February's Foggy Finish

After two lovely spring-like days with temps in the 50's and 60's, a cold front moved in overnight. So it isn't surprising this was all that was visible when an early morning train came through. It was still foggy and cloudy at noon.

While watching the sunset last evening, I caught this skein of geese moving north.

The sun sets while the migration goes on, another sign of spring.

This afternoon, a little closer to home...

...."Come on in, the water's fine!"

I watched as the lead goose literally broke the ice.

And all three swam away.
Farewell, February.

February Book List

A short month with plenty of good reading weather. Eleven books read and one not read.

The Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini is a very interesting read about Ada Lovelace, a mathematician and the first woman to recognize the possibilities of coding and computers (back in the 1830's). The book also examines her relationship with her father, poet Lord Byron.

The Dark Of The Moon by John Sandford is the first book in his Virgil Flowers series. I learned of this series via a blog when it was mentioned as being a favorite author and character and decided to check it out. As you will see from the books I read this month, I agree with that blogger. Sandford writes an interesting crime novel with lots of twists and turns and intuitive detective work.

The Witches' Tree by M. C. Beaton is the latest in her Agatha Raisin series, one I've followed and enjoyed for some time.

Heat Lightning and Rough Country by John Sandford are the next two in his Virgil Flowers series. I think part of the reason I like these books is that they are set in Minnesota - some in areas I am familiar with.

Victoria & Abdul by Shrabani Basu was something of a disappointment. It is the story of Queen Victoria and her Indian Munshi Abdul Karim during the last years of her life. This is one time when I imagine the movie will be better than the book - especially since Dame Judi Dench stars as the aged Queen Victoria.
This is where I will mention that one book I didn't read, a biography of Maggie Smith by Michael Coveney. I adore Dame Maggie and was looking forward to reading about her, but I just couldn't get past the writing.

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley is the ninth Flavia de Luce novel. I hope others are enjoying this series as much as I do as these are books I'm donating to our library. Flavia and her sisters are still mourning the death of their father, so his faithful servant and family friend takes them on a brief summer holiday to help distract them from their grief. Of course Flavia finds a body and helps detect the perpetrator. In doing so, she hits upon a way to save the family estate.

The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott is a lovely, multi-generational story beautifully crafted. McDermott has won many awards and been a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize twice. I'm predicting that she will eventually win one. This is a book to make you think about life, death and circumstances. My favorite quote gleaned was "Love is a tonic, not a cure."

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich was one of my favorite reads this month, even though I dislike dystopian novels. Evolution stops as mysteriously as it began. Society has disintegrated. Pregnant women are being hunted and kept captive so their babies can be evaluted. The book ends with the main character remembering the last time she saw snow (she lives in Minnesota) when she was a child - how beautiful it was and how rare. I see this book as a warning about global warming and genetic modification. It is a scary and depressing read, but Erdrich's writing is so good and profound.

Bad Blood and Shock Wave by John Sandford were the last two books read this month and I've started another one. These books are like literary candy. I will have all of this series read in less than two months. But that is what I do when I find a new author.

One Leaf Left

"One leaf left on a branch
and not a sound of sadness
or despair. One leaf left
on a branch and no unhappiness.
One leaf left all by itself
in the air and it does not speak
of loneliness or death.
One leaf and it spends itself
in swaying mildly in the breeze."
    (David Ignatow)

Comparing Sunsets

Unless clouds prohibit a sunset, I try to see it every day - and take pictures if it is worthy.
Facebook reminds me that last year's February 25 sunset was special....

.....with both sun dogs....

.....and a sun pillar.

This month's sunsets just haven't been as spectacular. Maybe I am rushing the sunset season. When I look back at last March's photos I see a very colorful month. Maybe I just need to wait a few more days. (Having said all this, tonight's sunset will be gorgeous, just you wait and see.) 😜

We are to get into the 50's today and tomorrow. Spring is definitely in the air.

But maybe I'm not the only one pushing the season. These two just flew in and landed on the ice. They took a quick look at the nesting tire and left.
The geese probably know, as do I, that we will still have more cold, snow and ice before spring is really here.
As Wallace Stevens said: "Poor, dear, silly Spring, preparing her annual surprise!"

Weekend Movies X 3

It has been a movie weekend for us - watching some of the many we have recorded during free pass weekends.

Of which, this was the latest. We both liked it and agreed it wasn't quite what we expected. We're always seeing someone who looks familiar, but we just can't place. In this movie it was David Thewlis playing Sir Patrick. Where had we seen him before? Fargo; V. M. Varga.

I read and liked Michael Cunningham's The Hours almost twenty years ago.

So I was pre-disposed to like the movie. I was surprised that Bud liked it almost as much as did I.

