2-11-2019 Monday-10:30am

Good morning!

Mostly a weather and critter week topped off by crafts with Leah and Ian on Saturday.  I wasn't feeling great and ended up passing even on the book this week.  I knew that would probably happen at some point and last week was one of those weeks.  Hopefully this week will be better.  This post is packed with pics and a few videos--both mine and Leah's.  Despite me getting next to nothing done all week, this is a longer than normal post--LOL!  Mostly because of pictures, but grab a cuppa and let's chat.

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Annie and I did a lot of snuggling and watching storms and tons of grouse, sparrows, and rabbits.  The first batch of snow that came through left several inches that Annie could hide behind.

She loved that.

I was so low on spoons I was planning to count cutting this white resume paper in half to use for letters as my artist's date for the book last week.  Not exactly creative--LOL!  I just never got to anything extra.  

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Snow has been coming through in blue waves across the radar maps.  

Just kept getting deeper.

One of the jackrabbits hung around as the storm drove the birds to cover.

Really cold.
Wind chill warnings and storm warnings all week.

The storm that came through later Wednesday into Thursday decided to turn into a blizzard.  I love how understated our weather reports are online.  "Windy" was gusts up to 40 mph.

Plastered snow between the screen and the glass. 

I could barely see out of the studio window (or bedroom).

Annie could no longer crouch to watch her Cat TV.

I had to laugh--do you see that bit of dark protrusion on the far side of the snow drift covering my patio?  Well, there were two grouse dug into the drift!  They popped out when I opened the blinds.  But, sadly, the patio door was frozen shut.  Couldn't give anybody any seed at all on Thursday.  They chirped and peeped and looked in the window.  I tried half a dozen times, but it was iced solid.

It was still snowing and would have been quickly buried, but they know to dig.  And--yes--you can still see grass out there so they did have that to eat.
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Leah sent me pics of their place--first storm.

Then the blizzard.

I didn't think to take pictures of my windows--but here's their frosted front door...

...and a window.

Shows you how cold it's been!
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I was finally able to open the door on Friday when the sun came out and warmed the door up just enough to get it open with a lot of effort--LOL!

I now have quite a solid snow drift that they have to climb on top of to get the seed.

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And Annie has to stretch to see what's going on.

I know Annie wouldn't like the snow to get any higher--LOL!

The critters were sure glad to see me be able to open that door.  :) 

The little cottontail was hungry enough...

...to brave being here with the jackrabbits.  They'd chase her away but she never moved very far--LOL!

There were grouse wars and rabbit wars over food on Friday all morning long.  But after everyone had something to eat they settled down and ate closer together.

 The jackrabbit farthest away is waiting its turn.  I was out of seed in the apartment so I had to reach out and managed to dump some seed out of the feeder (which the sparrows had ignored ever since we hung it until the latest blizzard when the door froze shut).  More seed slid out than I expected so they had quite the feast on Saturday.

Seems funny to see them all so high up off the ground.  There's about 18 inches of snow there by the door.

Rare occurrence!  Cottontail eating right next to a jackrabbit.  Notice she keeps her ears flat to her head.  Maybe trying to imitate being a grouse--ROFL!  She's like a third the size of them.  Leah grabbed my cell phone and captured this for me on Saturday.

And what a Saturday it was!  OMG!
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McFamily was in a car accident in the morning!
No humans were hurt--just three cars.

Ian kept telling me about the mirror hanging that didn't fall off.

Dagan told me they were following another car around a snow plow and Leah went to turn back into the right hand lane...

...but somebody was slowed way down to turn and...

