February Birthday Week

It has been quite a while since an  update! Quite a bit has happened since Dec. 23. Baby rabbits were born on the 26th-they aren't quite as cute now, since the littles are a bit over 17 pounds as a group. The litter of 7 is growing like crazy. Jon's been making new cages to move everyone into, so the ones he was given can be turned into something else. Daffodils and tulips are coming up, the rose bush by the house is getting buds, and the butterfly bush has new leaves. February started with two birthdays. I'm as old as Steve now and Jon is a bit past a quarter of a century. 

Dear Rose found the above card, months before, she said, and Steve brought me this lovely pot of primroses. 

The babies hopping around the cages on the first, as seen from the living room window. 

Monday was a bit busy, so made an angel food cake for Ground Hog Day and my birthday. It is really a cake, even if it looks like a lamp. Steve made me a wooden holder for the pan last year and it works beautifully. 

Jon's birthday was a lot of fun. We had the angel cake, made a box cheese cake, and brownies frosted with perfectly chocolate chocolate frosting for dessert. Plus ice cream. Dinner was something I'd never made before and much of it was scratch. They were surf and turf  Po'Boys. The buns were not made properly, but tasted ok. Following online directions, I put mayo on both slices of the bun. On one side there is shredded beef, gravy, breaded shrimp, and Jon said it needed cheese. The other has lettuce, tomato, and pickles. Jon's and Dot's also had onions. (Dot didn't have shrimp) They were VERY yummy!!! We also gave Jon a  fancy digital indoor and outdoor thermometer so he can see what temp is out by the rabbits instead of guessing from the temps on the porch. The rabbits are in a much more shaded location. He likes it because he can also tell whether or not he needs to get up earlier to defrost his rig before work!!  

The weekend after the birthday's, Steve trimmed up the pear trees. We gave the rabbits some branch sections and those were devoured with glee!! Rabbits seem to be kin to beaver. 

Sun on the trees Feb 6-it appears the tree photos are out of sync!!! 

This CRAZY puzzle was worked on fairly steadily from the end of Jan until it was finally completed on Feb 7. It is a Hallmark design that was on a popcorn tin. It was brought back from mom's because it was wintery and cute. We have not taken it apart yet, it was much much much too fuzzy!!! Jon called the penguins 'baby Apteryx' because they are little flightless birds with hairy feathers. 

These are sky shots from Feb 5. What a stunning world it is up there! 

Out and About-

Mum felt able to visit the beach on Thursday. She had the dog and her cane and a bag for rocks. 

 Obi was slightly bored cuz he wanted to walk a bit, but Mum said she'd take care of him.

 Obi's favorite thing to do, when he visits the Inlet, is to bark at the waves. He was very glad when mom took him near the water.

Mum was watching ripples near the shore and asked me to take photos of whatever it might be, so I did. They were pretty much in the same place the entire time we were there.

 I also picked  up some shells. Shells are rarely found on the Arness beach. I really like the odd one that looks a lot like a real heart. I couldn't find what it might be when I was online, though- Most of the rest are empty barnacles.

 Beach loot of shells and rocks. I found some things I've not found before, I think it is because of the recent really high tide we had. One of the rocks resembles rough petrified wood. It is rock, but not exactly.

At home the fallen tree had what I believe is Chaga on it. I removed as much of the growths as possible. Once it was cleaned a bit, I broke it into pieces for drying. 

I asked mum to stand in front of the fallen tree for a photo op. I really wanted her with a background of fireweed, but mot of that is already done blooming! 

 On Wednesday we went to the most awesome amazing spot in Soldotna. It is a small building near Fred Meyer with several businesses in it. A bookstore (where I purchased a book), a boutique (I got something there, too), I think a bakery (but I'm not sure, I didn't go in there), and the absolutely best place to eat I've been to in forever. It is called Fine Thyme Cafe and I highly recommend it. We met there with Sharon and some of Eileen's kids. It was good food and fun. Mum was very glad we met with them. (I didn't get a picture of everyone in the group, but I took several with their cell phones!!) The flowers are from their outside area. 

