Catch-Up

I am working my way toward bedtime, though I am not in much of a hurry. I am behind with the blog. I missed a whole week. So I will take you back a week, mostly because this week was so uneventful. We did have snow. A bit. Not even note worthy, despite the big build up the weather people gave it: "fast moving," "potentially dangerous," "high winds," "blizzard." For us none of the a fore mentioned happened. Two inches at most. I opened up my university email only to find that the school was on a delayed schedule for snow removal with the 8 AM class canceled.

"What?"

"No Way."

Fortunately I do not teach Wednesdays, but for those professors who had their classes arbitrarily canceled for snow removal, they were not happy. I am speculating that there is a new person in charge of snow removal. Maybe one who worked for public school system that cancels an entire district when the threat of a huge storm looms. (exaggerating, of course); however, university campuses seldom close, let alone go with the late start favor for those who want to sleep in. Okay. So yeah. Greeley had more snow, 6 inches, but not worth canceling class or delayed start. Wimpy. As I told my students on Thursday: "You put your boots on and slog through the snow.

More snow this week. Another worrisome, dangerous storm headed our way on Tuesday. I'd better check my email first to make sure my 11:00 class isn't canceled. We don't have many days of class left. I can't afford to miss any.

I do have some photos to share. The week I missed in review:

Happy Birthday

Elinore's birthday was Friday. Her mother goes to great effort to create a fantasy birthday party for the each girl. She made the palm tree, the shell mobile, and the ship's mast from old fence posts scrounged from our pile of left-overs. She made the octopus out of cheese cloth and starch. The decorations didn't go to waste because she used them to redecorate Ellie's bedroom with the mermaid nautical theme.


Even the food carried through the mermaid theme with banana dolphins and  yellow pepper octopus. Ellie doesn't like sweets, so her cake was was unfrosted with layers of fresh fruit. So yummy.

She has grown up so much. While her sister is a dancer, Elinore loves to create art work. Right now she is working with air dry clay and loves to do bead work. She loves her pet rabbit, Peter, who shares her room.

 A Life Saved

My favorite chair sits with its back toward the patio door. I heard a rather heavy thud on the door, knowing immediately that a bird had hit its glass pane. As I opened the patio door, I caught a fleeting glimpse of large bird swooping away. A hawk. On the deck floor lay an unconscious flicker. I gathered it up and placed it on the patio table, sure that it would die.

I am not one to take gruesome photos, so once the bird began to recover, I took these two photos. It actually took the little guy all afternoon to recover from flying into the door. I do believe that he was fleeing from one of the local hawks that regularly patrols the area.

The flicker begins to slowly opens his eyes. I would check on him frequently, petting him, stroking him gently. My last effort to pet him halted when he took sturdy flight for the nearest tree. I really held out little hope he would recover.

Jack Frost

Jack Frost has been courting Autumn the last few days, leaving his artwork behind. 

The woolly thyme that covers the ground in the front courtyard succumbed to Jack's handy work, looking all lacy and pretty. Autumn had to be impressed.

The little water garden had a thin layer of crystal clear ice cover it it. We need to drain the pond and get the pump out before it freezes hard, like tomorrow since we are supposed to have blizzard II.

The roses are done for sure now. I gave them a nice feeding a few weeks ago to help them winter over.

Ice crystals and roses just don't go together, do they?

Even my little supermarket bargain roses bloomed hardily at the end of the season, only to have their lives suspended when Jack came to visit.

Monarda dead heads, pretty with ice.

Jack just had to cast his spell on the rose hips, too. Red in the garden this time year is so welcome to break up the otherwise drab landscape.

So, there you are. Life has a peaceful, easy feeling (to borrow from my favorite rock 'n rollers The Eagles). The Head Gardener has cleaned up the vegetable garden, tiling it yesterday. It is all clean now ready for next spring. Jack can dance on the bare canvas all he wants.

Enjoy your week.

Linking up with Lavender Cottage for Mosaic Monday. Join us. It's fun.