...well, ice...no time...and in trying to avoid that car Leah hit another car, too, and ended up sliding into the snowbank.  So it was one royal fender bender.  After the police left she dropped the family off at home and drove straight to the shop.  She was afraid she had a slow leak in a tire, but it was just low on air.  They said they could take the car on Monday.  Looks like the Prius will need an all-around complete face lift.  I'm just glad everyone was okay.
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The pain in the patoot is that their other car died (froze up?) early in the week and couldn't even be jumped.  So they have only had the one car all week.  What a mess!
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Leah had planned to come over with Ian on Saturday so we could work on making Ian's valentines for preschool.  Much to my surprise--since the car was still driveable, they decided to come.  This was the last chance to make them and for Ian to be a part of it all. 
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Leah had made up some heart crayons by melting pieces of crayons into a mold she had.  So cute!!

Leah made up a couple of sample envelopes till she got the hearts in the right position in the MISTI so that Ian could do stamping.

Then they used the Vagabond to cut out the little envelopes.

Leah made up a little card insert with a heart for them to color--will go inside and they can tape the heart crayon to it.  I forgot to get pictures of that little card, but Leah said she'd take pictures when they were finished.  Ian still has to sign them all.  Next they have to tape on the heart crayons, put them together and close them up.  We can envision different versions of this for other years...and both boys' classes.  :)
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Speaking of both boys...
Gramma always loves to see pics of them.

Boys playing with bins of toys.

Boys being cuddly.  Everyone was sick with coughs and pinkeye...except for Liam.

Video of cuddly boys when McFamily snowed in and sick.

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Oh, and Leah got these--so funny!

This is what happens if you don't move your car when they plow the streets.

That is going to take some digging to free that vehicle. 

And if they don't get it out of there it will be towed away.
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Meanwhile--not much happening here.  Annie has been snuggly on these cold days.  We watch the weather and the critters.  Got a couple close ups of this jackrabbit who was watching me closely.  No more smooth snow drift--LOL!  That doesn't take long with all my visitors.

The rabbits will eat everything but the sunflower seeds.

Thank goodness, say the birds.
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The rabbits and the grouse have been digging down for seed up near the patio door for some reason.  See the big dip in the snow where the sparrows rush in to see what The Girls have uncovered and possibly missed.  ;)

Caught one stretching.

When it is so cold out they often stand on one leg and then the other to warm one up at a time.

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Oh, and on Saturday the toilet suddenly made this dreadfully loud, screechy, moaning racket when you flushed it!  But--it was still flushing so I didn't call about it till this morning.  While I have been working on the blog post the maintenance man has been here--discovered a broken piece in the toilet tank that amused him heartily.  He'd never seen anything like it.  First of all the piece was something he'd never seen in any of the other toilets in the building so far and the top valve (broken) had water spurting out in three violent sprays.  He actually took a picture because he wanted the other maintenance guys to see how it sprayed out in all directions.  I suggested a video so they could hear the terrible moaning--even shut off the dryer for him--LOL!  He got a real kick out of it.  Much laughter to be had.  Then he disappeared and returned with a replacement piece installed in a matter of minutes and I am good to go....quite literally--ROFL!
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And I also heard from Leah.  Dagan had a friend drive him to buy a new battery for the car yesterday and it worked.  The Galant is now running again and he drove it to work.  Leah dropped off the Prius and now has a rental car.  Dagan will be over today or tomorrow to do the seed bin for me.  He'll be working late today because of time missed last week due to illness and the blizzard.  The critters will have to wait.  I am totally out.  Even emptied the bird feeder.  In the meantime, they are all digging up the snow drift.  Persistence and optimism reigns when you're hungry.  They still do have grass, of course, but you know the second I have seed they will get some.  Yes, I know.  They are very spoiled.  ;)
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Well, that's it, I think.  Nothing else to report.  I'm going to try to get to the next week in the book now this week.  No promises, of course.  I feel more like snuggling up under a blanket like Ian and Liam.  I've been working on this for four and a half hours.  My toilet is working quietly again--three loads of clothes are done and put away--but I am going to need a nice long break before I remake the bed.  Have a stress-free week.  *hugs*  See you next week!  :) :)
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"Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you." L. R. Knost