Tonight about 7:00 we had a spectacular thunder storm! The lightening flashed for an hour after the storm passed. I propped my camera on the roof of the truck while it was sitting in the driveway and took some pictures. I filled 3 camera cards, hoping to get one or two good ones. I'm not too unhappy with these two.

I have worked all week, taking care of the little twin boys, since the other lady has been sick all week. We were supposed to share this week so they could decide
who they were going to choose for this job. Well, today she told me that the job is mine. That she feels in her words " just so comfortable with me." She is easy to talk to, very friendly easy to get along with. (She is the babies grandmother, and that is a story I'll save for another day.)

The babies were very good today. It seems that they have finally decided that I'm alright. Each of the other days, they would just look at me. They didn't cry or be upset, but they just studied me. It took a lot of work to get them to even smile for me. But today, they would interact with me, and would actually reach for me to pick them up and cuddle. And they would giggle and play with me. So a new chapter in my life begins. We will see how it plays out over the next few months. 

I got a call yesterday that I was going to have a visitor today. R had a run to Terre Haute so would be stopping for a short visit. I made a pan of Chicken Enchiladas for supper. It was a new recipe and turned out very well. I sent a plate full home with R for G's supper too.
She picked up their new computer and will surprise G. He didn't know she was bringing it home today. He has missed having a computer and was getting frantic! Now he can have his 'computer fix'!

I went to work today, taking care of the little twins. They are identical, yet there are differences. One is quite laid back and easy going and the other is quite intense and easily bored. They haven't decided yet who gets the job, but the other lady was sick, so they called me to fill in for her.

It has been a loooooong time since I have been thrown up on, and changed dirty diapers. But today I had D puke on me and changed a couple icky diapers too! O joy!

Dora. It fit her to a T. The lady at the Humane Society said she had to have a name so they could list her as found. She suggested Dora. It was perfect. Thursday I received a call from a man down near Evansville that had been looking for a Bloodhound to adopt. He wanted one to train for tracking. His son in law was in law enforcement and he wanted to train a dog to use in the force if necessary. He drove two hours to come and see her this afternoon, and we let her go with him. He seemed to be sincere. Said he would give me his vets name, wouold take very good care of her and he will keep us informed on how she is doing. I was reluctant, but we just couldn't keep her. I hope she has a good home.

In other news, I spent the day on Friday with the little twins and their grandmother. Since they are cutting teeth, they were not in the best of moods. But we managed. Won't know if I got the job until tomorrow evening. She is supposed to call sometime this weekend. The hours are not to my liking, as they have been changed to 7 to 2:30. Too early. I was originally told 8 to 2:30. But...whatever, I guess.

We stopped at a computer place today and picked out a computer for R. Since hers died, G is having major withdrawal symptoms!

My dear DH is feeling under the weather. I think he got must have picked up what I had. Lets hope it doesn't last two weeks for him! 

Good morning. An early morning too. DH has to leave for Franklin at 6:00 AM to get to work on time now that he has to drive so far. We are hoping this is temperary.

We had 5 inches of that cold white stuff. This morning it was 9° and ouch! I'm sooooo ready for spring! What is with 'winter' this time of year? The chickens are pretty smart. They don't come out of their house when there is snow on the ground. Last evening when we went to shut them in for the night, there was a starling sitting on the roost with the chickens. Maybe he/she hoped we would think he was a chicken and leave him in there? Nope!

DH took a vacation day yesterday and stayed home. I think it was a wise decision, considering how far he would have had to drive in the worst of the snowstorm yesterday. He got out the Kubota with the snowblower and cleared our long driveway. It sure does a good job. I love that riding lawn mower. It also has a leaf bagger attachment, and it makes short work of adding grass clipping and leaves to my garden. Love it!

Since it was nasty outside, and cool in the kitchen, I decided to bake yesterday. I made an apple pie with a crumb topping and my DH's favorite, just for him, a cherry pie. I like using frozen sour pie cherries. The resulting pie has much more flavor than using canned pie filling. My SMIL gave me her recipe for a pie using frozen cherries, and that is the only one I make now! It was soooo good! But that was the last of the cherries I had. Did you hear that Sarah?????? Write yourself a note!!!!! (she found some cheaper than I can get them, but keeps forgetting to bring them with her when she comes up). I can only find them in one store here, but they are worth every penny to get them.

