Best/Worse/What did I learn today? Visit with friends...

If the groundhog sees his shadow there will be 6 more weeks til spring.

And if he doesn't see his shadow, that means that Spring will start the next day?

Here are the sun/ice pics! Be sure to look at the tops of the trees.

http://picasaweb.google.com/christinepix/20100131#

Love that arched window Crissy...beautiful view...it was probably much like the morning that it was bitter cold, sunrise and light snow on all the branches ..looked like a zillion diamonds and mini lights going off and on, actually stopped for awhile, enjoyed my coffee..have to start carrying my camera with me...

How are you faring with your winter Mary? Is it a stay in day for you as well...

Talking about groundhog day...our Wiarton Willy (groundhog) who is kept in Wiarton and I'm sure with luxury accommodation is the mainstay of thousands of people who attend groundhog dog, well, the other morning on my way to work, a group of animal activists were saying he was being mistreated just because he was in captivation..omg this groundhog has a dentist, someone who is with him most of the time, well cared for...imagine..must be something better to get themselves excited over...

Here's a bit of info:
Welcome to the home of the world's most famous weather prognosticating groundhog, Wiarton Willie.
Wiarton Willie is an albino groundhog, which means he is pure white, who, every February 2nd, climbs out of his hole, and predicts the weather. If Wiarton Willie sees his shadow, we will have six more weeks of winter. However, if he doesn't see his shadow, we will have an early spring.

54th Annual Wiarton Willie Festival ~ February 1st - 7th, 2010



Now, how did Wiarton come to have such an event; a groundhog forecasting the weather? Well, the tradition dates back over 2000 years ago, to ancient Celtic tribes. The ancient Celts used animals, every February 2nd, and knowing that they were in tune with nature, to predict the weather, just as we do here. But how did Wiarton come about this practice?

Well, 54 years ago, in January of 1956, a local by the name of Mac Mackenzie was trying to stir up a little fun in Wiarton, because back then, it wasn't a very active place in wintertime. So, Mac decided to have a party. He sent out invitations to his friends, calling for a 'Groundhog Day' celebration, and set the date for February 2nd. Somehow, one of these invitations fell into the hands of a Toronto Star reporter.

This reporter traveled to Wiarton, hoping to write a story on the bog festival. However, when he got here, nothing was going on; it was just Mac and a few of his friends having a drink at the local pub. The reporter told Mac that he just couldn't go back home without a story so Mac, thinking quickly, grabbed one of his friend's wife's hats (which was white and furry), dug a hole in the snow, popped the hat into the hole, and made a weather prediction. The reporter took the photo, and the next day the story ran in the Toronto Star as 'Groundhog Day'. The next year, about 50 people showed up for the festival, and the legend was born.

Nowadays, the festival attracts close to 10,000 people a year, with such activities and events as parades, dances, ice hockey tournaments, pancake breakfasts and the fabled Wiarton Willie Weather prediction.

Betty, glad you are taking it easy....same here, have two crochet projects underway, and several more crochet and knitting projects that I am considering.

Love the story of Groundhogs Day!

Ms. Meow is curled in my lap chattering at the birds in the feeder outside the window. I had to clean out all of the feeders yesterday and refill them...it has been so unseasonably warm and wet here that the seed was beginning to mould...not a good thing! Needless to say the birds all seem quite happy today.

Commercials? There are a few good ones, but for many my Dh will comment "Why would I want to buy anything that make me look or act like that person?"

Guess Trisha we're on the same wave length, I replenished birdseed as I could see from the front window where I sit, bluejays pecking at the feeder...of course I frightened them away when I went out to do so but they are now back..I'm sure in this cold they need food for warmth and energy...

As your Ms. Meow sits on your laps to watch them, both Missy and Riley sit on the little bench I made for them so they can watch the world go by and see the birds/squirrels at the feeder..everyone seems relaxed today..

June and Joyce dropped in today..nice visit, June has to go back to the city where she's spending most of the week with her son who took a severe fall and needed an major operation, he'll be housebound for 3 months at least so while her hubby looks after the furries she looks after her 30 something son..he could have done so much more damage to himself..he won't be bike riding nor hiking for awhile..

She brought along with her a wall hanging quilt, should have taken a photo, in the front are plastic window slots to put family photo's..would be a great gift..

Watched a show on 'finding Abraham Lincoln' quite interesting, 2nd part next week so will have to remember to watch it...now I'm back downstairs, 6 more thread catchers to complete...when I say complete, only thing I have to do is fill each of the weights and put rubber backing but that can be done as I sit this week in the evenings, gives me something to do..lol..like I need something right?

