We've had such crazy weather these last couple of months that I've just about forgotten what 'normal' really is on the Texas thermometer.
It's hovering around the freezing mark this morning.... our mostly-outside cat Gatsby spent last night in the house, and when I put him out earlier today, he didn't want to stay out there more than ten minutes, so back he came. When he heard me opening the back door, he ran from the front porch...... he's not exactly a light-weight cat and when Gatsby runs, it sounds like a large dog is running on that porch. Gatsby ran into the kitchen, through the breakfast room, into the TV room, and he made a running leap into his pillow-bed, and that's where he's been ever since.
When I went into the garage to feed Mickey, he was in his pillow-bed on his chair, which is sitting in front of a heater..... Mickey was so toasty-warm that he didn't move. I put his food dish right into his pillow-bed and that's where he ate his Fancy Feast. Breakfast in bed for Mickey Kitty this morning. He stayed right where he was, all snuggled into that pillow-bed, clearly not wanting to go outside. Fine........ I can't say as I blame him. Not a drop of sun out there, so the barely 36 degrees feels even colder. I shut the garage door to keep it warm in there for Mickey, and that's where he'll spend most of the day. If it gets warmer outside, I'll open the garage door later on for him, but I don't think that's going to happen.
I'm still fighting this cold/flu/whatever it is...... feeling better than yesterday, but not feeling as if I'm really all better. Oh well..... people are going through much worse than this, so I'm not complaining. This too shall pass. And until it does, I'm just taking it easy and trying to do whatever I can around the house. (Who in the world put up all these Christmas decorations in this big old house?)
Monday, December 30, 2013
Friday, December 27, 2013
Happy ending for the owl...
We heard from our friend in Clear Lake about the owl that he and my husband rescued from the fence on Christmas Day..... the owl is resting comfortably at the Nature Center and is on the mend. They've fixed his wing, given him antibiotics, made sure he could eat and drink, and now he's resting and letting his wing heal. When he can fly again, he'll be released. They said it was a "barred owl," and I looked for photos on the Internet.
I think "our" owl was younger than the ones shown on the Internet sites... but the coloring is definitely the same. White and beige with light brown bars of color along the feathers. The most striking was his bright yellow beak, and huge black eyes. Sort of like teddy-bear eyes.... and his feathers were just so soft and silky. I realize that owls aren't the nicest of birds... they attack their prey with a vengeance, grasping them in their talons and dropping them from the sky over and over again to break their bones..... not exactly a nice way to go if you're a small animal, and there's no way to out-run an owl with a three or four-foot wing span.
That being said..... this young owl, having been impaled on a barbed wire fence not far from here, just didn't have a chance of surviving the night-time coyotes who would have definitely taken off with him. A happy ending for this little story..... that owl's Christmas Day began with him being impaled on the fence...... then he spent the afternoon in a box on our porch..... then a two-hour car ride to Clear Lake (and he stayed in the box the whole trip)...... then spent Christmas night wrapped up in that box in J's living room...... managed to get out of the box at four o'clock in the morning to go exploring J's house..... and then began his recovery at the Nature Center that next morning.
Since we moved out here four and a half years ago, I've been saying that there's "a lesson every day." Not even a day of rest on Christmas.
I think "our" owl was younger than the ones shown on the Internet sites... but the coloring is definitely the same. White and beige with light brown bars of color along the feathers. The most striking was his bright yellow beak, and huge black eyes. Sort of like teddy-bear eyes.... and his feathers were just so soft and silky. I realize that owls aren't the nicest of birds... they attack their prey with a vengeance, grasping them in their talons and dropping them from the sky over and over again to break their bones..... not exactly a nice way to go if you're a small animal, and there's no way to out-run an owl with a three or four-foot wing span.
That being said..... this young owl, having been impaled on a barbed wire fence not far from here, just didn't have a chance of surviving the night-time coyotes who would have definitely taken off with him. A happy ending for this little story..... that owl's Christmas Day began with him being impaled on the fence...... then he spent the afternoon in a box on our porch..... then a two-hour car ride to Clear Lake (and he stayed in the box the whole trip)...... then spent Christmas night wrapped up in that box in J's living room...... managed to get out of the box at four o'clock in the morning to go exploring J's house..... and then began his recovery at the Nature Center that next morning.
Since we moved out here four and a half years ago, I've been saying that there's "a lesson every day." Not even a day of rest on Christmas.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
The Christmas owl...
We heard from our friend J about the owl he and my husband rescued yesterday. The owl was very quiet during the two-hour drive from here into Clear Lake, so I'm sure J was happy about that. We had visions of the owl trying to get out of the box while he was driving on the freeway.
When he got home, J decided to keep the owl in the house, in the living room. (You may have guessed that there is no Mrs. J to put that idea to rest... I don't think I would have wanted an owl in the middle of my own living room.) J checked on the owl during the night, and each time the owl was still resting, nestled in the folds of the towel tucked into the cardboard box. At four o'clock in the morning, however, the box was empty. J looked around the room and the owl was still resting comfortably, but just not in the box. He's not able to fly, but he somehow managed to get himself out of his cocoon and he was exploring the room. Looking for Christmas mice? (Which is probably how he got himself impaled on that barbed wire fence in the first place.)
J was going to bring the injured owl to the Nature Center this morning, and we haven't heard back from him yet. We're hoping to hear a happy ending to this little Christmas story. When the owl was in the box on our porch, just after the guys rescued him, I petted the owl on his head, between his eyes, like you would do with a cat. And, just like a cat, the owl closed his eyes a little bit and seemed very content with the light stroking. His feathers were so soft, like velvet, and his coloring was just absolutely beautiful.
We're keeping fingers crossed for this Christmas rescue.
When he got home, J decided to keep the owl in the house, in the living room. (You may have guessed that there is no Mrs. J to put that idea to rest... I don't think I would have wanted an owl in the middle of my own living room.) J checked on the owl during the night, and each time the owl was still resting, nestled in the folds of the towel tucked into the cardboard box. At four o'clock in the morning, however, the box was empty. J looked around the room and the owl was still resting comfortably, but just not in the box. He's not able to fly, but he somehow managed to get himself out of his cocoon and he was exploring the room. Looking for Christmas mice? (Which is probably how he got himself impaled on that barbed wire fence in the first place.)
J was going to bring the injured owl to the Nature Center this morning, and we haven't heard back from him yet. We're hoping to hear a happy ending to this little Christmas story. When the owl was in the box on our porch, just after the guys rescued him, I petted the owl on his head, between his eyes, like you would do with a cat. And, just like a cat, the owl closed his eyes a little bit and seemed very content with the light stroking. His feathers were so soft, like velvet, and his coloring was just absolutely beautiful.
