Monthly Archives: February 2013

Kansas City’s Winter Wonderland

Posted on by annandmeg

With his thick fur coat, Casey rejoices as he runs through the 10 inch of newly fallen snow, only briefly impeding our snow removal efforts.  Later that day we had an additional two inches of snow.

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Businesses, churches, banks and government agencies closed.  We dug out of the first snow and wham, Monday evening the snows began again.  Terry and I measured another 7 inches of snow on top of the original snow that had “compressed” but not melted.

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Churches, businesses, government agencies and banks closed again, or limited their hours/personnel.

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As Kansas City again dug out of the snow, there was lots of opportunity to walk through our neighborhood to really experience the beauty of the snow.

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Have a safe and beautiful day.

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What issues matter to you? Please take our quick survey!

Posted on by annandmeg

Now that the craziness of election season is over, politicians and constituents alike are getting back into the swing of the “real world.” Of course, that doesn’t mean the politicking comes to an end. With all of the issues facing our nation, I’m curious, what issues are most important to you?

Don’t worry, we’re not trying to conduct an official poll or gain information for any person or organization. We just want to know what our friends and family think and what issues we might explore as possible blog posts in the future.

The Sea

Posted on by annandmeg

The sea was calm as I watched this motor cruiser head North in the waters of the Atlantic.  What a great way to start the day.  But with severe storms causing havoc in the Northeast, it was easy to see the fragile balance between the beauty of the sea and the perils that it can present.  While better equipped than an ancient fishing boat to weather a storm, this more sophisticated boat is still just a speck on the surface of the ocean.

As I publish this post, the Mid-West is being pounded with its own winter storm. We sit at home, grateful we are not in the storm and reminded how quickly weather can turn.

I am reminded of the Irish Fisherman’s Prayer:

Dear Lord, be good to me

The sea is so wide

And my boat is so small.
DSC_0103If you are in the path of today’s storm, I hope you are warm, safe, and surrounded by those you love.

“But…everyone is going to think we live on a farm!”

Posted on by annandmeg

Jake and I live on the east side of Petaluma. Typically, I think of the east side as being more “suburban” and boring. There’s not as much character, it’s mostly residential, and there really isn’t much for people to do over here besides go to the grocery store, the park, or go for a run along the outer running/walking path. However, one of my favorite things about being where we live is that we’re just a few minutes walk to the edge of town, which means open spaces and beautiful views.

For Valentine’s Day this year, I decided I wanted to be in charge of our plans. The result was a yummy picnic for two, set up on the hill about a 10-min. walk from our house. It was perfect. The weather was gorgeous, the sun shining, nearly 70 degrees, and we got to our spot in plenty of time to have our picnic and do some people-watching before sunset. Naturally, I took my camera along.

While these pictures are not as magnificent of my shots of the coastline, they give you a very good sense of why I love living close to the edge of this side of town. When I showed Jake the two pictures I was going to use for this post, his response was, “but…everyone is going to think we live on a farm!” Well, I assure you, we don’t live on a farm, but the cows are a nice touch!

We had our picnic here, looking west towards our neighborhood. If you look closely, you can see the houses back behind the tree. This is right at the edge of town.

We had our picnic here, looking west towards our neighborhood. If you look closely, you can see the houses back behind the tree. This is right at the edge of town.

This is right along the fence line at the east edge of town, about 30 feet from our picnic. My favorite running path goes right along the fence for about a half mile before meeting back with the walking path.

This is right along the fence line at the east edge of town, about 30 feet from our picnic. My favorite running path goes right along the fence for about a half mile before meeting back with the walking path.

Hope you all had a wonderful and happy Valentine’s Day!

Another visit to Bodega Bay…my favorite place to watch the sunset

Posted on by annandmeg

Life is pretty amazing here in California. Sure, there are the same stressors and time-consumers here as there are anywhere else, but the beauty of living in California is in enjoying the outdoors and natural wonders of the region. I love exploring this place, finding all the nooks and crannies that don’t show up on the “Top 10 Things to Do” list, and discovering what it is that gives this area the pulse of life that it exudes. While I’ve discovered many a nook, I have also found that some of the most amazing places are those visited by both local and tourist alike. In this case, I point to Bodega Bay and the Bodega Headlands as a perfect example of both locally and “touristically” admired beauty, where I frequently go to find peace and revel at the unmatched awe of the ocean.

You all know I love to take pictures of the ocean, and especially of sunset. Here, I’m trying a few newly discovered features on my E-PL1, including “pop art” and “diorama.” Enjoy.

Looking north along the coast, from the north side of the trailhead.

Looking north along the coast, from the north side of the trailhead.

Looking south along the coast, toward the Bodega Head parking lot and whale watching area.

Looking south along the coast, toward the Bodega Head parking lot and whale watching area.

The land of egrets and northern shovelers

Posted on by annandmeg

I went for a walk around the Novato Marsh last week with my good friend David. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and there were birds all around. There were northern shovelers, red tailed hawks in the air, and an egret perched on a slim strip of grass above the water.

With the water reflecting the beautiful clouds above, the northern shoveler swims along with his friends.

With the water reflecting the beautiful clouds above, the northern shoveler navigates his way to his friends.

An egret enjoys a walk in the grass at Novato Marsh.

An egret enjoys a walk in the grass at Novato Marsh.