So, am getting there..

Betty that's a cute story! Wow, who'd a thought!
Sounds like a certain group of people seriously have nothing better to do. Just naturists trying to get their 2 cents worth in, I suppose.

You are getting there, I've been trying to concentrate on that embroidery all day and haven't made it yet.

Oooo Dave has Rock Cornish Game Hens in the oven! Yum!!!

Hello everyone!

Today has been quite busy. Finished cleaning the craft area. Decided I needed a place for all the bigger stuff, so Cleaned out the toy box.
The only things I kept were building blocks and a couple of baby dolls. everything else tossed! Then loaded it with my stuff.

Cleaned up kitchen and now just enjoying the Ice skating. DH has been busy at the shredder all day long! yayya, more old paper gone.
Kids are all comfy catching up their shows, nice and quiet. ohah, Jacob just came and asked about detergent! He's doing his own laundry.

Really the only thing that needs to be worked on is the tools in the foyer again! The rest of the week DH and I will be working on the basement. I am hoping everything will be done by friday! Saturday I would just like to relax and wait for company.

Mary, How cool you will selling commercials for superbowl. Wow, that must be loads of fun. We will be watching, Got to say the commercials are the best part of superbowl! It is so funny how many and how fast they are.

Betty, glad you are taking it easy. Also happy to hear you had a nice visit too. Wall hanging sounds nice. Sorry to hear of Junes son. I hope he gets to feeling better quickly. It's a long time to be homebound.

Trisha, and Betty, very sweet to sit and watch the birds at the feeder. On day like this why not. Need to fill up mine too. We toss birdie's unwanted seed out on the wood seat out front. Then watch as all the birds and squirrels come and feed. Nice to watch while at the kitchen table...

Crissy, thanks for sharing your winter wonder scene! So very pretty all glistening. I love your windows and the view! Sounds like it will all be gone with your weather warm up.

Thanks all about Jacob. His win was for freshmen team. Now his coach wants him to be in the Varsity for the rest of wrestling. lol Thought we were done, but not yet...Betty, are you going to watch Noah? That would be so nice. I wish him luck too, will look forward to hearing how he does.

Oh Bev, Your photo of the snow covered pine is splendid!

loved the groundhog story, I sure hope that GH does not see his shadow! It will be nice to have an early spring.

Waiving hello Tubby/Shirley and Trisha, what you up to today?

I am not making fun Judy but that is a Spruce hon. This is a pine. HUGS BEV

You are too cute Bev..lol..nothing like a spruce tree laden with snow..that's a beautiful photo..you've an act for photo's Bev..you should have been a photographer..no kidding..not one photo you share that I don't see in a different light...

Mary, was upstairs having din/din...you know, I watched commercials just for you..was thinking about the youngster getting leads because he golfs..guess television station have to find who can see what because of age appropriate clients!!! Now just let's wait and see what kind of clients you get...

Judy, your birthday is Feb.11th but you celebrate birthday month, birthday week and then your official birthday and then post birthday..lol...always get a kick out of that..

It sounds as though you are making headway on getting things organized for the weekend..good for you...
Noah's game is tomorrow night, I'll go providing it's not a 10pm game..you know me, in bed by 7:30 - 8:00 pm..but am going to try..

You must be proud of Jacob...he's got the size to excell in wrestling and contact sports...do they not play hockey ?

Liz, waiting to hear if you've caught the skunk..think you'd best let him decide to leave on his own...

Night everyone...

Best..finished the 25 thread catchers..

Worse...nothing they can do for June's wrists..shortly she'll be unable to do anything..what a pity..she never stops, always helping someone..loves to sew/crochet and knit...she'll be lost without the use of her hands...

What did I learn today...hmmm....got me there..not sure...

Liz, you found that skunk yet?? It's not here.. if not Hambone will be barking his head off!!

Hello everyone. Hope your Sunday's a restful one.

Mary, I used to live in Lafayette. Great little town with country values. I'm a Floyd Sonnier fan ;)
So.. are you working for Channel 9?
Baton Rouge won't be short of businesses wanting a piece of the Superbowl.

I've never seen a groundhog, Betty, more or less an albino groundhog!
Thank you for posting the groundhog story.

Don't know how we can gauge spring's coming here, maybe a vole will be close enough!!
Lolol.. I guess back in Louisiana it will be a crawfish popping out of it's mud chimney!

