The Back Forty

I loved this miniature wasteland the moment I first saw it. Dog-trashed patch of lawn, a composter containing three wizened crab apples (where did they come from?),four rose bushes heavily into steroid abuse and that strange big saucer, now gone.
What wasn't there to love?
Having the freedom to do anything I want was such an aphrodisiac, but there were a couple of obstacles, like budget and muscle strength.
The latter taught me evil tricks, like inviting adult children over for a barbecue and hey, bring your shovel.

This is where I'd got by last summer.
the "saucer" corner is now used for serious composting and hanging out laundry.
I can hardly wait to see what I'll be doing out there this summer.

Close Your Eyes and Pretend It's Summer

Okay, enough of this cold air,snow, sleet, black ice and other winter abominations.
I'd rather hang out with old pictures taken in warm sunshine.
Here is the deck shortly before I moved in.

And here it is three summers later

You can bet the farm that the giant saucer is gone; there is a lovely high private fence separating me from the neighbor's deck on the other side and there is table space to feed a dozen people at a time.
My kind of deck.
If I could just train the neighbors not to smoke it would be perfect.

Frozen In Time

Last week Buddha was a tad more comfortable than the winter he endures today


And Max,comfortably viewing life on top of his kitchen garbage can, pondering the sanity of people pushing through snowdrifts to take pictures.

SURPRISE--IT'S SNOWING

Winter is back today. It's snowing.
There were a few days of bitter cold that left us carefully checking to see that our faces remained intact.
The fish pond is doing fine and I can hear water gurgling beneath the snow.

Here is the necessary air passage that keeps the fish thriving or at least hangingin there until summer returns.

Please tell me that summer will return.

Buddha Takes A Bubble Bath

Clean in mind and spirit, he does his best with a snow bath.

A Foggy Day in January?

Everything is nutty with the weather and I think everyone is nervous about the changes except the politicians. They seem to be fine with the abnormalities.

This was the park on my morning walk a couple of days ago; deep fog and thawing snow.



As the thaw continued, the fog wandered off and the pond emerged from under its white coat, showing the fish flitting around wondering what's for lunch. Well, who knows what a fish really thinks.

Yesterday the kid across the road washed his car.

Is this crazy or what?

Happy New Year

This is Harry's way of getting bagged on New Years Eve



He did look up to take in the import of another year.



The decorations look as though they had one too many last night so away they go today, the minute I feel a tiny nudge of energy.

You might think that I had a wild time of it last night and in fact, I was in bed early watching umpteen installments of CSI. Watching can be exhausting.



Drummer boy is waiting on the stairs to go onto the repair department before he is tucked away. He and his drum have been severely parted and he looks kind of wild flailing away at what could be a painful part of the anatomy while the music box in his gizzard tinkles on.