I knew I forgot something... and it was WOODY. ;) There probably isn't anything I can offer up right now that will make much difference in the way you feel. It really is fascinating how finely tuned our bodies and their chemistries are, although discovering "imbalances" during pre-op. screenings is probably not great timing. And therefore holds considerably less interest than at other times, huh? Hang in there my friend, you're in my thoughts often and always with a smile. Hang tough!

Marian, I figured you'd be OK with the whole "biddy" thing; let's face it, sister, I'm definitely a "Biddy in Training" and since I also happen to be a "modern pioneer woman" I guess it's not much of stretch to identify myself as a "Modern Pioneer Biddy". I shall do so with pride from now on! hope you'll do the same. ;)

Momentarily putting off my next JJ of the day, which involves organizing the music cds. Somewhere out there is the perfect solution for this , but in the meantime I occasionally have to sit down in frot the bookshelf and stereo and put an hour in to get it back in order. Still have the Christmas CDs in one of the magazines for my CD player.

Eden , so nice that Bella was able to present handmade valentines-so much more meaningful than the mass-produced and marketing-driven crapola that is out there. Maybe the tide will turn on this someday. I hope her efforts were appreciated by the little devils :-)

Candy, I still have a couple of roses to prune and boatloads of cutting back and tidying up if I stay on the paths it should be okay. If the sun stays out all day tomorrow I might be able to do some weeding on Sunday in areas that drain well. The rain this morning was of a drizzley sort and didnt add much to the saturation level. I will see what I can do about furnishing you with photos of what is a pretty dreary scene to my eyes---except for the Hellebores of course !

Ah Norma ! More views of your fabu-garden ..I didnt plant a single pansy this year .

Fun times to Mary and family..I hope the weather cooperates for you ! Does one need to engage a chicken-sitter ?

Ok, I better get to the job at hand before the day gets away from me ..

Waving to all, thinking of Woody too.

Kathy in Napa {{gwi:149077}}From Roses 2009

Evening all,

Im pretty tired this evening as Im teaching an intensive technical painting seminar this weekend. Great group of students though and Im enjoying working with them. There are some terrific painters in this class.

Mary, thanks for letting me know about the crewel project pic. It turned out gorgeous!!!! What beautiful embroidery you do! That photo put a big smile on my face! Its so nice to see that wool used again.

Cindy, I still cant believe youve gotten that much snow!!! Amazing

Marian, that is one well grown, beautiful paph. ~~ How interesting that the Red-tailed Hawk and Crows were feeding side by side. Normally the Crows would be harassing the hawk.

Woody, I sure hope Randy is feeling better and Im thinking of you and sending good thoughts your way.

Norma, so glad you enjoyed the pic of Charles. It has to be my favorite plant in the garden. Happy Anniversary to you!!!!!! Congratulations on 50 years! Fantastic! ~~ ust love the pansy pic! Soooo very cheerful

Eden that Bella is so darned cute!

Kathy, GORGEOUS rose! Love it..

So since you asked,,, Eastern Screech Owl photos.

This little bird has become a celebrity as it has chosen a roosting hole in a tree that is only about ten feet off Rt. 1A the two lane road that follows our coastline. I think every bird photographer in four states (and probably more) have come by to photograph this cutie. These birds are quite small and only between 7 and ten inches tall. This first pic is normally how you see him, just snoozing in the sun.

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And the last time I visited it with my camera a flock of Blue Jays came by to harass it and it opened its eyes, fluffed up its ear tufts then popped down in it hole. It really looks annoyed and I just got the biggest kick out of this sweet bird.

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And a close-up portrait
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OK must run, Ive got to get ready for some serious shut-eye so I can be ready for my students in the morning. Waving hello to one and all.

Deanne

Okay...here is the best I could get of the hawk:

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And it with more crows:

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Wow! Deanne, great owl pics. Sure makes me wish I had a better camera.

Well what a wonderful variety of photos (and friends!) We have been hearing owls hooting back and forth, but no sightings. On the other hand, we see a great many red tailed hawks and saw one today, several times at that. Thanks for the wonderful shots Deanne! So good to hear from you!

Watching Bella at work on her valentines brings back very fond memories. We had a particularly good art instructor in grade school back in Buffalo in the late 1940s and 1950s, Miss Jacoby. I remember a few serious long term projects. One was making a map of the US states and selecting one chief product to represent each of the states, paint it and then varnish the entire result. It took ages to track down the correct drawings, but I still remember corn for Iowa! Anyway, I was one who loved making valentines from scratch too and I know I was the only one as well to do so. Lots of paper doilies and Elmer's Glue were used as I recall. Too bad for those who did not appreciate it! I had FUN.

