Chats On The Farmhouse Porch

Chats are a little late this week.  But better late than never, right?  OK, we've wasted enough time.  Let's get on with it.

1.  Would you rather drive or be driven?

Hard to say.  I'm so used to driving that being driven feels kind of weird.  On the other hand, when I'm being driven, I can knit on the way.  

2.  If you had your choice of a shiny new BMW with no conveniences inside, or an older model Ford or Chevy with everything one could want for comfort and convenience inside, which would you choose? 

I've never owned a new car in my life.  That ought to tell you something right there. 

3.  Do you eat many vegetables? 

No.  I tend to be a meat and cheese kind of person.  I do like fruit, though.

4.  If you could blink your eyes and make a change to your body, face, hair, or nails, what would you change?

 My hair would be soft, shiny, and manageable instead of the frizzy mess I constantly do battle with.

5.  Please finish this sentence. "Goody! Someone just gave me two hundred dollars and I must spend it doing something enjoyable today. I'm going to___________________." 

This is a hard one.  If someone gave me $200, I'd most likely end up using it towards paying bills.  To me, there is nothing more enjoyable than knowing I'm working at lowering my debt.  However, I know this isn't what the question means.   I'd buy a new rod and reel that I've been wanting, and maybe some more ammo, or arrows for my bow.   Yeah, I'm not a real girly girl.  In case you hadn't noticed. 

Remember Yesterday?

Remember yesterday when I said we had to go to the tornado shelter at work?  This is why:

Someone posted this photo on Facebook, but I don't know who took it originally.  It was taken at the Wal-Mart here in town. 

One of my friends said she thinks it went right over her house, but I haven't heard that it actually touched down.   It doesn't matter.  It was close enough. 

And it wasn't even government work. 

The Whelming Flood

This has been another of those whelming flood days.

It started off normal enough.  Then the weather hit.  It was bad out there.

Really bad.

We had to go into the tornado shelter at work twice.  One coworker said, "If a tornado is coming, they need to let us go home."  No, hun, the last place you want to be in a tornado outbreak is on the road.  You're better off here.

Then I came home and turned on The Weather Channel.  Seems like every time I looked up, they were reporting another tornado on the ground.  Tupelo.  Vicksburg.  Brandon.  Columbus.  Yazoo City...

 I was starting to freak out just a bit and had to change the channel.

So far, all my friends who were in the path have reported in safe.  The watch has expired for Grenada County, so I'm about to head for bed and get rested up.  Because you know what?

We get to do this again tomorrow.






*The photos are of storm damage in Tupelo. 

Just A Few Pictures

The flower bed is starting to come on.   I thought you might enjoy a few pictures of them on this stormy Sunday evening.

Profusion Zinnias:

French Marigolds:

Dwarf African Marigolds:

Celosias:

Lantanas:

And I broke down and bought a petunia:

This one will have the dark purple, velvety blooms that I like so much.

Now, if you will excuse me, I must go batten down the hatches.

She's a gonna blow.

Just A Couple Of Things

I am a Southern Baptist.  Been one all my life.  I was born Southern Baptist, raised Southern Baptist, and unlike my siblings, I've remained Southern Baptist. 

As a good Southern Baptist, I am a teetotaler.  Barring the occasional bender with NyQuil, I've never had an alcoholic drink.  I do, however, have a thing for -- of all things-- wine glasses. 

I love 'em.  I love the way they look.  I love the way they are shaped.  I love the way they feel in my hands.  So, when I saw a couple on clearance, I just had to get them. 

That is Sprite in that glass.  Well, technically, it's the store brand version of Diet 7-Up, but it's the same thing.  Technically...


Sometimes at work, I get accused of having an attitude.  I won't say who is accusing me of that  *cough*GroupLeaderFernando*cough*, but suffice it to say, I sometimes get accused of having an attitude. 

Today, I decided I would solve that problem.  I stuck a label on my jelly bean jar and took it to work with me.

"That ought to work,"  Group Leader Fernando said. 

When I showed them to The Other Rod -- Not To Be Confused With Former Group Leader Rod-- he said, "I need all of those!"  Parts Stager Edna read the label, laughed, and walked away saying, "I love this girl."

Apparently, they work, and not just on me.  Fernando was getting a bit of an attitude, so I picked up my jar, and without a word, poured some into his hand.  He stopped grumping and walked away, munching on jelly beans.

It was a rough day.  It must have been.  He came back for more.

