Sunday and A few pictures.

Not much happening at the moment.   It was a gorgeous day.   Four of the cats enjoyed time on the deck.   They really appreciate the sunshine.

Earlier this morning the bright sun was causing the trees to cast lovely shadows on the snow.

Tommy was quite interested in a squirrel at one point.

And, I made myself a skull door knocker.   I know, I know, it's a bit macabre but what fun it was to make.  I love it! 

Wild and Windy Night.

The wind overnight was awesome and still going on.   Howling with huge tall Spruce trees dancing.   We lost the power for a few minutes, not surprising as it seems it doesn't take much for the power to go.   You'd think by now, living in a place that has the most wind than just about any other place, that they would have a handle on this. 

Saturday morning after I got up and ran the hot water, there was none.   Only a bit of warm water coming from the tap.   I figured it must be that one of the elements had burned out and that would be a problem this time of year.   If that were the case the hot water tank would have to be drained.   Not a nice thought when a hose would have to be hooked up and put out through the door to drain all the water out of the tank.    I called an electrician who came yesterday afternoon.   He checked the elements and found they were okay.  The problem was that a wire inside the top of the tank had burned out.   It was fixed and I now have hot water.   It's true enough, you don't know what you've got til it's gone.    We don't really appreciate the hot water and electricity at out finger tips.   We take it all for granted.

I believe some of the snow has shrunk this past while although there's still at least a couple of feet of it in the garden and on the lawn.  I have my fingers crossed that the bitterly cold nights are over.  

A wonderful find at the Goodwill.   I love them.   I find them very theatrical looking.  

And to end off.....the boy, outside.

Chimney Cleaning.

It was time to clean the chimney once again.   I'd been waiting for warmer over night temperatures but there was to be no let up of the bitterly cold for a week or more.    This morning when I got up I decided to take things in hand and get the job done.   The fire had gone out so I turned on two portable heaters to keep the chill off until it got light enough for me to go outside.   This would be about a three hour wait.   I went out with a flash light to see if there was much ice and snow on the roof  and looking up at it from the ground, it seemed okay.    Then I thought to myself, if it was icy, once I got up to the peak, if I kept the chimney in front of me while I walked down to it, then if I did end up on my behind and was quick enough to spread my legs, the chimney should stop me from going over the other end.   Well, the light was just coming over the horizon when I decided to get going.   There's an extension attached to the older part of the house and that was almost all iced over.   Not only that, there's a tin or aluminum flashing thing between the two parts that I'm not suppose to step on so I always jump over this both coming and going to and from the chimney.    I saw that I could manage it to get to the older part as I'd be going up hill but on the way back I'd be going down.   No way I could risk that jump as I knew I'd go sailing.   I did get the chimney swept out without incident.   So, on the way back I had to sit on the peak of the house and slide down over the flashing onto the extension.    Then crept down, one tentative step at a time until I got to the ladder.  What a fun morning.

We still have lots of snow and it's not over yet.   Once the month of February is over, I always feel a sense of hope that spring is not far off.    The cats are not liking this winter weather at all.   They get quite bored and sleep a lot.

The crows still arrive each morning between seven and seven thirty.    Usually eight of them.   I'm sure they must be from the same family.   They were delighted with the left over spaghetti that I put out a couple of mornings ago.

I miss my partner but what else would I expect after all these years.   However life must go on and time heals.   I'll be buying an apple tree in the spring to plant and put his ashes around.  

Well, I'm off.  Things to do!

Passing.

My partner of twenty three years passed away on Saturday and was cremated yesterday.   His two daughters, my daughter, my parents and brother along with friends will have a get together here at the house this afternoon as a time of remembrance. 

Saturday, Jan. 18.

Tommy has had his surgery and is back to being his impish self once again.    Taking an afternoon nap.

We've had lovely spring like weather this past number of days, it won't last though as snow is expected overnight.    I got a wonderful surprise in the mail a couple of days ago.   A package from my daughter which included this T-shirt: 

And these two books that I'd been eyeing:

I'm so excited.   When things start getting back to some kind of normal in my life I'll be trying my hand at some of these. 

Boots for Bears and other stuff.

Just sitting here waiting for daylight to get up on the roof and clean the chimney.   The weather has warmed up a bit so a good time to take advantage of it.  Hopefully some of the snow will shrink down. 

Fortunately someone came by wearing snowshoes and broke a path to the feeders for me as the snow was well up over my knees.

I've been very excited to have gotten a new bear pattern.  I'm anxious to get at it when things settle down here a bit more.   Every now and then if I go to the Goodwill I keep an eye out for baby shoes and boots.    These are some that I've collected.  The two pairs of winter boots are much smaller than they appear in the picture. 

Wednesday coming Tommy will be going to the vets to get castrated.   I'm upset about it already.   Not that he's being castrated but that I can't explain to him what's going on and that he'll be coming back home with mom when it's all over. 

The imp himself.

Stanley looking on:

Frankie at the window yelling "Mom, make the snow and cold go away, I want to go out."

Well, that's about it.   Got to get a move on here.

New Years Eve

Himself is in hospital once again with pneumonia.   He was taken away by ambulance early Christmas Day.   It's been such a stressful year and continues to be so.   People tell me to be strong, stiff upper lip and all that crap and I'm trying but sometimes I feel like just letting go and have a good cry.   I'm feeling a bit morose and sorry for myself this morning.  

The weather has been dreadful.   So much snow and cold.   I think I've shoveled more so far this winter than I did all last winter.   Dreadfully cold, waking to minus 18 temperatures.    It's warmed up some this morning.  Only minus 8. 

