April Fool's Day and whatnot.

Oh boy. A great day to vote! 

One thing. I won't vote for a guy who is trying to buy votes and buy and election. Sure, he isn't really running for office, but he sure spent the money. Not only that, he showed up in our state wearing a freakin' cheese hat on stage and acted like an idiot. We don't need billionaires telling us how to vote.

That said, I'm going to move on to other things.

Monday was a day of digging, pulling and doing flower garden work. It is a great way to work out and get out any frustrations. I pulled Vinca Vines to thin them out and dug tons of them out so I can fill in that space with annuals.

Time for something a bit different this year. Different flowers here and there and everywhere. It looks rather barren right now. 

Happy Days! The little crocus flowers actually came up and the Daffodils are starting to poke up in the middle of the yard also, along with a few tulips.

Next to the 'shed' garden, the Virginia Bluebells are emerging from the leaves and debris.

Of course for the latter part of April Fool's day...

we had a snow/sleet/and ice storm. By evening we had a couple of inches of snow on the ground and then the rains and sleet/ice moved in. 

I woke up to no snow, but lots of rain and temperatures moving up.

I also woke up to the news that $$$ from the billionaire didn't sway the voters. He is really disliked for his attitude and lack of empathy.

Charlie and I had to make a visit to the Vet for his Distemper and Rabies shot along with his yearly check up.

With the look on his face you can tell that he is NOT happy to be in the exam room. This is Charlie's pity me look.

His Vet is named Dr. Grimm. She is not grim, she is kind and sweet and tries to make sure her patients get the best care.

Her office was so busy with people and other animals and we had a long wait which everyone apologized for. I didn't mind at all. Waiting for the good doctor was fine with me.

Charlie is feeling the effects of his vaccinations. He always is off for a few days after shots. 

I saw the news regarding the Tariffs and then read about how the incompetent team put tariffs on an island that is inhabited by penguins. Um. Geeze. Really? 

There is more to it, but I'm not an expert. 

Uh oh. Coffee. Bummer, I drink decaf but it looks like it may be a luxury I have to give up along with other things.

I recall my Grandmother making Chicory Coffee years ago. She would make a cup and offer me some when I was at her house. She made Chicory Coffee, she explained during the Depression and WWII when coffee was unavailable or too expensive. Another warm drink she made was Postum. 

Okay. Now I am rambling with nothing important to say....

Enjoy your day.

Our Pack

What -10 F looks like mid morning after the girls have had their breakfast. They take turns taking naps sheltered from the wind and in the full glory of the sun.

Not great shots since I shot them through the doorway...but 15 [her name] is doing the dragon breath thing. Of course the two red headed sisters snooze together. One mule always stands guard and alert while the rest sleep.

They are not cold. They have extremely thick and heavy winter coats which are a total pain starting in March through June with all the shedding they do.  But when one sticks their hands into their fur, they find the skin underneath warm and toasty.

Heated water [pricey, but worth it] lots of hay, and places to get out of the winds are how these girls rock. 

Charlie has taken this weather well also. His out door visits are quick unless we are doing chores, then he is on the hunt for voles or mice. When he needs to warm up, he sits on his rug on the porch in the sun and observes until it is time to go in. If one is curious, he has a thick hound dog/Pekinese coat. It is hard to describe. It is thick and water repellent which I imagine keeps him pretty warm. 

If he wears a coat in any sort of snow over 3 inches, he scoops the snow right through the neck of the coat and ends up filling his jacket with icy snow. 

He does love winter as much as I do. He believes he is a snow plow...

However, with the negative temps, he does spend less time outdoors. Why not? We all do!

I did spend a good part of the morning on the phone yesterday making arrangements for different pieces of business I still need to get done. 

I also began to feel better, I coughed a lot in the morning [masked] but by afternoon I no longer had a cough. I wasn't tired anymore and I was more fidgety than anything else. Fidgety must mean better, right?

As I said I would yesterday, I put seed in the feeder and watched some birds and read some poetry.

Then I got a message through Messenger. "Hey, have you got time to meet me at the Co-op for a cup of coffee or soup tomorrow?"
Indeed I did as I had to go to town on Wednesday to return library books or they'd be overdue. And I had to sign paperwork for my change in Property/Auto/Farm insurance.

I said "How about 10?"

I wore my mask for my errands and into the Co-op. I sat down in the common area and sipped some delicious coffee. In the door came two of the ladies I work out with in our Legends Class. These two gals and I are about the same age and have taken to each other. We don't exactly fit with the younger gym crowd [though we are always welcome], but we have hit on something special in our more Mature Class.

We had coffee and talked about stuff. Not important stuff. Just Stuff Stuff. Grandkids, barns, farms, gardening, food, food I cannot make, our fun at the gym, and ... "let's do this again". The place is convenient for a quick meet up after the gym class and a cup of soup or coffee.

Not to knock the younger gals we workout with, but sometimes they are all about how much they lift, what competition they want to do, what tights to buy, or...what are the coolest shoes.

