My best friend

The best parts about my best friend are, the love we share is seen in our actions. One look at us walking in our neighborhood, you’ll see we are like two peas in a pod and we respect each other too much to push and other to far, knowing we aren't the same. However we make each other feel safe no matter where we go or what we do. We spend every day looking forward to what we’ll do together. We face each challenge before us head on, when I fall my best friend is always beside me offering support, standing firm on his four legs until I’m standing on my two feet once again. The best part of our friendship is he understands my limitations can get me down. Knowing he needs me, as much as I need him, makes it easier to stay positive and let the negative fall away. Negative energy burns too hot and out too fast, to be useful anyway.

My best friend 

Downtown Minneapolis skyline taken form the Lake Street bridge, over the Mississippi River. On a walk Nacho and I took together this week. It's been warm here, so much of the snow we had has melted away, Nacho and I have been able to go for so nice long slow walks.

Got to say feel's good

To say I feel good! Will say I had my doubts more than a few times, no quit in this old gal! Thank's for all your prayers and positive thoughts, it meant so much to me.

Last weekend was the best I've felt in a long time! Got a much needed break from the heat with highs in upper 70's and lows in the 50's. Being able to be outside and open the windows instead of turning on the A/C. A touch of freedom from trying to keep the cool in and the hot out. Not to worry the heat is coming back today. Being outside hearing and watching the birds and squirrels playing well it looked that way to me. Visiting with the neighbors instead saying a quick Hi and Bye and have a good day or night was nice. Later as it cooled many had small fires. After it got quiet, I went back out with Ben I do enjoy when I can listen to the night sounds, looking up to see the stars. Living in the city and maybe 10 miles from the airport, those times are rare so I grab them every chance I can. It's time like these I think of home in Amery, Wisconsin when every night was like this. 

Now that I'm eating real food again, having now lost 30+ pounds I've reclaimed clothes some I haven't worn in over two years. I don't dislike going clothes shopping it's kind of fun until I see the price tag that is! Even if it's on sale, my goodness two nice outfits cost as much as I spend on food in a month! Yep I'm cheap I'll continue taking good care of the clothes I have, if an occasion comes up and depending on who will be there I'll decide if something new maybe needed.

Starting to feel balanced again I'll continue to work on that.

Weather is weird

The heat wave for me has ended, there's another one coming next weekend. As with most it took a storm to move it out, with it being so hot Jane does most of the cooking on the grill, I'll make side dishes that are cooked in foil on the grill. Then it stays in the mid 80's at night the thought of cooking inside well, I'd rather have a bowl cereal, then heating up the house by cooking! The weather man said the front to cool us off wouldn't be coming in for a few hours, of course he was wrong again!  Jane was about half done cooking when the front and rain started, we moved the grill under cover just as the rain started. Because of the strong wind I was watching the grill and the rain. When I noticed to the north just two houses down, it looked like a wall of water,  in our yard it wasn't raining as hard, looking to the south it was lightly raining and it stayed that way until the rain stopped falling. Now I've seen this driving, a wall of rain falling knowing I'm going to drive right into it. This was something I've never seen before the wall of rain didn't move at all. Watching the small stream of water falling off the shed, two houses down it was more like a water fall.


This got me thinking of all the things, I've seen and learned because, m.s. has forced me to slow down, with my needing to stop and recover so I'm spending more time watching the world around me. Realizing this could have happened before but, I didn't take the time to watch. Leaving me to wonder what else have I missed because, I wasn't taking the time to watch! Now that my eyes are open, I'm looking forward to what I'll see and learn next.       

Spring, birds putting it altogether.

Hi from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After a long mostly brown and warm winter. Getting some much needed moisture in the form of rain, everything is greening up nicely. The birds are building their nests the frozen ground is long gone and it's only mid-March. This is happening way too early, 95% of the time here we still have snow on the ground until mid-April; it's happened before if my memories servers but not happened in my life time. Of course I could be wrong that's a given! Planting season here normally starts after Mother’s day in May as well as 60+ degree high temperatures and low temperatures in the 40's. Record highs and lows are breaking or shattered, it happening all over the mid-central U.S. The southern states saw more snow and cold then we did, it seems to me that we had more rain than snow this winter, didn’t use the snow blower once. After last winter didn’t mind that one bit, this time last year I still had snow piles 8 feet tall. What does this all mean heck if I know! Maybe Mother Nature felt sorry for us after last year, however I doubt it! Just hopping we don’t have another summer of being stuck in the HOUSE like last summer! So where am I going with this nowhere, knowing I can’t plant my garden just yet because, we could have another hard freeze, been there done that more than once even if the trees are all leafing out, not willing to risk all that hard work!

