Patty Grows

Patty at one month old on 4/17/13.

Patty and Pepper 4/17/13

Look of innocence

Trouble and Patty through the binoculars

Sideways Chickens

Once again it's the onslaught of brutal gray skies, and enough pouring rain to require a rowboat to feed the critters. After yesterday's rain the wind is blowing hard enough I'm thinking it's trying to knock the caboose off its tracks.

I figure it's time for a Florida Flashback. I can look at the photos and instantly find myself walking the two-mile stretch of road. A far cry from sitting here watching the chickens walk sideways.

Tree at the bend in the road

Stop and smell the flowers

On the edge of the orange grove

Lots of sunshine

Clouds and sun

An Ohio sunset

"You Kids...!"

I love Mom. She is so easy to please, and gets excited with the simplest things.  But tell her you've got a secret and she can't hardly stand it. (Personally, I can wait; tell me when you feel like it). So, the other day when I told Mom I had a secret, I was actually telling her for my own enjoyment. It doesn't take much to amuse me either.

The secret I had been holding onto was something recently printed in a book. This something is what Mom had a habit of saying when we were kids. I had the opportunity of submitting Mom's quote a while ago, and it came as a surprise to me when I was informed that it was included in "Mother Knows Better - Sense and Nonsense from American Moms" by Patti Murphy.

Being a young mother Mom had her hands full, and rightfully so. There were five of us kids all born within seven years. We learned to behave, mind our manners and show respect for our elders. However, with five siblings so close in age there were bound to be times when one of us would be pickin' on one of the others, Mom would hear about it, and it was then that Mom would express her now-famous saying.

When I told Mom about the book she had to have it right away. Yesterday she called me to tell me she had received it, and how tickled she was. She informed me that both our names, and her quote are on page 54. Oh, and she plans on carrying the book in her purse. Probably, so she can whip it out and make us kids read it if we get on her nerves again.

"You kids are bound and determined to do everything in your power to irritate me!" - Marilyn O'Dell

I love you, Mom.

5 Things To Do Outside In The Sun*

I know it wasn't anything I said in my last post. Who am I to threaten Mother Nature? I'm just a lowly individual striving to maintain a sense of sanity just slightly above the current water level in my yard.

But I do feel rather empowered today. Could it have anything to do with the massive amounts of sunshine I woke up to at 8am this morning? Well, if so, take that Mother Nature! I will NOT LINGER inside anymore than I have to today, I will FLOURISH in the light reigning on my world and I will RELISH THE SPLENDOR of mud ON MY BOOTS!

There. I feel so much better.

Five things you can do outside in the sun:
1. Go outside
2. Roll around on the ground like there's no tomorrow
3. Pee on what's left of the snow and ice
4. Drape yourself over any inanimate object like a sick, drunken sailor
5. Stand on the highest point on your property with your arms raised high holding a shovel and a rake

* Disclaimer: do not attempt if you are at any acceptable level of sanity. Check with local authorities for any required permits.

Adding Insult to Injury

Alright, I have had about enough! (Gee...that sounded just like my Mom when I was a kid). It's not bad enough that it's been raining the last five days, ol' Mother Nature got bored I guess, and decided to see what else she could dump on us.

I awoke to 2" of teeny, tiny ice pellets on the ground. Not snow. ICE. Not only that, but everything else was covered in a sheet of ice. Good grief! If Mother Nature thinks for one minute I'm going to promise not to go away again in the winter, she's due for a rude awakening. I'll show her! Just give me a sec, I'll think of something...

Broken branches

Maple tree buds weren't even safe

Sunshine State of Mind Two

I'm sitting here looking out my kitchen window at pools of water. Everywhere. Ever since I got home to Michigan from Florida on Sunday it has been raining since Monday, and four days later it doesn't look like there are immediate plans of the rain stopping anytime soon. I require true sunshine, and the gray days just don't cut it.

It's nice to reflect on the photos I took while in Florida. Sunshine is the perfect illuminating source for the vibrant colors found there. And the various animal tracks I shot are more interesting than my muddy boot prints recently.

Turkey tracks

Bug tracks

Leaf tracks

My shoe tracks

iPod tracks

Bass fishing

Thought For Thursday - Aristotle

All friendly feelings toward others

come from the friendly feelings

a person has for himself.

                 - Aristotle

Sunshine State of Mind

I've been away...thought I'd tell you just in case you haven't noticed. It was far away from the dreary skies of Michigan to a land drenched in sunshine. Where the color green lasts all year, and flowers bloom in February. The smell of orange blossoms fill the air, and the sound of bees overpower the ringing in my ears. Where fire ants are considered a minority, and humidity can ruin a million-dollar hair-do. Florida: the hanging-off-part of the United States. What person wouldn't grab at the chance to visit? My Mom for one, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Truthfully, it was nice to experience some decent sunshine; the kind that sinks to my bones and chases the chill away...that is, until I get a hot flash and think for the next three minutes how the Michigan cold has its good points.

Walking made up a good hour or two of my daily routine while in the Sunshine State. And on these many walks I would see tracks from various critters (human and otherwise) that intrigued me. And of the hour or two I spent walking and looking at tracks, I would say, a good hour and fifteen minutes were spent reminding myself to "bring the camera next time". Well, better late than never is what I say; I did remember the camera on the last day of my walks.

I was able to take quite a few photos of some recognizable tracks, but there are others that could have been from tiny green aliens for all I know. I flunked my CSI exam so I can't tell you the makes of the tire tracks either. However, if anyone would like to shed some light on any of the track originators, please comment.

I'm posting only a few photos of my trip to Florida, and a few more later. Who wants to look at a boat-load of photos from someone else's vacation? "Ooooo, look at the pretty bug...."

Much needed sunshine

Racoon tracks?

Hog tracks

Vole tunnels?

Turkey and tire tracks

Little green alien tracks