Nightscapes....

Tonight was Michelle's Bible Study night, so, I decided I was NOT going to leave the camera behind this time! With (serious) thoughts about that new camera I mentioned last night, I am trying to really press this one...I love this camera, even though I know that the Canons seem to get top billing amongst users.

My c-5050 zoom is a relatively "old" camera with an article I found in DP Review stating Olympus released info on the camera in October of 2002! Yikes! I bought the camera in May of 2003 so I could get good pictures of Angus.

So, although the pictures are not that great, here is what I have to offer!

This picture is of boat houses on the lake. There are summer homes above the boathouses....no one seems to winter there at all.



This picture was taken looking across the northern end of the lake. The water is not frozen there, and if you look very closely (IE, squinting your eyes and looking REAL hard) you can see the geese in the foreground.




Another squint-and-perhaps-you-can-see-the-geese shot!



And this last shot was taken looking to the north towards the park at the head of the lake. Across the street from the park are bars and restaurants, thus lighting up the night sky.



These photos were taken between about 8:10 and 8:20 this evening and no flash was used on any of them. And no, I didn't have a tripod, either! (I used to belong to the NRA many years ago, and I did learn the skill of a steady hand!)

I only wish you could HEAR the geese! Yes, I do have a movie mode on the camera as well, but I opted not to use it. The geese were so loud....I got out of the truck to take a few of the pictures, and the noise was very intense!

So, another fun session playing with my camera and just having a bit of fun away from the Bristolwood!

A Romp in the Snow

Late this afternoon as the sun was beginning to head over the mountains, I took the Scotties out to take some pictures. In all honesty, I was wanting to take Angus only, but as we tried to *sneak* out the door, Murphy came bounding in, little tail wagging behind him....

I wanted to try out the "drive" mode on my camera that allows me to take several pictures in a "rapid fire" mode. Remember the old ads on TV where the photographer was using a 35mm camera with the "motor" on it that allowed him to just continue following after the model as she maneuvered around the set? Well, I sorta have that capability, too.

You see, before I went outside, I asked Mark about the newer generation of Canon Cameras. I have an Olympus, but thought perhaps the new Canons might surpass mine. Well, Mark uncovered a new Olympus with an 18X optical zoom!! It was released yesterday, I think. So, I am in love again.

Anyway, I decided to capture some cool snow pictures of Angus....he did NOT let me down.......

















And, when all the fun is over (or, your Mum says it is time to go inside) just let loose and SHAKE!!!!!

Making Guitars?

Yup, that was the agenda for today...

Ben has a birthday coming up, and he wanted a different and unique pinata for a party. Oh BOY! He also wanted to have a theme of "music". So, he told Mark, and Mark being as computer SAVY as I am INEPT, searched around and found a good picture of a guitar. (Mark also PLAYS guitar!) He printed it, blew it up, then Michelle transposed it onto lightweight cardboard....Voila!



Nice shape, eh?

Next, I "cooked" up a batch of "paste" to paper mache the guitar. The next pictures show my family diligently working on the guitar. But, WAIT! Suddenly, there are TWO guitars! The kids were so impressed, they made two!







Yup, the kids did the "dippin'", and Mark placed the strips on the guitar body.



And, drum roll....the "not-quite-finished" products!



Now they will rest after their two coats of paper mache have been applied and then the kids will do some finishing....

And, totally NOT related, I took some pictures of the Scotties while we were out enjoying the snow this afternoon and I just had to share....

Murphy thinks there is something down in the ditch...



And he convinces Angus to come have a look, too!



Ah well, if all else fails, EAT SNOW!



And Angus enjoys a "snow cone", too!



And, finally, a picture of Murphy that I just thought was cute!

What Do Falling in Ditches and Turkeys in Trees Have in Common?

Well, I will gladly tell you!

Yesterday, we went out as Mark wanted to go to Sam's Club. This particular store is located 75 miles away. We left early afternoon, and got back home around 8:30. I was so sleepy, I filled the woodstove with wood, and after it began to burn well, I shut the stove down and flopped down to rest. Move ahead to 2:30 am. YIKES! I remembered that the stove was never filled well, nor was it closed down to last the night.

Needless to say, I knew I needed to get up and feed the stove. I padded downstairs and looked out on the porch to check the temperature. 8 below. I then moved over to the stove. The fire was reduced to coals, so I raked them aside, then opened the door of the ashpan. Grabbed the ashpan and headed outside in my nightgown and Crocs. Mark had plowed the driveway yesterday, so I was thankful I could just lean over and throw the ashes down into the ditch where the little stream runs. As I stepped down, I REALLY stepped down! Mark had partially filled the ditch in with snow, and me being rather tired, didn't realize I had gone too far. I was up to my thigh in cold wet snow! I dumped the ashes (hey, why not?) then pulled myself out of the ditch!

