Weather extremes days apart

What a difference a few days can make. 

Some of my favorite little birds--the Juncos--seemed to really enjoy the snow we received on February 14. The more they ate, the more energy they seemed to have, as they hurried from one place to another in a frantic attempt to find food.

Every now and then, they would take a break. My camera caught one of them doing just that, as he sat still on a dormant magnolia tree before taking off again. Perhaps he realized that it was easy to find food here, since the humans who inhabit this part of the forest always keep several feeders full during inclement weather.

See how they scurry beneath a feeder during the only real measurable snow we had this winter?
The picture shows how dark it was during the height of the snow storm that dumped about three inches.

I just love those dark, moody days!


I had forgotten these pictures were even in my camera until I aimed my lens once again toward the front bird feeder to capture a shot of this happy Cardinal  perched leisurely near his food source.

That was just nine days later--February 23. The temperature was a balmy 75º outside.

Not only was the weather different, but so was the mood in the bird community. The frenzied feeding from a few days earlier gave way to a more relaxed mealtime.

I shared a similar mood. Both of us were perched in our respective places--just enjoying the day. We both enjoyed the weather and promise of the soon-to-be spring.

Such weather extremes, just nine days apart, are common, here in the Ozarks. Personally, I love it. I was just as content to watch the snow fall from the chair in front of my sewing machine as I was to enjoy the warm breezes that swirled around my wicker rocker on  the front porch.

The name of the game is peace. I suppose it is an earned reward, acquired simply by living through the rigors of working and raising a family. Whatever the reason, I like it!

Is there such a thing as too much computer time?

Should I worry about how much time I spend in front of my computer screen?

For such a long time I have been tied, fingers first, to the home keys on they keyboard of my PC. I used to write stories, for a living. Now I just write for life. There is blogging, tweeting, and facebooking, not to mention reading and writing emails with friends, family, and even sneaking in a little Words With Friends, or Spider Solitaire now and then. Have I ignored my life as too many days seemingly wither away?

Hell no!

Upon closer examination, withering away fails to describe my reality. I am a better person because of the hours I spend up close and personal with my computer and with it, the people, places, and things that make my life worth living.

What I actually do on a regular basis is revisit and become re-acquainted with friends, from my past and present, as well as make new ones. I am better equipped now to keep up with the politics than I was in the days when I considered myself an activist. I often engage in deep, meaningful conversations with friends and adversaries on topics of the day. I read about things that interest me and some that I discover. I solve problems. I listen to my favorite music. I gather recipes. I commiserate. I learn new things. How can this be bad for me?

It isn't!

As I drift into the autumn of my life, I realize that my mind is probably sharper now than ever before. I'm astonished at all the memories that have come flooding back to me through chats on Facebook with friends and family members that span my entire life. If I do forget something, it is likely something insignificant. I never worry about those things because my best friend Google is always eager to help me out.


I have been a computer user for most of my adult life. I've enjoyed every phase of it. Heck, I remember 5 1/4" floppy disks. The one at the left was the pre-cursor to AOL--Quantum Link. Early online activity which included bulletin boards and other interaction was accessible through our Commodore Computer's C-64. It was very exciting, not to mention very log ago. We got our first computer, a Commodore Vic 20 in the early 1980's.

I remember the innovation that was America Online. It offered the first Internet accessibility to Macs and PC's with the Windows Operating System Bill Gates developed and released in 1985. Signing on to the Internet through AOL dialup which was pretty exciting. Who can forget those often-heard words every time we signed on--the words immortalized through the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie, "You've Got Mail?"

I've had just about every version of Windows Microsoft has ever made. I almost feel like I know Bill Gates personally. I know I have contributed to his wealth, even as dreams of my own have never materialized.

Wealth would be nice, but wealth alone won't make you rich.
 
I feel I am rich because my life--both real and online--is filled with friends and family with whom I would not want to live without.

I've worn the letters off countless keyboards over the years, and I've owned many different computers from Packard Bell, to a home built model. We have come a long way from that first 4 KB of memory on board the Vic 20. We've transitioned from kilobytes to megabytes to gigabytes and finally to terabytes.

I'm glad for the ability to continue riding the technology wave. I'm sure I will enjoy it, wherever it takes me. So, to answer my own question, though much of my life is spent in front of the computer screen, it has been 

Old Yeller is done!

Old Yeller is on the way to becoming a real quilt.

I have finally finished my yellow quilt top. I love the design, but I'm a tad disappointed that the stars don't quite pop as much as I would have liked. I think I was so conscious of they're being too bright that I toned it down a little too much. Still, just one glimpse and there is no doubt this is a yellow quilt. I do have options for those stars too. I could embroider around them, or as a friend of mine suggested, I could simply quilt them with a darker color of thread. Brilliant. There is always a solution.

I don't think quilting would be as much fun without one or more of my feline friends. Here is Ryan checking it out. I think she likes it and has made this her quilt. Hmm, seems to me she did that with the last one too.

Batting and backing should be here shortly. I ordered them online and they should be enroute via USPS and UPS any time. That is when the real cat fun will begin. I am a lap quilter, so I usually have at least one cat, on top of my quilt, and at least one beneath it. That is Ryan's favorite place--under the covers. Kasey, Ryan's twin, likes to sit in the hoop. Keni, usually hovers on the back of the couch. JR will probably try to wrap herself up in it.

Quilting is such a challenge. I think that is what I like about it. Not only are there the normal issues with cutting, sewing straight seams, etc., but there is that cat aspect as well. I can't wait to start quilting.

Related articles

• Having quilt withdrawl--time for a new quilt (rural01.blogspot.com)
• Quilting obsession continues (rural01.blogspot.com)
• My quilt is finally done! (rural01.blogspot.com)