I know we just did the "Spring Forward" thing, but I thought that was a One Hour skip. Not a 3 month prodigious leap. (In a Leap Year, at that.)

Temps are and have been in the 70's. And this is only mid-March in Minnesota. Don't get me wrong--I think this weather is about as perfect as can be. However, it's such a Time Warp mind warp to have June weather in March. I do wonder what real summer will be like. These days, you never know for sure.

We're planning a Fire Bowl Celebration for next Saturday evening (locals are welcome) to honor the Spring Equinox and show appreciation for the great weather. I'm starting to think we should be calling it a Solstice Party!

How are all of you "weathering" this year's version of unusual climatological conditions? Or is yours fairly normal?

The following short story (499 words via Word) was prompted by an email typo when a friend and I were discussing the opening line from the original "Doc Savage Man of Bronze" novel. I hope you find a smile or two in it.

Death Can Be Such a Bitch

There was Death, afoot in the darkness.

In the absence of his Pale Horse and her natural glow, Death clambered down precipices and through winding tunnels surrounded by an annoying lack of illumination. He muttered his clacking complaints to the long-handled scythe that never failed him. Through millenia, the scythe accompanied Death on his duty-rounds whether to the heights of the Alps or the depths of the Pacific or somewhere between. Arbiter didn't whinny and whine about walls closing in or the imagined weight of rock pressing on it.

( Read more... )

Last night, when MyJeff and Arrow returned from their evening walk, we stood on the sidewalk out front and gazed at Venus and Jupiter hanging out together in the western sky. For the last few weeks and continuing on for another week or so, those two planets dance a sedate minuet together. Their light is exceptionally bright during this performance, as though they were dancing lovers with the glow of blushes and excitement.

Tonight the moon rose big and round and tinged with gold. Now she's withstanding the assault of banks of cirrus clouds scudding across her face. Other clouds are covering Venus and Jupiter's show this evening, but duenna moon is looking for them.

Starry skies are wonderful.

Ah, my friends. If there is, indeed, a Force Greater Than We--a Deity or a Fate; and if that Force bestows Grace upon we lowly Earth dwellers, then surely this day is an example of all the Loving Grace one could hope for.

Sunny with temps in the low-mid 50's F (about 14 C), a gentle breeze, the everywhere-sound of water trickling as snow melts and runs to the gutter grates, bird song, a delightful walk with our sweet puppy-boy . . . 

Thank you, Life, for this glorious day.

Arrow talks. Really. I don't understand his moaned or howled or clicked words, but sometimes I manage to interpret the gist of his meaning. This occasional understanding is usually assisted through visual aids--he starts heading for the door, or he grabs a toy and shakes/tosses it. Thus far I've deduced 4 main messages with one overall--or perhaps I should say: underlying--theme.

1) The basic: I want to go outside.
2) Another basic: Play with me.
3) Major foundation: I'm hungry. (No, I will NOT say "Feed me!" We fostered an Audrey once, and it wasn't a pretty experience.)
4) The sweetest: Pet and snuggle me. PLEASE! Pet me. I'm right here, pet me. If you still love me, you'll pet me.
    4a) Corollary: Why'd you stop petting me? Want to rub my tummy?

Most often an underlying theme prompts his vocalizations: I'M BOOOOORRRREDDD!!


I don't think I've posted this Arrow Contortion photo. He curled himself kind of oddly at my feet one day. Notice that his feet point in one direction and his head is over his back pointing toward his tail. 

He's entertaining.

. . . Beauty which covers treachery in the form of icy surfaces. 

This morning MyJeff received a fleet message from the overnight dispatcher to exercise special caution, since the night drivers had excessive difficulties last night. Just heard on the radio that the ice prevention chemicals put down on the roads yesterday were all washed away by the rain before the snow fell. I shoveled the heavy wet stuff from our small deck and steps earlier. Arm hurts. Of course, I forgot my wrist brace until I was out there scooping and hoisting. Didn't want to take the time to fetch it for that small space. Guess I won't shovel much more today.


I've heard that many trees are suffering from the weight of the rain-snow-rain-snow accumulation on their branches. Our Little Cedar outside my bay window is definitely bent over. Last year, one of her branches broke from the heavy snowfalls we received then. I hope she doesn't lose more. Here's what she looked like this morning. Let me point out that I can usually walk under the branch that's touching the ground in the fore of the picture.

What a climate we're all living in! The only constant is--surprise!--inconsistency. Oh, yeah, and unpredictability. Here and I was starting to think we might slide right on into an early March Spring. Now I'm expecting the usual mid-March Hockey Tournaments snow storms. Sometimes pessimism is the safest course.

But I'm still hoping April 1st will be nice enough to do my first 2012 Garage Sale . . .

Everyone, please be careful out there.

