look who came to visit in her new spring outfit!

I got to play with DD while her mom weeded and her dad dug a trench to the outside tub - we laughed and looked for good teething things, we tried to crawl, we made more new sounds and we jumped in Johnny jump up. Mojo and Irie kept coming in to check on us.

walked to the see how swollen the river is from the rain we've gotten these past several days and tho the creek's flow is fast, the river is not so high. another day and it will be up. Interesting follow-up from this past Wednesday evening's phone call from mid-wife who lives near - down river - who was in the middle of a delivery when the labor stopped. They had given the woman two homeopathic remedies, "cc" (caulophyllum and cimicifuga) and she had gone to sleep!! Asking more questions I discovered that the woman had arrived fairly anxious as this was an attempt at a vaginal delivery after two c-sections. I suggested Arnica - and Aconite. They were out of Arnica, so my friend drove thru the rain to my house. I was able to look thru my repertory and discovered that Natrum-mur can be helpful when labor stops. So I gave the mid wife Arnica and Nat-mur. Today I find out that the labor began after they gave her Arnica, Aconite and the Nat-mur and the baby was delivered that evening, much to the surprise of my friend. (the contractions were 30 minutes apart when they had called me). A relief to finally know how this turned out as it had been on my mind!

while snow accumulates in Denver, Ezra and Jen are in Paris - where the day looks very similar to skies in Virginia. another gray day, happy garden, happy seeds, happy creek, boisterous river. my imagination has yet to delight in a diet sans gluten, wheat, sugar and fruit - ahhhhhhh

it is hard to be inside, too luscious a day - chickens have no problem, inside only to lay! John surprised himself on the golf course and beat a high school student in the weekend tournament which his team won. Delightful converstion and tea with David Trivette talking chickens, rabbits and the economy and need to have dinner gathering. Played with grandbaby on porch in the sun, with her beaming lovely parents. hoping that spring is happening in Paris too.

a volunteer

spring is official, but cool it is. new year's resolution has me volunteering more, what is it, wanting to feel needed or/and wanting to get myself out of the hollar in the dark time of winter. Trying to fill the vacancies in precinct members for District D in county for the Democratic party; not good with "cold" calls - but wanting to find some eager participants - new faces? I would so love to help defeat Ralph Smith when he runs again for his seat in the Va. Senate - i guess this is a big motivation for me; that and helping with Peggy Frank's campaign if she does run. the afternoon is tugging at me to walk to the river, daffodile heads nodding just off the porch. a brisk walk. then return to calls for democrats and calls to coax friends of library members to bring cookies to April meeting! This morning was a delight: on email with Ezra in Amsterdam and then visit with my beautiful grandchild!

spring! creek is fat all the way to river; forsythia yellow tipped, green green - tips of hard woods reddening. getting out into this day.

this third day of dismal gray, needed rain, grand baby is brightest spot -of course! wish i had turned the photo before attaching. Walking up the road to get the newspaper, noticed white foam like spit at the base of the white pines. wonder why? is it from the lichen on the trunks?

Rain, steady rain at 36 degrees - pines all iced around the high school in Blacksburg - judged English at MACC tournament; hope i didn't leave before time - extremely discombobulated! Brought home a pansy as gift which will have to wait as i will wait until Tuesday for SUN. Katrina on my lap, nudging at my left arm for petting. Still the cold in the head, runny nose - sipping on warm water with echinacea.

what can i say to this grey day? go ahead and rain, the ground will enjoy! or don't; give us sun -
sprout the seeds i planted yesterday, arugula, lettuce and a bit of cilantro.
the pansies look like Easter, nestled in pine needles in the window boxes
how easily spoiled by the warm days we've had
i am miserable at the forecast of snow!

Yesterday I walked to the river with grandbaby on her Baba's back and her mom, goats and dogs thru the snow. played on swing for awhile before going home. played with unicorn puppet. light of the day!

mistake! John goaded me into trying the Prius on our unplowed road (well, there are the CRV's tracts); fortunately he came with me because we didn't make the second hill in our 4/10th of a mile long road. I began to back up (probably 3/10 of the mile from house) and ended almost in a snow bank before John said he'd drive, mercifully. I'd already cancelled my meeting with Erin to work on finding folks in District D to help with Democratic issues (like maning the 5 precincts on election day). Takes a while to melt a foot of snow. yo

a cushion for the chair! at the river a few minutes ago where the creek that runs by the house meets the Little River I noticed two disturbances in the snow that had to be made by an animal - but by whom? There was a smooth trough - a five- seven foot long place that could have been a short sled run; and then i thought - beaver! Walking down i passed three deer crossings and a rabbit path. But the snow oblitereated all of the trukey scratchings - i wonder how they are fairing.

More snow pictures taken on my walk down the pine path; the pines looking ominous! Dew Drop is definitely the brightest point in our world; like the cardinals at the feeder - show stopping!

we got 1 foot of snow yesterday and last night! this is the passage between my house in the hollar and the blue house on the mountain.