BOOM! In the Night!

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Last night at midnight there was a big boom and then another boom.  I first thought tree, but when I heard the 2nd one I thought thunder.  My first thought was correct.  The tree that I had decided just yesterday morning that I needed to make arrangements to have it taken down due to it leaning so much and due to all of our rain to date.  Well, I have made a call to get it taken care of…but not to have it taken down since it is already down!  

I don't know who in the neighborhood called to report it, but the the police were here not long after I discovered the cause of the boom.  We had three police cars because the tree blocked the         T-intersection that happens right at our property line…so cars couldn't get through in three directions…but the neighborhood wasn't blocked as it has access in and out from several directions.  The tree did not take down any power lines, didn't do any property damage. And, the timing was good since at that hour there were no children out running around.  Not long after the police came the city arrived with a truck that had a claw to pick up branches that were cut with a chain saw.  They worked until 2:30am and cleared the neighbor's yard of all of the tree that was in their yard…leaving only me with the part of my tree that was still on my property.  They were back at 6:50am and cleaned up the rest.  The telephone pole was only broken off at the top which took off the street light.  The utility company was there to reattach a guy wire and put a street light back up.  They just used the broken pole.  

Nathan stopped by and while he was here, the city arborist stopped by and talked to us about tree problems, etc. He gave us a lot of good information and made some suggestions.  After talking with him, Nathan called the tree removal company that we have used in the past.  He was here in the early afternoon to assess the tree and other things we wanted him to do.  He will cut up the fallen tree, grind the stump, thin out some branches in the tree next to the fallen tree to help lighten its load in hopes that we can keep it for a while longer.  I also asked them to take down a branch that our tree broke in the neighbor's tree. And, I am having a tree taken out that is in a bad place next to the driveway.  I forgot about one of the trees that the arborist suggested we take down…since it was forgotten (that one I hadn't thought about previously so it slipped my mind when I was talking with the tree man and that tree was behind me). I can have that one taken down another day…and…the tree team is supposed to be here in the morning!

I think I am witnessing what it means to live in a small town…at midnight the tree landed with a boom and 30 hours more or less the tree crew should be here taking care of the problem and some other problems as well.  It makes me sad, though, that my trees are aging out.

I think a good number of people in the neighborhood lost some sleep last night.  I know that I have been tired all day.  I have taken a couple of short cat naps. Hopefully I will sleep well tonight. I need to get to sleep a little earlier than usual as I imagine the tree crew will show up bright and early so they can work in the cool of the morning.

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

An Eagle's Point of View

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This isn't exactly a prize-winning photo…but it shows an eagle's nest pretty well…all those sticks.  Their nests are huge.  If you look closely, you can see that mama eagle is sitting in the nest…unfortunately there is a branch between eagle and my camera lens!  At the raptor center there was a replica of an eagle's nest that people could get into…lots of people fit in it!  

Today has been another day that didn't have any "have-to-dos" in it.  Donna and I chose not to work in the library today so it was a "free day." I made a couple of goals to accomplish…read the study helps for the Sunday School lesson = ✔️…organize needlework supplies before getting underway with next Christmas ornament = ✔️…get out the next ornament to work on and get floss, etc. organized = ✔️.  So I did get those small tasks done.  The organizing that I did was to put away floss that I had been using on the ornament that I finished last night.  Plus there was other floss that needed to be put away so that took a bit of time.  I put them away in numerical order in a DMC cabinet for floss (used to be part of a large cabinet in a cross stitch store.  I was able to purchase it when the store closed many years ago.  I am always thankful to Woody when I get out floss or put it away.  All those years ago, he helped me divide up the floss so it would all go in the compartments in the drawers.  He then drew me up a diagram, that I use to this day.  It is looking a bit grubby and the pencil is fading…but I hate to stop using it and making another chart!  I enjoy that memory each time I use the chart.  

Besides organizing cross stitch and preparation for the Sunday School lesson, I enjoyed a morning phone call from Ruth and an afternoon one from Cheryl (my favorite/only sister).  It was good to catch up with both!  