We're keeping fingers crossed for this Christmas rescue.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Who? Who?
Christmas Day..... and this afternoon between dinner and dessert, my husband decided to take our dinner guest on a ride through our part of the hills here and show him some of the other properties. I was thrilled for the little respite, which allowed me to clear away the dinner things and get dessert set up..... and after being sick with a bad cold/flu/whatever for a few days, the rest at that time of the afternoon was perfect.
Up and down the roads went my husband and his friend.... J lives in Clear Lake, and doesn't see livestock and wildlife on a regular basis, so he was enthralled by all the animals on the properties here. On the way back to our own road, as my husband drove along the perimeter of a property that has lots of exotic deer and elk, they saw a huge owl impaled on a fence. It's wings were straight out, as if it had been crucified right on top of the barbed wire fence.
My husband stopped the car and they both got out, and managed to get the owl off of the barbed wire. The poor bird was so exhausted that it didn't even resist them. They figured that the owl must have been swooping down to catch a mouse or squirrel or something, and didn't realize the fence was there. One of its wings was torn and bloody, making it impossible for the poor bird to fly. They wrapped the owl up in an old towel that was in the trunk of the car, and brought it home. Even on Christmas Day, we have wildlife adventures here.
As soon as my husband walked into the door, I knew something was up...... he said "You might want to come out on the porch and take a look at this." My guess was that they had found an abandoned dog or cat along the road. That would have been easier to deal with than the injured owl....... the bird was all snuggled up in the towel, looking at the three of us through eyes that were half-open. We have no idea how long that bird had been impaled on the top of that fence, but it was surely long enough to tire him out.
We put the bird into a box and he just stayed there all wrapped up in his towel till friend J was ready to leave for Clear Lake. First thing in the morning, J will take the owl to the Nature Center and they'll be able to mend his wing, and hopefully he'll be flying again. One lucky owl...... it was just luck that my husband decided to take a drive after dinner...... that owl would still be on the fence, and easy prey for night-time coyotes.
Up and down the roads went my husband and his friend.... J lives in Clear Lake, and doesn't see livestock and wildlife on a regular basis, so he was enthralled by all the animals on the properties here. On the way back to our own road, as my husband drove along the perimeter of a property that has lots of exotic deer and elk, they saw a huge owl impaled on a fence. It's wings were straight out, as if it had been crucified right on top of the barbed wire fence.
My husband stopped the car and they both got out, and managed to get the owl off of the barbed wire. The poor bird was so exhausted that it didn't even resist them. They figured that the owl must have been swooping down to catch a mouse or squirrel or something, and didn't realize the fence was there. One of its wings was torn and bloody, making it impossible for the poor bird to fly. They wrapped the owl up in an old towel that was in the trunk of the car, and brought it home. Even on Christmas Day, we have wildlife adventures here.
As soon as my husband walked into the door, I knew something was up...... he said "You might want to come out on the porch and take a look at this." My guess was that they had found an abandoned dog or cat along the road. That would have been easier to deal with than the injured owl....... the bird was all snuggled up in the towel, looking at the three of us through eyes that were half-open. We have no idea how long that bird had been impaled on the top of that fence, but it was surely long enough to tire him out.
We put the bird into a box and he just stayed there all wrapped up in his towel till friend J was ready to leave for Clear Lake. First thing in the morning, J will take the owl to the Nature Center and they'll be able to mend his wing, and hopefully he'll be flying again. One lucky owl...... it was just luck that my husband decided to take a drive after dinner...... that owl would still be on the fence, and easy prey for night-time coyotes.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Too much Christmas cheer...
My husband and I drove along the road winding around the properties here, going up towards the main highway. I brought along a plastic bag and a clippy-thing to pick up trash along that road, being that some people think the side-roads are their own private garbage cans. I cannot stand the sight of soda and beer cans and chip bags blowing around in the grass along the side of that road, so I make it a point to keep it clean, as do some of the other neighbors. Besides that, tomorrow night is Christmas Eve. Santa would not be pleased if one of his reindeer happened to step on a can of Bud Light.
So back and forth we went along that road.... my husband driving, both of us looking for trash, and stopping when we saw something that needed to be picked up. Had it been warmer out there, we would have been walking, but once again, the temperatures have dropped into northern numbers on the thermometer.
On the road near the main highway, we saw the sun reflecting on a large glass bottle... I got out of the car with the plastic bag and the clippy-thing, and saw that it was a liquor bottle that someone had tossed into the grass before making the turn onto the main highway. (Are they stupid enough to think that the effects of what was in that bottle wouldn't hamper their driving?)
I picked up the bottle with the clippy-thing and saw two inches of liquid still at the bottom of the bottle.... I turned it upside-down with the clipper and then realized that there was a tiny field mouse floating in the liquor. Yuck, yuck, yuck....... poor thing was dead of course, but I'm used to seeing field mice so other than those few "yucks," I didn't scream or toss the clipper into the woods. (That would not have been the case had there been a snake in the bottom of that bottle.)
The mouse was tiny enough to have crawled into the neck of the bottle after someone had tossed it in the grass. Apparently, the mouse was also thirsty enough to have begun drinking the liquor. Either he drank enough of the liquor to kill him, or he drank enough to make him tipsy and then he couldn't find his way back out of the bottle. Either way, he was dead. My husband said "He died happy."
I continued with my "yucks" all the way back home, knowing that there was a dead mouse inside the bottle that was now tucked into the plastic trash bag. Not exactly a Disney Christmas story, but that's all I've got for today.
So back and forth we went along that road.... my husband driving, both of us looking for trash, and stopping when we saw something that needed to be picked up. Had it been warmer out there, we would have been walking, but once again, the temperatures have dropped into northern numbers on the thermometer.
On the road near the main highway, we saw the sun reflecting on a large glass bottle... I got out of the car with the plastic bag and the clippy-thing, and saw that it was a liquor bottle that someone had tossed into the grass before making the turn onto the main highway. (Are they stupid enough to think that the effects of what was in that bottle wouldn't hamper their driving?)
I picked up the bottle with the clippy-thing and saw two inches of liquid still at the bottom of the bottle.... I turned it upside-down with the clipper and then realized that there was a tiny field mouse floating in the liquor. Yuck, yuck, yuck....... poor thing was dead of course, but I'm used to seeing field mice so other than those few "yucks," I didn't scream or toss the clipper into the woods. (That would not have been the case had there been a snake in the bottom of that bottle.)
