60 Degrees in February

Today was BEAUTIFUL! The sun was out, the birds were chirping, the snow was all melted and it was a bit over 60 warm degrees! After doing some shopping I took advantage of the warm afternoon sun on the back upper deck to do some reading with a cold beverage.  The dogs joined me and enjoyed sunning on the warm deck boards.  Spring is on the way!  Though I know this is the usual end of winter tease...more snow and cold is on the way next week...but for now, I'll take what I can get!

Storms Rolling In

We finally got a nice break from the snow and cold and actually got some thunderstorms!  It was very nice for a change, plus I love thunderstorms ( as long as they don't get out of hand ).  It almost got warm enough to melt off all the snow.  But between melting snow and rain, the yard is a soggy mess.  And due to 12 dog paws, my floors are a dirty mess!  But if it means warmer weather is on the way, I'll take it!

Getting the Camper Ready for Spring

Today got up to a balmy 60 degrees so I skipped out of work a bit early and opened up the camper.  At the end of last season, from our single trip we made, it was quite a mess.  We've purchased a lot of items for the camper and they all just kind of got thrown in there for the winter.  So today I plugged it up, put the slide out, opened some windows and started organizing.

I cleaned out  the refrigerator, which had acquired some mildew. I organized all the cabinets and drawers with organizing baskets. I put new sheets and the new comforter on the bed ( I just had to get rid of the horrendously ugly flowered bedspread - now I just need to figure out what to do with the equally ugly window valences ). I did some general cleaning to remove leaves and other debris that got tracked in by us and the dogs during our very leafy trip in November.  I hung up a calendar so we can track our trips - and because it's a pretty scenic calendar that helps make the camper look a little more home-ish.  I organized the storage areas under the camper so everything is easy to find and access and stowed away all small, loose items in baskets. And I put away all the kitchen gadgets, candles, tablecloths and other accessories I have been purchasing throughout the winter.

And now, I'm very much ready to go camping!  Come on spring!

Unorganized Mess

New bedspread to replace the one that used to match the window valances - yuck!

L.B. - New Camera Model

As promised, my new Samsung NX300 arrived today.  I haven't messed with it too much, but so far so good.  The fur kids opted to model for me ( not so willingly, but they did ).  It's very fast, so fast that I can even get a photo of Lois Lane with the flash before she blinks.  That never happens!  I still have some things to figure out - it's not exactly the same as my D80, understandably.  And I definitely want to look into getting the 50 - 200mm telephoto lens.  I got the 18 - 50mm with the camera body, which will likely be my primary lens, but I still want the zoom capability for wildlife shots.  After that I'll look into the macros, but those get pricey so it just depends on how much I really want it and if I find a good deal.  Might try the macro filter rings first.  One step at a time!

Here are a few more test shots, can't leave anyone out!  More to come...you've been warned! ;)

Buddy

Lois Lane

L.B.

Tomorrow's Expected Delivery

I know this is sort of cheating for my Project 365, but it was late and I couldn't find anything interesting around the house - plus I'm SUPER excited that this is in transit!  It's the Samsung NX300 mirrorless digital camera with an 18 - 55mm lens and lots of accessories with the bundle I purchased.  Some of the accessories include: 0.45X Wide Angle Lens, 2X Telephoto Lens; 3 piece filter kit; 32 GB memory card; memory card reader; standard slave flash (in addition to the on camera mount flash); full size tri-pod; table top tri-pod; monopod; and a few other extras.  It also has WIFI capability so I'll be able to send photos directly online if I choose to.  It will be a lot different than my Nikon D80, but I think I will like the smaller footprint while still having the changeable lens capability.

My Furry Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day from the furry crew!

How High Can You Grow?

I've had Venus Fly Trap plants before, but I've never had one sprout a bloom, much less grow to be 6" tall!  I'm very interested to see how tall it gets and if it blooms out something in the end result.

I Googled "Venus Fly Trap blooms" and it appears it is normal for them to get this tall and will eventually bloom out in a pretty white flower.  Who knew!?  I guess all my other ones died before they got to bloom out - probably because I had them when my brother and I were kids and we would feed them every bug we could find and killed them.