50th anniversary. Hmmm. I'm surprised and happy that DH brought a tear to your eyes with a mushy card. That would certainly astonish me to receive such a thing! Stay tuned for a few years and we'll see!

Yesterday our friend came by to walk Phoebe and practice on our piano for a concert he'll be giving in March. How fine it is to hear him practice. He was playing pieces by Poulenc and Satie. Maybe Mary is familiar with those composers. Today he returned to help move wood from the barn closer to our front door. We are using wood like crazy in our wood stove and enjoy eating our meals nearby as well.

DH has found interesting tracks in the snow...large cat like tracks. We doubt it is a cat, perhaps a fox? It would be amazing to find a lynx! Good to see your wildlife shot Marian! We're not going to see 80 degrees for AGES!

We celebrate Family Day here in Ontario and also in Alberta on Monday. It is a rather new holiday for us. Sarah & DSIL may announce their big news that day. If so, Skyler will shout for joy. It seems every week when he returns to the house he asks if there will be a new brother or sister and they tell him to give it a rest... Chelone, here's the sequel to the shot you mentioned:
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Still waiting for an appointment with the specialist for DH. It sounds like a bit of a repeat of Woody's long wait. They say anything from 2 weeks to 3 months wait. Oh swell...:( I think a trip to NZ would be a grand cure!

Happy weekend to all!

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Ah, merde. I just lost my post! Will catch up again tomorrow.

Raising a glass to all our northen Idylls in hope of the most marvelous games ever! Off to watch the Opening Ceremonies.

Candy I don't pull the roots out of the bottle. I just flush them with plenty of water. They have grown enough that I will probably just take cuttings from the tops and restart them when we get closer to spring.

Thanks for good wishes everyone. Staying married for 50 years does take a lot of work. There were some bad years in there but worth the effort in the long run.
Our sons and families are taking us out to dinner tomorrow night somewhere in the city. They are being mysterious about it and only say to dress casual.

Mary enjoy your trip with the kids. Sounds like fun.

Eden,have fun with the girls sleepover.

Off to bed. Norma

Deanne I figured you were really busy.

Good morning!

Wendy and SunnyD are meeting me here, and then we're driving down to meet Martie and Sue for Logee's and lunch.

Nick is going to take the kids skiing so when I get back, I'll have some time to be alone with my new plants, lol! I know I'm going to find something I want.

Anyway, I wanted to pop in and say good morning.

Saucy

Please pass my best along to everyone, Saucy!

I started a post from the awfice late yesterday, but had to flush it to get ready to depart.... it was an "interesting" day - starting with a 4 hour commute -- arrived at the awfice at 11 a.m. -- it started with driving and ended up with a metro ride when we figured out we would never make it thru the traffic jams thruout the city - we ended up at Pentagon City metro and took it in (one of the few metro lines open)... coming home was better - only 2 hours... but I pretty much felt like I'd been on an all-nighter by the time I arrived home. Thank goodness for it being the weekend already!!

Yippee -- Deanne has raised her head -- I knew you had to have lots of yellow in your gardens from my memories -- and I have to tell you, FB photos of that bird are absolutely a waste -- it takes this big size here to show of the magnificence of your shots and the bird. That is incredible! The detail -- and the look, LOL, what a look.

Mary is already off to NYC for what sounds like lots of fun - Im glad there will be good weather for you there tho.

Norma - belated happy anniversary -- what an amazing, inspiring accomplishment -- LOL about 100th anniversary -- the things guys think up, eh?

That rose is smellable, Kathy!

Well, I've got only a few mins here - it's the pet groomer/ stock club mtg weekend - the mtg was to be at my house but there's no parking to be had and my front steps are treacherous and impassable - real safety iced hazards. But I need to go get food to take to the member's ofc where we're now holding tomorrow... it will be good to get out and do errands I think.. altho I'd rather be going to Logees or visiting the local nursery - I need some infusion of spring for sure.

-Cindy

Okay, let's see if I can remember what I failed to post last night.

Norma, WOW. 50 years is wonderful. I agree with Chelone that na sense of humor is a must! We all need to laugh more, I think.

