No video or photo could convey the joy of Lucy and Ripley --our Golden Retrievers-- at seeing Barb and me after a week's absence. Faces were licked, bottoms were scratched, biscuits were consumed. If the nature of the universe is unconditional love, I have found no greater expression.
Every year a pair of Canada Geese come to our neighborhood pond to nest and raise their young. I think they are Canada Geese. They have a Canadian accent. I see them most mornings and most evenings and try to snap a photo. I wish I had Henry with me to get really good shots but that would probably take a LOT longer than just sticking my Casio out the window.
I never tire of watching these critters. And seeing the goslings turn into grown-up geese is a little bit amazing. One of the adults is always "on guard." At least that's what I imagine is going on. There are dogs in the neighborhood but I've never seen them chasing the geese, who stay pretty close to the pond.
I don't know how long they'll stay around but I'll keep adding shots to this flicker set as I get them.
There are lots of positives to living on a few acres of wooded land. It's quiet and peaceful. No traffic. The sort of environment where you find deer, rabbits, turtles, wild turkeys and... snakes. (shudder) I am not fond of snakes.
This was found at the bottom of a pile of brush that the lads are clearing out today. I wasn't there when Mark picked this copperhead up and declined his offer to "milk" the venom.
Following this little show-and-tell, the snake was dispatched with a spade. Yes, I know there's never just one snake. [larger photo]
Last December's ice storm destroyed a lot of tree. Parts of our property have looked like an artillery range for the last six months. Today a crew of hard-working lads are cutting down the fatally wounded.
The price tag seemed a little high at first glance, but after seeing the guys 30 feet up with a chain saw roaring in one hand, it seems about right.
I'm proud to say that I gave NO thought to attempting this project on my own.
Barb's really too busy with work to spend as much time with her yard as she'd like but she still manages to plant some flowers. This year she planted about 300 tulips but the deer got a bunch of them and the moles probably got their share. But the ones that survived were very fetching in the late afternoon sunlight.
I'm no kind of serious photographer (that's my man, Henry). But I'm not bashful about taking photos and sharing them with the world. I know some very good amateur photographers that never put their work online because they don't think it's good enough. At least that's the reason they give and I tend to believe them.
I snapped these photos with my little Casio and they came out "good enough." Think of all the beautiful flowers that were never shared because someone thought the photos were not "good enough."
This snapshot captures where and how Barb and I spend a lot of our at-home time. If you're wondering where there are more laptops than people, one is for work stuff, the Mac is for fun. This weekend she's been ripping songs for the new iPod Touch.
We both have good sight lines to the TV and the pups have their spots under the table.
Far and away the most asked question about the annual holiday card, "How did you get the dogs to sit still for the photo?" [Larger version]
The answer has always been a combination of patience and treats. This year, neither was enough to get Lucy to pose. When the camera came out, she freaked and ran. Barb never lost her cool but I really thought this would be the year she'd have to punt.
The image above perfectly captures the exhaustion of everyone involved. Not an award winner, but an honest and true image of the season. We're all a little exhausted.
I haven't posted photos of Ripley and Lucy for a while. Lots of reasons, none of them good ones. So here is Ripley in all her majesty. From this position, she can direct low growls and death rays at the squirrels that dare to come into her yard.
It's been fun watching Mr. and Mrs. Goose taking care of their new family. I've wondered how they avoid the dogs and assume everyone jumps in the pond if danger threatens. And an angry, hissing mother goose can be intimidating. [Larger image]
This is one of those frivolous things Mac users do because it's easy and --that word again-- fun. Ripley, Lucy and I sat on the deck this afternoon, watching the birds stuff themselves at Barb's new squirrel-proof feeder.
The Mac Book is there. The iSight camera is already focused on me. Why not hit the record button?
We had a visit today from a man driving a dump truck, filled with dark, rich smelling stuff that Barb explained was compost. "Like dirt," I asked. "Sort of," said Barb. "It's really a combination of horse manure and sawdust."
"Why is he dumping it in the driveway," I asked.
"Uh, that's just temporary. You're going to move it out to my flower beds," explained Barb.
And that's what I did. One wheelbarrow full at a time. We didn't get it all moved but we made a dent in it. And it was a beautiful spring day in the bargain.
Looks like we have about 4 of our predicted 6 inches of snow and it's still falling. But we have a nice fire going and Lucy and Ripley are snoozed out. Barb made a big pot of chilli and all is right with the world.
Where we live there's no traffic sounds or city lights and nights like this are peaceful and beautiful. I couldn't resist sharing a minute with you 
. If you listen closely you can hear the wind chimes just a couple of feet from where I was standing.
Update: It's Sunday morning and it appears we got about 8 inches. Here's the view this morning from our bedroom window.
Barb is a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas trees. Always a real tree. Always trimmed one ornament at a time. A work of art in every sense of the word. This year's tree is beautifully shaped and tastefully decorated.
It was one of those perfect "catalog" weekends: dogs snoozing in front of a cozy fire. Hell, Barb even baked bread! Check out the larger image of the tree to get the full effect.
It started as sleet and freezing rain and later changed to snow and we woke up to find 12-14 inches on the ground. Ripley and Lucy are frustrated, unable to find their favorite places to take care of business.
I hiked down the hill to take some photos but it is damned cold so I only got about 50 yards. I'll take another run at it later today. For now, here's a shot of the deck, road to house, our back yard, another of the back yard, the front of our house and our neighbor's bench.
This is one of those "feel good" posts that has zero interest or value to anyone but me. Just one for the record. A beautiful fall (?) day in mid-Missouri. Sitting on the deck with a cup of joe. Dogs following Barb around as she massages her flower beds.
Photo snapped with the MacBook iSight. The mac's wireless card is far superior to the Thinkpad so I can stay connected here on the deck. And the screen is much better for outside viewing.
Just when I think the Web and computers can't get any cooler, something like Google Earth comes along. WSJ's Walt Mossberg wonders if it has any practical benefits but admits it's damned cool.
"The program lets you view satellite and aerial photos of pretty much any spot on the planet. In big metropolitan areas in the U.S., Canada and Western Europe, you can locate, and zoom in on, individual buildings and houses, and see cars and trees. ... The program rapidly fetches the images from the Internet and visually "flies" you from place to place around the globe. The process is so fluid it feels like a Hollywood stunt."
The image above shows where I'm sitting. This image shows our house in Destin which could easily get blown away this weekend by Hurricane Dennis. If it survives, you can get rental information here.
I took the three photos above from my car window this morning, within the space of about 90 seconds. Mr. Bluebird's on my shoulder. You'll find larger, uncropped versions here.
After 20 years in Jefferson City, I still think of Kennett as home and I'm looking forward to spending Christmas there for the first time in many years. It's been too long since I spent some quality time with old friends. Barb will continue on to Destin and Ripley and I will spend a few days exploring who likes dogs and who doesn't.
