Live from Lake Linganore

Warm!

2012-01-07T17:01:00.000-05:00

Mid 60s today? Not exactly wintry, ya know?

Friday the 13th- Nightmare at My House

2011-05-14T08:33:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a very unlucky day for several young robins and their parents. It turns out I had 2 nests of robins. There's the one that I have blogged here since late April, but there was another one discovered yesterday in the bushes near my electric meter.

My dog, Molly, discovered this second nest. Yeah, you can predict where this is going. The nest in the bushes was like 3 feet off the ground, and had 4 kids. I had noticed some rustling in these bushes recently, but wouldn't have guessed there was a nest. Well, Molly did... and she literally ate them out of house and home. She treated those helpless little birds as though they were squeaky toys. I managed to stop her from killing the 4th baby bird, but I had the ugly task of picking up the other 3.

In all the mayhem, the 3 kids in Nest 1 flopped out of their nest. Two of them ran off, the other I was able to put back. The 3rd bird in Nest 1 was gone this morning, so Nest 1 is officially empty.

The 4th baby, the one I "rescued", I put back into Nest 2 and relocated it to a higher spot. This picture is that bird. It did survive the night, something I didn't expect to see. I'm not optimistic that the baby will be able to survive and fly off in time because the parents seem to have left. All the parents were very aggressive during the mayhem yesterday, chirping up a storm and generally being intimidating in an attempt to protect their turf. They are around today, but I can tell there are still some very unhappy birds.

Robin's Nest - May 14

2011-05-14T08:28:00.003-04:00

The babies have left the nest. Only 12 days since hatching and all 3 kids are out, hopping and flapping around somewhere. They aren't very good at flying, and they would probably still be in the nest if there hadn't been an incident yesterday.

Robin's Nest - May 10

2011-05-10T16:34:00.001-04:00

The kids are looking good. Funny thing is that when I try to take their picture, they hear the 'click' and respond by stretching their necks up looking for food and making the softest little chirps you ever heard.

Birds Nest May 7

2011-05-07T10:37:00.001-04:00

The birds are only 5 days old (arrived May 2), but now they actually look like birds.

Birds Nest May 3

2011-05-06T23:08:00.001-04:00

All three babies were spotted a couple days ago. I'll take another photo this weekend. Hopefully their eyes will be opened by then.

Robin's Nest - May 2

2011-05-02T17:25:00.000-04:00

The babies have arrived! Two of the 3 babies have emerged, with a crack in the third egg.

Robin's Nest, April 23

2011-04-23T09:15:00.001-04:00

Managed to get a picture of mom on the nest. She flew away for a bit, and I saw 3 eggs again.

Robin's Nest, April 22

2011-04-22T21:07:00.003-04:00

Checked the nest again this evening. Just 3 eggs in the nest. Today was nasty cool and rainy, so the mama might only lay 3 eggs. I estimate seeing babies in the first week of May.

Robin's Nest, April 21

2011-04-21T16:52:00.001-04:00

I had suspected we might have a nesting going on, but now I know we do. Look, 3 eggs.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T10:16:00.001-05:00

Here's to a little light snow with big, fluffy flakes on Christmas Day 2010.

First Main Snow of the 2010-11 Season

2010-12-16T19:35:00.003-05:00

I know we had light dusting the other day, but this was our first real measurable event. 1.75 inches trumps 0.25-0.50 inch every time. The commute home wasn't even all that bad. Chalk it up to the fine salt crews.

Just What We Need...

2010-04-27T19:56:00.002-04:00

So, it looks like it is time for another
traffic law enforcement initiative ... so watch your speed out there boys & girls.

Snow on The Deck

2010-02-12T22:29:00.002-05:00

Here's a picture of my snow-buried deck. The snow is about 26 inches deep and we have 3-4 foot drifts.

Up to My Knees in Snow

2010-02-06T08:46:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple photos I took this morning. Storm total snow measurement: 20.5 inches

My House at 9:20 p.m. EST

2010-02-05T21:38:00.002-05:00

Friday, February 5, 2010 will go down in history.

Here's a picture of the snow on my backyard tree.

Do you have a snow report? Leave a comment and I'll post it!

Two Snows for the Price of One

2010-02-02T17:14:00.003-05:00

In case you haven't looked out your window, it's snowing lightly. I expect 3 inches, but don't think we'll get quite as much as Saturday (5-6 inches). Tonight's snow is just the side salad before this weekend's big snow. It appears extremely likely that Linganore will see 12 inches of snow, and we could see a repeat of what occurred back in December 2009.

Here comes the snow again...

2010-02-01T16:33:00.001-05:00

I hope Linganorians like snow, because there's more on the way. Tomorrow evening and also likely this weekend.