Deanne, what a cutie that owl is! Wish we had some around here, but I've never heard any. I used to hear them when we lived in PA, but never saw any. They do have the best expressions when their eyes are open-the very definition of "Go away, don't bother me."

Marian, good pics of the hawk and crows. I am surprised he let them get so close and share his find. Fun to see that generosity does exist.

'bug, love the hamper pics, especially the follow-up. Sorry it is taking DH so long to get an appointment. I should think that it might be considered an emergency since it has gone on for so long.

Kathy, your rose shot is incredible. I think I am beginning to yearn for Spring.

Cindy, I think it stinks that your boss (bosses?) kept the awfice open, but didn't come in themselves. There is a name for people like that...DH went into work yesterday. I drove him to Crystal City because we had taken his car to leave it in the parking garage during the storm-easier than cleaning out his side of the garage. He didn't stay long. No one else was there except for two retired guys who volunteer. The secondary roads around here are still terrible, so I wonder how they will open schools on Monday. We'll see.

Eden, Bella will always remember making those valentines. I should run to the store to get supplies to make some for my little darlings (?) at school, but I am not sure that I am up for making 40+ cards. So lovely of you and she obviously had a grand time!

Mary, have a marvelous time in NYC. MoMA and the Bodies exhibit-sounds great as do the food choices!

I thought the Opening Ceremonies were terrific, but couldn't stay up to see the lighting of the flame. Gretzky was a good choice. So heartbreaking when the Georgian delegation entered the stadium. Now, I will be holding my breath even more than usual throughout the games. We really have ramped up the danger factor as we try to go faster, higher, etc. and kids just think they can do anything-at least, I know we did.

Off to take care of a few Julie Jobs.

Seed packets and coffee in hand , I am heading out to the garage to set up the lights and sow the zinnias, delph and scabiosa. Also on the agenda is potting up all the cuttings I have in the kitchen .

On my walk this morning, blooming purple anemones were seen and Iceland poppies.

Looking forward to reports from the Logee bound Idyllers..

Later !

Can we rewind to the purple thread? I noticed some hardenbergias in bloom in the neighborhood, so headed out early with camera and cup of coffee. These Australian vines are like delicate wisteria, not house-eaters at all:

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Enjoying these photo-intensive threads! Good to see the C's posting. I heard of the commuter derailment in D.C. enroute to work yesterday and was hoping Cindy stayed home again.

Happy anniversary, Norma. Always a treat to see your garden photos.

Marty stayed up with my mom to watch the Olympic opening ceremonies, so I was treated to a recap this morning. Don't know why I always prefer events second-hand, but I do!

Heading out for Ein's Saturday morning walkies. Enjoy your day!

The helpmeet is off on a luncheon date with a good friend who's just endured a cancer scare and the most invasive sort of feminine surgery. I have no idea when he'll return and don't much care; aving received the ultimate "dope slap" with respect to maintaining contact with friends I view this as a very, very good time investment...

I, however have just returned from my St. Valentine's Day shopping trip, with a good card and some lovely, all fruit jellies from a fabulous local confectioner. He'll love them and I'll love watching him love them. :)

Missed the opening ceremonies (too late for this BIT, Biddy in Training) but I was saddened by the tragic death of the Georgian luger. Apparently there has been a lot of talk about the safety of the chute and the fact that the training runs were limited... . "Monday morning quarterbacking" is always fool-proof, but when higher, faster, more efficient is the penultimate, I think more cauttion is called for.

Beautiful purple contribution, Denise. Is there a fragrance, too? I fear spring is still months away for me, but I'm OK with it. Already I'm able to see differences in the quality of sunlight and the maple trees. At mid-day there is generally some melting that occurs even if the air is chill.

The owl shots are wonderful, and I agree that he has a downright irritated look about him, lol. I've only seen one of those once, in a tree on the south side of the lawn. But Rex and I regularly find "castings" from owls and hawks when we walk the golf course and pass under the tall trees that ring it's cart paths. It's cool to see packages of feathers and minute bones; things you would not notice unless you knew what you were seeing.

Time to go put more vinyl spackling into open knots on wood destined for a nother table. And then the pickling will begin yet again...

I took so long to get caught up on reading and now I have almost no time to post!

My hive equipment arrived yesterday and I will spend the rest of the afternoon assembling my hives. Photos will follow.

Today's JJ was taking all the assorted hunks of styrofoam in the garage to a recycling drive. Yay!

