Happy New Year, Belatedly

I got a wonderful Christmas present that I have set up in the back yard.

It is a most wonderful new bird feeder that holds 5 pounds of seed!!!!  I have been putting the seed on the railing, you can see the evidence on the railing and Amy did not like that practise.

So in the interest of exploring our environs and shopping local, I stopped into a shop called Nature's Emporium that I drive by every day.  It was a dog, cat and bird mecca!!!! I bought a shepard's crook and seed and a squirrel baffle that I am really using as an umbrella for the birds.  

And the birds have found it!!!!!!  I have not yet seen any squirrels yet, but hopefully they will come.  We are planning on planting trees and ever greens around the fence, so they may decide to come over to our house.

I also got an arm that I will attach to the deck for the humming bird feeder.

Amy had a life long dream realized when she got Jane to go gem hunting.  They left and were gone about 7 hours and they came home with two bags of gems:

 

This is a geode that they found.

We have "gems" all over the counter.  Amy is getting a rock tumbler and is going to polish some of these up.  We also got jars for display purposes:

Our cousin, Sarah Plunkett Martin, is offering to take them panning for gold somewhere in the Atlanta area.

Much love,

Leslie

North Carolina State of Emergency aka A Snow Day

It started snowing at 5am ~ Loki wanted to go out so I got up and took him out.  There was nothing on the ground, but flakes of snow were coming down.

Melanie is looking for the ball that Bennett has ~ as they follow Amy

I did shovel the back deck.  I am listening to the Tony Kornheister show on podcast.  Amy is working.  It is a nice quiet day.

Love,
Leslie

Applauding the Resist Movement for a New Generation

Jane and her friends, Margaret, Mary and Nicole came over today to work on their posters for the Women's March in Raleigh next Saturday.  They were so creative and funny!

They are our future!!!

Love, 
Leslie

Putting Christmas Away....I Had Such High Hopes

I have put all of the Christmas upstairs, except the tree.  I thought I would get Christmas put away and then take down the tree.  Nope.

Here is where I am working  ~  the bonus room.  I was working on getting Christmas put away, then decided to open some boxes because I am looking for the dog's beds and Amy's Ugg boots.  

I found the dog beds, the iron, Waterford goblets, Amy's UGG boots and a treasure and emptied 10 boxes. 

 And, I pulled out the Oriental rug that was against the wall.  We want to see if it will fit downstairs.  I also pulled out the pad.  They were darn heavy.  I don't know how people were able to put people in carpets and carry them away.  It was not easy.

I also found this cigar box.   (This is the treasure)

And when I opened it, I found this message about ME!  I have never seen this!  Dad must have bought the cigars for his work.  Well now I know what time I was born (17:15), how much I weighed and how long I was.  Very cool.

I am exhausted.  I will finish the job later.   Or just shut the door.

Stay warm, stay healthy!

Love,
Leslie

PS ~ I am finally out of the bonus room:

A Little Dusting of Snow.....But Boy is it COLD!!!!

I know it is cold everywhere.....but here in sunny North Carolina, considered by most to be the South, it is currently 24 degrees with a wind chill of 14.  And it is supposed to be 9 degrees on Saturday.  Boo hiss!!!!!!!

This greeted me when I came home yesterday:

I am not sure if it was a testament to how cold it is, a testament to feeling like it is too bad the holidays are over and the work grind starts again or practise for the zombie apocalypse.  

Our snow was minimal ~ it covered the street and the driveway and when I was walking the dogs last night I notised that neighbors who were driving were driving REALLY slow and carefully.  The snow was dry and not slick at all. 

I am off to work.  Have a beautiful day!

Love,
Leslie

An addendum:  I tried to go to work....the roads here were a little messy but ok.  I don't drive on 40 (which is the major highway) I take 70 which is a two lane little roadway which parallels 40.  As I got closer to Durham, the roads got worse.  Then, when I was 18 miles west of Durham the roads just got horrible and the weather and news guys were saying it was only going to get worse with black ice ~ so I decided to turn around.

I texted Lori and she said schools and the courts were closed in Durham, so I guess it is good to just stay home.