Thursday walk

It was bitterly cold as we four prepared for our morning walk.

DH was a vision with his orange quilted layer peeking out at the bottom of his leather jacket. The flaps on his balaklava pile cap waved back and forth.*

The sky was all pastels - pale pink and blue.

In the park the pecans were black skeletons against the frosted ground and pale sky. Thin fog hung low in the fields and that misty miasma** rose from the river.

We walked along the running path until we had had enough of dogs stopping and starting, stopping and starting.

Running man was all wrapped up in some kind of cold weather gear - we recognized him by his running stance.

And the woman of the beautiful flowers came out in her "wrapper"*** to get the newspaper. As she turned to shut the door she saw us struggling back up the street, our breath fogging our glasses. She waved and waited to receive our wave back.

[The birds were singing out their morning songs. It was as if they knew more wild weather was coming and they had to get those songs sung. And I heard a raven in the woods. Its deep voice called out a "Brrrrrraw!"]


NOTES:

*And HE talks about how I dress!

**My mother's word.

*** My grandmother's word.

Walk before class

<Heavy breathing> *

Just in from a quick walk this morning. Schools are opening late (including where I take my class) and so the traffic was quite brisk. So was the air.

There are icicles everywhere - not big ones. And all are dripping as the temperature rises ever so slightly.

It was not a calms walk. People were backing out of drives and the rumble and roar of cars and trucks distressed both of my old dogs. I kept close watch as we crossed streets - people in a hurry do not pay attention.

I debated going in early (weird - early for this late opening).**

DH refused to walk with us. But he still managed a sarcastic remark about my cold weather gear ("she impersonates the homeless"). I impersonate someone who wants to be comfortable in the wretched weather. I also want to be left alone. The stranger I look, the less likely I am to be bothered.

Ah well, here are the last of the ice photos. We were very lucky. The bad weather was all west and north of us. Those folks will have a few days before things get back to normal.

Not this morning. School opens late.

Ice loves signs.

Pups jockey for position and wind up the leashes. Yes, that is a booboo on Paddy. She fretted over the blow dryer when they gave her a bath at the vet. She chewed the hair off her haunch. She is a fretful girl...getting old, like me.

Ice on one of my beloved trash cans (actually, I love the recycling more!).

Ice coated photinia (Note the new red growth. Everything - but the pecans and mesquites - was fooled by the unseasonably warm weather we had earlier this month.

NOTES 

* From the cold and exertion...be nice.

**Even as my cheeks warm, I am taking stock of what I will need for the trip (warm clothes, id, phone - what it I get stranded?) and class (how will the instructor manage with less than half a class period this morning?).

UPDATE - 2-25-15

Snow.

Snow on the sidewalk just outside the back door.

Some plnts catching the snow.

Snow collecting.

Falling.

Falling hard.

Will have to clear these windows.

Second walk - brrrrr!

DH headed off to the gym and the pups and I headed out for one more walk.

We all sniffled on our way down the side streets to the light on Main Street. We thought it might be impossible to cross without help.

Three dogs in one backyard greeted us, er, warned us away. One had the body of a Great Pyrenees with the head of an Australian sheep dog (really? What were they thinking?), the medium-sized one was a mutt of some sort, and the yippy one was a terrier (or terror, depending on your view of yip-dogs).  They live across from our elementary school. I am sure there is mutual harassment as the children come and go.

The rose bushes at the master garden had been heavily trimmed and were coated with ice.

We used the light and moved quickly into the cemetery, a quiet place to walk. The trees snapped with a thicker coating of ice than we noted this morning. The mist we experienced must have been continuing for much of the day, freezing on the elevated plants and trees. Radar has not not been showing the precipitation, but it has been gently falling all along.

We stopped at an angel. 

As we turned for home we noticed the grave of a boy who died at the age of 6 - in 1971. Someone brings new toys as there were two big metal toy trucks resting there. The fresh paint and lack of rust gave witness to the continued care.