V.

Just popped in so as not to get so far behind. Fabulous purple, Denise. You and Kathy have chosen the right spots for living and gardening!

The derailment story became more interesting to me when I read in the Post today that it was a purposeful derailment caused by Metro to avoid a collision b/c the train was on the wrong track. Sheesh.

Chelone, your Valentine's Day treats sound wonderful and isn't fun to give something you know he'll love?! I have no idea what to do. DH never seems to really enjoy anything anymore.

I finally got my calendar pages to Kinko this morning (yes, I know, missed a whole month and half of another). I do a collage of the past year's pictures for each month and it seems to take me longer every year to sort, trim, paste. I was hoping it would be ready early (they aren't busy at all today and haven't even cleared a decent path to their door), but when I called, they said it wasn't done. Shouldn't fuss since it did take me a ridiculously long time to get it in there. At least they didn't tell me I was too late for a new 2010 calendar-lol!

Off to catch up on the Olympics. Steak, Caesar salad, and fries on the menu tonight. I'm hungry already because I skipped lunch. Maybe I'll see if DH wants an early dinner.

Hope all are enjoying their Saturday!

{{gwi:149086}}From 2010-02-13

As per Candys request..
Doesnt look like much does it ? However , if one gets up close( and having spent the entire day either bent over or sitting on the ground I can speak with authority) the evidence for the arrival of spring is compelling. Stuff is growing my friends ! Some stuff that I wish was not quite yet, i.e Fuchsias. Late frosts can lay them low again. Amazing the things you see when youve been stuck inside for a few weeks. So, we have basal foliage on all Sedums, scapes on 3 Daylilies, foliage on all Clematis and several small flower buds on General Sikorski, leaves pushing out on Duetzias, Weigelas, Caryopteris. Tulips up, Daffodils up, Nastursium and the ubiquitous Nigelia volunteers are thriving. Buds are fat on the Lilacs.
The seed station is operational in the garage.. I sowed 4 colors of Benarys Giant Zinnias (wine, lime orange, crimson) Scabiosa Black Night and my Dowdeswells Delphs. Very pleasant to spend the day outside.

Well, I didnt make it to the torch lighting last night either, and became annoyed by the quantitiy of commercials . I guess if you were really into it it would be worth it buy a commercial free satellite packageprobably cheaper than going to even one event in person.

Deanne, what Chelone said..these pics are fabu when seen larger here !I wonder if that little guy will still be around in October ?

How I love those Hardenbergias Denise. I continue to admire them from afar though, no space for one at the present. They are in full bloom here too.

Chelone, I think your gift choice is spot-on. What is it about V-day that requires total impracticality ? Not to say that veering from the path of pragmatism is wrong- there are times when one has to just do something for the hell of it yknow ? Case in point my expensive seeds from NZ !

These are pics taken here today. No yellow ! {{gwi:149087}}From 2010-02-13
{{gwi:149088}}From 2010-02-13

Back to yellow tomorrow !

Kathy in Napa

I forgot to contribute some yellow earlier!

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I spent a good part of the afternoon assembling the hive bodies and supers for my beehive. Here's a look at the work in progress:

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The small rug was there for two purposes; it gave me something softer to kneel on and it also made the hammering a little quieter. I did most of the work myself, but I did need DH to lend me his muscles a couple of times to get the joints to fit together. The dovetails were quite tight-fitting.

Here's a closer look at one of the finished hive bodies. I put just one of the frames inside to give an idea of what it will look like. There will be eight frames in the finished hive body.

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This week's assignment is to decide how I want to paint them (traditional white? another color? a design?) and then I will paint next weekend.

I also re-potted one of my agaves that was not planted in a cactus/succulent mix. The potting soil was holding too much moisture and the agave was rotting a bit as a result.

You only get a slightly weird look when you check out of the farm store with 50 lbs. of dog food, two bags of cactus mix and a box of nails. Hey, it makes sense to me!

DH was so pleased that he remembered to wish me Happy Valentine's Day first thing this morning. He couldn't believe it when I told him it was only the 13th!

Good news from DD. She's been accepted to graduate school at her third choice school. She's still waiting to hear from #1 and #2, but in her words, "At least I know SOMEBODY wants me!"

