Tuesday morning in Keyser, West Virginia

Mary and I have a little tradition of going to breakfast at Denny's about twice a month. We went this morning. Instead of getting out the door at 7:15, we have to leave at 6am. But it is well worth it. Our waiters are usually college students from Potomac State. It's nice to begin forming new traditions in our new home.

This morning was a tad different because from our table at the window we saw a pair of ducks land. We watched them as they cautiously approached the water and then proceeded to wade. They stayed until we scared them away taking pictures.

Our neighbors must be unused to our new tradition because when Mary was playing with Nadia this afternoon - her grandpa Bill - told Mary that he was afraid that we didn't know that there was school and he thought we had left for PA. Not a bad idea but we made it to work and school on time. ; )

Mary took the first 3 pictures.  She did a wonderful job.  Mr. and Mrs. Mallard look wonderful in their spring plumage.  We discussed the book - "Make Way for Ducklings" and plan to read it later in the week.  

The Easter Bunny is coming to town!

Sounds of Spring!

The spring peepers are calling!

The field behind our house is a wetlands.  In the summer cows graze there.  Right now - the spring peepers are calling.  Spring peepers are small frogs that grow less than an inch and a half long.  They can be tan, gray or dark brown, but they all have a dark "X" on their backs.  Spring Peepers also have large toe pads for gripping plants when they climb.

Spring Peepers are rarely seen but are often heard in the early spring.  They breed from March til June, and in early March you can hear male Spring Peepers calling for mates

Happy Birthday, Sara Sylvester!

Knitting ... way down in Fraggle Rock!

I loved watching Fraggle Rock every night before bed with my "big" kids - Nathan, Bonnie, Kate and Anna. They weren't very big back then!

Momma's Saturday Project

The daffodils were from our yard. It's nice to have a few yellow flowers. I miss my daffodils in Hollidaysburg.

My friend Tracy and I are starting another block swap. I chose the block and she hand dyed the muslin for an antique look. I received Tracy's block on Thursday and wanted to get mine done quickly. I'm mailing Tracy her block on Monday.

Mary's Saturday Craft

The painted rock is just about finished. Mary wants to add a few details tomorrow. We plan to keep it on the front porch with the stone that Bonnie painted in 5th grade. ; )

Saturday at home in West Virginia!

Mary and spent today at home. We had so much fun that I don't know where the day went. We began the morning with a quick walk to "Pebbleshire". Pebbleshire is an area behind the forbidden field. It has a stream that runs through it that Mary loves to explore. On our walk - we took a picture of the white horse that leaves down the street from our house. We had to cut across a field to get up close enough for a good picture. Mary was very nervous about this. She didn't want us to get shot. While taking the picture - my phone rang - it was Aunt Barbie. We quickly ran out of the field before we were noticed by any neighbors. We then continued on our way to Pebbleshire.

Mary rode ahead on her bike while I walked. We live in the perfect spot for an 8 year old to gain experience and freedom without being too far from home. Once we got to the stream - Mary found the perfect rock to paint. It was smooth, round and very heavy. I carried it home. We spent the rest of the afternoon working on our projects. Mary painted her rock and I worked on a quilt project. Mary will finish her rock Sunday afternoon.

Charlie Cat spent most of the day asleep on Mary's bed. He did join us in the late afternoon while I video taped Mary riding her bike to Nadia's house.

Our day sounds a tad bit dull but it was perfect for the two of us. The weather was crisp and the daffodils are in bloom. Happy Day!

Dreaming of new summer sneakers and super fast bikes

Spring has just begun! Yesterday was cold and rainy. Today was warm and sunny with a slight chill in the air. Mary is dreaming of a new bicycle for the summer. Sneakers are a must but the bike will have to wait until later in the summer. We have been having bike issues on our daily walk. Our neighbor, Bill, worked on Mary's bike and hopefully all is fixed.

Country Life

Mary has been working on a map of our yard. She's drawn the forbidden field... owned by Grumpy Al. We look at the field but never step foot on it. Charlie crosses the field. He hasn't been shot yet. In the fall at dusk we would occasionally see a gray fox hunting for mice in the field. We will be adding details and a map key to our drawing. I was just anxious to share Mary's artwork.

The photograph is of the field behind our house. In the summer, we would see and hear cows in the field. Right now, it is empty except for the deer.

Coltsfoot and Crocuses

Mary's coltsfoot! The first yellow flowers of spring!

The first Day of Spring!

Spring is finally here. Mary and I spent the first day of spring in Hollidaysburg visiting Friends. (Happy Birthday, Ev!). We went to the park and had the best time. We played on the jungle gym, the tire swing and the slides. I think everyone should spend the first day of spring at the park with Friends. In addition to the play park - we were able to explore the riverbank. The water was still high but not as high as it was. Mary and her friend Charly built a house for fairies out of stones and sand. It was a huge undertaking but they did a good job.

Sunday morning, Mary found coltsfoot growing in our yard. She picked me a bunch of flowers.... everyone she could find. We had a discussion about letting them grow in the yard so that they will come back next year. From now on, Mary will try and take pictures of the flowers instead of picking them. It is sometimes too tempting and we pick them anyway. Coltsfoot is a charming little flower that blooms in early spring. It is an herb and was used as an expectorant long ago. It is named coltsfoot for it's horse shoe shaped leaves. http://www.invasive.org/eastern/eppc/TUFA.html