A couple of weeks ago I was looking through my posts from April of last year and noticed that we'd had snow as late as April 8th, but then we'd had a rip-roaring winter last year. This year we didn't get winter until Spring had already arrived and we've bounced back and forth since. Today is April 13th, it's shortly past noon, and not so shortly past the start of Spring. I'm looking out the window and watching it snow.
Our weather guessers had forecast snow at the higher elevations and maybe down as far as 5000 or even 4000 ft. I am just at 3000 ft and saw a f/b post from a friend who's down at the 2600 - 2700 ft level. It simply read, "It's snowing". The forecast for the foothills today was for rain with possible thunderstorms (which, by the way, we had in great abundance last night) although, their credibility being what it is, most of us prepared for snow.
I'm so looking forward to warm, dry weather. I'm not anxious for the extreme summer heat, but I'd sure like to be able to go outside and play in the dirt again. Somebody, please, tell Mother Nature enough already, it's Spring!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Close Encounter of the Casey Kind
It's barely 11am and already it's been a full and eventful day. Woke up to rain this morning, that's okay. Let the dogs out about 7am knowing when they came back in it would be towel & hair dryer time, that's okay. Turned to come back in and saw the invisible fence collar still on the table ... not okay! Now Katie had gone out, come right back in, she really doesn't need the collar anymore. Himself is another story.
I called, and I called. So now I'm sure all the neighbors are awake and ready to kill the dog or me. I can see the deer across the road and figure that's where he must be. Jump in the car with a bag of treats and drive up and down, up and down, up and ... well, you get the picture. I call, I announce I have treats. Hmmm, I can't hear him. Thoughts are going through my mind that I can't write here. Use your imagination and then kick it up a notch.
When I get home, I go to the back door and, of course, I can hear him again. After two car trips and many "Casey, come!" calls, I walk back to the car and realize I don't hear him from the carport. I walk to the back of the house and I can hear him under my deck (which is maybe a couple of feet off the ground). I hear him bark, I hear a hiss, I hear a yelp. It gets quiet and then repeats. There are two areas where he's discovered he can get under the deck; me, not so much.
I finally gave in and called my neighbor and he came over and unscrewed boards and lifted them 'til we could see what was going on (remember, it's raining and not lightly). There in the corner is a opossum, a very large opossum, as big or bigger than Kasey. And he is focused on that critter. We can't grab him because we risk losing hand to critter. Opossum is now playing opossum; little dog is not buying it. Dog makes lunge at critter, Donnie makes grab for dog. Yay! Dog out from under deck.
To say Kasey is dirty is the understatement of the month. He's wet, he's filthy, he's in my house and the floors are wet, they are full of dirt, leaves, and weeds. He wants back out ... yeah, that's going to happen. Donnie and I are soaked through.
About an hour later, after dog bath and hot shower, I go out and see momma and all the baby opossums leaving the nest. Don't know if they're down the road or just a new spot under the deck. This afternoon, Donnie will come back and replace all the boards, we'll block off the access points and hope mama isn't trapped under the deck with her only option being to go under the house.
The world's greatest hunter is now bathed, dried, fed, sleeping, and dreaming of his great adventure. I've had a full day, I'm done! Never mind that I still have a full schedule ahead of me this afternoon and evening, I'm ready to put this day away and start again tomorrow and it's not even noon.
I called, and I called. So now I'm sure all the neighbors are awake and ready to kill the dog or me. I can see the deer across the road and figure that's where he must be. Jump in the car with a bag of treats and drive up and down, up and down, up and ... well, you get the picture. I call, I announce I have treats. Hmmm, I can't hear him. Thoughts are going through my mind that I can't write here. Use your imagination and then kick it up a notch.
When I get home, I go to the back door and, of course, I can hear him again. After two car trips and many "Casey, come!" calls, I walk back to the car and realize I don't hear him from the carport. I walk to the back of the house and I can hear him under my deck (which is maybe a couple of feet off the ground). I hear him bark, I hear a hiss, I hear a yelp. It gets quiet and then repeats. There are two areas where he's discovered he can get under the deck; me, not so much.
I finally gave in and called my neighbor and he came over and unscrewed boards and lifted them 'til we could see what was going on (remember, it's raining and not lightly). There in the corner is a opossum, a very large opossum, as big or bigger than Kasey. And he is focused on that critter. We can't grab him because we risk losing hand to critter. Opossum is now playing opossum; little dog is not buying it. Dog makes lunge at critter, Donnie makes grab for dog. Yay! Dog out from under deck.
To say Kasey is dirty is the understatement of the month. He's wet, he's filthy, he's in my house and the floors are wet, they are full of dirt, leaves, and weeds. He wants back out ... yeah, that's going to happen. Donnie and I are soaked through.
About an hour later, after dog bath and hot shower, I go out and see momma and all the baby opossums leaving the nest. Don't know if they're down the road or just a new spot under the deck. This afternoon, Donnie will come back and replace all the boards, we'll block off the access points and hope mama isn't trapped under the deck with her only option being to go under the house.
The world's greatest hunter is now bathed, dried, fed, sleeping, and dreaming of his great adventure. I've had a full day, I'm done! Never mind that I still have a full schedule ahead of me this afternoon and evening, I'm ready to put this day away and start again tomorrow and it's not even noon.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Another Easter
Hallelujah! The Lord is risen! Today is Easter. The most important day of the year for Christians. We've had a long period of sorrow and penitence (Lent) and participated in the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the burial. Today we rejoice at the resurrection of our Lord.