Here are some pictures of some of the big cats at the Exotic Feline Rescue. (Click to see larger photos). It was interesting trip, especially after it warmed up some. I think Sarah didn't know she could be that cold and live to tell about it!! (I TOLD her to dress warm). This white tiger is a very shy, and is going blind so has an enclosure to herself. The lions put on several roaring demonstations. Just couldn't see myself out in the dark, in Africa with that kind of 'meowing' going on! It shook the ground, especially when 6 or 7 of them were all roaring at once! All of the cats were active when we arrived at 9:00 AM, but later in the afternoon, most were taking their daily siesta. We drove back into Spencer for lunch at Chambers Smorgasbord. Everyone thought it was a good choice that I made. The food was plentyful, and tasty. All you could eat! No one had eaten there before, since I'm the only one that lives near Spencer. People come from many miles around to eat the Fried Chicken at Chambers. Yummy!

Ed has started a new chapter in his life today. The company he was working for will be closing the store in Martinsville at the end of March. He was offered his same job with the same company at their store in Franklin. Since he has no other job offers at present, (but is working on that) he will be driving to Franklin everyday. It takes an hour and fifteen minutes to get there. He does NOT want to do this. Does not want to drive 6o plus miles twice a day. Keep him in your prayers that he will be able to get on somewhere closer to home. Another place he used to work at, says they will need someone in a couple of months. So...we will see what developes.
Got a call from the grandmother of the twin boys. She wants me to come on Wednesday and spend several hours with her and the babies. She has narrowed it down to two of us, and is having a hard time deciding. It is in the Lord's hands, whatever it turns out to be, will be what He wanted I guess. I have asked for his guidance. That is the best I can do.
Is everyone ready for SNOW??? Yuck! It is spring already! What's with the snow? Wouldn't care if I never saw another snowflake!
 

As another poster mentioned in her blog, my life has been pretty ordinary the last few days. Nothing new, nothing to blog about.
I go out and feed the horses, and let the chickens out of their house, every morning. Then clean the three horses' stalls, refill their water buckets, put hay in the hay racks in their stalls. Feed the dogs. Do some laundry, vacuum, blah, blah, blah.
Cooked a pot of chili for supper and had a slice of tasty banana bread for dessert. Thanks again! Yummy!

Maybe tomorrow will be more intersting. The Photo Club is having a field trip to the Exotic Feline Rescue for a photo opportunity. Here is a link if you would like more information: http://www.exoticfelinerescuecenter.org/home.html. This is an amazing place. We visited there a couple of years ago. The animal are cared for so well. It is about an hour for where I live.
My baby sister is coming up to go with us. She has never been there before. We all hope to get some wonderful photos. Here is one photo that I took when we were there on the last field trip.

Such a beautiful day! THE SUN WAS SHINING!! Oh, joy!

I took the bloodhound to the Humane Society to be scanned for a microchip today, but she doesn't have one. They did tell me that she has a spay scar on her stomach. She is so sweet, and gentle. She climbed in my truck and curled up on the seat and went to sleep, so I think she has been used to going places with someone.

I have been a bit under the weather for the last couple of days. But today I had a wonderful surprise that made be feel better! the dogs started barking, so I looked out to see what got them all upset. The mail carrier was in the driveway with a package for me! Since I hadn't ordered anything, I was surprised to say the least! It came from a friend in Illinois! What timing she has! And inside was some of the most delicious banana bread! Just what the dr. ordered! Thank you so much! We have been enjoying it very much! You are a sweetie for thinking of us.

Here is a couple more shots from the Flower and Patio show. I would like to have the resources to make my yard look as pretty!

Yesterday was so nice. Chilly, yes, but the sun was shining! I went to Bloomtown to the grocery store. I took a couple dozen eggs to a friend. Stopped at a college surplus store to see what was available in used computers.

