Did You Hear That?

Bad Dog

So I went into the big city yesterday. I let Taylor come along since she's home alone now.
I wandered through some of the stores while the hubs did his own thing in town.
I went to Starbucks and had a White Chocolate Mocha (yum) and as I was paying, I noticed their pastry shelf. They had all these wonderful sinful desserts. One cupcake was just beautiful, and if you've ever looked at food and said "beautiful" or drooled, then you would have loved this cupcake. It didn't even look real.
The cupcake above is similar but doesn't even do it justice. It was a mixture of dark and white chocolates and shavings, a ganache like glaze going down the sides, just a piece of art. So, of course, I had to have it.
Main reason? I wanted to take photos of it :)

So, I had them put it in this little pastry box and seal it so it wouldn't get damaged on the way home. I also, put this pastry box in a bag and then on the floorboard in the back seat of the truck. It was safe. Or, so I thought.

We went on to do the normal grocery shopping and a few errands in town. When we came back to the truck, ugh, I started putting groceries in the back when I saw it.
The massacre. The crime scene.
That dog had gone into the bag and managed somehow to pull the box out of the bag and demolish the cupcake. I couldn't believe it!
She's never done anything like this before. We couldn't leave Brock in the truck with anything, but never Taylor. I seriously thought I was going to kill her.
Yeah, I know, it's just a cupcake, but the fact that she did what she did really pissed me off. Plus, she just inhaled a cupcake with about three different chocolates in it, and got chocolate all over the back seat of the truck. Heh, at least the truck smells good :)

So, that kind of put a halt on us doing anything else in town because we now had a backseat full of food. We couldn't do anymore shopping and we couldn't go out to eat like we wanted to.
And, I lost my pretty cupcake :(

So she's in trouble. She won't go shopping with me anymore.
And she just might regret eating that much chocolate, physically speaking.

I might go back to town next week.
And I will buy another cupcake :)

Darn

Scavenger Hunt : Drink

1 Sheep, 2 Sheep, 3 Sheep

I had the strangest night.
I decided to take a sleep aide. Maximum strength it said.
It started out beautifully, I got sleepy and fell to sleep.
Then...
I kept having these strange feelings like my body didn't want to stay still.
My body was having these little twitches. I can't really explain it, but it was freaky. Involuntary spasms is the best term I can come up with.
But, I was extremely tired. So the mixture of the two feelings was just horrible. My body wanted to move and get up, my brain wanted to sleep.
I got up a couple of times just to see if it would go away, but then I was too woozy and dizzy to really walk around much.
Sigh... it was awful.
Then of course, this morning I was like a zombie. I didn't want to get up and when I did I felt like I had been hit by a semi.

I think I prefer being up until 4am.
No more over-the-counter sleep medication for me.

I went into the big city today, another adventure I'll be back to tell you about, but ponder this while I'm away...

Anyone want a dog? Small terrier mix.. free. I'll even ship.
She's in big big trouble.

Kitty Torture

I headed out for a bit this morning. The sun was shining for awhile and I actually had some things to do. I didn't drive into the real big city since hubs and I will go tomorrow, but I did head into a larger town in Idaho to do a few things.

I looked around for photo opportunites but just nothing inspired me. So... I came back and tortured the cats for awhile.



I got them this new toy, it's like a tube to run in and out of, and closes like an accordion. Of course, Trout just kept smashing it and sitting on top of it. He did get inside of it once while it was sitting on end.
And of course, he tortured any other cat that wanted to get in it.



Sinclair did get a few minutes to herself to enjoy the new toy :)

.

While reading at all hours of the morning, one of the helpful ideas for insomnia was to exercise. So, I WILL get back on the treadmill tomorrow and might even start my yoga again.
We'll see how this helps :)

No Glass, Please

Is it too early to put this on my Christmas list?

How about St. Patricks Day?
Easter?

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

I've figured out that my body is accepting just snippets of sleep lately. An hour here, an hour there. Sometimes even a half hour will do. It seems when this happens, I awake almost refreshed. Not that that lasts, but it seems satisfied anyway.
I read up on insomnia tonight, as I have before. I have all the signs and symptoms. I read all of the recommendations and have even tried some. I read some tonight I might give a try.
I don't drink half the caffeine I used too.
I do drink alcohol sometimes, but not everyday.
I have sleeping pills, which sometimes take the exact opposite effect.
I have the "white noise" which I already know I need. I can't sleep in complete silence. My mind still just races.
I've tried sleepy teas.
I don't exercise before I go to bed. Even though, they do recommend exercise which I've been meaning to get back to doing.
Do I worry and think too much? Of course.

