As Our Life Goes On

  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!

Today marks our 51st wedding anniversary. Who knew when we met on a blind date over 53 years ago we would end up with this lifelong joy of being together. His best friend and one of my good friends were dating. His friend met me and thought that Russ and I would be a good match.  A blind date was set up. We were to meet at a local teen center. It was almost not fair because if he looked at me and decided to escape he could just leave and I would have never known that he showed up. He liked what he saw and so did I and here we are!

A few of the shrubs along the driveway still retain some colorful leaves. It was a joy to be able to get out and work in the yard and just walk around and enjoy the warmth of the sun. The bike and hike trail was a popular place but people who use it should look up before they take a bathroom break. They seem to look up and down the trail and then just do their business. I often walk for exercise on the hill which is high over the trail along the perimeter of our property. Even though many people run alone on the trail I don't feel secure in doing that. Of course I walked away from the edge of the hill so that the person who just pulled their pants down would not be embarrassed to have been seen. Russ stacks wood along the hill and has encountered the same thing. If you go hiking it is OK to relieve yourself near the trail if you have to BUT please look everywhere where a person might be.

This picture was taken years ago at the Greentown Community Center in Greentown, Ohio. You might question why Russ and I are dressed funny. Years ago a group of us played Irish, Old Time Appalachian and French Canadian or Cape Breton style music at a Contra Dance that was held there about once a month. We really loved doing this. We could take a break and join in the dancing from time to time. The hall had what could be called a good floor. It was wood and it resounded with sounds from the feet of the dancers.   The entrance fee for dancers was quite reasonable so a good crowd of dancers usually showed up. Refreshments were also what could be called cheap. Cider and cookies always seemed to please the dancers. The band group never really made a profit on these dances. After paying the caller and buying the refreshments and renting the hall there was little left over. It was just FUN. Once a year we would have what we called the dress up dance and the band members would dress in odd

You can help to support literacy in our area by casting your vote for our library. The winning library will receive a $10,000 prize. Stow Monroe Falls Library is one of the most used libraries in Summit County Ohio. Please use the link below to get to the website where you can enter your email address and vote for our local library. THANKS VOTE FOR STOW MONROE FALLS PUBLIC LIBRARY

A buck rubbed on this tree. The bark is scarred all around this tree and there are no low branches as they have been broken off by the deer. November is the month when the rut or breeding season for whitetail deer starts. The deer are less cautious than usual and they are more active during the day. The number of deer in urban areas has increased substantially so it is even possible to encounter a deer running through a parking lot in a busy area. Deer cause many traffic deaths each year and lots of property damage to automobiles. Do not approach an injured deer. In fact don't approach one that is not injured. They are wild animals. We saw a group of does in our front yard last week. When they saw us they ran into the middle of the road and just stood there for quite some time. They seemed nervous and unsure as to which way to go. Fortunately it was not a busy time of day on the road that usually has plenty of traffic going much too fast. Perhaps they were being chased by the lar

It was a rather cool day and the chill in the air was enhanced by a brisk breeze at times. When the drizzle started after lunch it made the day even more gloomy. It was a good day to stay inside and keep warm. The airtight woodstove that is mounted in the living room fireplace is keeping things toasty and comfortable. The radiant heat feels so much better than the forced air heat from our oil fired furnace. The above picture was taken on a sunny bright day. It was dark and cloudy most of the day today.

We place brush and leaves from the yard into piles in the wooded areas behind our house.The piles can provide important cover for wildlife. The decomposed matter adds to the richness of the soil. Rabbits don't seem as common in our area as they used to be because of increases in the coyote population. Chipmunks, birds and other small animals use these natural hiding places. I did scare a rabbit from the pile one day while taking a walk in that area. I was glad to see that it was being used as intended.

 Last week we underwent the time change from daylight savings time to standard time. My brain and body have not yet adjusted to this change. It takes me at least 10 days to 2 weeks to not feel hungry at the wrong time or want to go to bed earlier or later than usual. I feel lethargic, listless and downright tired. By next week this should subside and maybe I will feel normal again.

I didn't see this large squirrel get up into the bird feeder but he was enjoying picking at the seeds that the birds had left. This one had no trouble jumping out to the ground. Another smaller gray squirrel that arrived later kept sliding down the pole holding the feeder as it tried to get into the feeder. It tried at least a half dozen times before grasping the ledge at the bottom of the structure. When it was done feeding it looked all around the sides for a good way down. It jumped up on the peaked top to to survey the situation.  It finally figured that the big jump off was the only way. It is fun to watch these antics from my window. The pictures were taken through the window and they are not quite as clear as I would like.

A preliminary chimney cleaning had been done a few weeks ago but after pulling the airtight stove out of the fireplace it was determined that a bit more cleaning was in order. Tomorrow will probably be the last of the nice days that we have this week. Indeed it may be the last nice one until Spring. There is still lots of outside work that remains undone.

I dragged and rolled the heavy base to one of our bird feeders to a spot just behind the room where I do my computer work. It is not too far from the back door so it will be easy to fill when the time comes. Russ found the top stored in a shed and placed it on the pole and adjusted the height. Though the pole is slippery squirrels can get to the top also. Some have made amazing jumps from the ground to get to the food. There will be other spots near the house where bird seed is placed but this is one that I can watch while I work.