I did get a chuckle when I got up this morning.   This is how the story goes.....A couple of weeks ago I saw a recipe, can't remember what it was but it called for bread dough so I figured I'd look for some frozen bread dough as I haven't the patience to knead it as long as necessary.   I found a pack of three loafs at the corner store, bought it and put it in the freezer.   Then forgot about it until yesterday.   I had a brilliant idea, I'd make a loaf of bread. There were no instructions on it so I googled and got info.   They said to leave it out for about three hours, it would rise then bake ya da ya da ya da.   This was in the afternoon.   I greased a bread pan and laid the sucker in it, covered with plastic wrap.   By bedtime it hadn't moved so I said to self,   bugger all, it's a waste of time.   This morning I got up, went in kitchen and this massive white blob was facing me on the counter, ahahahaha.   I managed to fit it in the oven and now have it baked.   I'm almost afraid to cut into it, ahahaha.   I guess because the temperature in the house warmed up over night it defrosted and rose.
-- 
The cats are a bit disgruntled with the weather.    Not wanting to go out and sleeping most of the days.   This is Stanley and Tommy looking out the window at the snow coming down yesterday.

Sorry I haven't been following your blogs as I should have been.   My mind has been unsettled for some time what with all that's been coming down.

So, my friends, here's a New Years wish for you:

-+

A Few Updates.

It's been a while since I've blogged.   Not that I've been too busy to do so.  This past year has been a stressful one and I've lost interest in some things.  Hopefully this coming year will be better.   I feel that I'm getting back to normal and am looking forward to spring and getting out in the garden....a good sign.

First of all, about himself.   I may have mentioned this before....after finally getting out of the hospital in June, he had congestive heart failure three times.   They've adjusted his pills once again and he seems to be doing fine now.   His been in Spain for the month of November.   Flying against doctors orders but arrived without incident.   He's due back home soon.  Fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong.

About the little Imp!  Tommy is into everything.   Of all the cats I've had and there's been more than a few, he is the worse.   I had a China Doll plant that was about six feet high.   He stripped it bare, almost bare.   Just a few leaves left on top.   My daughter eventually took it to stay at her house.   I have a five foot croton which he swings on knocking my favorite lamp to the floor more than once.   I finally put that plant in the bedroom.  I decided to put the xmas tree up early as a surprise for himself when he got home.  Tommy would fly across the room and land midway up the tree.   He would also go up through the middle hauling lights and ornaments off.   I was so stressed out, yesterday I took the tree down and packed it away.   Alas, no tree this year.  This is just the tip of the iceberg, I'll not go into the rest.   Still, with all his badness, I love him to bits.  He's a soft cuddly baby.

Up in the woods with Stanley and me.

These early mornings are nippy to say the least.   We've had a few flurries now and then.   Dreading the winter!   I do have plans though, getting back into craft work for one.   I'd like to start sketching and painting again.   Lifes so very short and I have to get back at it!

Colours of Autumn

In the garden.   The colours and sweet smell of the earth and fallen leaves is heaven. 

Autumn has Arrived.

Where to begin.....fall has arrived, leaves are changing colour and quite a few have already fallen.  I commented to himself yesterday on the beautiful sweet smell coming from the earth this time of year.   We've had wonderful weather this past week or so.   Some days it's been like the height of summer with lots of sunshine and warm temperatures.   I'm trying to get most of the perennials cut back which will save me some work in the spring.   It's such a big job with wheelbarrows being filled and back breaking from bending over.   I figure that you have to love gardening to put yourself through this.  I've also had to move a pile of Lavender, Sage and Hyssop to  better prepared areas.   I've been mixing seaweed, leaves and soil with a bit of wood ash thrown in to use in the spring.   I've emptied most of the pots so will soon have to put them away for the winter along with storing the garden ornaments. 

I've had a new deck and steps built on the front of the house as the old one had started to rot.  This one is a bit bigger and I'm really pleased with it.   I've painted the railings and stained the floor of it, a job I don't like doing at all.  Never the less, it's finished now. 

As for himself, since the last trip to hospital with congestive heart failure once again, about a month ago, he's been doing well.   He's had most of his medication changed and it seems like that did the trick.  He's looking and sounding much more like his old self. 

Little Tommy is growing up.   Looking more adult now even though he thinks he's a big boy, he's still a baby.  He's a darling.  

A few pictures:

Some last blooms.

Looking through window in the darkness.

The Rowan Trees, (we call them Dogberry Trees), are laden down with berries this year. 

And, one more of the baby.  Cuddled into his teddy.

He's Just Too, Too Cute.

Little Tommy is a growing boy.  He's chewed through the microphone wire on the computed in three places.  He's tore two lamp shades, knocked over ornaments and has my seven foot China Doll plant shredded.  Among other things!   Still I can't help but love the boy.

Summer seems to have gone so quickly.  Some days you can feel a touch of fall in the air.   Most of the perennials are turning to seed.  While I think of it...I have an overabundance of Woad seed and Angelica seed so if anyone wants some I'll send some to you where ever you are for free.  Email me at wytchwood@gmail.com

Himself is in the hospital for the third time in just over a month.  Congestive heart failure each time.  They are doing a MUGA scan today and he may be let go after that.  He was taken away by ambulance last Thursday.   I haven't been looking after the garden as I usually do so it's all looking a bit raggedy.    I've been stacking wood for a couple of days.  There's about a truckload left to do.   I can't complain about the summer weather wise.  It's been lovely. 

If you look closely, you can see the little imp who knocked over the lamp.  He thinks I don't know who did it, lol.

You can click on the pictures to enlarge them. 

Down The Road A Bit.