I went to the house, loaded the stove, then fiddled around for 45 minutes while the fire caught to the point that I could secure the stove for the rest of the night. By the time I headed back up to bed, my nightgown was dry. And, it was 3:30!

Let's just say that once AGAIN, I was glad we have no CLOSE neighbors!!!

Today, well.....LATER today, Michelle and I went to town. We had a few little errands to run and we had fun just looking around a little. We stopped by TJMaxx, and that is always a treat. I wanted to get home before dark, as this was a very cold day, and I just didn't want to meet up with black ice!

Oops, I forgot to add that as Michelle and I were getting ready to go out today, Angus merrily came running into the living room to see what we were up to! As soon as he figured we were going for "a ride in the car", he was SO anxious. There was NO way we could leave him at home. That would be like leaving a toddler behind....We gathered up his special pillow and Michelle wrapped her warm down-filled jacket around him. He was so warm and snuggly on the back seat, he never even crawled out from the coat while we were shopping!

I always love coming home on the "back roads". It is so much slower, the roads less traveled, and I just like them! As we began ascending, Angus knew we were getting closer to home, and he became alert. We turned onto our road, and as I looked on the road ahead, I asked Michelle what is that on the road? She affirmed that it was a turkey. Not a big deal, as we certainly have wild turkeys in the woods.

As we came closer, we saw three turkeys hustling through the snow. Then, we spotted THEM.....Michelle gasped! Do turkeys FLY? I giggled, because there is little more humorous than seeing a turkey fly....their wings are too small, their bottoms too heavy, and they just look very *FUNNY*! As soon as I told this to Michelle, the five that had been resting atop the trees took flight......I only wish I had my camera!

So, my day was coming to a close much the way it began early in the morning...or, middle of the NIGHT! Life just has so many funny little turns, and if we can see the humor in our days, we enjoy them all the more. AND, we have such stories to TELL!!!!

Winter Wonderland

That is precisely how it looks this morning! The trees are frosted in white and there is probably 2 or 3 inches of fluffy white snow atop the landscape. It sure is pretty, and if this would have been Christmas morning, I would have been jumping for JOY! But, I still love it, albeit late!

Michelle had her Bible study last night, and Carly wondered if I might like her to come and meet me! We did, and we had so much fun just kind of kicking around together! We rarely spend time together without the kids, so this was a treat...NO distractions!

We went over to Panerra Bread for a bowl of soup and then we stopped by the new WalMart. We walked around there for a while, then realized we soon needed to pick Michelle up. I needed gas ($2.44.9) so I stopped at Hess near the lake. We still had just a few minutes to spare, so I drove out onto the pier on the lake. It was so BEAUTIFUL and Carly excitedly spotted Canada Geese out on the lake.

To our sheer amazement and delight, there were literally *thousands* of geese just "parked" there for the night! They were close to the shore, and apparently, this is their method of rest. Because there is little lighting on the pier, and it was snowing lightly, you could only see the geese as the headlights hit them. Then, the little white stripes on their back sides looked as though they were "fluorescent"! They actually looked as though they were those strips that runners wear on their clothing so drivers can see them in the dark.

It was soon time to get Michelle, so we drove back to the church where Carly had parked her car. Michelle came out, and it was time to head on home.

On a sad note, the woman who coordinates the community Bible study lost her brother or brother-in-law this past week. Carly called last night and said she found information about it on the internet, and he was only 39 years old. That really is far too young for a man to leave this world....I know we hear it over and over again, but the reality is that each day we have is a gift and a blessing...let us attain to make the most of each one!

Snowscapes

Today I had to run down to our "local" little town to mail some letters AND to try out the new Chinese restaurant. Yes, what a surprise to have Chinese food only 8 miles from home!

As I drove on one of the roads, I stopped at the overlook the town built a year or two ago. I had never done this before, and I was impressed at how nice it is, complete with picnic tables. Um, shouldn't they have *stored* them for the winter, though? Not too sure how long they will last in the elements!

Here is a picture I took looking up the lake. I must comment that as SOON as I got my camera out of its bag, the SNOW began falling, giving the picture kind of a surreal look to it.



As I hopped out of the car, my mind drew me over to the plantings at the side of the house.....I wondered if those poor little Daffodils were frozen solid. I carefully brushed back the snow where I thought they were.....surprise! Oh yes, I covered them back up after taking their picture!



