Cats like to hang out too......on the porch!

Welcome to the porch!
We've made the decision to have in-door cats.
There is just too much traffic.

Orion and Stella watch the squirrels race around the yard.
Buddy has his spot too!

The squirrels love to take peanuts from the pitcher. I just couldn't part with the pitcher after I broke the bottom out of it. I seems to keep the peanuts well.

Is he dancing for the cats?

A Male & Female cardinal visit the feeding station.

She is in the shade by the blue pitcher.

I like to hang out......I'm talking laundry

Growing up my mom hung out our laundry and I remember helping take it down and folding the items into her large split wood basket. I love to hang out my laundry when the weather is good.

Clothes smell wonderfully fresh .

The sun brightens and bleaches whites.

I like my towels course and a bit scratchy. (some don't)

It's therapeutic.

It's fun.

It's FREE!

Sometimes it is hard to tell what the weather will be like at the other end of the day. I got home just in time to take in the laundry before the showers arrived.

Vinca minor also small periwinkle grows under our flowering crab apple tree.

These daffodils popped up in the vacant lot next door to where I work.

If you want to view the teeny spider you'll need to click on the last photo.

Azalea

Springs seems to be here early.....

they say it is 25 degrees warmer than usual. I am enjoying the warmer temps.
It's a great time to get out and stroll the neighborhood and enjoy everyone's flowering shrubs.

It's also great to get out into the yard. Part of the lawn has been raked, the twigs and leaves removed from the flower beds and inventory has been taken. This is a new yard and I can't quite remember where or what things are in the garden. We planted some giant allium bulbs last fall and they are starting up through the earth. Our newly planted clematis also came through the winter cold and has started to creep up the trellis.

Spring thaw

The ice is melting quickly on the pond.
This barn and pond are on the farm where I grew up.
The farm house and barn belong to another family now.
The pond and the 60 acre woodlot are still family owned.

The water flows over the spill way on its journey downstream.

It's been a while, I know. Spring teased us with some nice warm weather in early March but has gone back to what we should expect. We have seen rain and sleet and flooding rivers. It's been cold and gray. Nothing seemed to charm me out to take pictures.
Out my window at work I see the ski trails on Mount Sunapee in the distance. Taunting me all winter to get out and enjoy the snow. I missed skiing this winter. For me the ski conditions have to be stellar. And this year we had a lot less snow and more "boiler plate" aka: ice.

(click on the photo to see the geese.)


I've tried to be patient. It's just so hard!
So I tried something new to distract me.

Having been inspired by my latest read Banana Heart Summer; the author is constantly describing food from her naive Philippines and the hunger of those without, I have been dabbling in cooking. Recipes, cookbooks and websites & magazines about food can get me excited.
I've always liked to bake. Bread, pie, cake, cookies, etc. But meals have always been a struggle for me. I've always said I hate to cook but I think I've found that I just don't like to coordinate a meal. I'm certain the neighbors could hear me cursing over the baked chops, rice and steamed veggies I attempted to make Tuesday. Nothing seemed to come out right, but they ate it.
Last night was different. I had fun making beef burgundy with bacon & onion dumplings. The day before it was chicken & broccoli Alfredo over penne and last Saturday chicken enchiladas. I guess I'm a one-pot cook. It's tax season and I'm trying to pick up the slack in the kitchen while my accountant husband works 16 hour days helping people with their taxes. He likes to cook and always makes it look so easy.
I'm trying my best to have fun while I experiment.

To be a cat.....

moving about the house chasing the sun, napping and day dreaming, no worries.

Parade of flowers

I love spring. Even 40 degrees feels warm.

Hope springs from the ground.

Promise is in the air.

Silk Farm walk about

I took a hike at our local Audubon Center on Saturday.
I just needed to get out and enjoy the sun.

Waiting for it's summer resident blue birds to return.

The sun was warm on my back and the shadows stretched out across the field
as it moved lower in the sky.

At the bottom of this large white pine were the remains of some squirrel's lunch. I wonder just how many pine cones there were when he started?

It may be hard to see unless you click on the picture for a larger view; this maple leaf is frozen in the ice. There was a unique ice dam where the ground water had frozen and thawed and made a wonderful icy cascade as it was trying to reach Turkey pond.

Home Work

It's president's Day and I'm home working for my husband.

It's always nice to have help with those large spreadsheets.

With 4 cats you can count on them showing up to "help" steal paper clips, test the refreshments and lay on the papers your reading. I think Buddy is ready to go to the next appointment.

Lumbering along to work.

My commute to and from is a bit longer than it used to be but the time goes by quickly enough. I'm traveling in the opposite direction of most, out of the city. It's highway driving and the NHDOT does a great job keeping the roads clear of snow and ice. This winter we have gotten off easy without much of the white stuff. Bad for the ski areas but easier on those who shovel it. February is half over and already it seems like spring is not so far away. I was excited last night to walk out to my car in the day light. The days are stretching out and what a difference just a few extra minutes of day light can make to one's spirit.

Sailing on a winter's morning

The morning sun was shining on it and had to stop.

I pulled into a field across the road where they have been logging. A thought ran through my mind "will I be able to back out of here?" I pulled in. This fence post was handy by to rest my little camera on.
My camera is one of those small, fit in my purse types with an auto-focus (ick!) but it's what I have so lots of blurry shots get tossed and a few make it here to show and tell. We have an old fashioned 35mm camera with a good telephoto lens but waiting for the development and lugging a heavy camera is too frustrating....more than having some blurred shots.