Friday, April 30, 2010

Truly spring

It truly must be spring here in our northern climes.
I had no decaf green tea yesterday at 9:25 p.m. last night, and didn't want to consume any more regular caffeinated tea that late at night. So off to the grocery, 7 or so miles away.
On the way there, I wasn't paying too much attention to the roadside things, which is what I normally do, such as looking for deer, but was more concentrated on the time as the grocery store closes at 10 p.m. now that the new owners took over.
But on the way back, I noticed the first night-flying insects. Then came the thoughts of how do they 'see' at night? Their eyes are so small! With most 'night' animals, their eyes are just huge!
Then the thought was that it must be heaven to just fly around the farm communities with nothing to obstruct their flight
It was then that it became a realization that spring is finally here and the bugs are out, even in this cooler weather. When I got home and ensconced myself in the bedroom again, I could hear the bugs hitting the screens and windows. I don't like that, as I don't like hurting any living thing, even bugs. No matter the season, if I encounter a spider or bug that I can trap, it goes outside to live. I have my Cool-Whip container at the ready. I can't quite trap them in a hanky or tissue as the Navajo or Hopi do (just not that adept), but they get caught in a Cool-Whip container and are encouraged to live outside.
Mice on the other hand........I have an electronic mouse 'zapper', and am up to about 20+ so far this winter........cats have 3. Problem is that they like to get in the drawer of the stove and the cats can't open the drawer. Don't know why not, they can open my cupboard drawers to climb on the counter!
But a cool spring finally has arrived and we will be seeing May soon!
Huggs to all.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Jobs

Good Morning,
Watching the local cities news shows and wondering if the anchors get assignments based on nerves, guts or a combination of the two. Or just plain stupidity. Nah, these people are smart.
Alix Kendall on our channel 9's Fox affiliate morning show is doing gymnastics on a trampoline in a controlled environment with a trainer to the side. It looks like she is flying at times.
She is now on a bar, one of a set of parallel bars.
We all watch them on the Summer Olympics and now I can see how much training is involved.
We all know that they have intense training, but to take a young news anchor-woman-wife-mother to try to do just some general moves has my admiration level at the max.
I am sure Alix said "What!?" when the assignment presented itself.
Then we have had Hoda and Kathie Lee doing rodeo.
Maybe I have had the wrong job all my life.
Not that I would trade the life I have had, but inside each one of us is that secret, phantom desire to try a dangerous, scintillating, risky 'something-out-of-the-ordinary'.
I have always wanted to be a dancer.
I remember twirling, hopping, stretching arms and legs in our tiny bungalow house as a kid.
Not a lot of room, but did I ever take this activity outside to the backyard where I had an acre of grass to do this. Uh, uh. Nope. Neighbors too close.
That would have been toooo embarassing for a pre teen. Even my frenzied hopping around resulted in an activity done in private when everyone else was OUT of the house.
I admire those news anchors that bite the bullet and show us their willing-ness to get 'outside themselves' and allow us to dream again.
Or, Maybe Alix said "Yeah, let's do it!" and allowed her secret phantom desire to come to the outside and then she thought "And I get Paid for this!"
Maybe I should think of taking up courses in broadcasting.........hmmmmm.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

CMA

I am watching the Country Music Awards, set in Vegas! (We all know my love affair with Vegas....)
I have forgotten how much I love country music.
It is at the end of the show and Darius Rucker(?) is now singing. He is the one that sang the solos for Hootie and the Blowfish in case you don't remember. Made the transition to country absolutely beautifully!
I haven't listened to country in a while, and there are some wonderful new singers I have yet to discover. I am the 'old' school, Willie, Dolly, Waylon, George Jones, Hank Williams, Sr., etc..
However Josh Nichols is one of the newer gentlemen I adore. On my way to mass in Grand Rapids, my sister-in-law loaned me her car and had his CD in the player.
Mind you, I was on my way to church and wondering if Pat would notice if I 'borrowed' the CD. (Guess that old 'evil one' will creep into the mind at any time he can sniggle in. We have to be careful of that one.)
Anyway, when I got back to her house, I asked her the singer, album's name and where she got it (I was not about to take a CD out of the player in an unfamiliar car and especially since I noticed that there were 5 Cd's in her player!). Took me a while, but I finally found it, and he and his songs are among my favourites. How that face can come out with that voice is amazing, it is something you really don't expect.
OK, well I guess I am getting a bit too over the top here.
I will scour the country radio waves and start listening again. I will have a lot of good listening to go through and learn the new people and their songs.
Rock 'N Roll of the 50's-70's, I haven't forgotten you and will always be a dyed in the wool Hippie (if only in my mind), but Good-Golly Molly, country is so dog-gone comforting at times.

Hope your day went well, take care of yourselves and your loved ones.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010



Finally got the bib done, and now on to the burp.
See, I still do stitch!
This is by designer Susan Winget, in her 'Changing Season's' book published by Vannessa Ann Collections.


There are a couple of days that I absolutely love on our farm.
First of all, let me tell you that we live out in the country on the top of the highest hill around. It is a non-animal farm, and we have a gentleman that does the crops..this year it most likely will be corn. Hubby and I like it better when it is in alfalfa. We love the smell when it is cut and it is easier to walk the field in the summer with alfalfa.
Every spring and fall I wait for the redwing blackbirds to come. With us being on top of the hill, when they come, the ladies and some gents congregate in the tallest trees on top of the hill, which happens to be on our farm.
For about an hour, they sing, cackle, whistle, and just generally seem to gossip before they disperse to their chosen spots around the area.
I knew they were coming because the first male scouts have appeared in the area the last few weeks down at the four corners 1/4 mile south of us. We look for them every spring as we drive around the country side to and from town on the countryside around.
This year we seemed to have had two waves so far of the ladies. They came first yesterday, Easter Sunday. This morning as I went out to check the mail, I heard them in the trees again.
They were not as plentiful as in previous years, but maybe that was explained by the two waves of redwing blackbirds.
The second time they appear 'en masse' is in the fall when they gather again before they start their journey south for the winter.
These are the two days I am just beside myself with joy. I love their 'kong-a-rhee' song.
They usually congregate where there is water, and to have them here on top of the hill for that brief time before they settle in down in the swampy area to the south is just a joy. I know I have mentioned them before, but it is such a rite of spring for me to experience their tweetings, songs, cacklings and general gossip of these lovely birds.
So, they are finally here safely from their trip from the south.
I have been known to stop at the four corners to the south, roll down the windows and just listen for a while. I have had lovely people stop and ask me if I need help, so I usually try to do this when I can see no other cars coming because to give them an answer that I was just listening to the birds can be somewhat embarassing.
My two favourite days in the year. I hope when you see the redwing blackbirds in your area, stop and listen to them. Robins have a beautiful song, so add the redwing blackbird to your list of birds to listen to and enjoy.