Today, I'm supposed to take this big overgrown pup of a bloodhound to the Humane Society so they can scan her for me to see if she is microchipped. We had one call about a lost bloodhound, theirs was a male dog. The lady said they might take her if no one claims her. It seems theirs was stolen, two years ago and he belonged to their young son.
She is so sweet natured, she loves to have you scratch her chest, she just melts. She wants to come in the house soooo much. But...if I let her once, then it would be even harder to make her stay outside. If we didn't already have 3 dogs, we might have kept her, but...no can do. 

We went to the 48th Indiana Flower and Patio show yesterday. The weather was supposed to be really nasty and stormy, but it was a very nice day with sunshine. Here are some photos I took of three of the exhibits. They were beautiful. Makes you wish you had an unlimited supply of gold coins to make our yards look those in that huge Covention Center.

Across the parking lot was a huge Flea Market too. We browsed that one too. Some junk, so antiques. It was an interesting day. Then after we got home, the storm arrived and it rained so hard and water was gushing down the drive way again! for the 3rd of 4th time in as many days!

Ok, already, I'm tired of rain and mud! I
want to ride Katie and it way to muddy!

Going to this flower show really makes me want to get my hands in the garden dirt. I did notice that my rhubarb is up, but it may get frozen off again. It is supposed to be icky cold again.  

This is what surprised me in the barn yesterday morning, when I went out to feed! She obviously came in out of the rain and made herself at home in the sawdust pile. And she is huge! She was wary and fearful if I so much as moved my hand. She was very hungry. All of her ribs were showing and her hip bones were visable. This morning after several meals she looks so much better and she loves being touched. She is quite young, her teeth are very white, and all the edges of her front teeth are sharp yet. She leaves a track in the mud that is nearly 4 inches wide!!

What is she? After looking up it up on the internet, I think she is a blood hound or a coonhound, but she doesn't really look like the coonhound too much.

I have place a 'found' ad in the paper, to come out tomorrow. Must be identified to claim. We'll see what developes. Maybe she got lost and will be reclaimed. She wants to come in the house so badly. She makes her way around the house to the windows and the sliding doors whining and making pitiful noises.

Speaking of developments, yesterday I went for an interview for a 'nanny' position in Spencer. Taking care of 7 month old twin boys. Since I have done this before, I might have an edge over the 16 and 17 year olds that have applied too. She will let me know by Wednesday. I haven't heard a word from the horse farm.

It rained 'buckets' yesterday! We had 2 3/4 inches in the rain gauge. Washed gully's in the gravel of the driveway.
 

Had enough yet!! He He ! Well these weren't in the photo share. I just liked them and thought I would share them too. And that is REALLY all of them!


 

One of the daylilies in my yard last summer.
This one was the last photo in our Focus Group Photo Share. He had titled it Kitty Kisses. There were a lot of AHHHHHH's for this one.

And that's all folks.  

This is a Hen and Chicks succulent plant, blooming.


Pretty fall colors.


Canadian Geese on the pond at Grossmans, at Stone Ridge.


Here's looking at you!! This is Minnie, a minature horse at Stone Ridge. She was watching me through the rails of the fence.


 

Discovered this one driving along, and had to stop.

The next one was taken from atop a stone outcropping at Natural Bridge State Park last year, when the Photo Club had an overnight field trip there.

The deer by the fence was taken at Stone Ridge one morning.

And the fawn in the grass is one I took when I was still at home. Dad had been bush hogging the field, when we saw a doe jump up and run into the woods. He stopped because he didn't want to run over a fawn. I thought she might have a baby out there, since it was in late May or early June. I went and bridled Windy and rode her out in the unmowed part of the field and this is what I saw, down in the tall grass. If I had been on foot I never would have seen it, but from horseback, there it was. It didn't move a whisker and Windy didn't know it was there. We left it alone and the next morning it was gone. She had moved it to a safer place.


 

I went out driving some of the county back roads one very early morning last fall and saw this one and liked the patterns.

The horses are Solomon and Katie, taken off of our front porch, early one morning last summer.

The pond is along a back road south of Spencer.

The power line is in our back pasture.


 

Here are three more of them. Sarah took this photo of the Luna Moth, when we had our Mother's Day picnic at the park where she works.

 

Ok Lois, you asked for it. I don't know how this will work, but here goes. This is three of them. The rest will follow.