The mouse was tiny enough to have crawled into the neck of the bottle after someone had tossed it in the grass. Apparently, the mouse was also thirsty enough to have begun drinking the liquor. Either he drank enough of the liquor to kill him, or he drank enough to make him tipsy and then he couldn't find his way back out of the bottle. Either way, he was dead. My husband said "He died happy."
I continued with my "yucks" all the way back home, knowing that there was a dead mouse inside the bottle that was now tucked into the plastic trash bag. Not exactly a Disney Christmas story, but that's all I've got for today.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
The longest day of the year...
.... and it's raining today. Started out very warm this morning, and I had the doors open so the breeze could come in through the screens. Well, that didn't last too long. Just before lunch-time, the balmy breeze turned into a cold wind which kicked up the pecan leaves and sent them scattering along the driveway.
The temperature must have dropped at least ten degrees after that wind blew in..... and now it's sweater-weather for sure, after a summery-like morning. Looking out of my window here, you would think I'm up north instead of in the middle of Texas. Once again, the weather gods are not being very kind.
December 21st...... the first day of Winter, and just four more days till Christmas. I sometimes wonder about this count-down till Christmas Day. When I was a kid, it was such a big deal.... four more days... we would all be just about jumping out of our shoes by this time, wondering what was under the tree, which gifts came from friends and family, which came from Santa.
When you get older, Santa becomes an emotion, not a person. And looking at Santa that way, you realize that it's even better because you don't have to limit your Santa-ness to just one day of the year.... you can carry Santa with you every blessed day of every week, every month, all year long. Be nice. Be good. Be kind. Be Santa.
So, for today, on December 21st..... forget about the field mice that get into the house, the stray cats that find their way to the barn, the armadillos that dig holes around the lawn, the raccoons on the back porch, the snakes near the front porch, the coyotes in the fields, and the threat of cougars out in the woods.
It's almost Christmas......... Merry Christmas!
The temperature must have dropped at least ten degrees after that wind blew in..... and now it's sweater-weather for sure, after a summery-like morning. Looking out of my window here, you would think I'm up north instead of in the middle of Texas. Once again, the weather gods are not being very kind.
December 21st...... the first day of Winter, and just four more days till Christmas. I sometimes wonder about this count-down till Christmas Day. When I was a kid, it was such a big deal.... four more days... we would all be just about jumping out of our shoes by this time, wondering what was under the tree, which gifts came from friends and family, which came from Santa.
When you get older, Santa becomes an emotion, not a person. And looking at Santa that way, you realize that it's even better because you don't have to limit your Santa-ness to just one day of the year.... you can carry Santa with you every blessed day of every week, every month, all year long. Be nice. Be good. Be kind. Be Santa.
So, for today, on December 21st..... forget about the field mice that get into the house, the stray cats that find their way to the barn, the armadillos that dig holes around the lawn, the raccoons on the back porch, the snakes near the front porch, the coyotes in the fields, and the threat of cougars out in the woods.
It's almost Christmas......... Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 19, 2013
A horse in the night...
We went out to dinner last night with J&J, and then drove to "Santa's Wonderland" to see their display of Christmas lights. Wonderland is a drive-through display of millions of colored and white lights, with all sorts of designs and Christmas stories along the way.... everything from the tiniest angel to a life-sized creche, and everything else inbetween. Last night was the perfect weather, too..... not cold, not too warm, no wind, and I guess everyone else thought so too because the place was jam-packed with cars. There's also a little village there with a Christmas shop, but it's always so crowded, with parking spaces at a minimum. This is the second year we've driven there to see the lights and it's a nice little tradition.
If all of those Christmas lights don't get you into the Christmas spirit of the season, then nothing else will work. We had gone to a Chinese restaurant for dinner, so after the trip to Wonderland, we stopped at another restaurant for dessert, being that we were all celebrating my husband's birthday which was last week.
On the way home, along a two-lane road that we take all the time between that town and ours, J thought he saw a horse on the side of the road. He insisted it was there, even though the rest of us hadn't seen anything at all as we were driving along. J made a U-turn and went back...... and sure enough, there on the side, right near the shoulder-less road, was a huge black and white horse. How did the three of us not see that horse?
J pulled the car over and called the sheriff's department, and my husband got out and tried to get the horse away from the road. My husband saw a car pulling into one of the driveways there and asked the man if he owned that horse or knew who did. The man said he didn't own the horse and his attitude said he didn't much care who did.
The horse didn't seem to be bothered by the bright lights of the cars, or by my husband urging him to get back into his pasture..... that horse just kept munching away on the grass, not paying much attention to anything else. Within minutes, a deputy's car pulled up with all his lights flashing, which slowed down the cars that were driving along the road. My husband and the deputy got the horse into a field away from the road, but there wasn't a gate there to keep the horse contained.
We all drove away at that point, leaving the deputy to find out who owned the horse and why they weren't keeping him from wandering into the road in the middle of the night. We were all impressed that the deputy got there so quickly, but we figured he must have been driving on that road when the call went through.
As we drove away, we were joking that we killed two bread puddings at the restaurant but we saved the life of one horse. Then we got serious and we were all upset that people can so easily acquire pets and animals but then just as easily ignore them and not take care of them.
If all of those Christmas lights don't get you into the Christmas spirit of the season, then nothing else will work. We had gone to a Chinese restaurant for dinner, so after the trip to Wonderland, we stopped at another restaurant for dessert, being that we were all celebrating my husband's birthday which was last week.
On the way home, along a two-lane road that we take all the time between that town and ours, J thought he saw a horse on the side of the road. He insisted it was there, even though the rest of us hadn't seen anything at all as we were driving along. J made a U-turn and went back...... and sure enough, there on the side, right near the shoulder-less road, was a huge black and white horse. How did the three of us not see that horse?
J pulled the car over and called the sheriff's department, and my husband got out and tried to get the horse away from the road. My husband saw a car pulling into one of the driveways there and asked the man if he owned that horse or knew who did. The man said he didn't own the horse and his attitude said he didn't much care who did.
The horse didn't seem to be bothered by the bright lights of the cars, or by my husband urging him to get back into his pasture..... that horse just kept munching away on the grass, not paying much attention to anything else. Within minutes, a deputy's car pulled up with all his lights flashing, which slowed down the cars that were driving along the road. My husband and the deputy got the horse into a field away from the road, but there wasn't a gate there to keep the horse contained.
