SO LONG COLD FEBRUARY

This last day of February started off like most days of this year's February, cold and dreary.
When I got up I didn't put on my long johns to wear to market as I have almost every other Saturday this winter. Thankfully I had a change of mind after being outside doing the chores and put them on.
Market was very cold today as one of the vendors who sells loose tea cleared their table off after having a very slow year and deciding to move their sales else where and while they were loading the door stayed open canceling out the little amount of heat the old gas heaters put out.
I didn't sell much as the street side parking lot was still icy and a big yellow caution tape gave the appearance that we were closed to passing traffic. I did sell a few things and I am very thankful for those things.
My new friend Susan sat and talked with me causing the time to pass much quicker than it normally would on a day with so few customers.
After market I made a stop at Aldi for a few things for the week and then headed home to get warm for the first time today.
After getting the van unloaded the 4-legged kids were more than willing to snuggle on the couch under a blanket so I could get warm.
We watched the UNC / Miami basketball game which UNC won.
After chores we watched parts of a couple more games of teams we don't really pull for but nothing else on TV !!
On Thursday when everyone was resting from playing in the snow I was watching the birds in the back yard.
I was shocked to see an entire flock of Robins all around and under the feeders. Robins are always around the yard but usually stay up around the garden or pasture and never come to the feeders.
I was wondering what they doing here today but I didn't have to wonder to long before I saw one of them pulling a huge Earth Worm from the ground. The sun had peaked out just for a little while and the warmth must have encouraged the worms out of the water filled ground right into the beaks of the waiting hungry birds.

 This stalking position was very often successful.

 Gotcha  !!!! I couldn't believe they were eating these very large worms !!!

Of course there were many other birds taking advantage of my offerings.
This beautiful female Cardinal struck a pose while waiting for her turn at the feeder.

Little Song Sparrow hopping around in the snow.........

Along with this White Throated Sparrow..........

The Goldfinches are starting to get their golden summer feathers already.......

This White Breasted Nuthatch settled for some suet cake since he couldn't find any peanuts......

This Red Bellied Woodpecker and little Chick-a-dee sharing.......

A Field Sparrow has a seed snack ............

As this February becomes part of my history and I look back over this quickly passing month it has been a memorable one for several reasons.  We have had some record breaking cold temperatures and a really bad ice storm that didn't  cause a lot of tree damage here but put more than an inch of solid ice on the ground which stayed with us for several days in the freezing temps.
We had one very snowy week with two snowstorms dropping 3 inches and 5 1/2 inches only one day apart.
At the beginning of the month I had a breast cancer scare when my yearly mammogram showed a suspicious spot that thankfully turned out to be a lymph node that wasn't showing up before, probably because I lost weight this past year.
That ground hog was correct in his prediction of 6 more weeks of winter weather !!
All in all this has been a good month and I accomplished my goals of getting our taxes all filed along with some cleaning chores.
It is going to end on a nasty weather note tonight as our area is expecting some more freezing rain.

 A beautiful sunset brings this last day of February 2015 to an end as I watch the dark clouds slowly take over the sky.

I am grateful to God for the never ending energy He gives me each day and am looking forward to the challenges He has in store for me in March.
Good Night and God Bless.

TAX DAY

Up early as g-son is coming for the wait for school to start on the 2-hour delay schedule while mom has to go in to work on her regular time.
He is a growing boy as evidenced by the now 4 waffles he orders for breakfast with a couple cups of chocolate milk.
When we got to school we raced to the door to the entertainment of several teachers who were cheering me on , calling me the "racing granny" !!
As I drove home I noticed the top of Bearwallow doesn't look like any of the snow has melted there.

The black cattle create a pretty contrast to the white snow.

As I walked across the yard to the house I noticed the snow is really melting around our farm.

One of the last school buses passes on the road below, must have been a bad route this morning as this bus was pretty late.

I am feeling a little shaky this morning after a sleepless night with my stomach bothering me, finally getting to sleep around maybe 3am.
I had an extra cup of hot green tea before I tackled finishing February's tax duties.
First I resolved the issue I had with #2 son's taxes and then got the answer I was waiting for on daughter's taxes. Having both of those finished I started from scratch on ours. We were expecting to pay so I was in no hurry to get ours on the books but to my surprise because of hubbie's retirement deduction we get a small refund on both, yippee !!!
By 4:30 this afternoon 2014 taxes for daughter, # 2 son and us were in the books !!
With my brain reeling with figures I took a break and almost went to sleep snuggling with the 4-legged kids but caught myself just in time as hubbie came in from work. He was a little late after stopping by daughter's house to let Tipper, her dog, out for a run. She is gone taking her varsity basketball team to Rowan county for the first state play-off game.  Unfortunately she called later and said they lost in over time so their season is complete.
After chores hubbie and I had supper then I got ready for market tomorrow. I haven't heard from anyone saying the market is closed so we can only assume it is open. I didn't bake anymore to add to what I baked the first of the week because I really don't expect any customers to brave the 22 degree temperature in the morning as well as the threat of black ice on the roads from the melting snow of today.  The sun has shined all day today with temps in the upper 30's causing plenty of melting.
February is coming to an end with snow cover reaching all the way down in the southern states.

Another winter storm was named today but for now looks like it will skirt our area to the west and north.
Grateful for the blessings of this day and for the never ending love of our dear Savior.
Good Night and God Bless.

SNOW FUN !!!!!

Woke to a beautiful winter wonderland this morning. The thick heavy snow stuck to everything and was so pretty. We got about half the predicted amount at 5 1/2 inches but it was enough to play in and the roads were still pretty clear this morning.

After breakfast and chores the fun time began. Sledding, snowman building ,snowball fights and even some tree climbing all in a really fun morning.

 EL was a brave girl today and tackled the hill on her own.

 Hubbie said he was making a run so the kid's sleds would slide better !!???

Daughter taking her turn.

 Daddy and daughter ......

Even Baby BB got his first sled ride although I don't think he knew anything about it as he was snuggled to mommy"s chest fast asleep all morning.

Snowman building......

 Love Frosty with the corn cob pipe ....

 Hey if he can do it I can do it too .......

 Snowball fighting ......

 Love that determined look in his eyes .......

We came in for a delicious bowl of our home made vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.
After we ate the sun came out and melted most of the snow away so the kids entertained themselves inside for the afternoon until nap time practicing their two-man band routine !!!

EL and Baby BB took long restful naps this afternoon and g-son and d-in-love went to their house for their naps, daughter had basketball practice for the state play-off game that they are going to finally get to play tomorrow afternoon in Rowan county. Hubbie went outside to take the scrape blade back off the tractor and put the wood carrier back on. Aa went to work for a while then came home and fed cattle.  I watched birds while Re and the kids rested  rested. This post is too picture laden for those bird pics so I will share them tomorrow.
We fixed oven fried chicken tonight with rice, green beans, corn and biscuits for supper for everyone. After another fun filled play day the house seems strangely quiet tonight. I love these snow day/family days here at our house. Hopefully this won't be the last snow of this season, but it does look like the last one for the long term forecast as our weather is going to warm up next week.
With only two days left in February it seems that this month has slipped away into our history as a cold wintery month here  with some record cold temps and in some northeastern towns it is the coldest February in history.
Thankfully I get ready for bed tonight with a smile on my face from a wonderfully blessed day.
Good Night and God Bless.