Max playing in the leaves

And what is it with hanging your head over the edge of the stairs?

Winter may be creeping up...

October was cool and we all thought that winter was getting ready to slam into us. Instead November arrived with weather we expect of September. Glorious weekends full of sun and mid-50 temperatures. However, today we are noticeably colder and wet. Snow is predicted for tomorrow night and Thanksgiving day.

I will be spending 2 weeks of December in NYC. Work beckons. I am doing a project for the New York City Transit, working with a team from TechProse. We are developing a master specification for their capital asset programs. It should be fun. Except being away from home in December.

I am scrambling to get packages wrapped and in the mail. Christmas cards are next on the list, but I have to write the Christmas letter first. I have one sewing project that I am trying to finish so it can also go in the mail.

The positive aspect of a trip to NYC is that I am getting to meet up with my friend, Sally, who lives across the river in New Jersey. She and I are meeting to go to a concert and dinner.

T'is the season for peonies and iris

Here are some photos of the peonies and a yellow iris in my garden.

Report on Max sent to GRRoW

GRRow is Goldren Retriever Rescue of Wisconsin. They'd asked for an update and this is what Max had to say:

Hi –

My name is Max and I told my mom to let you know that I am doing just fine at my new forever home. I have been in my new home for almost three weeks and things are going pretty good. I have some new lessons to learn, but I am catching on.

I share my new house with three cats. The old man is about 15 years old and he told me in no uncertain terms that I was not to nose him. I forgot a couple of time and he slapped me across the nose, but it didn’t hurt because he didn’t put his claws out. He comes and sits in my mom’s lap and I can put my head next to him and we both can get pets. He told me that he lived with other Goldens before and knows that they are OK—for dogs. The other two are young like me. They run and are so fun to chase. But they are getting curious and I am sure we will all have great fun in a month are so.

My mom has a bunch of child gates that she uses to block me out of certain areas, like the room that has the cat litter boxes. They smell so good, but she won’t let me in there. I tried a couple of time and she shook her finger at me. I felt bad, so I try to pretend that door doesn’t exist. I walk right by and don’t even look.

Last night was a little scary. We had thunder and lightning and it made me shake. But my daddy got up and sat with me until the worst part was over. But this morning was great. After I ate my breakfast, we went for a walk. All the ditches had water in them and some of the culverts had little furry animals living in them. It was great fun to splash through all the water and to sniff all the little animals. When we got home, Mom spread a bunch of towels all over the floor and I got to roll around in them. Towels are great to throw in the air.

Mom says I have to go to Obedience Class. She keeps telling me that the class is more for her than for me. I don’t know about it. It sounds like work to me. I’d rather go to the dog park. She takes me to the fenced dog park in Grafton. Boy, is that great! She doesn’t let me stay as long as I would like. She says I have to build up my stamina (whatever that is).

Yesterday there were three other Goldens at the park. We had a great time playing. Other dogs tried to join in, but they just don’t understand how Golden play works. It is just too hard to explain to them.

Mom took a couple of pictures of me last night and I told her to share them with you. As the summer goes along, I will get Mom to send more stuff.

Introducing Max, our new Golden Retriever

Gary and I adopted our 4th Golden Retriever on Sunday.

He is a year old and is a special needs dog. He was turned over to Golden Retriever Rescue of Wisconsin in January with elbow dysplacia (hereditary). He has had his orthoscopic surgery and is now as fit as he will ever be. He takes an anti-inflammatory when he is sore, but otherwise is health.

The big recommendation is to make sure that he get a good walk each day. And that certainly doesn't hurt me either.

Day 1:
1. He successfully emptied the toy box (toys inherited from Ginger) and now has toys scattered on all three flours of the house.
2. He only asked to go out once during the night.
3. The old cat, Percy, gave him two firm swats on the nose for being all too familiar. (The other two haven't ventured out yet. But it is early days.)
4. He suffered a little separation anxiety. He is OK if he can see Gary or me. He fusses if he thinks he is shut up and can't see us.
5. He is eating well and is really bounding around.