We all drove away at that point, leaving the deputy to find out who owned the horse and why they weren't keeping him from wandering into the road in the middle of the night. We were all impressed that the deputy got there so quickly, but we figured he must have been driving on that road when the call went through.
As we drove away, we were joking that we killed two bread puddings at the restaurant but we saved the life of one horse. Then we got serious and we were all upset that people can so easily acquire pets and animals but then just as easily ignore them and not take care of them.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Now this is a Texas winter....
Warm and sunny days, with temperatures in the 60s and getting closer to 70 every day. So warm that some of the ladybug eggs are hatching and they're flying around the front porch. I've no idea where the ladybug nests are, but when the weather gets warm, those little eggs must open up from the heat and out come these teeny ladybugs. Last Spring, there were so many ladybugs on the porch columns that it looked as if we had painted the white columns with red polka-dots.
I haven't seen any more scorpions since that big one in the garage the other day, but now that the weather is warming up even more, I'm being cautious about snakes. That's one thing that I don't want to be surprised with.... any kind of snake, whether it's poisonous or not.
The guys who cut the hay were here yesterday. They had cut the hay down a couple of weeks ago, but then we had soaking rains, and then the frigid cold, so the cut hay was just scattered on the property, laying right where it had fallen. Yesterday, they came by with this huge raking machine that gathers the hay into big piles as they pull it through the fields. My guess is that they'll come back either today or tomorrow with the baling machine, and then we'll have huge round bales in the fields until they come with yet another machine to pick those up and cart them away. The first time the hay was cut in our fields, my husband and I sat on the porch and watched the whole process. My husband took pictures, which we sent to family up north. And when the first bales were in the pastures, I stood next to one of those huge bales and sent that photo to my cousins. ("You're wearing jeans and boots? Boots without heels?!?") Now when the hay-guys come here, it's just another day on the ranch: "The guys are out there cutting the hay..... I hope the wind doesn't blow the dust up on the porch furniture."
We're enjoying these warm sunny days...... and we don't miss the frigid nights. However.... the weather wizards on the local news are telling us that another cold front is going to blow down here from Canada, and could arrive just in time for Christmas. Well, bah humbug to that.
I haven't seen any more scorpions since that big one in the garage the other day, but now that the weather is warming up even more, I'm being cautious about snakes. That's one thing that I don't want to be surprised with.... any kind of snake, whether it's poisonous or not.
The guys who cut the hay were here yesterday. They had cut the hay down a couple of weeks ago, but then we had soaking rains, and then the frigid cold, so the cut hay was just scattered on the property, laying right where it had fallen. Yesterday, they came by with this huge raking machine that gathers the hay into big piles as they pull it through the fields. My guess is that they'll come back either today or tomorrow with the baling machine, and then we'll have huge round bales in the fields until they come with yet another machine to pick those up and cart them away. The first time the hay was cut in our fields, my husband and I sat on the porch and watched the whole process. My husband took pictures, which we sent to family up north. And when the first bales were in the pastures, I stood next to one of those huge bales and sent that photo to my cousins. ("You're wearing jeans and boots? Boots without heels?!?") Now when the hay-guys come here, it's just another day on the ranch: "The guys are out there cutting the hay..... I hope the wind doesn't blow the dust up on the porch furniture."
We're enjoying these warm sunny days...... and we don't miss the frigid nights. However.... the weather wizards on the local news are telling us that another cold front is going to blow down here from Canada, and could arrive just in time for Christmas. Well, bah humbug to that.
Monday, December 16, 2013
A warm afternoon....
... after a frigid night.
It was so warm this afternoon that JS and I went out walking.... the whole walk, up to the main highway and back. Haven't done that in ages because it has either been too wet and rainy, or too darn cold and windy.
J's little dog Bella came along for the girl-time. J had her dressed up in the cutest little doggie-Christmas outfit.... red velvet with white fur around the little ruffle, plus she had a silver necklace of Mardi Gras beads to complete the blinged-out look. Just too cute for words... and did I mention that Bella's little toe-nails were painted red to match her outfit? Never let it be said that country-puppies don't know how to dress up.
Surely does make me want another dog again, but let's not get started with that......
This week is like the calm after the storm...... we had our big Christmas party on Saturday night. Almost all of our friends and neighbors were here, along with a couple of friends from our old neighborhood in Clear Lake. I think this year's Christmas party was the best we've had in this house.... the energy and enthusiasm was just off the charts this time, and I don't know exactly why, but it was sure nice to see everyone having such a great evening.
In the midst of the other night's frigid weather, I found a huge scorpion in the garage when I went in there to feed Mickey. I nearly stepped on the darn thing because I wasn't looking down. Thankfully, my foot missed it, but I smashed it flat with the container of weed-killer. I'm still not at the point where I can just step on a scorpion to kill it........ not these feet, no matter what shoes or boots I'm wearing.
And everyone says that the cold weather kills all the crawling critters on the property here. Bah-humbug to that...... I guess the scorpions don't know all the rules.
It was so warm this afternoon that JS and I went out walking.... the whole walk, up to the main highway and back. Haven't done that in ages because it has either been too wet and rainy, or too darn cold and windy.
J's little dog Bella came along for the girl-time. J had her dressed up in the cutest little doggie-Christmas outfit.... red velvet with white fur around the little ruffle, plus she had a silver necklace of Mardi Gras beads to complete the blinged-out look. Just too cute for words... and did I mention that Bella's little toe-nails were painted red to match her outfit? Never let it be said that country-puppies don't know how to dress up.
Surely does make me want another dog again, but let's not get started with that......
This week is like the calm after the storm...... we had our big Christmas party on Saturday night. Almost all of our friends and neighbors were here, along with a couple of friends from our old neighborhood in Clear Lake. I think this year's Christmas party was the best we've had in this house.... the energy and enthusiasm was just off the charts this time, and I don't know exactly why, but it was sure nice to see everyone having such a great evening.
In the midst of the other night's frigid weather, I found a huge scorpion in the garage when I went in there to feed Mickey. I nearly stepped on the darn thing because I wasn't looking down. Thankfully, my foot missed it, but I smashed it flat with the container of weed-killer. I'm still not at the point where I can just step on a scorpion to kill it........ not these feet, no matter what shoes or boots I'm wearing.
And everyone says that the cold weather kills all the crawling critters on the property here. Bah-humbug to that...... I guess the scorpions don't know all the rules.
Friday, December 13, 2013
So much for the sun......
