attention. It's easy to dump a bunch of photos on Flickr, or make a quick comment on Facebook, but it misses some of the narrative storytelling that is possible in a blog.
We hear about kids having shorter attention spans because of the fast pace at which information can move, but I see myself in that, as well. I've been thinking about how I can slow down a bit, and give more attention to quality than to quantity. Maybe this is a place to start.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Our latest shed animal
Long-time readers of this blog will recognize our garden shed, background for many photos, and temporary shelter to numerous animals over the years.
This was a new one.
We took a few pictures and then went off to a meeting.
Four hours later, the deer is still out there. Now we are wondering if it is injured or ailing. There is a hole nearby, courtesy of Chuckie, and it could have stepped in it and injured a leg. It doesn't seem agitated or frightened, though.
Any animal people have any suggestions?
Update:By midnight, the deer had wandered off. Animal lover angst averted. Whew.
This was a new one.
We took a few pictures and then went off to a meeting.
Four hours later, the deer is still out there. Now we are wondering if it is injured or ailing. There is a hole nearby, courtesy of Chuckie, and it could have stepped in it and injured a leg. It doesn't seem agitated or frightened, though.
Any animal people have any suggestions?
Update:By midnight, the deer had wandered off. Animal lover angst averted. Whew.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Pimping my pals
One of the happy side-effects of participating in NaNoWriMo over the years has been getting to know lots of interesting people who love words. A couple of those people have new stuff going.
Holly Jahangiri has written almost everything, from poetry to tech manuals. Holly has just published her second book for children, A Puppy, Not a Guppy. It's the story of Irma, who really wants a dog, but ends up with not just a guppy, but three of them. Irma is visiting a number of blogs this week, so you can get to know her and hear a bit more about her story. The tour starts here, with a visit to the book's publisher. (And if you have a kid who is freaked out by the monster under the bed, check out Holly's previous book, Trockle, about a monster who is freaked out by the kid above the bed.)
Jon Renaut has been writing in his blog, Ebooks Yearn to Be Free, about finding a new model for for digital distribution of content . Last month, he launched Manfred Macx, a new kind of publishing company. The idea is to let authors make money by selling any number of things (not just print books), while still allowing free distribution of e-books. An author could sell a personal letter, or a batch of fudge, or a phone call on your birthday, as well as print copies of a book. Once her monetary goal has been met, the e-book is released for free.
Check them out!
Holly Jahangiri has written almost everything, from poetry to tech manuals. Holly has just published her second book for children, A Puppy, Not a Guppy. It's the story of Irma, who really wants a dog, but ends up with not just a guppy, but three of them. Irma is visiting a number of blogs this week, so you can get to know her and hear a bit more about her story. The tour starts here, with a visit to the book's publisher. (And if you have a kid who is freaked out by the monster under the bed, check out Holly's previous book, Trockle, about a monster who is freaked out by the kid above the bed.)
Jon Renaut has been writing in his blog, Ebooks Yearn to Be Free, about finding a new model for for digital distribution of content . Last month, he launched Manfred Macx, a new kind of publishing company. The idea is to let authors make money by selling any number of things (not just print books), while still allowing free distribution of e-books. An author could sell a personal letter, or a batch of fudge, or a phone call on your birthday, as well as print copies of a book. Once her monetary goal has been met, the e-book is released for free.
Check them out!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Hanging around
Video may have killed the radio star, but Facebook killed blogging - or at, least, diverted some attention from it. Within seconds of activating my Facebook account a few months ago, I received a Wall message from a friend who said, in essence, "Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated."
I'll give Facebook credit - It has attracted people who would never have a blog, including some technophobes I know. Updates are quick, and it's pretty easy to check up on a whole bunch of people with not too much effort. Seeing an update from my best friend from junior high or my college roommate makes me happy, since I know neither of them is likely to read this blog, and we are all pathetic letter writers.
