As Our Life Goes On

 It is almost like a Spring day! The temperature is over 50 degrees and I will enjoy it while it lasts. I saw a wayward robin who decided to Winter over. It did not show up well in the video as I could not get very close. Sunny days always make me feel better.  After the extended cold spell it seems warm at this temperature. I feel happy. Happy New Year!

The deer have regular paths through our wooded area at the edge of the property. They come through daily to see what goodies have spilled from the bird feeders. They leave some piles of deer poop behind to fertilize the yard. See below. It looks like a pile of chocolate covered raisins or peanuts. Deer Poop The sun did not peep through until late in the day and then it left a bright streak across the sky and disappeared. The expected high temperature was not reached but it did seem warm enough to take a long walk around the yard. The yard is criss-crossed with deer and other animal tracks. Some kind of very large canine ran through recently. The tracks were huge. The bike and hike trail is not plowed and it is difficult to see the tracks on it from the top of the hill but we have not seen as many hikers lately. Until today it has been so cold and the snow has been deep. The snow melt continues and there are bare patches where the ground and grass can be seen. 

Hag Moth Click on the text above to learn more about this hairy looking caterpillar. It was resting on a bench outside of our breezeway a year or so ago so I ran to get the camera. Watch out though because they sting. I haven't got any more to say today!

The snow is no longer pretty or scenic. It is piled up in dirty chunky piles in icy parking lots and soiled piles along the roadsides. I am ready for the promised thaw that should take place by the weekend. Thankfully the ground was warm when the snow started so the depth of the snow has diminished because the the thawing underneath and compaction. There shouldn't be any serious flooding. It was a day where the weather did affect what I did. I did not go for a walk around the yard. The chores that had to be accomplished by going to the stores and other places were done quickly and I then I sought refuge in the warmth of the house. There are Ohio State sales taxes to figure and other hated bookwork chores to finish. Paper forms are no longer desired by the State of Ohio so filing is done online. They did back off a bit on this requirement because some people don't own a computer and don't want to. Filing can be done by phone also. This is OK with me. Filing online is fast

Did I not get the word that there was a picture being taken or did I not have a uniform that fit me. I think it was the latter. I can't remember having a uniform that size. The picture was taken in the early fifties. It was not dated but I may have been 12 or 13 years old. I really don't like the dress that I am wearing in the picture but it must have been OK and possibly in fashion for the time. I am three heads away from the scout leader who was named Ruby. I actually was able to remember the first names of at least 14 of the people in the picture but since they are not identified on the back of the picture the last names of some might be hard to recall. If you are in the picture you probably remember the great times that we had during our scouting days in Kent Ohio.

It's a tough world out there in the lives of wild animals and birds. Birds eat more than seeds at the bird feeders. This is the plan in nature even though it may be hard to look at. A hawk did not eat the feathers but I observed him eating the legs and feet of an unlucky bird that visited our feeder. It is most likely more difficult to find mice and other prey when the snow cover is heavy.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

It could be an icy landing for Santa and his reindeer should  he visit this house. He may also get his butt burned because of the fire in the wood stove. He should go where there are small hopeful children waiting for him to drop off their presents.  My list includes: WORLD PEACE CURES FOR ALL ILLNESSES LOVE JOY JOBS FOR THE JOBLESS HELP FOR THE NEEDY ETC. Please Santa, Bring those to the world! May the true meaning for Christmas live in your hearts! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We found this wonderful old camper a few years ago in Marlboro Ohio on route 44. We were on a return trip from New Philadelphia when suddenly the brakes went on and the words "We have to go back and buy that van" were spoken. I had not been looking when we went by the small ice cream stand where the camper was parked with a for sale sign on it.  We had been sleeping in our Suburban when we would go overnight to distant flea markets.  Sleeping in the Suburban was cramped and uncomfortable. The Dodge seemed to have most of what we needed to be more comfortable. The price was reasonable so it became ours. It doesn't have some features that we would like but offers so much more comfort while traveling. It has large vents but no air conditioning. Most of the time this is not a problem. It has a great heater. The kitchen has a 3 burner gas stove with oven, sink and refrigerator. There is a small closet in the back that holds the porta-potty. The 2 back seats let down into