Today was supposed to be a partly sunny day. Once again, the TV weather wizards have failed. This morning was cloudy, with maybe three rays of sunlight peeking through..... and then the rain started after lunch today. The temperature is nearly 60 degrees, so that's a plus.
A plus? Our normal 'winter' temperature should be hovering around the 60-degree mark. Did someone change the weather rules for this state without asking anyone who lives here?
Drizzling rain.... all afternoon... but I got a lot done in the house. Tomorrow is our Christmas party, and I've spent most of the day arranging tables and chairs, centerpieces and favors, and cooking, cooking, cooking. We always have a pot-luck dinner for our big parties, but still, I'd rather cook more than I need because we never know who's bringing what.
Tomorrow night and Sunday night, it will be 32 degrees. Once again, the 60 degrees will disappear. With that in mind, I don't think our friends will be looking for a cold punch, so it will be hot apple cider for tomorrow night, and iced tea for those who insist on drinking something cold. Iced tea is like a staple in this state.... no one cares what the weather is doing..... without iced tea on the menu, it wouldn't be Texas.
Sort of like... without a mild winter with sweater-degree temperatures, it wouldn't be Texas. Maybe that's been the problem with the recent weather...... someone has stretched the state's boundary lines and moved us all further north.
Get those red shoes on...... click the heels three times.... and maybe we'll all end up back in a warm Texas winter.
A plus? Our normal 'winter' temperature should be hovering around the 60-degree mark. Did someone change the weather rules for this state without asking anyone who lives here?
Drizzling rain.... all afternoon... but I got a lot done in the house. Tomorrow is our Christmas party, and I've spent most of the day arranging tables and chairs, centerpieces and favors, and cooking, cooking, cooking. We always have a pot-luck dinner for our big parties, but still, I'd rather cook more than I need because we never know who's bringing what.
Tomorrow night and Sunday night, it will be 32 degrees. Once again, the 60 degrees will disappear. With that in mind, I don't think our friends will be looking for a cold punch, so it will be hot apple cider for tomorrow night, and iced tea for those who insist on drinking something cold. Iced tea is like a staple in this state.... no one cares what the weather is doing..... without iced tea on the menu, it wouldn't be Texas.
Sort of like... without a mild winter with sweater-degree temperatures, it wouldn't be Texas. Maybe that's been the problem with the recent weather...... someone has stretched the state's boundary lines and moved us all further north.
Get those red shoes on...... click the heels three times.... and maybe we'll all end up back in a warm Texas winter.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
A sunny day, finally.
We had lots of sun today, but the temperature didn't seem any warmer than yesterday. I let Mickey out of the garage today since it wasn't raining, but he wasn't too happy about the cold temperature, and he went back into the garage after just half an hour outside. He jumped up in his chair, which is nice and warm from the heater, and that's where he spent the rest of the day. Mickey is a Texas cat, and not used to these very un-Texas like temperatures.
I saw a large brown and white rabbit near the gazebo this afternoon..... I think he's making his home right underneath the gazebo, because there's clearly a spot there when he can get under the wood trim. He? She? Whichever.... it was a pretty big rabbit. I got out the binoculars to look more closely without scaring him, and he's a very pretty bunny. I have no idea if there's an entire bunny family under that gazebo, but both Mickey and Gatsby have investigated the ground around that gazebo from time to time, so maybe the cats have noticed a bunny smell, or have seen bunny traffic going back and forth under the wooden base.
I told my husband about the rabbit, and without missing a beat, he asked me "And where do you think that rabbit is having his meals?" The answer..... "IHOP." I should have guessed that.
Still cold outside..... and I'm still not happy with the weather, but there's certainly nothing I can do about that, short of getting on a plane and heading to Key West or somewhere like that. Warmer days are sure to come back, sooner or later..... hopefully sooner. My cousin in Florida called me tonight and said that the temperature in Orlando is 82 degrees. I should tell my husband that it may be time to visit Mickey Mouse and Company again.
But on the bright side..... we spent the day decorating the big Christmas tree in the dining room...... my husband did the lights, I did the ornaments and all the embellishments. Looks beautiful.... Santa and the elves would approve.
I saw a large brown and white rabbit near the gazebo this afternoon..... I think he's making his home right underneath the gazebo, because there's clearly a spot there when he can get under the wood trim. He? She? Whichever.... it was a pretty big rabbit. I got out the binoculars to look more closely without scaring him, and he's a very pretty bunny. I have no idea if there's an entire bunny family under that gazebo, but both Mickey and Gatsby have investigated the ground around that gazebo from time to time, so maybe the cats have noticed a bunny smell, or have seen bunny traffic going back and forth under the wooden base.
I told my husband about the rabbit, and without missing a beat, he asked me "And where do you think that rabbit is having his meals?" The answer..... "IHOP." I should have guessed that.
Still cold outside..... and I'm still not happy with the weather, but there's certainly nothing I can do about that, short of getting on a plane and heading to Key West or somewhere like that. Warmer days are sure to come back, sooner or later..... hopefully sooner. My cousin in Florida called me tonight and said that the temperature in Orlando is 82 degrees. I should tell my husband that it may be time to visit Mickey Mouse and Company again.
But on the bright side..... we spent the day decorating the big Christmas tree in the dining room...... my husband did the lights, I did the ornaments and all the embellishments. Looks beautiful.... Santa and the elves would approve.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
In the heart of winter...
...That's the phrase I just heard from the weather wizards on TV... "Hunker down, folks, because we have just found ourselves in the heart of winter." Oh goodie.
The seven-day forecast doesn't look any better than the last couple of days we've had here. We can expect temperatures in the 40s during the day, and into the low 30s at night. We'll have one day of 50 degrees, which will probably seem like a heat wave after all of this. And tomorrow, we could see some freezing rain. I'll repeat: Oh goodie.
We've been in the house for two days. I've gone outside just to put trash in the can, and I've been inside the garage to feed Mickey and to spend some time with him in there every few hours or so. Mickey's half of the garage is warm, thanks to that heater.... and he seems to be okay. I think he's getting cabin fever, though, because he clearly wants to go outside. Not going to happen... not when it's this cold, this cloudy, with not a drop of sunlight anywhere. I don't want to have to walk around the property looking for him, and if I have to keep that garage door open so he can get in and out by himself, then the heater isn't going to work very well in there. Mickey will just have to be content with the inside of the garage, and he can walk through the little door into the coop if he wants some fresh air. Fresh air? It's more like frozen air. Give me a blessed break.
