Old Fashioned Fix........

My new gate is wonderful.  I really like that I changed the direction of which it use to open.  I liked that I raised it up high enough that snow doesn't block it and keep it from being opened.  I didn't like how tight the latch fit and so when it got cold, the latch doesn't work. The frozen ground caused the opening to shrink.  I have many ways to fix it on a warm day but for now I will use the twisted board method.  We had these on all sorts of doors outside to keep things closed.  You nail a big enough nail through the wood strip while placing it so you can reach it from both sides of the fence.  I can now raise and lower it and the gate stays shut. 

I looked out one evening last week and the strong winds had blown it open.  I had just let button outside so I had to go get it shut.  Barney would never leave the yard unless there was a bunny, squirrel or cat to chase.  Button, has always liked to wander with his nose, never going into the road but roaming all over our property.  In the years past I would look across the way while working outside and see the fluffball out and sniffing way out by the garden shed. I would say "how did you get out?" The gate would have blown open or he got through a section of board fence that to have mesh put in front of it to stop him escaping.

Our kids from Maine sent us a package through the mail.  The must have bought this at the  post office. Charlie Brown did get the mail to us just in time.  The mail to Maine this year was fast.  Unlike the one year when the placed our package in a holding area for 11 days.

In the package was a new movie for us to see, great super sweet candy and gift cards to the bookstore and restaurants.  (I have a spelling disability when it comes to spelling restaurant.  I have to look it up every single time.  I would use the word cafe instead but that doesn't fit the description of the places we could go to eat.) 

We sent our kids a large bird feeder in the mail and it got to them before Christmas.  That was the way it was suppose to work.  We too sent gift cards as an easy way to pay for them a couple meals at their choosing.

I was out with Barney this morning and took some new snow shots.  It felt warmer because the sun was shining.  We have a beautiful new year's day.   The shrub always collects snow and this is from one large snow and three small snows.

The old phlox stems  make a good impression in the snow.  I liked all the shadows that are created with that bright sunshine. I need to get some seed in that old feeder.  It doesn't be a good place as we can't watch it from the window.

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year.  I planned to expound on many things about the past and the future and I just deleted it.  Simple word can't the feeling one can have as they face the new year.

My wife and I are enjoying seeing NBC sucking up for screwing up the coverage of the Rose Bowl Parade.  They went to a commercial during the time that Iowa's float and marching band went by. Iowa is playing in the Rose Bowl, duh.  They played a tape of the float and the band for 10 seconds when they returned from commercial.  One of the commentators called it Iowa State, wrong team.  Anyway, when they showed the Standford float, they showed it over and over again.  But they seemed to be getting so many twitters about what they did to Iowa's band that they only showed the Standford band in the background with Hoda and Al in front of them not letting us see them.  They were receiving tweets from people during the parade and Al had to apologize for calling the school Iowa State.  Mistakes do happen but that was a real fowl up especially when they spend so much time on any band that comes around.  We like watching the parade but we were watching for sure because of our University being in the parade.  Oh well..........

We are hoping to keep the day low key.  People have asked about the kids from Chicago and how they are healthwise and they are feeling better.  We are planned now to have Christmas in February.  I hope the snowstorms don't hit during that time.

Again, Happy New Year to all my blog friends.  Thanks for stopping by today.