Spring is Considering It

Spring is thinking her way into the Ozarks. Yesterday morning, there were 17 robins in my front yard. Which means I probably have no worms to fish with or aerate the soil. I made a grab for the camera but it is charging and seems to be going through a period of exhaustion as she just lays there limply with the strap wrapped securely around the fattest part of her mechanisms. I may be putting too much pressure upon her and need to bring a younger version in to carry the major work load now. I used the 60 degrees yesterday to start gently pulling the branches out of the flower beds. I keep thinking the broken limb and brush fairy will come in the night, put I do not seem to be on her radar just yet. Maybe if I put some kindling under my pillow....

Scott Recovery Project

At this time, mom and dad had been out of power for about 10 days. We had cut our way down to the creek on the south eighty to get water. Dad is backing the trecker with the trailer attached down to the creek. Using a pump that plugged into the cigarette lighter of the trecker, we pumped water from the creek into barrels.

Dad is one axe-wielding brush clearer.

We filled these barrels with water from the creek to be used primarily for the flushing of the potty.

Scott Recovery Project

Branches fell all around the gazebo, with only one falling on the railing.

my apologies -it seems that there are 2 of this one-ignore whichever you wish to...

Mom surveying the damage

Scott Recovery Project

As you can see from the pics, my parents house is surrounded by timber. They took quite a hit with the ice storm. Trees shed their limbs all over the yard and surrounding area. Fortune has smiled on the Scott house so far as none of the major limbs did damage to the roof, yet! I went out last week to help them clean up the front side yard and cut a path through to the south eighty.

I don't care as long as there was a photo op!

I am so addicted to this wide angle lens. It almost killed me though as I squatted to get these shots. I wanted to look like some skilled National Geographer photo hound and spread one leg out for balance. not good. We did a rather graceful version of the "Jeanie Split". My muscles were okay but I split the hell out of my jeans. I guess it is a rather mild story compared to those that stalk tigers and lose the camera to the jaws of a wild one.

Sweet Maggie produces again on the first day of the ice storm. So the official birthday for these AKA rejects is January 26, 2008. They are monsters compared to some of her previous litters. It could be that she had only 4 instead of 7 and they are getting mucho more milk.

I wanted to get down to the secret grotto for shots of the frozen waterfall but brains won over the better part of valor. I left it for another day. I wish that I had ice skates, and well could use them too. As you look over the frozen soccer field, I just get a yearning to try some triple axel stuff.

Beauty and The Beast

I only have a second before my neighbor comes by but I wanted to start the process of recording the ice storm of 2009. I have so little timber close to my home so it is hard to determine the magnitude of the destruction. This was taken with a wide angle lens and filter of the small strip of woods to the northwest of the barn. You can perhaps see some of the some of the pressure the ice was applying to the trees.

Looking down the county road toward my in-laws house.