As Our Life Goes On

When I gaze across the street in front of our house I see manicured lawns that have been heavily sprayed with toxic chemicals. It is the rule in that community that they have no weeds in their perfect  yards. I doubt that many of those dwellers think much about what the spray is doing to wildlife, beneficial insects and to their own health.  Today was a beautiful sunny and unseasonably warm day so we visited with some longtime friends in a neighboring town. I noticed that they had this sign near their house. Their comfortable roomy closed in seasonal room  looked out on a spacious back yard that transitioned into a clean open woods. The birds and squirrels were abundant and it was nice to see what being a protector of the environment could do. We salute these friends and others who care to preserve nature and our environment. 

Someone looking out. Is there someone looking in? My day has gone by! -Caroline

The cold air and wind stung my face as I walked around the yard today. The ground has firmed a bit as the temperature is cold enough to cause some freezing.  Cold stings my fingers Icy bubbles in puddles Topped with pine needles -Caroline

Bigfoot at West Branch? Please show me positive proof! I'm locking my doors.

This small deer arrived alone today to pick through the leftover corn and bird feed. It was slim pickings but it searched around and found a few morsels before going to work on the ground cover in back of the house. When the big mother doe arrived in our yard  they went across the street where there seemed to be more food in the feeders. 

Ice crystals not snow fell from the sky. It's preferred to big drifts of white. -Caroline

C ould the day be more interesting? A t times I thought that it could. R eally, I tried for the drama. O h well, I am not an actress. L et me be loved for other things. I like dull days. N ow the day is coming to an end. E vening is here.  - C A R O L I N E

Tree buds grow larger Cold Winter glides into Spring My hope is renewed -Caroline Last Winter we had horrible weather with what seemed like unending snow storms and cold weather. I like to look forward with hopes that the weather will stay this way. It has been mild for Winter and there have been only a few snowstorms. The snow melted quickly after these snows. February and early March can be very bad but I am staying optimistic. 

Gray skies prevailed late this afternoon as I walked around the yard to pick up branches knocked down by the recent weather. I left the branch in the picture above as it will provide a small amount of firewood for the stove. The ground is mushy wet and there is water standing in places where we have never had puddles before. I did find a few daffodils starting to sprout through the leaves. They won't bloom until April but it is nice to see something fresh and green. 

Winter is snow on an old moldy blossom. Winter is hemlocks with small cones and icy toppings. Winter is ice and snow on the pond at the bottom of the hill. Winter is blue skies between gray skies. Winter is cold and I am ready for Spring.  ~Caroline

This little button buck showed up at the bird feeding area near our front porch yesterday afternoon. He seemed to be alone and he was very wary. I think he saw me taking his picture through the front window but his hunger won out. Last night we had another six inches of snow and finding food is getting more difficult for the birds and other wildlife. 

I go to the gym for one hour of solid exercise twice a week but maybe I need more exercise in the Winter. The Silver Sneakers program sponsored by my medicare gap insurance pays for free gym membership at any gym that offers their program. I should go to the gym more times a week to work out on the equipment. The Silvers Sneakers membership card will get me into any participating gym around home,  while travelling or on vacation. It is below zero this morning and breathing that frigid air might be dangerous. Maybe I will walk around the yard this afternoon if it warms up a bit. Fat sneaks on slowly My favorite clothes won't fit Do others notice? -Caroline

I did not go to the last covered dish party that we have with friends. Pretending to feel OK while feeling unwell is not my thing. I did however "prepare" some food for Russ to take along with him.  Here are the recipes for those items. First is the easy dessert. I went to the Aldi store and bought a boxed frozen pecan pie and thawed it out and sent it in the box for the hostess to slice and put on the dessert table. It was well accepted and mostly gone by the time the evening was over.  The other dish was a green bean salad. My daughter-in-law gave me the recipe.  Steam or boil a bag of frozen green beans until tender crisp and still bright green. Drain the beans and cool off in cold water or in the refrigerator. Add very thin slices of red onion and Italian or other dressing.  Test the seasoning and add salt or pepper if desired. Serve cold. Pretty, tasty and easy to make. 

We have been very stingy with our bird feed and cracked corn this Winter. We usually don't worry if the ground is not covered with snow. The animals can forage on days when the ground is open.  It was a good day to do inside work as the temperature was in the low 20s. Aging has made me less tolerant of the cold weather. I think it also has made me less tolerant of other people and their irresponsible actions. I think older is smarter though. 

It was very rainy and blustery this morning but after noon the sun came out intermittently. Clouds covered the sun at times making the interior of the house dark and gloomy but it was good to have the sunshine for just a short while. 

