Blustery PNW...

      This been a blustery PNW these past few days.  When the RAINS come it sounds like I am living and sleeping under a hard pouring shower-head. Washington made the weather news as a heavy prewinter storm rolled in Friday PM.  It will be rolling out tomorrow (Tuesday).  It will be rolling into the midwest in a few days.  The first snow of the season is forecast for northern Minnesota toward the weekend.

 This is known as a "sun break" in the rains.  They happen quite frequently over the winter months.
5 minutes later it is all black and rainy again.

(This is a really lovely scenery photo--I think)








     Sunday afternoon was a time to say inside for me.  A good time to connect with 2 friends back in the midwest.  I called my sister, Katie, in Indianapolis, which is 3 hours ahead of our time.  Also called sister-in-law, Betty, in Park Falls.  It was refreshing to hear of news from those locations, but especially to hear familiar family voices.  Nice.
     Very early this AM I thought I heard the sound of geese flying over.  In Wisconsin that signals their departure to avoid the cold of winter.  Here that signals their return for the milder winter temperatures.  There is a "wet lands" connected to the park.  Last winter flocks of ducks and geese would routinely fly over.  I didn't realize until mid summer that I hadn't heard them for several weeks. I miss hearing them and actually look forward to our "winter" when they will again be an active part of our neighborhood.   When I hear and see the ducks fly over it really quacks me up.

      Late in the morning I took a walk while there was a break in the storm.  That lasted about 20 minutes.  I did view activity across the street from me--a little excitement in the neighborhood.  Preparations for a new mobile manufactured home. I enjoy observing the progress and maybe.....just maybe....take a few pictures.

     Shortly after returning from the walk I heard a small commotion outside.  Taking a look I watched small birds converge on the covered porch railing next door.  It was a small bird gathering.  A gathering of small birds?  OR  a small gathering of birds?  Soon some were taking refuge from the storm on one of the window frames.

 
 Now observe the plants on the porch.  That really bothers me.  They have been there since early August.  That is my neighbor's porch.  Why, you ask, does that bother me?  Because she is a negligent person?  No.  It disturbs me because since they have been there so long I wonder if I put them there and have forgotten that I did.  Yikes.
See, earlier in the summer I DID put some plants on that porch so that they would be out of the sun while I was gone a week's trip.  BUT, I remembered that I put them there and retrieved them when I got home.  NOW, though, I ponder and ponder, "Did I buy them, thinking I would plant them after some trip I took?"  I honestly don't think I did.  Hopefully the lady next door is simply a negligent person.

        I had a lesson with my only piano student this afternoon.  She is cute and is catching on.  Her mom is still waiting to see if she will like the lessons enough to keep on.  I told the girl that if she is having fun taking piano lessons she should tell all her friends at school and maybe they will take lessons, too.  "Yah", she replied, "I can be like a commercial on TV".  Maybe it will work.  

      This has been a good 2 "blustery PNW" days in the life of Grandma G.

      "He [Jesus] got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm."
(Luke 8:24)