Apologies

Taken from the landing on the front hall stairway

This is all my fault. See, fool that I am, I washed my down work vest and my fleece go-out-in-public vest and put them away.I should have known better.

So now, the irises that were coming up under the bird feeders are looking kinda black and squishy. Ditto pretty much everything else that was shooting for spring. The dogs came in from their morning constitutional both the same color.....Mack is always mostly white, but Daisy not so much. Ick.

Birding here is rarely dull.....these guys, about a dozen of them,
stop by whenever they get wet to dry out on this dead elm tree.....

There is little to be said except bah humbug and I will say it early and often.

We took a drive in it yesterday....well, actually, when we left home it was cold, but clear and sunny....out to Bass Pro in Utica. Not too many miles to our west we drove into a truly nasty squall. The car was completely coated with slush and ice when we stopped. There were some horrible accidents around, especially that huge pileup down on I 88.

Once there we discovered that fish tank is down for maintenance, which was a bit disappointing, but then Alan bought me a Crossman BB/pellet CO2 pistol, which is very cool. Consider me armed if not too terribly dangerous. 

We took it out to shoot enough so I would be familiar with it, after we got home, but before the storm reached us here. It makes a very satisfactory bang when shot and will no doubt deliver a nasty sting to anything that wants to give us trouble when we are out walking. 

 Beck took Mack out walking Saturday and as soon as they reached the spring where I saw all the coyote tracks last week, he came right to her feet and would not go even an inch away from her. He is usually very bold, but his little tail was tucked right down. Thus the armament.

There is no choice but to either crawl under the heifer pasture fence or walk through there if you want to get out on the hills....and we often do....so we have to pass that way.

Another squall hit here just as the boss and Alan and I went out to split some firewood. We had big plans, but it was snowing so hard my glasses were soon completely covered with snow and I was plastered with a coating of icy pellet stuff so thick it cracked when I bent over to pick up a block. We called it a day after only splitting one skid steer bucket full. No doubt better days are coming...and that much wood will last a little bit. Anyhow, Alan was supposed to have today and tomorrow off, a phenomenon to which we were looking forward quite eagerly, but late yesterday he was called back to work.

To which I repeat bah humbug and heartily too. We so enjoy having him home, but he has a living to make....I guess.

Anyhow, I apologize for bringing this weather down upon us. I should know better than to start putting winter clothes away before June at least. 

Props to McDonald's for using real dairy .
I took this at our local one where we grabbed coffee and food yesterday