Icy

This sure has been a doozy of a winter.  The ground has pretty much looked like this since mid-December. I know we are overdue for it given the last two winters that were unseasonably mild, but I'm so over it.  We're just now into February and have had not one, but two, polar vortexes come through - a term I honestly had never even heard of until a couple of months ago.  We have had three snow "events" this week alone and it is almost continuously flurring snow flakes.  It's pretty and all, but I really hate the cold and I am really, really ready for camping weather since we only got to take the new rig out once before having to winterize it.  I don't think I've ever been so ready for spring in my entire life...42 more days...

Childhood Stuffies

Today's #fmsphotoaday theme was "childhood".  I have these stuffed animals from way before I can even remember.  They show their wear and tear greatly, but they are at least 38 years old now. They live in the top of my closet for their own safety - if the dogs find them they will promptly gut them and leave their empty carcasses laying about the house.

Ready to do Some Camping Here

I haven't been to Nolin Lake in years - but I remember it's beautiful.  Hopefully we'll get a camping weekend down on the lake this summer.

Someone is Comfy

L.B. likes to huddle in under the covers when it's cold.  Especially if the covers are on your lap and another cover is over him.

Snug as a Bug

It's been unseasonably cold here this month and this is pretty much where L.B. stays in the evenings.  Under a fleece blanket either at the end of mine or Jason's recliner chair - making it very difficult to get up and down without disturbing his Chiweenie-ness.  He'll be happy when he can lay out on the 90 degree deck in the sun again.  Until then, he's Mr. Groucho.

Today's Movie Buddy and My Extra Heat Source

Today was a lazy day of movie watching as the snow came on down all day.  Lois Lane kept my feet warm while I wated Parental Guidance and most of Paranormal Activity.  Love lazy days with my pups!

That Last Pesky Christmas Decoration

It happens every year - there is always one holiday decoration I forget to remove, no matter how hard I look around while all the storage totes are all out. This year I forgot two things - my pair of reindeer over the french doors to the side patio and the greenery with hanging owls pictured above.  Now it's well into January...and it's still there.  I don't think about it until I'm either in the middle of something and catch it out of the corner of my eye or until I'm sitting in my recliner ready to relax for the evening.  Oh well, at least it's not a tree or santa or something. ;)

Chicken Curry & Veggie Stir Fry

This is what is going to be for dinner tonight!   Jason's chicken curry with stir-fry veggies.  Simmering in the crockpot all day.  Making us hungry every time we go upstairs.  It's been a while since we've had this meal - I'm quite excited!  ( I would post the recipe but Jason just pretty much throws chicken, veggies, curry, pepper, garlic and whatever other spices he deems fit - so, there ya go. )

The Boyz Version of P90X3

L.B. and Buddy like to share Buddy's crate when I do my workouts (their crates are in the bedroom as is our workout area).  Lois Lane prefers the bed where she can watch the birds on the feeder just out the window.  I think it's cute how the boys snuggle together - and they stay out of my way!

Is It Spring Yet?

Woke up to some snow falling this morning.  It's pretty, but I'm so ready for spring and summer and the camping it will bring!  So for now I'm enjoying fleece PJ's, hot coffee and some PC gaming until the spring thaw gets here.

L.B's Grooming Service

Much to Buddy's dismay, L.B. loves to "groom" his drool pouches and remove his eye boogers.  *yuck*

Tilty and Cat Woman

This is Tilty and Cat Woman, my two remaining gerbils. They are sisters and are roughly two years old.  Tilty got her name due to a head tilt she has that was initially caused by a fall and then later pronounced by a small stroke she had. Cat Woman, well, her color explains her name and her brother is named Bat Man...it seemed fitting.  These two are pretty friendly for gerbils - I can pet them and touch them and they will take food from my hands, but as with any gerbil, they do not like to be picked up!  They are fun to watch though.

Molly the ACD Wonder Dog!

This is Molly, an Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler) mix.  She's a smart, sassy little lady and oh so soft!  She's not mine, but does belong to our friends The McDowells!