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-03T11:29:00.002-05:00

I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Did you know there is still snow lying around at my house from the "Big Snow"? Well, it looks like we're going to get some snow again this Friday. Of course, I'm heading out of town for a vacation, so I won't get to enjoy it.

The winter of 2009-2010 has started out very snowy. We had a light snow back in early December, followed by a light one shortly thereafter. On December 19, we got the big one, and then last week's year-end light event.

Final Tally - 16 inches

2009-12-20T16:20:00.001-05:00

Had fun shoveling snow this morning. Roads are pretty clear. Lots of sun to dry them out.

Snow total so far is 8 inches

2009-12-19T10:29:00.001-05:00

This is a picture of my patio this morning. Measured several spots around the yard... 8 inches deep and snowing moderately

Even more snow????

2009-12-18T22:12:00.000-05:00

The latest trends have led to increased snow amounts in the forecast. Nevermind 12 inches... how about 24? That could TOTALLY happen.

Winter Storm Warning

2009-12-18T16:45:00.002-05:00

This could go down as the biggest snowfall from a single storm I have ever seen first hand. My new prediction is for 12 inches. But if the 13-17" forecast verifies, that would be my "personal best". Tune in tomorrow!

Major Snowstorm Looking Likely Saturday

2009-12-17T18:57:00.002-05:00

It looks like all the weather ingredients are going to come together Saturday for a major snow storm here in the Lake Linganore community. Based on my latest analysis, I believe it will start to snow at about 6 a.m. Saturday, and snow all day and overnight into early Sunday morning, about 24 hours worth.

My preliminary snow total forecast is for 8 inches at my house.

Speed Control on Mussetter?

2009-10-06T16:10:00.003-04:00

Alcohol may be involved, but could it have been road rage? Based on what I've seen firsthand, those who understand the recent history of this segment of road are going the speed limit. The ones who don't get it tailgate, and get fed up with going 35 when they're used to going 50.

Relaying from the FNP:
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?storyID=96132

Crash injures three

Monrovia -- Alcohol is suspected in a head-on collision about 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the 5200 block of Mussetter Road, according to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office.

Three men were taken to different hospitals to be treated for injuries, although none were considered life-threatening, Cpl. Mike Easterday said.

Witnesses told deputies the collision occurred as a 2000 Ford Mustang was headed north at high speed on Mussetter Road, tried to pass on a curve at a hillcrest and crossed a double yellow line, Easterday said.

The Mustang collided with a southbound 2003 Dodge Caravan head-on, deputies said.

Deputy First Class Ben Whitehouse is investigating the crash; no charges have been filed, Easterday said.

Chance C. Siros, 25, of Ijamsville, the driver of the Mustang, and his passenger, Sean M. Donahoe, 30, of Kannapolis, N.C., had to be cut out of the car, authorities said.

Siros was flown by helicopter to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma in Baltimore. Donahoe went by ambulance to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda.

Hospital authorities could not be reached Monday for condition reports.

Steven Gerard Boie, 45, of Clarksburg, the driver of the Dodge, was taken by ambulance to Frederick Memorial Hospital.

He was released after receiving treatment, a hospital operator said Monday.

-- Kate Leckie

Mussetter Speed Check!

2009-09-25T16:45:00.002-04:00

For those who commute on Mussetter Road, the Frederick County Sheriffs are protecting and serving the county these days. Watch your speed especially during the commuting hours.

Is this why my dogs bark?

2009-09-21T15:31:00.001-04:00

I really like this picture. Chewing on the grass, eh little miss?

Storms Down Trees

2009-07-31T16:28:00.001-04:00

Various roads are blocked by downed trees due to earlier thunderstorms. Ijamsville Rd. and Boyers Mill Rd. are probably clear by now, but watch out your path may be blocked this afternoon!

The Long Overdue Triathlon Post

2009-07-13T20:35:00.002-04:00

This year, I decided to try to achieve the goal of competing in a triathlon. After searching for regional events, I targeted the Hagerstown Sprint which is a 300m swim, followed by an 11 mile bike, then a 5k run.

The pool - I hadn't done laps since swim team in high school. My breathing routine was so rusty at first.

The bike - I had to get my bike tuned up, and the training in my neighborhood is much tougher than the 11 mile course.

The run - I have jello legs after biking, so I know the 5K will be super tough!

Rain

2009-06-04T17:26:00.000-04:00

The birds don't seem to mind the rain. Feeder visitation remains high. The birdbath is full once again after the recent deluges.

Garden!

2009-06-03T17:16:00.001-04:00

So, after a vacation to the Black Hills, I had a little weed-removal to do in the garden, but it wasn't too bad. It rained last night which was good, because the soil seemed pretty hard on the surface. A fresh dose of rain is nice.

