Not sure this post has a title. I don't want it to be gloomy all the time lol. 

It was another grey, rainy/snowy day here in my part of Michigan. As much as I sort-of like living here the grey days we get at this time of year really start to get me down. We haven't seen sunshine in days. There isn't any forecast for days. I can live with the cold, the rain, even the snow, but not having any sunshine really seems to affect my mood. 

I did go out for a walk despite the rain/snow mix. I got cold and wet. I didn't stay long. I did a very quick loop around the park. I didn't see many people (though there were two other cars in the car park where I parked). I did see a deer. A handsome fella. 

He looked at me like I was an idiot being out in the weather and went back to trying to find some food buried under the leaves. 

After the walk, I did my grocery shop. I've tried to start stocking up on a few quick things husband and son can cook after work when I'm gone, at least for the first week lol. 

When I got back home, I seemed to do more moving things around than I did sorting anything. It's really frustrating but I don't want to get started on something I can't finish. I am hoping that this week I can get the presents all done and next week I can concentrate on tidying things up, putting a few things away and leaving things in some sort of sorted state before I leave. I also need to start sorting out things I'm going to take. 

I am probably over-thinking things, but I know I am getting a little anxious as I am clenching my teeth while I'm sleeping and having weird dreams. I know everything will work out, it's just my anxiety rearing its ugly head. 

Tomorrow is another walk. A dry one at least. Probably cloudy. Sigh. I have to go to the post office, stop at a shop to pick up some stocking goodies, come home and do the Wednesday jobs. 

I'm hoping to take a few phone photos out and about to make a more festive post lol 

Hope everyone is having a good week. I really appreciate the comments!

Midweek - books and things

Son didn't go to work today. He was a little stiff and sore. His job is quite physical, so he was worried about having to crawl around and the pain it would cause. It's quite uncomfortable with work trousers on too! He did go back to the clinic and had his burns checked. He has to go back again tomorrow. He is going back to work though and will go to the clinic late in the morning. I suppose they have to be really carefully that the burns aren't infected. Apparently, son says he has one large blister that hasn't burst yet (yuck!). 

My arm is a bit better today. I thought I was going to back to normal, but later in the afternoon I had another moment when I didn't feel well, achy, shivery. I took some more pain pills and felt better after a little while. I'm hoping that's the last of it. 

I ran some errands today. No walk. It was rainy most of the morning and overall dull. I decided to run the errands I had to do and had a little look around in a couple of shops. I gave in and bought a few books at the dollar store. 

They had quite a few, but these were the ones that caught my attention. I stopped at the bookshop and bought...nothing! I was really pleased, but there wasn't really anything I wanted.

I finished my 97th book of the year today - only 3 more to reach my goal of the year! I really enjoyed this one. I have read Pieces of Her and (I think) I've watched it on Netflix. I didn't realise that this one followed on from that book. I borrowed it from the library as I really enjoy reading her books. It took me a moment (and checking on Amazon) to realise that this book did follow on from that one and then it began to make more sense! I got through it pretty quickly as I really wanted to know what happened next! 

My Day 299 Phone Photo Things That Make Me Smile was a visitor to our garden. When I got up this morning and looked out of the window there was a mama and a young male deer outside. After I had put out some birdseed on the feeder table this guy came up to visit!

He was a little cautious of me, but didn't run away when I took several photos of him (with my phone and with my camera!)

Wednesday

I went for a walk this morning. Having a few coughing and nose-blowing fits but on the whole feeling a bit better. It was sunny, but chilly this morning. Had a nice walk. I got to see a fawn. It was beautiful and had the most lovely blue eyes. I've never seen a deer with blue eyes before. I texted husband and he says it does happen but not often. 

I was careful not to get too close. Mum was watching me carefully but did not seem afraid. I have a long lens on my camera so it's easier to get close-ups and keep a respectful distance from the wildlife. I am hoping people are keeping their dogs on leads/leashes as they are supposed to. The Mum did leave the baby in the full reeds and wandered off on her own. 

After the walk, I picked up MIL and we went over to Jane's house. Cousin P came over and picked up the remainder of the books upstairs to take for a book sale. She also took a box full from downstairs and some of the Christmas Santas and a couple of other things. She said she felt a little funny taking more things but we told her that the things were just going to the charity shop and she was welcome to take them if she would like them. 

Tomorrow my walking friend will be back. We are going for a walk and then I have to pick up a couple things for our camping trip. It might be a little chilly next week so I am thinking about what I should take so I can keep warm!