Mary, the chick choosing continues! I'm leaning towards a mix of Araucanas, Buff Orpingtons, Golden Wyandottes and Barred Rocks, but we haven't finalized where we are going to order from as yet. Every time I think I have figured out the best option, another possibility raises its head. I just found out today that the farm supply store can order all of the above breeds and that may be the easiest way to go. Decisions, decisions.

I just saw DH uncork a bottle of wine, so I think it's time to post this!

V.

Well Kathy, I really am a "white" person, so those white hellebores strike a very pleasant chord! :)

Today has been an odd one with tons of phone calls interrupting things I'd planned to accomplish. I should have known. Today is DH's birthday, #69. So of course everyone wanted to talk to him and he can't talk. So speaker phone had a workout today. First the Alberta gang sang to him, then several other friends. I made him valentine shaped pancakes for breakfast with pecans, real maple syrup and fresh raspberries. Being the saint in residence, I only ate the raspberries followed by my stint on the treadmill.

Later we went out to get yet another size knitting needle as well as a meter to read the house humidity. When I got back to the car, DH had filled my seat with a large pink azalea plant for valentine's day. As they say "Say it with flowers!" So that went on my lap for the journey home. Of course they no longer make the meters, only the $50 variety that do 5 other useless jobs as well. So much for progress.

As we came to our bridge on our return to the farm, there was the small possum noodling around in the snow. DH took him (her?) an old apple from the kitchen as a reward for surviving the latest cold spell.

I managed to make a crustless cranberry pie for dessert tonight and it was well received.

Mañana,
'bug

Gee, 'Bug-do you think your hubby would mine sharing his birthday?

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Jude Harrison was born yesterday morning, around 5:30 a.m. My brain has been a bit overloaded, lol, and the exact time escapes me at the moment. he weighed in at 6lbs 13 oz, and 19.5 inches long. Everyone is healthy, happy and exhausted.

Like V, I spent too long reading and have little time to post. I need to get showered and dressed and go look the little guy over some more.
More later. Yeah, Chelone...look out-more baby pics.
Another Idyll Grandma :D
Brenda

I know I already told you, Brenda, but I wanted to say it here...Congratulations! He's a beautiful boy. It's going to be great to have another grandma here to swap stories and pictures with. You are going to be such a good and I have to add...FUN...grandma! I'm so happy for you and your family :)

Eden

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Oh Brenda, how perfect! Nothing will ever be the same....

May I suggest buying a heart shaped cake mold? I've found it useful over the years for February birthdays!

Delighted to share his birthday. :) CONGRATULATIONS!

Brenda, how wonderful! He is beautiful!

Happy Valentine's Day, all. The link is one from another thread and I am passing it on to all of you!

Congratulations Brenda and family! I will think of Jude now everytime I play and sing 'Hey Jude' one of my favorites. He is a handsome baby,and healthy looking.
Did Cristina have a long labor? I hope not.
Neat that he shares a birthday with Bugs DH.

Bug, neat that you got an azalea. I know you like the color this time of year.

Kathy it's great to see a garden waking up. A glimpse of whats to come for the rest of us later.

Cyn, cool valentine for us flower lovers. Thanks.

V, are those a wildflower? They appeal to me. I know you will come up with a cool paint job for the bee hives although I kind of like the traditional white too.

We had a fun night out with the family last night at 'The Royal Dumpe' on Historic Lacleades Landing in St Louis.
Here is a paragraph from their website.
"Step back into 16th century England for an evening of Medieval Madness with King Henry VIII and his bevy of wenches! It's a riotous night of bawdy merry making and song as you are transformed back to the days of yore!"
Chelone you would have loved it.

It was hilarious and our youngest grandaughters DH and I became part of the show as the night progressed. They couldn't have picked anyone more shy than the two of us in a crowd. But he was a good sport and I did have fun with it. Bob and I were called up on stage too with all the other people celebrating birthdays anniversaries and retirements. Just a fun time and something the whole family enjoyed except for maybe Wyatt(thankfully most of it went over his head). He did enjoy banging the sticks on the table which they had everyone do instead of applause.
As we were leaving there was still quite a bit of Mardi Gra stuff going on in the streets. The streets there are still the old cobbles from way back when.The horses and carriages were out. And The arch at night is neat.

Bob has brought lunch from town so gotta go eat.

Happy Valentines Day everyone.

Norma

Oh and just want to add...waaahhh, I wanna be a grandma!

Sounds like a fantastic evening, Norma!

