Shades of gray

Mum's the word on the load I'm bearing, so I'll just share a few recent photos – which I realized when uploading are all fittingly in shades of gray:

I do have a more colorful photo to share. When I parked outside the garage and got out of my car this afternoon, my nose told me the sarcacocca on the north side of the house is in full bloom. Sure enough. Those tiny white flowers are powerfully perfumy!

That's it for now from . . .

Row, row, row your boat

After needing chains to get down our hill on Friday morning, we almost needed a boat once off our hill yesterday! There was already "a river running through it" when I went out for morning chores,

and the rain didn't let up all day. After Rick limped home* from an afternoon of wood-turning at a client's house, I dashed into town to pick up feed, navigating several spots where water covered the road.

*The "limping"? The clutch went out in Rick's vet truck yesterday. He managed to start it in first gear and crawl home, but now it sits in our driveway, "dead in the water" so to speak. Oh, and now he's come down with some feverish, miserable bug that Brian and I are desperately hoping to NOT get. A heavy load of stress is not helping our immune systems....

But the sun did make a cameo appearance this afternoon,

and I grabbed the brass ring by jumping on my copper pony for our first ride since his diagnosis of COPD and subsequent beginning of treatment. It was, in a word, WONDERFUL.

That's it for today from . . .

Always winter but never Christmas

Chains were required to get off our hill this morning

The icicles continue to grow as rain falls

This winter resembles that remark. Actually, The Chronicles of Narnia have been on my mind a lot lately, especially The Last Battle. I see so many parallels to the times in which we are living.

But in spite of that, all is not doom and gloom. There are sunrises to lift the spirits,

and sheep to cheer the soul.

Sweet Sarai, my BWF (best woolly friend) of the day

None of the other girls were feeling' the love that morning

And once in a while, my husband surprises me in just the right way.

Found tucked in my unmentionables drawer this morning

That's it for now from . . .

Another late night

The teenager is not managing his time very well. Between school, basketball, homework, violin, and chores, there hasn't been enough time for sleep . . . for any of us. He's going on a snow camp-out for his Wilderness elective this weekend; can you tell?

Other areas of my life are equally chaotic and/or stressful. There is another family "situation," and my horse's health is compromised, leaving our dancing future uncertain.

But there is this:

I really wanted this shot of the hummingbird at dawn with Mt. Adams in the background, but didn't intend for the flash to go off. It startled Mr. Hummer so I only got this one chance, but it turned out better than I expected. I'll take it. ;-)

That's it for now from . . .