For the Love of Pete

We’ve had some rather odd weather this year. Springlike. Which would be okay if it weren’t January and February.

The birds are confused. All the American Robins have emerged from the swamps. There are bulbs sprouting everywhere. It’s just weird.

Of course, it couldn’t last. Saturday night, a cold front swept through to bring us back to reality. It was 20 degrees when I walked the dogs this morning.

Brrr.

I’ll take it, though. Sunday morning was colder than that.

At one point, I walked past the front windows and noticed that the yard was full of birds. And there was this one industrious little Black-capped Chickadee that fascinated me.

He (or she) was quite intent on getting food off of this bush, which I think is some sort of holly. But I could be wrong.

I know these pictures aren’t great, but considering I was shooting through a window and a screen at full zoom, they’ll do.

Smile

I really like that shot. It’s as if she (or he) were smiling at me.

American Robins

Since they’re typically thought of as the first signs of Spring, most people don’t realize these birds don’t really migrate. They tend to hang out in the woods and swamps and stuff during the winter.

It wasn’t long before my shadows noticed the birds, too.

Meg, Bird-watching

They are bird dogs after all.

Acting Like Bird Dogs (for a change)

They seemed happy enough watching from the window. But I think they, too, are anxious for Spring.

Which is where my title came from…

For the love of Pete, come on and get warm already!

Brief Visit to the WV Place

We visited the WV place this past weekend. Mainly because we had to pick up our trailer, which we needed to get the snowblower we bought from one of Hubby’s co-workers. Now we know we won’t get an measurable snow this winter. You know, now that we are prepared for it and all.

It was a nice, if brief, visit. We drove up on Saturday morning. It was somewhat warm and the sky was a really pretty blue.

Blue-sky Day

The dogs had a blast doing what they love to do most. K and Belle were hunting while Meg was off saying hello to all her old pals.

Hunting Expedition

I walked to the back part of our property to check on this downed tree, which has been in this position since 2005 when we moved in.

Rotting Log

Ever since I first saw the thing, I wondered how long it would take to break. It’s been seven years. And I have no idea how long it was like that before we bought the place. Late last year, I noticed it starting to sag. Initially, I was just going to let the thing go. But the grandkids, when they visit, always love to climb on it. Come to think of it, it was shortly after snapping this photo in July that I noticed the thing sagging and said, “Everyone off!”

Natural Playground Equipment

And the dogs walk under it, too. So it worried me.

On Saturday, I actually got a closer look at the thing. I could see visible stress cracks. I gave it a gentle kick and could tell it was really rotten. So I stood on the end close to the ground and bounced a few times.

Danger Averted

It didn’t take much at all to make the thing fall. Based on the very loud crack and thud it made when it fell, I’m glad I did what I did. It was obviously very heavy and would have inflicted quite an injury had it fallen on anyone.

Seven years. Wow.

Still Digging

The girls were oblivious. They heard the thud, looked up, then went back to their hunt.

I did manage to capture one very cool (in my opinion) picture of K.

Now That is Focus

I like how, if you look closely, you can see her eye. Click on the image to see a bigger version if you like. She’s quite determined to catch the mouse or vole or whatever it is that once made the stump its home.

I spent Saturday afternoon making my Appalachian Tours web site work. Finally. It’s been broken for months, since I switched hosting services. By Saturday evening, it was windy and COLD. What a difference a few hours make. We stayed the night then came home on Sunday, stopping to get the snowblower on the way.

Not a hugely exciting weekend. But it was still a nice one.

Giant Parisian Turkeys

Don’t you just love days that start out in one place and then, completely unpredictably, you end up in another place? Days like that keep life interesting.

Take Wednesday for example. It started out with me here at home in Virginia. One of my goals for this week has been to paint my office. (I made good progress there, by the way. I’ll finish today.) One of my other goals has been to take the girls to the WV place. So, the trip to WV wasn’t entirely unexpected. I just didn’t know when I’d go.

I was thinking about it while painting. Painting is one of those mindless jobs that forces contemplation. Since the week was winding down, I figured I’d better get my traveling butt in gear and head to the WV place.

After dinner, we did just that.

Know what that meant? Besides a late-night arrival? I had three very HAPPY dogs.