Also, my work schedule has been crazy, and my attention span has shrunk to nothing. (Keep your fingers crossed that this situation will improve in the near future. The work, at least. We'll see if that helps the attention span.) Who has time for a thoughtful, entertaining blog post?
But, my desk still faces the back window, and I still watch the finches working the feeder, watch the leaves change and fall, watch the shifting colors of the sky.
The picture is of our current four-legged hanger-on. Unlike the late Shed Kitty, Ginger Kitty is extremely friendly. He tries to rub against me if I approach him, and tries to come into the house if he thinks there might be food in here.
Like him, I'm still hanging around.
I'll give Facebook credit - It has attracted people who would never have a blog, including some technophobes I know. Updates are quick, and it's pretty easy to check up on a whole bunch of people with not too much effort. Seeing an update from my best friend from junior high or my college roommate makes me happy, since I know neither of them is likely to read this blog, and we are all pathetic letter writers.
Also, my work schedule has been crazy, and my attention span has shrunk to nothing. (Keep your fingers crossed that this situation will improve in the near future. The work, at least. We'll see if that helps the attention span.) Who has time for a thoughtful, entertaining blog post?
But, my desk still faces the back window, and I still watch the finches working the feeder, watch the leaves change and fall, watch the shifting colors of the sky.
The picture is of our current four-legged hanger-on. Unlike the late Shed Kitty, Ginger Kitty is extremely friendly. He tries to rub against me if I approach him, and tries to come into the house if he thinks there might be food in here.
Like him, I'm still hanging around.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
A sweet night
Last night, we had a visit from my college roommate and her husband. They live in New England, and I used to get out there every few years to visit, but haven't been out in a long time. How long? I think the last time, her youngest was not in school yet, or possibly in kindergarten. That one is now a college graduate and planning her wedding this fall. They had never met T, and we've been traveling together for 14 or 15 years now.
We picked them up after we got off work and went to Raccoon River Brewing Company for dinner. Then we drove around the old haunts, and ended up at a coffee shop with a patio, where we sat and visited until they ran us out.
My friend once said, "Even when we haven't seen each other for awhile, when we get together, it always seems like it was just yesterday." I wondered, though, if that would still be the case, after so many years.
It is.
We picked them up after we got off work and went to Raccoon River Brewing Company for dinner. Then we drove around the old haunts, and ended up at a coffee shop with a patio, where we sat and visited until they ran us out.
My friend once said, "Even when we haven't seen each other for awhile, when we get together, it always seems like it was just yesterday." I wondered, though, if that would still be the case, after so many years.
It is.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
If you fill it....
They will come.
Animal guru Sand advised me to be patient. Eventually a bird would find the feeder. Then he would go back and tell his buddies, and pretty soon it would be THE lunch spot in town.
Well.
Just this morning, I have seen several pairs of goldfinches (I had never seen a goldfinch until I put up the feeder), the usual house finches, and a bunch of chipping sparrows. A larger gray bird also stopped by - catbird, maybe? I didn't get a close look.
The social interaction is entertaining. A goldfinch will eat with its mate, but doesn't want any other pairs horning in on them. They don't mind the house finches, though. The house finches are larger and flap their wings occasionally, as if to say, "Pipe down, kids, I'm trying to eat here."
Animal guru Sand advised me to be patient. Eventually a bird would find the feeder. Then he would go back and tell his buddies, and pretty soon it would be THE lunch spot in town.
Well.
Just this morning, I have seen several pairs of goldfinches (I had never seen a goldfinch until I put up the feeder), the usual house finches, and a bunch of chipping sparrows. A larger gray bird also stopped by - catbird, maybe? I didn't get a close look.
The social interaction is entertaining. A goldfinch will eat with its mate, but doesn't want any other pairs horning in on them. They don't mind the house finches, though. The house finches are larger and flap their wings occasionally, as if to say, "Pipe down, kids, I'm trying to eat here."
Sunday, June 14, 2009
It works!