I've been playing an online "search-and-click" game off and on for the last few weeks. It's rather addicting. Fun to see the scenes that have been designed and some clever hidden-in-plain-sight sneakiness. The premise is a Time Travel Society who cleans up the anachronisms dropped at sites in history. One thing I've noticed is that some of the anachronisms aren't. A bulb of garlic in ancient Greece is probably right at home. As might be a flying eagle or perching pigeon. All of the umbrellas that keep appearing fit the definition, though. ;~) Good thing it doesn't cost anything to play. Of course if it did, I wouldn't be playing it and might get more work done.

Gloomy weather today, but the temps are mild. This weekend is supposed to be quite nice. There's little snow left and that is mostly crusty coatings of ice. Makes a tiny, reckless part of me think that maybe . . . just perhaps, mind you . . . there might be a chance that we won't have any real winter and can safely start thinking "SPRING!". Silly of that tiny me, I know. Just can't restrain the trickles of hope.

We're now talking with Keeshond Lovers United (KLU) for whom we foster keesies about taking in a foster dog soon. Several keeshonden were "released" from a puppy mill into shelters down their way and KLU is trying to find safe places for them. We'll probably take one of the other fosters to make room for a puppy mill dog in a foster home down there. Although we DID discuss taking a second foster who would be from a puppy mill. Don't know if we can handle that many new canines at once just now.

Poor little Tripper The Cat has finally been showing her fuzzy face the last week or two. New dogs will doubtlessly send her back into self-imposed seclusion.

  I'm pretty sure I haven't posted this one before. When he tired of shaking the bunny toy and running around the house with it, Arrow used it as a pillow.

Stepped outside to check on Arrow after lunch and stood in the sun trying to think of things I really needed to do outside. Although I didn't bother to check on the temperature, I can tell you it felt like late March. Cleaned up Arrow's little gifts, while listening to melted snow trickling from the neighbor's roof. Tossed the tennis ball for our pup-boy, longer than he wanted to chase it. Decided he needed a walk, even if my leg was hurting. Kept telling myself "just a little bit further", "to that corner", and so on. Finally gave in to the twinges in my thigh, came home, and came inside.

Looked out the window. Put my shoes and jacket back on. Picked up my camera and went out to see if I could find a good picture or two in my back yard. Here are a couple of what I snapped.

  Some of that running water I'd been listening to.

   A confused azalea is trying to bud out.

Now the clouds have moved in and cooled everything down. I closed the windows I'd opened earlier. Content to be inside now.

Arrow's play day on Saturday didn't go as well as hoped. While we were going for a walk together with friend K and her 3 keesies, Arrow was pretty pushy and even aggressive a few times. Then K slipped on a BAD ice patch and went down flat on her back before we even reached the first corner of the block, so we turned right around and headed back to her house. We let the 4 dogs loose in her back yard and stood around watching. Arrow tried to be a bit pushy, but Beau let him know: This Is MY Yard. Then Arrow started chasing and barking all along the fence with the dog next door. Again, Beau got in his face with MY Yard, MY Friend! So Arrow did get an idea about proper behavior. We didn't stay long, since Arrow kept going back to chase and bark with the neighbor's dog. We were concerned that Beau might decide to escalate his lessons. And K was hurting. But we have a tentative date for Wednesday evening, because Arrow CLEARLY needs better socializing. We're also trying to find an obedience class for MyJeff and Arrow that doesn't strain our budget too badly.

Managed to sell a couple of vintage children's books to a collector I know of. I'd picked up the books with this lady in mind at a flea market and an auction during the fall months. Just got around to contacting her, and she promptly said "YES". Am expecting to hear from her when they're delivered in a couple of days with a report on how she likes them. I love finding something neat and passing it on to someone who also thinks it's cool. Especially if I can make a profit, naturally.

Which leads to: MUST write more "are you interested in . . .?" emails for some other stuff AND do blurbs and photos for more books.

Unfortunately, haven't done much other writing over the last couple of weeks. I've a writing meeting with a friend this coming Sunday, so I need to get some words out and entered for then. Doing a background story for a couple of characters in the current novel-in-looooonnnng-progress.

The weather here is mind-twisting. We're currently at 39 degrees and are expecting upper to mid 30s's the rest of the week. In Minnesota. End of January, into February. Unbelievable. I really should take advantage of this pleasant sunshine, and go shovel/scrape the compacted snow from our front sidewalk so the sun can DRY IT OFF! Or would that just make it easier for the freezing rain they're predicting for tonight to turn the sidewalk into a leg-breaker? Sigh. Decisions.

Glued the crosspieces on one of our dining chairs back into the legs today. It's currently sitting downsideup on the table with bungee cords "clamping" the relevant pieces together. I'm not so sure it's going to help much since our wood glue is fairly old and so thick I had to scrape it out of the bottle and apply it with a toothpick. Well. I tried. Maybe I'll just leave the darned bungee cords on it. A new furniture fashion idea: bungee and glue. I'd say "duct tape", but everybody's tried that at some time or another. Haven't they? Or is it just me?