Some fun & Close...

 

I thought I'd have some fun on Sunday with my Lego Castle set.  I wanted to do more than just a few neat shots like the one below.

This is Clarence, he is one of the Castle Guards. 

After this shot, I thought it would be really fun to try a 'stop motion'. I did it the old fashioned way without an app to help. I guess there is an app you can install on your phone to do this and there is also and AI app called NaukNauk which will take a still video of a minifigure and make it into a short animated film.  It is slick as all get out. I feel like it is a cheap cheat, even though I've seen little videos that are pretty fun.

But it isn't true stop motion like I learned as a kid. I learned from the artists at my dad's office as they did animation. It was careful step by step drawing or using a photograph. I learned the old fashioned way.

I enjoyed this so much, it was quite a bit of fun.

In this castle there is a skeleton that has been locked in a cell. Obviously, the guards must have forgotten to feed him!

Looks like he is happy to have escaped!

After the last storm I had to go check for more downed trees. There was one. What a year for falling trees!

I of course had an idea for something fun to shoot while checking.

I used battery powered mini-lights and strung them out on a deer trail then placed my space people in the path and viola!

I didn't even think of a follow up to this shot...but I imagined the minifig in the orange saying to the other astronaut: See! I told you I saw strange lights!

I was just happy to quickly set things up and grab the shot and be on my way back home.

Though I did find these....

They were way passed their prime of course but I think they could have been some sort of Boletes. When they are fresh, they look rather beautiful.

There were more 'False Coral Mushrooms' popping up in one area of the forest that I had to backtrack through as the original ridge trail now has been blocked by fallen trees from the last few storms. No fence damage, but it is a pain to climb through or go around.

My Monday was a success. I called all the places I had to call and did all the boring things I had to do, then took some time to sit on the porch and watch the birds and think about the upcoming heat wave. This part of the summer is not my favorite.

By evening the air was breathless. However, I did still see lightening bugs! They must really love heat and humidity and ... still nights. I think my Grandmother used to describe weather like this as: Close.

Close: a weather condition when the relative humidity and the temperature are both the same. Often with no breeze where the air feels stagnant and heavy making it hard to breathe.

The A/C will get a work out for the next few days. It will be 'close'.

Fogged in again

Dense Fog December 30th.

I don't DO driving in dense fog or freezing fog now that I don't have to punch a time clock. One time I had to drive home from work in dense fog like this. It was over 10 years ago. I rolled down the window on my ancient car and drove at idle speed so I could watch the center line below me.

That was simply the most exhausting drive I'd ever done. I'd gotten off from a midnight shift and once I hit the ridge I couldn't see past my hood. Now I avoid bad weather and I am glad I can.

So instead of complaining about the weather and the fog, I went hiking again and again.

These were short hikes of only about 40 minutes or so to explore the forest floor and look at the mystical ... magical ... fog that everyone dislikes -- especially
when it happens
for days on end!

At about 9 am yesterday, it lightened up when I went to for one of those walks and I thought I'd be able to run some afternoon errands.

It was quite pretty with the freezing fog on the trees.

But by noon we were socked in again with weather alerts about not being able to see past 25 feet or 1/4 of a mile in areas. I figure with my depth perception being nil, it was another good day to stay off the roads.

By this time I was going stir crazy staying home safe and sound. There were quite a few accidents but nothing major.

I texted Olive to see if she wanted to go for a walk on our road out to the blacktop road and back. She jumped at the chance. Everyone in her house is still recovering from after Thanksgiving Colds and croupy coughs and all those fun colds that come from pre-school and daycare.

This way we could get in a visit and walk at the same time in the mild temps and fog and avoid trading germs. [We are extra cautious for hubby.]

Picture below...walking through the 'neighborhood'.

Well here it is. The last day of the 2024 year. 
Rory turned 1 year old on the 27th, we got to do a live time video with her and watch her play thanks to her wonderful parents.
We had only two visits to the ER for hubby and a pretty quiet year.

There are no plans to celebrate New Year's Eve. I did that when I was a youngster, now it is no more than just another day other than changing the calendar and remembering to end the date in 25 now.

From my Lego friends to you...

Happy New Year

Let 'er rip!

Okay not like pant rips or other things like that.

Snow. It went from an Advisory to Winter Storm Warning. Color me happy as a lark.

One. I don't have to drive in it.
Two. I can play in it.
Three. I don't have to plow it. We hired out for that.
Four. The first snow is always pretty.
Five. I like snow. Except when it covers up ice by the mailbox.

Charlie and I had to make a trip up to the mailboxes at noon. We'd had about 5" of snow by then. Our UPS guy and I have an understanding. He always always comes to the house. But I told him not to come down the drive if the weather is bad and to leave the delivery in the big orange tupperware container.

Some meds that hubby gets from the VA have to be signed for and handed to an adult at the residence. Tom called us on his cell phone and I trudged up the drive. I didn't want to delay on the meds and Tom didn't want to risk our long hill. Talk about cooperation from a delivery service! I've know this driver since 2008 when I did Security work way back when.

