Track

Mim has now qualified for a varsity meet for the second time this season....in the 400 meter...the gut race, she is excited, and this seems to kind of come easy for her, I say kind of because her running form is/or I should say bad but slowly improving and becoming more energy efficient. I am not sure how she developed her running form in Haiti, and it is slow to change, as it always is, but she seems to want to succeed in track bad enough to work at it.

Antics at the Bird feeder

 squirrel hanging around knocking feed down

 chickadee feeding

 squirrel tight rope walking across the fence post..Beatrice in this window again

irritating Beatrice...see her in the window staring at the squirrel

The duck coop is now done and the large chicken coop is half done, and the garden still needs about a 1/3 or more covered, so we will see if it all matches up.

I picked up the single kayak today and I noticed that the store had a tandem for 400.00 (same brand-perception) less than the one I currently have on hold, so I plan to let the other one go since this local one is just as good, and I will use the money I had paid down on the roof rack. They will actually put it on my vehicle for me, so it will work out yet.

Tonight we are all tired, and sore but content....another week ahead of school and as of tomorrow 28 days left for students.

This afternoon a white-winged crossbill

 was spotted at our feeder several times...

looked like the one in the back

New at the bird feeder

White throated-song sparrow...our feeders bring in the obvious; house finch, chickadees, squirrels, dark-eyed juncos, chipmunks, white-breasted nuthatch, goldfinch, and now the sparrow..we first put the feeder up last winter and virtually no activity until this spring, "when the winter wouldn't leave us"

so the birds found the feeder. Yesterday I also put up the bird bath and now that is also drawing in the insect feeders...It sits right outside the west side of our house, right outside the french doors, and it drives the cats C. R .A .Z .Y. !!!!!  But, We love it!!!

One-third finished

The two small chicken coops have now been mucked, but we still have the big chicken coop and the duck coop. We are tired and sore and much to do yet, but I have decided we will continue tomorrow, and then again next weekend. We spread the manure on the garden, and I hope to leave it for a good month before I till it in, then we plant. I started 5 flats of seeds today as well, and I still need need to plant at least two more flats before all my seeds have been started.

It feels good to be so physically busy after nearly one year of nothing, I miss being physical and now this summer hopefully it will come back quickly...

Oh yeah, the frogs started singing a couple nights ago...another plus and sign that spring is here!!

They're BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our eastern phoebe is back and all is right with this part of the the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Appraisal

The house has been completely cleaned and wouldn't you know it but when I came home today, I found water in the basement surrounding our hot water heater. I had one estimate made and they figured it would cost me 1500.00, but then the appraisers came and I told them the situation and they referred me to a independent plumber and he is going to replace it tomorrow for about 1200.00, still expensive but better than the first bid.

The appraisers said the appraisal should meet the minimum of what I need to refinance and consolidate my equity
(the last I owe from the adoptions) with my home loan at a significantly lower rate.  This years appraisal, 2013 might be about 12,000 less than it was 3 years ago when the market was much higher.....oh well, my goal is have enough equity in my home that when I am looking for an administration job, I will be able to walk away with a minimum of 50,000 from my home thus allowing me to purchase elsewhere depending on where I get a job.

I am greatly anticipating the end of the school year..after last year being so tiring with all the surgeries and school and the extra work I did with taking on administration projects, I need a break. I won't really get a good break until the last week of July when my Admin Internship is completed (hopefully successfully). 

This weekend is predicted to be warm, no snow..see the birds are never wrong....so we plan to start cleaning the chicken coop, manure, fertilizer for the garden. It will take us many weekends to get it completely clean but we need to get it on the garden ASAP. I anticipate that we will be planting about two weeks later than normal. I have all my seeds so now I just have to get them germinated in the plant stand this weekend. The peppers are the seeds that really depend on the early start with heat added for success.

