Equinox

We do things the odd way around here. For example, for our First of Spring fun, we torched the Christmas Tree. Not so odd. But then we roasted some Peeps. Yeah, those yellow marshmallow yummies. If you do it right, they're crunchy on the outside (the yellow sugar coating) and gooshie on the inside. DD and DH tried several before they got it right. They both ended up with blisters from grabbing hot Peeps. We've gotta give a shout out to Ranger Carol for sharing the world of Hot Roasted Peeps with us.





Most of the snow is gone, kinda. This is the Duv version of Ice Sculpture. I expect we'll have a clear front porch by tomorrow.
We can get to the grill now. That's pretty exciting. We usually grill all winter, but this year we ended up using our camp grill in the garage.
Not so sure about the pile on the corner of the house.

Lessee, who's in the Non-Contest? Barb and Loopy Dave so far. If you haven't guessed a date for when the snow finally melts, it obviously isn't too late to get in on the non-action.

And Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are back. Dunno which one this is, but I was pretty happy with this pic. They've nested in our neck of the woods for at least three years now.
But Wait! There's More!
And I'm jumping into the quilt-by-bloggy fray. I'm going to play "Pay It Forward." I will get something from Rhonda in the next 365 days. (I'm hoping it comes when I'm out west, wink wink.)

Here's the deal:

1. I will make a little something for the first 3 people who comment on this post. It will be a surprise and it will arrive when you least expect it.
2. I will have 365 days to do it in. What's the catch? To get a handmade present from me, you have to play too! This means YOU pledge to send a little handmade something for 3 readers of your blog. It doesn't have to be quilty - just handmade.
3. You must have a blog. Duh.
   
4. Once you comment here, you must post about your Pay It Forward on your blog to keep the fun going - with the Pay It Forward badge.

Lots of folks are posting pics in a Flickr Group, but my Flickr account is all screwed up. I have utterly no idea which e-dress I used, much less my username or login. Sheesh. I'm hoping to get that figured out soonish.

So I'd better get to winding yarn for BadAmy tomorrow so I can dream up something to make for you!

Sometimes the Birds Beckon

I've had a feeling of ennui today. Partly its the adrenaline let-down from DH's party~~which was tons of fun. So many good friends gathered altogether. The sun has been shining and the weather pleasant. I should be in the basement sewing, but I can't seem to drag myself to a room with so few windows. I tried working on some graphic projects on the computer sitting in the sunshine but I still couldn't concentrate. So I packed it in and headed out.

Our yard is 90% mature trees, with some brushy understory. In the summer, it's so thick we can barely see anything, but its nice and cool. The reflection of light off the leaves turns every room in the house to green. This time of year is among my favorites. I can see the landscape and the trees make interesting and ever changing shadows. Today I was hoping to see birds.

Our birds are awfully dang smart. If I'm in the front yard, I hear something out back and vice versa. Today was no exception. A hawk was calling from the back, maybe over in the neighbors property. I looked and I looked and I looked. Even with few leaves to block my view, it eluded me. I was also looking for the noisy thing that must live in the brush in the neighbor's ditch. It just kept telling me to "DO-it" over and over. But I sure couldn't find it.

All was not lost though. A small buck white tail was crossing the neighbors field when he realized I wasn't a tree. We looked at each other and I took one step forward. Off he went in that beautiful run, run, leap-soar that deer do. He stopped back at the tree line, and must have wandered back onto our property, but I couldn't spot him again. He was a young buck, just 2 tines on both sides with bit of another on one side. I don't think I've ever seen a buck on our property before, just does and fawns. It's not like out west, where the wildlife--elk, bison, wolves, and bears--wander through the yard. Deer are much more skittish, so this was quite a treat.

Just me and the deer and the birds. Ennui gone.