We took a chance and tried the school cross-walk to reach our neighborhood and the traffic cooperated. Our new "friends," the three odd pups sang us down the street. We could see the puffs of our breath in the cold air.  And we were just short of the house when public service vehicle sirens of all kinds and from all over town wailed, sounds that mean a fire or wreck or some other emergency has occurred nearby.

As we entered our warm house I thought of those with no warm place to take shelter and those out working in this weather and whispered a quick prayer.

The chill is almost off of my cheeks. The pups are quiet. I have a cat snuggling in my lap and periodically resting his head on the computer (I have had to rewrite a few lines). And as I looked at the photos I realized the message had come from that little angel - endlessly praying in the cold.

Ice drips from this sweet faced statue.

Stay safe, stay warm. Take good care friends.

Between ice storms

Both dogs were inside for the expected nasty weather. They went outside this morning to eat and then we took a long walk. Who knows how long the ice will last. No one enjoys being cooped up in the house.

To be honest, I was preparing to walk just as the Internet and cable went out. DH was none too amused so Scruffy, Paddy, and I got the heck outta Dodge. Mid-walk I called home to suggest resetting the surge protector. I am not sure if that did the trick, but all service is restored as of this writing.

We set out cautiously as there seemed to be a thin layer of ice on the cars, on the plants and bushes, and on some signs. A few cars passed us, but we only saw two humans outside. We joked with one fellow - "Have to get the walk in quick."

My oxalis from Mrs. Russell shines with ice drops.

The broad leaves of the iris hold the water - then the ice.

I realized I forgot my wallet/id just about the time I found myself slipping. It was a quick slip - scared me and scared the pups too. I looked down to discover I had found the one spot of mud on the sidewalk. Guess I wasn't watching close enough.

There was no ice on the sidewalks, no ice on the streets, no ice on the bridges. But that little bit of ice coating on the trees made itself known as the stiff breeze (gusting to 15 miles per hour or so) moved the branches and we heard the crackling sound as the ice broke.

Ice shines on the tree limbs.

The wind hit us full in the face when we turned towards the park entrance. We moved over to the edge of the woods and were protected a little.

It started to mist as we headed back home. I could see it - first on Scruffy's coat, little bright jewels against his black fur - and then on my glasses. I was bundled against the cold, but there was nothing I could do about the misted and then fogged vision.

 

NOTES:

Sorry for the poor quality of the photos today. Some caused by fogged up glasses (so I had to trust the beep of the camera) and some by the dogs pulling on the leash at the least opportune moments.

Random photos and thoughts:

This is just before we turned around. There is no protection for some of the signs in the park.

Jill still <3's Nate

And he still loves her (in concrete anyway)

These paperwhites took the weather badly. Mine are still standing, but will need to be covered.

We saw this filing cabinet from a distance some days ago. Even though I need NOT ONE MORE THING in my house, I had to check this out. Fortunately it was a rusty old thing (and my heart could rest easy).

FINALLY, the only creatures we saw were black birds flying in a group. They did not make a sound. I don't know if they were crows (a "murder" of crows - gotta love that) or ravens. I think we have both in the area, in the park.

I WILL know in the future. I found this video that will help me tell the difference. If you are interested:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guBwMUAWAJI

Perfect morning...

At 50 degrees (F), it was the perfect weather for a walk. We headed out for the neighborhood park in the dim morning light. By now we should have been able to see the sunrise starting, but the entire sky-dome was filled with clouds.

I love Sunday morning walks. It seems that most of our neighbors sleep late and there are few cars moving along our busy street and few dogs barking out in their yards.

With my flashing "runners'" lights, I felt like the only Christmas tree around until we saw the red and cold and green lights surrounding the window of the house we call the frat house. It is actually two or three houses connected and is often for rent. We suspect it houses local college students - hence the party lights, I suppose.

We walked well into the park and were greeted by the birds.

There was some "call and response" singing, but by the time we were well into the park, it appeared that most of the birds were showing off. It was as if they were saying "top this!"

