Saturday Night - Part 2 (or what we call "Sunday" around here)

By the time I ate dinner and finished posting all the new pictures of Lucia last night, I didn't get around to the much-anticipated "Part 2" of the Saturday update. Oh well, at least I managed to get something blogged-together.

After yesterday's threat of significant storms, which never really materialized for us, thank goodness. I know some rough weather rolled through parts of the state, but it was nothing like the worst-case-scenario the forecasters were predicting at the middle of last week. May the rest of their severe weather predictions for this spring be just as wrong...

In between the rains we did receive yesterday, I played outside with the camera. The dogs were glad to get some outside time, but they miss Diva, whom we haven't seen since her injury last week. Our neighbor Aaron, her "Daddy", has communicated that she's doing well but is going to have a huge scar when she's all healed-up. He's planning to keep her confined until the stitches come out in two weeks. Jack and I miss seeing her too.

When we saw the bright sunshine this morning, we hoped to be able to get out on the tennis court to see just what kind of bad shape we're in for the first time this year, but there's entirely too much wind for either of us to feel like trying to control the direction of our tennis balls.

And despite yesterday's rain, pollen continues to be an issue. I talked to Cynthia today, and her sinuses are a mess. Jack's were the same way a few days ago. Mine were miserable two weeks ago. Pollen counts are at record levels this year. Based on the grains of pollen visible in the shaft of light in this photo I took after our last shower yesterday, rain-based relief will be short-term. Pollen was swirling like snow...

Blueberries are in bloom, and the two bushes are getting cross-pollinated. Fingers are crossed.

Critters are crawling.

Spring is here.

Saturday Evening - Part 1

I know this is going to be a long weekly update, so I'm breaking it into 'parts' from the get-go.

This was a long, exhausting week, but we had our share of fun and productive moments, so I cannot complain about anything except the weather. For weeks we've needed rain, and now we're getting it all at once in the form of storms that are heading straight toward The V3. We've had it on and off all day.

We'll take the rain however we can get it and are thankful that all plants great and small are getting a nice drink of water today. I just hope there's no damage and that people are safe. There was a report on the news earlier that said two people in rural Mississippi were killed by this same band of storms when they moved through earlier today. Sad.

Jack and I are watching ConstantWeather on Channel 4 to keep up with what's going on throughout the mid-state. Currently we're in the clear...

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I spent the night at the baby house Wednesday night and had another wonderful visit with Lucia. She was more interested in playing and looking at books than getting her picture made this time, so I didn't get nearly as many new photos of her as I sometimes do, but that's perfectly fine. She's so much fun to hang-with...

Her bath-time did result in some really cute shots.

One of her new favorite things is talking on the phone. I had a fun chat with her one afternoon on my way home. I was able to pick up a few words, but they were coming at such pace and with so much energy, keeping up with her was impossible. It was the cutest thing that's ever come through the bluetooth in the car. Seriously.

Her "regular" phone is an old remote control. It lives in her new toybox and gets a lot of use. While I was visiting the other evening, she dug it out and essentially gave us a clinic in phone etiquette. She walked a big loop from the living room through the dining room and kitchen and back again, gesturing wildly with her free arm. She is such a wonderful girl.

And on the rocking horse her Uncle Chuck V. made for her, she is quite the cowgirl as well.

Please enjoy the photos!

Today's Photos

Greetings from the National Santa Gertrudis Association Annual Meeting - Not.

Wonderful Saturday to you!

Jack and I initially had big plans for the weekend...

Last year we attended a charity function in Franklin and won one of the door prizes, a "weekend for two" at the Cool Springs Marriot. With time running short on the expiration date, Jack made reservations and arrangements for the dogs, and after finishing work yesterday, I made the quick drive down I-65 and arrived at the hotel at the exact same time Jack did. Maybe it was an omen...

We made our way through the lobby, past the cluster of old men in cowboy hats on hand for the National Santa Getrudis Association meeting and the ladies in town for the Women of Joy conference, got our key cards and headed up to room 806.

Small and hot from the afternoon sun and with a view of the interstate, our free hotel room suddenly seemed not so free.

We changed clothes, watched the news, discussed our options and headed home. Lord only knows what the Marriot people at the front desk thought when we checked out an hour after we arrived with a gift certificate, but we didn't care. We were just ready to be "outta there".