We had another pop-up shower this afternoon…becoming a habit of unexpected rain at unexpected times…guess that means it’s summer! 

Planning to do some reading and some more Christmas ornament stitching this evening before I turn lights out. 

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Monday Rolls Around…Again!

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This Alaskan photo makes me think of peace and tranquility.  It is the Alaskan photo that I have chosen for the moment for my iPad wallpaper.  

Today has been a quiet day with storms rolling in every so often…sort of the pattern of the last three days. When I got home from prayer meeting, I emptied the rain gauge.  I hadn't emptied it over the weekend…so the amount represents Saturday, Sunday, and to this point of today. I emptied 2 3/10 out of the gauge.  Think it will rain?!?!

I have done rainy day things like read and stitch and start working on this coming Sunday's Sunday School lesson for my class. I am very close to finishing another Christmas ornament.  I plan to out in the final stitches this evening.  I returned a little while ago from prayer meeting.  So it is time to start bidding good bye to the day…time to settle in for the night.  

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Alaska Favorite Photo

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Saturday

It's funny, I look back on my day and I’m not exactly sure what I have done,  I do know that the Sunday School lesson is printed and it and my need-to-take materials are on top of my tote bag. So pretty much ready for tomorrow's lesson…just have to sleep, get up on time, get ready, and get to church.  I have spent time listening to one of the books that I have going at this time.  I think that I slept through part of it so need to figure out what I missed.  The book I am listening to is one for my Cottey College Bookclub…one that is still a few months away from discussion.  I am also reading through, again, the book for Cottey's August Bookclub…I am in charge of leading that discussion.  Of course, I make the leading easy on myself as I have invited the author and his wife to be our guests that day…and he will pretty much lead the discussion!  But I want to familiarize myself with it as it has been a while since I read it.  

It has been sort of a rainy day…rained off and on…some in the morning and some in the afternoon…been overcast a good part of the day.  I will say that we had a sunny portion of the day and all of a sudden it was raining with the sun shining and hardly a cloud in the sky.  I was sure there was a rainbow somewhere, but I was too tree covered to see it. A good day to read and finalize the Sunday School lesson.  

To be continued. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 

Can You Spot It?

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Can you spot the Leaf-insect in the above photo.  This is one of the many tropical creatures that we saw in The Butterfly Garden in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada…our stop just before Butchart Gardens.  

Today has been a pretty low-key day.  I knew that I needed to dedicate most of the day to getting something on paper for Sunday's Sunday School lesson.  I interspersed my studying and filling in the outline for the lesson with a little stitching, reading on my latest fiction book, and a nap…or maybe two!  I have plugged in information for a first draft for the lesson.  I always like to be at this point, as if something happens and I can't get back to it to refine it a bit, it is at a teachable point! I am through for today with working on the lesson.  I plan to do a little more organization and adding a little more to the points of interest.  I’ll do that tomorrow morning and then get it printed off and gather materials into my tote bag that I need to take with me on Sunday.  

I got more information…like specific month and days for the trip to northern Georgia that I go on with Marie.  So there is a trip on my calendar to look forward to!  We will find a way to photograph a few barns on this trip…I am sure!  Anyway, we did last year!  I will perhaps run out of Alaska photos to share by that time…and you will be ready for a change of scenery! 

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 

Photos, Photos Everywhere!

Melany came to spend some time with me today.  Our goal for the day was to work through both our photos.  I think that we both can say that we have looked at all the photos that we took on our Alaska cruise!  That's a lot of pictures!  We had fun looking through them and thinking back on our trip.  I still can’t believe that I have been to Alaska!

Before she left, we both went out to the blueberry bushes and picked a goodly amount of blueberries for her to take home. And, that picking still isn't the end of the blueberries…give it a few more days and there will be another good amount to pick.  The blueberry dessert that I made for us to enjoy today was very good.  There are so many good ways to use blueberries!  I’m happy to have the blueberries that I have in my freezer. 

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!