There is construction in the park. We always watch for loss of green/loss of trees. What good is a park without green? In this case they are taking in a large expanse of curbside grass near the baseball fields. Clearly it is an increase of parking. Normally we would grumble, but it is easy to put a positive spin on this construction. It is limited and will, hopefully, keep the crowds from parking on the grass.

Yes, dear friends, many times I have walked through the park and witnessed people parking in the fields - some across the sidewalks and jogging path - and crushing the grass. What have we become?

As we headed home a slight sprinkle started. We barely noticed, but I felt one drop on my earlobe (weird). Iris and paperwhites are blooming in more yards than just ours. Everything will be shocked on Monday if the ice (and snow?) promised arrives.

Here are our paperwhites smiling in the side yard:

Rain on these will freeze overnight.

Allergies and algae

This guy was not amused when we left his friend at home.

Our early morning walk this morning was fleece-cold and quick. We were "in between" the best and worst times and decided to head home knowing that we would travel to the creek this afternoon.

And three of us did take an hour or so to wander the wildlife area. Paddy, still recovering from her injured paw,  had to stay home.

Walker and Scruff

My sweet boys, Scruff and DH

TDW was unloading as we arrived and the car was surrounded. We off-loaded and headed into the park. It was a surprisingly warm afternoon. Butterflies - YES, butterflies - were fluttering in the fields. There weren't many, only three small yellow and one silver. But it is exciting to witness the first signs of spring.

Of course, the weather reports indicate some winter weather next week. For now we will enjoy the sunshine and think of our freezing northern neighbors under feet of snow.

Look at this beautiful day!

The three middle-aged walkers coughed, sniffed, sneezed, and wheezed our way through the park. We each described our symptoms and concurred that we are suffering from allergies, not colds. We were a noisy bunch as we walked along, willing to combat the "cedar fever" I suspect is the culprit, in order to enjoy the park.

I had wanted to explore part of the creek, so we headed there first. A few weeks ago I lost a fossil there.* I was also just curious to look and see if there was anything interesting just laying around.  The creek is not quite covered with a nasty looking green algae. The dogs didn't seem to care and jumped in anyway. Scruff came out with some across his nose. Then we headed across the creek to a layered ledge.

He stayed right with me the whole time I scrambled around a rock-fall and waded back across a narrow part of the creek. DH and TDW talked politics and kept up with the other three dogs while Scruffy and I discovered some interesting branches (?)** and shells.

Netting left/lost by fishermen

At first I could not remember why I took this photo.

Then I saw it - shell fossil

Scary tree on the creek bank.

Another shell further down the creek

Looks like a squirrel nest.

Nest.

Scruffy tiptoed through the brambles in the woods.

This area is crisscrossed with old fencing. It does behoove one to watch for barbed wire.

We came out of the woods to see a group of buzzards (turkey vultures) circling around.

They started close and then headed further and further away.

I have always thought they were so pretty as the swooped and around. Just don't look too close. Pretty scary looking birds.***

TDW and DH chatting. Notice the nest above them.

Little tiny wildflowers! Yea!

There you go - closeup. These guys couldn't wait.

NOTES:

* I found part of a large nautiloid the other day. It was so large I saw it from across the creek and headed over to pick it up. I found another, different fossil too and then picked up the large fossil. It was part of the central spiral and part of the outer curve. By the time I picked my way back through the loose rocks the center had fallen out.

Today I scanned the ground and was surprised to find what I thought might be that central piece. Sure enough, here is the proof:

You can see why I would be able to see it across the creek and recognize it originally. Finding the center part (that fit perfectly) was more than lucky.

Then, after I got home, I found another rock I had picked up a couple of weeks ago. It is the ground where a fossil had rested and has the impression of the fossil in it (there is a name for this, but I am too lazy to look it up). To my surprise, it fits this fossil. Amazing!

Because the ridges are so pronounced I thought that this "impression" looked like it might be from the same fossil.

Fit.

Perfect fit.

No question.

Fabulous.

** Wonder what these are - coral?

These are clearly some kind of fossil. I will try and look them up. The black disk is my lens cap.

***http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_vulture