Super Bowl 45 Champions???????????? Oh yeah - Way to go Green Bay!!

Darryl's Birthday: Lightweights That We Are...

Puppies Went Missing: We Have Ruger back but Colt Remained Elusive...

Foodies: Farm Fresh Eggs, Italian Dressing and Simmered Greens...

Gardening: Bulbs Uprooted...

Weather: Warm, Cool, Cccold, Brrrrrr...

The Game: Amazing as it may seem I actually stayed up for the entire game...


Those are the headlines from the weekend and I'll elaborate further of course but I wanted to mention that photo taking tips are always appreciated. As you can see from the flickr site, I'm not the best at it. It seems some pictures just come out so much better than others when all I ever do is point and click. Some look really good - others, ehhh, not so much. Well, onto the weekend activities...

Friday's drive home was really nice. I don't know if a bunch of people decided to stay home or what but I felt like I was the only person on the road. I stopped in Publix to pick up some cupcakes for Darryl for his birthday - I wanted to make some for him but time got away from me. Anywhooooooo while I was there I found me some sunglasses!! They aren't as wonderful as the ones I had before but you'll be hard pressed to figure out if it's me or Raquel Welch behind those Foster Grants...hahahahahaha I'm so funny :)

The glasses are brown and the lenses are tinted brown so they are very similar to the old ones. We'll see how well they hold up (hopefully better than Lizzard's old reading glasses with just the one arm left on them...lol). I have to say though that the selection was, in my opinion, pretty limited. What's with all the tacky bling bling stuff all over the frames and not to mention the size of the lenses - goodness we don't have golf ball size eyes do we??? One would think so after seeing those lenses. You can either get really, really, big lenses or tiny, little rectangular lenses....there's not much in between. I consider myself lucky to have found a pair that's fairly normal looking in comparison. Shopping...bah humbug!

Once home I bagged up the stuff for Darryl for his birthday and we both signed his card. We chilled for a little while before hitting the Hickman County highway...lol  Pee Wee's Place wasn't very busy but there were a few people in attendance - Claudia for one. It was nice to visit with her. While we have talked briefly on the phone, we haven't seen each other since before Thanksgiving. That's how it is when it's wintertime. Only a few people get out and about and then only for just a little while. We're the same way. Given the choice, we rather stay home when it's cold and wet outside.

Since I go to work it's not the same for me but I can see where cabin fever could become a real deal for lots of people. Claudia didn't go anywhere but the grocery store for two weeks when the weather was so bad. With her husband being home from Afghanistan, he uses her car to get to work and back so she is home all day. He works 14 hour days so the last thing he wants to do it go back out... she was glad to be out even if only for a few hours while she waited for him to come and get her.

We visited with everyone and made sure Darryl had plenty to drink - evidenced by his dancing behind the bar...LOL he only dances when he gets buzzed! It wasn't long before we left for home. It had started raining and snow was called for so we didn't want to be out in that. We had a head start on it but still it rained the whole way home. It sure was nice having that electric gate opener! :) Neither of us had to get out in that weather to open the gate :)

Saturday we blamed Darryl for the headaches we suffered with.

As you well know, Colt and Ruger have had all the freedom a couple of puppies could ever ask for. A big dog house, 3 automatic feeders, water fresh from the spring and acres on which to run and play. Well the little turds decided to up and leave us this past week. They were in the dog house when I drove by to go to work but by the time Wally was up, dressed and outside feeding the horses, they had vacated the property... Wally looked for them all day in between trips to the barn working with Daniel. He wasn't able to find them.

He stopped at a few houses and asked people if they had seen them but no one had. The next day he called a few people he knew and low and behold, they had been sighted at Bob and Rhonda's house that morning. She said they were still there so Wally went to go retrieve them. Who knows how many doggie treats later and Ruger was caught, collared and put on a chain. Colt - yeah, right. I've been saying all along how he stays about 4-5 feet back from us and only comes close on the rare occasion. We knew he would be hard to get a hold of. Wally told me how he tried to catch lil' Colt but lil' Colt wasn't having anything to do with it. There was nothing we could do.

Ruger, meanwhile, was learning how to be a good puppy on a chain. He walks with Wally now and will sit and come to you when you tell him to. He still has to stay on the chain until we know he can be trusted again...how long will that be? Got me... He barked his little head off...it's a wonder he has a bark left in him. He did not like being chained up - not one little bit...