Twice. 

Eye Candy Friday

 

It has been a long, hot day, so this is all you get.


Well, except for this...

I bought some crickets to fish with, and they're sitting there, chirping away.  I find the sound strangely comforting.

The downside is, my love of their singing is conflicting with my desire to stab them with fish hooks and drown them in the pond.

Guess which one will win out.

Yep...

Chats On The Farmhouse Porch

Chats are a day late this week, which is OK, since it gave me a chance to post my traditional Earth Day post yesterday.  So, let's get on with our chat. 

1.  Do you enjoy crossword puzzles, word finds, or any "word" activities? 

 Oh, yes!  I love crosswords, word searches, and the cryptoquip in the newspapers.  I'm not so keen on jumbles or unscrambling words, though. 

2.  What's on your dining room table right now? 

 My old Navy command ball cap, and yesterday's mail. 

3.  Do you like Italian food? 

 Yes, I do.  I love pizza.  Italian pizza is a lot different than American pizza.  The sauce is sweeter, and they don't put shredded cheese all over it.  Just a slice here and there.  It's good, though.  Just different.  Oh, and Ensalada Caprese.  Haven't had a good one since I got back to the States. 

4.  Did you ever want a brother, twin, or sister, when you were a child? 

No, I had two brothers and a sister.  That was enough. 

5.  How far away is the nearest grocery store? 

About 5 miles or so.  I don't rightly know.  I've never checked the mileage.  

Earth Day 2014

Genesis 1 

 ¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

 ³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
 
 ⁶ And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” ⁷ So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. ⁸ God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

 ⁹ And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

    ¹¹ Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. ¹² The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

 ¹⁴ And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶ God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. ¹⁷ God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, ¹⁸ to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

 ²⁰ And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” ²¹ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” ²³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

 ²⁴ And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. ²⁵ God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
    ²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”


 ²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image,  in the image of God he created them;
   male and female he created them.

 ²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

    ²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

    ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

He Is Risen

Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen!

--Luke 24: 5-6 (NIV)

Concord Hymn

Concord Hymn

Ralph Waldo Emerson

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

   Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood

   And fired the shot heard round the world.

The foe long since in silence slept;

   Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;

And Time the ruined bridge has swept

   Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,

   We set today a votive stone;

That memory may their deed redeem,

   When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit, that made those heroes dare

   To die, and leave their children free,

Bid Time and Nature gently spare

   The shaft we raise to them and thee.

Good Friday

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?

 

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While Calvary's cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.

 At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Thursday Miscellany

I am so sore from working in my flower bed yesterday.  I mean, like, I can hardly move sore.  I mean, hobbling around work all day barely able to shuffle my feet sore.  Since soreness always hits me harder the second day, I can only imagine what I'll be like tomorrow. 

The good news is, I've gotten my heel flap on my sock done.  The bad news is, next comes picking up gusset stitches.  That's my least favorite part of sock knitting. 

I know some of you are thinking that's a mighty short heel flap.  Truth is, I took the picture before finishing, and well, was just too darn lazy to take another one.  Don't worry, the sock will fit my foot. 

The better news is, whoever was mowing has stopped.  My chest has loosened up, and I'm not gasping for breath as badly as I was.  Have I ever mentioned that I'm allergic to grass? Verily.

Ummmm, there was something else...what was it?   Oh, yes.

I started taking my iron pills again.  I'd quit taking them for a while; I don't know why.  About a week ago, I started taking them again, and I feel so much better.  I've got more energy, my mood has improved, and it feels like my brain is waking up.  Don't expect my blog posts to get more interesting, though.  My life is still as dull as ever. 

The bad news is, when I burp, it tastes like a ten penny nail. 

I'm sure you're all thrilled to know that. 

The Best Laid Plans

When I put in for my vacation day, the plan was to go to the Memphis Zoo and pet the stingrays.  I thought mid-April would be a good time to go.  It'd be warm, but not too hot.  I had no idea this would be the winter that never ends.  It just goes on and on my friends...

So, between the cold weather and the cold my chest caught, I thought the better part of valor would be to stay closer to home.

After staying in bed until I was ready to get up (not counting letting the dogs in and out fifty thousand times), I took Jimmy in to get his oil changed.  He was overdue on months, but still had a thousand left on miles.  While waiting, because it takes forever, I got a few more things for my flower beds.