Norma, I meant to name the plant yesterday but forgot all about it! Those are Echinacea paradoxa, an Echinacea that is native in areas south of me. It does quite well for me and reseeds periodically but not abundantly. I know you have a lot of shade, but if you have some sun it should love your area.

Brenda, I'll congratulate you again! He's just a beautiful baby, following in the fine tradition of all idyll grandbabies.

The river birch is being "deconstructed" today. DH was sure it could be saved, but we sent photos to a friend who is an arborist and he said it should be removed.

We had our annual jazz service at church and then a chili fest afterwards. DH and I brought moose chili which was a hit. I also tried a smoked almond chili that was really good.

I have a short list of household tasks to accomplish, and I want to get them out of the way with enough time left to enjoy the sunshine in the loft today.

V.

Congratulations to Brenda and family - a very nice V-day present indeed!

And Happy Birthday to Gb's DH!

Brenda, congratulations to all ....he is a handsome fellow.

We arrived home last night to lots of snow including a snowy runway. Our trip was good in many ways. We did get to spend most of the week with Kenzie, which was fun. The weather was crappy by Florida standards but still not bad to us northerners. Two days it rained all day and 60 was the best the temps could do. We took advantage of that day and went to the zoo, which my little animal lover adored. My DD is cat sitting and Kenzie is loving that as well. There are still many concerns though.

We bucked snow drifts on the way to church this a.m. We were wise and took the 4 wheel drive pickup.

I see that Brenda has joined the club congratulations grandma, hes a cutie. Enjoy!

Norma, I was wondering how close you lived to St. Louis when we drove through last Saturday night. I enjoyed seeing the arch at night. We had dry roads the whole trip except the first 30 miles after we left home which was slushy and after that it was wet for a while. Congratulations on 50 years your celebration sounds very interesting and memorable.

Ive really just skimmed this Idyll but I did enjoy seeing Bellas lovely handmade Valentines, Ivys climbing adventures, an awesome owl and lots of lovely yellow.

I'll have to see if I can round up something yellow - I do have lots of it in my gardens.

I see Ive already failed at being keeper of the birthdays. Chelones was while I was in gallivanting around Florida playing grandma. I hope your day was enjoyable.

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Oh Chelone, I just plain forgot. No excuses. Here's a story that intrigued me that I'll share with you.

During a private "fly-in" fishing excursion in the Alaskan wilderness, a chartered pilot and fishermen left a cooler and bait in the plane.
A bear smelled it. This is what he did to the plane.
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The pilot used his radio and had another pilot bring him 2 new tires, 3 cases of duct tape, and a supply of sheet plastic.
He patched the plane together, and FLEW IT HOME!

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Happy Birthday...a bit late, I know.

Welcome back to winter Michelle. I'm so glad you got a healthy dose of grandmothering while you were away. I hope there are photos to follow too. Sorry there are worries. There always seem to be some of those. We do our best though, don't we! It helps to have the little ones around to remind us of joy and humor.
Hugs!
'bug

Oy, we are birthday deadbeats once again !

Okay Chelone, you get 2 as a make-up.

Happy Birthday Chelone ! {{gwi:149101}}From Ruth Bancroft Garden May 2009
{{gwi:149102}}From Idyllunion 6 July 2009

Best wishes to you my friend !

Kathy in Napa

A daring post-in-the-box as I finished reading

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Awesome story and photos, bug!

Michelle, so glad to read youre safely back home and had an unhurried visit with Kenzie and DD!

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(hold the applause, V finally has figured out how to add text to photos. someone had to be the last one, you know!)

V.

Aw shucks, looks like my 3 day weekend is drawing to a close.I sure got some weeding done though, in spite of the mud enviornment in my garden. I managed to move a couple of things too. Not ideal conditions, but spring is knocking on the door very insistently, and its now or never for some chores.

Welcome home Michelle, so glad you got to spend time with Kenzie. I beginning to think that concerns will never end. Adult children are still children , and what happens to them , happens to us . Hugs to you ..

Norma, I have been to Lacleades Landing , back in the day when I traveled to STL a couple times a year on business. There was a jazz/blues club there that we would visit. I also saw Willie Nelson at the restored Fox Theater there. What a spectacular place that was ! It was years ago, but Ive never forgotten it.

Ai yi-yi bug ! Never underestimate a bear !