Now open at a theater near you

2009-05-27T17:35:00.002-04:00

The Mussetter Road project is complete. The new roadway is less sloped, I believe.

Groomed Dirt

2009-05-08T15:04:00.003-04:00

This is the state of the construction on Mussetter Road. Groomed dirt. I think we might be looking at another week or two before it's open. The weather hasn't cooperated lately. It looks good most of next week, though.

Our Urban Dare

2009-05-01T18:38:00.002-04:00

On April 18, The Rock Lobsters (myself and hubby) embarked on a grand adventure in DC called the Urban Dare. We had a great 3.5 hour fun-filled tour of miscellaneous statues.

Our Dare started at McFadden's near Washington Circle (Foggy Bottom Metro). Our race started fashionably late at about 12:15 p.m. or so with a list of 11 clues that sent us to various locations across the city. Thus began our worst mistake... we wasted a good 30 minutes at least using our laptop to google all the clues (which led to statues or circles) without moving. A better option would have been to just ride the Circulator over to Union Station, the first stop we figured out from the clues.

So after walking to Gandhi's statue near Dupont Circle and then over to Logan Circle to do a 3-legged race challenge, we were way behind the 8-ball. Once we got moving on the Circulator, our pace improved as we had mapped out every location and how to get there quickly.

We found our way to Gallatin's statue at the Treasury building and lucked into a bonus picture of Lafayette. We also got a bus to save us some walking over to the Art Museum where we photographed a bust of Longfellow... oh WAIT, the one they meant for us to find was way back at Dupont Circle!!!

The highlight of our day was smashing through the spelling challenge. It was a basic cipher where letters had numerical values. Nerd power!

So, we will use our lessons learned tomorrow when we compete on the Great Urban Race, a similar Amazing Race style adventure with cryptic clues and physical challenges.

The Mussetter Mess

2009-03-27T16:30:00.004-04:00

Do you commute to Montgomery County or the Beltway from New Market by using Old National Pike (MD 144) and Mussetter Road which joins with Ijamsville Road? Well, you won't be able to do that beginning on or around April 6.

According to Frederick County Government, Mussetter Road will be closed 30 days for construction, pending weather conditions of course. Good luck to the local traffic between Hyatt Rd and Royal St. Andrews, which is the segment to be worked on according to the signs that are posted on the route.

Snow no Snow

2009-01-16T19:35:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe that Frederick County cancelled school the other day, and yet there was hardly any snow whatsoever. There was way more snow in Montgomery County and they had school. A delay I could see (Carroll County, good job). A complete Snow Day? What is this... Alabama???

Frederick YMCA

2009-01-10T18:15:00.002-05:00

There was a "fire drill" at the Y today. Not sure what was going on, but in the middle of racquetball, there was announcement to leave the building. On the way out, I saw a couple firemen. No alarms were going off at the time, but they did start later. I don't know if it was a drill or something else that needed to be looked at. There were two fire engines I saw. One was out front and the other on the side street near the alley.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2009-01-01T16:19:00.001-05:00

Here's wishing everyone a happy new year 2009.

Where's the snow???

2008-12-20T18:50:00.001-05:00

Well, I was really hoping for snow on Sunday, but it's looking like not much snow is going to fall. Blah.

Winter Weather Advisory

2008-11-21T21:31:00.003-05:00

The first Winter Weather Advisory was issued this morning using the new "Commuter Impact" rule discussed here.

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FREDERICK...WESTMINSTER
649 AM EST FRI NOV 21 2008

..WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST TODAY

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON
EST TODAY.

AIDED BY COLD NORTHWEST WINDS BLOWING ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES...
SNOW SHOWERS WILL BECOME MORE NUMEROUS OVER PORTIONS OF
NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND THIS MORNING. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2
INCHES IS EXPECTED ALONG THE MASON DIXON LINE FROM FREDERICK COUNTY
EAST TO NORTHERN BALTIMORE COUNTY...WITH CLOSER TO 1 INCH FURTHER SOUTH.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE
TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED
VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

Snowy Pattern

2008-11-19T20:18:00.002-05:00

It looks like there will be more opportunities to see the white stuff over the next couple of weeks, including Thanksgiving week. Tuesday? Friday? Stay tuned. High temp today was only 35 degrees, which is very winter-like. I'd like some snow, but I have a lot of garden work to get done!

Nothing to Report Here

2008-11-18T20:46:00.002-05:00

Black billowing smoke did not invade the northeastern Germantown sky early this morning. The Rockville fire department was not called to the scene to put out a raging dark fire on the roof at the Milestone Center school construction site. Hess construction crew workers were not spotted working on the roof later in the day.

Snow flurries were a mere figment of everyone's imagination this afternoon. It was a cosmic hologram similar to CNN's ridiculous Star Wars stunt on election night.