There are many recommendations for sleep and many reasons why I may not be sleeping listed on these sites.
And a lot of their signs are right on. I'm not going to list them all here, I've posted them before. But it makes sense and I just need to do something about it. Without prescription medications if I can.

I do have a list a natural remedies to try, but it's hard to get to the right store for these items, but I'm going to try. Maybe I should look online.

People always joke that I must be part cat, or have been a cat in a previous life.
Heh.. I WISH I had half the sleep in me that these cats do.

If Only

I could sleep this easily.

They Play

Mine's Bigger Than Yours

We cleared off some land this last fall. As you see, this is what's left of it after the snow melted today. And in the background you can see the GInormous burn pile.
This is along the driveway. You can't actually see it from the house, so at least it's not an eyesore. But, it's there, waiting.



This will of course be cleaned up, seeded,and fenced in for the horses at some point, but now it's just a big swampy mess. I almost ran out to take my pic with it so you could see how really big it is, but there's no way I could have done it in time with the timer. And, who knows how far I would have sunk in.
You know, Leesa's Law.



I can just imagine my nerves when they decide to burn this thing. I just know I'll be left alone with it at different times and imagine all kinds of scenarios of it going out of control and causing havoc.
I know, know, they do it all the time. But I don't.
And not SO close to my house.

Just wait for those blog entries :)

Caption Me

Fever

I decided to stay home today, for two reasons... I was up until almost 5am....I know, don't ask. And, it's just gorgeous outside. I wanted to enjoy this sunny warm day while I had it.
The idea of sitting in my car an hour each way, walking around stores and crowds just didn't do it for me.

The runoff from snow has overflowed the creek so you can hear it rushing by. There's a slight breeze, which can be chilly, but makes the day even more springy-like. 65 degrees and few clouds...nice :)



I spent a large part of the morning doing things outside. The cats were very happy to be in the sun, and also very helpful. I picked up a lot of stuff in the yard that seems to disappear under the snow. I also located many of Brock's outside toys, that was kind of a bummer :(



I had to break up a bunch of hay today (fun), and so much nicer to do it in sun with dry ground. Me and my friend the pitchfork spent some time together. The horses were also very helpful. They don't seem to mind getting their noses stuck with the pitchfork either. Not too bright.



I did walk around the property some, but with the brown and wet and yuck, just not many pretty photos to be had right now. The pond, although melting, is still covered in ice, and there's just not much green yet.



Otis, as usual, follows me around while I do these things, rolling around and wanting attention. I decided, as you can see, to go for the up the nose shots on the animals. And yes, I laid on the ground for some of these. Wow..what I'll do for my friends ;)
Look at the great sky above him!



Tweet really didn't care what I was doing. He found himself a nice warm spot and took a nap.

I had a lot of stuff to talk about between 4 and 5am, but I couldn't decide whether I was writing to write, or if I was writing because I was delirious at that hour.
I decided blogging-while-delirious wasn't an option so decided against it.
I still might write about it later. But for now, I think I'll enjoy the rest of daylight while I have it :)

Blue

Look.
It's blue.
The sky is blue today.
Spaz is happy :)

Melting

Heat wave today, I think it's up to 50 degrees. It feels great, even though I wish sun were with it.
A lot of the snow is slowly melting away.
I walked around the property some this morning, checked on the thawing pond, making sure the dam was holding up. Our front yard is like a swamp at the moment, you practically need rubber boots to walk around.
It's weird to walk around a yard that's part swamp, part ice.
I did find some antlers lying around, but that was about the excitement of the walk.

Most of you remember the little fawn with the burnt leg, she was here this morning. Her leg is doing great and you can see where only white hair grew back in where the burn was.
It's cool to actually recognize the deer that hang out. A few of them followed me to the pond and back, I guess wanting some kind of treat. I threw out a few carrots, which the horses seemed to disagree with.
Oh and something new I learned.....deer love pumpkin. Smash up a pumpkin and throw it in your yard and the deer will engorge. Maybe I will grow pumpkins in the garden this year :)

I'm going to drive into the Big City tomorrow, I found a store I want to check out, full of pretty-shiny-girly things. I might actually even splurge and hit Starbucks while I'm there. Should I take my laptop in and blog from Starbucks? Talk on my phone and have my ipod in my ear? Oh..and take my photo for 365 all at the same time?