So I decided I was gong to watch the Olympics, but now I am having some issues. Last night I getting annoyed with the frequency of the commercials so I logged them between 9 and 10 (Okay, so maybe this is over-the-top) and here are the times : 9:07, 9:15, 9:19,9:36, 9:46, 9:49,10:04. Ludicrous. Disrespectful of the athletes. Tonight I have the games on , but the volume off . If I see an event I want to watch I can turn the sound on , and when its over (in 4 or 5 minutes) I can mute it again and go about my business. Does this bother anyone else ? Maybe its because I only watch TV during baseball season and never watch commercials at all during the season-when one comes on I just switch to another game.. OK, rant over.

V, I dont know how to add text to photos either ! I need a tutorial .. Thought of you an Saucy today when I was on my photo shoot in Carneros, lots of hives were seen, mostly painted a sage-y green or white .

All for tonight ..peace-out.

Woo-hoo, Brenda! Congratulations to your family on the arrival of Jude Harrison.

Good work on the bee boxes, V.

Norma, I had a similar experience in a comedy club with my BIL, who loved the spotlight. Made me cringe and slump in my chair. Glad you had a great time.

Thank goodness Michelle is back to whip us all into shape.

Happy birthday, Chelone! And a birthday tip. Not sure if you've heard of the book Wolf Hall yet on Thomas Cromwell, advisor to Henry VIII. It's been winning prizes and getting good reviews. Sounds right up your alley.

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I can add text to photos too...but am too champagne-brunched out for the task tonight! G'night

This Idyll is rolling along as we reach the middle of February and inch our way closer to spring!

Brenda, congratulations! I agree with Norma and Marian, handsome is the word for Jude. Love that picture; look how laid back he isperfectly relaxed, no visible signs of just making his entrance into the world. Hes probably the only one who wasnt exhausted, lol.

Deanne, thank you for sharing the owl photos. They are such unique creatures. Reminds me how our tabby cat was famous for her owl ears when she was displeased about something. Dont let your busy schedule wear you out as winter drags on.

Marian, those are really good pictures of the hawk and crows considering the distance, glad you posted them. I tend forget how big crows are and then when I see one fairly close by, Im a bit uneasy. They dont like me trying to run them off and they dont scare easily. Once, while I was weeding, a crow flew in fast and landed on the birdbath full of water very near me, almost tipping it over. Another time I was standing on the patio near the house when I heard this clattering on the roof followed by loud cawing. Just as I looked up a small plastic cup, of what turned out to be fast food BBQ sauce, bounced off the gutter and hit me on the shoulder. I could hardly believe that crow had been flying along carrying the cup in his beak but there was no other explanation for it!

I beg to differ, Kathy! Your garden looks pretty darn dramatic to me, lol. Shockingly green to these cabin feverish eyes, in fact. It will be weeks before I see any basal growth so thank you for the glimpse of an early garden. So, when will most of your shrubs and perennials be leafed out and blooming?

Vyouve been as busy as a well, a bee! Sounds like your chicken project is going to be of good size. Did I somehow miss you building a hen house?

Norma, nice to hear you and DH had such a fun evening celebrating your anniversary with the family!

Our Valentines dinner tonight was delicious; we both decided to order steak with grilled mushrooms and yes, really splurge on calories with 3 layer chocolate cake topped with raspberries. Sneaking in more purple with my Valentine bouquet from DH.

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Bud vases hold their own simple charm for me so I couldnt resist pulling out a few
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And back to yellow
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Woody, sleep well on the cushion of many special thoughts going out to you!

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Bug, I have to show those airplane pictures to Jake. He is a big fan of duct tape.

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Hopefully better late than never. I am not very good at being a back up birthday keeper. I can barely remember my family's big days. I am working on a remedy (like a LOUD alarm system, "Idyll Birthday, Idyll Birthday!"

Chelone, don't know how to add text to pics. Don't know how to change the font in these posts. Do know how to wish you happy birthday, though! Hope it was the best ever.

Can't wait to show those plane pics to my DH-retired Air Force pilot who always thought it would be fun to get a plane like that one and ferry people up to wilderness areas for fishing. Duct tape, huh? That is amazing, 'bug.

Denise, I am going to look up that book at the library. Should be fascinating.

Kathy, you're right about the Olympics coverage. We do the same thing with the sound. Also, love that Roman bust in the garden. What a face and such a penetrating gaze. Wonder who he was.