In other news, there was not a lengthy backup on I-270 northbound, just north of the scenic overlook, between 5:15 and 6:00 p.m. this evening.

Tomatoes

2008-10-05T12:33:00.000-04:00

My tomatoes yielded very well this year. I've had so many that I take them into work. People there grab them up like crazy.

Hanna Banana

2008-09-06T13:45:00.003-04:00

Today is a great day for ducks, with Tropical Storm Hanna bringing us major rainfall. It's been raining hard now for several hours.... hard enough to scramble our satellite TV.

For more info than you could ever have time to read on Hanna, click here: Hanna

Tropical Fest

2008-09-02T19:25:00.003-04:00

The summer had been quiet in the tropics until recently. Now we have Gustav, Hanna, Ike and Josephine! The weather doesn't observe Labor Day. It's been quite dry since early August, so Hanna might be a good shot at rain locally towards the weekend.

Evening Serenade

2008-07-30T19:34:00.001-04:00

I don't know what kind of bird, or if it's birds, but every night there is a LOUD squawking chorus of animals right when I'm trying to sleep. No, it's not cicadas... I know what cicadas sound like.

Robins, Version 2.0

2008-07-05T16:54:00.001-04:00

The robin's nest from last year was so old and unoccupied, I took it down and threw it away. It was June and I figured we wouldn't get a nesting at the house like we did last year. To my surprise, there's a birds nest sitting in the other corner, under the deck. Yet another robin's nest with 4 newly hatched babies. I'm rooting for all 4 to fly out on their own. I'll try to get a picture.

Trip to Ohiopyle

2008-07-05T16:51:00.002-04:00

I went rafting on the Upper Yough in early June. It was quite the bumpy ride and I don't recommend it for anyone who's never been whitewater rafting. It was a great day to raft. Sunny skies and warm temperatures ruled the day. Water temperature was awesome, near 60 degrees and river flow was excellent. I hope to try the Gauley in West Virginia next.

Home Improvement

2008-05-21T18:26:00.002-04:00

What happens when 5 inches of rain drains into your gutters? Well, it means it's time to clear the downspouts! So, up the extension ladder I went to clear out the gutters. Unfortunately, we're still getting spill-over, so there must be leaks going on. Surely the gutters aren't clogged up again already, right?

I keep hoping for a dry stretch to take care of some outdoor tasks like spraying the patio with RoundUp and cleaning the deck. Crossing my fingers for a week of dry conditions... haha I am a Meteorologist so I should KNOW what's going to happen right?

Pongo

2008-04-25T21:51:00.001-04:00

Molly

2008-04-25T21:48:00.001-04:00

Watch Teddy Lose!

2008-03-30T12:07:00.002-04:00

Here are two movies of the Presidents' Race I shot with my digital camera last year. I got a better angle on the second one. Enjoy!

This one was shot on Teddy Roosevelt Bobblehead Night. The other presidents won on their bobblehead night, but not Teddy.

The second one was shot towards the end of the season.

Will Teddy win?

2008-03-29T19:24:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow evening, the Washington Nationals celebrate opening night at the brand new Nationals Park. Learn more about the park HERE.

The visiting team will be the Atlanta Braves, but many fans will be focused on who wins the promotional Presidents' Race in the middle of the 4th inning. Read about the history of this fun race HERE and HERE.

Given that it is opening night, and George Washington was the nation's first president, I predict that George will win tomorrow night. Who do you think will win? Who do you WANT to win? Post a comment to this thread!

Will Teddy ever win? My guess is, yes, Teddy will win a race this year. We'll see if I'm right.

Bird Report

2008-03-26T21:42:00.002-04:00

It must be mating season, because the birds are downright raucous these days. This morning, it was a chorus of multiple birds. New birds sighted at the feeder include the goldfinch, tufted titmouse, and dark-eyed junco. The sparrows, cardinals and mourning doves come often. Haven't seen much of robins at the feeder, and just the occasional blue jay.

Annoying woodpecker rat-a-tats on the house at times. There's a small hole in the siding. Hopefully that will end soon. It's not like there aren't enough trees around here... HELLO!

The daffodils and tulips are coming up, and garlic is shooting up from the garden. It won't be long before I'll be mowing the lawn.

Saturday's Storm

2008-03-12T22:29:00.002-04:00

For those wondering what happened last Saturday, March 8, a severe thunderstorm raked through Frederick County. I was in downtown Frederick coming from the YMCA that afternoon, and saw very small hail (bb to pea size) and one cloud-to-ground lightning strike. It was very gusty. On MD 144 (Old National Pike) near Terra Firma Road, I saw a cop car sitting in the westbound right lane where a tree had fallen, blocking that lane.

Also, on my way to work on Sunday morning, I saw a line crew working on Ijamsville Road near MD 80. The FNP has written a few stories on it. There were numerous power outages.