We Legends are about Stuff. You know. Stuff that is just good to know. Life Stuff. Because dang it, we've been living life a damned long time.

Everyone needs a 'Wolf Pack' [my words]. I think I may have found mine. So this week may have been quite awful in a few ways, but it is working out to be something quite wonderful. 

Sometimes things just happen, don't they?

Still Life Challenges

Photography

I do enjoy Toy Photography as much as Still Life. I don't have to wait for perfect weather or perfect light. With a little effort and fun, one can create any world they wish too.

I took an on line class to learn and force myself to do Still Life years ago. I was pretty sure I'd hate it, but I also thought it would be an interesting way to spend time learning a new skill. 

I found out that I really did enjoy it. The class I took was in 2014.

I should do some more of this. Still Life is beautiful and always open to any interpretation. 

I don't want to be stuck in any one genre of photography.  I will say that I am not comfortable with Portrait Photography though. Weddings and portraits are tough and I am very uncomfortable with that genre. 

I have done portraits but mostly those just of my grand kids and a few other little ones. Kids are naturals and fun to follow around with a camera.

Maybe it is time to refocus during these cold, wet, and nasty days.  I might  put the toys aside for a little bit or just mix things up more.

My regret is that I didn't pick up any flowers at the store yesterday!

But I did have some time to make an effort at something much different anyway:

Glass Heart 
&
Pearls

Glass Heart
Pearls
Old Silk Rose

Below: Old Thank You Card I made when I was making all of my own cards to send out in the mail. Remember sending things in the mail???

Anyway. 

It is a good challenge on a dreary wet and nasty day!

This week's Cliff Notes

Mornings...and whatnot.

We still have frost on some mornings which can produce fog and make things look magical.

Frosted Daffodil

Below is Sven in his hot wire pen next to Little Richard in his pen. 

I had to separate the two the other day as the pony thought it would be fun to chase Sven and bite him on the butt. 

Sven ran like the dickens and jumped through the hot wires to escape. Sven can't stand to be too far from the pony so he just grazed in the open lane until I caught him. 

Sitting on the bucket in the back pasture is calming. I can listen to the birds wake up and watch the day lighten while sipping coffee.

Redwing Black bird singing  his
morning songs.

I've seen Tom Turkeys displaying their feathers and strutting around in the meadow. They are so awkward looking yet so determined!

One morning before it was light, I surprised this group of deer.

Wow, can they ever leap! 

This week has been a whirlwind of activity. I had something going on every single day!

The best part-sss of this week have been that the new young Primary Care doctor for Rich is amazing. She actually listened to him and his concerns. She didn't tell him to 'buck up and get over it' like some other doctor had told him. She asked him if he had a goal for this summer. She asking for a referral for PT with Pulmonary Therapy. He is actually looking forward to going. Best part? She is local and we don't have to travel 2 hours to see her!

His goals are fairly simple. He would like to be able to walk out to the shed and get on his riding mower and mow the yard in bits.

The change in his attitude of seeing a doctor that actually showed empathy and CARING improved his mental well being.

Other great things. 
Great hike with friend Mr. Bill. [more on that later]
Young friend Molly is back in town! I have a mule riding partner again! And Rich has a young gal who visits often to talk horses!

More on Molly from 2019 in Meet Molly.

Happy Mother's Day tomorrow to all moms. The weather looks like it is finally changing so I'll be out and about enjoying it. 

Morning Dew

Decaf and Weather

 

I do love mornings. The view above is looking out the kitchen window at a pretty sunrise.

Mornings are when I get time to myself in the house. 
Since I love coffee in the morning, but coffee doesn't always love me. I switched over to decaf and it made a huge difference. I thought I'd go through caffeine withdrawal and have terrible headaches.

I didn't. But Folgers Decaf is some of the nastiest tasting stuff around. My son's girlfriend works for a coffee company and while talking with him last week I asked if she knew of any kind of decaf coffee that actually tasted good.

This week, I received a package in the mail.

Yum.

This is one of the flavors. Color me tickled to have a smooth and good tasting coffee in the morning. It helps me start the day out with a brighter mood.

Saturday was all about weather. Warming temperatures, ice, sleet, and then rain. As the temperatures warmed up to nearly 50 degrees, the melting snow and warmer air created instant ground fog.

Even though it was raining lightly, I decided to head out the door and explore the intense weather.

I knew that it would be just a short walk through muck, mud, and ice to get to the runoff area just west of our fenceline.

Aurora was absolutely correct in saying, don't follow the trails. Stay off the beaten path.  This deer trail was treacherous. 

The meltwater and ice follow this dip towards the bigger ditch. 

Certain spots have a little drop into a pool and that creates a mini waterfall.

The foam is due to organic matter in the stream like fall's dead leaves. Chunks of ice were slowly spinning around too.

This drops into another lower spot that is wider. I don't know how many years ago this vehicle was dropped in here, but it was probably used at the time to slow down erosion. Of course the water just goes around it.

Just past this car is another one that is nearly submerged in mud.