I have been reading over the diary I kept when I was in the process of adopting Tuki and then about 1 year after she came home. It was amazing how many times I lamented about how financially tight I was and wondered how I was going to pay all my bills...but I did manage it and was still able to expand our family with Ve and Mim. As I am reading the diary I again realize how faithful and loving our God is...I admit I sort of forgot this during the trials of this last year....but it is good to see how God provides, and I am glad I documented it. I should have been documented more on here this last year, but I am cautious as to what I write since I know I sort of have an audience, but now I have realized that I will write for me, for my daughters and not worry what possible readers may think because this is valuable information that we can reflect on in later years. Thus my entries will be more rambling, perhaps repetitive and probably more transparent.

Mim has a track meet tomorrow. She was able to run varsity at the last meet but it was out of town so we couldn't see her run, but tomorrow's meet is in town so we will be attending. Mim and Ve had their softball tryouts so now ve has been picked for a team, Tuki is on a team without tryouts since she is so young, and we are waiting to hear what team Mim will be on. They will all be on different teams and four nights a week, Mim and Tuki on Monday and Wednesdays and Ve on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In addition they will have a month long, 5 days a week of swim lessons.

I plan to also pick up our one man kayak this weekend (in town) and possibly our tandem kayak next weekend located in a town 2 hours away..depending on time available.

Lastly I have a 15 page paper to write for my last class of my current admin class...haven't started yet and I really don't feel motivated, but it needs to be done by May 8th..oh well I better get motivated soon!!!

New sighting

since it flew into our other living room window...Ruby-crowned Kinglet

I held it in my hands until it wasn't stunned anymore, and then we released it back outside.

Even though the snow is still on the ground, I am hopeful for spring since late arrivals are showing up...their diets consist of fruit and insects...i.e. it will be warm enough for insects, flowers and fruit.

Spring Sighting

Sighted a Yellow-rumped warble outside our living room window.

snowing again today

I am not motivated to say much else since this is totally depressing...

another not so high note is I am now in my third week of being treated for Lyme disease and its co-infections, apparently so far I have been found to be positive for erhliciosis (which I knew) and now also rocky mountain spotted fever. My follow up visit is May 1st so I will find out what other lovlies I have. My allergy issues, the sore feet and aches and pains and my thyroid were all brought on by this disease that has been lurking in my body for these past years. One thing the doc said is that I may have had it since I was in my 20's, another time that I was symptomatic but the local doc said no based on my nose discharge, so no treatment....One thing for sure is that I have lost faith in my local town's medical system with all my health issues these last 4 years.

I am refinancing my home since the rate is so low, the appraisers are coming Thursday so we are furiously cleaning..I know it doesn't make a difference, but I don't like people coming into my house when it is dirty..I have been wanting to move for years, but since I have about 1-1/2 years until I have my principals' license I figure I might as well not move until I get an administration job. I am open to anywhere within the state, preferably going to the southern part, so we will see what happens. Now the girl's opinion about this potential move isn't great....but oh well, we will cross that bridge when we get there.

OK that is all for now.....another day of cleaning and watching the snow fall......

snow

on the ground this morning from last night's snowfall. This has to be a record!!

again

more snow today, no creative way to put it.

and now even more

snow, actually we are currently in the middle of a "winter storm watch"

More Snow

last night so once again we are a winter wonderland, and so not feeling it!!! Our garden was half dirt/half snow, now all snow again....

Skate Show Pixs

 Tuki stylin' it

 Cousins and the skating trio

 Sisters

 Sisters and skating friend

 the goofy picture

 Tuki showing her skill

 Ve showing her skill, they will be in the same class next year - Beta

Gifts from admirers

Ve strutting her stuff

A long and tiring weekend, but also a great deal of fun, now a respite until next September.

First week of April

snowfall came yesterday, happens every year and now I believe (hope) we are free and clear for spring. I haven't even started by seeds yet because the snow covered garden makes it all all seem so far a way. I did buy a bag of soil this past week, so I am mentally getting closer to the idea of a garden, spring summer and all...

Spring Sighting

Great Blue Heron flying over Hwy HH

Skate Show - 2013

 Ve in her skating outfit

Tuki in her skating outfit

We have a big weekend with 3 - 2 hour shows, following a big week of practice....

Spring Sighting

an Osprey yesterday over McDill Pond