It was quite an extraordinary day today. A month into springtime and we woke up to 3 inches of snow. The robins were very confused, they were running up and down the streets, yes, running, and every now and then they'd fly into a tree and look up in bewilderment as the snow fell onto them. Just the other day they were plucking worms out of the freshly mown lawns.

A snowflake is one of Nature's most fragile creations, but look when they can do when stuck together! ~Anonymous.

This is the landing we drove to, home of the elusive wild turkey. Steven started to make some sort of turkey noise and I proceeded to make a snort of laughter. However, to my surprise, I heard turkeys frantically gobbling in reply. It was quite amazing to watch him call them in closer and closer, and all you can see is the dark shape as they run from tree to tree, like little woodland ghosts. Well, not so little, they weigh about 20-30 pounds. They didn't come within shooting range, which was fine with me, and eventually they decided to roost for the night. Who knew that wild turkeys fly into trees at night to sleep?

I was quite surprised at how much fun I had out turkey hunting the other evening. We drove up to "Secret Creek" (funny how all the places he takes me seem to be called that...) There were a huge amount of deer and elk on the way up. This top picture is just so pretty, you should click on it and enlarge it. Mule deer always look so shocked and surprised, and their huge ears are revolving like radar screens.

We had no idea what this girl was doing, you just don't ever see deer doing this. Steven says she must have just been in the process of stepping over the stump when she saw us and she stopped to make sure we weren't a predator. I prefer to think she is a sentinal of sorts, maybe warning the turkeys.

One little elk, racing off to find the rest of his herd.

These Words.

Seriously, don't you love these words?

I dreamed a dream in time gone by.
When hope was high and life worth living.
I dreamed that love would never die,
I dreamed that he would be forgiving.
Then I was young and unafraid,
And dreams were made and used and wasted.
There was no ransom to be paid.
No song unsung, no wine untasted.

Sung as Fantine, from Les Mis.

Situation Solved

(Thanks Linda, for sending me this...I love it!)

This is from an article in the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper on Sunday.The Business Section asked readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?" I think this guy nailed it!

Dear Mr. President,Please find below my suggestion for fixing America's economy.Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. - Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings – Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage – Housing crisis fixed.It can't get any easier than that!

P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress and their constituents pay their taxes...

What is it about Susan Boyle that moves us? I saw a little clip on some TV show last night and I was quite touched. Today I watched the full clip on You tube and I was visibly moved...goosebumps, chills and tears in my eyes.

Is it the fairy tale aspect? The Cinderella story? She is an unlikely international sensation to be sure. Sadly, the world in general really does judge a book by it's cover, and while she is an average looking woman, that isn't what "the industry" wants. Her voice negates the need for window dressing, but you know as well as I do what will happen once Hollywood (or the British version thereof) gets their hands on her.

What I really wonder, though, is why are we all so surprised that such a voice (oh, SUCH a voice) can come out of this woman? Could it be because the voices that we tend to think are wonderful all come out of Hollywood and media manufactured bodies? Do we truely believe that an average looking person can't have any talent? We all saw the audience snicker and roll their eyes as she announced she was unemployed, lives with her cat and has never been kissed. The sound of claws unsheathing was almost audible.

I find it sad. We watch those shows almost anticipating people who are going to make a fool of themselves. And hasn't Susan Boyle given us a swift kick?

Two things moved me. One was when, just seconds before she starts to sing, she gives this sneaky little smile, as if she is saying: "Go ahead then, laugh at me...but just you wait. Just wait and see what this 47 year old un-hip woman is going to do."

And secondly, is part way through they show Simon with his chin in his hands and he just gives a huge and happy sigh, almost like a young kid looking at their favorite movie star.

Susan Boyle...you showed us all, didn't you? You rock!

Oh how wonderful is the human voice, it is the organ of the soul.

~Henry Wadsworth Lonfellow.

It's official. Besides looking like my mother, I am now turning into her as well. I just spent the better part of the afternoon organizing my cupboards the way my mother used to have hers, and throwing away an absolute load of dishes, pots etc that I really don't need.

Not "throwing away" as in tossing in the garbage, but they'll go to the Sally Ann or somewhere. I am finding that I feel the need to pare my life down to the bare essentials. Other than books, I can't get rid of books, I have books I haven't looked at for years and years (and years) but you never know when you just might need that particular book. I kind of doubt I'll ever have the urge to re-read The Bobbsey Twins at the Seashore, but I can guarantee that the second I throw it away, I'll need it for something crucial. So the more I clean out my closets and cupboards, the more books I seem to accumulate. I guess it's true that Nature abhors a vacuum, in my case she fills it with books.

~A room without books is like a body without a soul.
~Cicero 106BC-46BC

More things Irish

We spent the Easter weekend in C'oeur d'Alene and Spokane this year, sort of a treat, no cooking needed! We went to this wonderful little Irish restaurant called Conley's and the bread was SO good that I begged them to sell me a few loaves. You can't really tell in this picture, but each slice is really thick and the bread is very dense and has a phenomenal rye flavour. Mmmmmmm!