Can you say, Chili?

On New Years Day around 6:15 p.m. it started to snow and by 6:26 p.m. it looked like the picture on the left. The temperature also dropped very quickly to single digits (5ºf/-14ºC).

Today, not even a week later, the temperature reached 70ºf/22ºC and to our surprise the many bird feeders that we have hanging out to feed the birds were invaded by bees.

I think they must think that spring has arrived and because there isn't a bloom in sight they all decided to lick the bird seed. As I peered into each feeder it appeared as though the bees were licking each grain of birdseed. Now does anyone know anything about bees and why they are licking the birdseed?
It's supposed to stay warm for a few more days, maybe not as high as 70, but I sure hope that the bees go back to their hive safely before it gets cold again.
Jimmy & I both remarked that we haven't seen this many bees at one time all year, but of course they were all gathered in one place...the bird feeders.

About my post title...
Two days of chili is about all Jimmy can take of eating chili. It's time to freeze it for another time. That big pot of chili that I made for Sunday dinner almost remained untasted by outsiders except that Suzanne stopped by around 8 pm, on Sunday night, for a bowl of mom's chili and to watch the presidential debates with us. Remember the slogan? "Feed them and they will come." Well I have better luck not feeding anyone...I have more company when food isn't involved. I think I'm beginning to get the message loud and clear...I can't cook! At least not very good. My slogan should read, "If you can't cook, stay out of the kitchen MOM!"

Since it was such a nice warm sunny day with scattered clouds, I went along with Jimmy to Suzanne's house. He was going to help Ray with Matt & Tori's horse barn again. Matt was working his 24 hour shift at the fire department, so it was just the two of them, Ray & Jimmy. Suzanne & I spent the afternoon visiting and watching the men work. I followed her around as she fixed coffee for the guys and we also went down to the old horse barn to feed the horses. The horses will be so happy to be in their new home soon and I'm sure that Suzanne will love having the barn much closer to the house and on flat land...no more going up & down that steep hill anymore. Right now the new barn is looking like a nice gazebo...a VERY BIG GAZEBO and it's too bad that they have to put sides on it and close it all in. Oh well.

As the men were working on the barn, they counted & recounted the 8 foot 2x4's that were supposed to be 12 foot 2x4's and only had 55 of them...Ray had ordered 99 (12 foot) treated 2x4's. So besides delivering the wrong lengths, they had also been charged for 99. The 2x4's were also supposed to be made of treated wood. When they ran out of usable wood, they quit for the day. Ray will call the lumber yard tomorrow and get the order straightened out after work. There was also some discussion about two 2x6's that were also not long enough either. The local lumber yard is very nice and will always make good on your order. And even when you're finished with your project and maybe you miscalculated, they'll take the unused lumber back and give you credit for it. I think that's a very nice way to run a business and I can see why people do business with them.

All in all it was a very nice day even though we had to eat chili one more time.

2008 is going to be a Happy New Year

This morning was our last morning of feeding the furry grand-pets because the girls will be back home today from their snowy trip up north for their second Christmas celebration. Stu, Corina & Emmy Lou along with their 5 cats will be so glad to see the girls return. This is where the pups like to spend their nights. This is a little past midway on the porch which Jimmy & I call the pups dog house...isn't it nice? Although they each have their own private large igloos on the patio out back, I think they prefer to call the porch home and the girls have provided each dog with nice comfy doggy mattresses to lay on too.

The porch is about 15-20 feet above the ground at its highest point and this is where Jimmy stood and watched the four deer feeding early one morning. This morning he spotted the buck but it was a little more skiddish than the doe's and quickly made his getaway.


Yesterday Jimmy spent New Year's Eve helping Matt & Ray get started with the new barn for Matt & Tori's horses. The horses (Rebel & Pebbles) old barn is at the bottom of the hill and is prone to flooding, so they are getting a new home and a much bigger home too.

Here's Matt working on his barn.

I spent the day running errands and visiting with my daughter Suzanne and while we were out rounding up something cool for the hard working men to drink my granddaughter's Megan & Thalia called and we had a brief visit with them. You know teens....they're always in a hurry to go do something. But I did enjoy their visit and do consider myself lucky that they thought enough to find me even if it was just for a brief visit. Maybe I shouldn't call the visit brief...we spent about an hour together in all, but to me it passed so quickly that it seemed brief.

When evening fell yesterday and the tools were cleaned and put away, Matt, Tori, Suzanne, Ray, Jimmy & I all went out for dinner to say goodbye to the old year and to welcome in the new one. Although the dinner was late we were all home in plenty of time to watch the ball drop at the stroke of midnight. Jimmy is such a romantic and pledged his love to me for one more year....that's provided I stay sweet of course. hehehe

Today although the temps are still in the 30's, Jimmy & Ray are working on the barn. It's a good way to start out the New Year by keeping yourself occupied and building something new. I'm supposed to be taking down and packing away the Christmas decorations but you can see what I'm doing...Blogging.

Gotta go....Suzanne & Tori are here to visit. Maybe they'll put away my decorations???