Passtimes

In the winter in Ohio there are many things to do. Teddy has taken a position on the park bench in the kitchen for his nap. The park bench is in the kitchen so short dogs can stand on it and see out the window.

Silly prefers the floor for her deep thinking. She is very fluffy right now which is a good way to be in the winter cold season.

Red doesn't fool around - she just goes for the bed.

Last night we had some sleet and mist which turned to ice which caused a big mess on the streets but since we didn't need to go anywhere it was fine with us.

The back deck looks pretty, even with some doggy footprints on it.

The door mat on the front steps looks like a work of art.

And the back patio looks very artful with ice outlining all the blocks.

I had messed with my blog settings and somehow it started translating everything into Hindu. That took a while to figure out and fix.

Things for retirees to do in the winter: read library books, bake, wrap Christmas gifts. talk to friends on the phone, play games on the computer, take a nap, eat eat eat.

Weather Report

A prediction of snow in southeastern Ohio is a prediction of "white death". People run to stores and buy shovels, salt, windshield scrappers and extra food for preparation.


The weather report said snow with little or no accumulation. As you can see we didn't get the "no" part of that prediction. The picture above is the stump of the box elder that fell on the house when Ike visited. Since it is right up against a fence I had them leave a nice tall stump. Maybe I'll hang a birdhouse on it.

I have been driving Lory, my daughter, to and from work lately and had to use my 4 wheel drive this morning as the roads hadn't been salted yet. We still slithered around a little bit even with 4 wheel drive turned on.

After she got off work we went car shopping and she dealt for a vehicle of her own. We will probably pick it up Monday so it looks like I will lose my taxi job soon.

This picture is what I had the tree people leave of the maple that lost 4 large branches during our big wind. It has been called "touchdown" tree. Others have suggested it would make a really big sling shot. All creative suggestions are encouraged. I think I will have a lot more sun in my back yard next summer. Maybe I'll even grow some grass.

The little black dog I got in Texas last spring has ended up with Teddy Bear for a name. Being a Texas dog he hadn't seen snow before.

He tried stretching in it while looking at me accusingly. What in the world did I put on the ground in his backyard.

He tasted it and decided he'd rather have breakfast - inside the house. He has been in the doghouse lately as he ate a library book the other day. He is challanging for leader of the pack and has to be given a setback now and then.

Great Grandma Again

This is Jaryen Wayne in his going home from the hospital outfit. At 9 lbs 10 ozs he's a big boy.

Great Grandm got to hold him a few days later. He seems to have all he needs to get by in this world, a good appetite and a good pair of lungs.

He'll have to grow fast to catch up with big brother.

Tree-mend-us

Branches flew over the house.

They came, they saw, they conquered.

They had to hold my wires up to get the crane into my driveway.

I held my breath a lot while they extended the crane and reached into the backyard.

The crane lifted the cutter up to the tree. Then they had to decide a balance point between the branches end and the stump end of each cut they made and attach a cable at that point.

The final resting place of most of the tree was into the chipper. The bigger pieces are beside the driveway and up for grabs, first come first served.
I no longer have a tree on my house. YEAH!!!

I don't like Ike

This is looking out my back door on Monday Sept. 15 after the day Ike came calling in Ohio. We were without electricity for 3 1/2 days since our electric company sent most of our repair trucks and repairmen to Texas. They were called back and we even got trucks from Indiana and Illinois. My old wooden ladder got broken.

This was taken from the backyard looking back at my back door.

This is the "limb" that split and laid down on my house.

Does that roof look like it is damaged? Certainly the eave spout is smushed but won't know about the roof until the tree people come and remove the "limb". That may not happen for weeks as everyone has trees down. The winds were 75 MPH which just doesn't happen here.

This picture was taken from the side of my house looking into the back yard. Four limbs came off a maple and landed on the carport next to the garage.

A better look at the "limb" that split and landed on the house.

You can't read our sign so I will tell you, it says "NO TREES ALLOWED". We were a little late in getting it put up.

We got electric at 3:00 a.m. Thursday. We got up, danced around, flushed the toilet, made toast, and thoroughly enjoyed being back in the 21st century.

Kitchen Floor

The new kitchen floor was immediately tested for bounce by Red and her tennis ball. It passed the test.
I had to stop and enjoy the August lilies that bloom in the side yard.

Happy Birthday Aunt Ellen

The lady in the middle in celebrating her 100th birthday. Her neice, me, is standing in back, her great-neice is sitting on her right, her great-great-neice is holding her great-great-great-nephew on her left. The boys in the back are her great-great-nephews.

I know it isn't a direct line of 5 generations but we will take what we can get. She still is in her own home although she needs lots of help lately. She came to her party with a walker.

When I was a kid I saved the best school papers or craft projects for weeks to show her. She really looked at things and appreciated them. No pat on the head with a "that's nice" from her.

We love you Aunt Ellen.