Thursday, February 19, 2015

Still House Bound : )

Don't know why I'm smiling ... lol!  Oh wait a minute ... yes I do.  Lots & lots of snow   : )   I had to call to reschedule my dental appointment which was scheduled for today, but I needn't have bothered since the office ended up being closed all week. All the schools & colleges are closed as well. None of the calls I've made for snow removal have been returned.  Ya just gotta love the people around here & the way they do things.  Maybe The Devil's Playground was God's first attempt at creating hell.  His practice run.  Then He created the real hell.  Anyway, I'm guessing the neighbors are all in the same boat as their driveways are unplowed as well.  I don't mind being snowed in, but I must admit I wish I had some milk & eggs & clean water. The boiled water tastes a bit funky.  Maybe I should add sugar to it ... lol!  I could heat it, add sugar, maybe even throw in some dried leaves or something.  Oh wait, that's tea!  I do have plenty of tea   : )

It is -2 degrees as I write this with a wind chill of -16.  Yes, I'm smiling   : )

We've been feeding the birds a few times during the day.  They seem to eat the seeds as fast as we put them out there.  I know the poor dears need lots of food during these cold temperatures to help keep them warm & energized.  I took a few photos this morning.  Here's Joe Cardinal surveying the lay of the land before plunging in for some good eats.  

 Sam & Claudia Cardinal enjoying their breakfast   : )
This next cardinal seems to be hamming it up by doing a Robert DeNiro Taxi Driver impression.  "You talkin' to me?"  I've never seen Taxi Driver but have heard people do this impression about a gazillion times   : )
Frank & Ted Cardinal sharing seeds with Hal Goldfinch.
Hal's brother George waiting his turn .
And last, but not least, Craig Blue Jay & Maggie Mourning Dove.
There were also some sparrows & juncos but they were a bit camera shy this morning.  

I didn't get any designs kitted yesterday (I will do this today) but I did work a bit on my knitting.  I'm knitting a pair of socks which I started prior to our trip to Las Vegas.  Something to keep me occupied while waiting for & traveling on planes.  I used to knit socks many years ago but unfortunately my calves, ankles, & feet are not as they once were.  Let's just say that I need to be careful not to stand on the side of the road for too long because there's a risk someone might come by & nail a yard sale sign or some other announcement to one or both of my legs.  It took a while but I finally got to the point where I felt confident that I had an adequate number of stitches & a nice stretchy cast on, but after knitting down a ways I tried on the sock only to find that the stretchy cast on made the top of the sock just barely fit around my fat calf. "Barely" seemed good enough to me, so I continued knitting. I am now at the place in the sock where I form the heel gusset, which isn't too difficult, but as I eye my ball of yarn, I get the feeling that I'm not going to have enough for two socks.  It seems silly, therefore, to continue knitting this one, but if nothing else, it's a good learning experience.  On the other hand, there's an off chance that I may have enough yarn for two socks (this is what I keep telling myself).  I figure I'll knit the first sock, then weigh it, then weigh the remaining yarn.  If there is at least the same weight of yarn remaining on the ball as on the sock, I should be able to knit Sock #2 without any problems. 

I just remembered that I have a big box of Russell Stovers from Christmas that I haven't opened yet. Breakfast for me!!!  John will have to fend for himself   : )   I'm definitely gonna need to knit bigger socks!!!

13 comments:

Angela Tucker said...

Good morning! Your bird pictures are beautiful. Wearing two different colored socks is all the rage...I think you should go for it! LOL Have a wonderful day.

Frances said...

Oh my--snowed in! Well, you will have tons of stitching done! And don't worry about milk and eggs as long as you have candy!!!!
Those cardinal photos are gorgeous! Such a beautiful red color!!

Sarah in Stitches said...

Loving your bird pictures! The snow looks gorgeous. Stay safe! :D

Samplings from Spring Creek said...

Snowed in Iced in--I can relate. You still have your sense of humor and it is serving you well

Linda said...

Those red cardinals are gorgeous.

Linda

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Well it's either your great sense of humour or you have got cabin fever and gone mad LOL
Maybe you should get a little goat for next winter and then you could still have milk. Or do what my friend does and get those little mini milk thingies from hotels and restaurants for when people want milk in their drink.

marly said...

You still have candy from Christmas? Really? I wish I had your sensibility.

Vickie said...

Oh wow! That first cardinal photo is absolutely fantastic! Like professional. I love it.
So jealous of handmade socks.

Justine said...

You're so funny Shirlee! As a lifelong sufferer of fat ankles I can relate. I think odd, or as I like to call it, asymmetric, socks is a look you could definitely carry off. Better to be warm than matchy.
Gorgeous bird photos. Stay safe and warm xx

Marilyn said...

At least you are inside and safe and warm.
Sorry about the snow plow service being so bad. :(
What great pics of the birds.
They are all plumped up in the cold.
Marilyn

Julie said...

Your birds look wonderful against the snowy background.

Maggee said...

Socks, schmocks! Who cares if they don't match?? Loving all the Cardinal pictures... you have quite a few daily visitors...you named them! Hugs!

Kaisievic said...

Wonderful bird pictures, Shirlee, and you make me laugh with your sock knitting story!