Monday, December 26, 2022

December 26, 2022 Monday--1 am

Good barely Monday--lol!  I do plan to try to sleep after I am done with the blog.  

Was a very quiet week.  Cold...freezing cold.  Wind chill warnings every day, I think.  -30 to -40 degree wind chills.  Snowing off and on.  (Thought it was too cold to snow?!)  Was a good week to be home quietly feeling cruddy with diarrhea and insomnia--lol! 

I did have things start to do a turn around mid-week.  Who knew I would be so happy to be back to the pasty-poo after almost five weeks of a lot worse--LOL!  Everything is relative, isn't it?  ;)

Meanwhile, I spent the week with Miss Allie for company...and the Critter Cafe was quite full and busy.

Allie spent a lot of time near the patio door.
The arctic hare came by every day in the daylight.  You know how bad the weather is by how often you see rabbits in our few daytime hours.  Especially when it's the arctic hares.
Allie always had an eye out...when she wasn't sleeping, of course.
Flocks of small birds were here several times a day, too.
Possibly more than one arctic hare...
...and quite a few partridges.  One big covey of fourteen...
...and another smaller covey of five I would see often.
I had to chuckle...saw a cat video on YT saying cats would love watching this sleeping cat and listening to harp music.  I thought--no way.  Well, I'll be darned!!
Allie stared for the longest time at this tail flicking, ear twitching cat that cracked its eyes open every so often to peer at her.  It was apparently a very light sleeper.  Allie certainly seemed to recognize it as another cat and wanted to keep an eye on it--lol!
Friday  2pm
Enough days with frigid wind that my patio door froze shut.
The partridges dug and dug to get what remnants in the layers of snowfall they could find.
I felt so badly.  If I went to struggle with the door then after I finally gave up they'd all come running over thinking I had put out seed!  
They stayed nearby for quite a while...the bigger covey...
...and the smaller one.
Saturday 10am
A couple hours of sunshine and I finally got the door unlatched and open again.
I've had a really difficult time with this video!  I have tried to upload it on youtube twice and it was there but then disappeared.  I am trying again but it says it will be another 70 minutes before it is uploaded. (Each time it is taking longer?)  If I am still awake I will try once more...so I'll wait to post this blog until I try one more time.  If I happen to get tired enough to be able to sleep--I'll wait till I wake up to deal with it.  I want to give it one more try.  I've never had videos disappear on me before on youtube. ??

Okay it shows it is published--again.  If it isn't working try here. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4t1p9ylXSY  

There's been a lot of company on the patio ever since I could put out seed again.  :)

Miss Allie loves it!


Allie can only watch for so long and she needs her beauty sleep.
Christmas Eve
I opened a box with presents from Janie Junebug.
A snowman that lights up with batteries, hand soaps, hand lotions, body mist...I do feel quite spoiled!  Made me think of Wanderlust 2023.  This coming year the classes are also supposed to have something about self-care each week.  I wonder how that will work?  Well, these gifts set the mood for it, anyways.  Thank you, Janie!!  :)

Allie climbs onto the table and kind of hides behind a box that has been sitting on a chair for too long.  She thinks she's hiding on me--lol!
Sometimes the partridges leave when the rabbits come.
Do you see both the cottontails in this shot?
But sometimes they don't.
This hare came bounding up and stopped when it saw that there was already a small covey of partridges eating.
How polite of it to wait.
It only waited for a couple of minutes and then moved in and scared them away--lol!

Oh, I never showed you my new Epson printer.  Those are the refill bottles on the top there.
Really seems weird to fill the cartridges with liquid bottled ink, but we think it will be cheaper, too.

AND...
I got the new photo Christmas postcard with the family on the front.
Dagan looks so different without his glasses on.  I asked Leah why and it was because this was taken outside and his glasses turn into sunglasses...and that just seemed wrong to him--lol!

On the backside there are several more pics and a little letter/note.
I really love it!!  Just perfect!!

As Gramma I got several actual photos, too.
Liam
Ian
Ian and Liam hugging.
The family picture.
And smaller versions of some of the boys for my wallet!
In the envelope was also a letter from Liam...
...and Ian.
Ian's was written on one side of a folded piece of paper.  When you opened it up to look why it was folded...leave it to Ian--LOL!  (Says "BOO!", Tori.)
Well, it was just an altogether R&R-drag-my-butt-around week.  Took me all week just to get the laundry put away.  Was one of those weeks.  But things seem to FINALLY have turned around (knock on wood) so that I might be able to finally have Keanna come to clean tomorrow and make it to an infusion on Friday...I hope!!  :)

Leah never did hear from the company to do the floor.  She was so busy she didn't have time to bug him and he was likely very busy, too, with it being Christmas week and all.  She'll get ahold of him this week.  Said she'd let me know as soon as she hears anything.

McFamily had Christmas with Leah's family.  We usually meet after the holidays.  Quite often it is even in January and this may be one of those years.  But we have always had our own little Christmas at some point.  Which means I had best wrap the boys' presents--lol!