Recently, I bought a finch sock. I filled it with nyger and hung it in the back yard, and waited for the neighborhood house finches to flock to it in gratitude.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Today, I just happened to glance up from the computer to see a bright goldfinch perched on it. According to noted bird expert Sand, one finch will find the food, then go back to the tribe and brag about this great new restaurant he found, and then they all will come check it out.
I can't wait.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Today, I just happened to glance up from the computer to see a bright goldfinch perched on it. According to noted bird expert Sand, one finch will find the food, then go back to the tribe and brag about this great new restaurant he found, and then they all will come check it out.
I can't wait.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The spring collection
We've had a couple of weeks of delightful spring weather - a little warm during the day, a little cool in the evening, rain every now and then. With the windows open, we go to sleep to the sound of crickets, and wake up to bird songs at dawn.
Last night, I saw fireflies. Just a few, a tease of fireflies, if you will.
With the demise of SK, other critters are more active in the backyard. A rabbit wandered in today. The cardinals and robins are there, of course, and occasionally I hear catbirds, although I haven't seen them. I assume the finches are still around, too, although I hung a finch sock for them today and haven't seen anyone come near it. Three starlings showed up the other day, talking loud and strutting around like they've had that last drink you can have before you get incoherently stupid. Fortunately, they also had a drunk's attention span, and after posturing for a couple of minutes, they wandered off. They look like badasses, though, so I'm going to keep an eye out for them.
T and I have been hacking away at the stuff growing in the backyard that we don't want growing there. Ideally, at some point, we will replace it with stuff we DO want to grow there, but one step at a time.
Meanwhile, indoors, I have been taking leisurely tour through "The Discovery Of Poetry" by Frances Mayes (of "Under the Tuscan Sun" fame). While it is described as "A Field Guide to Reading and Writing Poems", it is much more about reading and understanding poetry, with just a smattering of how to put that knowledge into action. It is also a simply wonderful collection of poems. Every time I take a half hour to read from it, I feel like I am a little better than I was before.
I don't know if this book had anything to do with it, but I went on a poetry writing frenzy today. I picked up a literary journal at the bookstore this afternoon, and the poems in it were awful. Really, really, awful. "Is that all it takes to get published in a literary journal?" I asked my friends. "I can do that in no time."
I picked a few random words out of the magazines on the table and started writing. (T gets special muse credit for daring me to use the word churlish. With pleasure, my dear - what a nice, juicy word!) Within an hour, I had written four poems, two of which were actually not too bad. It turns out that even when I try to write self-indulgent crap, my brain still tries to find a theme and put layers of meaning into it. That's me, always trying to make sense of it all.
Last night, I saw fireflies. Just a few, a tease of fireflies, if you will.
With the demise of SK, other critters are more active in the backyard. A rabbit wandered in today. The cardinals and robins are there, of course, and occasionally I hear catbirds, although I haven't seen them. I assume the finches are still around, too, although I hung a finch sock for them today and haven't seen anyone come near it. Three starlings showed up the other day, talking loud and strutting around like they've had that last drink you can have before you get incoherently stupid. Fortunately, they also had a drunk's attention span, and after posturing for a couple of minutes, they wandered off. They look like badasses, though, so I'm going to keep an eye out for them.
T and I have been hacking away at the stuff growing in the backyard that we don't want growing there. Ideally, at some point, we will replace it with stuff we DO want to grow there, but one step at a time.
Meanwhile, indoors, I have been taking leisurely tour through "The Discovery Of Poetry" by Frances Mayes (of "Under the Tuscan Sun" fame). While it is described as "A Field Guide to Reading and Writing Poems", it is much more about reading and understanding poetry, with just a smattering of how to put that knowledge into action. It is also a simply wonderful collection of poems. Every time I take a half hour to read from it, I feel like I am a little better than I was before.
