We’ve had intense winds at Front Royal and while I was filling up Stanley with gas, $54!!, I noticed the awning at Manor Grade Bed & Breakfast had been ripped off. It looks like it will be difficult to access that area to repair it. 

Working from home today, or attempting to, with Malcolm on my lap.

Looking down on FroRo and our house.

Got my car magnet to support the cause. Glory to Ukraine!

Mmm. Baked butternut squash, loaded with chopped onions and potatoes and tuna, and then covered with grated cheese which melted under the grill.

Mounting our latest acquisition on the dining room wall, an actual photograph of a Civil War scene. It caught both of our eyes at the Strasburg Emporium. 

Friday night should always be treat time. Malcolm agreed and accepted a hefty dose of catnip, stuffed inside his fluffy mouse, which he pulled apart voraciously.

Malcolm keeping me company while I work from home today.

I had a visitor in my office today. Luckily, he didn’t stay too long, we opened a bay door and all froze for a while until he found his way out.

The lake at Leopold’s Preserve, a pretty natural refuge that, thankfully, not too many people have discovered yet.

The beautiful profile of Tricksie Treat.

An invasive tree, but the Bradford Pear does have very pretty blossom. But you won’t see one in our garden.

That there bag of flour was ground on the millstone behind it just an hour or so before I bought it. Can’t wait to taste the bread it makes.

The forsythia shrubs are blooming. For me, this heralds the beginning off spring. I love the bright happy yellow flowers.

Joe, our head sales guy, and I went up to the Baltimore area to visit one of our top clients and have St Patrick’s Day lunch with them. This was Paris in the warehouse, happy to have his photo taken. And he wasn’t sleeping on the job!

I went to an electrical workshop tonight with Habitat for Humanity, where I learned how to replace switches and outlets. I installed a gfci to replace the broken outlet on the wall, which was useful, since I need a couple of those upstairs at home. Next month, rewiring a lamp.

I spotted this really cool sunlight refraction in the hallway this afternoon, with the shadow of my bike wheel. 

My poor daffodils got weighed down with the snow on Saturday, yet they’re  still blooming and remaining vibrant. Hopefully they’ll reassert themselves and get upright again. Beautiful blooms heralding in the spring.

I bumped into Marty at Martins, who was looking dapper and all ready for St Patrick’s Day.

Hoping this is the last snow of the season, but it certainly made the path up to the Blue House pretty. 

I drive past these new houses on my way to work. There used to be 2 sweet little bungalows surrounded by trees here, and now they’re squeezing in these new monstrosities made of toothpicks and chipboard. Note the ridiculous price and that poor white house behind them that used to look on to trees. Ugh!

10 March 2022

While driving round the cemetery, I saw my friendly deer, and slowed down. I called her, her head popped up and she came right over to say hello!

This is Dan, a rescue cat, who is now in charge of the front desk at the vet clinic. He also checks on all the pets who come in, to see if they need a few kind words. He checked on Malcolm when we came in and helped to put him at ease. An upstanding member of staff!

A Soup Cook Off with Elliott tonight, using ham we brought home from his parents. I made Ham, Leek and Potato, on the left, and Elliott made Ham and Split Pea. A fun and tasty evening!

Rosie Lee turned her nose up at her chip. Too spicy, she only likes salty. 

A happy family time celebrating Elliott’s father, Larry, 90th Birthday, with Elliott’s brother and girlfriend also there, down from Vermont. 

Hanging out with my FroRo bestie, drinking red wine, and hugely admiring my boots. I had to hunt for these on the internet and was ecstatic when I found them. Love my boots!

Fire pit night! Cheers!

Saw these at the vets today which had me scratching my head. So they only mask the smell, don’t eradicate it, and cats’ nostrils are more than 60% more effective than ours so these candles would irritate them immensely. I have never used scented candles for this reason. I didn’t look at the ingredients, but if they’re petroleum based, they’ll give off a black smoke, and would be carcinogenic. A complete no from me.

Not something you see on the road every day. From a distance, the child in me thought it was large balloons!

In the cemetery. Zoom in. Can you see it?