It is looking as if we may get the kids back at school tomorrow with a two-hour delay. that is the plan according to the powers that be. Should be interesting considering the shape of some side roads around here. Today has become a teacher workday and our principal is letting us work from home. Very nice of her. Oh, and we did lose our modified calendar when the school board voted last week. Not sure I can keep at this for eight more years-I have to work until 66 for full Social Security benefits-ugh.

Well, HAPPY, HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY again, Chelone. Hope you were spoiled rotten.

Oh my word !!! Chelone, I am so sorry we all missed your birthday! Shame on us......I hope you had a good one.

Candy, you must have a differant kind of crow than we do. Although I have been feeding 'ours' for years they are still very timid, and fly off if they so much as see us move inside the house ! I have to be very careful about approaching a window to get their pics.
Also, it is not the hawk that intimidates the crows. It is the other way around. The crows attack any hawk or owl that they see. They make a very annoying racket in doing so, and do the same with snakes.

Marie, I am wondering what the buildings are in the 4th pic of the damaged plane. I am not surprised that bears can do such damage. I suspect it was a polar bear...or more than one.

For Chelone, a hawk moth:

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Well, I miss a lot whenever 24 hrs goes by without checking in !

Happy Belated Birthday, Chelone -- this is what Im wishing for you and me!

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--Cindy

Chelone - hoping you had a very Happy Birthday with very best wishes from the feathered ladies. Sorry the gals were not all looking at the camera. In fact Red Betty looks as if she is high-tailing it out of the picture. You know how group photos go.....
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Mary

PS V - you are not the last, I still haven't sat down and figured it out:0)

Michelle good to know you are back safely.

Mary love seeing the girls.

Saucy like the lanterns in your card photo.

Marian those hummingbird moths give me a start some times.

Candy to funny getting bombed with the bbq sauce.

Love these photo intensive threads.

Being brief today as I really need to get off my arse and do something constructive. Although I have managed to get my computer upates fixed with the help of Judy at microsoft.
I'm a little tired of the computer right now.
We had more snow overnite.
Later Norma

Take a day off for quality family time and look at what greets me upon my return! Very cool pictures, you guys. (I have no idea whatsoever how to put text over a picture, either, so I'm in pretty good company, I see!).

My thoughts are with Woody today as something in the back of mind says the 16th. is the big day? May the wind be steady and the seas smooth, a beam reach toward recovery, my friend.

Brenda, Jude looks pretty good for one so freshly "out of the brine", so to speak. Try to use some restraint with the pictures though, willya?! :)

I see spring everywhere in your garden, Kathy. Probably just because we who love to watch spring overtake the ground know what to look for... .

I will have to look for that book, Denise. While Cromwell has a pretty grim reputation (the architect behind the fall of Ann Boleyn) he suffered mightily at his own fall. What many do not appreciate, however, is what a very, very capable official "Mr. Secretary" was, as was his predecessor (and mentor), the equally disgraced Cardinal Wolsey. Too often the depth and real worth of a person is lost in the myth. Henry VIII was fortunate to have such astute, capable, hardworking men at his right hand... ..I also want to read "In Fed We Trust" by David Wessel (Wall St. Journal and frequent NPR contributor).

Wow, the bear vs. plane series is a sobering reminder of the power and drive in an animal that is looking for food! When park officials tell you not to leave food in your car or bring it into your tent it's wise to take the advice to heart, huh?

Big day here, today. The pride had to go to the veterinary clinic for shots. Polly and Vera in their suitcases, Spencer wearing his jaunty red harness. All are in good condition, had some tartar scraped off their back teeth, and came home with the yearly dose of Drontal. They have been successful hunters over the months and as a result are little "mobile homes" for all manner of worms. ;) But not for long!

We are having "linner" again today, and it smells pretty good. Gotta go.

Happy Birthday Chelone!!!! Hope you had lots of fun!

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This is a pic from the Home and Garden Show here last week. I just loved these butterflies, and thought you would enjoy them too. They are galvanized or stainless steel, not supposed to rust at all. The heat from the torch makes the color.

Drema

Woody, Chelone said it perfectly. Can't improve on it, so I'll just second her wishes.

I'll third that, Woody. I'd like to think you're getting settled for a good night's rest but that may be hard tonight. I hope all the bureaucratic stuff goes smoothly.

Drema, my DH brought one of those butterflies home from a trip a few years ago. It's never rusted and it's held up very well.

I've been EATing my way through a few things tonight. Plenty of papers going into the recycle bin!

Chelone, I guess that linner sounds better than dunch!

V.