SUMMER IS BEAUTIFUL

WATCHING AND WAITING....

What better thing to do on a snowy day? I so enjoy being inside looking out and not outside shoveling looking in. That's what Roger has been doing. Poor guy. Our SNOW has been falling steadily for hours then it stopped for several hours. We sighed in relief-poor Roger's back and knees have been complaining LOUDLY. We have a large dog yard and a long winding driveway up to the road that runs through our development.. I know I showed you this picture last year and it's ditto for this year. Some things never change. 

Large dog yard.

So far we have a significant amount but not as much as we expected. Roger has the plow on the truck and has swept up the  drive and around the neighbor's circular drive.  He has an arrangement with them. Evidently they are "drinkers" and he gets their cans. Roger is a collector of anything that can bring him a few bucks at the local scrapyard or, as he describes it, metal reclamation center. It's like a hobby with him. He uses the back of the garage to store his treasures until he gets enough to make his trip worth while. I don't like having to look at his "junk" pile  but realize that I have my own piles inside the house. Some might consider my accumulation of books, fabric and yarn to be another aspect of hobbies gone awry. Out of control even.  I currently have 3 rooms dedicated to these hobbies. Hobby stuff is good to have but it  sometimes grows like a  chocolate stash..just when you think you have  enough you realize you really need more. Being prepared is my motto.

A drop in the bucket😊.

I do love watching the birds feed when it snows. There is a lot of chatter outside our windows where we have placed feeders all around the house and even have them hanging outside a couple of upstairs Windows. It's a bit tricky to get decent pictures though. They fly away at the least movement. We have about 20 cardinal pairs that provide bursts of color and I love the slate grey and white juncos- lots of finches, downy and hairy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpecker, and many other common birds. 

What's a mama bear to do with herself whilst (I've been reading too many old novels found in the basement) in hibernation? Well, have a looksee. 

Making a snowflake throw. Have about 10 blocks done.

MIDWINTER  BLEAKNESS

I'm dreaming of warmer climates. Now would be the time to head south for a month or so. Gas has become affordable making a trip to a Florida beach a possibility to those of us on fixed retirement incomes. NOTE: I am talking road trip (no more flying for me, no sir-ree). Alas, it must remain a dream. Mysti is still getting around on 3 legs from her mishap on the ice about 3 weeks ago. We are hoping and praying it will heal soon. We try to keep her quiet. We put a towel under her belly to make a sort of sling to help her go outside to do her business and then back in again. 

Poor baby😱.

Even without this latest chapter in our ongoing pet "soap/saga", getting Roger to leave his house in the hands of a pet sitter in the Winter (or anytime for that matter) is a moot subject. He has become a big stick in the mud...oops I mean snow...the older he gets the more trepidatious he has become. All he can think about is what "might" happen. Not to us but to the house and the 2 dogs, 4 cats and 2 birds, our pet children.  

Me, I'm dreaming about sitting on the beach (under an umbrella of course) gazing out to sea,watching the sun's movement across the ocean catching the silver flecks on the dancing waves (did I really write that?), a cozy read on my lap, a little  people watching on the sly, drinking a diet Pepsi, and, you may be right;  hoping that all is well at home. 

Take care and try to be a blessing to someone today.