Meg Checks Out the Woodpecker Tree
Belle Wondering Which Way I Was Headed
K Waiting Patiently for Mama

They love stretching their legs at the WV place. They really were super-excited to be there. Even if only for a brief visit.

K on the Hunt

That last shot above is my favorite doggie pic of the day. K was poking through her favorite brush pile looking for rodents.

Something else I’ve been wanting to do is take the dogs on a hike. They do really well walking on leash here in town. Since we’re so close to Shenandoah National Park, I figured we could stop for a visit. It is halfway between the VA and WV houses, after all. But the visitor center is closed for the season. So we opted for Sky Meadows State Park instead, which is also between the WV and VA houses.

Sky Meadows State Park, in Clarke and Fauquier counties, is just two miles south of Paris, Virginia. Here’s a brief description from the VA Department of Conservation and Recreation’s web site for Sky Meadows…

Just an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C., Sky Meadows State Park … offers a peaceful getaway on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With rolling pastures and woodlands, the park boasts beautiful vistas of the foothills and access to the Appalachian Trail. Its rich history is shaped by the development of agriculture and the impact of the Civil War. Activities include hiking, fishing, picnicking, horseback riding, primitive camping, and nature and history programs.

Of course, I had to stop in Paris just so I could say I was in Paris on Thursday.

That’s where we encountered some strange creatures.

Giant Parisian Turkeys

What are these giant turkeys doing in a cow pasture?

More Large, Long-legged Turkeys

Turkeys are birds, right? When my three bird dogs spotted them, they were going nuts.

Gobble Gobble Gobble

Speaking of nuts… look at this strange collection of beasts in the neighboring pasture.

Strange Collection of Critters

Not a cow to be seen. And, wait, isn’t that a little horse?

Dark-faced, Horned Sheep

We didn’t linger too long because the dogs really were going nuts in the back of the truck. K can be quite vocal, too, and the animals were getting quite freaked out. I didn’t want to start a stampede and make Paris look like that scene in Jumanji.

Farm on the Outskirts of Paris

Check out the size of that farmhouse! I guess that would be called a manor.

The state park really was just around the corner.

Entrance Sign

It’s also only about 30 minutes from my house. How cool is that?

If you are wondering why I find that so exciting, have a look at some of the pics I shot at the park.

Paris, Virginia

Keep in mind, these are just snapshots (just point and shoot). I had three very excited dogs with me.

View from Overlook Trail at Sky Meadows State Park
View from Overlook Trail at Sky Meadows State Park
View from Overlook Trail at Sky Meadows State Park
View from Overlook Trail at Sky Meadows State Park
View from Overlook Trail at Sky Meadows State Park

Just imagine how pretty this place will be in the Spring and Summer when everything is green. And in the Fall, when the leaves are changing.

Oh, and did I mention that the Appalchian Trail runs through Sky Meadows State Park? That’s something else on my list of things to do this year. (Not hike the whole trail, just pieces of it.)

Speaking of things to do… I have to finish painting my office. That’s a job I both dread and am excited about. Just wait until you see the dramatic difference, then you’ll understand why the excitement.

 – – –

P.S. – I do realize those aren’t turkeys…

 

Holiday Home Tour

My Mom has been asking me when I was going to post pictures of my new Christmas tree. So, since it was a special request and all, I figured I’d better get to it.

First, let me warn you. It’s not a traditional tree. It’s a primitive-type country tree. Tall, skinny, and sort of twiggy looking. Also, the needles are green and brown instead of just green.

Our Skinny Country Tree

I really like our country tree, which looks much better in person than it does in pictures. For one thing, it doesn’t look seven feet tall, does it? With the star, which I made by the way, it’s probably seven and a half feet tall.

I couldn’t just show you the tree. Especially since it really doesn’t look all that grand in the photo. So I decided to show you a bunch of Christmas decorations. They’re scattered throughout the house, so you’ll get to see some of the house, too. Which is why I’m calling this the holiday home tour.

Anyway…

Living Room

We don’t just have one tree. We have three small trees. The one in the family room, shown in the first picture, is the tallest. The one in the living room is only about five feet tall.

Stair Tree

Our smallest tree sits on the landing of the staircase. That door behind the tree leads to my messy office. (The mess is why the door is closed.)

Family Room Tree (different angle)

There’s the family room tree again. By the way, the armoire is the one I talked about HERE. I bought it right before we moved.