I don't know if this book had anything to do with it, but I went on a poetry writing frenzy today. I picked up a literary journal at the bookstore this afternoon, and the poems in it were awful. Really, really, awful. "Is that all it takes to get published in a literary journal?" I asked my friends. "I can do that in no time."
I picked a few random words out of the magazines on the table and started writing. (T gets special muse credit for daring me to use the word churlish. With pleasure, my dear - what a nice, juicy word!) Within an hour, I had written four poems, two of which were actually not too bad. It turns out that even when I try to write self-indulgent crap, my brain still tries to find a theme and put layers of meaning into it. That's me, always trying to make sense of it all.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Good times, bad times
The holiday weekend was quite enjoyable. Saturday was a yarn crawl with my knit buds. Sunday was a barbecue. Monday we did some long overdue yard work. We now have a big pile of limbs and whatnot waiting for disposal. Today is a little cool, and a little rainy, and it is going to be good sleeping weather.
When I got the lawn mower out to whack the grass in the backyard (it was a few days overdue for cutting), something caught my eye in the dark corner of the yard. A cat - a dead, black cat. I called Terry over, and he confirmed it. "That's the Shed Kitty."
The cat has been hanging around our property for a couple of years now, and was mildly tolerant of us, at least when we took food out on bitter cold days this winter. I was hoping that I could spend more time outside as the weather got warmer, and could entice the cat to take a trip to the vet for a check up and shots. I figured I owed the cat that much, since the feline presence has apparently driven away the groundhog(s).
Thanks for that, Shed Kitty. May the hereafter give you bountiful hunting and a warm bed.
When I got the lawn mower out to whack the grass in the backyard (it was a few days overdue for cutting), something caught my eye in the dark corner of the yard. A cat - a dead, black cat. I called Terry over, and he confirmed it. "That's the Shed Kitty."
The cat has been hanging around our property for a couple of years now, and was mildly tolerant of us, at least when we took food out on bitter cold days this winter. I was hoping that I could spend more time outside as the weather got warmer, and could entice the cat to take a trip to the vet for a check up and shots. I figured I owed the cat that much, since the feline presence has apparently driven away the groundhog(s).
Thanks for that, Shed Kitty. May the hereafter give you bountiful hunting and a warm bed.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Midwestern Spring
Nineteen days ago, I was watching it snow, and trying, somewhat unsuccessfully, to take a picture of a cardinal in the back yard without opening the window.
Today it is 86 degrees. Every window in the house is open, and I put on a sleeveless shirt to mow the back yard.
And, after I work for a few hours tomorrow, I will be on vacation. Not a furlough, but an honest-to-goodness vacation.
I love spring.
Today it is 86 degrees. Every window in the house is open, and I put on a sleeveless shirt to mow the back yard.
And, after I work for a few hours tomorrow, I will be on vacation. Not a furlough, but an honest-to-goodness vacation.
I love spring.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
The promise of spring
Easter morning started out sunny, but by afternoon it was cloudy, cool, and breezy. Still, little spots of color on the lilac bushes just outside my window remind me that spring may be a little slow to arrive in these parts, but it will arrive.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
The coming of spring
We had some lovely spring days last week, and some lovely spring rains. The finches are going crazy with their turf wars or mating or whatever it is. This year, they found a little nook over the kitchen window for their nest. The grass is greening up. The lilac buds are sending out tiny leaves, which made a nice little basket to catch today's snow.
In rogue cat news, we haven't seen Shed Kitty for a couple of weeks. I hope s/he is just out walkabout, and not the victim of a car or a jerk that doesn't like black cats.
FYI for commenters: I turned on moderation because I was getting spammed. I don't need insurance in Australia, and I don't think most of you do, either.
In rogue cat news, we haven't seen Shed Kitty for a couple of weeks. I hope s/he is just out walkabout, and not the victim of a car or a jerk that doesn't like black cats.
FYI for commenters: I turned on moderation because I was getting spammed. I don't need insurance in Australia, and I don't think most of you do, either.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)