Easter was my husband's favorite holy day. He loved Christmas because we shared it with family. But for the same reason, it was a very stressful holiday. We had to drive to So. California and then try to spend time with his parents, my parents, our siblings, our children and grandchildren; usually all within 2 or 3 days. We celebrated Christmas with the children and grandchildren at home sometime between Christmas and New Year's. By the time the holiday had come and gone, we were hard-pressed to remember the reason for the holiday.
Easter was a quiet holiday. We both were able to concentrate on the reason we were celebrating. We went to church, came home and spent a relaxing Sunday together. Sometimes family would come over for dinner. Sometimes friends would come by for a visit. Sometimes we just jumped in the car and went for a long drive.
When he was sick and knew that he was dying, he held out for "one more Easter". He was determined and prayed every night for that one last gift. His prayers were answered. Easter Sunday, 2004, his best friend, Walt, and Walt's wife, Betty stopped by. He found the strength to come down, and sit outside and visit with us for a short period. Later, a priest friend came by and gave him Easter communion. He died a week later.
I love Easter. I love the rebirth I see all around us. Everything is turning green, the flowers are budding and blooming, the birds are back at the feeders, the pond fish can be seen swimming again. While Easter time also holds a sadness for me, a reminder of Easters past and in less than two weeks another anniversary of his going home; that was the promise of Easter that meant so much to him.
Rejoice, He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Enjoy a blessed and beautiful Easter everyone!
Easter was my husband's favorite holy day. He loved Christmas because we shared it with family. But for the same reason, it was a very stressful holiday. We had to drive to So. California and then try to spend time with his parents, my parents, our siblings, our children and grandchildren; usually all within 2 or 3 days. We celebrated Christmas with the children and grandchildren at home sometime between Christmas and New Year's. By the time the holiday had come and gone, we were hard-pressed to remember the reason for the holiday.
Easter was a quiet holiday. We both were able to concentrate on the reason we were celebrating. We went to church, came home and spent a relaxing Sunday together. Sometimes family would come over for dinner. Sometimes friends would come by for a visit. Sometimes we just jumped in the car and went for a long drive.
When he was sick and knew that he was dying, he held out for "one more Easter". He was determined and prayed every night for that one last gift. His prayers were answered. Easter Sunday, 2004, his best friend, Walt, and Walt's wife, Betty stopped by. He found the strength to come down, and sit outside and visit with us for a short period. Later, a priest friend came by and gave him Easter communion. He died a week later.
I love Easter. I love the rebirth I see all around us. Everything is turning green, the flowers are budding and blooming, the birds are back at the feeders, the pond fish can be seen swimming again. While Easter time also holds a sadness for me, a reminder of Easters past and in less than two weeks another anniversary of his going home; that was the promise of Easter that meant so much to him.
Rejoice, He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Enjoy a blessed and beautiful Easter everyone!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Good Friday 2012
This is Holy Week. This is the last week of Jesus' life. We celebrated Palm Sunday last Sunday and yesterday was Maundy Thursday, the anniversary of the Last Supper. A part of the service is the washing of the feet. The priest washes the feet of those who choose as a reminder of Christ washing the feet of his disciples. Today was Good Friday, the day He was condemned and hung on the cross. It's a very solemn and poignant service, followed by a walk through the Stations of the Cross.
I was reminded, as I sat through the sermon, of my first Good Friday at the church I'm now attending. It was a gloomy day that year, it rained off and on and was the perfect Good Friday atmosphere. I was new to this area and a friend had come up to spend part of the Easter holiday with me. We braved the rains and windy weather to attend this afternoon service and were very impressed when, during the sermon, as the priest spoke of the darkening of the skies and the tearing of the curtain, suddenly thunder sounded, lightening flashed, and the power in the church went out leaving us all in darkness while he continued his sermon. After the service, we commented that we'd attended some very impressive services but the special effects of the little church in the mountains surpassed anything we'd seen before. We've had good weather and not so good weather since, but that particular Good Friday will always stand out.
While I contemplate this holiest of weeks, I can't help but think how much I miss my friend. She moved across country later that year. We stay in touch by phone and mail and social media but the season we had together was much too short, I really miss sharing times like this with her.
It would appear that we'll have wonderful weather for Easter and that's as it should be. We'll do a sunrise service at the outdoor chapel next to the lake surrounded by the mountains with the sun just climbing over their tops. It will be cold ... and I mean cold as only the mountains can be. But it will be glorious as the earth renews itself at this time of the resurrection. God Bless and Happy Easter!
I was reminded, as I sat through the sermon, of my first Good Friday at the church I'm now attending. It was a gloomy day that year, it rained off and on and was the perfect Good Friday atmosphere. I was new to this area and a friend had come up to spend part of the Easter holiday with me. We braved the rains and windy weather to attend this afternoon service and were very impressed when, during the sermon, as the priest spoke of the darkening of the skies and the tearing of the curtain, suddenly thunder sounded, lightening flashed, and the power in the church went out leaving us all in darkness while he continued his sermon. After the service, we commented that we'd attended some very impressive services but the special effects of the little church in the mountains surpassed anything we'd seen before. We've had good weather and not so good weather since, but that particular Good Friday will always stand out.
While I contemplate this holiest of weeks, I can't help but think how much I miss my friend. She moved across country later that year. We stay in touch by phone and mail and social media but the season we had together was much too short, I really miss sharing times like this with her.
It would appear that we'll have wonderful weather for Easter and that's as it should be. We'll do a sunrise service at the outdoor chapel next to the lake surrounded by the mountains with the sun just climbing over their tops. It will be cold ... and I mean cold as only the mountains can be. But it will be glorious as the earth renews itself at this time of the resurrection. God Bless and Happy Easter!
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