I'm glad we don't have chickens anymore. I used to worry about the hens in cold weather like this. All the chicken books say that birds don't feel the cold that much... they fluff up their feathers to insulate themselves against the cold and they huddle together to keep warm. I still worried about the chickens being too cold out in the coop. My husband says that I transfer my own feelings about the cold onto every living thing out there, and maybe I do. All I know is, cold is cold, and it isn't fun. I went through winters like this up in New York for 40 years, and moving down here and getting this type of cold weather is not what we had in mind when we headed for Texas.
Oh well, it is what it is. And it is freaking cold.
The seven-day forecast doesn't look any better than the last couple of days we've had here. We can expect temperatures in the 40s during the day, and into the low 30s at night. We'll have one day of 50 degrees, which will probably seem like a heat wave after all of this. And tomorrow, we could see some freezing rain. I'll repeat: Oh goodie.
We've been in the house for two days. I've gone outside just to put trash in the can, and I've been inside the garage to feed Mickey and to spend some time with him in there every few hours or so. Mickey's half of the garage is warm, thanks to that heater.... and he seems to be okay. I think he's getting cabin fever, though, because he clearly wants to go outside. Not going to happen... not when it's this cold, this cloudy, with not a drop of sunlight anywhere. I don't want to have to walk around the property looking for him, and if I have to keep that garage door open so he can get in and out by himself, then the heater isn't going to work very well in there. Mickey will just have to be content with the inside of the garage, and he can walk through the little door into the coop if he wants some fresh air. Fresh air? It's more like frozen air. Give me a blessed break.
I'm glad we don't have chickens anymore. I used to worry about the hens in cold weather like this. All the chicken books say that birds don't feel the cold that much... they fluff up their feathers to insulate themselves against the cold and they huddle together to keep warm. I still worried about the chickens being too cold out in the coop. My husband says that I transfer my own feelings about the cold onto every living thing out there, and maybe I do. All I know is, cold is cold, and it isn't fun. I went through winters like this up in New York for 40 years, and moving down here and getting this type of cold weather is not what we had in mind when we headed for Texas.
Oh well, it is what it is. And it is freaking cold.
Friday, December 6, 2013
More cold, more wind, still freezing...
Okay, I've just about had it with this weather..... the wind is still with us, bringing cold temperatures down from Canada. It's worse up near Dallas, with freezing rain that has thousands of plane flights being cancelled, which I know isn't a picnic for the travelers up there.
We kept faucets dripping last night, and plugged in electric heaters in the cottage and the barn, in an attempt to protect all the new plumbing that my husband installed himself the year after we moved here when the pipes froze during a prolonged (and also Canadian) hard freeze that settled into the Hill Country. ("Welcome to the countryside..... take that!..... we're freezing your pipes to let you know what you've gotten yourself into.")
The cats are all sleeping and cuddled up in the warmest spots.... and it was so cold that I made soup for lunch. Spinach/artichoke soup, which I made from a basic vegetable soup recipe that I've adapted for my other soups (broccoli and cauliflower). We tasted that spinach/artichoke soup at one of the little cafes in town and we liked it...... my version is thicker, better, cheesier. (Is that a word?)
My husband really loved today's soup and asked me if I've been writing down the recent soup recipes. I told him that the recipes are all in my head, and I just 'wing it' as I go along.
"So you're not writing the recipes down?" said he.
"No need to.... I just make the soup the same way each time and it seems to be working just fine."
"But what if something happens to you and I feel like making spinach/artichoke soup?" said my husband.
I resisted the urge to ask him if something did happen to me, would making soup be his first priority?
We kept faucets dripping last night, and plugged in electric heaters in the cottage and the barn, in an attempt to protect all the new plumbing that my husband installed himself the year after we moved here when the pipes froze during a prolonged (and also Canadian) hard freeze that settled into the Hill Country. ("Welcome to the countryside..... take that!..... we're freezing your pipes to let you know what you've gotten yourself into.")
The cats are all sleeping and cuddled up in the warmest spots.... and it was so cold that I made soup for lunch. Spinach/artichoke soup, which I made from a basic vegetable soup recipe that I've adapted for my other soups (broccoli and cauliflower). We tasted that spinach/artichoke soup at one of the little cafes in town and we liked it...... my version is thicker, better, cheesier. (Is that a word?)
My husband really loved today's soup and asked me if I've been writing down the recent soup recipes. I told him that the recipes are all in my head, and I just 'wing it' as I go along.
"So you're not writing the recipes down?" said he.
"No need to.... I just make the soup the same way each time and it seems to be working just fine."
"But what if something happens to you and I feel like making spinach/artichoke soup?" said my husband.
I resisted the urge to ask him if something did happen to me, would making soup be his first priority?
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Cold... freezing... windy...
Maybe if I put on a pair of red shoes and click my heels three times, I will end up back in the 80-degree warmth that we were enjoying here just one day ago.
Give me a minute....
Click... click... click.
Nope. It didn't work. These red heels don't have a zillion sequins on them. Maybe that's the problem.
I can still hear the wind howling. Our outside cat Gatsby doesn't want to go anywhere near the back door, and he becomes an inside cat in cold weather. Mickey Kitty is in the garage with his warm and cozy tent-bed and a private heater. Sweet Pea is huddled up on top of the afghan on the sofa in the TV room. I am sitting here with two sweaters and a shawl around my shoulders. Gone are the capris of the other day, replaced by longer, warmer slacks. These old Victorian houses weren't built for this type of cold weather.
And, I must say that I look ridiculous in these red heels.
Click... click... click. Three times.
Damn. It still didn't work. It's still freezing.
I need to buy a zillion red sequins.
Give me a minute....
Click... click... click.
Nope. It didn't work. These red heels don't have a zillion sequins on them. Maybe that's the problem.
I can still hear the wind howling. Our outside cat Gatsby doesn't want to go anywhere near the back door, and he becomes an inside cat in cold weather. Mickey Kitty is in the garage with his warm and cozy tent-bed and a private heater. Sweet Pea is huddled up on top of the afghan on the sofa in the TV room. I am sitting here with two sweaters and a shawl around my shoulders. Gone are the capris of the other day, replaced by longer, warmer slacks. These old Victorian houses weren't built for this type of cold weather.
And, I must say that I look ridiculous in these red heels.
Click... click... click. Three times.
Damn. It still didn't work. It's still freezing.
I need to buy a zillion red sequins.
The weather goes beyond stupid....
.... and borders on the insane.
