Wings of Wow!

We zipped back out to Maple City this evening for the Cedar / Maple City Lions Club pizza dinner. The entertainment, if you will, was Rebecca Lessard of Wings of Wonder. She brought along a red-tailed hawk, a screech owl, and a great horned owl. They were incredible raptors, and it was fascinating to hear Rebecca talk about their nature and personalities. For example, the great horned owl has a stuffed pink pony that it keeps around, while it shreds other stuffed animals. It was a tremendous presentation.

Last weekend, we celebrated Grandma Lanham’s birthday by going to her house to eat her tasty food! Later in the afternoon, I went for my first ride on a snowmobile ever! That’s a long time ’round these parts. Cousin John took me back and forth through the farm fields on his handlebar-heated, super cushioned, speed machine. We were up to 60 miles per hour in no time.

The big focus this week is the baby shower this coming weekend. We’re hoping for some warmer weather, or at least some sun to shine through and melt our piles of snow. We want next winter to be Harvey’s first, not this one! In other baby news, I’m really enjoying our “Bun in the Oven” tea each night. It soothes me and quites the little guy.

Here’s a selection of some photos from our past week.

Happy Valentine’s Day

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I’ve been waiting to get this shot for some time now. Photo credit goes to my valentine, Lindsey. The temperature was 34 degrees, so the snow was heavy today. I had to snow blow on the number 2 setting. Makes for a slow trip up and down.

Eight hours later, when I finished, we went to Don’s Drive In for a romantic last meal as just the two of us.

Enjoy Your Morning

It is that time of morning when the wood around and the road ahead are different shades of brown and grey. And the trees of the wood are taught toward the pre-dawn sky. I am sifting salt onto our cracked asphalt driveway from my blue, plastic, Maxwell House coffee container. The older kind that had a handle instead of mere indentations. It would be appropriate, here and now, to say that “they don’t make ’em like they used to.” And that can be said often and in many ways, but not right now because this pre-dawn is exceptional like all before it and all that will come after.

I am melting off the rest of Monday’s frozen rain and Tuesday’s sleet. I’ve not had to shovel this morning – to wake the reverend or the doctor – caused their dogs to bark. And it’s the bark of the dogs that is the catalyst of morning’s forward progress. In their absence, our fraction of a finger of the world holds its breath a moment longer, pulls the covers up a little higher, and lets the hues of brown and grey hang around while I drink my coffee and ascend the driveway.

Written in red ink on a white legal pad from 6:40 am to 7:00 am on Wednesday, February 13th, 2013 in our kitchen at the Double Dogleg in Traverse City, Michigan.

Beautiful Sunny Weekend

First and foremost, happy birthday to Grandma Rogers who turned 95 last week. It won’t be long and she’ll be on Good Morning America’s Smuckers 100!

We tried to take baby-belly silhouette pictures in the front yard yesterday, but thanks to the tree shadows, rapidly rising sun, and frigid temperatures we didn’t quite pull them off.

Later in the day we drove to Empire to hike half of the Empire Bluff Trail with Yogi Bear. It was a nice constant incline, which Lindsey did not appreciate until we turned around!

Grandma and Grandpa Lanham were nice enough (as always) to have us for dinner. We had beef from a cow that was raised by Uncle Tom, mashed potatoes, Grandma’s famous green beans and bacon, and cherry cobbler for dessert. After, I was graciously trounced in a game of Wild Rummy.

Herb update: We don’t have consistent sun anywhere in the house, so lately I’ve been moving our herb planters into sun beams throughout the morning. The little green stems appreciate it!

Yogi Bear on the loose. Twice this week, we’ve found Yogi laying on the nice couch in our formal living room. We don’t even sit on the couch! So you can imagine the shock and horror.

I’m working, ushering, and then working today. Although, I could be tempted to hike the perimeter of the property. I haven’t seen this much sun since we went to Florida last March! Scratch that – we’re expecting rain here this afternoon and evening, which should make for a soupy mess tomorrow.

Monsieur Harvey has been moving a lot lately. He’s such an active baby. We can now feel when his hands/feet press out at different points on Lindsey’s tummy. I keep saying this, but it is amazing. Can’t wait to give him a high five on the outside!

Until next time, have a magnificent week and eat all the King Cake you want on Madri Gras!