Beautiful Day

Hello,

 

The snow makes it so beautiful to look out. I like seeing the fir type trees out front. They are great bird sanctuaries and many birds are just at the window height for us.

 

Leroy and I went out a bit after 6:00 am to start shoveling. It was a wet heavy snow. We never know how much we got, but Leroy thinks it was more than five inches. I would agree that it was at least four. Because of the weight we did not get much more than the front done before we went in to eat and fortify ourselves. We went back out and got the sidewalk in the back done as well as getting some away from the garage. The city plow has gone twice this year on our ally so we did not do at much shoveling as usual, hoping they would come by once more. If it does not happen, tomorrow morning we will go out again so we can get out of the garage without difficulty.

 

Yesterday afternoon we saw birds at the feeder again. “I have never been so close to these types of birds.” Leroy said in wonderment.

 

It is quite nice to see them so clearly. I would like it if they would come more, but I suspect it is a risky place for them.

 

Earlier, Sarah had asked us if we had enough calendars. We, who still like those paper calendars said, “No, but we do not want you to spend postage on sending us one.”

 

Just Thursday Leroy brought home a calendar from work. Often people donate many of them, but this year has been quite slow since so few come to the museum. Saturday we got the calendar from Sarah. It was quite a nice surprise as it has many family pictures in it. Guess we “needed” one more calendar after all.

 

Paula

How Many Masks

Hello,

 

How many masks do you now own? Masks that you never had before March 2021 and probably never considered that they would become necessary. In our house there are many that are necessary. I have three, oops, now four that I keep in my work bag which also always has a snack bag with a mixture of peanuts, almonds, and green pumpkin seeds (I forgot the real name.). Many days that bag carries books and or movies to and from the library. I am grateful for all the bags in my life.

 

Leroy also has number of masks for work, but I do not think he makes any distinction of which he wears where. We both have a number of extra masks for use such as shopping, a doctor visit, or dropping something off at church. Leroy has more than I do, but I do not know the number for him. I know that I have three in my drawer.

 

Both of the cars have two spare masks in at all times because we might forget our mask. Then there is a hook at the bottom of the stairs where two masks hang in case we have a visitor who wants to meet on the porch or if our downstairs friends are there inside rather than out in the larger outdoor space.

 

I am grateful for each mask and the protection it gives me and others.

 

Paula

Birds at the Feeder

Hello,

 

Our bird feeder has had a slow start on the bird pipeline. It was a week or more that it had been up when I saw my first bird, a black cap chickadee. That was longer than a month ago. It seemed that another week or even two went past before the second chickadee caught my attention. Last week I saw a group of starlings struggle to land on the window ledge or the feeder. The entire setup seems to be aimed at smaller birds.

 

When I reported the starlings to Leroy he told me, “I saw some sparrows and chickadees there yesterday.”

 

“And you did not report that to me?” I asked wondering how such exciting news slipped his mind. His mind is not functioning at the great level that it used to in the past. Actually we both seem to forget more than was ordinary before.

 

Today I was gifted to see a multiple bird feeding that lasted for quite a long time. Only one or possibly two birds were ever around at the same moment. One would sit on the feeder and one might sit on the window ledge for just a short stay. I saw the chickadees and nut hatches. Only one nut hatch was ever there, but they seemed to be the dominate species as the chickadees flew away as soon as they approached. In the tree I also saw a downy woodpecker. It was a great bird watching day. I even learned that I could move around the kitchen some and be ignored if I did not get too close to the window.

 

Paula

Shoveling Day

Hello,

 

Leroy and I went out before breakfast to start shoveling so he could get out of the garage more easily for going to work. I do not know the depth of the snow, but we guessed it was more than five inches, deep enough to be noticeable when shoveling. The wind was blowing strongly so it mattered where we aimed the snow so it would not fly back in our faces. Leroy mostly was filling the wheelbarrow so he could haul it to the back yard as there is not enough room around the alley to stack it.

 

I was happy to go in when Leroy said he was hungry. After eating we did tai chi with the Ely Library contingent. We commented that with this much snow, had we been meeting in person, the session would have been cancelled. Leroy quit the class early so he could go back out and start off to work. He was pleased that the plow had gone through the alley. That was a big help, but required some snow removal just by the garage on his side.

 

Later I went out to shovel the sidewalk, but did not have enough stamina to do it all so I had to go out again later. I am now pleased to note that the sun has melted the snow off the sidewalk where it has been shoveled. I did a little more work in the alley, but will wait until Leroy gets home to finish that. I am not sure why, but I do not handle that wheelbarrow as skillfully as he does.

