Snow Shots

The bird feeders are buried so I put out this old TV tray and a old cookie sheet. Works great and you can see the trail from the woods the deer have make plowing through to them.




It's only -1 today so I decided to brave the outdoors and get some shots.


Rick is standing in front of our Iowa mountains. Skiing anyone?

We had this lovely ice in the air which created this pretty ice dog. You can see the flakes of ice glittering. Click on the photos to see them larger. All the trees are frosted.



Its hard to see the the bush is full of Junco's. For some reason that is the bush they hang out in when they aren't at the feeders. Seems like there would be a warmer place to winter.


Below is a shot down our street. You can see how high the grader blocks our drive but Rick has it all cleaned out again.


The ice dam is still there. everyone is buying the ice puckies so we are going to just get water softener ice and toss it up there. I want to make sure the salt won't damage our new roof though.


See what happens when I don't cut my flowers back. What a mess. We don't use the front porch so it is pretty full. I think the Santa is there to stay unless we get a melt.



My car is under there somewhere.


And the work van is under that pile.


Thanks to the snow blower we have our driveway all cleared and the nice thing about a huge yard is lots of place to put the snow.


We are using our old van. I would buy another in a heart beat they do so good in this snow.


The icicles look dangerous. Another good reason not to use the porch.

The back of the house has been really hit hard due to the blowing snow. we are taking the snowblower to that next. Definately going to have some flooding this spring. One back is higher then my picture window. It is bad Rick and I are so messed up this year because if you don't tackle it right away it packs down solid. Our son's are going to help us clear this mess.



I have a ditch in front of my house but if you didn't know it you sure can't see it. It would be bad to drive off the road into it as it is probably about 6 feet deep.

Hello

Another freezing day. - 27 tonight. So stuck in doors what to do? Why make cookies of course. And bread. Check outside often to make sure Rick hasn't had a heart attack while shoveling out the driveway. He clears the snow, turns his back and the road grater blocks us in again. He does the hopping mad dance, kicking at the blocks of snow and faint naughty words drift into the house, muffled by his cold weather gear, but heating the air around him like an oven. I can see ice cycles hanging off his mustache.

Yesterday they started him on a new blood pressure med. Sure hope it helps, LOL.

I see Obama is giving the same ole same ole speech. It's all Bush's fault we are getting attacked again. You know what, give it up already. Who is the one who couldn't be bothered to interrupt his vacation to look into our newest attack. Who is the one trying them in our courts instead of a military court? Letting them protest against us? Who is more interested in adding to the democrats slush fund then protecting the country? This is his watch, his problem. Deal with it. You said you could do the job when they put you in office, prove it. Bush isn't in office anymore and you can't keep blaming other people.

I don't care what anyone says, Bush would have handled this the way it should be handled. And I sure felt safer from terrorist attack then. This is just a disaster the way it is going now.

The stimulus money is all being stockpiled for the Dem's to use come next election time, if we are all standing that is. All they care about is getting more and more and more money out of us. They are cutting social security, cutting medicare, cutting everything. Hiding money in invisible districts ready to pop up and be put to use next election. Just you wait. Whether you vote for them or not you will be paying for their run for office.

So as usual that is my rant for today, have to have something to heat me up, might as well be my temper. Now I am going to list some items on the new site I heard about that lets you sell for free. And they don't allow adult themes so it is family orientated. If it goes well I may try some of my photo note cards on it. Can't hurt. If I only wasn't so chicken to go out in the cold and get some shots.

I hear Florida's animals are really suffering in this cold also. All over the world right now people are cold and shivering almost. So here's to warm sunny days and melting snows. Slowly so we don't flood again. And here's to a new government. One that does what they are suppose to do, not rob us blind. Stay warm all.

Show of Hands

From what I have been reading in the blogs this cold weather is widespread and unrelenting. Even Jimmy is shivering. My thoughts turn to warm summer days and playing in the pool. Seems like yesterday.

Frigid cold out right now I have no plans to budge from the house. There are so many things we need to get done. We haven't done anything about the roof. The snow is piling up. Being outside your feet, fingers and nose freeze right away. But tomorrow I will have to get out and get some salt on the roof it it kills me.

Imagine in this cold cold freezing weather being a fireman and working outside to put a fire out. How cold that is. Being a rescue person going to the aid of a car accident. People who keep our electric going, our roads open, the produce produced. Bless them all.

Our snow plows have been running 24 hours a day since Christmas Eve. 500 miles of roads to clear. And where do you put 40 some inches of snow? We now have mountains in Iowa. Want to go skiing?

My son's both worked today. My oldest drive a garbage truck and got stuck for 4 hours before they could get him towed to the yard. His feet are frozen. Then he had to go home and shovel the snow off his walks after working 12 hours so the city won't fine him. My youngest drives over 30 miles in blizzard condition, snow blowing so hard you can barely see the road. I wish they were both able to stay home warm and safe.

Outside the deer wade through snow up to their chest to get to the feeders. More and more birds are showing up. It is a hard winter for us all.. And just the beginning.

So.....pop the cork out a bottle of wine, stick a movie in and stay in the warm house.

Check mate

With the blizzard last night they think we have around 40 inches. Yikes.
Today has been a difficult one for some in town with our local Petsmart losing their roof tonight from the heavy snow and there was a fire in town with possibly no survivors. Many crashes stalled cars. But we made it home and I don't have to be anyway if If don't want to. It is so cold though. It is keeps it up we may have 80 inches

Well, I am tired. Night all. Oh....no jury duty last night, goodl

One more time

One more time to whine my way out of jury duty. I call at 5. Its been quiet around town. Hopefully I will be fine.

