Spring is HERE!!!!

Well, at least tomorrow is March 1st!
We're GETTING THERE!

Now if someone would just show
Mother Nature the calendar!

I took a couple pictures as the
sun was coming up this morning.
It's currently 12 degrees at 630 am.

One of my many projects for March
is to trim back my Dogwood shrubs.
I need to thin them out at the base to keep
the 'red' wood and let new growth develop.
It's a little difficult to do when
they are under 2' of snow!

Then there's my garden, pictured below.
It's there!!
You'll just have to trust me!
My "fall" planted garlic is under
6' plus of snow.

Do you really think I'll be tilling
this by Good Friday to plant potatoes?
I'd say .... NOT!!!

Yesterday I was at Theisen's and bought some
vegetable seeds. That was very exciting!
Kind of depressing when you walk out to cold and snow.
At least I have something to look forward to.

They only had 'cheap' vegetable seeds.
Normally I can get cheap flower seeds as well.
One of my favorite summer flowers is the Zinnia.
When I say cheap, I'm talking 10 cents a pack!
Okay, so they went up to 15 cents this year,
that's still a DEAL!!!

I love looking at the Seed Catalogs.
Especially the 'What's New' for the year.

This year I'm going to try going some grapes.
They take awhile to mature, but it 'might' be fun!

It's nice just to at least 'think' about
getting back out in the garden.
Even though I know it's going
to be awhile before it actually happens!

Poor Singleton Puppy.....

(Seeker - Fun with PSE)



Below's Seeker's "Son"

Poor little guy!!

His Eyes are blue,
His Ears are down,
He's all alone....
No one to be found.

At least he can stand up now!

He has no one to play with, (Or that WANTS to play with him).
so he's forced to play with a puppy mobile!

I'm impressed that the toys are still attached!

Actually, his mom likes to play with him!

He's 11 weeks old already!
Isn't he fun!

Traveling in February!!

Will we NEVER LEARN?

Apparently NOT!

Two years ago we attended the TAC Agility trial in Wentzville, MO
and drove back through an ice storm.
They'd moved their trial back 2 weeks, so surely this couldn't happen again?

Saturday was beautiful, with temps in the 50's.
We saw brown grass that we'd forgotten existed!
We then walked through the mud that reminded
us why we were NOT looking forward to Spring!
What a MESS!!

When we left at 12:45 Sunday afternoon,
Sybil (Bill's GPS), told us we'd arrive home at 4:45.
She lied!

We knew there was a chance of snow, but
had heard that the intensity of the storm
was down graded. We hoped we were in the clear.

In fact, our trip through Hannibal and on
into Palmyra was uneventful.
That soon changed!

Carrie called Mike to get a road report.
The IOWA DOT was reporting the roads
we were on were....wet.
I guess they we're 'right'.
Just because they were frozen,
doesn't mean they weren't WET!

Here's the little FLIP Video.
SCREAM WITH ME!





The semis would drive by in the fast
lane and toss slush up onto the side
windows and windshield.

We had a couple vehicles lose control
and fish tail back and forth in front of us.
Of course I always seemed to be
knitting when THAT happened.
(No, I wasn't driving!!!)

The last vehicle passed us like
a bat outta hail and then.....fish
tailed and ended up in the ditch.
It was a MAN DRIVING!
A women was with him.
We really wanted to hear THAT conversation!

The roads got much better around Hills.
Hills, IA that is.
We arrived home at 6:15.

Back at the hotel Saturday night,
Seeker and Marti had a great time!

Dog Eating.....

Okay, I know....BIG DEAL!!!

If this were Bea and Cider they would NOT be as patient!

Very cute VIDEO!

Where do people come up with this stuff!!

AN AWESOME YOU TUBE!!

That just HAS to make you smile!!

An Echo In The Bone

Well, I FINALLY got through this book!
IT WAS AWESOME!

It took me about 4 months!
WHY???
Well, I was on the waiting list at the
library and finally got it.
I was in the middle of a Robin Hobbs
book and so finished that one.
By the time I was 3/4 of the way done I
had to 'give it back'!!

Back on the waiting list again.
It was worth the wait and a great
way to make it last a little longer!
Not that I would recommend that
method to everyone however.

One of the main characters did die.
I suppose they have to someday.
It was still very sad.
Now it will be several years before
the next one comes out I'm sure.

I really should go back and read the
"Outlander Series"
all over again.
I know there are things I've missed.
It's amazes me how much I remember
from the past books.

It's a great series if you're looking for
a read that involves time travel and adventure!
Anyone that dedicates her book
to her dogs has got to be BRILLIANT!

I might even have to check into
her Lord John Series.

