How much longer, mama

Nebo wants to know how much longer that white stuff is gonna be on her deck. She likes to go outside, to lay in the sunshine, or to just wander around. But she doesn't like the cold snow between her toes, so she becomes an inside cat most of the winter. Andy swept the snow off the deck one day this week so she did get to go out in the sun. It was very cold though, about 15°, so even the sunshine was not too warm. She did enjoy it for a little while. Then the next day she went over to the door, looked out, then looked back as if to say "where did that white stuff come from". Maybe late March it will start to melt, Nebo.

This is cold

They think they are cold in Texas, & this morning they were only a few degrees higher than here. But it got warmer there. This is what it looked like when I got up, & it continued to snow all day. And it will snow all night & all day tomorrow. We have gotten over 90 inches of snow for the season, which started the Friday before Thanksgiving. It felt colder all day today with no sunshine. BUT it is supposed to get up to 30 something Sunday, so I may get a snow creation then. That would be nice.

BAD CAT

Oliver, who should be grateful we let him in to have a warm place to live now, was very BAD just now. Andy went running out on the deck, birds were flying everywhere, because Oliver had grabbed a dove. Andy got it out of the snow & it flew off - ok so far. Oliver hid under the deck. He won't come in now - knows he is in trouble. And I can't even threaten to leave him out now, because then he would have to eat the birds to have food. We have a feeder out there to feed birds, so they are out there for me to watch. I don't need him out there hurting my birds. Harmony had to go live someplace else long ago because he was bringing birds in the house, & sometimes killing them in there. Oliver, please don't hurt my birds.

Let it Snow

They think they are cold in Texas - it is freezing down there today - maybe they would like to come visit me & find out what "cold" is. We got up to 20° today. It was 3° when I went to bed last night ( or this morning - it was about 2 a.m.). I used to hear the word powder used in reference to snow - now I know what it is. We can't build a snowman or have snow ball fights - you try to make a ball with a handful of snow & it falls apart. We thought it was gonna get warm enough last Friday to make it packable - & the kids were out of school & could have watched Andy make a cat creature - but it got to 30° then started getting colder. Maybe next week it will be warmer - a couple days are forecast, but that can change. My first winter here he made me a snow swan. The next winter I got a huge dragon. I'll post photos of them another post. Andy can't do anything easy though - anyone can make a snowman - he makes creations. Hopefully I will get one of them soon. We have had 88.9 inches of snow for the season already - we got the first snow on the Friday before Thanksgiving. We have gotten 24.6 inches in Jan. - so most of it so far has been in Dec. - they had a 20 in. blizzard a few days after I went to Texas. At night, before I go to bed I stand at the door - with the porch light on out on the deck, the wood & the grill sparkle like they are covered in glitter. It is cold, but it is so pretty too.

Facebook Profile Photos

I was tired of looking at the facebook "kewpie doll" faces in place of photos for granny & Ouida. I posted a photo & a message on their walls. Then I had to call & walk them thru the process, but it finally worked & both of them have real faces now. I am pleased with our efforts & I think they are too. I hope I can keep her interested in reading the messages, & posting on the walls too, to me & the others. I think it will be good for her, to bring a little lightness & cheer to her day. I will probably have to encourage granny too, but I like the interaction myself, especially since I am so far away from everyone. And leaving messages is so easy, & enables the others to interact when they have time. Andy is always trying to get me to CALL people, but I don't want to bother them if they just got home, or need to cook, or they are watching their favorite TV show, or they are napping cause they are tired, etc. So this works for me. And I like the blog too - I have so many things going on in my head, so it is nice to get some of these stories out.

Another Vacation

Well, we have another trip to plan for the end of March & the first of April. We will be in Oregon first, then Idaho. I met Andy in October, 2005. Since then, we have traveled to all but 5 of the continental states together. We will get them on this trip. We need Utah, Nevada, California, & Oregon, which is good - because we get into all these states just getting out there. The only other state is Kansas, which is a little out of the way - will have to detour on the way to or from to get there. Now, I have to looking at maps, to see if there are things to see on the way, so I will know how soon we need to leave to get there. It is a 3 day trip already. And I don't like to drive in the dark, because I can't see anything then. So we only do that like on the way home, where we have seen the last few hours so many times. I won't mind the cold out there, but I hope the weather is good enough foe driving - hope the big snows are already gone. I know there will plenty of nature sights to see - mountains, streams, waterfalls, deer, birds, etc. - & that makes it a good trip. And maybe good food helps - lots of new places to try. So, gotta get the atlas out & start my homework.