Many of the summer birds are already back at my feeders, even had a pair of European Starling shooed them off! A very aggressive and not a native bird still in its winter colors with white speckles, known for displacing, woodpeckers and other cavity-nesting birds by destroying eggs or young. Not a nice neighbor at all to have around and very loud! Okay I admit it; I’m not going to let them take over my birdfeeder so no other kinds of birds would come if I did.

So yes I lied before because I didn't think two kinds of birds’ lived in the city. Now that both have come to my feeders, I must draw a line for who is welcome at my birdfeeders it’s the European Starling and the Brown-headed Cowbird is the only parasitic bird in Minnesota. They can and have decimated song bird populations in some areas, of Minnesota and Wisconsin because of laying eggs in host birds’ nests, leaving others to raise its young. Many song birds’ don’t reject the eggs they incubate and raise them to the exclusion of their own. Cow-bird young are twice the size of the song birds and warblers when attempting to raise more than 2, the host birds will die trying to feed them. Wiping out a generation or two of host birds’, needless to say I am not a fan. Having squirrels does help to keep Cow-birds away. If not the only way I know of to keep them away is to stop using birdfeeders altogether. When I lived in Wisconsin I had to do that, not just because of Cow-birds, a bear had come twice bending the shepherd hook, to the ground to eat the birdseed. The front door was about 15 feet away, sorry but that was way too close for me. The Brown headed Cow-bird is a member of the blackbird family. Of approximately 750 species of parasitic birds worldwide. It’s the only one found in Minnesota and Wisconsin. At one time cowbirds followed bison to feed on insects attracted to the animals.      

Here I go again with the weather!

To say it's been a mild winter here so far would be a HUGE understatement. Having April temps in January above average by 10 degree or more for 20 days in a roll. Being able to get out and about every weekend, without all the hassle of dealing with snow and the cold, has really been grand. The weather folks are saying it going to change, can't say I'm not glad to hear it, tired of needing to water the trees. Don't mind the low heating bills and seeing my neighbors walking their dogs in short sleeves  shirts it's 49 degrees today. Yes it is going to end it always does waking up to 16 degrees on Thursday will be a bit of a shock even if that's normal for this time of year. Everyone will get back into the layers and layers to keep warm and all I'll see are their eyes in the bundles they've tucked themselves into. Having missed hearing from the bundles as they are about to get that last piece on, out comes a groan as they start pulling off each layer faster and faster asking them calmly what's wrong it's always pretty the same "Oh (any four letter word will do) NOW I'VE GOT TO PEE!! It's the one for me that never gets old, a time or two I've been knew to run the water a bit longer then needed when grabbing a glass of water. One of the many little things that my Mother taught me. But when she did it there were 5 to 10 kids with only one bathroom and it was up stairs.  

Can't say much about weather in Minnesota.

What a different a year makes, much easier to get around to do just about anything that doesn't include snow. Do I mind heck no, haven't used the snow-blower once, shoveled only 3 times. The day after Christmas we set a record high temperature of 52 degrees, considering the normal high is in the low twenty's, dewpoints are still in between the 30's and 40's, yes I've written about the weather a lot, it's kind of becoming a big deal all over the world. Now I'm not going to get into climate change debate, if folks want to keep on the rose colored glasses, there's not much I can do about that. 


When we don't get the snow in the end of fall and early winter we do tend to get more in January and February so it does even it's self out for the most part. When it's this dry and warm I water the trees that get the most sun or are young, so they don't get too stressed. Need as many carbon eater as we can get here in the city, it won't replace the rain forest but every little bit helps, well it can't hurt. 


It been nice getting out and about without having to deal with all that snow, shush and ice.  Having not to fight so hard to keep the cold out and the heat in. Knowing many of you are needing to fight the cold and snow for the first time in many years if ever. Your houses aren't build for this kind of cold or to bear the weight of the wet snow on your roof. Don't know many up here that don't know what the R factor rating is of the insulation in their walls the roofs is. The roofs on the houses up here are built to hold up to the weight of the snow and the freezing and thawing that's caused by the sun. Not saying all this to worry any one just information to hopefully help you get through this winter. Best of luck to all who are needing to deal with for the first time. 

The fall winds have been blowing

For weeks now my goodness! Still have many leafs that need to fall,  winter isn't far away now. Stocked up on bird food, still need to do more winterizing. So far I've heard 1) It's going be a repeat of last year 2) Colder without as much snow 3) More snow and less cold. What I do know is it's coming no matter what it brings, it will be dealt with as always with a bit of moaning and groaning of course! It can't be controlled too many things to factor in.

My herbs didn't make into the house so I'll be starting them from seed, most were to big to come in the house anyway. In May hopefully I'll be able to put them outside. Planning the garden will help me get through the winter I'll wait until February to make a firm plan, in March I'll start getting my seeds, all my starter pots are cleaned up and ready just waiting. Got some bulb's to put in next spring. The outside of the house is just about done, just need to get the last bit of raking done.

