As Our Life Goes On

Dark days sap my strength.  My incentive disappears Wonder where it goes -Caroline

A few daffodils started sprouting up around the yard in January but as I walked around the yard this afternoon I noticed that many more of the bulbs had sent up the knife-like leaves. It actually will be quite a few weeks before these plants have the familiar blooms on them. The warmth of the sun and the sight of the sprouts did get me into a Springlike mood. There are many twigs and sticks in the yard that will have to be picked up and raked. Not today though. I just walked around to soak up the sun rays and observe the things that are happening around the yard. 

A warm day every once in a while can lure you into a false sense that Spring may be coming tomorrow. Unfortunately the weather forecast says that it is not coming. It will be cold and somewhat Winter-like for at least the next 10 days. Our main stack of firewood is almost depleted. Russ is cutting some of the dead wood from the tree that we recently had cut down. The wood is quite dry as the limbs had been dead for a couple of years before the tree was finally downed.  The temperature has hovered around the freezing mark keeping the ground firm today. It is easier to push that loaded wheelbarrow on the hard surface. Ice remains on the wet areas below the hill and only few people have been seen on the bike trail. 

The day was dark but the sun peeked through the clouds this afternoon.  Spring is not that far off.  I am making plans for the renewal of the garden that is behind the house. Perhaps the brick walk will be extended a bit. Some large rocks will be added to the garden. Only a bit of snow and ice remains from the recent storms so it is easier to envision what could be done. It is a good day. 

Be nice to people They may be nicer to you Please try it today -Caroline

Some days things seem to go all wrong but today was not one of those. The post office was very busy after the holiday yesterday. The long line extended out of the door and into the lobby. I had a dozen packages to ship. The lady at the end of the line was quite emphatic as she told me that she was the end of the line. She expected me to fall in behind her but I quickly passed her and everyone else in the line and unloaded my packages onto the counter that displayed the NEXT WINDOW sign. I had printed out my postage at home so it was no waiting for me. The lady who had tried to stop me said "good idea" as I passed her going out the door.  I had bought new eyeglasses a couple of weeks ago and when I got home with them I found that they were definitely all wrong. I had trouble seeing near and far. I already knew that this happens sometimes so I went back to the store and was examined again and more measurements were taken. Some changes were made in the RX and they were r...

We had to go through that quaint little town of Peninsula again yesterday. The usual speed trap did not seem to be evident at the time that we went through the touristy town. The sky had cleared and sun and clouds made it a pleasant trip. It was very cold though so a car trip in the warm car was just enough to satisfy my urge to get out of the house. 

There are only a few areas of snow in Ohio at this time. Cold air coming across Lake Erie has set up lake effect snow flurries that are very spotty around the area. Last night and today it was our turn to have the snow fall upon us. The depth varies around the yard. There are 2" to 3" of the white stuff in some places. The temperature is 18 degrees and a light breeze makes it feel very chilly. It is quite beautiful to look at but I long for Spring to arrive. 

We don't have a mechanical wood splitter. Therefore Russ is the wood splitter. The sawdust is flying as he cuts the heavy and hard to handle pieces of trees that are resistant to the ax and to easy handling. The weight of the pieces make them   too hard to move around without cutting them into smaller pieces.  These are the things that make bad backs suffer. 

Darkness comes early The sun hides behind the clouds Night is here again -Caroline

The swampy area at the bottom of the big hill looked very pretty and clean until I got closer. There I could see newspapers, plastic bags and other paper debris littering the ice. It appeared to be frozen under in a few places. We have had some windy days. Perhaps some trash blew from somewhere into this area. I really hate to see this. The ice is very thin so it is not safe to try to get to this mess. Maybe some of it will float to the sides where it can be retrieved. 

  The deer have avoided walking near the new piles of  wood created by cutting down the tall tree. They must be a bit fearful of the large piles. Russ has worked to clear these piles and move them slightly. Perhaps the deer will get used to them and walk by them soon to get to the other spots where food is being offered. The ground  has become very soft so some of this work will have to be delayed. The tractor has already made quite a few deep tracks in the yard.

Sad death of a tree Bright sunshine and clouded skies New life will start soon -Caroline

Mike surveys the situation as he deftly climbs to the higher branches.  One of the large Siberian Elms that rests very close to our house on the West side was cut down today. We had nursed it along for quite a few years by cutting out the dead growth as it died back from disease. Last year the tree  died back drastically.  It no longer gave any shade to the yard and large dead limbs fell from time to time. Yesterday afternoon the arborist, Mike, knocked on the door and said that he was ready to cut down the tree. We had him look at the tall tree last Summer and he said that he would contact us when he had time to cut it down.  The chipper machine and truck were parked in front of the kitchen window by 7:30 in the morning. The chain saw started up and the parts and pieces of the 70+ year old tree, which was at least 70 feet tall,  started to fall. The house shook as the heavy branches fell. It took four hours to bring down the tree and cut ...

