April Showers - Snow Showers That is!!

Okay, so we thought we were going to be done with Winter, but then this is Wisconsin, so no, there has to be one last blast (or so we hope). This stuff came down fast, wet and heavy. I refused to shovel knowing it cannot last too long and I think it weighed in about the same as granite so I was not about to break my back nor snow thrower on it. Besides it will melt. Officially Waukesha got 7" of this mealy, wet stuff.

Here is the back yard, about 9:30 am. doesn't look too bad and in fact it still was not sticking to the streets.



However a couple hours later, it was a whole different story. Notice there are not little tufts of grass poking through any more.



This is not out of focus. But I focused on the patio door screen to show you how wet this was. The speckles are all water droplets that accumulated as the snow fell. They are not snow flakes on the screen. It was just cold enough for the snow to hold together except in some places like when it hit the screen where the "flakes" immediately turned to water droplets.



This is out front on Friday before 10:00 am. You can see the street is very wet, in less than two hours the street will be covered over with a thick, wet ankle deep slush.


And today, Friday, you can see my front walk is nearly dry. Because our house faces North the part closest to the house is more shaded and there is still snow melting. My steps are still snow covered, but you can tell the street is dry and the front sidewalk is dry, but the snow still lingers where it gets less sun as you can see the snow still melting on the walk up to the house and the closer you get the remnants of Wednesday's storm. You can also see that the snow on the green parts has not yet melted away on either side of the street.

Hopefully it will all be soon and it will be the last we see until next winter. But then again, maybe not, I still remember the May 10th snow of 1990. Similar in consistency but deeper.

Happy Easter!!

Even as far away as Kuwait, Matthew did not forget. The flowers below are from him.

St. Patrick's Day, 2007

We had our annual St. Patrick's Day gathering on ST. Patrick's Day this year, as if fell on a Saturday. Although the house was full we missed some of the key players. None of our Kids were there, all being either far or far, far away. Also some important friends were missing too. So for those of you who could not be here we did have a toast to family & friends who were missing. how ever, we still managed to have a great time. Below are some pictures from the event.

Funnest moment of the evening is seen in the last picture. Take a close look at the martini Berniece is drinking


Kyle, Danielle, Kelly & Berniece

Joyce, Frank, Karen (Bob was called in to work) and Steve.

Chris coming to the table.

A picture Chris took to prove I was there.

It was an itsy bitsy teeny, weeny Martini that she drank!

Funny About Film

It seems funny that as much as I like taking pictures, getting film into the store and picked up again was not the timeliest activity. Digital makes sharing so much quicker. We just picked up a roll of film this week; pictures from last summer to the first nasty snow fall in early winter. Here are some of the best from the roll:

Below is the new face of our library. We have expanded it a couple times since we first moved to Waukesha. It started out as an original Carnegie library, the core is still there along with some very modern updates.

This is a shot of part of Waukesha's downtown area. There are some interesting shops here and a pleasant way to spend some time, especially at the gellato shop.

This is another view of Waukesha's downtown area.

Chris has fun with Halloween. You can see our decorations, the little witch in the back lights up and we have a smoke machine we operate when the kids come to the door. You can see our "family member in the service" flag hanging in the window too.

Here is what is left of a trick or treater that was annoying. It actually did scare a couple of the kids.

Here is a shot without flash and I did not use a tripod either. I think it makes it kind of spooky.

And another night shot of the whole front.

Here is Chris and Joyce in Joyce's kitchen. She got a new window, which you can't see, but it was a great joy to her and looked great, it went along with her new siding.

This is me and Joyce in her dining room. The three of us had an enjoyable evening, or five of us if you count Joyce's cats.

Last on this roll of film were pictures of (for those of you who live in the desert)

SNOW

Goldfield, AZ

Only a few minutes from our home in Mesa is Goldfield, AZ an old gold town that is now a tourist attraction. Here are just some general shots up and down the main drag of the town.

Bob & Ann's

Just got this picture in the mail from Ann. Here are the three intrepid travelers, who braved the fierce Rocky Mountain winter to visit Bob & Ann in Loveland, CO. Quite comfortable in their new living room and enjoying a bit of the grape, which was good but not as good as the company we were keeping.

Matt In The Sand (Again? No, before!)

Matt & Jane enjoying the desert heat.




And here is Matt prowling around on a search.



Even in 1995 Matt knew Osama was out in the desert. Here is is checking a possible hideout!

More Vacation HIghlights

Museum Time with Matt & Kelly

In the Heard Museum Courtyard


Admiring some of the sculpture found here.

Enjoying a little sit down by the Heard's garden pond.

I am not sure if it was that the menu was too short or the choices typical museum food, but Matt did study the menu quite at length. Maybe he was just looking for a camel burger?

Sometimes Chris takes the pictures. I think it is just to prove I went along or because we had placed our order and were waiting for it to arrive and she was bored. But the food was actually up pretty quickly, it was not a long wait.

We also stoppped in at the MESA SW Museum where they have dinosaurs and caves to wander into.

Going to the Arizona Renaissance Faire

Just SW of Phoenix they have their annual Renaissance Faire. This was their 19th year.
Here is one of the princesses that you find roaming about the grounds.

Fair going is hard work and here we are taking a little break for lunch and a cool drink.

Below we see Chris and Jane choosing their ride home. They eventually gave up and when we left it was by way of our F-150.

Jane is finishing up a transaction as Chris is coming over to catch up with me.

Below is a rack of scarves. The bright color was so representative of the spirit fun of entire day.
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Loveland

Okay, to pacify a certain whiner (or is that wino) here are some pics from the Rockies. But we had a terrific visit and found that it might be worth going back - if the snow ever melts there. But the local winery was open so we stopped there. They actually make some pretty good wine right there in Colorado.
This is Bob's favorite store. However it is in Fort Collins, not Loveland

Not that we did not think Bob was clever, he did manage to get into the local business section of the paper with his new souvenir idea. A really neat I Love Loveland logo for buttons and shirts that no one had thought of before. He is the proud owner of the copyright to this logo!

And here is Bob with one of his logo T-shirts. We are at breakfast and not only then but throughout the day people stopped Bob and told him they had seen the article in the paper and it was a realy neat T-shirt.

Of course there was wine involved. Good wine too!

An unusual shot as I am mostly behind the lens. Yes I have more than one tripod, none with me at the time including a really neat "Gorilla Pod" Mel gave me.

March 1, 2007 - Great (:( Weather

This is the morning of March 1, 2007. The first two pictures are the back yard. We cleared the snow shortly after this, although one picture shows Chris out with the shovel just before I started the snow thrower. The forecast says this is about to turn to rain for the rest of the day. What a wonderful day for the beginning of March. And one of these days I will get some of the vacation pictures on but this just seemed to take precedence.

too much to do to little time

So I have hundreds of pictures from vacation. I also have a very special one I need to get posted.
But as a little teaser, I think this was Chris' favorite stop on the trip, except for getting to see all our family and friends.

Vacation

Right now we are still on vacation and I do not have the software I need to get the pictures we have been taking on the blog yet, but after we get home I will make an effort to get some of the highlights posted.

So far we have been very busy visiting, it has been fun, if exhausting.

Who are they, where are they and what year?

Okay, after several excellent guesses it is Gabe & Madelyn with Chris and Rosemary, taken in 1952 (Rose is not quite a year old), and the location is the backyard of their grandparent's Ernest backyard on W. Hazeltine in Kenmore, NY.