As I type, the wind is blowing and the sun is probably shining over The Bahamas because we haven't seen it at all today. Our recent temperatures of 80 degrees are once again gone, gone, gone. The weather wizards on TV are saying that those numbers will be dropping 50 degrees within the next 24 hours. Oh goodie. I can hardly wait. Do the weather wizards have to keep smiling when they give us such bad news? I would appreciate it very much if they delivered an apology along with a bad weather forecast--- "I'm so sorry to tell y'all this, but it's going to feel more like Alaska than Texas for the next seven days.... I tried very hard to find a more suitable forecast for y'all, but it just wasn't in the cards this week."
I keep saying this.... but when we first moved to this state twenty years ago, we didn't have such violent cold snaps, and the Canadian winds stayed up near Canada, where they belong. With apologies to Canada.... (we've been there and it's beautiful) but I don't exactly need any of that brutal weather during the months of December and January, thank you very much.
And right about now, the Canadians are thinking "You call that cold snap brutal?! "
In my city-girl mind, this is brutal, and about the only thing that's going to keep you warm and toasty when you go outside is a full length mink. But they don't do that here. So I can't. I guess I'll just freeze and be thankful that we don't live in Canada.
As the temperatures drop, I get cranky. And the lower the temperatures, the crankier I get. My apologies. Time for hot tea.... and a good book.
However....... on the bright side (and there's always a bright side)... when I checked the utility closet this morning, the sticky glue-traps were not holding either a mouse or a snake. There is a god.
As I type, the wind is blowing and the sun is probably shining over The Bahamas because we haven't seen it at all today. Our recent temperatures of 80 degrees are once again gone, gone, gone. The weather wizards on TV are saying that those numbers will be dropping 50 degrees within the next 24 hours. Oh goodie. I can hardly wait. Do the weather wizards have to keep smiling when they give us such bad news? I would appreciate it very much if they delivered an apology along with a bad weather forecast--- "I'm so sorry to tell y'all this, but it's going to feel more like Alaska than Texas for the next seven days.... I tried very hard to find a more suitable forecast for y'all, but it just wasn't in the cards this week."
I keep saying this.... but when we first moved to this state twenty years ago, we didn't have such violent cold snaps, and the Canadian winds stayed up near Canada, where they belong. With apologies to Canada.... (we've been there and it's beautiful) but I don't exactly need any of that brutal weather during the months of December and January, thank you very much.
And right about now, the Canadians are thinking "You call that cold snap brutal?! "
In my city-girl mind, this is brutal, and about the only thing that's going to keep you warm and toasty when you go outside is a full length mink. But they don't do that here. So I can't. I guess I'll just freeze and be thankful that we don't live in Canada.
As the temperatures drop, I get cranky. And the lower the temperatures, the crankier I get. My apologies. Time for hot tea.... and a good book.
However....... on the bright side (and there's always a bright side)... when I checked the utility closet this morning, the sticky glue-traps were not holding either a mouse or a snake. There is a god.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
It's always something...
.... and usually, 'something' always happens when my husband is working.
We have a utility closet between the kitchen and the breakfast room. That closet has louvered doors and contains the heater/air-conditioning unit. The only other things behind those louvered doors are glue-traps for catching mice.
My inside cat Sweet Pea walked by that closet earlier this evening and he stopped in his little kitty-tracks and stared at the louvered doors. Then he got up real close to the slats in the doors and he sniffed..... I actually heard his breath and saw his whiskers twitching. I was reading a book at the table in the breakfast room, and clearly saw that Sweet Pea was not happy with what he had detected behind those doors.
When a mouse gets caught on a glue-trap, Sweet Pea will stand by the door and meow, sort of like "If you open these doors for me, I'll take care of that nasty little rodent for you." (He doesn't understand that messing with a glue-trapped mouse will also adhere his kitty-self to the sticky glue.) What I usually do when that happens is pick up Sweet Pea and put him in the TV room and close that door before I open the closet to see what's caught on the glue-trap. In the beginning of these mice adventures, I would ask my husband to dispose of the poor little mouse, but I've since learned to grit my teeth and use a four-foot-long clippy thing to pick up the glue-trap, mouse and all, and put it into a trash bag and carry it outside to the garbage can..... all the while apologizing to the mouse.
But on this day..... with Sweet Pea first twitching his whiskers and then hissing at those louvered doors, I found that every ounce of bravery that might be within me just disappeared... and I was afraid to open the closet doors. I put Sweet Pea into the TV room and called our friends J and J up the road. I hated to bother them for such a questionable favor, but there was no way around it. I kept watching the bottom of that closet door while I told them the problem. They were at my back door within minutes.
J and I watched as her husband opened the door.... he was armed with a flash-light, a clippy thing, and a walking stick. Never let it be said that we let the man go into battle without the proper weapons. J opened the door.... J and I were holding our breath, I think..... we watched the beam of the flash-light.... and there was nothing in there except half a dozen glue-traps, all of them mouse-less. Two of the traps were decorated with dead scorpions.
J seemed to think that possibly a snake had gotten up into that closet from below the house..... there are small spaces near the ductwork that a snake could possibly slither into... the same spaces that the field mice find when they're looking to get out from the cold and into a warm spot next to a furnace. Except that it was very warm today..... and don't these godforsaken snakes have somewhere else to go other than this house?!
I thanked J and J for their patience with my inability to adapt to all things country out here in the hills. They even asked if I wanted to come up to their house till my husband got home from work. And leave Sweet Pea here by himself to fight the battle? I can't be that heartless... he's a very good cat.
Sweet Pea walked by the utility closet after J and J went back home..... he gave the bottom of the door a little sniff. Then he walked about two feet away from it and sat down to keep watch. He didn't hiss, and his whiskers didn't twitch. I went into the breakfast room and finished reading my book.
When Sweet Pea walked into the TV room a little while ago, I shut that door, and opened up the door to the utility closet. Brave soul that I am..... I opened up two new boxes of those glue-traps.... and spread them all around the floor surrounding the heater/air-conditioner unit. The inside of that closet now looks like a miniature city with model train tracks going round and round... just about every inch of that white floor is lined with black glue-traps. If there is indeed something in that closet, it won't be able to move three inches without getting hopelessly stuck.
We have a utility closet between the kitchen and the breakfast room. That closet has louvered doors and contains the heater/air-conditioning unit. The only other things behind those louvered doors are glue-traps for catching mice.
My inside cat Sweet Pea walked by that closet earlier this evening and he stopped in his little kitty-tracks and stared at the louvered doors. Then he got up real close to the slats in the doors and he sniffed..... I actually heard his breath and saw his whiskers twitching. I was reading a book at the table in the breakfast room, and clearly saw that Sweet Pea was not happy with what he had detected behind those doors.