I had to giggle as I leaned over, looking at the Daffodils. My father had given us a "Garden Frog" a few years ago....I had forgotten to take him into the garage for the winter, and his little face glared out through the snow!



I made my way to the backyard to photograph Ben's new structure! We have had perhaps 4 inches of snow the past few days, and Ben has basically collected it ALL to make his snow fort.



Mark is always concerned about safety, so he gives Ben pieces of plywood and 2x4's so he can give his fort more stability.



Ben built this little fort in a matter of only a few hours. He used a large bucket to form the walls of his structure. So, if I were caught in a snowstorm in the middle of nowhere, I guess I would want Ben on my team!!

Naughty Puppy!!!

AND, a young teenage girl with a *wild* imagination equals something too funny!

Last night, as I was on the computer, I heard Murphy chewing on something, but I ignored him. Michelle came into the room and squealed. So, what was all the noise about?

On Friday, we received a postcard from the vet's office advising us that Murphy needed an appointment for his rabies booster. I dismissed the card, as I had already made an appointment for Saturday. I set the card with all the other recyclable paper.

Snoopy little Murphy somehow picked THAT particular card out of all the papers in the pile, and took it away. This is what he had been chewing on earlier. Michelle caught him in the act and brought the little pieces that were left over for me to see.




As I glanced at the offerings, I shook my head in disgust, telling Murphy what a NAUGHTY little boy he was! But, Michelle looked at me in such a way......

"Mom, Murphy made a little message for you to tell you how he feels about you!"

She flipped one of the pieces of paper over.....OH my GOODNESS!!!!



All this without opposable thumbs....hmm....I wonder what would happen if we taught Murphy about Origami?

Feeling a Bit Like a Misfit!

It seems like everywhere I go, people are complaining about the cold weather. They say it is *so* cold. Hmmmm....Today, I went outside with the dogs, one at a time, so we could enjoy a little walk around the yard. As I looked at the thermometer, it sent a bit of a "shiver" down my spine, but as I ventured forth into the outdoors, I felt so pleasantly surprised! Even though the temps remained below 20 here, it felt so much warmer than yesterday, as there were no blustery winds!

I walked Angus outside first, as he was sitting by the door, indicating that he needed to go out. We walked all around the front of the house, but I forgot to grab my camera. We were outside a good 15 or 20 minutes, just meandering about....he, sniffing about as though seeking some little rodent running amuck...and I, I was just breathing deeply, feeling so revitalized by the fresh air. We wandered about and then I suddenly realized that Murphy was awaiting his turn!

I finally convinced Angus to go inside and I snapped the leash on Murphy and we headed out the door, complete with camera!

One of Murphy's favorite things to do in the winter is plow the snow with his bearded face, while ingesting mouthsfull of the frozen delicacy!



As we made our way across the front of the house, we followed the stream. There is something so enchanting about a running stream in the winter. The glistening of the water, the gentle, somewhat melodious sound...almost a laughing sound, as it chases after its predestined path, feeling somewhat victorious that the freezing temperatures have neither impeded its course, nor caused it to become a frozen tribute to itself. There is also the promise in that little stream that warmer days will arrive, just as surely as it runs down its course.



As I became lost in the beauty and intrigue of the stream, a tug at the leash soon caused me to snap back to the business at hand! My little *snow machine* followed the trail previously scribed in the snow by Angus. We walked along, just a bit more briskly, as Murphy is not quite as fond of the frozen turf as Angus. Although he never complains, Murphy will certainly head towards the house when the word is mentioned, as though "enough is enough"!

Just one more shot of the little stream before it tumbles towards the road and down the hill.....



I was warm enough in my winter coat, and enjoying the scenery...I could have remained outside for a great deal longer. But my little companion was getting just a bit "antsy" to head back to the house.

Taking a picture of a very dark dog is so hard, but I was able to catch Murphy standing still for a moment....this was just as the sun was setting over the hill.



For those who do not enjoy this cold weather, do not fear...it is nearing the end of January, and as the days stretch out, it seems like the weather begins to warm up. We have had such a mild winter this year, I am enjoying each snowflake...every cold wind that rushes past the house. I have left the doors and windows open til the house "shivered", doing what I call an "air exchange"! I am only able to do this as we heat with a very efficient woodstove that loves this little exercise! I do believe it helps us to stay healthy, as well!

Frigid, Frosty, but reFreshing!

Today was really pretty nippy! I love being outside when the temperatures drop, but it was cold today, as there was a brisk wind! Last night, I was wondering if the house might perhaps blow off its foundation....it was that windy!

