Spring 2009, maybe

These popped up today all over the yard. They were not visible yesterday. Amazing what a couple of 50° nights will do. One more and we could have peepers.

Even the daylilies are getting optimistic.

The daffodils in front of the house are fighting their way thru the debris.

I wish people would follow the Park's instructions! The orange stakes in the distance mark the place I keep encouraging to eventually make a huge ditch across the "tracks".

The spatterdock is up, some even thru the punky ice. I'm waiting to see the turtles tho.

The remaining ice and the water are littered with dead fish. Again this year there are many large fish rotting. Did they get trapped in the ice and die? Is there something polluting the water? Or is the lake cleaner now and the fish are growing larger? A puzzlement.

Collecting

Actually I've suggested Christ Church get mugs to sell and give to visitors. Holy Cross provides a little bag with the mug and several other items. Nice touch. Christ Church needs someone who can identify visitors. No big secret at Holy Cross but CC is larger with "members" who rarely attend.

Friday cat blogging

PuddyTat doesn't look very happy about Tim's intrusion in her box. Given the traditional sparring between these two half sisters a year apart in age, this is really a unique experience. It didn't last long.

Friday shuffle

1. Mama Said - Shirelles
2. Rock and Rye Polka
3. Innamorata - Jerry Vale
4. Our Day Will Come - Ruby and the Romantics
5. Beethoven: Mass in C, Credo - Shaw, Atlanta
6. PDQ Bach: My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth - Schickele
7. Black Mountain Rag - Doc & Merle Watson
8. Durufle: Requiem, Kyrie - Westminster Choir
9. Tonight I Shall Sleep With a Smile on My Face - Scott Hamilton
10. Sea of Love - Phil Phillips

3478 miles

That's how far I drove on my two week adventure. The places I stopped for at least an hour or so were Weston, WV, Bristol, TN/VA, Boone, NC, Hickory, NC, Winston Salem, NC, Greensboro, NC, Raleigh, NC, New Bern, NC, Kennesaw, GA, Atlanta, GA, Decatur, GA, Apopka, FL, Zellwood, FL, Indialantic, FL, Columbia, SC and Columbus, OH.

Many thanks to my hosts Lee, Florence and Paul, Margaret and Lisa, Dort, Judy, Joan and Bill and John and Liz. What fun it was to visit with Janis, Sue, Charlotte and Bruce and Glenn plus the people who joined us at our mini-reunion. What a privilege it was to meet in person bloggers Joyelle, Jane, Susan and Lisa, Luiz and Michael plus the others who were completely new to me. It was good to have conversation with Peter for the first time.

And of course there were Willa, Hildy, Clara and Oscar, +Maya Pavlova, Heath and Cliff, Tweetie, the Himalayan whose name I've forgotten and Oliver and Smokey.

It was a good way to spend a couple of weeks getting away from normality. But I'm happy to be home and was thrilled to be greeted by Tim and PuddyTat at midnight.

Home

Need I say more? ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Topsy turvy weather

This was the scene out the windshield just north of Columbia, SC yesterday. A really pretty drive. Columbia itself escaped the fun.

The snow on the crepe myrtle in the NC Welcome Center near Charlotte was unusual and very photogenic.

Several hours later this was the scene out the windshield in West Virginia south of Charleston - sometimes a terrifying winter drive but now all winter brown and dry.
It was the perfect day to drive north. Sun mostly and dry roads the entire way. Little traffic until Ohio. Apparently people delayed travel thinking there would be snowy conditions on I-77. The SC and NC ditches were littered with cars and trucks from the previous messy weather. I felt twinges of sadness for the families who had vacation plans disrupted. I chuckled at the people who were traveling north from Florida and were shivering in their flowered shirts and shorts at the rest areas.

Tonight I will sleep in my own bed for the first time in two weeks. Should be home by midnight. YEA!

Critters toward the end of my adventure

Dort's Tweetie

Kim's Himalayan (I forget the name. She has another one we didn't see.)

Bill's Smokey

Peter's Oliver