Seeing this picture inspired me to do a bit of dusting by the fireplace. Just look at the dust on the thermometer shelf! Dust at rest does not cause you to have to breath it however. A dampened cotton swab cleaned this rather well. This thermometer is on the window next to the wood stove in the fireplace. It really is not a true indicator of the temperature in the rest of the house. My work space is the farthest from any heat source and it is usually cool in Winter or any other season. I have a small electric heater to keep me warm while working on my computer. Today I am working on more items to put on Ebay. The pictures are taken but the shipping weights will have to be figured and the descriptions will have to be written so that they will be easily understandable and correct for the item. I could not find a special reason to go out an walk around the yard today even though it is warmer than the past few days have been. I did go to my exercise class today. The solid hour of exer

This is a picture of my "new" 1979 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale. It was warm enough today for it to get a bath to wash off the salt that got on the body on the 5 mile trip from where we bought it. There are a few things that need adjusted to make it run more efficiently but Mr. Fixit will have no problems doing that. The older cars can be worked on more easily than the newer cars. The seats have always been covered by clear plastic covers. The plastic is cold in the Winter and hot in the Summer so they may have to go. They have protected the upholstery well and the light blue seats look like new. It is a Michigan car but it may not have been driven in the salt as the underside is clean with no rust. We searched for many months for an older car in good condition. We found this one in Kent. It was in a driveway along a route that we frequently take. We will keep looking. One cannot have too many old cars. 

WE went to a really fun Christmas exchange party last night. Thoughtfully selected gifts, new and old, were exchanged. A wonderful dinner prepared by the hostess was served between the opening of the gifts. It is great to get together with good friends whether gifts are given or not. The evening went by very fast. It was our last party before Christmas. Russ put up a few extra wildlife feeders that will have to be serviced every day or so. It is great exercise to get out there in the cold and snow and take care of the animals and birds. Another day is almost over. We are a day closer to Spring.

We found black oil sunflower seeds on sale at the local tractor supply store so we stocked up with a couple of 50 pound bags. The birds and squirrels really love them and so do the deer. One lone deer crossed the road this morning at about 9 AM looking for any easy pickings that it could find around local bird feeders. The below freezing temperatures have kept the snow from melting and it is more difficult for the animals to find food.

How I make a pomander Ingredients: oranges and some whole cloves. Whole cloves can be purchased for less in bulk containers or in a store that sells in bulk quantities. Poke a hole in the orange with a sharp pin or other sharp object and insert a whole clove. You can make patterns on the orange with the cloves or cover them almost completely as shown in the picture. A lime was used for the smaller pomander. Thinner skinned lemons would work well also. The cloves preserve the fruit. There are recipes for rolling the finished pomander in powdered spices but I found that messy and not necessary. I prefer the simple and traditional way of making them. The sharp cloves are a bit hard on the fingers so you may wish to wear some protection. If you poke the hole you can let your children push in the cloves. Tie a ribbon around the pomander, leave it plain or embellish it with some holiday sparkles or tiny bulbs. Add some netting or lace around the pomander and tie it with a ribbon. The

I am not a person who needs high drama to make my day great. In fact the less that happens the better it is. This was one of those specials days. There are still a few hours left in the day. Maybe we should take the phone off the hook!

We ran around from one place to another today seemingly getting nothing done most of the time. The "new" car that we bought on Monday had a Michigan title and after getting the VIN verified at the license bureau we were set to have the Michigan title transferred to an Ohio title in our name.  The clerk behind the counter at the title bureau, which is in a separate place 10 miles from the licence bureau where we had the other work done, peered over her glasses and said HMMM! You probably know what that means. She left the counter and went over to the back of the room to talk to other employees. When one followed her back we knew there was a problem. It took all day for us and the seller to get together on our times and go clear back to the title bureau to iron things out. They needed to see a form from Michigan showing that no tax was due on the car as it had been an inheritance.  So 40 miles later and way too much time later that is DONE and we have our beautiful 1979 Oldsmo

The Lake Erie snow machine continued piling up several more inches of the white stuff overnight. The snow clings to the bottom sides of the branches and the wind has formed unusual sculptural effects on the window sill. I do have to admit that it is beautiful and maybe this would be missed if we moved to a warmer climate. The cold and inconveniences in transportation are what would not be missed. Positive thinking is a good idea. I will try!

The view is pretty but it is so cold that I don't want to go out in it. We awoke again to a beautiful Winter wonderland. The lake effect snow machine kicked in over Lake Erie yesterday and stood still over Stow all day and all night putting down many more inches of snow.   It causes many inconveniences and lots of work. The tractor is hooked to the plow again and the driveway is being plowed. At least another foot of snow is blocking us from leaving. The trees are weighed down by the heavy snow and some branches may not be able to stand the load. The trash pickup was due yesterday but our cans remain full next to the road. They are brushed off so that if the truck does happen to come the collector will actually see them. Winter has not officially arrived.

