The Hunt Is ON!

Easter afternoon, and the hunt was on!

I see more! (Wonder if I can beat anyone else to these over here?)

You gotta be fast!

(I think I inadvertently bleeped a photo? How did I do that?)
We're making progress!

There are some eggs hiding up here? Really?

Did I find the last one?

Mom's on monitoring duty. Look at my haul!!!

Gotta keep my eyes pealed for any more possible eggs.

We didn't do too bad, now, did we?

Huh? I'm not so sure I got an equal share.

Wild Life Here at Home

Saturday before Easter while some of us were finishing up breakfast, my son noticed this squirrel coming up from behind the gas grill to perch on the rain gauge. I quietly, and slowly turned around, as my back was inches from the patio door that was about 3 to 4 feet from the perched rodent, so as not to startle it.

I called for my husband to grab the camera just to see if he might get a picture or two. We gazed in amazement as this little furry critter sat very still, barely moving for at least 10 minutes while we watched, chuckled (wondering if this was a "potty break"--or what? We never saw any evidence of such.), and wondered how he (or she) could be so calm and unconcerned that three huge humans were in such close proximity. It didn't bolt when it did move, but eventually made its exit into the yard.




Then a day or two later, after moving the garbage cans to the road for pick up, I spotted this bristly critter. I thought it was black, until I inspected it further. It might be primarily black, but at the base of its spines, it appears to be a very dark green in spots. You might not be able to detect that green color from this picture, for which I truly mourn, but I promise they were there! It never moved that I could see, either. I must be sooooooo intimidating. Sorry! I don't think I've ever seen a larger caterpillar in my life! It was so fat and so long. The piece of pine straw at the bottom of the photo is about 3 to 4 inches long.

A Perfect Day

My 2 year-old grandson said so. We had just had a "picnic" outside for lunch. We'd checked out the new spring garden--planted only this past Monday--4 days ago--and counted all the stepping stones between the rows, two or three times, while he hopped from one to another. He allowed me to push the glider/swing thing higher and higher. We'd checked out some of the fabulous array of azaleas, spirea, purple wisteria and other flowering plants spilling their sweet fragrances and lovely colors around the yard. Then he climbed to the top of the slide and sat a few moments in the quiet of the afternoon.

"Grandma?"

"What?"

"It's a perfect day."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Um-hum. It's one perfect day!"

And it was. The air was cool. The sky was blue housing a few light clouds. The trees were showing off their newest variety of spring green wardrobes. The birds flitted here and there. Butterflies floated from spot to spot.

Ahhhhhhhh! I love Spring. I love my grandchildren in particular and children in general.

I had to agree with his astute assessment. It was indeed, one perfect day.

Easter

Easter. Grand. Glorious. Celebration of life. Life after death. Life after death because Jesus, the Son of God, chose to come to earth to redeem us from the Fall.

I'm so grateful for Easter and the Celebration that it is! To know that we will not be conquered by death. To know that God loves each of us so much He sent His Only Begotten Son to show us the way and to be the Last Sacrifice for Sin.

Happy Easter to everyone. There is light and hope even in the midst of the gathering gloom.

A Different Surprise

Well, lo, and behold . . . the temperature has reached 67 degrees at 3 something this afternoon. We be onna rolla-coaster, y'all. Hopes we's all up fer da ride!

It is another BEAUTIFUL day. Glory be.

Whut eva will t'marra bring???

Surprise!

Had a BIG surprise this morning . . . Just after I got the grandchildren on the bus for school this morning, I was minding my own business--trying to press my dear husband's shirt--when the doorbell rang. Awfully early for someone to be ringing the doorbell, I thought, but hey. You never know.

I opened the door and Officer Freeman, of the local constabulary, was standing on the front porch, his associate sitting in the patrol car parked on the street just in front of the house. Shock, I'm sure, covered my face--and deepened when Officer F said, "We're responding to a 911 call from your phone." His companion (another really nice police officer--I'm sorry I forgot his name) got out of the cruiser and waved.

Ahhh. Errrr. Hmmm? And then I remembered: Husband has to do the "over-the-phone-line" heart/pacemaker/defibrillator transmission every so often, and today was the day. I didn't remember that the handy-dandy hook-up is hooked directly into the phone jack. I had connected a corded phone with the jack to replace the cordless one we normally use. I checked for a dial tone, and apparently, without any thought of what I was pushing, dialed "911"! Silly me. The corded phone was new to me and didn't have a "end" button where cordless phones do. The button to click was on the cradle not on the hand-held receiver. Where is my brain???? (If someone finds it, please return it. Okay?)

My dear, beloved husband can't stop laughing at me. Hey! I was just trying to help! Him! Stop laughing! Please?

Okay. I hear you guys out there, too. Who woulda thought?

The upside . . . I know if I ever DO HAVE a real 911 emergency, they'll be johnny-on-the-spot! There is comfort in that.

Honey, will you PLEASE stop laughing at me?

I'm sure that by now he's telling all his friends at work what a wonderful wife he has. Whada ya bet?

My Feet Are Cold

This is Sunday evening. It snowed today. Apparently we've finally reached the high temperature of the day--at nearly 9:30 pm--38 degrees. I don't know if the gale force winds are still blowing or not. Probably not. (And "gale force" might be a slight exaggeration.)

Friday--just two days ago--it was a glorious Spring/Summer day. The sky was beautiful and clear. The temperature was about 78 degrees (F). It was super! The grandkids enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. Grandpa enjoyed it. Mom enjoyed it. It was simply GREAT!

Yesterday the high was about 65 degrees. The clouds began moving in with gusting, cooler wind. Our forecast (yesterday) for today indicated a possibility of snow. Then the forecast changed sometime yesterday evening. The forecast high for today was 47 degrees. Rain and possible thunderstorms were also included--with a low of 31 or 33, something.

When I walked out to the car to go to Church this morning, there were tiny little specks of snow falling randomly about. One really had to look to see them. The wind blew in Arctic blasts, knifing through me and making my teeth chatter--figuratively, of course. Remember now, snow had been removed from the forecast. And our high was supposed to be 47. Right.

At home after Church, I was encouraged to "fire up" the fireplace, which I did. Our 2 yo grandson was all about trying to help. (Why are there so many pyromaniacs in my family?) It felt nice once it (the fire) got up and going, thank Heaven. My husband tended it off and on to keep our frozen little bodies warmer.

I think the temp managed to get as far as 36 with a windchill of like 28. Around 2 pm the snow decided to actually try to imitate the real thing and make larger flake-like particles that swirled around more thickly. It went on and on. It quit around supper time. I'm still cold, especially my feet. I think I'll make a cup of hot cocoa and try to warm up.

Tomorrow the prediction is for a high of 66 degrees. I'm not holding my breath or anything, but it would be a nice change! How do you plan to start a garden in this schizo kinda weather?