Last night's cold snap didn't get quite as cold as they were predicting.  Nothing froze and there was no frost.  I don't think it'll get that cold again, so I decided to take a chance and plant my flowers.  I'm going to have quite a colorful bed this year.

I've got these dwarf African marigolds.

These are French Marigolds.

And my favorite Profusion Zinnias.

I was able to get a variety of colors this year, instead of just orange ones like I had last year.

I picked up two more Gerbera Daisies.  

For some reason, I was thinking I had six, but I only have five.  I left a spot to get another one.

So I can be symmetrical.  I've got to be symmetrical.

These are the things I couldn't think of the name of the other day.  They are Celosias.  

They are new to me also. 

I even managed to get mulch down over most of the bed. 

That was one full bag. I decided not to open the second bag until I was ready to spread the whole thing.  I didn't want any creepy crawlies finding their way into a partially filled bag of mulch.  As you can see, I have room to put a row of Lantanas in the back, if I can ever find some.

Wal-mart doesn't have any.  We've got the weekend off for Easter, so I'm thinking about going up to Lowe's and see if they have any in their garden center. Once I get them in, and the last daisy, then, and only then will I open the other bag of mulch. 

You know the neat thing that happened?  I hadn't even finished planting when the bees found the flowers.

That ought to make the beekeeper in the family happy.

Me?  I'm waiting on the butterflies and hummingbirds.

 They make me happy. 

Chats On The Farmhouse Porch

I do declare, this winter just will not give up!  They are predicting lows around 30' tonight, and here is is, just a few days before Easter. 

Speaking of cold, what I thought was a hallacious allergy attack has blossomed into a full blown spring cold.  Between that, and the kicking North wind outside, let's have our chat around the kitchen table instead.  I've got surgical masks for anyone wishing to avoid my germs. 

1.  What are you doing for Easter? 

Well, Cody has outgrown egg hunts, and I keep eating his candy, so we'll just go to church, then dinner, followed by Easter shows on TV.  Well, DVD.  We have Here Comes Peter Cottontail, The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town, It's The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown.  Yes, I still watch those.  Cody doesn't.  I do.  Jesus Of Nazareth is now up on Netflix, so I'll probably watch that, too. 

2.  How many spring flowers have you noticed the last week or so? 

 Lots.  The daffodils and Bradford pear have already come and gone, but there are still plenty of things blooming.   I showed you my iris and violets yesterday.  Also, those yellow weed things, onion flowers, and those little purple flowers that cover the yards are blooming now.  And I've noticed a few wisteria blooms, too.

Yellow weed things:

Those little purple flowers:

Onion flowers:

 Sorry about the poor quality of the photos.  I was using my phone, and it's very windy out there.

3.  What was your favorite thing in an Easter basket, or as dessert at Easter dinner? 

 The eggs.  The real ones.  The hard boiled eggs that we dyed.  I'd rather eat those than the candy.  That was back before I knew I was allergic to eggs. 

4.   If you were a dog, what kind would you be? 

 One that is loved and cared for in a good home. 

5.  What are your favorite pizza toppings? 

Pepperoni, mushroom, sausage, and extra cheese. 

Thank you for joining me for this week's chat.  I hope to see you all next week.

Same bat time.  Same bat channel.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

The old dog is snoring.  Rylea, that is. I swear, I've never had a dog that snores as loudly as she does. 

But seriously, it rained all night last night, and all day today.  I brought the new plants inside so they wouldn't get drowned, or pounded into mush, as it rained pretty hard there for a while. 

One of my cousins who lives in Oklahoma said they got snow.  Really, snow.  Less than a week before Easter, and it's snowing.   They're saying it's going to get down into the low 30s here tomorrow night.

Thank goodness for global warming.  No telling how cold it would have gotten without global warming.

Yesterday, before the rain started, I went out and took some photos of the flowers -- what few I have-- in the yard.  I'm getting some iris this year.  They didn't bloom at all last year, but it looks like I'm going to have quite a few this year. 

I've only got white iris left.  I'd planted a bunch of yellow, purple, and blue ones several years ago, but they stopped blooming after only a couple of years.  These white ones are hanging in there, though.  I don't even take care of them, except trying to prevent folks from mowing them down.

Speaking of mowing, I actually had one of my Easter Bonnet daffodils bloom!

 

I'd had several of them at one time, but they kept getting mowed down by overenthusiastic teenagers.  And cousins.  Two years ago, I dug the bulbs up and put them into my flower bed, and lo and behold, one of them came back.  Maybe next year, more of them will bloom.  Here's hoping.

