Cat boxes in sub zero weather

This is Tim's box. I guess it is so clean because she has not been out and about.

I wondered if Jellico was in one of the heated boxes at night. Obviously he is because those are his tufts of fur. He is a filthy cat as you can see. I should turn the blanket.

The 2nd of the 2014 Polar Vortices

There are snow rollers everywhere. My neighbor told someone they are actually aliens' eggs and if they all hatch we're in deep doodoo. 

Conneaut Lake has snow rollers and fishermen. There were geese resting in the snow in the foreground but they were too low to make the photo and there was too much traffic to slow down.

There are snow rollers in people's yards.

There are snow rollers in every open field.

There are snow rollers on Pymatuning.

The snow rollers at the foot of the dam aren't visible in the photo.

There are gulls in this photo but you can't see them among the snow rollers.

These three are in my yard.

Jellico's January Journey

I assume Jellico made these tracks. They came out of and around the barn.

Then they headed across the yard toward the pond.

They went into the weeds by the pond.

And emerged after walking over the ice.

They proceeded down to the lake. That's where I stopped following them. The tracks look like he returned the same way.

14 Jan 14 photos

Jellico had been fed but kept an eye on me. Perhaps a treat might be forthcoming. It was.

Conneaut Lake has the geese and they can keep those poopy birds. We have gulls, perhaps thousands of them, but they don't come up on the grass.

This road was tarred and chipped last fall. The plows have removed most of the chips making it feel like an old washboard road.

Sunset 1.12.14

Coming home across the dam, I thought I'd take some sunset photos. The first looks west - obviously - across the dam.

I drove back across the dam and turned around to catch the moon with the gulls that were flying back and forth.

This was the view up the lake which is finally ice covered. There was one fisherman's hut which is barely visible to the left of the island if the photo is embiggened.

The contrails stood out. I waited to see if the colors improved but they didn't so I headed home.

After feeding the cats, I looked out the front window. Wow. I don't recall ever seeing pink contrails before.

St. Peter's Church, Waterford, PA

St. Peter's Church came very close to being demolished when repairs made a number of years ago were determined to have been inadequate several years back and the church was determined too dangerous to enter. Both community and some diocesan outrage finally convinced the diocese to save the church. Hallelujah. It was a privilege to attend the eucharist in the newly reopened building today!

 It was a good thing my friend decided to call a member beforehand. She learned that, contrary to what the website says, the service begins at 11 am in the winter and usually starts late. Note to parishes: Don't bother to have a website unless the information is correct. I ran into that last summer in Sheffield, MA when I and another couple actually missed the service which even a member wasn't aware was scheduled earlier than usual. 

We were greeted by nobody and totally ignored until the peace. Perhaps the people there for the baptism were too engrossed to notice us. It was a bit disconcerting. A person who is not a member invited us to coffee hour as did the priest. My companion knew a couple of the people. I wondered if I would have been totally ignored had I been alone. It wouldn't have been the first time. I'm not finding Episcopalians particularly friendly to strangers. St Peter's may have been different without the fussing over the baptism.

It is a pretty little church which I'm happy has been resurrected. I will probably return for a more "normal" Sunday experience eventually.

Sunset, sunrise. Saturday/Sunday stuff

Or my life in a nutshell. 

Sunset Saturday, 4 January 2014.

Sunrise Sunday, 5 January 2014 - the Second Sunday of Christmas.

Sledriding on the dam today. The temperature was 40ish so lots of folks took advantage of it.

Meanwhile the forecast is for -11F tomorrow night. If the wind doesn't dislodge everything, the cats should be ok in the barn.

Tim came to the cathouse to eat today in the warmth. She wanted an extraordinary amount of attention. Perhaps she senses the weather change.

Be safe, everbuddy!

Thumper

His water was frozen so I took it down to the house, thawed and refilled it then put it back. He drank for many minutes. Now he has a heated water bowl that used to belong to the cats. He gets to go inside when the temperature is too cold tho. He's a cutie and loves being petted.

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Fairview, PA

Everyone I met before the service welcomed me. Afterward, several introduced themselves and actually conversed. These people are serious about visitors. I was even invited to join the choir on a Sunday I visit. Hmmm. It is about an hour from home.

The service was Lessons and Carols with the traditional lessons separated by hymns all before the eucharist. The organist zipped the hymns right along. For the curious: Once in royal David's city, Creator of the stars of night, Lo, how a Rose, Prepare the way, O Zion, Tell out my soul, What child is this?, O come, all ye faithful then Love came down and Go tell it. This is the first parish I've attended that stands thru the entire eucharist like Christ Church does. 

St. Stephens resembles a protestant building. There are no stained glass windows, just glass ones. It is simple and quite beautiful.

These photos were taken with my 3GS iPhone.

Conneaut Lake's lights

The lights around Conneaut Lake, PA.

St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Westfield, NY - again

It is fun to go to a church where several people tell me I've been there before, they are happy to see me again and hope I will return! I was amazed anyone recognized me. They were much friendlier than the last time I attended, perhaps because I was with others then. The bulletin was interesting - included all four weeks of Advent which tied it all together nicely. The cushion used for kneeling didn't try to upset me which I appreciated. Those can be belligerent. The soloist sang well. It was a good experience and I will return, weather permitting. Unfortunately an hour and a half thru the snow belt is not conducive to regular attendance.

Waterfowl galore

The town end of Conneaut Lake has an unusually large number of ducks, geese, coots, etc. this year. They stretch from one side of the lake almost to the other. It's quite a sight. Yes, it was a gloomy day.

Embiggenable