I kept walking down the hill to follow the water. I got almost to where the creek that flows into our land starts when I heard thunder and decided to hurry back to the house.

Here is a shot from about the same spot in 2018, after a huge rainfall February 21st.

Another storm came in and now the Kickapoo is flooding. I'm all up for going to the creek bottom and exploring today, even if it is dreary looking.

Who knows what I'll discover now that the temperatures have dropped to just below freezing again?

Ever make a Haiku?

Wow, making a Haiku is hard especially when limited in syllables.

Yeah that has the syllables but makes about as perfect sense as most Haikus ever written.

I actually sat down and tried to make one up.

First I tried an automated generator form on the internet and the result said "Not safe content". I'm not sure why words like winter, cold, wind, white, and snow could be construed as adult content so I did this the old fashioned way.

Paper and pencil with coffee and curse words. Basically, I couldn't think of anything clever. I looked up Haikus on winter and nothing fit either. So I was left to create something myself.

Snow Drifts

Now I need to think of one regarding trees. I don't know why I decided to go to the world of poetry and Haikus at 5 in the morning, but I did. 

I guess it is a good brain exercise after the past two days of events.

One more just so I won't bore anyone.

Apple Tree

I'm going to stop here
my brain hurts
and my coffee
is cold

Early Mornings

Friday morning was incredible. Although I wish everyone had planted soybeans instead of corn. Corn gets to be sOOOO tall! And I am SOOOO short! Getting a good shot of the ridge is hard.

This was pre dawn. 

Charlie and I wandered up our gravel road and pretty much did a daydream walk. I dreamt about life, possibilities and ...well, how hot is was and how many skeeters wanted to EAT me even on the road.

I'd lie if I said that Covid B*tch Delta wasn't on my mind and how would IT affect us through this next fall and winter. Last year it was a challenge to be met and to be dealt with. This year, it feels like a real drag. 

Having a spouse that would be negatively affected by any virus or bacteria makes things feel a bit more concerning.

But on to other things. Fog.
It is that time of year.

I missed getting out for the full moon rise but managed to grab a not so interesting shot of it on Saturday night.

I couldn't sleep past 3:30 am, so I got up made some coffee, filled a bottle of water, and headed off into the night by 4:30. 

The drive was super foggy and a few times I stopped for deer in the road. The drive during the day is about 30 minutes. Add night time fog and there is another dimension of s..l..o..w... . But it was actually better to drive that twisted river road on a Sunday morning because there was absolutely no traffic to contend with.

The hike and climb take about 15 minutes in the dark. Slowing down for the deer put me behind schedule and I just about missed the moon setting over the bluff to the west. 

The view from the bluff was amazing. 

Yes, I brought coffee and Rabbit and Bear.

Sometimes you just have to share these magical moments.

Remember Bear

I am always 

Here for you

And then the magic happened all at once.

I made it home before the other half woke up. 

I really cherish those few hours in the morning I have to myself. It seems like it is the only time I get to regroup and face the oncoming challenges of the day.

 

Colorful Nature in March

I generally think of March and November as very dull months. I call them the brown months, months without color and excitement. Dull so darned dull.

Winter brown. This is the neighbor's road up on the ridge surrounded by cropland.

See?

A few weeks ago I was browsing some new books to read. A friend had recommended Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer. So I was just looking through the titles and came upon the moss and lichen books. A comment was made that even in the dead of winter, one can find moss and lichen.

That was a bit of an Ah-Hah! moment. Just as finding fungi are incredibly fun and interesting, I thought Why not Lichen and Moss? Boy was I in for it. Moss is so hard to ID without a microscope. However I am beginning to see the tiny differences in the plants and learn where different mosses do grow, as well as Lichen.

And best of all? I have found color in March!

Sunday morning Charlie and I went to the cropland on the ridge to watch the sun arrive. Bringing along coffee to sip on was a great idea!

The day was supposed to get very windy with wind gusts up to 40 mph. So after morning chores and breakfast, I set out to catch some morning light in the woods below the house.

I couldn't get over the beautiful colors highlighted by the morning sun.

Then there was the pretty blue-green colors of the Lichen I found...

I think I can safely say that I think I recognized a moss called ... Common name: American Tree Moss. Scientific name [generalized]: Climacium americanum.
Of course there are multiple kinds of this moss.

I find it easily this time of year because it is so brilliantly green when everything surrounding it is brown. I found a several patches of it above the spring on a north facing hillside. The morning sun lit up the green like a beacon.

And then I doubt myself of course when I find two similar but different mosses.

It sure looks like I need to really learn quite a bit more. No one said this was going to be easy. But it sure is fun.

For those who like Fungi, I was sent a fascinating video on Fungi by a fungi friend on Flickr --- say that 3 times fast!

Stephen Axford: How fungi changed my life

It is a 30 minute video with time lapse photography and some of Stephen's most incredible photos of fungi all over the tropical world. It was interesting enough that even my husband watched it with me.

Now on to mundane things. Chores and pasture cleaning for today.