Saturday we drove all over looking for Colt and we showed some people his picture. A few people had seen him and recognized him from the picture but he wouldn't come to anyone...of course. Most of the people we talked to said we were only about an hour behind him...lol little stinker. Well, the weekend passed and Sunday we still had no luck finding him.

Ruger didn't seem to miss him anymore and wasn't barking nearly as much. The roosters seemed to be pretty relaxed in that they didn't have to worry about Ruger since he was tied up and Colt was clearly missing. Even the big dogs were caught napping more than usual...maybe because they didn't have puppies jumping all over them all day long...but we knew he was gone :(

Monday I went to work, calling his name as I drove up the driveway. A little while after I left, Wally got a call from Rhonda saying that Colt was at her house. He drove down there and together they tried to catch him but to no avail. The little guy is fast I tell ya... They tried to lure him with food but he just took the food and went under the dog house. After an hour, they gave up.

Wally went and got Ruger and put him in the horse trailer. He parked it near Rhonda's house where Colt would be able to hear him. He was chained in and barking his head off and Wally could hear Colt barking back. Poor Ruger must have thought he was really in trouble going from the nice, warm, dog house to the cold, lonely horse trailer.

But still Colt wouldn't come... Well, since that didn't work, Wally brought Ruger back home and took him for a walk and let him play so he would know he wasn't in trouble. Darn Colt was still on the run...

As we sat in our chairs waiting for 7:00 to come so we could go to bed, we got a phone call. It was Rhonda telling us that Bob had caught Colt and was holding him for us to come and get him. Great...it had been snowing for about 6 hours and getting to Bob and Rhonda's is no easy feat in itself. The road through the holler and up to their house wasn't likely to be pretty...but we got dressed, got our coats on, got the collar and leashes and headed out the door. We were on a mission to bring the little guy home.

The passenger side door was frozen shut so I slid in over on Wally's side and we headed towards Bob's house. The holler wasn't as bad as we expected and we climbed the hill without incident (like slipping or sliding or getting stuck) and kept on going while we had the momentum. We did slide around a little going through the woods but we made it up there safe and sound. Wally went inside to get Colt. He thanked Bob and told him how much he appreciated it. Bob said it was no problem, he didn't say it wasn't any trouble...lol

So Colt was captured and once again sitting next to me in a truck. He was shaking and his eyes were bugging out but once I started petting him and rubbing his head, he calmed down and actually snuggled up against me. We decided he was probably exhausted from being on the lam for those few days, not to mention being tired from escaping every one's grasp. While he may have had quite the adventurous time while he was gone from home...he was showing signs of being a little bit glad to be back with us. I thought he was going to fall asleep in the truck before we ever made it home. He's getting lessons today - probably as you read :)

Yes, the hens are laying eggs again - Finally! We had to buy eggs from the store for almost 2 full months. There just is no comparison, indeed after eating those store bought eggs I believe I was actually craving a farm fresh egg. In fact I was craving two of them...lol As you can see from the photos, anymore than two and there might not have been enough room in that skillet, they were huge, moreover the flavor and texture did not disappoint. I dipped my biscuit in that creamy yolk and was forever more thankful that the hens were back in business and that I was the recipient of their labor :) :) The eggs were so large that I was hard pressed to get the container to close for me. As I await the weekend, those fried eggs are once again on my mind and in my plans. LOL Maybe we'll have some bacon on the side this time...

Turnip and Mustard Greens - bright in color and brighter in flavor, once again adorned our table...yes, summer and fall have passed us by but the greens were rinsed, rinsed and rinsed again before being bagged up and placed in the freezer for just such an occasion. When I put them in the pot and they began to thaw, the kitchen filled with scents of late summer and early fall when the last of the greens were coming from the gardens. These greens were a combination of those from Darryl and the CSA basket. Together they simmered with just a little ham bouillon, black pepper and garlic powder. The end result was a mess of greens, cooked down to about four helpings, two of which were heaped on our plates and sprinkled with pepper vinegar. Sitting there eating them, it was like it was 60-70 degrees outside, though clearly we knew better.