Day 2:
1. I got his city license.
2. Max visited the vet for his initial check-up. I got his annual supply of heartworm meds and flea stuff.
3. He loves riding in the car.
4. He found my emery board and made mince meat of it.

Day 3 (today):
1. I have a splitting headache for most of the day, so Gary has had to "baby-sit."
2. He likes popcorn.
3. He doesn't like getting his ears cleaned.

More as we progress.

Spring is really here!

I can safely say that Spring is here. The Baltimore Orioles are back! And the ruby-throated hummingbirds are back. We just saw both at the feeders.

The Red Breasted Grossbeaks are here as well.

Lots of competition at the bird feeds! Fun to watch.

For Earth Day

Earth-Song

Mine and yours;
Mine, not yours,
Earth endures;
Stars abide—
Shine down in the old sea.

–Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82)

21 April -- It is snowing.

Our first daffodil

New Compost Bin

I know. I must be really off my rocker to get excited about a new compost bin. But, guys, this one is large enough to contain tons of leaves. And that is important where we are. Last year I raked and put most of the leaves under the big area on the north side that is basically forest land. Others I spread over the garden and covered with a black tarp in the hopes that black would create heat and accelerate decomposition.

This weekend was sunny, but cool. I got about 2 hours done in the yard and I have a huge pile of dead leaves and plant remnants to put in the new compost bin. I was going to set it up yesterday or today and now we have rain, sleet, and snow. Fortunately, it is warm (33) enough so nothing sticks, but cool and nasty enough to discourage me from working outside.

Last night I had an appointment with a young man who hopefully will till my garden and lay the concrete tiles back as a nice walkway down to the lower patio. (When we had the sunroom added, I pulled up all the concrete tiles and stacked them with the intention of reusing them. He was open to doing the work and will get back to me with a price. I hope that it is affordable.

We do have the beginnings of daffodils. No flowers, just green leaves. The only green in the yard.

Missed the snow bullet

(Sigh of relief) The storm and snow stayed south of us. We got some light rain, but nothing more.

Sunshine has returned!

One day of spring, one + days of winter....

I am sorry to be so mono-focused. But I am getting tired of snow and the prediction of snow.

Yesterday was an early spring day. The sun shone. Temps in the 40s. Gary helped me move the wonderful benches that Chris made me at Christmas moved down to the lower patio. I started the massive chore of cleaning up the yard. Only got a small portion completed. But it did feel good getting a good dose of Vitamin D. (Did you know that Vitamin D is misnamed? It really is a hormone.)

Shuffling leaves, I found two little crocus popping up their little yellow heads. It warmed my soul. I then walked into the house and heard the weather report. 7 to 8 inches of snow on Sunday. What a downer!

Today is gray. It has not started snowing, but it is the right temperature. Gary brought in wood for the fire place. I am going to settle in with a book and a martini in front of a fire.

It's Winter with a Touch of Spring...

Now doesn't that headline sound like some marketing garble. Well, it's true. Winter forced his way back on to my life by dumping 3 inches of snow on my front lawn on Saturday night. Never mind that it is mostly melted. And the weather report says we are to get more on Wednesday. I think the Wednesday stuff must be part of the blizzard happening in North Dakota.

The good thing is that the air feels warm. I know that that sounds weird. It is 34 degrees. But it feels and smells warmer than February did.

I tried to get into the sewing room this weekend, but gave up. I shampooed the carpets in my bedroom and the hall instead. I know that isn't a creative thing to do, but it is something that needed to be done. I did shampoo about 2 foot into the sewing room. Does that count?

My goal for the month of April to clean up the sewing room. It has become a dumping ground. I would like to get in there and do some sewing. I have a very neat jacket pattern that will be perfect for when the weather is warmer. I also have the parson stool to finish reupholstering, a quilt that needs me to order the stitching pattern for the borders, and a pile of mending.

I think I need to establish the 15 minute rule again. You spend 15 minutes a night working at the project. You'd be surprised how much you get done.

Spring by any other name...

