I was working this afternoon, and when I finished and went outside, I was astonished. There were huge, towering thunderheads all over the western sky. They were right in the middle of the sunset. I wasn't expecting that at all, doesn't matter that its still February, it was in the upper 80's today. So, of course I ought to have expected big tall clouds. There was only a little patter of rain though. We do need rain.

Got Work !!

I had a feeling it was time to blog some more, but the feeling didn't tell me it had been over a week since I wrote. I am very happy to have work. I have been looking for more work, or any work for years I think. Anyway, I started today grooming at a grooming shop in town whose business is actually growing! The thought of being able to pay bills before they come due is exciting to me, and I look forward to catching up and staying caught up. The dogs, on the other hand don't know what to make of me going away every morning. They've never experienced this before (except temporarily).

Anyone for the beach?

Its been cold all day, and so I've been thinking of the beach in summer. I'll share a drawing with you. These guys are so ready to have fun at the beach.

green, green, the grass is green

There's been more rain this week, and the green is creeping stealthily into the pastures. Behind the house where the ground has been bare, the grass is not stealthy at all. It is standing up, boldly, brilliantly green for all the world to see. Some little bird has been making sample nests out of grass. They're not very high above the ground, some of them only about three feet up. But I know that these fragile little nests have not been there since last year. The sparrows and doves are getting bolder about eating the chicken's feed. They make a lot of noise-- no stealth there either-- they fly into the chickens' pen, land on the ground and begin eating calmly as though that was why that feed was there. They only fly up into the tree over the pen when a chicken arrives, or a person comes by. They fly a little farther away when the dogs go running out there to inspect the premises.

Flowering Quince

It must be February, the flowering Quince is blooming. It is pretty. A small bush with pink blooms all over it. It usually blooms for the whole month of February. The really outstanding thing about it though, is that nothing else is blooming around here. And its not afraid to be the only one blooming right then. It just goes on blooming.

So many CLOSE friends!

Usually when the weather's nice, the dogs go outside and lounge around in the sunshine. The last two days have been lovely weather, sunny, blowy, and around seventy degrees. Very pleasant. All five dogs are wrapped around my ankles. Won't go away. Don't want to go outside -- unless I go out and then of course are they smelling all the smells on four acres? Nope. They're playing under my feet, wrestling and slamming into my legs. Right now, Caleb: a friendly blond Cocker who came here second-hand last May, is under my chair in a position which guarantees that I will not escape without his knowing. Its tricky to get out of the chair without stepping on a paw, nose, or silky ear. So if the phone rings, I probably can't get to it in time. The floor is covered with traps, 'will she step on this paw?' 'can she navigate the whole obstacle course without stepping on any living thing?' Also, after I've stepped over a couple of them, they get up and precede me down the hall--and then lay down in the way again so that there always appear to be a couple of dozen Cocker Spaniels in the house, instead of the actual four.

Somebody needs attention

When Topaz was little, he would fling himself at me. He would fling himself at the other dogs, especially Tiger Lily. She's so big it wasn't a problem...when he weighed a couple of pounds it wasn't a real problem even for the other Cockers. They didn't like it, but nobody got hurt. Now, he weighs 22 pounds and is bigger than the smaller female and still throws himself at their heads. It irritates everybody. And I'm sure it doesn't feel good. He does it especially when I'm paying attention to somebody else. The others try to get attention by butting in too, but his rocket-launcher approach is a little unsettling. Definitely destroys the peace.

first sign of green

There's green grass coming up after the rain that fell (and froze) last week. Its peeking out from under the dead leaves in the corners of the yard, growing quietly under the edges of rocks that border flower beds, being brilliantly green next to small fruit trees, and tantalizing the chickens by growing just out of reach of greedy beaks. There's not enough to make the yard look green from a distance, its a close-up thing still.

ice storm last week

Nice ice storm last week. What's nice about an ice storm? I didn't have to go anywhere, nor wonder if things were cancelled... And it was only two days, and I got some really nice photographs. Plus, its 72 now...