Love this time of year bright sun shine without the heat and dew points in the mid 30's high today 50 feels almost heavenly to me, no overheating did get a little warm just stopped in the shade cooled me off right away. All tucker out came into the house for a rest, sat and watched the birds and squirrels at the feeder they are very entertaining as they gather all they can and hide it away. The birds that stay here are getting a bit rounder. Less of the ones that are flying south but they are easy to spot, so thin and lean little flying machines. A group of them comes in and the bird feeders empty in not even an hour. They stay for a day or two at the most and off they go again won't see them again until spring, when they'll do the same thing. Could sit and watch them all day. If only I could find a way to get the leafs to fly into the bags, yes that is a bit of a stretch! Now begins the season of trying to keeping the heat in!  

Weather

It's still hard to believe all the weather records, that have stood for so many years, have been broken within the last 365 day's. Including a few new all time highs and lows temperature, reaching dew point temperature never seen here before. Being aware this is happening all over the world, maybe I'm being small minded for thinking more about my little postage stamp than the kind of shape the whole planet is in.

Now that fall has come I think, having eight days of temperatures in the 80's in October isn't something I've seen here before. My garden is finally done and put to rest until next spring, all the flower, rock and shade and perennial gardens are ready for a long winters sleep. All are very small and not much work at all. Still watering everything it's been a dry hot and windy fall so far, the herb's aren't ready to come into the house just yet. The potted plants and flowers have been cut back and heavily watered, covered and just waiting for the snow. That this year I hope will not fall and stay for a month or so.

There is still much to do before the long cold winter sets in, now we go from keeping the heat out to keeping it in, which is much harder to do when we don't get above 32 degrees for six to eight weeks and when the cold winds of January and February start blowing in, stealing the heat in the house away. Making winterizing now a must. It's next on the to do list for us also doing the last window washing until spring, that is only important to me. So I can watch and feed the birds and squirrels all winter long, maybe I'll even get to see a hawk stop by for a snack, as long as it's willing to take it to go, it's not entertaining to watch them eat. It's what I call my equal opportunity feeder winter is hard on all the animals up here, keeping the balance of nature isn't easy to watch it is however necessary. It's been a while since my last post, now that much of the work outside is done, I'll be doing more writing once again.

So far this month has been too much about saying goodbye then saying hello. I'll be glad to see this month end, it's been an emotional one in many different ways for both Jane and I, it will all work out the way it should in the end, because it always does. It's the transition that's hard on everyone, going from what once was to what it will be. Not knowing what that may end up being or if that too will also end is harder still. The unknown is a troubling place to be.       

Wet Bulb Global Temperature Index (standard*)

This information is good enough to stand as it's own post. Having M.S. the heat for me carries it's own stress that has taken me out of action more than once. On the table below the far right column is my own guideline and at the bottom is how I need to manage a whole day of actives. Yes it sucks having limitations of what I can and can't do but it's better then ending up in a Ambulance and or a Hospital! Been there done that more than once and don't want to do that again. Each person can set their own limit.

Wet Bulb Global Temperature (heat) Index (Standard*)
                                                                                          My M.S.
Category        Temperature         work/rest             work/rest
1                          78-81.9                   40/20                    30/30
2 (green)           82-84.9                  30/30                    20/40
3 (yellow)          85-87.9                  30/30                    10/50
4 (red)               88-89.9                  20/40                     5/55
5 (black)           90-or greater         10/50                     0/60

For each hour worked using this chart, I decrease work by 10 minutes and increase rest by 20 minutes. Anything over 4 hours increase rest by one hour for the rest of day. If temperatures drop down below index category 1 it's a judgement call based on how well I stuck to the day plan.

*Standard is set by a person who is physically fit and in good general health within the age range of 18 to 23 years old.

The year in Pictures 2011

From January to August 2011

These are the similar pictures I have taken so far this year. The snow didn't really start melting, until the end of March by April 15 it was gone.  Then it really got cold it stayed below average until middle of June. July went off the charts hot with dew points in the upper 70's and 80. We set a record for the highest dew point ever at 82 degrees. Here in Minnesota the dew points in the summer, on average we have 13 days of dew points in the 60's to low 70's, this year we've had 19 days and it's not even the dog days of summer. A few times each year it will get too hot to rain, that has only happened once so far meaning it's been a very wet.  In the winter dew points are 30's and 40's. The yearly average dew point is in the high 40's. Like summer in winter it gets too cold to snow, that's when you can see ice crystals in the air that don't seem to hit the ground like dew would. How this happens here in both summer and winter is when the upper and surface temperature is around the same. The reasons the ground frost here can go deeper then 4 feet down, when we don't have enough snow cover to insulate the ground until mid November or December. Now if your still reading this you have more information about Minnesota climate then some of the people who live here have. 