It is, brace yourself, snowing again. another 4 to 7 inches.. We have to be close to 30 inches. And it is cold. It is so cold you sit in your house with layers of clothes on. Long johns, pants, 2 pair of socks, a undershirt, flanned over that and then a sweeter.a Bur. The bean and ham soup was wonderul yesterday and it really warmed me up. One more day of work. Or maybe good ole jury duty, wish me luck once more..

No jury duty

I was lucky and didn't have to go today, happy happy joy joy. I have to call again tomorrow but am hoping I won't have to go then either. That would be just ducky.

By now everyone has heard about stimilus money going to districts that didn't exist. Well the news today is in New Mexico billions of dollars were sent to non-existent zip codes. What a shocker. Why no outcry? I don't understand why people aren't screaming mad. This comes out of our pockets. OURS. We have been Robbed. Call 911, I want to report a robbery. And we know who did it. Our congress. Aren't you angry. Aren't you ANGRY. I am spitting mad. Give me back my money. Robbers. crooks, thieves. How dare they. Why, why, why are we letting them get away with this?

Fortunately not everyone is taking this so passively. Have I mentioned I think this will be an interesting, if not housebreakingly sad year.

I was just thinking yesterday about when I was a kid. When we welcomed new citizens to our country. It was exciting to get someone from another country in our church and learn about their county and customs. we welcomed them with open arms. At least in this town where we didn't seem to see many they were welcome. But over time we got more and more and not legal. And not the nice people who came here for a better life. We started seeing gangs and drugs. And then after 9-11 it all changed. It is all different now. Terrorists coming to destroy us. Not to make a new life but to destroy life's. Innocent peoples life's. Strangers to them. What causes such hate? Such dark hate in their hearts.

Things will never be the same. And now they are attacking again. And we aren't welcoming like we were. We are cautious and watchful. Sad the ways things turn out. Makes me want to turn back the clock to a simpler time.

Well, moody these days. Also sad. Time to get the house cleaned. I have some been soup cooking using the ham bone we had on New Years. Soups are so good when it is freezing cold outside. Take care all.

Jury Duty

Back in September I got picked, again, for jury duty. Since it was right after my surgery and I was doing PT 3 times a week I asked to be relieved of the duty. Well they don't let you out of it but they will delay it. So tonight after 5 I have to call and see if I go in.

All week I have been reading the paper. Praying some awful murder trial wasn't coming up I might have to sit on. Across the river the simply awful trial of a monster who killed a 3 year is starting but I see nothing on this side of the river. Hopefully when I call they will tell me I don't have to come in. Keep your fingers crossed.

My last trial was what I felt the biggest waste of tax payers money I have ever seen. Going to trial is something that happened seldom even 30 years ago and now is common place. For everything. Running like a idiot down the block and tripped on someones sidewalk, go to trial, you got a scar from surgery! Go to trial. Someone said you looked fat in that dress, why take them to trial. The lawyers advertise on TV 24 hours a day and everyone is looking for their ship to come via a large lawsuit.

Those are the cases I seem to get stuck on. I sit their shaking my head and say to myself, good grief. Deal with it you dolts. Poor thing, did you scrap your widdle knee!

So needless to say I am not looking forward to my civil duty. I truly believe in professional jury duty positions. Train people and let them do it. People who want to and won't miss work. Last time this long haul driver pleaded to be released. The 10 dollars a day they pay does not pay the mortgage or put food on your table. I am lucky. My job reimburses me to go. Base bay without my night shift pay but much better then what they get.

Lets all keep our fingers crossed that I can give it a pass and not have to do it for another few years. Maybe I would be more interested if I didn't have to miss work or give up my few days off from work. Or if it was warmer outside and I didn't have to go. Yes I realize it is my civic duty but I feel the entire process is being abused to the max these days. Whine whine.

Zoey is back to limping really bad again. I had cut back on the pain meds thinking she was better and turns out she was better because of the pain meds. So she is back on them.

Yesterday I was happily sleeping around 2 pm and woke with a start to every smoke detector in the house blaring. I stumbled to my bedroom door and opened it to the terrifying sight of the house being completely filled with smoke. Yikes, what the heck! Through the smoke I saw Rick coming from the back spare room where the computer was. "Rick", I asked. "Are you burning down our house again"? He was cooking some chicken for Zoey and let it boil dry. It took around 20 minutes to stop the 6 smoke detectors the city insists we needed every few inches in the house to stop blaring and shivering in my PJ's I fanned the smoke out the window. "Be good", I told Rick and went back to bed. What a rude awakening.

Well prattling on enough. My shoulder and wrist is so stiff and painful. I am thinking about trying a cortisone shot again. I can barely use my wrist and my shoulder is getting stiffer and stiffer. Did the shoulder exercises mess my hand up again? Lifting the weights and pulling on the pulleys and rubber bands or is it just scar tissue I don't' know. It is a mess I do know and I wish I had never injured them. The surgery hasn't helped and I am just miserable and in pain all the time. Such is life. I sure hope it doesn't mess up my bike riding. Rick bought me some arthritis gloves which do help though. He is just a dear, and probably tired of my whining. His back is out still also. Right now he is making breakfast. Hummmmm, do I see smoke?