Oh Bev... that's a very interesting picture! Top of our trees are covered in ice too. Just the oak trees tho', not the pine. Love the BW.

Hi Judy.. Hi Crissy!!

Well Betty, I'm glad I found you resting well today.
Sleep well...

betty, nope not in my yard searched everywhere in the sheds ect packed up that hole again with rocks and this time 4 heavy bricks so time will tell.
wow love the bags there great.

jaye send him here to find the skunks location lol

judy congrads to jake, and if i forgot to tell you that table he made is a beauty!
well dinner ready gawd look at the time bbq ribs corn and beans can tell ya after all that i will be out like a light , oh and forgot to tell you lol got my physical results everything was in the normal range so what do i do to celebrate ? fried up a can of hickory smoked spam you know one of thease days it will all catch up with me :)
waving to everyone have a good evening

Hello To All;;

Hello Heavenscape - WOW you used to live in Lafayette? So Close! Never heard of sonnier...but know a few sonniers... a well known name...very GOOD musicians in Louisiana ! Yes - I work for WAFB Channel 9 - "Louisiana's News Channel"...it's a good place to work in media here.... the BEST..so I'm lucky.

DH & I ate at the Blue Dog...George Rodrique's place here... I REALLY wanted to love it...however I did not. Lafayette seems to me a place that is growing exponentially however with many many poor and run down areas....

I need to respond back on everyone's posts..but it is SO late and I am So tired..I'll try to do so tomorrow...

Hugs and good night to everyone!
Mary

Hello all. Thanks Betty and Jaye. Jaye that is not a B&W. I took that when it had just tutned dark. Looks like it tho. HUGS BEV

Turned dark duh!!! Holly Bush

Beautiful pictures Bev. Your up early!

I get up about 5 every morning. BEV

Bev, love the photo's..early bird gets the warm right? I was sitting at 5:00am having coffee, making plans for what I want to achieve this week, only way I can get things done, challenge myself..lol

Mom was hoping I'd take her to Buffalo this weekend...we'll have to see about that one...would be nice to get away, few things I want to do on USA side of the border but won't venture out if the weather isn't the best...

I'll tell the boys I'm going (if I do) seconds before I cross because I know I'll be in for it..lol...was going to go the following weekend but why waste a long weekend...lots of activity going on for Winterama

Bev that is the truth about your pics, they are always very good photos.

Early bird does get the worm, that's for sure. Unfortunately I never have the worm! LOL

Hi Judy!!! Hi Jaye!!!

Thank you . I love to take photos. All these are from 07 & 08 . I haven't taken but a couple this yr. BEV

that was on the marble slab right Bev? both Debbie and I couldn't get over the wonderful marble slabs you had throughout the garden, lordy I'd have given my eye teeth for some....

Good Morning!
and humming Happy Birthday to me...lol
it isn't my b-day yet...but Betty is right, I usually celebrate my birthday all month long!
Why?, dunno, it's just fun! Today in celebration of the 1st of the month, I got to sleep in and Dh made us breakfast!
Wow, I can get used him being home in the AM, not to mention this keeps up I'll be getting Fat, and thats not too cool either.

Hi Jaye, Hi Crissy!! How you two doing today?
Crissy, hope the meeting went well.
Jaye, ROFLOL, almost spit up my coffee this AM reading over in the Spring Swap!! lolol still laughing too.

Liz, oh so lucky that skunk hasn't taken up residency in your yard. Yuck, bad enough that they decided to stroll through and even dig up.
hmmm, I wonder if they hide food like squirrels and then dig later? possible answer to them digging.
Thanks about Jake, wrestling and table. Will tell him... EWWWW, spam! lol, well I am so glad your physical results are good, leave it to you to eat fried stuff to celebrate hehehe.

Bev, I love all of your photo's!! It's is a great hobby. I used take fabulous photo's with manual 35mm. I'm not to crazy of Digital. I love it for computer images but i find I never get them developed! lol, thanks for correction of trees. One would think i know the difference by now, lol but I don't, sigh. Cute, cute bunny sign.

Betty, wow, your bags look awsom! now are these the Bags you are filling for Christmas? Well, i hope Noah's game is earlier then 10 so you can go see. 10 is awfully late for a game on Monday night, kind of surprised they have them then.

waiving hello LK, Mary Debbie...Tubby, Hope all going well for you this day!

LK, how is dad doing, settling in?

Well, DH and i have some errands to run this morning.
So I'll be back a little later.
Hope you all are enjoying the day.

