Artorama

Here's the flying squirrel. I think his name should be rocket J Squirrel, just like Bullwinkle's buddy. He just let me snap the pictures... He was very busy eating. What is cool is to see him "fly". It's like a blur it goes so fast. It's really a jump, but it's like he's flying. The white fur is where he spreads out and has the extra "skin" to "fly". He's a little guy. Some get much bigger. I know the quality of the photos are not very good, but he's noctural and only comes out at night. I can't believe he let me take these flash photos of him. Unless of course he's a little blind. I know to look for him, and thought I saw a shadow on the birdfeeder as I was going up to bed. Last time I saw him was about 11pm.

Frank is so lucky. His favorite cookies: Shortbread. Sara, his daughter made him a tin of these delectable cookies. Ok, they are really full of fat, but they are really good. These are not the easiest cookies to make, since they required some work, so it was a labor of love for her to make these cookies for her Dad. He appreciates and loves her and the cookies.

This is what we found at the back door today. My talented friend Val made us a tin of homemade cookies along with a fat cat christmas card. She has a cat, Lloyd, who is pretty fat and I just love him. He has a really easy going personality.. It is not his fault he is so fat. Anyway, among one of Val's talents is baking. She is the chocolate chip cookie queen. She makes these cute little cookies shaped like mice. All her cookies are wonderful. Frank already ate some by the time this photograph was taken. Ok, Howie got one too...

Are these warblers? Goldfinches? I know the images are not very good, but as soon as I get close to the window, the birds scurry away, so it's hard to photograph them with this little point and shoot camera. We do get nuthatches, sparrows and even woodpeckers at the birdfeeder. The cardinals are regulars, but hard to photograph them, they are really sensative to any movement.

Frank's birthday was in November. My sister in law Sandy bought these beautiful handmade copper and glass art whirlygigs for Frank to enjoy. We all like them alot. It is so windy here, they twirl all the time.

Lots of snow. Driving was a little tense today. Saw lots of accidents. Now they are predicting freezing rain. After I made it home this afternoon with Howie (We had pet PT for his leg today), I went outside the back porch to shovel the newly fallen snow... I looked down and there was a dove at the door. I did not really understand he was injured or sick because he sort of flew away... I went back and checked on him, but he just sat there in the 8 inches of snow, not moving. I put him in a box with food. I researched what to do on the internet and they said to keep him warm. I called Animal control and drove the dove to them so they can find a bird expert to rehab him. He was alive. I did not see any injuries, but I saw a mean bird chasing the birds at the bird feeder yesterday. Maybe he was a casualty of the attack. I hope he makes it. They really are cute birds. The website I went to said Doves often come to doors and windows of houses.. sort of saying, hey I need some

It has been the coldest December I can remember. I was happy when the temp reached 8 degrees today. What is up with this artic weather? We hang around the fireplace a lot... some of the rooms are drafty and chilly... mostly upstairs. We think we'll convert the log fireplace in the dining room to a gas fireplace.

I've seen some really fast movements at the birdfeeder late at night.. I wondered who was up there, since squirrels don't feed at night.. It was a smallish creature, not like a chipmunk, but sort of greyish. He was hanging onto the bottom of the birdfeeder eating the seeds. I almost got the binoculars out, when he flew and I mean he jumped 40 feet onto the magnolia tree.. I knew it was a flying squirrel. I want to see him again, but they are noctural feeders, so I have to wait until it gets late to see him in action. He's cuter than the other squirrels. He is smaller and he looks softer.

Snapple cap fact # 362: Arachibutiphobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.

When Frank and I first started going to Alaska about 7 years ago, it was so cool to see advertising and signs the way we remember it when we were growing up. My favorite is the girl in the martini glass. The purple flowers in the photo is called "fireweed". It is everywhere. Yes it is beautiful, but it takes over everything. I wanted to bring some back, but they said Woodstock and Illinois would be covered in it and choke out the Illinois prairie plants and flowers.

Gordy and the menorah.

Here's what I look at when I sit at my computer.. This is our back yard in the winter.

One of the coolest free attractions in Madison is the Octopus Car Wash. Frank remembers this from when he was in College and lived in Madison. Nice it is still standing.

My Frank was in Madison yesterday visiting an old friend who was a professor at University of Wisconsin. They met at The Plaza. Since I've known Frank, he has told me about Plaza Burgers. It is the sauce they put on the burger. It is very unusual. It is hard to describe. The sauce is white in color, but it is not a "white sauce" which you cook with. Anyway, this is favorite place of his. He always brings extras home so we can taste the famous plaza burger. Bill Murray and John Cusack also go to the Plaza Tavern when they are in town. They like the burgers too.

I thought this was cool for me. My sister snapped this image.. She lives in California and saw this boat.

My sister sent me this photo.

Frank took this photo of the squirrels on the front porch. Everyone has to eat.

Snapple cap fact #344 Leonardo da Vinci discovered that a tree's rings reveal it's age.

Boy, does this little guy scare you a little? Sometimes the old timey ornaments were a little creepy, like this elf...He is very serious. I like him and only like to take him out around the season. Who knows what he does when I put him away.