New Market, MD Wind Damage
Mount Airy Horse Farm Wind Damage

The Bag Bill Sponsors

2008-03-07T11:40:00.005-05:00

Below is the list of bill sponsors for the ridiculous plastic bag bill. Take note of the names.

Delegates Schuler, Barnes, Barve, Beidle, Bromwell, Cardin, DeBoy, Dumais, Gilchrist, Guzzone, Hecht, Hucker, Ivey, Krysiak, Kullen, Lafferty, Morhaim, Olszewski, Ramirez, and Walker

Hecht is the District 3A House Delegate (Frederick County).

Bill 967
House of Delegates

Don't Ban Plastic Bags!

2008-03-06T18:29:00.002-05:00

The Maryland legislature was supposed to debate a bill today that would ban the use of plastic shopping bags. The bill would require stores to use only paper or reusable bags. Stores giving out plastic bags could be fined $100. I don't know about you, but those plastic bags ARE reusable!!!

Plastic shopping bags are perfect for bathroom trash cans and picking up dog poop. This bill never made it to a vote on the main floor last year, so here's hoping that it dies in committee again this year. And if it makes it to the main floor, I hope it is RESOUNDINGLY voted down.

Power Outage

2008-03-01T06:20:00.001-05:00

Last night, the power went out at about 8 pm. Darn, that means I didn't get to watch the second TPIR Million Dollar Spectacular! Oh well. Anyway, I called a friend who looked up Allegheny Power's website, and over 900 customers in New Market lost power. I also knew it was pretty extensive by looking around the neighborhood.

Based on my clocks this morning, the power was restored about 12:30 AM. I know there had been line work along National Pike in recent weeks, so I'm wondering if this was related to that. Weather wasn't particularly bad... just a bit breezy. Maybe one of the newer connections broke loose?

Picture Time

2008-02-19T13:05:00.007-05:00

I've decided to photograph birds that visit as much as possible. Earlier today, I saw two mourning doves. I'm hoping to create a catalog.

Deer!

2008-02-17T19:06:00.002-05:00

I just had a great vacation that included skiing at Seven Springs Resort in Pennsylvania. All good things must eventually end, which meant going back to work. I was greeted to a field of deer close to the house. Work is busy as usual.

I find the political prelims interesting and entertaining. As usual, the Democrats and Republican get first rate billing, while viable third parties such as Green and Libertarian get fringe treatment. I don't like any of the "candidates".

Snow returns

2008-01-18T20:14:00.000-05:00

Snow returned to the region yesterday. Four inches at the house. Very wet, and a good bit of it melted in the sun today. Frederick was in the 40s today despite the snow. 45 was the high today in New Market.

Lazy Blogger

2008-01-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's pathetic that I haven't posted anything since the new year. So, I'll try to make my first post of 2008 a fun one. The commute to work has been rather uneventful with only one exception... deer. Deer are pretty common at 3:30 in the morning, so watch out if you drive curvy, hilly streets. One morning, I saw about 10 deer grazing within a half mile of the house, in between two houses on a grassy knoll.

Another interesting tidbit, is the traffic at 3:30 in the morning is practically non-existent. Don't get caught off guard by the Saturday morning folks returning from their Friday nights out.

If we ever get snow or wind damage again, I'll post that.

Rain, Fog

2007-12-29T10:16:00.000-05:00

Thanks to a nice blast of rainfall last night, there was plenty of fog in Frederick County this morning. I managed to spot what appeared to be a fox on the way into work this morning. The fog was less impressive in Montgomery County. I also spotted a group of deer along the ride.

All in all, a pretty typical Saturday morning!

Windy!

2007-12-17T11:15:00.001-05:00

This is what gusty winds can do. Snow has been gone for several days now.
No snow from the Noreaster.

Snow total

2007-12-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

The snow total from the storm was 4.5". The deepest snow pile is at the corner signpost, where the snow plow created about a foot-high pile.

First Snowfall

2007-12-05T10:36:00.000-05:00

The dogs are enjoying the snow this morning. This is the front yard at the house...

I took this picture earlier today. We have a fresh coating of snow, and the garden is covered.

Flurries!

2007-12-03T21:33:00.000-05:00

Flurries fell at the house this evening, the first snow spotted of the Fall. I'm expecting another round of snow this Wednesday. A light dusting seems pretty likely, maybe an inch. It seems early for a Clipper system, but maybe I feel that way because it was 68, warm and sunny not that long ago.

Ending the blog?

2007-12-03T13:34:00.001-05:00

I haven't gotten any new readership, so should I end this blog or promote it more?