Last night we watch The Bourne Legacy, one that has been on our DVR for quite awhile. When the Bourne books first came out, I was a big fan of the character, but after a couple of them I decided they were pretty much the same and quit following.
I can see why the Bourne movies would appeal to young men with all the car and motorcycle chases, guns, etc. This movie was entertaining - just not my favorite genre.

An Early Spring Flower

My daughter's picture of her daffodils blooming in the snow reminded me of one of the earliest flowers to appear before spring is 'official' - the Snowdrop.

The Snowdrop
  (Anna Laetitia Barbauld)

"Already the snowdrop dares appear,
The first pale blossom of th' unripen'd year;
As Flora's breath, by some transforming power,
Had chang'd an icicle into a flower,
Its name and hue the scentless plant retains,
And winter lingers in its icy veins."

It is not surprising that the Snowdrop symbolizes, hope, rebirth, and purity. They are known by a number of different names, such as Fair Maids of February, Dew-drops and Snow Bells.
I have seen these lovely, brave little flowers blooming in the snow, have you?

Entertained By Birds

It was warm enough to rain last night, and cold enough to freeze that rain by morning.

The seed I scattered on the deck yesterday was frozen down this morning. I got a kick out of watching the birds trying to find a morsel they could pick up.

Even getting a bite from the feeder wasn't all that easy.

As for bird watching, my son-in-law, Ken, sent me a link to this one with the note "Here's something to look for." All I can say is WOW! Wouldn't I love to see a yellow cardinal? This one has been showing up in Shelby County Alabama. Jeremy Black is the photographer of this shot. You can read the article here.

I know how thrilled I am to see an Indigo Bunting, a yellow cardinal might do me in.

The cardinal wasn't the only yellow shared by my Oregon family - Kari posted this picture with the caption "Bloom in haste, repent at leisure." Looks like Portland is having weather similar to ours, except my daffies aren't blooming yet.

Warmer weather is in our forecast. Spring. It won't be long now.....

No Más - No More (Snow)

This is what it looked like early this morning. I am glad we didn't have snow like this seven years ago. As I recall, we left here around 5:00 a.m. I had to check in at Iowa Methodist Medical Center downtown location at 7:00 a.m. My shoulder replacement surgery was scheduled for 9:30. Hard to believe it has been seven years already.

All went well, including the physical therapy afterwards. I've never regretted having the surgery. And even though I fretted about it in the days leading up to that Tuesday morning, the day of surgery I was very calm.
I was good about doing my PT exercises at home, but once I was back to "normal", I quit doing them. I couldn't reach quite as high with my left arm, but it was okay. Last December I started working that shoulder again on a regular basis and it has really made a difference.

I heard the cardinals singing in the snow this morning. That's Mama Cardinale at the top left. Do you see Papa on the lower right?

They were waiting for breakfast the same as the little snow birds with them.

I finally went out and swept off an area and filled their pan.

Their patience was rewarded.

To add a little color to this post, this lush bouquet was sent by friends, Gene and Kristina, after my shoulder surgery.

Don't Go Borrowing Trouble

My mother had many old adages, don't go borrowing trouble was one of them. Most of my borrowing trouble is from worrying about something that might happen, but usually doesn't. All that worrying for nothing.

And most of the worrying happens in the middle of the night, when things always look worse than they are. I generally wake up about four hours after I've gone to sleep, but using my A-B-C to X-Y-Z naming of things (flowers, trees, cars, unusual names, etc.), I'm usually able to go back to sleep for another three or four hours.

Sunday night, well, actually, 2:43a.m. Monday morning, nothing would help me go back to sleep - because I had gone borrowing trouble. I got it in my head that we might have had a pipe freeze and break and gallon after gallon of water was being lost under our house. Not that I had any proof of such a calamity.

I recalled hearing about a neighbor to whom my scenario did happen. The owner of our mobile home park demanded that they pay the bill for the excess water loss. There was a huge disagreement and the home owners had their double wide moved out of the park.
So, not only was I worried about getting a plumber and having a pipe replaced, I had myself convinced I would have to pay the landlord a huge amount for water and/or hire a lawyer, and/or sell our home and move. Boy, when I borrow trouble, I borrow trouble!

I knew that if I woke Bud up and talked it over with him, he would reassure me that such a thing wasn't happening and I would feel better. But it wouldn't be fair to disturb his sleep just because I couldn't sleep. I would wait until morning.

I finally gave up on sleep and got up just before 4a.m. When Bud got up, I waited until he at least had a sip or two of coffee before sharing my worries. Just telling him what I was imagining made it better. I even knew I was being ridiculous.