Not good news today. I'm terribly ill, but don't want you all to think.. there goes Jaye with her disappearing act!
Got whatever Kel had and this morning at 3, I puked my guts out!
Will catch up when my head that feels like it's in a vise grip has return to normal.

Liz, if I send Hambone to you, you must adopt Kel too!

Oh no Jaye..am hoping that Kel is well enough to look after you now...keep well..just knew I should have made homemade chicken noodle soup!

Judy, no, the are having a winterama weekend on the 13-14-15th of February ..June has a craft table, % going to Haiti victims so she asked what I could make for her to include so it was these thread catchers...Lydia gave me about 12 cup/saucer sets with roses on them, thought I might try and make pincushions out of them as well, that I can do in the evenings...

Noah's game is at 7:45pm, Greg wanted to pick me up but it would be at 6:30 so I'm not into staying in the arena for that length of time so I'll drive in myself providing the weather co-operates...

Lucky girl, breakfast in bed...lol...yep, a full month of celebration for you...have you got your bahama costume ready?

Hey Judy, Happy PRE Birthday to you! let us know how each day is celebrated?
Dad is doing good, and getting settled in. I just can't keep him in bed, he is waking up at 5:00. I tell him it is too early, and he lays back down for about 10 - 15 minutes, so my days are long ones.
Hey Tubby, and Shirley, I bet your both waiting for Spring to arrive? Lets hope that the groundhog see's his shadow, and spring will be right around that corner for sure?

taters

We are waiting patiently.......................................
Yes waiting paitiently for spring..............................


Tubby

Ya!! I got my seeds from Henryfields today. I've also ordered a Santa Rosa Plum and a Goji Berry. They will be shipped sperately and at proper time to plant here. Hurry up spring. I want to get planting.

Waving 'Tubby'- guess the nice weather will arrive for you just about same time as it does here...can't believe I took the 4 grandchildren to Washington at Easter which was late March last year and we didn't even wear coats, then when I got home, we worked in the yard soooo it's not too far, can say next month/next month!

Mary, your not anxious are you..can see you jumping up and down..what kind of seeds did you order?

Oregano, chives, Sweet Basil, Snow pea - Dwarf Gray Sugar and Jumbo Virginia peanuts. My Basket gourd seeds are coming in a seperate envie. I've got the area all picked out to plant the plum tree and the Goji berry bush when they get here.

Sounds as though you are a 'herbs' person Mary...you can grow peanuts? Good luck with your gourds..I've tried to grow them often as I love painting on them but our season is just too short..tried starting them early in the house but just didn't work out...we have a lovely gourd shop just outside of Barrie here...all the items aren't overly expensive so a trip now and then seems to work...I've a long snake gourd, lordy must be 45" long..keep wanting to turn it into something but so far it just sits there...the establishment that sells gourds also has classes and they do a 'rain stick' seminar..not exactly what I want to paint but it would be better than nothing...also thought of doing a condo bird feeder..

What do you do with the gourds you grow Mary?

Most of the gourd I have are the birdhouse gourds, but one year I took a bunch of coyote gourds (when I lived in Calif) and made Christmas tree ornaments that sold quite well. Being new to Kentucky, I'm starting all over again. For next Christmas I'm painting Tennessee Spinner gourds for ornaments and will sell them at the local Flea Market.
Here is a sample of the gourds I'm doing now.

Another picture!

So beautiful... Wish I could paint!!!

Lovely Mary...if you are ever short of patterns, I've loads of books, some for all seasons...

Jaye you better get better quick girl, don't want you sick.

I'm getting off work so I'll see ya'll later!

I collect any pictures of flowers and animals that I can to use in my painting. It gives me an idea of how to do it. Calenders are great for that. I hit the dollar store for their calenders $1.00 ea and I keep any pictures that I can use of puppies, kittens, horses, flowers etc. So if anyone has on old calender with any of these pictures think of me before you throw them out. I also use them give me ideas when I painting rocks.

Just so you know. I failed art classes for 2 years in a row in High school, finally they refused to let me back in the class and made me take study hall and home economics.

Talk about "Their loss!!" You do beautiful work...

Betty


Waving back..........................


Tubby

I can see you waving Tubby...hope you are not trying to do more than Dr's have advised you to do...if I can listen to what I'm being told, you can too...you do know next time Shirley is on I'm going to ask her...lol

Yep, good way to find patterns..I also paint a lot from calendars...lots of books though..lol
I always tell everyone...everyone can paint it's wether or not you want to!

Beautiful gourds. Love your painting. Please tell me what a spinner gourd is? Any pictures?