2 Dogs, a Pig, and an Orchard Store

2007-11-20T15:38:00.000-05:00

Today, I drove down to Butlers Orchard to pick up a pumpkin. Since the dog park is on the way, I decided to bring the dogs with me. On my way down there, I encountered a PIG wandering outside its enclosure. I thought I'd seen it all, but a PIG?!?

The Big Woods bridge is still not finished. If they keep working on it, I think it will be done by mid-December.

The dogs enjoyed running around the dog park.

Got Deer?

2007-11-17T20:32:00.000-05:00

Just in case you didn't know this already by reading previous entries, deer are a common site on my commuting route. Today, I was coming home between 5 and 5:30pm, and I saw about a dozen dear just south of the intersection of MD 144 and Musseter Road. Five of them were hanging out on the street. I'm glad that deers' eyes are so reflective. It makes them pretty easy to spot. Also, they run off the road pretty readily when they see cars. Thank goodness they don't run TOWARDS cars!

Slowasmolasses

2007-11-16T22:41:00.000-05:00

I can't stand it when people think it's their personal duty to travel 10 mph under the flow of traffic, providing an obstruction that all must navigate around and pass. UGH!

Muddy

2007-11-12T22:27:00.000-05:00

After the recent rain, the mud is sticking to the tiller when I run it.

Doe, a deer...

2007-11-10T14:54:00.001-05:00

Yet another deer spotted today along Boyers Mill. It leapt over the fence that contains the cows. Non-descript day with light rain, drizzle, low clouds... really blah.

Today's Commute

2007-11-09T11:15:00.000-05:00

It was back to the normal commuting route today. I got to see the RR crossing in daylight, and there were piles of rocks and those huge railroad ties. Not sure if they're done or if they've even really started.

Gotta give a shout-out to the trash truck driver who allowed me through. That was awesome to see. A black cat with white lower legs was roaming around near the main entrance gazebo. If it were mine, I'd call it "Boots". It also had a little white on its face. Nice looking cat.

Very light traffic today, and even with the light rain, no problems. The only backup was on MD 80 near MD 355 (Urbana Pike) where the road widening project is still underway. The traffic light took several cycles, but nothing horrendous. I heard a radio report that an accident occurred there as I approached the office.

Today's Route

2007-11-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

My usual commuting route will be unavailable since RR track work is being done near the intersection of Ijamsville Road and Musseter Road. So, I decided to take MD 75 instead. But first, let's start at the house.

I left the house about 8:30 this morning. It was quite frosty, so I used my car starter before stepping into the vehicle. Pongo was apparently amused by the smell of his frosty gift pile, but we digress. I had forgotten to pick up the yard waste can from yesterday, so I'll have to put that on my to-do list this evening.

Up the street at the gazebo near the trail entrance, a dozen or so parents and kids await the school bus, which for some strange reason, stops at the end of a narrow street to the east, then has to make a painfully slow turn to go down to the gazebo and its nice HUGE parking area. This doesn't make much sense to me. Why is there a school bus that late any way? What time does school start, 9 am?

Down to Boyers Mill Road, and a young buck bounds from west to east across the street. That little spot could be dangerous as he was hidden from my view until the last second, and did I mention he was bounding?

Since I chose MD 75 today, I had to go all the way into town (New Market) on Old National Pike (MD 144). A jogger with 2 dogs and a school bus about to pull out from dropping off kids made it pretty interesting. It was pretty slow going through Monrovia, but once the huge moving trailer (for construction equipment?) turned left, I was moving nicely. An interesting little area is near the Green Valley Vet Center... there's some sort of animal farm with what looked like an ostrich. Now horses and cows are pretty typical along this route.

Everything was honky dory all the way to MD 355, with a poor little dead fox on the way. A quick little jaunt on MD 109 to get on I-270 and I was back up to speed. Nice flow to the traffic, fairly light although it was a bit after 9 by this point.

From there to the office, just typical navigating. I was hoping for a parking spot at the front side of the bldg today to avoid the construction and the new speed bumps, but like I said, it's after 9, so I get an okay spot on the sunny side. My car will be nice and warm when I go to lunch.

Sunday drivers

2007-11-03T12:46:00.001-04:00

Ever get caught behind someone taking their sweet time, and of course, it happens when you're running a bit behind? Well, I was joking the other day about how I do a daily commuting blog. Now, I don't commute every day obviously, but maybe that would be fun.

I could do a daily roll call for animals. I frequently see deer on my commute. Sometimes, they're standing in the road, but mostly, right next to the road on the edges of the meadows.

Or, if I happen to come to a complete stop and watch the MediVac land, which happened on Fri, Oct 12.

Anyway, we'll see how this blogging project goes.

Molly, the dumb dog

2007-09-17T13:42:00.000-04:00

Molly likes to go after flying insects of all kinds. Butterflies and moths like to hang out around the flowers around the house. Molly tries to capture them. This is all fine and dandy if it were just butterflies and moths. It's also a bunch of bees and wasps!