This year within 48 hours we went from a high of  58 degrees with a dew point of 43, to a high of 83 degrees and the dew point in the mid 70's. People like to say "It's not the heat it's the humidity!" The higher the dew point temperature is, the harder it makes it to breath.

  

Here comes the HEAT

Started 7-15
The normal high for this time of year 84 degrees, however starting Saturday through the follow week it will be 90+ degrees with dew point in the upper 60 and 70 so the heat index will be over 100 degrees, right now it's 74 degree Yesterday the high was 77 degrees all last week the dew point was in the mid 40 to the low 50. To be honest I don't know how those of you who live where that is the normal, handle this kind of heat even when I was stationed in Kentucky which was 30 years ago it was hard to handle back then. 

7-16 lowest temp was 78
Yes I know it's all relative but after my trip to florida in march I'm a bit nervous. This heat wave may last longing then two weeks. Last year we had a small one that lasted for less then 5 days but we lost power 3 times and I almost lost it. With the weather having been cooler then normal this year, I'm having more trouble than I did last summer. It will be okay I've got a plan in case all hell breaks loose and we have rolling black outs, I'll go to the V.A. it's only 3 miles from the house, I do know a few that may give me a ride to get there, if I ask them or I can always call a taxi.

7-17 low temp 81
After last winter you would think, I'd be a little more thankful for some heat, what's come isn't heat for me it's too much HOT with air so thick it would be easier to drink than breath. Talk about climate change January coldest was around -10 degrees below zero with a windchill of -25 meaning that's how cold it felt. If we do reach the +99 degrees with a heat index of 115 degrees that's a swing of 140 degrees I think. The normal swing is around 81 degress. As I finish this the temp is 92 the heat index is 110 and it's only 1:40pm.

I understand that rain must fall

Yes this was first posted on the 25th blogger bugs have hopefully now it is debugged

But I'm sorry too much of a good thing becomes a flood. Living in Minnesota the birth state of the Mississippi, I've walked  and swam across it, up here it isn't all that hard to do.  I've seen how wide it gets the further south it flows, all the way to the gulf of Mexico. Having heard it called the Mighty Mississippi it doesn't often seem so mighty from all the way up here.

Last year Summer came first then we had our spring and then back to Summer, it was like Mother Nature just wasn't able to make up her mind. Fall came with Winter and the temperature took a dive, way below the averages the ground wasn't even frozen, when we got a foot of snow, before Fall was over we had five feet of snow. December came and by it's end we set the all time record for the most snow fall that's not easy to do up here. January and February are normally the coldest months of the year, it gets so cold it's just too cold to snow. This year was different even though the temperatures show it was too cold for snow we got a lot more snow. Here we don't get above 32 degrees for three to four months in winter. Most of the snow is still here until spring and what melting gets done is only from the sun. The spring was cold we had our last snow fall the first week of May and last weekend was the end of having frost. Now we are getting the spring rain that should have started in March, right now I'm glad it's waited so long with all the flooding that's happening down south. To see the Mississippi river turn into such a deadly and costly force isn't something I've ever seen before or want to see again. I pray for all affected by this spring weather that's been so deadly as well as fierce.

Some have said the weather doesn't have anything to do with what the human race has done! To me it seems are they really that blind. Just look at the foot print we have put upon the earth and on the seas as well, is it that we just don't want to see. For all we've taken from this rock that we call home, there maybe a price we need to  pay. The world it's self is changing and maybe it's time for us to do the same. Hopefully we will see we need the earth to live and realize it has no need us at all and as it's stewards I think we have failed miserably. Well that's the way it looks to me.

Now maybe comments can be added sorry blogger bugs.

A WARNING WINTER AND SNOW ARE!

Something I think everyone likes to look at, it covers the dirt and makes everything look clean and fresh. Except for the people who have to move it out of the way, while trying to stay warm the whole time your working on moving the snow out of the way. Meaning your going to sweat a lot so now your warm and wet, without all the stuff to keep you warm you'd be freezing after 3 minutes and get nothing done. The way I choose to look at is I don't need a gym membership in the winter. Because I stretch out before I start shoveling as I work and after I'm done shoveling, yes I know it may make me look silly, I don't worry about what anyone may think. Because anyone who's shoveled knows it's one hell of a workout and the last thing I need is a heart attack. Many people have had heart attacks after shoveling even very healthy people. Because after just sitting around they get up and shovel come back in and just sit right back down. Without allowing the body to recover and cool down after a mostly upper body workout that puts a strain on your heart. Knowing you would never do that after woking out at the gym, Right? Some of you may know this already, my question is do you treat as a workout or not?