Swanee

This is Swanee. I moved to Michigan in May 2006. Swanee lived on the lake & ate often near our dock. For lack of creativity at the time, I called the swan Swanee & made little clicking sounds each time I went down to the beach. Gradually, I won her over & she didn't swim away when I got down there. I really enjoyed having "my own swan". They are totally independent - you cannot feed them, but she would come when I called her. Her parents lived at the other end of the lake, & they came during the winter to start practicing flying so they could leave before the lake froze. It was a sad day in January when I saw them leave. But it was a happy day the end of March when they returned. Needless to say, it was an even happier day when JoJo mated with her. 30 days later, they swam out of the reed bed & brought 4 little swans to meet me - JoJo even got out of the water to introduce them to me. I will share that photo later. Swanee made life on the lake even better than it was.

Here is an example of mercy, too - me, the Texan, who had NEVER walked out on a frozen lake, but I did it to save this swan. He was one of the migrating swans in Jan. 2007, but when the others flew away, he landed & walked back to the water. He did this several times, then the lake froze over. I told Andy I could not sit in here all winter seeing that white lump out there knowing the swan froze to death. He made a few phone calls & found a place that would take him if we could bring him to them. So, we got a blanket, went down the hill, & I finally caught him when he got trapped in the sapplings on the island. We wrapped him like a papoose, Andy carried him up the hill - he cried his little heart out & kept looking back to me - they are called mute swans - they make sounds, but they are very quiet. Andy put him in the car, & I got in with him. I looked at him & realized he could peck my eyes out - I didn't have my glasses on with the earmuffs - so I reached up & petted him. He liked it. The first song that came on the radio was Alright now now, baby it's alright now - I sang it to him. I thought, how appropriate to let him know it's gonna be alright now. The next song made it even better - an old Beatles song - Get back, get back, get back to where you once belonged - I figured if I got him back to the lake after the winter, he would know his way to get back home. The song is also about JoJo & Loretta - since I didn't know if he was male or female then, he had to be JoJo. I cried after we left him there - they are a rescue home for sick or injured birds; they had 8 swans already, & geese & turkeys & pheasants; they have a vet who visits them. JoJo had an intestinal infection & recovered. I got to visit him for Valentine's Day - he was still in quarantine. Then at the end of March, when the lake defrosted, we went to get him. I found him, out of 16 that she had - he heard me talk & waddled away, just like on the lake. We took him back & he stayed - he probably thought he was mine since I saved his life - so he paid me back by mating with Swanee, the swan I had on the lake already. We got 4 babies the first year, & 7 the second year. There will lots more stories & photos of them as we go thru time.

I want to write again already to see if I can add a photo. This is Kwan Yin - the goddess of Mercy. I had one of these years ago, & it lost a hand & the head had to be glued back on. Bonnie liked her & wanted one too, so when I saw these in an antique store in Pennslvania in Nov. 2007, I got them. There was a pair - so I have one & Bonnie has this one. Mercy is the "gift" that I scored highest in at church a few years back, when they tested us. So she is the perfect figurine for me. I am trying to show mercy when I do things for these girls in the neighborhood. I showed mercy in my work at the hospital. I hope I will alwats be a merciful person. "Mercy" is a word I use often - the little girls make fun of me for it. Kenzie says - "mercy, ya'll " - to make fun of the Texan in me. That will never change - you can take a Texan out of the state - but you can't take the Texan out of a person.

Here we go........blog away

This will be the first of many posts. I will write whatever I feel like putting on here, whenever I feel like writing it, & often add photos to help tell the stories as I go. It can document my daily life, my travels, my remembrances, my dreams. The sky is the limit. Bonnie told me at Christmas "Don't ever quit learning". So, the mama listens to the child - I am learning now. There is still a world out there to explore & learn from. Ready, set, go..............