Phone Photo - Things That Make Me Smile 159/365

Not the best photo in the world but these three owls made me smile. It's a joy to see just one but to see three! I think one is the adult and the other two are the babies from this year. I took some better photos with my camera. I really enjoyed seeing them!

Boxing Day/A Nature Walk

This morning it was quite chilly. There was a thick frost on my car, and a thick frost in the field at the nature park I usually walk in. I don't generally go there on the weekend, but because of the holiday and daughter visiting I decided to take a walk there before we started our day. It was -4C as I was walking. The field was absolutely beautiful. It wasn't long before I came across a couple of male deer. They seemed a little wary of me, but (weird but true) I talked softly to them enough to take a few photos before leaving them to their breakfast. 

I walked down to The Point where one of the beaver lodges are. By that time the sun was just coming over the horizon. Quite beautiful. Not everyone is happy about the trees the beavers are downing lately, but I find it really interesting to watch. It seems that every morning a new tree has been gnawed upon. This happened last year too until it got too cold for them to do much work. I don't know too much about beavers but it seems to me that they fortify their lodges for winter and put some of the branches they strip off beneath the water, close to their lodges so they can chew on them during the winter. 

There were no beavers this morning, but I saw a muskrat (maybe more than one - who knows whether it was just the same one popping up!).  There was a thin layer of ice on top of part of the lake and I watched as one popped up through. 

Daughter and I didn't end up going far. We took the dogs on a couple of walks around our neighbourhood. I think the drive is catching up with her as she was awfully tired today and took several naps. I know she's been working hard too, so I decided it was more important to let her sleep and rest a while!

Monday Update

 Thank you all for your support regarding my Mum. I really appreciate it. She is doing okay. She's stable. Still on Oxygen but she has been eating and both of my sisters have talked to her. I am certainly hoping for the best. 

It's been a rough week. I go between trying to keep busy trying not to think too much and sitting here doing nothing and feeling like crying all the time. I feel as though I've been on an emotional roller coaster. I just feel so helpless and worried. 

I am going to try to do better this week. Before this happened I had a cross stitch picked out to do Mum. I am going to get started on it so I can send it to her. Hopefully it would cheer her up when she gets home. I also have the colours picked out for another cross stitch. Even if I don't get a lot else done I shall sit and cross stitch. 

We are supposed to have a snow storm tonight. A part of me is hoping the weather people will be wrong (again) and nothing will come so that I will be able to go for a walk. Another part of me would actually like to have a snow day so I didn't go out at all. I don't like driving in lots of snow. I suppose I shall have to wait until morning and see how much we actually get. The advisory says between 3 ad 6 inches. 

I have some blogs to catch up on so I'm off to do that while I am waiting for dinner to cook. 

Photo today -  the other day I looked out the window to see a mother and her youngster in the garden. They really seemed to appreciate the seed the birds had left behind!

Thoughtful Day

 We had to drop some stuff off to my son this morning so we took a (very cold) walk along the beach. Brrr... Tomorrow I will be getting out my long underwear if we're walking along the beach. It's time I think. I Skyped with Mum and had a lovely chat.

Today was the day my online camera club had a virtual meeting. Had it been in-person I would not have been able to attend as it would have been in England! I participated a bit but I was busy until later in the evening (UK time) so only hopped in a little. It was interesting and got me thinking quite a lot. One of the things we were to do was to look back on the year. I'd rather forget about it to be honest, but I had forgotten that there were good times too. We also had to look back on our photography year. I must admit the projects I had planned on doing weren't done. My Big Project for the year was going to be documenting the erosion on several beaches that we (used to) visit regularly. Due to the virus that ended up not happening. I did walk almost every day (during the week) at my local nature preserve and it was interesting to look back on the year. I have started to put together a project of sorts regarding that. I had forgotten how many nice photos I had taken. Certainly an interesting day. I'm still processing it. 

Here is a collage of some of my favourite deer photos I have taken at Asylum Lake. It's been lovely watching them throughout the year. Tomorrow is about looking forward. 

Just Another Thursday

The week has gone quickly. I think I say that a lot, but this week has flown by. I think it was because I was so afraid of the dentist that the couple of days before Tuesday seemed to go so slow! I did manage a walk this morning, but then had to wait in as my new passport was due to arrive and needed a signature. I really didn't want to miss it, so sat waiting for it! I can't believe how quickly it came. I only applied on Sept 11th - this time also included me sending my old passport to England before they could send the new one. I did it all online. I knew my passport was coming up to its expiry date so ,while I was in England, I got new photos done (just because requirements are different). They gave me an online code to enter for the photo bit so I was able to use that. Wow. Talk about efficiency! They even texted me all along the way with updates as to when they received my old passport and when they sent my new passport and delivery date. It made everything so easy!

