Christmas morning - before, during and after

A surprize for Karen and Barry

I should have taken before and after pictures - all two or three of you would be amazed.  The front yard was a mass of leaves - on large area where raked leaves had been piles and the remainder full of more recent falling leaves.  As it happens, I love to rake leaves and thus I yielded to temptation and took rake in hand and attacked the leaves with gusto.  Their yard debris enormous pick up container is filled with leaves that were crushed downward several times to make more space.  The yard is minus 99% of the afore mentioned leaves - unfortunately, there are leaves still drifting downward from the tree so it is not perfect. 
The only thing that would have been more fun would have been actually burning the leaves - I have loved the smell of burning leaves since childhood.

Christmas is Coming

It always makes me happy to bring out my
few remaining Christmas decorations.
(Note, the picture is staight - the cabinet
does sag abit.)




All the cardinals had to fly to the top of my
bookshelves - a tad crowded but very
happy birds none-the-less.

Hoping to see all of you during the Christmas
season. If not, have a very merry Christmas
and a wonderful New Year.

Absolutely fascinating rocks - Rich had to count them for his record keeping!

Poor Rich - his ears got so cold that he was

Poor Rich, his ears got so cold that he HAD to wear the hat that Karen loaned to me.


It is rather difficult to decide who is who - right?


It is difficult to tell that it is extremely difficult to get Rich to pose for a picture.


I like this picture - Rich does not.


Our first day - we both really enjoyed the beauty
of the orchards.


I don't remember just why Rich was holding
that tree in his hand.


Amazing - he was determined to grab
another tree.

this and that scenic

road ahead - through a wildlife refuge



Strawberry fields (?) - yes, in snow!




My Mountain - better known as Black Butte

O.K. the moon was much prettier in person. But it was fun trying.
I'm trying to figure out what one needs to wear attacking Mt. Shasta - perhaps really warm clothing is all I need to think about. But one does have to consider one's image - doesn't one? Whatever mine might be!

Color!

Now, this does require using your imagination, as taking a picture of a mirror will always include reflections which confuse things. Such as the shopping bags hanging on my front door (and only exit from "my home") - generally they seem to remain there when I go shopping. Then there's the TV shelves and the picture of the cat carrying the fish. It also includes scenes within my bathroom that are not too scenic. But the great accomplishment if the multicolored very flat balloons adorning the mirror. That rather large mirror was so blah - especially when I was standing in front of it. Now I love it - lots of color and less of mirror. It is great on cloudy mornings and may help me survive the foggy days upcoming.  By the way, how do I get the lint or whatever out of my camera? - every picture I take has snow in it.

5:45 P.M today

No words needed!

The storm is moving East!

I fear that the picture does not really do justice - it does seem to look better if you click on it to make it bigger. We did not have as much rain as we expected - or at least, that it is the way it seems.

Perfection!

At last, the perfect rug to brighten my floor! I happened upon this today and first thought it would be too expensive - not, the tag read $19.00 - then I thought it was a tad strange, a tad childish and maybe even a tad to much fun. Put my thoughts together and they become perfection. I absolutely love it! AND, surprize of surprizes the computer said it was $14.00 - that absolutely confirmed that it belonged in my home. You all must come see it!
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Right picture!

This should have been in the following blog - it sort of indicates how carefully I manage adding pictures.

A visit to Redwood Valley etc.

Shellie and Jeff getting ready to barbeque breakfast - note mirror leaning against the tree! BBQ'ed breakfast - yum!


Mirror successfully hung! Shellie's great find at a garage sale the day before. (It is beautiful)


I truly do not know why I published this unknown family picture - no one I know - just different. (I have decided that I thought I was adding a picture of Julie leading us to her home - on her motor scotter.


Shellie rushing to rescue her brother who didn't know how to get up.

Julie and her Uncle Rich - we had a lovely visit with her on our way heading homeward. Such fun and such a nifty Grandaughter.
And what a grand weekend.

Is not this just the cutest of cutest? Barry is a super Grandpa.
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sorry, no picture!

About six o'clock Terry asked me to go hiking in the wetlands with him and my binoculars.  With some reluctance I did agree to delay my dinner for a hike.  So off we went, Terry with a backpack loaded with the equipment he hoped to need for capturing assorted bugs etc.  Unfortunately it was very hot outside (I later learned that it was 92 at seven which only means it was a few degrees hotter at six).  Anyhow, we found a small creek and enjoyed watching some very tiny fish darting hither and yon - totally uncatchable!  We moved on to follow trail through the wilderness - weeds, that is.  He almost caught a bug here and there.  I sort of headed us towards the walkway that would take us home - Terry was not pleased when he realized what was happening but I was too overheated to continue plodding through the weeds in the full sunlight.  Then we were going up the street and somehow stopped to admire a wading pool in a front yard with a little girl having a great time splashing.  Terry walked up closer to the pool and wonder of wonder he had the long evasive joy of a capture - he captured a snake.  Since his last snake has found its home someplace unknown this was joy beyond joy.  The frosting on the snake was that he caught it all by himself - a first!   

A very special day!

Gavin is officially three! He spent a couple of hours with me - playing the guitar and learning how to use the computer. He actually did catch on to using the mouse.  Also, I did not pose him for the picture - he was walking around like a genuine troubadour.  Am I not the luckiest great grandmother?

Janet - you have no idea!

Last night, while Puttering around on my computer I felt something crawling across my foot.  Yes, it was the blasted snake!  For some reason it frantically slithered off while I recovered from the shock.  Such is life in my new home!

Excitement on the homefront!

Several days ago I posted a picture of Terry's latest snake - a very pretty garden snake.  I have been its primary caregiver while Karen is off roaming with Barry.  Terry was here Sunday and got the snake out to enjoy - the snake had other ideas and put forth its horrendous smell and was quickly redeposited in its home.  Yesterday I discovered that the snake had departed its abode and was nowhere to be seen - that is until this morning.  That blasted snake was wrapped around my computer keyboard.  I figured I could catch it in a small towel but it was much faster than I.  Now, I will have to sleep knowing that that thing could creep across my bed at any moment.  Any suggestions on how to trap a snake would be welcomed!

Doesn't that look comfy?

You have no idea how many miles we hiked so Rich could find a comfortable place to rest. It was a quite lovely area - but then we had to hike back to the Jeep. Truthfully, this was in the Big Pines area and it was wonderful - except hiking back up the path.

The fence that saved me!

Yes, I made it!

Brian the Great!

Enuf said!

Terry's "new" snake with grasshopper on his back

It seems that wither this snake was not hungry or he has no brains or perhaps grasshoppers are not on his menu.
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