The S Word

Guess what I woke up to... Snow.  Snow falling and snow sticking.  It was inevitable.  It got so cold over the last couple days and the clouds began piling up, snow was bound to be next on the horizon.  Ack.

The old birdbath heater wasn't doing its job so I did some online research see if there was something less pricey that would do the job.  I looked at heated water bowls like the one DS & DIL1 use to keep the grand-chickens' water thawed in the winter and big, stainless steel lined ones for "stock."  I ended up going to the birdseed store and just buying one.  It was about five dollars less expensive than the most reliable (according to the reviews) of the other birdbath heaters and heated water bowls I found.   I took this picture just after I plugged it in and before I put the decorative stone (aka rock) on it to hold it in place against rampaging squirrels.  You see how small the open water area is; the old heater just wasn't cutting it.  I have high hopes that this new heater will thaw it out and keep it thawed.  It's fancy; it has a thermostat in it.


While at the birdseed store I splurged ($7.99) on a 40# bag of cob corn.  It just fit but I figured it was smart to buy it during the annual birdseed sale.  Birdbath heaters were NOT on sale.  Of course.  My feeder filling assistant carefully chooses just the right cob to carry up the hill to put into the squirrel feeder.  Now he'll have plenty to choose from and I won't have to tip the can so he can reach the cobs.  Not for a while anyway.


I was delayed going to Friday Night Knitting last night, so delayed that I got a text asking if everything was okay and if I was coming.  Anyway, this is as far as I got embroidering the letters on Rebel Girl Hat #2.  This one is for DIL1 and I'm using tweed yarn.  I spent the first part of the evening counting columns of stitches and placing the little colored markers so I only had time to sew K, I, and N before time to pack up and head for home.  I'll sew the D tonight and start on SMART above it next.







Two different woodpeckers visited us this week.  Yesterday the female Red-bellied Woodpecker (see how the red on her head doesn't go all the way to the beak?) came to peck at seeds on the ground.  Today it was the Downy Woodpecker at the suet.  One day last week a male Hairy Woodpecker (looks like the Downy but has a longer beak and it's about Robin-sized) came for just long enough for us to see him but not long enough for me to take his picture, darn it.



November 11--Caspar David Friedrich, Grave in the Snow.  They had mounded stones over the grave, not small stones either, near-boulders that must have been almost impossible to move.  It had worked for a while but the elements and wildlife had done their work.  Now the world knew where Melanie Elder's journey ended.  Detective Jameson stood in the snowy field with his shoulders hunched and his hands jammed into his pockets.  He stared at the small pink foot that protruded from under the stones.  He knew it wouldn't make a difference but he wanted to cover her foot, to warm it up.

Woo dogies, it's cold outside.  My feet haven't warmed up yet from being out there putting in the new heater and dumping the corn into the can and I'm wearing warm wool socks.  It's supposed to get into the mid-40s during the week.  That'll be nice.

Hey, not only is it Veteran's Day but it's our DS's 39th birthday too.  I can not believe that it's been 39 years (almost to the minute) since he came into our lives.  He's turned out to be everything I'd ever hoped for in a son and then he went over the top, along with DIL1 of course, and produced the wonderfulness that is LC and OJ.  Happy birthday, DS!  Dad and I love you and are so proud of the man you've become.  We brag about you all the time.
--Barbara