The passport came around lunch time so I was able to then get out, take library books back and go to order new glasses. I had my eyes tested a couple weeks back but wanted to order glasses somewhere different as they were so expensive. I managed to get a pair for not a bad price. Could have been worse. I'm glad I only have to get them every couple years though! They seem to add on cost for everything.

It's definitely cooler out today. I actually have long sleeves on! Out on my walk I've seen several deer. They seem to be moving into the woods where there is still a lot of greenery. Some of them spook really easily, the others seem a little cautious but don't run away!

Yikes

I almost set the house on fire today. I was making sausage rolls and had turned the trays around so they would cook evenly and accidentally dropped the oven mitt inside the oven and did not realise it. How? I don't know. Obviously I wasn't thinking. I was sitting resting up when I smelled burning. I thought it was the sausage rolls. Nope. I opened the oven to see the mitt on the bottom of the oven. It was sort of melded to the bottom! I did manage to save the sausage rolls (which were thankfully done). When I opened the door smoke billowed out. Thick smoke. I quickly shut the door again, turned off the oven and disabled the smoke detector. I didn't want to 'feed' the fire (it wasn't really a fire, more like a little ember). I had to open all the windows as the smoke was quite thick.

I'm so thankful it wasn't worse. I thought I had killed the stove. I cringed when I told hubby. I'm quite forgetful though how it happened - what twit drops an oven mitt inside the oven - I don't know. Luckily he took it in his stride. When he came home he scraped off the mitt and cleaned it all up. Yeah for hubby.

A photo that made me smile.

He was quite brave and stopped to stare at me. His antlers are starting to grow back. I love it when they are like this. They look so furry. In my mind I think they would be quite soft to touch, but I'm betting I'd be disappointed to actually feel one.

I hope everyone had a good Tuesday and didn't do anything as stupid as I did.

Lazy Saturday

My Saturdays always seem to be lazy. Oh well. I think we all deserve a lazy day. It's cold here again and today I can't seem to get warm. It doesn't matter what I do my poor hands are still cold. I think the up and down temps messed me up completely. Sigh.

We did go for a walk this morning. I had been wondering where all the deer have gone yet this morning we came upon about fourteen of them! One was a stag/buck, the others all looked to be females. What a wonderful sight to brighten up another cloudy, snowy day. I Skyped with my Mum and have been texting with daughter. She's having problems with her car. Makes me feel a little useless being so far away. She'll probably need some help. Got to think on things to cut back on as money seems to be depleting faster than being replaced lol.

Here are some of the lovely deer. None of them seemed to be bothered that we were around.  Hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday!

All is quiet...

It's quiet in the house. Hubby is all tucked up in bed and oldest son is playing video games downstairs. They are both glad to have a day off tomorrow. Hubby worked OT last week. He's getting older now so those 55+ hour weeks take a toll more easily. Son has been working 55+ hours for several weeks now so he's keeping his fingers crossed that he will have the whole weekend off. It depends on the jobs that have to get done - they might call him in. They will be off tomorrow and we'll be over at MIL for Thanksgiving.

The holidays always feel strange to me. I try to keep a cheery face but it's a little sad when I'm not actually spending time with the rest of my family. Daughter and middle son won't be around this year either so feeling a little more down than usual. I will enjoy spending time with MIL and chatting with her sister who always has good stories to tell.

I have finished putting photos in two albums now! So happy. I have to do embellishments and hopefully they won't take long. If I can work on Mum's calendar it will be all three of hers done and I can actually get them in the post early. My goal is to at least finish with the embellishments by next week.

I'm still getting out and about for walks. There has been a chill in the air, but no snow yet so I'm still getting out while I can. Saw this lovely stag/buck this morning. Truly a magnificent sight. I stood and watched him as long as I could until he ran off. I think he's the biggest one I've seen. It felt quite magical.

November Already!

This week has just flown by. I feel as though I haven't done much of anything at all! It's now November and the holidays are creeping ever closer. I have one more week at home before going to visit daughter in Minnesota for a week. When I get back it will be Thanksgiving week! Yikes! I wanted to have Mum's albums done by the beginning of December so I could get them in the post. One is just about finished, the other I'm still deciding on photos. Sigh. I thought I was doing so well.