The kids had signed up to attend "Gladiator Games" at the Christian center about 40 miles away. I had also made an appointment for Angus and Murphy to see the vet for Rabies vaccinations. I figured I need to do this, as I need to get Murphy licensed.
The kids needed to be at the center at 1:30, and the boys needed to be at the vet at 2:00.

We dropped the kids off, then took off for the appointment. Angus went in first, and I was completely shocked when he barked at the vet when he saw the needle coming! The vet smiled and said he obviously knew what was coming. Then, I went out to the truck and brought Murphy in and left Angus with Mark. Murphy's shot was uneventful until about an hour or two later when he cried. Mark thinks he had some stiffness and it hurt when he shifted his weight.

After the vet visit, we went to McDonald's and bought the boys a double cheeseburger. Mark gave Angus one meat patty and I gave Murphy the other. We still had some time to kill, so we looked around at the new trucks (knowing we got a terrific deal on our 2006 model!) and then stopped by a Sear's store to find out about new ovens and refrigerators.

We picked the kids up at 5:00, and then began the journey home. There is a nice Chinese restaurant near the center, so Mark ordered lunch specials for the kids and himself at 3:00. (the deal ends at 3) As we drove home, the kids kept saying how hungry they were, but they waited til we got home. Hurrah! I don't need to cook tonight!

As we edged closer and closer to home, the temperature kept dropping...it is about 12 degrees right now, but the house is so cozy and warm. How I love that Jotul woodstove!

Murphy is lying on a blanket, being very quiet, and Angus seems like the shot didn't bother him at all. Poor little Murphy.

And I shall leave you with Mark's illustrious description of Murphy....
Mark often looks at Angus and asks,

"Where is your udder brudder from anudder mudder"?

Murphy and The Squirrel!

Yesterday, we went to visit my mother in law at her house. We were supposed to exchange Christmas gifts with Mark's mom and sister, but time has been slipping by, so we thought we had better do it sooner than later!

Mark's mom loves dogs, and boy did she spoil Angus and Murphy! They each got a little package of treats. We stayed until early evening, then came back home. On the way, Mark wanted to stop by Circuit City to look at computer speakers. We listened to a few different models, and were blown away by a set that were made by Creative. They were $59, but with rebates, ended up costing only $20! We wound up getting a set not only for Michelle, but Ben as well. Their speakers were old and very big. Since their desks are both quite small, every inch of space counts. Mark is also rebuilding a computer for Ben to try to free up some more space on his desk.

I was so disappointed that I had left my camera (FORGOT, more like it!) at home. As we drove, there were so many spectacular pictures I could have taken! The day after we had our ice storm, the sun came out and melted all of the ice from the tree limbs. I wanted so much to take pictures, but as I walked outside, I could hear the icy shrouds dropping from the trees, and some of them were quite large. Short of donning a helmet, it would have been a bit dangerous to frolic in the woods! Apparently, those to the north of us never warmed up as we did that day, and the ice encrusted limbs still glisten and dazzle in the nocturnal illumination.....it was so cool to see the ice with street lights shining down and lighting it up.

As soon as we arrived home, I was so sleepy, I came upstairs. Murphy folowed right behind, but he was still full of energy! As soon as I flopped on the bed, he rushed under the bed. As my body sank into the bed, molding itself into the mattress, I suddenly heard all sorts of noise under the bed. I groaned as I rose up to take a look....

A couple of years ago, I bought what I thought was the cutest toy for Angus. It was this cute rather realistic looking squirrel with a tag that read American Kennel Club. Well, Murphy has this *urge* to not "kill" the squirrel, but to totally ***strip*** the squirrel of its furry little body! * Oh, and Angus? Visualize a stuffy Scottish man with a thick brogue, thick eyebrows, verra, verra *dignified*, and you have Angus. He just doesn't "do" toys.....too silly, you know?



If you look closely at the base of the tail, you can see that the poor little guy is missing some of his fluff. Instead of getting upset, I just grabbed Murphy and the squirrel and placed them both on the bed....Murphy began to tear at the poor little squirrel once again, but I protested. Notice the fur lying on the quilt!



When I finally spoke sternly to Murphy about this most unsavorly "habit", he left the little squirrel alone, but kept an eye on it!



We settled in for a nice winter's sleep....and the little squirrel rested, too!

Tonight, I came upstairs to read email. I grabbed the laptop and stretched out across the bed. Suddenly, I felt a wet cold nose on my foot. I turned around and there was Murphy....squirrel fixed in his jaws! I giggled as I picked him up, wondering what was next. He placed the squirrel down by my feet and curled into a little ball at my side. It is so funny how these little pets of ours make us laugh at their quirks!