I also knew Bud would offer to go under the house to check and make sure. Which he did. And because I had never even looked at the underpinnings, I wanted to look too. I had to get down on my hands and knees to get a good look.

Which is why my knee hurts more than usual.
I went borrowing trouble.

Ice, Ice, Baby

The iceman cometh, as forecast. The street outside our house this morning.

If school is cancelled due to ice, do the kids still call it a snow day? Many area schools are closed while others are having a two-hour delayed opening.

If the sun was shining, those trees would be brilliant.

Instead, it is another gloomy day. I had to take these photos through the window. I wasn't about to go out on the ice covered deck.

I find it interesting that a year ago today I posted: "Thunder storm and lightning show in February. 56° at 5:00a.m."
And four years ago today: "Hail? Sleet? Thunder snow? All three? Really came down hard and fast. The ground was white in a matter of a few minutes."

What is it about February 20?

Rain Changing Over to Ice

It is a dreary, rainy, foggy day. We are on the line for the rain to change over to freezing rain later. I'm hoping we stay on the rain side of the line. It is a good day for hot tea and reading.

But we did have a brilliant sunset last evening. Here are some of the photos I took.

That bright dot in the middle, lower third is the ball of red barely still showing.

Going....going....

....gone.

The moon several nights ago when it was New.

This was the sunset Friday night. I was reading a dystopian novel where everyone had to ditch their smart phones, computers, etc., in order to remain undetected, and had to go back to rudimentary forms of communication. I thought this looked like smoke signals. I wondered what they were saying and who was trying to communicate with me. 🙂

 Another picture from last week. That snow is all gone, now. The Robins and Cardinals have been singing. One month to 'official' Spring.

Happy Presidents' Day!

A Poem For My Brother On His Birthday

Brother and Sister
  By Lewis Carroll

"SISTER, sister, go to bed!
Go and rest your weary head."
Thus the prudent brother said.

"Do you want a battered hide,
Or scratches to your face applied?"
Thus his sister calm replied.

"Sister, do not raise my wrath.
I'd make you into mutton broth
As easily as kill a moth."

The sister raised her beaming eye
And looked on him indignantly
And sternly answered, "Only try!"

Off to the cook he quickly ran.
"Dear Cook, please lend a frying pan
To me as quickly as you can."

"And wherefore should I lend it you?"
"The reason, Cook, is plain to view.
I wish to make an Irish stew."

"What meat is in that stew to go?"
"My sister'll be the contents!" 
"Oh."
"You'll lend the pan to me, Cook?"
"No!"

Moral: Never stew your sister.

The poem might have applied more to my older brother's plans for me, but it is my baby brother's birthday. He has quite the sense of humor, so I think he'll appreciate these sentiments on his 64th birthday. Perhaps, like me, he has never read this Lewis Carroll poem before. Happy Birthday, Les!

Purging For Lent

I read this online yesterday and thought what a good idea! I've been wanting to, needing to, clean out my closets. (Yes, I have two, but that's because Bud got the big master closet.)

"Forty Days - Forty Items"
"Wednesday is the first day of Lent. I have a challenge for you! Each day of Lent remove one item from your closet that you no longer wear or need and put it in this trash bag. At the end of the forty days donate these items to a place that can share them with someone who can really use them!"

The first two items are in the bag. The bag is hanging on the closet door so I can't *forget* to put something in it each day. I don't think it will be too hard to do this the first twenty days; I'm not so sure about the last twenty. I have things I haven't worn in like, forever, but I saved them from the big purge (nine large garbage bags!) when we moved here (for sentimental reasons).

Don't you agree this is a good idea?

Celebrating Valentine's Day

There wasn't supposed to be any gifting around here, but Hubby Dearest almost always disregards the rule.

Thankfully it is a little box of three of my favorite chocolates. I've already eaten the dark chocolate butter cream. The other two are a coconut cluster and a caramel.

Monday my daughter-in-law, Shalea, and granddaughter, Deise, came to visit and brought me a Valentine wreath. I love the soft pink and the sparkly white ribbons. And, of course, the R.

Valentine pictures of some of the great-grands were shared with us on Facebook.

First this one of Ayden and Greyson. Mom, April, had it captioned, "How I feel about Valentine's Day VS How other people feel about Valentine's Day. It is easy to tell which was which.

Then granddaughter, Katrina, shared this Happy Valentine's Day photo of great-granddaughter Brynley's first Valentine's Day.

Not a Valentine photo of little Maverick, but the most recent I have of him from last week.

What did HD get for Valentine's Day, you ask? For lunch I made him ribeye steak, baked potato, salad and butterscotch pudding.

And Mother Nature has given us a warm, snow melting day - it almost feels like spring.

"All you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." (Charles M. Shultz)

Happy St. Valentine's Day!