I got the meds in hand and....Boom- bang- slip- butt smack on the ground!
I forgot about the ice right by the mailbox that never melted off. So I started to get up again and whoooopppsyy! I was snow swimming.

I did not hurt myself but had cold snow go up my coveralls sleeve and on my wrist. Ick. I like snow but not down my cuff!

Too much excitement for me! 

Charlie just stuck his nose under the snow and paid me no mind at all. By the time I got back home, I looked as if I'd been out doing snow angels.

The girls were comfy and out of the wind. They had their snow blankets on and later they took snow baths.

It sure is pretty out, I do love our first real snow.

I hope to get to tromp around in it more on Friday.

Update:

Whoo hoo! The plow guy showed up!

Happy August

 

It has started out very August-y. Hot Hot Hot. But the gnats have started to dissipate here and being out in the flower garden is more comfortable [in the shade]. 

I am bummed. I woke up yesterday morning and listened for our resident wren. She/he always sings and scolds me when I go out with Charlie. In fact several wrens generally serenade the yard each summer morning.

I was left wanting. 

Their voices have disappeared. Left in their place are crickets and an occasional Robin, Wood Thrush, and Woodpecker voice in the predawn. Another voice not heard is the Red Wing Black Bird. The birds are starting to migrate.

Hmmm. Not to be a bummer, but I read somewhere that August is also the month where we lose a significant amount of daylight. 😔 

I still feel like it should be ... more nice summer and not heading towards fall. But that is how nature works, right?

Time waits for no one?

However, August is the time for flower gardens to shine in their glory with annuals!

My Zinnias that were not doing well have finally hit their peak! So color me happy!
They aren't as plentiful or tall as they have been in years past, but I adore being able to cut bouquets of them and add color to my kitchen counter.

This side garden of flowers was all my leftover seeds from last year. I did not expect to have this!

The girls say good morning!

Here is a closer shot of the orange cosmos bunch. They are thick as thieves and I don't think any weeds even grew up in between them. So much for spacing them out a few inches. I just dumped the seeds on the ground and raked it, then stomped them into the dirt. 

I'll be gathering a lot of these seeds again this fall.

This makes me smile even though August races us towards Fall.

Some other stray cosmos got in the mix. My favorite colors of cosmos are the multicolored ones, but the orange ones sure are prolific with their fern like foliage and bright colors.

And then there was a huge surprise. A white Malva aka known as Prairie Mallow came up in the middle of the orange cosmos!

They are related in a way to Hollyhocks, but are more sturdy and readily reseed. I hope to see more of these white beauties next year. I'll have to collect their seeds even though they will do it themselves.

The humming birds are going crazy over the 4 O'clocks in the evening and through the morning. The flowers close up during the day and re-open with a sweet scent all evening.

I have hundreds of these plants on the west side of the house.

Every year now, I collect Nasturtium seeds and replant a few around the porch. Each August I am always surprised as to how they want to spread out and take over everywhere. 

I let them. Here they crowd out the stepping stones to the porch. The violets are volunteers from a hanging planter I had there last year. They actually are doing better as volunteers than they did in a hanging pot.

I'm going to let the plants do what they want and just carefully go around them.

I have one more spot that I planted with Zinnias and Cosmos. It is an area where the old veggie garden used to be. Next year I hope to add another small extension of carefree flowers. 

The morning glories have gone crazy and have covered the wagon wheel. I had to put out a couple of posts to give them more climbing area.

Have a good weekend and stay cool. 

April delivers

 

It didn't look bad when it started on Tuesday morning. But roads immediately got bad and went to much worse as Wednesday went on. The shot below was taken Tuesday afternoon of our road through the woods.

One could still see where the road was. Even with the forest on both sides of the road, the winds were blowing snow through the trees! It was fierce!

This was the view in the afternoon of the 2nd just after my neighbor had gone to pick up her son from school as they closed the schools early.

The snows were wet and heavy.

I walked up the next morning to see what I could see. Olive reported high winds on the ridge and whiteouts.

She was not kidding.

Back home I thought I'd take a peek at the woods across the pasture and...

This is what I saw from the porch. The line on the left is a porch support.

Soon reports of businesses closing on Main Street filtered in. Most of the stores and even the DQ in town closed up. The company that does garbage collection pulled their trucks off the road.

Our township grader got stuck in a drift and had to have other equipment dig it out.

The mules had plenty of hay and warmed water. They hid out in the deep woods for most of the time except when they came up for water.

It wasn't particularly cold, as the snow was very wet and very heavy. I was surprised that the wind could actually blow the snow around. At our municipal airport, they clocked 48 mph winds, so I guess that answered that question.

The worst part of it all was knowing that I had an appointment in town that we surely could not miss. I had called for my plow guy the day before and waited and waited and waited. He didn't come. It was probably a good thing too as the roads were so bad.

I did rearrange the appointment for the next morning and by late afternoon, I texted my plow guy to forget it....and started my own snow removal project.

I decided just to work on the hill part of the driveway and get two lines so that the tires would have a good grip on the gravel while going up the hill. I pushed the snow and yes, it was heavy. By late afternoon though, it was starting to melt.