 The dragonfly is just cuz it was being nice and didn't land on me. These giant things clatter and are rather startling. Beautiful, but I much prefer to photograph them not on me! (it was back out at mom's house-)

It has been a busy week, starting with the downed tree of my last post! 

A Whomping Birch?

It has been a bit breezy the last few days. Not bad, but enough to stir the leaves. Plus a bit more! I was downstairs last night about 745 pm and heard a whomp. Mom yelled at me to see what it was. I ran upstairs, looked out the door, and was greeted with this! Now I know a bit of how Ron and Harry felt when the Ford hit the Willow in that infamous incident in the second Potter book. YIKES!!!!! 

I am very fortunate I had driven the car earlier and parked it about 2 to 3 feet from where I normally park. It most definitely would have gotten brushed by branches! I texted our neighbor's and they drove over to check things out. They'll bring over tools later in the week. I'm just really glad their youngest mowed for us before the tree fell! 

The funniest thing. These trees below are the ones we keep an eye on. They list and bend and are dead from beetle kill. But, they stand season after season. The one that fell, it had some issues, but I never would have expected it to be rotten inside! 

 There was some beautiful lichen on it. I loved the shades in the different leaves.

 It really was rather close to the car and the house. We were fortunate. I remember once at Christmas when the guys brought home a GIANT Christmas tree. Jon said, 'it looked smaller in the woods.' I sort of have to agree. I have taken photos of this tree several times and had no idea it was as big as it was!

 Mom's little 4H mountain ash seems to be ok. I'll have to make sure the neighbors don't smush it while they are cleaning up the birch!

 I'm thankful our friend, Jim, took down most of the dubious looking trees last fall. I can't imagine the debris if those had been left! 

In Five Days

This will be a rather long photo post. In just five days the lake has gone from open to closed. I was hoping to kayak in snow, but I didn't really want to go through ice to do it. The first photos are on October 14th just after 7 pm. 

I had decided I should go out on the water while I could and while there was distracted by styrofoam bits floating on the water. I was confused as to why the stuff was coming out from inside the pallet. It was making a mess in the water and I didn't want any of the ducks to try to eat it. I scooped it up for the trash. 

This is what I found when I flipped the pallet over. I was very annoyed! I will staple a 'covering' of plastic on it and maybe that will help protect it. 

 As you can see, it was nice enough to go out in a tank top! I did have a sweatshirt with me and added it before too long. Once that sun went down behind the trees, it got quite chilly!!!

On Tuesday, one of our friends from the Senior Center came over to trim trees and take out the downed one. Jim was a blessing for doing this for us. It was cold out, but more crisp than numbing. 

 I was so glad he took out this dadburn bush thing. I'd tried using an axe on it last summer. Or was it the summer before? No matter, it is now shorn down!

 This is the most surprising part of the yard now. I hadn't noticed how tall these trees were getting. Now they are stumps!

 Several of the wild flower seeds I'd planted were finally blooming. There were tiny blossoms here and there. I'm hoping for more next year.

 I was told to not do any of the larger pieces. He'd get to them after he was done trimming. Jim was surprised I loaded them all. I told him I was a short violet, not a shrinking one.

 See how different it looks????????

This was today. October 19. The lake had ice on the edges a few days ago, then there was ice in just the center. Wednesday and Thursday, it was mostly covered. The neighbor's had some clear water and there was a bit up at the top of the key. I opted to put up the kayak anyway. 

 When I flipped it over, it was camouflaged! I didn't scrape it off, I figured I'd let it warm up a bit inside the garage before cleaning. The frozen mosses were fairly secure on the fiberglass!

So ends another season on the lake. The ducks are almost all gone, the few left huddle in the clear water. I reckon they'll leave for warmer climes soon. 

I'll follow them, eventually. Maybe! Gary's Weather station reads a high of 64 today and now it is in the 40's. He does have a reading of 74, but not sure when that was. Perhaps Athena's fall is further away than Halloween this year!