In most parts of the country, today would be a winter's day. It is 40 degrees with a 15 mile-an-hour wind coming off Lake Michigan. It's that damp cold that goes to the bones. Rain is marching in. I got an email from one of my local gardener friends reminding me that this time last year we were shoveling more than 12 inches of snow.

But it is Spring. Some iris rhizomes that I had dumped in the wine barrel next to garage last autumn have little green things poking out. The lawn has this hint of green under the brown. The first of the migrating birds are stuffing themselves at my bird feeders.

But how I really know it is spring--the days are longer than 12 hours of daylight. This morning's sunrise over the lake started at 6:50 (I see that from my kitchen window -- the sunrise, not the lake) and sunset (we won't see it today because of clouds) will be at 7:09.

Light really does say that winter is receding.

Spring is coming!!

Red-breasted robin
First to dance in my dead grass.
Today is bursting spring

I saw my first robin yesterday. Certainly a harbinger of spring if there ever was one. I also saw an osprey. At this time of year, ospreys are making their way up to Lake Superior.

Yesterday was glorious. I had to be inside all day, but it was still nice to know that it was in the low 70's and sunny. Gary had the house open to the fresh air and the cats were running from window to window to catch the different smells.

Today is cooler, but Mother Nature let us know yesterday that Ole Man Winter is on his way out.

Ten "T"s -- Assignment from Linda O

I asked and she parsed. I got a "T". You are to think of ten things that begin with your letter and say what they mean to you. I did not accept the obvious and did not put "ten" on my list.

Tea—a drink, a special time of day to relax, a ritual. When I work at home, Gary and I stop for tea at 4 pm.

Tulips — a much needed harbinger of spring. Here in Wisconsin we are hungry for Spring. There was snow again last night.

Taxes—done for this year. I’m getting money back, but it is already spent. At least it is income instead of outgo!

Thursday—one of my favorite days. I’m not sure why, but I like the name.

Thunder— rain storms, lightning and thunder. I love thunder and lightning. I especially enjoy the duo in the middle of the night. I lie snug in my bed and watch the light show on my walls. And then count…one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi…one second for each mile from where the lightning struck, and then boom!

Talisker—single Malt smooth, complex, smokey. Created on the Isle of Skye (the only distillery on the island). A favorite of that famous Scot, Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote "The king o'drinks as I conceive it, Talisker, Isla or Glenlivet" (The Scotsman's Return from Abroad, 1880).

Trane—as in Blue Trane by John Coltrane. Nothing more needs to be said, just as this music needs nothing more. Complete as it is.

Trek—as in Star Trek. Yep, I’m one of those.

Technical Writing—my chosen profession. A set of skills and experiences that defines my professional life.

Two—for Gary and me. We make a good two.

Frozen, literally, maybe mesmerized is a better word

For the last month, I have been frozen in my tracts. The weather, of course, has not encouraged the flow of anything. We had one week where the high temperatures were in the low single digits. And the political events have enthralled me. I just wanted to sit, skim all the political blogs, and listen to the pundits spew.

I've begun the thaw. Outside temps are rising. Ok, ok, most of you will say rising where? The highs are now at least in the double digits. I celebrated over the weekend with a high of 24. It actually felt balmy.

The mesmerizing world of Obama is moving. I can let go of some of the commentary and start focusing on the things in my life that need attention.

FIRST Robotics has fired up. I am late in joining the fray. Kick off was January 3. My team, Bay View High School, has got a very good design and is making progress on programming the new controller. The game is a good one this year. If you are interested in see an animation of the game, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnGfbGzEFrM

The FIRST Wisconsin Regional Competition is mid-March. With Bryan's help, I created a ticket that can be used by the Planning Committee for handouts and advertisement. My next task for them is get the invitations for the VIPs designed and printed and in the mail. Isn't that what the weekend is for?

I am reading David Weber's Honor Harrington series. This sci-fi series reminds me of Forester's Horatio Hornblower. You get all the military strategy and the excellent development of characters. I am into book nine -- with six more in print and a new one out in March.

With a bright, sun-filled day, my blood is slowly beginning to move again.