Hopefully, squirrel and I will both be able to REST tonight!

Melancholy Mama....

I have been complaining about all of the Christmas stuff sitting in the hallway, as I was NOT about to place it back into my poor GROANING closet. Behind our closet, actually...we have a crawl space back there, and it is not my idea of fun to crawl back there! In Michelle's room, Mark had installed some little doors on the crawl space, and one of the spaces is small and JUST the ideal size for Christmas decorations.

Yesterday afternoon, Mark and Ben were out in the garage working together so Michelle decided to clean an area for the Christmas containers in her "cubby". She worked steadily, and sure made a lot of noise!

I decided to check up and see how she was coming along....I padded up to her room and YIKES! What a shock! The floor was strewn with all sorts of....*junque*! I never thought of Michelle as a packrat, but she has a cubby in her room, then the two crawl spaces off the cubby. Apparently, she has "tucked away" many things there!

She picked up little trinkets....many she has kept since she was 4 or 5 years old! As she talked about all the little doo-dads, I was overcome with the reality of her young womanhood! She carefully sorted through all the things....some were plain junk, others she neatly tucked into a box for the Salvation Army. She pondered if another little girl might enjoy some of her lightly loved little goods.

Michelle finished up and left a small pile of stuff outside her door for the dump. There was a bucket...it had contained cotton candy at one point. She had washed it out and used it for storage for years! There were pieces of plastic from broken toys. Toys that I remember her playing with just a few years ago.....

WHERE has the time gone?

Encore!

Yesterday, I got out some steaks I had bought at WalMart the other day. They were sliced thinly, and as I pondered what to do with them, I came up with an idea! The whole family loves the McDonald's Snack Wraps, but with the chicken strips deep fried, we know they aren't that good for us. I looked in the fridge, and yup...I had all the elements necessary to make steak snack wraps!

You can only imagine the surprise I felt when everyone requested these again TONIGHT! I was impressed! The only BIG difference was that the temp outside was about 30 degrees COLDER! Yes, the thermometer said 10. As in, 10 degrees....fahrenheit!



The poor grill was enshrouded in white. Better than the ice of yesterday morning, I suppose! As it heated up, the snow all disappeared.....Somehow, I cannot imagine these without the steak being grilled outside!!!



As the grill heated up, I sliced red peppers and onions into thin strips. I had little red pepper left, so I really sliced these into small pieces. I then put a little water on the skillet and covered to steam on low just until the onions were softened.



You can see that these steaks were very thinly sliced, as all three were less than 1 1/2".



Onto the grill for about 8 minutes......



Then, flipped and grilled for another 8 minutes.



While the steaks are cooking, I cut up lettuce into very fine "shreds". As soon as the steaks are finished cooking, I slice them also into very thin strips and mix with the red peppers and onions.



Here are the ingredients, ready to be made into wraps. I also have a small cup containing Ranch Dressing. (we love using the Litehouse Ranch from Sam's Club) As much as I hate microwave ovens, I do place the tortilla shell into the micro for about 30 seconds to heat it up nicely.......



Before placing the goodies on, I put about a heaping teaspoon of dressing on and smear it around (finger painting! hehehehe) Then, a small handfull of the meat combo, lettuce, cheese......



And roll it up!



I think it took longer to explain all of this than it did to MAKE them! This is such a simple, yet very satisfying meal!

Bon Appetit!

The One, The Only!

This morning, I went to visit Duane's blog...it is always so nice to go there. Anyway, he had a link to see how many of "you" there are in the US. Well, apparently, since there are 0 of me living in the US, I must not EXIST! Wow, there is a thought!

I guess I might claim I am the "Genuine Article", or....if I don't LIKE what is happening, I can say don't BOTHER me, as I do not EXIST! hehehehe

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Squirrel Bait....

That is what Mark calls me when I get a "radical" idea....like crawling on the ground to take a picture of my poor little Daffodils that made such a galliant showing earlier....I guess it wouldn't have been so extraordinary, except for the fact that I did it just a short time ago....just before 9pm...in the total darkness! The motion light on the garage that I depended upon must have blown out last night, so I used the little red laser on my camera to spot the Daffodils in the darkness...The drizzle we have been blessed with most of the day has now turned to a fine snow, so I just wanted to see my little posies one more time!

I should have taken a picture after I removed the stick on top of the plant, but I didn't see it while I was taking the picture. Remember, it was *totally* dark out there! I am truly appreciative of the fact that we have no neighbors in close proximity....I fear my nocturnal habits might cause alarm amongst those who feel less inclined to grope about in the darkness of a cold winter's night, fiddling with and testing one's camera!