Ellie's First Visit to the Lake

Ellie and Grandma



Ellie Bellie



Paul and Julia




Paul and Charlie

The rain stopped for the weekend so we could have some fun. Paul got a battery for the little John Deere Gator that our neighbor, Brennan, gave to us for the kids to use. He has gotten too big to ride in it. Charlie drove kind of jerky, Julia was fearless and seemed to take to it naturally.

Ellie was adorable and good and snuggly. Great traits in a 3 month old baby!

Birding With Paul

Hummer at the Oriole feeder, Katie got me a new one last summer, with a bee guard that works great!




Oriole on the jelly, Rose Breasted Grosbeak on the feeder


Male Cardinal




Paul's picture of a male Oriole with the Ruby Throated Hummingbird waiting in line

We winter in an amazing area of Texas, full of native birds and winter birds and migratory birds, and we hardly ever get pictures of them. One reason is my camera isn't good enough to get great pictures, I think the other reason is we are too busy having fun.

Shout Out

I was just looking at my Sitemeter stats and am surprised at all the hits I had this week. I never get any comments so I figure my girls read it and maybe my brother Dave, and some random folks who hit the "next" button. There are a lot of hits from the same areas.

I see lots of hits from Mt. Pleasant, always some from Holland, MI, I know Heather looks in from Belgium, but who from Grenaa, Arhus? Edmore, MI? Monroeville, PA? I would love to know and to read your blog. Anyway, I appreciate your interest and hope you are entertained by my pictures and stories.

In case anyone missed Paul's video of the Bald Eagle trying to snag ducks doing it in the lake, I have downloaded it. It is on face book. He didn't know how to do video with the camera, it is very short. Neither of us knew it had audio also, Steff mentioned it and yes, there it was.

I have been feeling crummy the past few weeks, allergies and what not. Took antibiotics and they make me feel worse. Oh the joys of spring. Half thinking it is the shock of coming from a warm and moist climate and lots of fun to cold and dry Clare. No fun comments here.

Paul has taken many bird pics, mostly on dreary,rainy days, since that is the only time he sits and looks out the window at the feeder. I will edit them and get some on the blog soon. Today is sunny, I am hopeful we get some shots. This year our female Orioles seem smaller and the males are so orange, when their wings are spread out, for a landing on the feeders, the entire back is orange with two black triangles of wing. Very pretty.

A shout out and thanks to all you who stop in regularly, I would love the occasional comment from you. I feel that my blog is a diary of our retirement and to keep the kids updated. As Julie says, she hasn't had to bail us out of jail yet. And we are thankful for that and now we know who to call.

Mother's Day

Cardinal and Gold Finch



Paul's photo of the Gold Finches decorating the Japanese Cherry Tree, no buds yet.



Tiny garden flowers, yellow Primrose and Grape Hyacinths

We had a beautiful weekend at the lake, Steff and Tyson came up Saturday night and took us to Maxfield's for dinner on Sunday. I just can't eat as much as I used to, but I gave it my best and that was good enough. Great food and conversation.

I got a surprise call from Julie in the airport in Newark, NJ, and also talked with Charlie and Andrea and Katie and Lane. Fun to visit with the little guys.

Grandkids Will Love This

Patrick asked Julie to bring him a big truck he could drive back from Paris. She figured he got that idea from Grandpa Paul. Yup. Told him about the John Deere Gator he had for him to drive around when he came to visit.

Sunday, Paul and Tyson got out some of the smaller vehicles to take a picture to drool over, the big blue bus, the riding lawn mower, the little blue truck, the Gator and the golf cart. Get ready to rumble, girls and boys!

New Kitchen

Overwhelmed by unpacking and organizing the kitchen. I just want chocolate! And a nap!

It looks amazing and so does the dining room, pale bluish paint on the walls, lighter in the kitchen. The floor is an excellent match for the newly stained cupboards.

The granite is grayer than the sample and looks better for it. I had been worrying that it would be too blah, and the additional gray adds movement and life. The copper/maroon spots match the door handles very well. A nice touch. The granite gray is the same as the gray marble in the back splash.

White appliances add brightness, as does the island and trim. Shane had a good idea with the wainscoting. I always like that touch.

In an effort to keep appliances and stuff off the granite, why cover it up? I am turning the storage closet into an appliance storage and pantry. Hope to keep it simple and clean looking, no clutter.

Sure have a lot of orange stuff to lose. Simplify simplify simplify. Shane is a superhero remodel-er and decorator

Happy Dynkus Day

A Polish custom, Dynkus Day is Easter Monday, or Wet Monday. Wet referring to both the weather and the drinks. It also involves unions and politicians and hard boiled eggs and Polish sausage. It is mainly celebrated in South Bend, IN, and Buffalo, NY. It is celebrated on a par with St. Patrick's Day.

Hooples Bar in Bremen, IN, also celebrates Dynkus Day in a big way. There was a big Texas Hold'em going on at the front table. Drafts were $2 and all day, all you can eat sausage and hard boiled eggs for $7. The table next to ours, 3 drunk old farmers, or hippies, went through 3 pictures of dark brew while we were there. Several ladies were having fun too.

I was happy to enjoy my first northern Bloody Mary, the bland kind with dill pickles in them. And we had the mini Hoople burgers, excellent and very garlicky. Yum.

Then we went to visit Andrea and Ryan and the kids. Then we went to Rigolies for dinner, alcohol and pizza half price for Dynkus Day the salad was wonderful, Italian Salami, mozzarella cheese, black olives, Italian Dressing. Most excellent. The Chicken Parm was excellent too. My pizza had the wrong stuff on it, so they let me have that one and one with the right stuff, peperoni, hamburger and mushrooms. What a Dynkus Day treat, 2 pizza for $6.

So now we are back in the RV, and leaving for home in the morning. Ed was going to meet us here but his slide on his RV got stuck open, the motor broke. I can't wait to get home, except for the awful rain and cold and dreary clouds. April is a pretty cruel month too.