Monday, January 10, 2011
Snow day 2011
The ever-popular photo of the piled-up snow on my bird feeder
Looks like roughly five inches!
Weighed down branches at the START of the storm, before the ice, is not a good thing
Looking south toward Comer from my front yard
Looking north at neighbor's house
Snow-berries!
The middle of the yard, almost 6 inches
Hunkered down squirrel probably wondering "what is going on???"
Looking north toward Danielsville from my front yard. The red neon sign is the school's. Needless to say, no school today!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Happy New Year
Boy this year flew by, and now I have to learn to write another date on my check. I wonder how many mistakes I'll make writing '2011' until it flows easily from my pen.
Lately I have learned the culinary joys of ketchup on my home fries. I am a late bloomer, I know.
I learned that my house will never be as clean as a southern lady's, but that's OK.
We collide around in our own little worlds, but we truly have a bigger impact on people around us than we think, and people have a bigger impact on us than we imagine. Be kind, it makes a difference. A small moment of kindness goes a long way, and a smile goes even further.
I hope your 2011 is filled with peace and prosperity, that your needs will be met and that you spend each day in pursuit of good.
Lately I have learned the culinary joys of ketchup on my home fries. I am a late bloomer, I know.
I learned that my house will never be as clean as a southern lady's, but that's OK.
We collide around in our own little worlds, but we truly have a bigger impact on people around us than we think, and people have a bigger impact on us than we imagine. Be kind, it makes a difference. A small moment of kindness goes a long way, and a smile goes even further.
I hope your 2011 is filled with peace and prosperity, that your needs will be met and that you spend each day in pursuit of good.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Cold outside, it's a two kitten night
The title is a riff on the well-known 'three dog night'. The legend goes, shepherds would sleep outside and curl up next to a dog if it was cold. Two dogs if it was really cold and three dogs if it was freezing.
I've been on vacation this week and in the evenings I spend some time on the couch, something I don't do during the work-week. Then, I usually just read and study at the kitchen table and if I was not too tired, I'd head to the couch at around 9 pm for a half hour or hour before bed. On vacation, I settle over there after supper, around 7. I bring the computer with me and continue to browse, but also watch some tv. My cats love this. They hear the creak of the couch frame and zoom over from wherever they were within a heartbeat. Nosing under the lap blanket, they curl up, veritably pinning me to the spot. With laptop on my lap, a kitten next to me and one on my legs, I am stuck! But happily so. I'm thrilled that they get along with each other, and with me, so well.
It has been cold though. The temps lately have been 5 to 15 degrees below normal. Highs of thirty degrees are supposed to be overnight lows. Nights have been in the teens. Oh, well, we have only warmth in store as the sun climbs ever higher after the solstice.
The Christmas day snow we received here is just about all gone. On the way home yesterday I passed a sweet looking snowman. In the high sun he looked intoxicated in the extreme. Lopped way over, like he was doing aerobics at the waist, he was definitely doomed. I thought about taking a photo but I left the melting guy in peace, his sloshy dignity intact. I suppose by today he was all gone, his all too brief foray in the world of humans but a melted memory. I'm so happy that snow here lasts only a day or two.
I bought a ginormous bag of turnip greens on sale for 99 cents. It is a good deal. I hope I like turnip greens.
I've been on vacation this week and in the evenings I spend some time on the couch, something I don't do during the work-week. Then, I usually just read and study at the kitchen table and if I was not too tired, I'd head to the couch at around 9 pm for a half hour or hour before bed. On vacation, I settle over there after supper, around 7. I bring the computer with me and continue to browse, but also watch some tv. My cats love this. They hear the creak of the couch frame and zoom over from wherever they were within a heartbeat. Nosing under the lap blanket, they curl up, veritably pinning me to the spot. With laptop on my lap, a kitten next to me and one on my legs, I am stuck! But happily so. I'm thrilled that they get along with each other, and with me, so well.
It has been cold though. The temps lately have been 5 to 15 degrees below normal. Highs of thirty degrees are supposed to be overnight lows. Nights have been in the teens. Oh, well, we have only warmth in store as the sun climbs ever higher after the solstice.
The Christmas day snow we received here is just about all gone. On the way home yesterday I passed a sweet looking snowman. In the high sun he looked intoxicated in the extreme. Lopped way over, like he was doing aerobics at the waist, he was definitely doomed. I thought about taking a photo but I left the melting guy in peace, his sloshy dignity intact. I suppose by today he was all gone, his all too brief foray in the world of humans but a melted memory. I'm so happy that snow here lasts only a day or two.
I bought a ginormous bag of turnip greens on sale for 99 cents. It is a good deal. I hope I like turnip greens.
Monday, December 27, 2010
I'm in a new demographic, now!
So the new year is coming and I take stock of the last year. It goes by soooo fast. Faster and faster as you age. There is a mathematical reason for this but I forget its complexities so I'll just say that "time goes fast." Not an original thought, I know. It's even in the bible, with James saying, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." (James 4:14)I noticed something this week. The television shows I prefer to watch all seem to target a demographic that needs corn remover pads, walk in showers, and nursing home insurance. Where did the Mountain Dew athletes go? Where did the busy mom needs Tide laundry ads go? I get the Clapper and Medicare.
