His Name is Jake

Looks like the puppy might be staying... and now he has a name. He swam across a raging creek section today to earn his stripes - he is a good dog. Well, he is a puppy... Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions, but after throwing out a few more since I got here, we hit on one we liked. I was just rolling off names that sounded good and came out well - especially when yelling for him... or at him! Poor Amy, he just hangs all over her all day - that is, when he is not following us around! Bruiser was a cute name - but just doesn't roll of the tongue well. And quite honestly, I was a tad embarrassed screaming Bruiser across the neighbor's field! He needed a name, and "puppy" just wasn't working either. So Jake it is!

Personal Best

Much of Saturday was spent shopping and gathering necessary hardware for repairs, so Sunday I was obsessed to get a big chunk of my list done... even in the sprinkling rain. And that I did!

Spring continues to fill the air - quite literally... As I was adding another layer to the rock wall on the bluff (one more pallet of rock absorbed by the grounds at Flint Creek) I was trying to concentrate. But the singing of the birds was so loud, varied, and shockingly abundant... so much so I found it hard to concentrate on my stone placement. At times it sounded like I was in a tropical zoo! So many songs - some from right by me, others up higher in the trees, and a whole other symphony on the other side of the creek! I wish I would have recorded them...

I even fit in a round on the green after cleared it off and replaced the flags. I shot a personal best 41 which is only one over par - three birdies (one on the most difficult shot)!

Six Week Surprises

Spring 2010 - Still some coolness in the air in the evenings, but spring is definitely blossoming at Flint.

I suppose six weeks might be too long between Flint visits... had a few surprises waiting for me this time. First off, we have a storage closet on the back of the smaller house. As you can see, something apparently got locked inside. All kinds of things from the top shelf had been knocked over (including numerous not very cheap light bulbs of which I had already cleaned up when I took this photo) - and not just knocked over, but any cardboard that something was in is absolutely shredded!!! Mom said that one of the little orange cats was missing for a couple of days... certainly smells like a cat got stuck in there! ;)

So later I went to grill us dinner and found what looked to be a poodle under the grates. I was halfway scared to lift it up and see what was in there. Upon further inspection, it was three different colors of attic insulation. Some little mouse apparently was making a nest - but did not seem to be used. Odd. There must have been hundreds of little insulation tufts... she would have had to make that many trips carrying one little tuft at a time. Wonder which house and where she removed the insulation from.... :/

Five minute ISS pass at Flint Creek

There was an amazing pass of ISS overhead tonight. It lasted five whole minutes with a maximum elevation of 65 degrees. However, at Flint with the darkness of being in the country, even its 10 degree initial and 14 degree final elevations were still quite high in the sky. With a magnitude of -3.4 it was brilliantly bright! Most satellites seen in the night sky are a magnitude of 4.5 (weak) to 3.5 (bright). The -3.4 magnitude is due to the size of the ISS (now at Assembly Complete) and looks much like an airplane flying overhead - although with NO blinking lights! Through the binoculars it was absolutely booking and even looked like it was going 17,000 mph!

The picture was taken with only a small Coolpix on sunset setting. I was braced on the split rail fence.

Christmas Cheer

I put some Christmas lights for mom while she was making a McKinney run. I didn't know how dad had done it before that Christmas we spent here - and I just had the lights we found in the sheds. It was easy to focus on just getting some lights up instead of making it just right with the frigid cold! I also wrapped a tree out by the greenhouse. She was super surprised when she got back.

Iced Over

Bundled up, took a walk to the new property and took some neat pictures. The ice is gorgeous.

Freakin' Cold!

I have had an awful hard time doing anything this trip. The cold is stiffling... it takes forever for me to get warmed up and just start the day. Great view though without the leaves in the trees!