The snow was relentless this morning and it continues to come down at a heavy rate. It builds up on the road soon after the plow goes through and the driving is very treacherous. The visibility is low and it is very cold. We will plow ourselves out tomorrow. A narrow path was made to carry the trash to the road and pick up the mail and papers. We plan to stay inside today and keep warm.

The snow has melted off in some places leaving a patchy look to the landscape. It is a good time to look at the ground because it may be some time before we see it again. The snowstorm is on the way.  We feel prepared but a person can never know what inconveniences severe weather could bring. Weather forecasting is not an exact science so it is always possible that the weatherman could be wrong. This time we hope that have overstated the severity of the storm.

The poor little bird above flew right into our breezeway windows. The windows are actually cleaner than usual so maybe it thought it could fly right on in or it felt that it had to attack the reflection. This bird was lucky enough to live through it. It lay quite stunned for a while but it was breathing. It then sat up and rather motionless except to blink its eyes now and then. It flew away about an hour later.

Strong storms are predicted to start on Sunday. We are not looking forward to this. Strong winds and lots of snow are in the forecast. The wood is piled high on the porch as getting to the woodpile may become impossible. We will stock up on food tomorrow. Maybe the forecast is wrong. We hope so. We certainly remember the blizzard of January 1978 and don't want to live through something like that again.  It  was dark when the deer came to clean up the bird food that was under the tree near the living room window. They were very attentive and something happening next door seemed to startle them. There were another 3 deer in the back yard so they went away quickly to join them.

Be sure to feed the birds when the snow is deep and covers some of the foods that they would be able to find naturally. When you start feeding them don't stop.  Watching them at the feeders can be relaxing and at time humorous. When Spring arrives the birds will still come to your yard and keep the insect population down.

How could I? When I took this picture of two happy bugs on a flower last Summer I am not sure that I saw both of them until I enlarged the picture. Their privacy was invaded although that probably does not matter. When I see this picture Spring and Summer come to mind.  Really bad weather is on the way this weekend. It is cold today and my pretty garden flowers are in my imagination and pictures only. BRRRRRR!

When the weather man said that this snow would continue to add many inches to what has come down there was an unhappy husband in this house. I think a few choice words were spoken to describe how he felt about plowing again today. The video above was taken on Monday but this work apparently will be repeated later today. The snow is pretty but it makes a lot of work.

More Snow Than Expected Snow was expected but when we woke up to about 10" of the fluffy white stuff it was a surprise. At our age this is not a good surprise. It is very scenic and pretty but when you need to go somewhere it is an obstacle to be overcome.  The long driveway must be cleared so that we can leave. A narrow path had been made when this picture was taken as the trash must be taken to the road and newspapers had to be retrieved from the box. Mr. snow plow man meant to park the suburban in front of the barn so that there would be a clear path in front to bring the tractor out. Now that area must be shoveled by hand. The plow will be hooked up and  our drives will be cleared. It does not stop there. Mr. nice plow guy then plows three neighboring drives. The 85 year old twin WWII veterans down the road both get their drives done and the next door neighbors who are unable to plow or shovel because of health concerns get theirs done also. We get year long gifts fro

One of our wheelbarrows is in Winter storage behind a shed. The large trees with low hanging branches hide our array of  outside stored items from view.  Two other wheelbarrows are used to carry wood from the woodpile because they are deeper and larger.  Some leaves and twigs fell from the trees late in the season so they will have to wait until Spring. We mower mulch light coverings of leaves and blow the heavy accumulations into piles along the property line. These piles give cover to small animals and decay into rich dark mulch. The mower mulched leaves add nutrients to the soil in the yard.  Our airtight woodstove is keeping us quite warm but the weather has not yet gotten terribly cold.

It was a dark and snowy day. I got a new video camcorder so some videos will be posted. It was almost dark when the pictures were taken. The snow was falling gently and quietly. I think I hear an airplane in the distance toward the last of the video. When youtube gets done running my video it shows other available videos. If it is an embarrassing one it is not mine. I like to see the snow when it falls gently with no breeze. Today it did not build up on the roads so getting around was not difficult. That is due to change in the next few days.

