Alex experiences the first "real" shortcake he remembers -- though his mother says he's had it before, with blueberries, so a very patriotic red, white and blue. He declares the biscuits "perfect" and asks for another, later. And Alex is famous online, too!
Lady does crumb patrol, not missing a single crumb!
One of Toivo's favorite window spots, especially in spring's morning sunshine ... includes perfect sightline of the squirrels and chipmunk that forage in the next door garden.
Toivo: "With all the cooking that goes on in this kitchen, I shouldn't have to beg for breakfast and supper!"
Too tuckered to move ... when Lady's back from Happy Tails, the 'kennel' (more like the Puppy Playland) where she stays when I'm away, she is happy to be home but dog-tired (now we know where that comes from!) for a day or two.
Day after day, Toivo puts herself into completely photogenic environments. Here, she's even cuddled upside the lightbox I use for food photography, napkin and all. 
(sorry, can't figure out exactly how to format these ...)
It was a long few days, starting with sleet and ice on Thursday night, then losing power some time during the night. 
Still, there was no disputing the beauty of the snow, here from the back window ... 
... and also in the front. 
The big horizontal limb on the cherry tree reached to the ground, cracking at the trunk. I'm sorry to lose it but am glad the fence and the Japanese maple are okay. 
Several limbs broke off the sweet gum on the west side too.
The crabapples are thick with ice and snow. Some branches make it appear that the ice is slanted sideways; instead, the icicles formed vertically, then the weight of the ice bowed the branches. 
Even from a distance, the red of the crabapples shows through, very beautiful!
I decided to walk to town, hoping to stock up on batteries for a radio and a lantern. It was a Winter Soul's paradise along the way!
There was ice everywhere, not alot, but heavy nonetheless. Lots of power lines were down, many trees suffered broken limbs, a few were upended. 
The new Walker Park looks pretty in the snow.
Unfortunately, downtown lost power too, so everything was closed, even Tom's station. 
The Amtrak was almost on time, only 20 minutes late. Funny, though, the clock is off: perhaps electric and so stopped the night before? No hot coffee at Kaldi's, either. 
But what's this ... spring? in the snow??!!
First up: hot tea ten times a day. Luckily the stove works and there's hot water for washing. This could be worse!
Next up: creating a warm spot. Nana's down comforter was wonderful. Dad also suggested lighting candles (amazing, they really do create a little warmth) in a closed-off room, Adanna putting hurricanes on the candles for safety and journaling the experience. They were amazing support on the phone in so many ways!
I built an 'igloo' for Lady, covering her crate with two blankets and a down comforter. She was a real trooper for three long days confined to her dark covered crate. She was warm, though! Toivo liked her spot on top, too, when she wasn't cuddled on my lap. 
Some times, though, Lady could stand the crate no longer and if there were a warm spot in the sun, I'd move her bed.
It truly is beautiful, three glorious blue-sky winter days, the ice flickering in the light. This is the view from my window: I spent a lot of time here, wrapped in Nana's comforter, drinking tea, reading, watching the birds at the feeder, the neighbors (see that speck of color? it's the neighbor kids on sleds on the smallest incline you can imagine, laughing, laughing, laughing; when there are no power noises, you hear new things!) 
Still, can you see how cold it is? Not Up-North cold but plenty cold nonetheless, especially without power, which here lasted for THREE long days. But I'm lucky: there are Kirkwood people who remain without power, even two more days later.
Another unseasonably, but much welcome, warm November day, here seen in a dog's eye view. We sat outside in the sun for a couple of hours, me with a book but mostly dozing, Lady on a leash but mostly alert. Notice the long shadow at only 2:15 pm. Notice too: no leaves!
With a rare warm-November day, it was time, finally to get to the leaves though the oaks have yet to let go. Lady stayed outside too, in the 4x4 pen, apparently quite content just to be in the warm and fresh air. I was glad, would have missed her otherwise.
First it was Musta's, then it was Lady's and some times Musta's. And now it's ... Toivo's. 
Lady wonders: Skin cancer? I don't have skin cancer. That picture's of my surgical incision. And what's a Dooce? Is my Mom losing it? I'm doing fine, really! And I don't have cancer!
Mom's already found a good thing about taking me outside on the leash to do my business a few times a day: she'd have missed these pretty frosty leaves!
My Mom's keeping track of all the pills I have to take. Toivo comes to investigate of course ... 