Here are some violets. 

When I was a kid, my dad never would mow until after the violets finished blooming.  These are in my wildflower bed. 

Since it's rained so much, I've had plenty of time to work on the sock. 

I've almost gotten to where I need to start the heel flap, but it's not going to happen tonight.  Heavy rain and strong winds kept me up last night, so I'm going to bed.

G'night. 

Ummmm, Oops.

I hadn't intended to buy any plants today.  I was just walking through the garden center to see what they had. 

But suddenly, all these flowers started jumping into my basket, begging me to take them home.

How could I say no? 

I don't know what these are.  Yes, there is a tag, but it's outside with the plants.  I'll look tomorrow.

They are something new-- at least to me.  That's what I love about annuals.  I can try different things without making a long term commitment. 

I don't do long term commitments.  If I did, I'd have been married long ago.  Be that as it may...

Six of my little bluebonnets have survived and seem to be doing well.

 They are about ready for me to transfer them into the planters. 

The weather guessers are predicting down into the 30s early next week, so I'm going to wait until after that last cold snap to put everything into the flower bed.  They've already announced that we are going to be off next weekend for Resurrection Sunday, so I'm probably going to plant my wildflower bed then. 

That is, if I can find where I put my packets of seeds. 

Determined

OK, y'all, I cast on this pair of socks like a year ago.  Seriously. 

It took me about a month to finish the first one.

Then it took me six more months to cast on the second.  And there it has sat ever since. 

I picked it back up this afternoon.  I'm determined to finish it this time. 

I'm not getting off to a very good start.  Or a very good middle, since I started it months ago.  I've done a grand total of two, yes two, count'em two rounds.

Didn't sleep well, and had a rough day at work.  I'm knackered. 

I'm watching House reruns instead. 

Nerds

For those of you who may have been unaware, this video has been making the rounds the last couple of weeks.

A little girl asks Wil Wheaton if he was ever called a nerd, and ...well, just watch.  It's worth three minutes of your life.



If I could talk to that girl, one thing I would tell her is that the older you get, the more you realize that a nerd is a good thing to be.  Then I would share this photo with her:

You can keep your Snookis and your Kardashians --not to be confused with Cardassians-- Give me River Song, Zoe, or Xena any day. 

Nerdy role models rock. 

Chats On The Farmhouse Porch

Let's take a quick break from building our ark and chat on the porch for a minute. 

1.  What has kept you busy lately?

Pricing gopher wood and boiling pitch.   Oh, and work.  It's peak season, so it keeps me pretty busy working 6 days a week. 

2.  Are you making or creating anything? 

Other than an ark, just my usual knitting projects. 

3.  What are you really hungry for right now?

An Angus bacon burger from McDonalds.  I actually went there after work yesterday, but the line was so long and wasn't moving at all, that I got out of it (before I ordered) and just came on home.  I'll get one sooner or later.  

4.  What song has stuck in your head lately?

This one:



5.  If I could celebrate my upcoming birthday with you, what would we do?

Float away in my ark.  If it doesn't stop raining soon, that's all we'll be able to do.  

And with that, I must get back to building it.  Hmmm, now how long was a cubit? 

Monsoon Season

Yep, monsoon season is here.

It rained all day yesterday, and I do mean all day long.  And all night long, too.  It was still raining when I got up this morning, but cleared off during the day.  But it's supposed to rain again tomorrow evening, too. 

Anyone know where I can get some gopher wood?

Speaking of, I have not seen the new Noah movie and I don't intend to.   The reviews I've read indicate that it takes quite a turn from the Bible story.  Seriously, take the Bible out of a Bible story, and all you have is a fairy tale.

Don't just take my word for it, here is a review from someone who actually saw it:  Noah Review

While you're over there, check out some of his other posts, especially his newest one about how Jesus wasn't really a nice guy. I'm not sure where this modern idea that he was a mild mannered pansy came from.  He wasn't the doormat that he's been made out to be lately.  I would have though the flipping tables and chasing people with a whip would have been your first clue.

All right, then...

Back to my life.  A while back, I started a Clapotis with some Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome Select, having decided that the yarn is simply unsuitable for socks and any remaining stash would be knit into scarves or hats. 

I'd set it aside for a while to work on some other things, and yesterday when I picked it back up, it just wasn't speaking to me.  I wasn't loving it.