Family Room

There’s the fireplace. It was a working, wood-burning fireplace, but we converted it to gas. That way we don’t have to deal with the mess and inconvenience of wood.

Don’t you just love the white mantle against that brick?

Mantle

The fabric garland is one of the things I made on my girlfriend getaway at Granny Trace’s house. Along with a whole bunch of gingerbread folks, aka gingers, which you’ll see in a bit.

Meg Posing with Santa

This Santa gourd is one of our new additions this year. I really wanted to sit him on the dining room table, but at the moment it is covered with gifts. Some wrapped and some waiting to be wrapped. Along with boxes, wrapping paper, tissue paper, tape… it’s a mess. But how much do you love that Santa gourd? It, along with the tree and some other things, is from Sherrie’s Stuff, the coolest little craft store ever, which is right here in town. Sherrie painted the Santa herself.

Tres Chic Snowlady

This snow lady is another new addition. I saw her in a store window on Main Street and HAD to have her. I have a thing for snowmen. And snow women, apparently. When’s the last time you saw a snow lady in a fur coat?

Living Room from a Different Angle

Another shot of the living room. See the awesome snowman pillow on the chair? Granny Trace made that for me.

Kitchen
Kitchen

The kitchen is where Wilhelmina usually sits. I just now decided that show be the snow lady’s name. She looks like a Wilhelmina, right?

Kitchen Again

I took that shot a tad later in the day after I realized one of my favorite cards had slid down the string and gotten covered. I added a couple more cards, too. Hubby added the raisins, which he bought to make oatmeal cookies.

Family Room

There’s the family room from another angle. Yes, our walls are still mostly bare. And those horrible bamboo shades haven’t been replaced yet.

I have to pause in the home tour to share this picture of the girls. When I got up from my desk, camera in hand, they thought we were going outside. They weren’t too thrilled that I was walking around inside taking pictures.

Meg, K, and Belle

I was about halfway down the steps, taking pictures of the little tree on the landing, when I turned around and saw them waiting at the bottom for me.

Ornaments

Our trees all have a mix of ornaments. Old and new. Bought and hand-made. This tree has some of Eric’s ornaments, which I’ll have to hand over to him, soon. Since he’ll be getting married. More on that later…

I always try to buy at least one new ornament each year. One of my favorites new things this year are the clip-on cardinals (red birds).

Ornaments

Plus the gingers and garland I made at Granny Trace’s.

Ornaments

I told you there were lots of gingers. I guess I could have spread them out on the three trees, but they all ended up here.

Ornaments

Tracey made the stocking for me this year, too.

Ornaments

Sorry there aren’t any artsy ornament shots here. I was in a hurry. I even used the flash (gasp!).

Foyer

Here’s a look up the steps from the foyer. See the cute little tree? I love it when it’s dark and all the lights are glowing.

One of My Favorite Santas

I didn’t get out all of the Christmas stuff. In fact, there’s still a bunch missing. Not gone, I don’t think. Still in boxes somewhere.

K Not Looking Very Merry

The dogs were really getting impatient with the picture thing. They followed me everywhere, as usual. I thought K looked pretty funny sitting next to the Santa.

Foyer

The table that Hubby hates sits in the foyer holding a little wintry farm.

Belle and Her Rat

That just about concludes the holiday house tour. The upstairs isn’t decorated. Other than green garland, red bows, and white lights along the railing.

But there’s one more pic I have to post. Not because it’s particularly festive, but because I have to share a picture of this bench.

Bench

I bought it when I was with Granny Trace and Carol earlier this month. I knew it would be perfect for either the foyer or this spot by the back door (in the breakfast room), where we keep our shoes, jackets, and dog-walking equipment. And I was right. It’s the perfect spot to sit and put your shoes on.

And that’s all, folks.

How’d I do with the tour?

Letting Loose

I don’t know about you, but we enjoyed the long holiday weekend. All five of us. Me, Hubby, and the dogs. We hadn’t been to the WV place in a long time. And we hadn’t had a weekend with NOTHING to do for a while either.

It was lovely.

I haven’t posted many dog pics of late, so I am going to make up for it here. In other words, lots of doggie pics follow.

