Gray Winter Days & Robins Singing
Right now it’s gray winter days. At least the robins are outside singing away in the trees. I could listen to them every day.
I’m sitting here, a dog on either side of me, having my cup of morning coffee.
Strange weather:
It’s cold, whereas earlier in the week for a few hours I had the air conditioning on, because it was getting pretty stuffy in here. I see ice frozen on the roof behind me.
The birds are singing out back. I see a robin out there right now hopping among the container plants, pecking for food. They are plentiful, the robins are, right now.
I have the news on, muted. I am tired of hearing everyone fight about this gun issue. Darn it, just do something and stop waving the sabers and complaining about the NRA and the mainstream media and the FBI and whoever else. It is everyone’s fault, this problem. Theirs and mine and everyone’s.
Times sure have changed:
My children certainly didn’t worry about a shooter coming to school. I did not drop them off and worry all day that they might be killed by some indiscriminate shooter. It never entered my mind, thank goodness.
Okay, I said my piece on that. I know everyone has differing opinions. This is the United Stares and our country was founded on rights and democracy, and everyone should have an opinion. It is our right.
We don’t have to agree. Or even be on the same side of the aisle. We just have to try harder to figure out a way to protect the children and the poorly paid teachers in their classrooms.
I want this to always be a place where you can share your viewpoint. We are all women that come together in the hope of helping one another.
The lure of candles burning:
I like to have a candle burning on such cold, gray, dreary days. Having the scent of coffee beans and vanilla filling the air.
I drink my coffee and watch the birds out front in the bushes and out back on the patio. Easy to see from my usual perch here on the couch.
I finished reading “Promise.” Wow, what a well written book about a tornado in the south in the 1930s. I will be reviewing it soon.
What I’m reading:
Now I’m reading “Unraveling Oliver.” It is set in Ireland, a plot with various viewpoints being pontificated about a tragedy that no one saw coming.
I thought earlier in the week I was going to have to get a new camera. Seems I just get one thing paid off and something else happens. Isn’t that always the way it is? But better that than everything happening at once certainly.
But I think I may have fixed the problem I was having with my camera communicating with this computer, where I download my photos to put here.
How I fixed my camera:
I went to the Canon website and downloaded new drivers and right now things are working fine.
I surely don’t want to have to pay at least a thousand dollars for a similarly adequate camera for my needs. I’ve had this camera, a Canon EOS Rebel t2i, about 8 years.
You may remember I was protecting it instead of myself when I broke both sides of my ankle in 2012, shortly after I moved to Oklahoma. Buy hey, hard to make a decision in the seconds when you’re falling.
I hope you have a wonderful day, doing whatever it is you’re doing or plan to do. Winter will be over in a few months and I will relish being outdoors again.
It’s been a warm 77* or 78* for the past two days and we’re loving it. However, rain is coming in on Sunday and it’s due to be a lot cooler next week. We always have a freeze after the warm spell before it gets warm and stays that way. Bluebirds checking out the boxes also!
Sorry for space. Hit the wrong key and can’t fix it. I’m computer illiterate!! lol
I was thinking I was posting! lol
I was listening to talk radio tonight and the host was saying how he’s moving his elementary school kids to a new school. The new school is always in lockdown. Front doors bolted and must be buzzed in, and each classroom is locked securely. This is Georgia. Also, don’t know if you read a post I wrote about a school in Texas that arms the teachers but they are highly vetted. Have to pass multiple tests and go through 5 days of intense training. All volunteer by the way and they’ve done this for 4 years.
I was thinking about this along those lines as well. Comparing when I was a kid, and my kids were kids, to now. I was tuned in onlne yesterday to Trump and the kids, parents, teachers etc. at the “Listening Session ” and it was surreal ! On SO many levels. I took a look back at our culture since I was a kid…what was on TV then, how that changed when my boys were young ( I remember going into SHOCK when “The Simpsons” first used the word “Suck” on TV 🙂 But back then you couldn’t buy assault rifles. I don’t know when they were invented but they were under a ban. That ban was lifted or expired under G W Bush and Congress at that time. And whatever has gone wrong with society since then ….to make young men want to kill like this…is one issue. The other is making it harder to get these weapons. Why should it be easier to buy an assault rifle than to get a driver’s license ? That’s always been the common sense question to me.
The sun is shining here, today, miraculously. I’m glad because this is the first day I’m without my beloved Tavi dog. It had to happen; he wasn’t able to get well. But it feels pretty devastating, nevertheless.