Our friend K. stopped by at noon.We shared a lunch and then K. got the old mandolin out of the corner and treated us to a serenade of Irish and old time Appalachian mountain tunes. The time goes by fast when there is a bit of entertainment. Note the dust on the mandolin. The "maid" is not interested in dusting seldom used items that are usually in a closet somewhere. She thinks top cleaning is enough!  It is cold and very windy outside today so K. was a very welcome visitor. 

The Department of Environmental Services was just pulling up in front of the house as I was pulling out of the driveway yesterday. They had the manhole cover open in front of our house and more workers were stationed at the next manhole in front of the next property down. They had a large impressive truck with lots of gauges and a large silver hose which they extended through the manhole into the sewer line. They have been working throughout the neighborhood so I did not think much of it. When I came home from my trip to the store I noticed some scuffing around on the wood floors near the bathroom which is not too unusual. As I changed from my gym clothes into my street clothes I got just a whiff of a foul odor. This sent me sniffing about the bedroom but I could not isolate the odor except that it was in the air in a few places.  The mystery was solved when my husband arrived home. He said that he had heard a gurgling noise but discounted it until he went into th...

Dreaming Spring Flowers Could It be too long before Apple blossoms bloom -Caroline

As the dark day neared the end the sun came out brightly. It enlightened my mood for a while before slipping behind the gray cloud cover. Thoughts of Spring projects that had entered my mind during the brightness exited when the darkness of the cloudy day continued. 

It's a Winter wonderland.  The snow covers all that is dirty, unkempt and flawed. It is picturesque but I am still hoping for the early Spring that the groundhog at Gobbler's Knob in  Punxsutawney, PA  has predicted. The constant snowfall keeps piling up and the driveway and walk have to be cleared constantly. This fact makes my handy husband a bit grumpy. 

Several squirrels were chowing down at our wildlife feeding stations this morning. A few blue jays were able to feed harmoniously with the squirrels without being chased away.  Late last evening the crippled doe and her offspring from last year arrived to eat some of the corn. She is still limping and holding her right front leg up when at rest. Her two "babies" are almost as big as her now and they appear quite fit and healthy.  As they started eating four more deer arrived on the scene. This was a group that we had not observed before. Three large does and a runty looking yearling shared what food was left at the feeders. We had not replenished the feed during the day So none of them stayed for long. 

Feeding ducks was fun I can't recall that time though Past times remain dim  Old memories are absent The faded pictures remain  -Caroline

The last day of January is very windy and cold. This of course is not an unusual day for Winter in Ohio. The sun made a very brief appearance earlier today. This picture is from last week. That snow has melted and it has been replaced by a very light white dusting that does not cover the grass. Each day is a day that gets us closer to Spring.  There are no people walking in the frigid cold on the hike and bike trail behind my house. Parts of this trail can be clearly seen from my computer room when there is no foliage on the trees and bushes. Squirrels and birds seem to be staying somewhere that is out of the wind and few have shown up at the feeders today.  I feel the need to stay in and keep warm today also. 

The day is warm and the snow has melted. This picture was taken two days ago by my husband. The sun is not shining today. The temperature will be in the high 50s but it is still Winter in Ohio! Groundhog day will be here soon so Spring is usually not more than 6 weeks after that grand occasion. Hurry Spring!

Do not neglect me Do not let me fall into  Complete disrepair I can't be resurrected I'm starting to fall down now -Caroline

We actually did talk about going camping in Pennsylvania yesterday. This would be later in the year of course because I am still recovering from whatever I have had. Was it food poisoning or some type of intestinal virus. We will never know. It caused me to lose a couple of pounds which I am sure will come back quickly. Today I am feeling somewhat better but will do only what does not tire me.  The guys put some paint over some of the worn spots on the old 19 5 3 Stewart Coach house trailer on one of their Fall trips to the woods. That should hold it until next Spring when a fresh coat of paint can be added. 

The snow has been light but steady all day. I have not spent much time worrying about whether it is deep or not. Bad intestinal cramps in the middle of the night alerted me to the fact that I might have a virus or some other malady. It ended up being a day in which it was necessary to stick close to home and the necessary room facilities. A slight fever has reduced my energy. Eating anything seems almost repulsive as it causes more distress. I am fervently hoping for an overnight miracle cure. 

Old country churches Bound by civilization Poles boxes and wires -Caroline

The near zero temperatures have kept me on the inside looking out today. The windows on our old house are not hermetically sealed so frost does form on some of them. I actually find the random patterns of the ice crystals quite beautiful. 