Belle Doing the Ostrich Thing

The girls were especially tickled to be there. They really enjoy having the freedom to run. Even though we do have an invisible fence now, they still have about 5 acres of area to cover. They LOVE it.

Teamwork

Belle and K like to hunt rodents.

Two Peas in a Pod

Correction… they LOVE to hunt rodents.

Determination

They are quite good at it, too. I don’t know if they ever caught anything here. I got tired of watching.

As a side note… the weather was quite nice this weekend. Friday was in the low 70s and Saturday got up into the mid 60s. Those outfits the dogs are wearing aren’t to keep them warm, they are their “don’t shoot me” vests. It’s deer hunting season in West Virginia.

As for Meg…

"Oh, I love the outdoors!"

She was equally as happy to be free to roam and do her thing.

Morning in the Woods

I liked being there, too. I’m just not into burying my head in the ground or rolling in the leaves.

Going for a Ride?

I opened the back of the truck at one point. I can’t remember why. But all three of the girls jumped in, assuming we were going for a ride.

We weren’t.

But don’t they look cute waiting?

The next day was more of the same…

Belle Doing the Ostrich Again
Meg (Pose 1)

I asked Meg to help me choose between these two shots (above and below) so I could only post one. We couldn’t decide. So you get to see both.

Meg (Pose 2)
Belle, Running
K Just Being K
All Three in One Action Photo (No Clue What Action)
Belle Being Belle
K and Meg

Hubby and I did get out and have some fun of our own. We went for a nice bike ride.

ToadMama
Hubby
Cool Road

The road would’ve been cooler if it had a bridge so we could cross the river. We haven’t tried fording streams on the bikes yet. We’ll wait for warmer weather for that one. Not to mention there was about an 8-foot drop to get to the water.

When Hubby stopped at the end of the road, I asked him if we were going to jump the river. You know, do the Evil Knievel thing.

He said no.

After a brief rest, it was back on the road for us.

That was our nice, quiet weekend. Boring, right? We loved it. How was your weekend?

DBOC x Three

The other day, I reported on the uneven delivery of three new dogs beds. Not just ANY dog beds. New DBOCs.

Years ago, early 2004 to be exact, when we got our first dog, I bought a big round dog bed and a smaller oval cat bed at Costco. Why a cat bed?  Because back then we still had two cats.

Moses and Muffin

And it just seemed wrong to buy a big-ass bed for the one new dog and nothing for the two, long-residing cats.

Meg always loved that bed. CeCe, too. In fact, all of our dogs have loved what I thought was a cat bed.

Even Duke, our largest foster dog.

Duke was a Big Old Boy

And Alice, our smallest foster dog.

Alice in the DBOC

Of course, Alice was so tiny, there was plenty of room for her.

When I finally decided to get another DBOC, I learned that it’s not a cat bed after all. It’s a special type of dog bed, known as a cuddler. They actually come in a variety of sizes. With an even wider array of price tags.

What’s so special about the DBOC? I don’t know. But all of the dogs really like it. In fact, it’s often a little contest to see who can get there first, which is why it became known as the dog bed of choice, aka DBOC.

Belle, who likes to get her way/be first at everything, is pretty consistent about beating the other dogs to the bed.

But she doesn’t always win.

K Enjoying the DBOC

Every now and then, K will beat Belle and Meg to the bed.

Belle Pissed Because K is Enjoying the DBOC

Belle is never happy when that happens.

Thankfully, the other two beds finally arrived on Tuesday afternoon.

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

I took that picture yesterday morning. As you can see, Belle is in one bed and Meg is in one bed. But where’s K?

Don’t go feeling sorry for her or anything. She was getting her morning dose of Mama Luv.

Time for Mama Luv

K is a snuggler. At least twice a day, she needs lap time. I refer to that as her getting some Mama love.

I’m Mama, in case you were wondering.

She gets this look and all I need to do is say, “You need some Mama love?” That’s her cue to jump right into my lap.

It’s hard to type like that, though. So she can’t stay there while I am working.

Meg Loving the New DBOC

Can you tell how much Meg likes the new beds?

They all like them. In fact, at this very minute while I type this, all three are snuggled in their little DBOCs, sleeping like quiet little angels.

No Vacancy

That won’t last long. They’ll be up running around like crazy little beasts in no time!

Those little beds take up much less floor space. So I’m liking the three new DBOCs, too.