I’m still here! I just didn’t have anything much to say. I’ve just been going from gray day to gray day, hoping for Spring to arrive in person and not just on the calendar. Saturday was pretty nice when it got up to 50 but the wind spoiled any chance of sitting outside, plus the sun was in and out. Today the sun is out nice and bright but it’s below freezing. Tomorrow we are expecting some (shhh! not too loud) snow. We still haven’t  completely gotten rid of our snow cover from the past two months yet, although it’s melting slowly and we have more clear patches of yard than we do snow.

Even though it was cold and there was a chilly wind blowing, I took myself out this morning for a long awaited walk at Long Pond Ironworks. This was the first time since the snow started to fly and pile up week by week that I’ve been there. I wasn’t even sure if my legs would carry me over uneven ground since I’ve only been walking on paved surfaces and grocery store aisles. And also because ever since I slipped and fell on the stupid ice a week ago when taking the girls to the groomers and banged up my knee pretty darned good, I haven’t been walking long distances because of the pain. It’s still swollen some just below the knee around the leg bone, but it’s better than it was. 

It was nice to get out in the fresh, but cold air. The snow had pretty much melted but there were lots of spots that were just pure ice and tried to walk around them. When the path became more ice than it was clear I turned around not wanting to chance falling again. I learn pretty quickly that way.

In other news, we are still looking at vehicle. We have decided against the Toyota Sequoia for now because the one we test drove I didn’t like very much. It felt very boxy yet rode like a luxury car. This vehicle, whatever we end up with, can’t be a namby-pamby sort of girl. She’s going to be a country girl. In all other respects the Sequoia ticked most of our boxes except for not having a seat position memory. We also looked at a Nissan Armada which did tick all the boxes except it does not measure up as well in user reviews in Consumer Reports. We did not drive the Armada yet as they did not have a new one available to test drive. But when I sat in the driver’s seat it felt more like our Surburban than looking out over that huge hood of the Sequoia. We will revisit the Ford Expedition since we have just found out that the salesman who showed us the last one we looked at did not know how the seats folded and we dismissed it because they did not fold flat, but I guess they really do.

In the meantime, our Suburban decided to show us just who’s who and test us on our love for it. While Rick was driving it last week the brakes went out! It figures, doesn’t it? Rusted clean through. So, Big Red is in the hospital getting new brake lines and Rick is driving a loaner car. Not really an expected expense, but what else can you do?

That pretty much sums up what’s been going on (or not) around here. 

Photos: old window latch; barn shadows

I love that photo of the barn. That is frameable!

You really HAVE been having a challenging winter. Are your indoor amaryllis showing signs of blooming, at least? Ours have been going gangbusters.

What a cool window latch.  Like the shadows on the barn too.  Hope your knee continues to improve!

Steve, thank you! I like how the shadow starts all wavy on the ground and “climbs” the wall.
Yes, one amaryllis has bloomed one stalk already and it has two more on the way. One of the other amaryllis has two buds and I’m not sure which one it is. The other one is just sitting there after putting out a bunch of new leaves, so I’m thinking the leaves were it.

C, it’s a old latch for sure. My knee is getting a little better each day I think.

Three stalks from one plant? That’s pretty impressive. One of ours has two and I was thrilled with that! Anyway, focus on those tropical flowers and hopefully all this snowy grayness will dissipate soon.

Steve, yes but one stalk is coming from the “baby” the mother plant had two years ago. I should probably split it. So this is the first year for the attached baby bulb to flower. The mother plant is sending up its second stalk.