I do not listen to the news or watch it on TV. as a rule. There is too much negativity and greed and hate being chronicled. Yes, everyone should have the right to express their opinion in this country, as long as it doesn’t cause harm to others or lead to harm being done. That’s my take on this gun issue. No child should have to worry about himself or his friends or teachers being shot or killed when he goes to school. Doesn’t anyone realize that this happening over and over is an extreme situation that calls for an extreme response??
I’m so sorry about your loss, that your beloved pet crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I commented back to you when you mentioned it in another comment. I was just late reading it.
I love hearing the birds sing. It was so warm I had the windows open and Annie Belle was enjoying the bird song and dance at the feeders!
Sweet Annie Belle. I’m so glad you have her.
I have robins too as well as lots of bluebirds, cardinals, mourning doves, etc. It is 80 degrees today which is a record and 30 degrees above normal. Thankfully cooler weather arrives for a few days next week. I have always noticed that when Easter arrives early, so does Spring. This year Easter is April 1st.
I agree with you that I am so glad I don’t have children in school these days. Times have changed so much for many reasons.
I wonder if “Promise” is about the devastating tornado which struck Georgia in the 30’s. Back then there were no warnings so people were caught unaware with over 100 killed.
Yes, it is! Based on that true story.
I was giving a hummingbird feeder for a birthday gift and going to cross fingers and toes that I can attract some of those beautiful creatures into my yard this spring. I’m ready for spring and to say goodbye to old man winter!
I’ve had a hard time attracting hummingbirds. I haven’t used that sweet nectar they like because I don’t want ants/rats.
we’ve had thunder and freezing rain this morning here. everything white but not with snow! but it will change over the warm weekend! and at least it is moisture. we were in severe drought again!
good days to be cozy and grateful i don’t have to be out in it!
i have only admiration for these children who are asking the adult politicians pointed and simple questions like “do you take money from the NRA?”
maybe in their search for honest answers they will do what politicians with their ‘own’ agendas have not done and continue to refuse to do after each of these blood baths.
Those poor kids. Just a week later and they’re being so brave.
My kids,now in their thirties, were witnesses to a shooting of a friend at school. One is a soon to be PhD psychologist specializing in effects of stress and the other is a lawyer — both cite the shooting as their reason for career choice.
Oh my! I’m so sorry. That trauma will never leave them.
I got excited when I saw the phrase ‘robins singing’ in your title! Soon, we will also hear singing birds. I am longing for spring and the warmer days it brings. As far as the school shootings, I truly hope someone comes up with a possible solution and then implements it. Something needs to be done now. I’m so tired of my heart breaking after each attack. Wish I could develop a taste for coffee. People seem to enjoy it so!
That’s all I want, to stop the madness for these poor teachers and children. Whatever it takes.
Ahh, spring cannot be too far away. Or so, I hope. It is beautiful here again today — 77 degrees, sunny, with just a light breeze. So easy to be fooled into thinking that all cold weather is over. We still have the rest of February and all of March to contend with. But again, warm weather should be on the not too distant horizon.
I love your blog and it is nice to read the opinions/viewpoints of others regarding an issue or multiple issues. I may not agree with a particular opinion but it is nice to read another “take” on an issue or situation. Hopefully by listening to each other “vent” or just present, we can open our minds to solutions that we might never have considered without listening to each other. Maybe our elected officials will do the same. We can keep our fingers crossed.
I’ll bet the candle and the coffee smell wonderful. I love my morning coffee but it has been years since I used a grinder (and I miss the smell of the freshly ground beans). Just ordered and received one yesterday; about to run errands and go to the grocery store where I do plan to pick up several bags of coffee beans. This weekend, I will put the grinder to good use.
Hope you have a wonderful day with your cute companions.
I don’t gave a coffee grinder. But I occasionally buy cheap coffee beans for this jar candle.
I would love to have a coffee grinder and have fresh ground coffee. I have had to have decaf or 1/2 caff coffee for years now. once in a while I do have a cup of good high octane. 8 O’clock and Folgers both have a good tasting 1/2 Caff coffee.
I have 1/2 caffeine now too. I would have 100% non-caffeine, but I can’t find flavored.
You seem pretty handy when it comes to cameras and computers!
You have to be when you use them as much as I do! I was just tempted to buy a new camera, but then I did further research. Thank goodness I did.
You’ve got the robins, and my sweetie had a bunch of red winged blackbirds at his feeders yesterday, and starlings. They are EARLY but I bet they got fooled by a couple of warm days! Poor things, they woke to snow today!
I love the robins with their songs! I’d love to see some blackbirds. I haven’t seen them since I moved here.