The old Boston Township schoolhouse in Peninsula, Ohio has been nicely preserved though it seemed a rather depressing looking place as we passed it yesterday. It was cloudy at the time and some granular snow was falling. The old building is now used for town functions and a great contradance takes place there from time to time. It makes me happy to see the preservation of the historic old buildings. I'm certain this school holds many memories, good and bad, for the people who attended school there. 

Gray skies had turned to blue by the time we came back through Peninsula, Ohio this afternoon.  We took an afternoon trip to Medina to go through the antique mall. Lake effect snow was falling as we took off from home and it was very dark. It was more of a pleasant ride as we headed home. Peninsula is a quaint town in the Cuyahoga Valley that supports itself in many ways. It is a tourist destination and also it is known a being a speed trap town.  We saw flashing red and blue lights as we passed into the city limits. Another driver had been victim to the trap. It is best to go at least 5 under the limit when going through this place. 

It seems more and more difficult to climb back up the steep hill in back of the house. Getting down to the wetland area at the bottom was not too difficult though.  The vegetation that grew in the swampy area during the drought last Spring and Summer is now rotting in the bottom of the water. It will surely cause a stink next Spring. The temperatures approached 50 degrees but the wind was briskly enough to make it seem a bit cooler. Many hikers with dogs and bikers passed by the the bike trail. They seemed to be enjoying the warmth of the sunshine. We will probably not see many more nice days like this one before Spring arrives. 

It is good to have a few slightly warmer sunny days during the Winter. Dealing with ice and snow has become more of a chore for us as we have gotten older. It is cold today but the sun is shining. It will be warmer tomorrow and that gives us something to look forward to. Saturday will be a good day to prepare for the drastic changes in the weather that are approaching. 

Deep in the back woods A stream flows through the valley Peaceful and serene -Caroline

No picnic today We've cancelled it until Spring So we'll see you then -Caroline

Our neighbor in Pennsylvania used to house his horses in the old shed shown in the first picture. He no longer has any animals but it seems like it wasn't too long ago that he had horses, cattle and pigs. The large fields that he owns are now leased out to another farmer. Things change when you get older but Farmer Don still climbs on his vintage tractor to clear out the driveway in the Winter. 

Hemlocks shade the stream Snow cover brightened by sun Calm refreshing sight -Caroline

The camp in Pennsylvania needed checked on this week. It was a surprise to find over a foot of snow piled on top of the trailer.  Farmer Don, who lives next door, was busy plowing his drives with his nice vintage Case tractor. Russ and his friend went to camp expecting to spend a lot of time in the woods. Some of the time that might have been spent in the woods was spent digging out the truck and making a path up the hill to the trailer. A lot more snow fell on Emlenton than fell on Stow, Ohio.  The snow is nearly melted off here at home. I saw a few blooming dandelions when taking a batch of cookies over to the neighbors house. It is only January so I must not think of Spring. The sun is shining and it is over 60 degrees. It is indeed a day to enjoy. 

There are actually three deer in these pictures. The larger doe is standing in front of her two offspring from last year. Sadly the large doe came through the yard limping today. She is favoring her right front leg and holds it up at times when she is standing. Deer have such thin legs. It would be easy for them to injure one when in flight. There are lots of holes, rocks and irregular things in the woods. Fortunately she can still walk and run. Hopefully the leg will heal. 

Bright morning sunshine Dissolved into a cloudy  Dark windy cold day The sunshine was deceiving Bringing no warmth to the day -Caroline

This morning as I sat at my computer I heard a thumping noise in the front of the house. It seemed like it came from the kitchen but I could not be sure. I looked outside to make sure there was not anyone at the door. What a beautiful sight awaited me. The sunrise was spectacular. I love getting up early just so none of these glorious morning moments will be missed. The colors are fleeting so there are only a few minutes to see them.  I am glad I got up to investigate the sound or this sight would have been missed. 

A Winter bouquet Dried flowers in the garden Standing in the snow -Caroline

1982 Plymouth Gran Fury We were able to find another old car. We have had our eyes on it for a few years and the owner/friend finally called us to say that he had bought a new car and wanted to sell this one. It will be a replacement car for the next car in the family that breaks down. Some electrical work must be done on the brake lights and a windshield wiper needs a repair. The seats have had seat covers protecting them. Other than that it is a really nice car for as old as it is. 

We have made a path to the woodpile and to the barn but the rest of the yard retains a dense snow pack. The deer traverse this easily but the squirrels, rodents and other small animals have a much more difficult time. Their tracks can be seen along the paths that we have cleared and in the deeper snow where they have to make jumps to each new location. Some animals seem to follow foot prints that we have made by walking around the yard. We must still lift each foot high to walk in the snow. It is probably good exercise but it can be tiring.  A red-tailed hawk swooped by the edge of the house this morning toward the bird feeder. They have to eat too.