As Our Life Goes On

Another early Spring snowstorm is on the way so it seemed like a good morning to go the the Medina Antique Mall. We look through that store at lease once a year. The prices are so high that it would not pay to go there on a regular basis. The trip was based more on getting out of the house than shopping for old things. We passed through the quaint town of Peninsula traveling both ways. The G.A.R hall above hosts community events and regular music concerts. The old school in the background contains offices and hosts a contra dance from time to time. It is good to see the vintage buildings being used. The church below is also in Peninsula. I didn't leave the car to take the pictures and between the many poles and wires and the antenna of the car there are plenty things to obscure the view. They day is dark and drizzly and the snow and ice is on the way. Still looking forward to some Spring weather. The brown dormant grass and lack of  green color is evident in these pictures. Th

There's sunshine and snow It is Spring in Ohio So frigid and cold  -Caroline

I encountered two groups of Girl Scouts recently in two different super markets. The first group was outside of a Walmart store. There was a brisk cold wind but the girls and their leaders had a neat display of the familiar Thin Mints, Samoas and other types of cookies. Two of the girls were very enthusiastic as they asked me if I would like to buy some cookies as soon as I exited the store. All of the girls chatted with each other and seemed to be having a great time.  The other group that I saw was in the vestibule of a Giant Eagle store. It was warm and comfortable inside that area. Six or seven girls stood in a row holding their I phones in front of their faces. They didn't ask anyone that went by to buy the cookies as they were more engaged with their social networking than anything else. Guess which group that this old Girl Scout bought cookies from. 

These pieces of old farm machinery have been next this old neglected barn for years. It makes me wonder how long things made from wood and iron can last when exposed to the weather. This is the old barn that is next to the golf course down the road. I'm not sure if this adds to the rustic or scenic look or not. The weeds will grow up around these relics soon and they will be less visible. 

The temperatures have warmed enough to melt most of the snow. The grass still lays dormant and brown on the golf course because of the cold frozen soil temperatures. A large gaggle of Canada geese invades the course spreading their slimy poop on the fairways and greens. These protected birds are a big problem on many golf courses. It is good to have the sunshine and warmer days. The buds on the trees have turned a reddish color. We are looking forward to Spring.  

The large old barn at the homestead down the road is suffering greatly from the weather this year. The roof will not last much longer. The interior floor has collapsed in many places and siding is falling off. There is a long story behind why this is happening but the owner of this barn is different from the owner of the barn and other out buildings and shed that are next door to it. All the buildings belonged on one farm many years ago. A golf course now occupies the old farm fields behind the house.  The neighbor who bought the brick house house next to this barn has been restoring all the buildings that they bought with their beautiful old house. They most likely view this barn as somewhat of an eyesore. It used to look scenic but now it is looking bad.  The neighbor has done a great job of restoring the house and outbuildings seen below. 

There are a few patches of ice and snow and some frozen ground in the yard but there are also areas of mud and streams of melted snow. The wood pile on the West side of the yard is pitifully low. There is still a few days worth of wood behind the house. The almost 60 degree weather was an invitation to walk around the yard just to check out the conditions.  As I walked I wondered how bad the impending storm might be. There are supposed to be blizzard-like conditions tomorrow accompanied by up to 8" of snow. It was nice to see the ground for a couple of days but that is coming to an   end.  Hey Mother Nature! Stop it! I don't like to be teased. 

The very old flowering crab apple tree next to our driveway finally died off last Fall after years of steady decline. The tall stump had remained over the Winter. Yesterday was just a bit warmer than it has been so the stump was cut off flush with the ground. After cutting the stump was scored in a checkered pattern so that it would rot faster. The tall stump was somewhat of a hazard as it could not easily be seen from a high vehicle such as the Suburban seen in the background in the first picture.  I thought I heard a couple of misguided red-winged blackbirds calling in the wetlands on the other side of the bike trail this evening. Little do they know that a big snow storm and very cold temperatures are coming in a couple of days. These birds may have flown in too soon for real Spring weather to show up. 

Though the air temperature reached the low 50's today the ground is frozen firmly or covered with snow on most of the yard. The wet areas at the bottom of the big hill on West side of the yard have been replenished with plenty of  moisture during the Winter and the ice is most likely very thick over these spots. The weather seems to be wavering from very cold to cool and we are looking forward to the day when we can say that it is actually warm. The blacktop on the hike and bike trail just above the wetlands can be seen today but there are few people using the trail today.  The sun has been evident all day and it improves my mood greatly. 

This crippled deer has found that it can bump the bird feeder to make the seeds fall to the ground. It also is able to use its tongue to lick the seed that is close to the holes. The right hind leg of this animal is held high. It is quite swollen at the hock. When walking slow or standing the leg is held high and it limps when walking slowly trying not to place the foot down. It can move a bit faster but still with some difficulty when trying to run. We have been putting a little extra feed out just before dusk for this deer.  A large healthy coyote has been seen at the golf course which is less than a mile away. This deer may not last until Spring as these predators may be able to catch it more easily.  

Winter greenery Ferns holding on to their fronds Make me think of Spring The persistent cold Winter Will certainly be ending -Caroline