Today my two sisters and one cousin had lunch together. Even though we don't live far from each other we all have busy lives. We had a great time visiting during our lunch and may schedule another soon. It has been too long between this one and the one before.   Both my mother and father had a number of brothers and sisters so there were plenty of cousins, aunts and uncles to visit when we were young. It was always great fun to visit these relatives for special holidays and just for impromptu visits. Since I have one brother and two sisters growing up was not lonely or lacking daily interactions. This is a good thing! Friends and family are the most important part of our lives.

This old granary is next to our property. We tried to buy it when it was not leaning and might have been fixed. For the last few years it has housed transient buzzards or turkey vultures that arrive in the Spring and use it as their home until they leave in the Fall. They raise their young and hunt for road kill which seems to be abundant. Often they soar over our house land high in our trees. Maybe they are waiting for us! Average Size : 26-32 inch body, 68-72 inch wingspan Habitat: Found throughout the U.S. in both rural and urban areas, residing year-round in the lower, warmer states or migrating to the lower states in the winter. Best Places to Spot a Turkey Vulture : garbage dumps, farmlands Endangered, Threatened, or Protected?: Protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act May Be Mistaken For: Black Vulture, Bald Eagle

The snow and cold temperatures are here to stay for a while. It is pretty but it just reminds me that last Winter when the snow started to fly it just kept coming and we did not see the ground before Spring. The cold  cut  through my many layers of clothing and my body feels chilled. A warm bath may be a help to warm me up. There is a fine snow coming down as I write this. Closing the blinds may be an option.

  It rained all day so it was an excellent day for figuring out how to make a slide show. I am sure that my next try will be even more interesting. The Microsoft movie maker program was already there so had to try it. It was easy to make a simple slide show but the uploaded results seemed to be smaller than I had hoped and the resolution of the pictures is completely lost when it is viewed full screen. It gave me something new to do on this dreary and very dark day.

Sometimes the work we do each day does not show up in a substantial way. Paperwork, cleaning the insides of cupboards and closets and running errands took a great slice out of this day.  It makes the day go fast but I need more hours and more energy to finish the things that I had planned. The other work on the list will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm tired!

This is a catch up day.  No time for blogging

This hawk sat in the tree across the street very close to the road in front of the house for a very long time before moving on. The feathers were fluffed out because it is only in the 20s today and the wind is making it seem much colder. The bird did not seem too concerned with the traffic passing under it. It sat very still so as not to reveal itself to its next meal. In the Winter these large birds of prey move from house to house in the neighborhood scouting out the local bird feeders. They do help to keep the rodent population down even though they snack on the birds also.

Thanksgiving is a day that we usually eat too much because it is in front of us. The serve it yourself covered dish buffet hosted by my son and daughter-in-law was laden with the traditional  Thanksgiving fare plus some delicious extras.  We took home some ham, turkey and a couple pieces of pumpkin pie which we finished off today. We usually don't eat in excess but when a large buffet style meal is served it is hard to resist eating everything there. Tomorrow we go back to a healthy diet.

It is a day for friends and families  to get together and be thankful. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

I have never been accused of making pretty pies but they taste good. Pumpkin pie has always been one of my favorites. It it not something that I make often but around the holidays it is always the thing to have. Some nice dollops of whipped cream on top will make this a super ending to a meal. This recipe makes 2 pies. HONEY PUMPKIN PIE 1     29 oz can pumpkin (large can) 2/3 cup honey 2/3 cup brown sugar (dark brown is good) 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon cloves 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 4 eggs 1     12 oz can evaporated milk (not the sweetened kind) Mix together in order listed until well blended. Put into 2 pie crusts (purchased or your favorite crust) Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes then turn oven down to 350 degrees and cook until set. Baking time will vary slightly because of differences in ovens.  Enjoy! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

My dad added the copper top to this bird feeder many years ago. I think of him when I put it up each year. Only the roof makes it a bit unique. This is a found item that we keep adding to in order for it to stay together. The wood is getting quite rotten so this may be the last year to use it. An old part of a large trash container makes a nice waterproof feeder mounted on saw horses. It is functional but not pretty. This is the lid to the old septic tank. It does keep the feed dry. So far we are just using the inexpensive shell corn. Black oil sunflower seed will be added after the snow flies. I hope that is not too soon though! Don't worry the neighbors can't see these odd and assorted wildlife feeders from their  houses.  If they could I am sure they would object. 

This small deer was moving fast along the back of our property when I took this picture through my office window. I couldn't tell whether it was a small doe or a button buck. The rain this morning gave way to some warm sunshine which made it a good day to do some outside work that needed done. The work inside and outside made the day just fly by. I like to be busy so this was a happy day!