Signs of Spring

As my honey, Shirley has pointed out the birds sound like spring. I heard them again this morning and yesterday I saw a finch that was turning into it's bright yellow instead of the dull winter color. I looked around and saw tulips and other plants breaking through the ground at the end of January. Where did winter go? I complain about the cold and snow at times like everyone else, but where is it this year. I worry how this will effect the insects and weeds this summer. The winter cold helps control them, but how will the ticks be this year. I guess we will soon find out. I like to plant potatoes, peas, onions and lettuce around March 17 and that isn't too far away. Watch it snow on St. Patrick's Day.

A Taste of Winter

Well, we finally got a taste of winter in Elderburg and that all it was a taste. We got a coating of snow topped off with a layer of ice. The dog had fun in the white stuff while I took pictures. I took the images while walking around this morning and watched a county plow clearing the road. I had to get out and take pictures as we haven't seen much snow this winter and with each passing day we get closer to spring. The weatherman said it will be in the 50's on Monday, so the snow will be gone by the first of the week. One thing about the snow, you get to see if the wildlife visited. Last night the deer were up close to the house tasting the bushes.

Squirrel Tricks

Sitting here this morning with my cup of tea watching the great outdoors with the cat. Sometimes the squirrels look like a cross between Rocky J Squirrel and Secret Squirrel. (quick who was his sidekick and who was his archenemy?) I see this squirrel go up a tree and say to myself, no, he didn't do that. So I watched him or her closely the next time up the tree. We have bird feeders that are squirrel proof until today. There is a feeder on the tree that birds get food by sitting on the perch. The squirrels are to heavy to make it work. So anyways the squirrel runs up underneath the feeder stops and bumps it with his heads and the food comes out, which you can see in the image. Then back down the tree to eat what they have gotten out of the feeder. One time he chased crows away from the food. We have a heated bird bath in front of the window and Sam, the cat sits there and watches the squirrels and birds get a drink. By the way, Secret Squirrel's sidekick was Morocco Mole and the archenemy was Yellow Pinkie.

Winter Finally Arrives

Brr! It's cold out and the wind doesn't help. But hey, it's winter and has been for two weeks. The above normal temperatures took a dive today. We were sitting in the family room and looked outside and it was snowing. It turned the ground white, but not enough to cause a problem. Just looked pretty. I am sure the kids in school for the first day after Christmas were pulling for a half-a-day, but it was not to be. The weatherman says it will be back above normal this weekend, so we will have to wait a little longer for that first good snowfall in Eldersburg.

Holiday Odds and Ends

 There are a few items from the holiday that I want to share from the past week. I have always felt that the saying it's better to give than receive is very true. We were at Color Fest in Thurmont this year when the granddaughters saw a bunk bed for American Girls. They both have two dolls and would like beds for them. Well, the vendor was less than friendly and we walked away. I gave it some thought and decided to try my hand at making two bunk beds. On to the computer where I searched for plans to make a bunk bed for an 18 inch doll. I found it and off I went to make the beds. The plans said use a Kreg jig to connect the wood. I had never heard of the jig or remember ever seeing one, so it was off to Lowe's. Found it and brought the wood. The jig was easy to use and made the beds look professionally done. I painted them white and it was fun to watch them open the bags that held the beds on Christmas morning.I waited until the last minute to bake Christmas cookies. I was hoping the girls could help, but it didn't work out. I learned to make the cookies with my grandmother. Matter of fact, when I hear the song ``Silver Bells'' I think of an evening when I was young and made the cookies at aunt Madeline's apartment on East Main Street in Westminster. I remember looking out the window that was steamed from the baking and seeing Main Street lit up for Christmas. This was before the stores left for the shopping centers and many people were shopping. By the way the cookies taste great. One other item was, we got to eat fresh greens we picked this week. A couple year ago Shirley gave me an AeroGarden for Christmas. It is great to have a fresh picked salad in the middle of winter. Hope you had a great Christmas.

Enjoying the season

                                

Not sure why, but i am enjoying the Christmas season this year. It's not that I wasn't interested the past 40 years or so, but I couldn't get excited. I tried the music and decorating over the years, but this year it is different. Maybe it's getting older and the memories come back to mind. I have taken an interest in the music this year, particularity from the 40's and 50's. I have also watched a lot of holiday movies thanks to AMC and TCM. I watched one of my mother's favorite movies, ``White Christmas'' three times. I remember it was one of the first things we saw when we got our first color television. When I was shooting the holiday parade in Westminster I was thinking back to the annual treat in front of St. Johns School when it was on East Main Street, The lights hanging across the street, Santa's house at Locust Lane and the trains at Bobby's Hobby Lobby. I also thought back to making sugar cookies with my grandmother in her apartment along Main Street. The picture of the little kid was taken in her apartment. The little kid is me when I was about three and yes, they had color film back then. That was the first year we had a train garden under the tree. That's also me with my Tonka trucks. The other images are of my parent's tree with the train garden in the late 1970s. The next image is a shot of our tree last year. The following images are Christmas in Westminster over the years. The inside of the church is St Johns Catholic Church, then a band playing around a tree around 1980, Santa arrives at the Westminster Shopping Center also around 1980 and the lights over Main Street in the mid-1970s.

I know I am getting older because it seemed like it snowed every year at Christmas, but I know that's not true as I remember a thunderstorm one year, which I think was 1966. When it did snow over the holidays we sled from Union Mills behind my cousin Kenny Dull's house with other kids like Dick Study and Dean Leppo into our front yard. I can't wait to watch the granddaughters on Christmas morning as they still believe in the man in the red suit. For the second year in a row, they have gotten a kick out of the Elf on the Shelf. I hope they have fond memories of their own in 50 years.