You'd think she would stop after getting stung. Either the bees aren't stinging her or she's the stupidest dog ever because she keeps going after the bumblebees! I keep yelling "Molly you don't want THAT one!!!".

Today's cool event was watching 2 hawks (I think) flying towards the lake. I kept hearing a loud squealing noise, and noticed one of the birds had a small animal in its talons.. Couldn't tell if it was a rabbit, squirrel or something similarly small in size.

Flossie and Dean

2007-08-13T21:44:00.000-04:00

Hurricanes Flossie in the Pacific and soon-to-be-named Dean in the Atlantic are sure to keep everybody busy at the office, including myself.

It's been a while since I blogged. It's not on my daily to-do list, I guess. I still have to take some pics of the gardens around the house. Had a couple of inches of rain recently, and wouldn't mind some more to water the corn.

Woof!

2007-07-23T16:12:00.000-04:00

The dogs have figured out the yard and are really enjoying running around now. Pongo actually is down 5 pounds since his previous weigh in back in May. Haven't had the "Squirrel Test" yet, but they have passed the "Walking Dog Test".

I transferred the corn over to the garden on the south side of the house. All of them are looking good. Hopefully, they will get taller and produce real corn this time. I didn't get much of anything last time.

The tomatoes are producing now. Have 4 tomatoes so far. These tomatoes are bigger than I thought they'd be. Sort of like huge grapes.

Fence Progress

2007-07-12T19:17:00.000-04:00

After seeing the dogs display shyness during Week 1 of "Correction Training", they seem to have recovered to understanding that only the flags are bad, not the whole yard. It's good to see them enjoying the yard to its fullest. Hopefully, they won't get shy again.

Meanwhile, the robins have flown the coop. And every time I fill the bird feeder, my "guests" empty it out in like one day. I actually saw a hummingbird the other morning at the other feeder out front. Maybe its time to refresh with fresh sweet water.

Only One Left

2007-07-05T08:40:00.000-04:00

The dogs got a hold of another youngster yesterday. It flew towards the nest and landed on the patio. I tried to grab Molly to keep her from attacking, but wasn't able to get her in time. Pongo grabbed the bird too, so now only one young robin is left. Hopefully, it will be able to stay alive.

I can only do so much to keep my dogs away. Molly has that killer instinct in her when it comes to small animals like birds, rabbits, squirrels, etc. I was fairly surprised that Pongo joined in.

The dogs have begun to figure out the fence. They are close to being ready for off-leash supervision. To this point, I've let them run with leash attached just in case they did something. I just hope they learn to enjoy the yard without getting the correction. It's an Invisible Fence.

Baby Robins

2007-07-02T11:21:00.000-04:00

There were four baby robins in the nest, and two are dead. The two left appeared healthy and ready to fly soon. These are the quietest baby birds EVER. I expect plentiful chirping, but I rarely hear them at all.

Baby Bird Update 2

2007-06-27T16:27:00.000-04:00

The eyes have opened, but I only saw 3 heads this afternoon. I'll check again later for four.

Molly & Pongo's Great Adventure - Part 2

2007-06-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

So, I go to Pep Boys and they say I'm looking at 1.5-2 hours before being ready. It's about 5:00 pm, so it's looking like 6:30 - 7:00. I decide to walk the dogs over to the Pet Smart. We go waste about 1.5 hours over there, and then return to Pep Boys. I was able to watch my car getting serviced.

So, 7:15 rolls around, and I'm paying for the work on the car, but I have a softball game in Gaithersburg at 8:15pm. If I go back home to drop off the dogs, I miss all of game 1. So, I decide to grab some snacks at the gas station (trail mix rocks!) and drive down to the park with dogs in tow.

The games went well (we won both!), and the dogs behaved just great. They were beat from all the excitement, so not much energy left. I ended up getting home just past 11:00pm.

Did I mention I didn't get to sleep until about 10 til midnight and woke up this morning at 4:30 am? Ah yes, thank God the pets cooperated this morning.

Molly & Pongo's Great Adventure

2007-06-27T10:11:00.001-04:00

Ever have one of those days? Yesterday was one for me. It all started when my foot started itching overnight, and I got woken up again by a ringing phone on my day off. So, I'm up early and not feeling well-rested.

A comical series of errors then unfolded. Hubby and I were going to drive separate cars to the office parking lot and then I drop him off at the Metro. Well, we dilly-dallied our way through lunch and ended up rushing. We ended up in one car. Oh, and the dogs came with us. I wanted to take the pups to the Ridge Road Dog Park after dropping him off.