Dark and gray the sky Will it start to rain today Music soothes my heart -Caroline A warmer day has broken the below freezing temperatures. The snow is melting and tomorrow will be even warmer. Last Fall some forecasters were saying that Winter in our area would be worse than usual. I am relieved that this prediction has not been fulfilled. 

Sparkling in the sun Fluffy white crystal snow flakes The birds are singing Caroline

The drop off over the hill to the swampy area below is one of the best sledding hills around this neighborhood. It has been used by our children, grandchildren and many neighbors. It is mostly unused now as the liability of letting others use it could be too great.  A friend has suggested that I call my blog A SOUR LIFE GOES ON as it could be read that way on the web address. At times I probably am sour and maybe it is for a good reason and maybe not. I laughed at his suggestion because he meant it to be funny and I take jokes rather well. Milk gets sour as it ages. I have become mellow. 

Stacking the wood close to the wall of the porch usually keeps it from getting covered by rain or snow. The cold wind is gusting and everything on the front porch is covered with the white stuff. The temperature is below 20 degrees. Each piece of wood must be tapped on the porch or top of the pile to dislodge the snow before bringing it into the house. It seems like a lot of work to keep that nice radiant heat coming out of the airtight stove but we have continued to do this. Winter has arrived.

Antibiotics at times fix what's wrong with you But it takes a while. -Caroline I was awakened by a very painful earache yesterday at 4:30 in the morning. Fortunately the doctor was just around the corner and the office opened at 7 AM. I was in there at 8 AM and out before 9 AM. The antibiotics do seem to be doing the job on the infection and the pain has subsided.  It was a good day to straighten messy spots around the house. My energy level is low so any projects that require exertion will have to remain undone. Excuses Excuses!!!!

If you don't like the first answer that you get to important matters just ask another person and they may give you the answer that is more correct.  Some people give answers that are actually incorrect just to avoid extra work.  The rain started after lunch today causing the air to be misty and almost foggy. It was dark early but that was OK since doing too much outside in the rain seemed out of the question. 

Small forest of moss What small wildlife lurks upon Your dark wooded floor -Caroline This was one of those days that things that needed to get done did not get finished. Rules and regulations can be a good thing but sometimes they are not. I shall do some challenging in the days ahead armed with common sense.

Coming from somewhere. Heading for another place. Wishing it were Spring. -Caroline

Above and below: Peninsula, Ohio Above and below: Peninsula Ohio Low puffy white clouds drifted off Lake Erie and over our area today. Our morning trip to the Medina Antique Mall was pleasant as the roads were clear and traffic was not heavy. Much of the trip took us through the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. The valley has a lot of deep ravines and we could see down to the streams in the bottoms as we passed through the park. The antique mall was purely a destination as just driving around was not in our plans today.  We drove slowly through Peninsula, Ohio. The speed limit is 35 mph and they mean it. The police are often hiding in driveways or in the cemetery along SR 303 waiting for speeders. Peninsula is a nice old town with unique buildings. It is a mostly quiet town but on Sunday after church many people go to the small restaurant in town to eat. The restaurant was busy when we came back through around lunchtime.  

Optimistic me. I see light in the darkness, value in each day. -Caroline

I  can see the bike trail clearly from my office window now that the trees have no leaves. The Metroparks system keeps the trails as clear as they can when it snows. Today it looks only a bit wet. There have been very few bikers or hikers even though the temperature is approaching 50 degrees.  The form of a tree is interesting to see When it is leafless. -Caroline

The ground under the snow remains unfrozen. This led to a rather swift melt of the white stuff from below and above. The snow was previously 10 to 12 inches deep and now it is 2 to 6 inches deep depending on the location. The yard is criss-crossed with deer and squirrel tracks. The warmth of the afternoon sun made the walk comfortable and pleasurable.  It does appear that we have more of these nicer days ahead which makes me happy. 

The cold Winter air makes white frosty window panes with crystal designs. -Caroline

The young deer was the first one to arrive in our yard early this afternoon. It switched between eating bird seed and our holly shrubs. Finally the large doe showed up. These local deer have learned to bump the hanging feeders to get the seed to fall out onto the ground. They also stick their tongues into the little holes to get feed. They wandered across the street to check out the bird feeders on that side before heading to the back and disappearing toward the bike trail. It is below 20 degrees and wind and snow has come in bands across Lake Erie pushing the total in our yard up to about 12 inches since yesterday.  

Today I settled down and figured the amount of sales tax that needs to be sent to the State of Ohio. Most of my sales are to out of state buyers so the amount is small. Still the forms must be filed online before the end of the third week of this month. I sat down and did the filing and I must say the state site seemed even more difficult to use than it was last time. It would not accept my password until I put it in a few times. It asked for the same info repeatedly. ARGH! Too much paper work must be done for life affairs. Help me someone please! -Caroline

May 2012 be A fruitful and happy year with new beginnings. -Caroline