When a mouse gets caught on a glue-trap, Sweet Pea will stand by the door and meow, sort of like "If you open these doors for me, I'll take care of that nasty little rodent for you." (He doesn't understand that messing with a glue-trapped mouse will also adhere his kitty-self to the sticky glue.) What I usually do when that happens is pick up Sweet Pea and put him in the TV room and close that door before I open the closet to see what's caught on the glue-trap. In the beginning of these mice adventures, I would ask my husband to dispose of the poor little mouse, but I've since learned to grit my teeth and use a four-foot-long clippy thing to pick up the glue-trap, mouse and all, and put it into a trash bag and carry it outside to the garbage can..... all the while apologizing to the mouse.
But on this day..... with Sweet Pea first twitching his whiskers and then hissing at those louvered doors, I found that every ounce of bravery that might be within me just disappeared... and I was afraid to open the closet doors. I put Sweet Pea into the TV room and called our friends J and J up the road. I hated to bother them for such a questionable favor, but there was no way around it. I kept watching the bottom of that closet door while I told them the problem. They were at my back door within minutes.
J and I watched as her husband opened the door.... he was armed with a flash-light, a clippy thing, and a walking stick. Never let it be said that we let the man go into battle without the proper weapons. J opened the door.... J and I were holding our breath, I think..... we watched the beam of the flash-light.... and there was nothing in there except half a dozen glue-traps, all of them mouse-less. Two of the traps were decorated with dead scorpions.
J seemed to think that possibly a snake had gotten up into that closet from below the house..... there are small spaces near the ductwork that a snake could possibly slither into... the same spaces that the field mice find when they're looking to get out from the cold and into a warm spot next to a furnace. Except that it was very warm today..... and don't these godforsaken snakes have somewhere else to go other than this house?!
I thanked J and J for their patience with my inability to adapt to all things country out here in the hills. They even asked if I wanted to come up to their house till my husband got home from work. And leave Sweet Pea here by himself to fight the battle? I can't be that heartless... he's a very good cat.
Sweet Pea walked by the utility closet after J and J went back home..... he gave the bottom of the door a little sniff. Then he walked about two feet away from it and sat down to keep watch. He didn't hiss, and his whiskers didn't twitch. I went into the breakfast room and finished reading my book.
When Sweet Pea walked into the TV room a little while ago, I shut that door, and opened up the door to the utility closet. Brave soul that I am..... I opened up two new boxes of those glue-traps.... and spread them all around the floor surrounding the heater/air-conditioner unit. The inside of that closet now looks like a miniature city with model train tracks going round and round... just about every inch of that white floor is lined with black glue-traps. If there is indeed something in that closet, it won't be able to move three inches without getting hopelessly stuck.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Baby goats.
When I drove down our hill this morning, I saw three new baby goats in the neighbor's pasture. This is the man who raises goats for the meat... he also does his own slaughtering. Give me a blessed break. I wonder if that knowledge would have changed my opinion of this house and this property when we first found it.
I stopped my car in the road and watched the baby goats this morning. They play like puppies... running and jumping over one another and pulling at each other's ears and tails. So terribly cute.
And then I drove on, and got terribly sad. Those baby goats may not even live to see Christmas. That neighbor's favorite food is "el cabrito," which is roasted baby goat. He told us it was a delicacy, and offered us one after we first moved in. We said thank you, but no thank you. And, thankfully, he never asked again.
Baby goats. Oh well. Life goes on.
I stopped my car in the road and watched the baby goats this morning. They play like puppies... running and jumping over one another and pulling at each other's ears and tails. So terribly cute.
And then I drove on, and got terribly sad. Those baby goats may not even live to see Christmas. That neighbor's favorite food is "el cabrito," which is roasted baby goat. He told us it was a delicacy, and offered us one after we first moved in. We said thank you, but no thank you. And, thankfully, he never asked again.
Baby goats. Oh well. Life goes on.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Back to Texas weather....
Sunny and warm today, with temperatures due to reach the high 70s.... nearly 80. I'm sitting here in white Capris again, rather than jeans and two sweaters. Happy day.
Handyman Senior and Junior are outside painting. There may be hope for this handyman-duo after all. The other day when my husband told Senior that he wanted the paint chips cleaned up, Senior took that to heart. Before he left on Saturday, he got out the Shop-Vac from the garage and proceeded to clean up the paint chips on the back porch.
With today's warmer weather, the yellow butterflies are back. I hadn't seen them on those cold days we had last week, and when it rained, even the birds outside were hiding somewhere. Now it's like Spring again and the birds are singing and the butterflies are all over the garden.
The roses have been blooming, as well as the azaleas. We have long-stemmed pink roses in the backyard, and the deer come during the night and eat up all the leaves, but never touch the big pink petals of the roses. Odd, that they'd leave the sweetest part of the plant alone...... but who knows, maybe the leaves are tastier than the roses themselves.
Haven't heard the coyotes since two weeks ago, when they were howling so loudly that they sounded as if they were right in our backyard. I don't know if there are baby deer out in the pastures at night, but I'm hoping they're smart enough to stay close to the adult deer, which would give them a little safety from the coyotes. I think it's still hunting season for deer, and every couple of days we can hear gun-shots off in the woods. Seems like it's always 'season' for some poor animal up here.
Handyman Senior and Junior are outside painting. There may be hope for this handyman-duo after all. The other day when my husband told Senior that he wanted the paint chips cleaned up, Senior took that to heart. Before he left on Saturday, he got out the Shop-Vac from the garage and proceeded to clean up the paint chips on the back porch.
With today's warmer weather, the yellow butterflies are back. I hadn't seen them on those cold days we had last week, and when it rained, even the birds outside were hiding somewhere. Now it's like Spring again and the birds are singing and the butterflies are all over the garden.
The roses have been blooming, as well as the azaleas. We have long-stemmed pink roses in the backyard, and the deer come during the night and eat up all the leaves, but never touch the big pink petals of the roses. Odd, that they'd leave the sweetest part of the plant alone...... but who knows, maybe the leaves are tastier than the roses themselves.
Haven't heard the coyotes since two weeks ago, when they were howling so loudly that they sounded as if they were right in our backyard. I don't know if there are baby deer out in the pastures at night, but I'm hoping they're smart enough to stay close to the adult deer, which would give them a little safety from the coyotes. I think it's still hunting season for deer, and every couple of days we can hear gun-shots off in the woods. Seems like it's always 'season' for some poor animal up here.
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