what are the odds?

that 3 people who graduated from our little town...

just happened to be in Hawaii yesterday morning...

getting ready to go on the tour of the USS Arizona...

the World War II memorial...

when the ballistic missile warning happened? 

2 of them were traveling together...

and the third was with her spouse...

we are a very small town of around 1000...

I am sure they will never forget this trip!

ever...

I got her!

finally!

the girlie one!

she is a fast one!

well, it wasn't as bad as it could've been here...

but bad enough...

and the wind just drives the cold right through you...

DH has a bad cold and feeling icky...

I am up with the start of one and a sore throat...

took some cold meds and waiting for them to work so I can go back to bed...

I had a really good day yesterday and got a lot done...

he was moving slow and if he sat long enough...

he was nappin'...

he is off for 3 days this weekend, so hoping to get him on the mend before he heads back to work on Tuesday...

I don't think we will get much done today...

but there isn't much to do...

have good days and stay warm!

3:45am...

good morning...

not sleeping tonight much...

listening to the sleet and freezing rain hit the window panes...

its been doing it for hours now...

we are covered in ice...

I really don't think anyone is going to work today...

stay safe, stay warm and stay home!

just a tease of things to come...

we have rain and its 58 out there!

I have been out on the deck...

with my camera...

and you won't believe what I found!

one of the roses is all greened up...

amazing...

but this 58 day is just a tease!

in just hours, we will be in the low 20s...

with freezing rain!

stay safe and stay warm while mother nature whacks out on us!

let's talk scarecrows...

here are some of mine through the years...

they are just fun...

fun to hunt for the clothes and hats...

fun to put together...

and just fun to look at...

I have perfected them through the years...

this was the first year without the original heads...

just a flower pot...

and they can be used all year long...

naked as a cross at Christmas and Easter...

the grim reaper for Halloween...

and here they are when I first made them...

a boy and a girl...

(now they are both girls)

a friend of mine cut the heads out for me...

this was one of her patterns...

(we have done shows together several times)

and here is the one without the collar...

they lasted for several years...

and then fell apart...

so now, I just put hats where the heads have been...

I have this down to an art, too...

the buttons hold the nail heads so they don't go through the hats...

even in high winds, they stay in place...

I hot glue the fronts down on top of the board...

now, in the winter months when I am out shopping...

I am looking for scarecrow outfits...

always looking for hats...

Goodwill is still the best place to find them...

most of the time, the clothes still have the original tags on them...

and I move them around from time to time...

because I think its fun when someone walks around here and they find things that make them smile...

little hidden giggle makers...

so, do you have scarecrows protecting your bloomers?

let me know what you do with yours!

Have a fun day!

some of last year's accomplishments...

getting the deck painted sure made a huge difference...

we can't wait for warmer weather to be out there again...

plans are to add a breakfast bar at the end of the deck...

just nailing a 10x2 on top of the railing, painting it white to match and adding a couple of metal stools...

so we can sit and look out while we wake up in the mornings...

10 inches will be wide enough to set a plate of eggs on, too!

moving my potting area here and then filling in the area between it and the deck solved so many problems here...

the pathway through there was usually muddy and the grass was patchy...

its easier for me to get to...

even on bad days...

can't wait to add plantings here and pots of blooms this spring...

DH's willow sure made a huge gain last year...

I have been topping it to get it larger at the bottom before letting it go up...

I wanted the trunk strong enough to handle the winds...

the flooding last year forced us to move roses...

and to start this rose garden area...

still a work in progress...

I love dressing the scarecrows...

can't wait to start shopping GW Boutique again for this springs outfits...

(Goodwill)

you never know what you are going to find there!

just beginning to plan for this spring...

I would to add a bayberry and a pear tree this year...

just not sure where...

and can't wait to use the new tiller in the side yard and have a garden again this year...

other than that...

just getting back out there and playing in the dirt will be enough for me...

I'm not totally sure, but think there's something like 75 days until spring...

and you know its going to fly by!

in the meantime...

its still like this out there...

with the weather coming up being all over the place...

and now a possible snow storm hitting us this weekend...

but the snow brings nitrogen to the ground...

and that makes things grow in the spring!

blessings for a wonderful day!