Mushrooms are not a favorite of most people, in fact, Britney Pattishall was never an eater of nor fan of the nutritious fungi but she is now...Rinsed, chopped up, stuffed into a lidded jar and filled to the brim with Italian dressing, mushrooms can be enjoyed by anyone with a half way decent taste bud... They soak up the flavor of the dressing and are an immensely satisfying appetizer! Of course you should feel free to put them in a bowl with tomatoes and the dressing...then, when you're ready to serve them, break off some fresh mozzarella cheese chunks and add them to the bowl. You better get your serving quick because this dish won't last long at any get-together, especially if Britney is there... lol j/k Brit, you know I love you baby :)

We had our chicken wings and chili cheese dip during the super bowl and my mouth was surely on fire from those wings. The thing is, they were hot and crunchy and just the other side of HOT so I couldn't resist. It seems like after the first couple of wings, your mouth just gets used to it and it doesn't burn so bad...maybe it was the beer that we rinsed them down with...lol!! hahahahahaha Wings and beer just go together, like pizza and beer...what else are you supposed to have with them I ask you?

While we were out feeding the animals, I happened to notice that something (dog, puppy, rooster) had dug up my tulip, daffodil and iris bulbs from where I planted them in the front yard...to be certain I have no way of knowing who the culprit was but I have a sneaking suspicion...don't you????

So there I was, out in the cold, expecting to be back inside within just a few minutes and now I had gardening to do in below freezing temperatures, of all things. I filled in as many holes as I could find and piled the soil back on top of the bulbs ever more grateful that they need not be buried very deep. I may have said a few choice words in the direction of the dog house but all are innocent until proven guilty so I kept those words to a whisper...I don't know how long the bulbs had been exposed to the weather so only time will tell if they survived. Claudia assured me the irises would do fine and if, for whatever reason, they didn't survive, she has plenty more where those came from... how sweet of her.

The weather is fickle again it seems as we went from below freezing, up to 50-60 degrees and sunny, back down to freezing and then finally the rain, snow and wind.  Normal? Not from what I hear. Extreme? You betcha...folks round here say they haven't seen weather like this in so many years they can't remember. Uh huh, sure.

It's still a sight to behold and I'm taking as many pictures as I can so you can see what I mean. The ones I took yesterday look like they were done in black and white. That's not the case though. They were taken with the same camera I always use now - the one from Ernie and Briney. The pictures from yesterday were also taken about 3-3:30 in the afternoon. It had snowed my whole way home from work and the pictures show you what it looked like when I was almost home and then down the drive way. It didn't seem like it was that dark out. Coming up? More snow predicted to fall overnight Wednesday so if it's of any significance, or if it makes travel unsafe, I'll be keeping myself home on Thursday. Sounds like a good day for rabbit stew now that I finally remembered to pick up the wine :)  woo hoo! I'll take pictures for you Kat and Kris :)

So my Green Bay Packers are the Super Bowl 45 Champions!! How do you like them apples? I didn't think I'd make the whole game and I really didn't think they were going to win but sure enough, they showed up to play and win they did. I guess it's okay for Brett to retire now - an era comes to an end. Aaron Rogers has proven himself an apt quarterback so I'll allow him to be my new favorite QB going forward.

The commercials were a disappointment...they used to be so well thought out but this year they seemed to be going for the shock value. They used to be funny or thought-provoking or patriotic. The Dorito's commercial with the guy licking the other guys finger totally grossed me out - ew!!!! I'd rather eat a rabbit...C'mon must we lower ourselves to that level for the sake of a dollar? I think not. Did it make you want to go buy a big bag of Dorito's? Nope? Me either...Which ones did you enjoy, if any?

I think the super bowl is the one program where people actually refrain from using their dvr or tevo to skip the commercials...maybe there are stats on that somewhere LOL.

All of the entertainment was horrible if you ask me - the best part was when Slash came up from under the stage to play "Sweet Child of Mine." The rest of them weren't even worth wasting my time typing about.

As our weekend came to a close we were once again snuggled in our cabin home with light snow flurries falling on the tin roof. We were warm and happy and knew it was enough just to be together.

On a sad note, I have to recognize the passing of a dear old friend. Sam Tanner was a gentle giant of a man. He had a bellowing laugh that you couldn't help but join in on. He would give you his last dollar if you needed it and never ask for its return. He loved us as we are and didn't try to change us and while he may have had beliefs other than ours, he stood by his convictions but never once judged us for standing by ours. He filled a small part of the gap left in me when I lost my own father and I'll always remember him for that. He loved life and lived it to the fullest and would want all of us to do the same. Sam will be greatly missed in the hearts of many. May he rest in peace.

"We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love." ~Madame de Stael

Goodbye Sam, Love You, Mean It.