We have more snow again tonight.  I can hear a plow out there and it is 2am.  I do plan to try to get some sleep after I post this...at some point, anyways.  

I hope everyone had a nice holiday if and when you celebrate and that you have stayed safe and warm if you are in the US or anywhere else in this freeze zone.  Are you folks roasting on the other side of the world?  It is supposed to warm up into the teens for the next few days here.  Thank goodness!  I do love winter but this is unusually cold.  I am fine inside where it is warm...or warm enough with extra layers and a blanket...but I worry about others.  I would have been really cold in my last apartment at West Winds where the windows leaked so much you could watch the blinds sway in the wind.  

I am hoping for a more productive, healthier week ahead.  Best to you all and Happy New Year!!  Till next time...  

17 comments:

David M. Gascoigne, said...

The wildlife that visits your backyard is quite remarkable. I would be quite entranced looking at them. Hope you have a better week ahead and a grand New Year ahead. All the best - David

Deb J. in Utah said...

Hi Rita. I love the pictures of McFamily. You will enjoy the new pictures and little letters from the boys. So glad you are feeling better after struggling with diarrhea and insomnia. I hope that this week is better. That was so nice of Junie Junebug to send those lovely self-care items to you. I hope that you have a good week, and health and happiness in the new year. See you again soon!

DJan said...

Wow, Rita, I am really hoping you have turned the corner after this awful frozen week. I love the card from McFamily, too. What a fine bit of love turned into a card! I hope 2023 brings us all a much better year. :-)

Anvilcloud said...

The show on your patio continues for both you and Allie. I hope you have a good week.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Brrr to the temps and all that snow, Rita, but you and Allie have been keeping entertained daily with all the visitors to the Critter Cafe. The arctic hare is quite beautiful and I wondered where they go when not visiting your patio. Glad you were able to finally free the frozen door too.

Seems every time you turn a corner, there are a few down days and hope they are getter fewer and fewer. Hopefully, by year end it will be good news as far as being able to sleep and use the toilet.

The family card was lovely to see. Thanks for sharing and hope you are all able to get together soon.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Happy Christmas hope this week is better!

Juli said...

Janie's the best isn't she! I love that she sent you something. Negative WAHT???? No thanks. Our windchills were in the low teens and it was brutal delivering. I won't be forgetting my gloves anymore. Course it's going to be in the high 40s and low 50s towards the end of the week. New England isn't what it used to be.

Amazing the hare can be out in those winds. Our miss Kiki is slowly warming up to many things, her personality coming through. It's been 3 months now... I caught her head butting the dog gently and grooming her face today. Alaska gave her the side eye, but she let her do it. Baby steps, right?

Os meus momentos favoritos said...

Happy New Year.

CrystalChick said...

Hi Rita! I enjoyed the photos of your family, and the video of Critter Cafe! We have one small clear feeder on our enclosed front porch so it's nice to see some birds come in for treats. Squirrels will occasionally climb in and steal some seed, especially if we neglect their feeder for too long in a backyard tree.
That's some cold weather you have! It did get down quite low here for a couple days, maybe 7 degrees, and we had a bit of wind, too. It doesn't last long at all though. Mid-30's today, and will be even higher the rest of the week.
Happy, heathy New Year!
~Mary

Janie Junebug said...

That's a great photo of McFamily. The boys have nice, neat handwriting. I consider myself thanked, so you're welcome. I'm not too surprised that Allie liked the show with music. I'll have to tell the story of Milhous and a TV show on my blog one of these days--if I remember. Thoughts flit in and out of my brain and don't always stick. I enjoyed your video and hope you can go to your infusion on Friday.

Love,
Janie

Jim and Barb's Adventures said...

The views out your windows are spectacular! Like Allie, I could watch those partridge and hares all day long. It is finally warming up here enough so the dogs can go out for longer periods, they were pretty tired of being cooped up.

DVArtist said...

Hi Rita, stopping in to say I hope you had a nice Christmas and wishing you the best 2023.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I love that you take care of the birds and bunnies in winter. It is sp sweet of you to do that. Love those photos of the McFamily. The boys are really growing.

I may have been forced offline by the storm at Christmas, but I want to wish you a joyous, safe, healthy, and prosperous 2023 in advance of the new year.

Jeanie said...

I love the family's Christmas card. That's funny about the sunglasses! And what a show you have with all sorts of bird and wildlife. Allie has to just adore it. I might have to check out that cat video! I've hardly touched the computer in over a week so Merry Winter Holidays and In-Between Week to you!

Divers and Sundry said...

We had on again off again power outages and then a boil water advisory *sigh* but we're back up and running now :) I'm lad you're happy with your printer. I love the Christmas postcard. Such a great idea!

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Your posts always lift my spirits with the bloody great photos

DVArtist said...

Hello, I hope your day is going well. I want you to know how happy I am that you are part of my blogging world and to wish you the very best for 2023.