 

Building muscles, determination, and stamina is the goal with all of this shoveling. Truly a gift of nature to provide all this splendid opportunity!

 

Paula

Uplifting Day

Hello,

 

We started the day by a good session of shoveling snow that was about three inches deep but light and fluffy so it was an easy job. Early in the morning it was beautiful to be outside with the snow as a light reflecting blanket.

 

Later we went to church where issues of depression and low feelings were addressed. Certainly it is good for us to look at what our emotional state is from time to time.

 

We were called by some friends who wanted to walk today. They had just returned to town from helping their family after the birth of a new grandchild. It was great to see them again on our lengthy afternoon walk. This time we mostly stayed on the streets and saw some different scenery than usual on our walks.

 

Following that we went to pick up a hymnal that we had loaned to another friend. Besides getting the hymnal back we also were gifted with some, just out of the oven, bread pudding.

 

After I got home and on the computer to write to you, I decided to learn if I could Skype with my Slovakia friend. She, who goes to bed much later than I, was still up. We had a nice long chat as it has been quite some time since we last connected.

 

I also spent some time reading my book for the book club. It is called “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas. I am finding it quite interesting. I might even see the movie when I have finished the book. For my other book club we are reading some “escape” literature. I am thinking that is a good idea after so many serious books that I have read. Escaping the real world for a while sounds like a nice break.

 

Paula

Techno Day

Hello,

 

For the book club at church we have been meeting on my free meeting account which cuts us off after 40 minutes. This month Sarah let us use her account which she had paid for the holidays, so there was no time limit. I read in consumer reports that another was more highly rated that the jprogram we have been using. It will let you be on for 24 hours which is much more than we need.

 

I invited members of the club to meet with me today so we could do a trial run with the program. Unfortunately we had a bit of difficulty with it. We could not move between speaker view and grid view even though those options would be clicked on by any of us at any time. I could only see one person as the speaker and no one else ever got in the big picture even when they talked. Two of the people who were using tablets could not get their video to work even after pushing on the video icon numerous times. There were other confusing things but I have forgotten just what they were. I spoke with one of our daughters and her nine year old. The nine year old is all excited about trying to solve this mystery.

 

The voicemail answer greeting on our home phone is just the company recording so I decided today to track down how to change that. We have a voice over Internet protocol (VIP). I went to the service web site and did a great deal of searching before I was able to find the instructions buried several layers deep.

 

I went in using the little box and got it done in three minutes. However, when I called the number with my cell phone, I got some automated man’s generic greeting. I mumbled and did not really leave a message. Unfortunately that message was not saved. Groan! After we ate supper, or dinner, depending on to whom you are speaking, I called the number again and heard my own recorded message. I could leave a message and access it later. Maybe I just did not give the system enough time? But then how much time do electronic things need to work? Does anyone know?

 

Paula

Scary Traffic Tales

Hello,

 

Earlier this week when I was driving home, I noticed that a semi was coming into my lane as I entered the interstate. Luckily the driver noticed me and stayed in the other lane. My heart was beating a little faster. Later on the “S” curves which are really an overpass, the semi in the next lane seemed to be coming more to my lane on the curve. This often happens so I stay well over to the side although there is not much side to get onto. I also slowed a little so I was not quite up with the cab. All at once that truck was coming into my lane. I put on the brakes, pulled over as much as I could without hitting the rail, and checked the rearview mirror to make sure I was safe from the car behind me. That car had also slowed a great deal. Before that big rig moved more than two feet into my lane, the driver must have spotted me and pulled back into his lane. Then I suspect because he was going too fast for the car in front of him he slipped into the left lane and sped away. I was happy to get home.

 

Today I went out to do some shopping. I approached a green light that was at the top of a short hill for me. Just as I started into the intersection, I heard a siren and saw bright blue and red flashing lights coming at me from the left. This time I slammed on my breaks hard enough to slide a little. The police car was not coming as fast as I had first thought, but it did go through the intersection ahead of me. I believe they would have stopped if I had not. Again my heart was racing.

 

The other day when I went to work, I saw two vehicles go the wrong way on a one way street. I even blew my horn, amazed that I found the horn, but the driver of that car did not stop. Later the worker truck that I saw turn onto the one way street slipped off to the side immediately, so perhaps they had done that deliberately. Traffic can be a heart stopping experience.

 

Paula