This week's news

It's been a fairly quiet couple of weeks. Still fighting the critters in the yard - we have a new one, a little groundhog we've named Topper. I think Topper is the one eating the tops off all my verbenas. Not happy here.

Mike and I went to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tuesday night! THEY ROCKED!! What an awesome, awesome concert. I was in awe!! He played two full hours and we didn't get home til about 1 AM; had to work the next day, but it was worth the five hours of morning misery (until I had pumped down three cups of coffee and a sugar donut).

The weather has been great. Looking forward to the holiday weekend (I have to work Monday), then we'll be in Grand Forks for a Sprint car race the weekend of the 7th.

Have a good, happy, safe holiday weekend!!
XOXOX
Gail and Mike

A little Sad News..... and Happy Memorial Day!

Mike and I both left town for the Mother's day weekend. When we returned, Henrietta and her babies were gone. There were some scattered eggshells laying around, so we hoped for the best that she had hatched her eggs and left the nest (they do so within 12 hours of hatching).

The neighbors told us that on the Monday night that we were gone, that a flock of about 50 crows had attacked Henrietta at about 9 that evening - around the same time that she usually left the nest each night, presumably to find food. We continued to hope for the best and that we would see her again - with her babies.

She came home yesterday afternoon and sat under a tree just a few feet away from her nest - which we haven't yet had the heart to clean out from under the bush - without her babies. So it looks like the predators got the eggs. We are hoping that she decided to try for a second brood, but it doesn't look like it.

On a happier note, it's Memorial Day weekend - the official kick off of summer! A/C is on for the first time today, going to be 88 and muggy today. My garden is pretty much in and growing...here are some of the pics, including the beautiful garden fairies my mom gave me for my birthday!


















Here is a picture of Mom and me, and Chip and Mom, from Mother's Day in Florida:










And some new pictures of Hayley (left) and Raven (right) that Amy sent me on her cel phone this past week:










Well, we are off to a barbeque at the neighbor's today. Love to all and have a safe and happy holiday!

love,
Gail and Mike

Babies to Be!

Mike was out in the yard yesterday trimming and mowing. He went to attack the bushes in the front yard......fired up the hedge trimmer...and instead got attacked himself when our resident duck, Henrietta, flew out of the bushes and right at him! Needless to say, he dropped everything and backed off.....she hung around a few minutes hissing at us then flew away, but knowing she and partner Mort have been hanging around, I peered into the bushes and found out why - there are 11 babies-to-be in her nest!

Here is a picture of the nest - what we could see without disturbing it. I'm sure there will be more pictures soon - duck eggs take 28-32 days to incubate and we think she's been there a week or so nesting. Looking towards the end of the month before the whole brood appears.

xoxox
Gail and Mike

50th

Today was my 50th birthday.....had a wonderful day, and the weather cooperated. Mike got me two dozen gorgeous roses....took me out for breakfast...and didn't complain (much) when I scrapped my special day. Here is the scrap page I made to commemorate my birthday.

Nothing new is going on other than flowers and yard work....I bought some perennials so hopefully I won't have to go through all this again next year :)




Love to all!!!!
XOXOX
Gail and Mike

Spring has Sprung

Been in the high 70's here and doing lots of yard work, things are growing, the sun is shining, life is good :) Got to open windows over the weekend (always my favorite part of the year) and Mike dethatched the yard yesterday and today. I still have to get all my garden babies out. I planted some tulip bulbs last week but the rabbits dug them all up (it's war around here!)

Our ducks Mort and Henrietta have re-appeared and I am awaiting the arrival of a new brood waddling around in the yard. Hope she brings them over again this year.

Well....back to work....Mike's birthday is tomorrow...HAPPY BIRTHDAY EARLY if you see this!!! :) No plans as of yet, but I imagine any we make will involve me cooking :)

XOX to all and Happy Spring!!!
Gail and Mike

Spring !!

Spring has officially arrived!!

It's been a fairly quiet couple of weeks....Mike and I got our new DVD player hooked up over the weekend - went nuts at the video store yesterday and rented 5 movies!

A rough couple of days for me. My very good friend Bobby (from MA) passed away on Feb. 16 from lung cancer. I had spoken with him a few weeks before and he had sounded so good....so it was quite a shock when I found out. (I miss you, my friend!) Here is a picture of us at the airport in Chicago in 2002.



Taking my car in for it's checkup this weekend and working on scrapbook pages. Waiting for our 20" of snow (!) from the last week or so to melt so I can plant my tulips and start my garden shopping :)

That's it for now........love to all!!
Gail and Mike

A new month.....................

OK, so, the month of February almost pretty much didn't exist for me.......come home from Mexico with the trots, then I'm only good for a couple of days and pull my back out of whack for two weeks. Geez!!!

So..........I DO have belated good news to share!!! I was feeling so crappy I didn't even realize that I didn't put this up! On January 28, the day before we left for Mexico.........new granddaughter Raven Paige Smith arrived! 6 lbs, 18 1/2 inches. Here she is at 4 weeks :)



As for the rest of February, other than laying around on my ass for three weeks, I did get to go to Illinois and see the babies this week. So of course I also have pictures of granddaughter Hayley who is now 16 months old!

Hayley and Mom
Hayley and Dad at Chucky Cheese

Raven and Hayley
Cutie Patootie

Anyway, I got home Tuesday and it's Friday. Back is feeling better (2nd day in a row)...so I've had my two good days........If I make it through tomorrow (Saturday), then maybe the jinx will be broken and March will be a good month for me....except for taxes...yuck!!

Love to all!
Mike and Gail