My neighbor at the top of the driveway walked down and asked if he could help. His wife had let the dogs out and saw me shoveling. 

Justin go out his 4 wheeler and cleared a path up the hill for me. 

In truth? I could probably got out with my Subaru without shoveling. I'm glad I didn't try with hubby in the car though. After all the reports of vehicles in the ditch and even town plows having trouble? Why chance it?

This morning I can get hubby in the car and drive safely to the appointment we thought was written in stone. 

Then last night I got a phone call from our plow guy. Frank was just gushing with apologizes and everything else for not getting out. He didn't make excuses, he just admitted he messed up.

You know what? I can deal with that. He said it slipped his mind because...well, his brain was dealing with other things. He told me if that ever happened again to keep calling his cell over and over and over. He sounded so upset that I ended up telling him it was OK. 

April always seems to deliver some sort of frightful weather. I recall April 20 in 2018 when we had a blizzard. 

So there you go. Hello April, you sure know how to deliver weather!

March leaving like a Lion and Supreme Court...

 

I believe that Mother Nature got a cold and is Grumpy too. She is showing her wrath by tossing rain, snow, sleet, wicked winds, and then more rain and fog our way.

I won't complain too hard though as we need the moisture badly. We will take it in any form she wishes to give us.

The weather causes some issues with our eldest mule Mica's digestive system, she does tend to get a bellyache when the weather temps change rapidly. She hasn't gotten bad but we have to keep an eye on her.

I actually tuned into the Hearing at the Supreme Court yesterday. It was surprisingly understandable as to how certain Justices were asking questions as to the way they were leaning. I don't pretend to know legalize at all. But as a woman who saw Roe V. Wade happen as a Senior in High School and saw Roe V. Wade fall two years ago, I am stunned.

I recall when women were not allowed to have their own bank accounts or allowed to have credit cards.

How far will women's rights fall?

If they rule against mifepristone? I think they should make Viagra illegal. Take away some men's rights to control their bodies and see what happens.

It was an interesting listen. Just. Wow.

Sunrises

When Charlie and I went for a morning walk we got to the top of the driveway and looked over into the corn field and saw these deer. They spotted us [we were actually pretty far away] and in a flash, they were gone into the dark woods.

 I wonder if they could hear Charlie's tags jingling or was it the movement from so far away that they detected?

We walked down the dead end road and across the soy bean field which is beyond where the deer were. 

I do like the predawn hour. It can be so colorful. In order to see the horizon, I have to walk 1/2 mile to the ridgetop and field edges to see the sun come up. The sun appears two hours later in our hollow.

Last year's 
Queen Anne's Lace

We wandered around for a bit while I was looking for anything neat to shoot with the sunrise. There was a lone tree that I always like in my photos for the past few years. It appears that the tree died over summer and was knocked over by a tractor or combine.

I thought it would be cool to see the sun come up through the broken little tree.

We waited for the sun and then headed back home. 

What a beautiful day it turned out to be. I didn't take any more photos all day, I was busy with counselors and social workers along with doing a spring hair chop.

I'm a person who loves to get up early, so sunrise walks are my favorite thing to do when it isn't too terribly cold.

What a difference a year makes and strange weather.
Last year I was waiting to get plowed out from a significant snowfall.

Springing up

I was really quite curious as to how the warmer weather was affecting things in the forest. I took a hike down to the Big Spring in the Valley where I usually can spot the first signs of spring when the Skunk Cabbage emerges.

Years ago, this was an easier hike. But the forest has taken over with briars and weeds. The land has been left 'feral' in the past 15 years. 

Charlie and I found the spring and it took a little bit of looking around but eventually we found Skunk Cabbage plants emerging just and inch or so above the leave debris.

The usual time for Skunk Cabbage to emerge in this

part of the forest is late March to early April.
So this emergence is about 3 weeks

early.

We also found Water Strider running back and forth across the creek. How they walk on the water is amazing!

It is hard to see the Water Strider in this shot, but you can see its shadow quite easily.

In the woods, things are brown and rather dull looking, however this is another time of year that the mosses really do shine. I love seeing them in the early morning or late afternoon sunlight. They are in areas that will be shaded later this year. The mosses will be hidden by the greenery of the briars and trees on this hillside above the Big Spring.

These aren't the 'best' shots of birds, but I did enjoy trying to spot this Junco inside a bush. It was a challenge. Charlie and I had to sit in the hayfield and stay still for a while so the bird would settle down too.

Robins were appearing everywhere and they were able to grab insects and even worms which I found very amazing for this early in March.

The whole reason to go for the hike was to look for Skunk Cabbage and some birds. I didn't do very well on the bird search, but here are some rather odd little birds.

This one was a difficult shot. Not in the way you think though. I put the Lego Bird in a nest that was inside a multiflora rose bush. In the natural world, this is a perfect spot for birds to build nests. No predators or even humans can get at the nest without being stabbed and caught up in all of the thorns!

We discovered more crocus flowers when we got home. So did the baby Lego Birds.

Spring is starting to creep into our area.

I wonder what it will be like? Friday we are supposed to have rain which we need.