Jumping the Gun?

March 12, 2015

Our neighbors have been out trimming trees and cleaning out flower beds. I decided to join them.

I pulled some weeds that have been annoying me lately, and pulled out the dead remnants of tomato, pepper, and squash plants in the raised beds, making sure to set aside the stakes so I can re-use them. It will be time to plant soon! Won't it?

May 14, 2015

Then it dawned on me. Daffodils are springing up all over, but I've yet to see a crocus. The juncos haven't left yet. A few trees are budding out and people are starting to prune their roses and Crepe Myrtles back, but waaaay too early! So, I asked my neighbors if they thought we might just be making a late February snow storm head this way. They gave me a nervous little giggle and said they hoped not.

Hmmm. For many years, a columnist for the Demo-zette, the late Richard Allin, published an annual column heralding the arrival of "The Frozen Daffodil and Snow Tire Festival." I hope he's not just finishing up a column in Heaven for 2016!

I think.

One more pretty snow would be nice. And the streets are too warm for it to stick on them much, so why not?

My father would tell me I've lost my mind. But, I didn't move all the way to Little Rock from New Orleans to have to shave my legs so I could wear shorts in February!

Seriously.  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Photo by Brian Chilson

The Day the Rodents Found Themselves at Loggerheads

It's Groundhog Day and that little scaredy cat Punxhutawney Phil didn't have to hide from his own shadow, portending an early Spring for folks north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

On the other hand, in Lafayette, Louisiana, Pierre C. Shadeaux, the Cajun Nutria, did see his shadow, thus dooming us to an early, long, hot, humid summer.

On yet another hand (or toes or something), it sleeted and flurried in New Orleans today, and we are now under a Winter Weather Advisory until sometime Friday!

I think there are some confused rodents out there.

Winter and Discontent

I seem to be doing hit-and-miss posting recently!  Haven't even gotten to make my blog-rounds, but life seems to be calming down a bit now.  The last snowed-out houseguests left yesterday and made it safely home to Arkansas.  I'm slowly putting the house back together -- 9+ loads of linens over the last week! -- and I have now decided that while running a Bed & Breakfast may be good exercise, like aging, it ain't for sissies.

We've also had some uncharacteristically cold weather around these parts -- below freezing!  This is what greeted me this morning while forcing the 16 year-old shih tzu to go outdoors:

The Naughty Children Fountain may be icy on the surface, but they know how to keep the water flowing!

I'm not sure New Orleans birds know how to ice skate!  And check out the gardenias buds hanging out over the frozen water.  That poor bush is really confused.

At least the pipes have stayed intact.  KNOCK WOOD THREE TIMES!!!

I'm still trying to keep myself from throwing up over that wretched display of "look at me!" and "you should dial back the rhetoric" last night presented by the Young President (perhaps we should call him the Great Healer now that he brought Congresswoman Giffords back to consciousness with his very presence), so I won't even go there.  And here I thought he did a pretty poor memorial performance at Ft. Hood.  Egad.  At least he didn't distribute tee shirts to the mourners in uniform at Hood.  (Funny, until I googled "tee shirts at Tucson memorial" I wasn't aware that so many people were just as appalled as I was by the souvenirs of a Day with the Obamas.  There must be many great minds out there.)

I do find the blame-slinging in the Tucson slaughter intriguing.  We certainly couldn't hold Islam responsible for the slaughters at Ft. Hood or at the Recruiter's office in Little Rock, but we certainly could blame everyone on the right from Sarah Palin to bloggers for setting off that fruitcake in Tucson.

I guess I went there, huh.

Oh well, maybe I'm back!

Thanksgiving Correspondence and Documentary

I'm catching up on emails and stuff that got ignored or put on the back burner -- or completely missed -- over the holiday/party/SAINTS AND RAZORBACK VICTORY weekend.  Among the emails was this little missive from the Young President, with whom I'm apparently now on a first-name basis. I'm happy to pass along his Thanksgiving message (italics mine):

Terry --


When Michelle and I sit down with our family to give thanks today, I want you to know that we'll be especially grateful for folks like you.

Everything we have been able to accomplish in the last two years was possible because you have been willing to work for it and organize for it.

And every time we face a setback, or when progress doesn't happen as quickly as we would like, we know that you'll be right there with us, ready to fight another day.

So I want to thank you -- for everything.

I also hope you'll join me in taking a moment to remember that the freedoms and security we enjoy as Americans are protected by the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces. These patriots are willing to lay down their lives in our defense, and each of us owes them and their families a debt of gratitude.

Have a wonderful day, and God bless.

Barack

Do you suppose he really wants to thank folks like me for everything I've done?  And, God bless?!?!  Now he finds God?  One thing's for sure -- I am indeed right there, ready to fight another day!

Heh.

At least he threw in a little bone for the military -- I'm certain his Progressive Pals were thrilled about that.

I also thought I would share a little video I shot (mainly to show our survivors what our last seconds on this Earth looked like) while heading over the river and through the trees to Aunt Penne's house in Bismarck, Arkansas.  In a driving rainstorm, with vicious winds knocking smaller cars off the road, temperatures fluctuating madly, and green clouds swirling overhead:

It was not fun. We had a lot to be thankful for once we got there!

Musings -- Autumn in Arkansas

This is what makes me miss Arkansas in the fall -- it was taken this morning by a friend in Little Rock, and posted on his Facebook page (what a fantastic invention, that Facebooky thing can be!). He took it from his deck overlooking the Arkansas River.

*heavy sigh*

Oh well -- I suppose I'll wax nostalgic about New Orleans in Carnival/Mardi Gras season whenever we move north.

**double heavy sigh**

I think I'll go decorate for Halloween and do other nice things for myself. Like ignoring the vacuum cleaner for yet one more day.

*Grin*