Yeah, I know.
I need caffeine.

Let's Have Cake :)

Feelin Lucky, Punk?

Each weekend that the hubs is home, it turns into guy-movie weekend. Since he isn't home much, I reluctantly go along with it. I can usually tune it out by playing here, or chatting with a friend. I don't dare turn on a chick flick..heh.

Now, I can handle some of them. I like The Bourne Identity & Supremecy, and I even liked The Rock the other night.
But..
If I have to sit through Die Hard, National Treasure, Cliffhanger, ANY John Wayne movie, Tombstone, The Unforgiven, Wyatt Earp, Lethal Weapon, Goodfellas, Terminator, Dirty Harry, Bullitt, The Untouchables or any of the numerous war movies, I'm going to implode.

Now.. I'm not saying I didn't like some of these movies the first FIVE times I saw them, but seriously.. it's gettin old.

I'm watching You've Got Mail right now just to push out all the testosterone I've endured this weekend.
Ok ok.. so I won't go into how many times I've seen some of my chick flicks, but that's different :P

Oh and the wildest thing. Last night I was watching The Towering Inferno and I dozed for a few minutes. When I woke up, it was an HOUR later! And, the movie was still about in the same spot as when I dozed.

Imagine that ;)

Send Gifts

Wow.. I totally forgot.

Today is 2 years blogging for me. Wild eh?

Hi There

Chillin'

Sigh...

Doesn't like her haircut :(

My Visual DNA

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Danger, Cupcake Ahead

Ok, so you can't buy sweets just for photography without eating some.
I feel so blah.
Photography is a dangerous business I tell ya.
Thank goodness these were mini cupcakes.
I wonder if deer like cupcakes?

Today was a sunny day, so I did enjoy some time outside and taking a few photos here and there. With the sun out though, comes the slushy dirty snow and the muddy dirt roads. Everything is wet and muddy. You can't even tell what color the trucks are anymore and I won't even go into what my floors look like.
I forgot about that yucky melting period before spring.
Of course, I'm sure we'll still get more snow before that happens.

Ok, so I think I need some real food and a real beer.

You'll rarely hear me say this but...

I'm sweeted out.

**Oh..and I just ordered a remote for my camera. Oh yeah.. I'm excited :)

Spring Colors

I drove into the big city today.
We're actually getting some colors. Mainly green and brown, but hey, after 6 months of white it looks nice :)

I bought a bunch of candy and sweets today, all for photography's sake. Hubs thinks I'm strange. That's nothing new though :)

He decided to shave Taylor since she's kind of moppy looking lately, and halfway through the grooming the clippers broke. My dog is now half hairy, half bald. He won't let me take a photo. Heh.

That's my day so far.

I'm Thinkin'

I sit.

I stare.

I think.

And think and think and think.

What do I write here, what do I have to say?

I've been in a very grey area. I don't see anything of interest to share.

I hear it's the weather. It's grey. It's cold. It's snowy and rainy all at the same time. The house is dark and quiet.

I don't think this helps.

Spring won't be here for me as soon as it will for some. We can't plant until the last freeze, which is usually around Mothers Day.

I am ready for the new fawns.

I'm even ready for the bear.

I know you will remember that when I complain how they keep me up at night.

I head back to Seattle next month. We will be looking for a second place there.

I hope to divide my time between the two places.

And I'm SO looking foward to it.

Of Course

Down Home

Just off of the beaten path
A little dot on a state road map
That's where I was born & where I'll die
Things move at a slower pace
Nobody's in a rat race
And these days that's a special way to fly

I've been thinking more on the "small town" feel since I wrote that post. I remember it being quite the change from the DFW area.
I always think of the song "Down Home" by Alabama when I think of this life.
*Down home, where they know you by name and treat you like family.

It's a quiet town. No traffic lights, one stop sign. Everyone waves as you drive by each other, even if you don't know one another.
They all know your car. They all know your business.
*Down home, where a man's good word and a handshake are all you need.

We have a general store, a post office, a laundromat (and showers for those without running water) and a volunteer fire department. I actually know the deputy sheriff, as he has been here more than a few times, but I rarely actually see him drive through town.
*Folks know, if you're fallin on hard times, you can fall back on... those of us raised up, down home.