With Jimmy and Moose boarded at Miss Renee's and Dudley having a sleepover with Mom and Dad, home was quiet but just what we wanted.

Jack got up this morning and drove to Nashville for a Nikon camera class at Dury's that he'd planned in conjunction with our hotel stay. He's now ready to start adding his own photo contributions to the blog, so be watching for those.

Dudley had a nice night with Mom and Dad and according to Mom, apparently slept in the bed in the guest bedroom last night. He's so spoiled.

Once we all got home, settled in and ready to have a peaceful Saturday afternoon of television and taking pictures and deciding what to do to our big pork chops, a horrible thing happened. We had the sliding glass door open on the deck, letting the dogs come and go as they pleased, and Diva came in... She stood in front of me, wagging and licking and being sweet, begging for attention like normal. Which I gave her like normal. Until I nearly stuck my hand in an eight-inch long vertical gash on her side.

At first I thought she'd been hit by a car, but the huge cut was her only injury. There was no road rash. No bruises.

Jack grabbed the phone to call our regular vet, and I ran outside with my cell phone to get in range and call Diva's daddy...

The next several minutes passed in a blur, but Diva's daddy was here in a flash. We crated her with a fluffy dog bed and sent her on her way. At last report she was on her way to her regular vet in Manchester and will hopefully be good-as-new after a reasonable and uncomplicated recovery.

She is going to have a nasty scar. It looks like something tried to cut her in-half. Jack and I looked around for blood and anything that might give us some indication of what happened, but we found nothing.

There's no telling what she got into, but I just hope our pups steer clear...

I'm going to post photos from today as a separate post.

Keep sweet Diva in your thoughts and prayers...

Sunday Evening

Jack and I have had a wonderful weekend, and while we didn't get a lot accomplished, we didn't put too many things on the "to do" list. I have a busy week ahead and want to start it well-rested, so I'm on my way to bed with a great couple of days on the books.

Spring has arrived, and despite a couple of slightly frosty nights, we seem to be over the hump as far as cold weather is concerned. Jack spotted lightning bugs this evening, which means it's safe to plant tomatoes and go barefoot.

The dogs enjoyed another day of warm weather, though Moose is managing the heat thanks to multiple dips in the pond. There's no telling how much time he'll spend in the water between now and Thanksgiving.

Butterflies at Play

With the warmer temperatures, we've begun to see butterflies.



This afternoon I spotted a zebra swallowtail and zeroed in on him, but as I snapped the picture, this cute little white and orange critter comes sailing by.


A great interaction to capture with photographs...

A Sunny Saturday

What a fabulous day!

This is such a wonderful time of year. Jack and I have had the doors and windows open most all day, dosing ourselves up on the seasonably fresh air. While we've both struggled with our sinuses, the rain we got Wednesday night and Thursday morning cleaned much of the nastier pollens from the air.

My week was good, high-lighted by a visit from Sis and Lucia for lunch on Thursday. I love having company at work - especially when it's Sis and Lu. As Lucia gets older, it becomes more obvious that she's spending a lot of time with Mom and Dad. Some of her mannerisms and reactions to things are classic. It's great...

With the warm weather and rain this week, spring is very much upon us with blooms everywhere. The crocus are completely gone and most of the buttercups are well-past prime, but we're enjoying the bright colors of our tulips and appreciating one of the best years our redbud tree has ever had. The pawpaw is in bloom.

And so are the blueberries.

And speaking of blue - the bluebirds that mated in our front yard are still around. I don't know if they've set up housekeeping in our bluebird house or one of the many other appropriate nesting spots that present in the woods nearby, but they're here. I got a great photo of the female this afternoon.

The dogs love the warm weather and have capitalized on today's open door policy and the availability of good places for a sunbath. Or a pondbath.

Here's something new - I watched golf this afternoon. And enjoyed it.

Jack's grilling hamburgers tonight.

Life is good.

I just posted some flower photos I took on Friday when I had the day off and the sun was shining. Thunderstorms are on their way through this evening, so much of what we currently have blooming will likely be beaten to a pulp. We've enjoyed what we've seen so far, though. The colors over Easter weekend were spectacular.

One of our most beautiful, special flowers began blooming on Friday - our trout lily. Though we have a nice little "patch" of them, only three are mature enough to bloom, and we've really enjoyed them this year.

BLOOMS!

Here are some flower photos I took on Good Friday --