The sun has finally come out today. It's been dull all week long. I haven't enjoyed the weather at all. I don't like the cold but could handle it better if there was sunshine along with it. Last winter seems so long when we went days without sun.

I've been going for long walks each day - maybe that's what's been taking up a lot of the day lol - but I know that winter is coming and I won't get out so much. Asylum Lake is hopping still. The leaves are mostly changed and a lot fallen off the trees, but there are still some animals around. The deer are pretty jumpy but I did see a few this week.

I think they know when hunting season is coming. Poor things. They'll be safe at Asylum Lake - no hunting allowed.

The weather this weekend doesn't look to be too good, but we're hoping to get out and about. We'll have to see.

Party Pooper/Anniversary

The older I get the more irritating I find fireworks. It's almost 4th July here in the US and the fireworks have been going off for a week already and will probably last another week. I don't celebrate as I'm not American. I used to go to MIL with kids when they were younger and a fireworks display, but not now. Up until two years ago I worked every 4th so my back-up could have time with their families. As of now I think there are three lots going off around here and it's eleven at night.

Speaking of which - it's been two years yesterday that I finished working. A huge weight off my shoulders and no regrets.

Hubby and I will go out walking somewhere tomorrow. Not near a beach lol as it seems to be the only weekend EVERYONE seems to go to the beach. We were going to stop by a couple of lighthouses yesterday after our walk but the beaches were so packed and no parking available. Totally different from even last week.

Saw lovely deer today. It was a little spooked as it heard me approach but then went back to munching once it realised I wasn't a threat. These deer are so tame!

Hope all those who do celebrate have a safe and happy time. 

Hot days yesterday and today. Yesterday we took a walk at a state park near the lakeshore so at least it was cooler. It was actually really nice walking along there - the temperature was certainly a lot more bearable. The air conditioner has been running for days now (do turn off at night) so I dread to think what the electric bill will look like! Another reason to enjoy the end of April and May - too warm to need heat, too cool for the air conditioner!

I walked early today. Good thing too. It would have been too hot later. My poor plants are looking rather dry - doesn't matter if I do water them. Of course it looks like it's going to rain when we go camping next week but who knows, they may have changed the forecast by then. If not, we make the best of things.

Here's an image from today. A deer with a little attitude. I imagine it was wondering why I was taking photos of it.

Garden Visitor

I was hurrying out of my back door this morning to take out a bag of rubbish when I spotted the deer in our garden. It caught the corner of my eye as the door slammed behind me. I thought the noise - and seeing me - would scare her off. It didn't. She sat there, watching me warily, as I quietly stepped back into the house. I even got my camera and caught a picture. I didn't want to disturb her so after I took my pictures I left her alone. I did catch sight of her a little later still sitting there eating grass. At some point she took off. Beautiful sight. Our garden is a little (!) wild back there but apparently she liked it!

I was cleaning out my cupboards this morning and sadly (hanging my head in shame) there was a lot out-of-date. Seriously out-of-date. Shame on me. I am going to do a LOT better. I am still getting used to downsizing the family. I tend to stock up for the winter as I don't go out a lot (it is too cold, too snowy and I just don't like it!) but apparently I overstocked. I am dreading hitting the freezer which is next on my list.

I was just listening to a radio programme about this and how much food we waste. I need some sort of organisation but I am not good at it. 

Thursday already

The days just seem to fly by. I thought they would go slower when I was at home but I seem to run out of time each day. I am not waking up as early (thank goodness - I don't miss those 4am mornings!) and by the time I have gone for a walk and cleaned up it is 9.30 or so. This seems so late to me lol.

I ran errands today, stopped by the library to pick up some books and drop some (see below) off. I am trying to stay away from buying books (at least new ones) so am ordering some from the library.

I also stopped off at Aldi's. They had bags of onions on sale for 89 cents and mushrooms for .69 cents. Can't beat those prices! Wish they had some of their other stuff as cheap as the one in England by my mum. We got a cauliflower there for 50p or so. Can't find one close to that price here. I did give in and buy one for 2.79. Will use half and freeze half I think.

I am doing a lot better with cooking and buying food - at least it feels like I am lol. I sorted through the dry goods cupboards today and found lots of things didn't even know I had. I am going to try to use some of them up.

Out on my walk early this morning I was startled - I think we startled one another! - by a deer. I was walking by a garden daydreaming away when I saw something from the corner of my eye. I thought it was a large dog. Not. There were three deer grazing in the garden. I managed to almost catch them with my camera phone.