Actually, I noticed something else. I have developed a corn. I had to look up what it was on my toe, but sure enough, it's a corn. So the next time the corn removal pad commercial came on, I listened. I don't need to buy a new tennis racket, I don't need an iPhone with killer apps, I now need Dr. Scholl's medicated pads for actual corns on my feet.
Oh, incidentally, I turned 50 this month. LOL!
I snapped some photos of the snow and icicles on this bright, bright sunny day:
What a great, great photo!
Tells the story, doesnt it! From Portland Press Herald today, credit and link at bottom.
Portlander Chester Bishop smiles as he snowblows a fire hydrant in front of his Pitt St. home as he and all Mainers start to dig out from the largest snowstorm of this season so far. Portland area is expecting 12 to 18 inches. Credit John Patriquin/Portland Pres Herald Staff Photographer
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Christmas Day snowstorm 2010
Atlanta Georgia and environs received measurable snow for the first time in 128 years. Our area, 90 miles NE from Atlanta, received several inches as well. It began on Christmas afternoon and continued overnight to noon today. It is still going a good bit even now at noon on the 26th. Here are some photos from my yard:
Christmas night snow
Hay! What's going on?
Where's Waldo?
This snow is for the birds!
Cold feet
This in Georgia...reminds me of...
THIS!!!!!!!! North Yarmouth Maine
Friday, December 24, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Turquoise moons and tasty pizza
Last night I got all excited taking practice shots of the moon in preparation for the big lunar moment when it'd go into an eclipse at 3am. I practiced and practiced and practiced. I finally got one I liked and then called it a night. I set my alarm for 3:15 and laid down to sweet sleep. At 2:30 I awoke of my own volition and debated with myself. Will I get up or won't I get up? Do I want to throw off three blankets and two cats and walk into the freezing night? On the other hand, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I can get some really good shots, as well as enjoy the celestial spectacle with minimum effort and perfect weather conditions.
Nah. I turned off the alarm and went back to sleep. Lazy bones!
In my resulting lunar eclipse research, conducted while fully dressed and in daylight comfort, I learned that the turquoise tinge on the moon is the presence of water particles in the air as a fine mist can also cause the moon to appear blue. The light mist above a body of water can have this property. The rising full moon, observed from a point where the moonlight passes through the mist, can cause the moon to appear a light blue color. As the moon continues to rise the color will change to a light green then to the more familiar yellowish hue. The blue color will be observable for less than a minute before it changes. (Wikipedia)
When I arose this morning I sort of regretted not getting up to see it, but oh well, I love my bed time.
It's a cold and drizzly, damp to the bones kind of winter day here in NE Georgia. I was quietly ensconced in my tiny apartment having a nice time with my computer internet surfing when I realized that horror of horrors, I was out of Green Tea! One comforting thing about heading to the great outdoors is that it is large pizza one topping for $5 day at Jessi's Deli in Danielsville. But to get the tea and the prize of cheap but tasty pizza, I have to dress (ugh) drive in my clattertrap cold car (ugh ugh) and see PEOPLE (triple ugh). Oh well, no worries, I headed out and to my surprise, there was hardly any traffic, no one else was out (I bet they're all in Athens, Christmas shopping) and I got my stuff done and was home in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
Well It's almost time for Judge Judy. Doesn't my staycation sound sophisticated and enviable? Cheap pizza and an irascible old judge television show. Woot! I know how to party!
Nah. I turned off the alarm and went back to sleep. Lazy bones!
In my resulting lunar eclipse research, conducted while fully dressed and in daylight comfort, I learned that the turquoise tinge on the moon is the presence of water particles in the air as a fine mist can also cause the moon to appear blue. The light mist above a body of water can have this property. The rising full moon, observed from a point where the moonlight passes through the mist, can cause the moon to appear a light blue color. As the moon continues to rise the color will change to a light green then to the more familiar yellowish hue. The blue color will be observable for less than a minute before it changes. (Wikipedia)
It's a cold and drizzly, damp to the bones kind of winter day here in NE Georgia. I was quietly ensconced in my tiny apartment having a nice time with my computer internet surfing when I realized that horror of horrors, I was out of Green Tea! One comforting thing about heading to the great outdoors is that it is large pizza one topping for $5 day at Jessi's Deli in Danielsville. But to get the tea and the prize of cheap but tasty pizza, I have to dress (ugh) drive in my clattertrap cold car (ugh ugh) and see PEOPLE (triple ugh). Oh well, no worries, I headed out and to my surprise, there was hardly any traffic, no one else was out (I bet they're all in Athens, Christmas shopping) and I got my stuff done and was home in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
Well It's almost time for Judge Judy. Doesn't my staycation sound sophisticated and enviable? Cheap pizza and an irascible old judge television show. Woot! I know how to party!
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