HAPPY READING!!

Pumpkin Games

First you need a FROZEN PUMPKIN!

Not a problem.
We still have some from the Fall leftover.

Then you pull it toward you,
and push it into the snow.

Then you get your mouth around it.
Yes, his bottom jaw is UNDER IT!

Then you bat it around awhile.
"Sink" it into the snow again......

Dig it out.......

Repeat as Often as NECESSARY!!!
Or as time allows.......

I'm not sure he'll be able to play
Soccer with the Neighbor Boys this Spring!
Unless they use Pumpkins of course!

There’s Cheap ......

and then there’s…..um CHEAP!!

These are my “GOOD” Columbia snow boots. I liked them just fine when I bought them on clearance from Gander Mountain several years ago. I can’t remember when I bought them for sure, but I do know it’s been within the last 10 years. Seems to me that boots should last a bit longer than that, but then again, that’s probably just me.

It’s not that I don’t like boots, I do!! But I have a hard time finding nice warm boots that I like. These were okay, they worked for cleaning stalls, playing in the snow and doing chores. They were not good for riding English, but would work for my Western saddle. I prefer English however.

After the last ice storm a few weeks ago, I noticed some cracks. Actually, truth be told, I noticed them last spring when my feet started to get wet. Obviously I didn’t put too much effort into finding new ones! I have been fine with these until the ice started melting and my boots were no longer dry. So, then I took to wearing Bill’s winter boots. Those worked great, as long as I wear double thick socks, and Bill doesn't need them.

I’m not on a mission to find some GREAT, WARM, SLIP ON, winter boots!
If you know of a great brand, and even better if they are on CLEARANCE!! G

I’ll be honest; I use things until they wear totally out. I have an LL Bean pullover coat that I’ve had for over 12 years. I LOVE IT!! I wear it spring, fall, winter….I don’t care! LOVE IT! The only thing I don’t like is my zipper on the pouch has broken twice. Oh well.

My gloves, same thing. I have some LL Bean work gloves that are Gortex and Primaloft. LOVE THEM!! They have a hole on the side of the thumbs from wear, but it’s not all the way though yet. I’ll probably take them to a shoe repair place to have them stitched this spring. They are still PERFECTLY fine! Well broke in…why I would want NEW ONES!!!

COVERALLS!!
(Not LL Bean - do they make coveralls??_
I have an old pair of camouflage coveralls from 1987. (Yes, they are in the photo with the boots) I’m NOT LYING! They are totally my favorite! They have an orange patch in the butt where they were snagged on a nail in the barns while coon hunting. I have a newer pair of boring tan ones I got on clearance about 5 years ago. They are ‘okay’ in a pinch, but they are so stiff! Nothing like my nice broken in coveralls. I could LIVE in those things!
Wait….sometimes I think I do!

In my ‘Dream Life’ I’d be a field tester for LL Bean.

Hum….wonder how I apply for THAT JOB!!!

House Update.....

The siding is FINALLY DONE!!!
Yes, 3 months after they started!!


Before
6/1/09
(Everything is nice and green!!)

After
2/3/10
(WINTER!!!)
Okay...this isn't a TOTALLY after
picture....theirs still Tyvec showing. G

Okay, well, it's ALMOST done.
There are a few things that need to be
completed when the snow melts and
it warms up a bit.

The BIG dumpster of
old siding is currently buried in snow.
The caulking around the windows needs
to be completed in warmer weather.

The lighting rods and cables
also need to come off.
The are so NOT attractive!

The painting of the PVC trim boards will
also need to wait for SPRING!!
It will add a little of the dark brown
around the windows.

I like the scallops they
did in the two peaks.
The North peak will have
two lights to light up the
135 X 145 Front Agility yard.
That will be nice!

They also need to put on a new South storm door.
You know, the one that keeps blowing off.
Bill went to see one last night that's he's
SURE is Tammy PROOF.
It is super heavy, has a better latch,
double door puller backers and for $7
a security chain!
The only down side is it only
comes in white.

We don't have our South or North Porch lights up yet.

Finally, the east porch interior needs to be finished.
I have to find the right amount of
red wainscoting barn board to get the job done.

Someday...it'll all be finished.
Hopefully before agility classes start!

One of those Weekends!!

Do you know what this is???

This is what happens when you make homemade
Ham and Potato soup and forget to turn off the burner.
Then you proceed to have a conversation with
your husband while you're leaning on the
Sherri Bake Oven (AKA - our stove).

I thought I smelled something burning.
OMG!!! IT'S ME!!!

My old sweatshirt now looks even MORE
Loved with a nice 3+" burn hole in it.

Luckily I had two sweatshirts on!