Some people do have a tab at the grocery store. When I've needed help here while alone, neighbors get together and help.
When my water pump died, neighbors went and filled up barrels of spring water for me and the horses.
The pump guy came out on a holiday to fix it, no pay required immediately.

You don't hear sirens. You don't hear car alarms. You hear the train sometimes, dogs bark, and the occasional gunshot.
There is no fast food. There are no restaurants. No delivery.
No newspaper. No ice cream shop or donuts.
No ones in a hurry. Everyone says hello. Everyone smiles :)

Of course as nice as all of this is, you start to miss some things.
I miss pizza delivery.
I miss coffee shops and donut shops.
It's weird to not have a local paper or the local news.
You can't run down to the store after 8pm when you have a craving.
You can't run to Target because you forgot to get a gift.
You can't stop and get dinner somewhere because you don't feel like cooking.
And.. you can't use your cell phone here.

But.. it's peaceful and it's beautiful.
And I'm know I'm lucky enough to say I get to enjoy it.
And soon, I'll be able to enjoy the best of both worlds.

*When I was a boy I couldn't wait to leave this place
But now I wanna see my children raised...

Down home.

Yum

Small Town Living

So I ventured into town today. Not the big city, but our little town here. I had to stop in at the post office, and then pick up a few things at the general store.
Of course I had a few people teasing me, since I rarely come down there.

They don't have a whole lot, but they have essentials.. you know, beer, soda.. bread.. stuff like that. They also have a feed store where I pick up corn and bird seed. Every now and then I pick up cat food there, but they rarely have big bags, and what they do have is usually expensive. You know, like buying your essentials at a 7-11 or something. (*wow... I haven't seen a 7-11 in years)

So.. I'm chatting with the girl that works there (family-run store) and just told her that I was trying to talk myself out of going into the big city and that's why I was looking for cat food there.
She then told me that weekly they run into the big city for supplies and would be glad to pick up cat food for me. I can just pick it up at the store. They also order Heineken Light and Diet coke in 12 packs just for me.

So of course I took her up on it :)
I wonder if I can just give her my grocery list?

As much as I'm longing to get out some and be in a city again, sometimes small town living has it's benefits.

Just Words

Found this image over at PostSecret, seemed fitting :)
I'm down to two a day (sorry, Terry) and doing pretty well except a small headache every now and then.
I've also been taking something to sleep. Some nights it works, some nights it has the complete opposite affect and I'm up till all hours.
Just weird.

I had an uneventful weekend and just really don't have much to say. I didn't jinx myself. Weather is the same. Animals are healthy.
Life is quiet.
This feels like it's turned into a photoblog with a few stories squeezed in though. I feel like I'm just throwing words out here so you know I'm alive and haven't been eaten by a wild animal.

Oh well, if pictures are really worth a thousand words, then I've had plenty to say :)

Cold Nose

Quiet

Not much excitement around here lately.
It's been a quiet weekend so far.
Of course I probably just jinxed myself.

Oh I did see something interesting last night. My cats have been using a ladder to get up into the top of the barn recently, which I thought was pretty wild.
Then, last night, I saw a raccoon do the same thing.

Raccoons and cats climbing ladders.

What's next?

Gathering

Were I called on to define, very briefly, the term 'Art', I should call it 'the reproduction of what the Senses perceive in Nature through the veil of the soul'. The mere imitation, however accurate, of what is in Nature, entitles no man to the sacred name 'Artist'.
~Edgar Allen Poe

8 Degrees

Still

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.
~~Aristotle

Hey Boo-Boo

I'm hurt. Actually it's more than a boo-boo... but I just thought he was cute :)
I was feeding the horses yesterday morning, having to scoop up hay with a pitchfork since the deer have spread it out all over. One of the scooping moments I dug through the hay and hit the ground underneath it.
The handle of the fork went right into the palm of my hand.
Yeah... it hurt.

Now my hand is really hurt. I can type (thank goodness) but I can't turn the doorknob, hold a bottle or can, or turn it certain ways. I even dropped all the mail when trying to carry it in.

And of course, it's my right hand.

Yes, of course.

Dusk

Glimmer

It snowed a few more inches last night. I had a small window of sun to go out and take a few photos.



There's just something about a blue sky and the snow so bright.



The birds are actually sitting still today.



The fisheye lens is fun on a day like today too :) Do you see that up there? It's blue sky!



The deer are running around, it kind of looks like they're playing tag or hide and seek :)



Marble followed me all around while I was taking photos, so I assumed she wanted hers taken too :)