I think it was the yarn.  It just didn't want to be a Clapotis.  I may try it again with a yarn that has much more subtle color changes than this yarn does.  So, what did I do with the yarn?  I ripped it out and started a simple offset rib pattern.

I know it's kind of hard to see in that picture, but the pattern is as follows:

Cast on a multiple of 4.

Row 1:  K2 P2 to end
Row 2:  K1 *P2 K2* Repeat to last stitch, K1

As you can see, I've only done about an inch, but I'm thinking this yarn doesn't want to be that scarf either.  It's kind of telling me it wants to be knit up in linen stitch.

And I'm screaming, "Nooooooooooo!!!!!!" 

Not the dreaded linen stitch.  Please not the dreaded linen stitch.

Alas, the yarn wants what the yarn wants, and over the years, I've learned not to argue with the yarn.  I guess I'd better go find my linen stitch pattern.

Sigh...

Sexy Or Not?

Someone in a Facebook group I'm in recently posted this video of seven supposedly sexy things men do without realizing it.



Quite frankly, I don't find any of these things sexy.  OK, eye contact is a bit sexy, but not if you look like you're stoned while you're doing it.

Scratching the beard, straightening the tie, fiddling with the watch...that's not sexy.  That just seems fidgety and poorly groomed to me.  So is rolling up sleeves.  Fidgety and uncomfortable.  Nothing sexy about being fidgety. 

The thumb on the lip seems a sign of uncertainty and insecurity.  There is nothing sexy about that.  Women want men who are strong and confident (deep down inside, even the ones who won't admit it).  So that's not sexy. 

The --what did they call it?  --the last dance lean and bracing against the door frame...not sexy.  Shows laziness and poor posture.  Not sexy.  Not sexy at all. 

It makes me wonder who makes up these kinds of videos.  What do you think?  Are these things sexy to you or not?

Discuss.

Welcome To Spring

and all the stormy weather that comes with it.

We had some pretty bad storms blow through last night about 2:00AM  So far, I haven't heard of any tornadoes, but a coworker said they got some hail at his house.  Once the weather cleared, it turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day.

Highs in the mid 60s, breezy and sunny.  Gorgeous weather.  And I was stuck at work.

After work, I tried to get gas, but the card readers weren't working on any of the pumps at the station I went to.  I was a bit aggravated.  I know it wasn't my card, because I tried two different ones and neither one worked.  It worked at Wal-mart, too, so I really know it wasn't my card.  I'll have to go back into town tomorrow and try a different gas station. 

While I'm there, I think I'll buy some garden soil to work into my flower beds.  I mean, while I'm in town, I'll run by Wal-Mart and buy garden soil.  They don't have it at the gas station.

Yeah, I'm a bit tired.  Storms kept me awake most of the night.  Anyway, moving right along...While I was in town today, strolled through the garden center at Wal-mart just to see what they have. 

They don't have much out yet, but I did buy some more daisies. 

They didn't have any zinnias or lantanas yet, or the variety of marigolds I want, but these daisies ought to keep me busy for a couple more weeks. 

Then I came home and started cleaning out my beds.  I got all the old leaves and junk out of my front bed.  It's got Hostas in it, so it's all good to go.  Once they've come up, I'll put mulch around them, but that's all I do for the front bed. 

Oh, sorry to have rambled on so, but I am so anxious to get out into my flower beds! 

But since I have to be at work at 6:00 in the morning, I reckon I ought to get my body into my bed.

Goodnight, folks.

One Of Those Days

This is one of those days when I actually had a thoughtful and inspiring post mentally composed, but now I find I'm too tired to type it all out.  I think I'll save it for another day. 

What I will give you, though, are some old photos.  Not quite old enough to be a Throw Back Thursday, but old enough.  For some reason, when I tried to download some recent photos from my DSLR, it copied the entire memory card to my computer.  So, we'll start with the oldest photo still on my memory card. 

Taken in March 2008, at the Memphis Zoo.  I have no idea who the person is filming on his phone.  I was just snapping photos, and this one came out just right.

Here is one from 2011, the last year we had any snow worth mentioning.  

As cold as it has been this winter, we haven't had any snow.  Well, just a trace.  That year, though, we had so much snow I thought I'd moved up North.  We actually had two snow days at work.  And by "snow days" I mean we went in at 10:00 AM instead of 7:00 AM. 

Finally, a couple of artsy-fartsy photos I took when trying to be all artsy-fartsy.

And that's about all I've got for you today.