The day was warm. A lot of work got done. Therefore this blog is very brief. Enjoying this great weather!! I noticed that the person that created the gif picture of a buckeye shown above put 7 leaves on the stem. The very similar Horse Chestnut tree has 7 leaves. Buckeyes usually have only 5 palmately compound    leaves. Read more by clicking on the link below. Buckeyes

We may be having our Indian Summer for this year. We are having a week of cool mornings and warm afternoons. It is a good time to finish outside chores. Natural things have always interested me. The bright green insect in the first picture did not like it when the camera came so close to take the picture. The oak leaf gall is in the second picture. We leave the insects alone unless they challenge our buildings and sheds or our health and safety. You can read more about Indian Summer by clicking on the link below. INDIAN SUMMER

Scratchy labels sewn into the backs of garments at the neck are a pet peeve of mine. I use a seam ripper to cut them off. Great care has to be taken doing this as it is easy to put a hole in your favorite piece of clothing. I don't care whether is is a famous designer label or not. If it scratches or itches it has to go. Some of the labels seem to be sewn on with nylon thread that is very similar to fishing lines. Those are the ones that really stick the skin. I have noticed lately that some manufactures are putting the labels near the waist or on the side where they would be less likely to irritate the skin. This is a very good thing.

It seems that this squirrel was either very hungry or it just likes those maple seeds. It stretched precariously across some very small twigs to reach what it wanted. It got very nervous when it saw me on the other side of the kitchen window but kept coming back to find what it wanted. We usually put shell corn and black sunflower seed out for the wild birds and other animals after the snow cover is deep enough that it becomes more difficult for the animals to find food. It is relaxing to watch the antics of the squirrels, birds and other animals that come for the daily handout.

The wind, rain and light snowfall have combined to bring most of the star shaped leaves from the Japanese Maple to the ground. Some have found a resting place in the greenery below the tree. Consider this our holiday decorations. We have no lights to put up. If you have watched National Lampoon's Christmas you know the extent that Clark Griswold went to when it came to lighting.  The new neighborhood across the street will soon be decorated for Christmas. There is usually one very brightly lit house.  I will be certain to write a blog about it when the lights go up. We don't need any night lights in our house during the holidays because of this lighting display. Need I say more. Keep watching my blog.

Standing Rock is in the Cuyahoga River in Kent behind the Standing Rock Cemetery. When I was a child on Wolcott Avenue in Kent we would go in small groups riding our bikes or walking through the cemetery to see the large rock. We lived only a few blocks from the cemetery so it was a short trip. We never worried about going through the cemetery alone.  A bypass for the Cuyahoga River now flows around the dam on Main Street in Kent to speed up the river to improve the water quality. The level of the river has been cut down drastically because of the bypass. Ripples of water now flow over rocks where the river once was deep. It was deep enough years ago so that you could not see the rocks on the bottom.  Back then the water rose up under the jutting ledge near the top of the large stone. It would sometimes be higher when there was heavy precipitation and flooding. There were sometimes white spray painted graffiti and other marks on the rock. It made me wonder how people got out thro

This is the sign on the Metroparks bike and hike trail just behind our home. Our property is on the Portage/Summit County line. It seems like a senseless thing but someone probably got a kick out of doing this and costing taxpayers more money. The view of the wetlands area next to the sign on the trail is quite beautiful.

Today I packed an 8 pound parcel post package that is going to a state in the South. The box ended up being 29" long and 16" high.  It seemed like it should have taken a half an hour or less to get the fragile items packed and ready to go. It took at least 2 hours to pack this large package. First of all the contents required a larger box that first anticipated so it was off to the box building to see what was available. The first number of tries were futile. Finally this large heavy box that once held golf course mower reels surfaced. The fragile contents of the box are packed in smaller boxes inside to protect them on their long journey. I really should stick to selling merchandise that can be wrapped in a little bubble wrap and put in a small envelope. A large number of small packages could have been packed in the time this one took. After 12 years of selling on Ebay I should have learned that the fragile items take a lot of work. I have more of the breakables listed now

I voted today! So why should you vote? It is your democratic and constitutional right in the USA to cast your vote. This should be a source of great national pride to all who can vote. You can make your choice known for local, regional and national leaders known. You can vote for or against issues that you support or don't support. Voting supports the democratic way of life in our country. It sets a good example for your children and others. I not only feel that voting is a right I think it is a duty.  Your candidate or cause may not prevail but at least you recorded how you felt. The sticker that is passed out to voters says that I made a difference and that is something I believe.

Some of the odd shaped wood that we burn in our basement wood burner remains in the wheelbarrow ready to be carried to the basement. I do feed the stove and keep the home fires burning but all the cutting, splitting and carrying are done by my husband Russ. He works very hard at this and feels that it is good exercise. Sometimes that good exercise causes him to have aches and pains however. The radiant warmth that the wood fire gives is so much nicer than the forced air heat from our oil fired furnace. Our source of firewood is not likely to run out so we'll just keep on doing this. Each year Russ says he doesn't know whether his strength will hold up to doing the hard work required but here we go again.