So, everything is honky dory until I get to the park. That's when I notice a hissing noise on my back left tire. It's a jagged metal loop sticking into the rubber... a FLAT! So, here it is mid 90s with dewpoints near 70 and I have two dogs and a flat tire. So, I put the dogs inside the dog park fence so they don't get super hot while I try to take care of the tire.

I get the jack out and the donut tire and the piece you put into the edge of the jack to get it to go up/down is missing. I end up trying a small screwdriver. I got it high enough to get the flat off, but not high enough to put the donut on. I end up calling roadside assistance. So, I go inside the park to wait with the dogs and play with them, resuming my original plan. Might as well try to salvage the trip and get the dogs running around.

After about an hour, the donut's on the car and I need to find a place to patch the flat. I can't commute around here on a donut (50 mph limit). I end up going to Pep Boys.

Baby Bird Update

2007-06-26T10:55:00.000-04:00

I saw some heads reaching over the edge of the nest, but still no eyes opened. I don't hear much peeping yet either. Surely these little guys will be making noise by the end of the week.

Invisible Fence

2007-06-25T20:58:00.000-04:00

We have started training the dogs on the Invisible Fence. Hopefully in about a month or so, we can just let them out in the morning and go do their business. It will be nice for the dogs to be able to run around in the yard. We just have to teach them to respect the boundary.

Bird Watching, Part 2

2007-06-23T19:19:00.000-04:00

A quick update to the earlier post... add chickadees and mourning doves. Also, 4 heads in the robin's nest. One baby was reaching up with its head. Very cute. I'll try to get a photo.

Bird Watching

2007-06-23T18:14:00.000-04:00

So, it's time to start logging the avian visitors to the feeder and the birdbath at the house. We have bluejays, cardinals, robins, sparrows. The robin's nest is still nestled under the deck. I'll have to confirm eggs in there, but I'm pretty sure there are some.

What's a Blog?

2007-06-17T18:43:00.000-04:00

What exactly is a blog again? It's supposed to be a web log, a diary if you will. I can pretty much say whatever the heck I want here... or can I? Does anybody read this crap? I mean really, it's not like I advertise it or anything. You'd have to stumble over yourselves to find it, unless you came here to read from the Sunflake page, which is linked from a couple other spots from my GFK days. But seriously, folks, if you're reading this then you probably need a life. The fact that I'm TYPING this obviously shows I have no life. So let's get real and go do something, already!

Don't Bother

2007-06-14T22:06:00.000-04:00

I have two fantasy baseball teams and they both stink. I say, don't bother playing fantasy baseball because it never pans out the way you think it will.

I Burnt My Face In San Francisco

2007-06-06T21:44:00.000-04:00

Okay, I didn't exactly get a total sunburn, but my arms, cheekbones and nose got a little pink during my weekend extravaganza in San Fran. Some peelage on the arms, but nothing too itchy or painful.

Life gets funky

2007-05-29T11:21:00.000-04:00

What a great time it was to have my parents come up to the house and hang out for Memorial Day. The neighbors are really nice... we all sat around and had picnic food (watermelon!). It seemed like everyone brought their dog, so we joined the party by allowing Molly and Pongo to socialize. The kids started running through the sprinkler in a classic display of summer fun.

On the funky side, I got a nasty blister on my foot. Hopefully everything will be healing nice by the time I get to San Fran this weekend. I'm going to see my sister and enjoy a vacation for 5 days.

Love it

2007-05-26T17:24:00.001-04:00

The house is really great. The yard is mowed and some flowers are planted. Bird feeders and bird bath are getting regular visits. I have some corn seeds and some flower seeds that I need to plant soon. Inside, we got a new range and some new furniture. All that's left is hanging up pictures and plaques.

Time for the Garden

2007-05-20T20:39:00.000-04:00

So, it's time to take a trip to the nearby gardening store and try to spruce up some of the landscaping around the new home. In particular, I'd like to attempt a small garden this year, primarily aiming to try small tomatoes. Sweet Million is the variety I grew very successfully in Grand Forks the past couple years, both in pots and in the beds. I have a little space that would work for a bed, and I still have my planters as well.

There's a tree stump in the front yard that I'd like to disguise with flowers such as marigolds, pansies and perhaps geraniums

Comcast, get your act together!

2007-05-13T14:33:00.000-04:00

It's a tragicomedy of errors as we try to settle into the new house. The chief culprit in the misery is Comcast's craptastic internet service. One week, a new modem, and still no internet connectivity. The monkeys in the various departments really need to converse with each other to resolve things like erroneous account codes. Seriously, how can you download their internet software one minute, yet not sync the modem the next?

Pick a Horse

2007-05-05T17:58:00.000-04:00

The Kentucky Derby is about to get underway, which means it's time for my yearly wild guess. I know nothing about horse racing, so I usually pick interesting names or horses with odds between 10 and 20-1, or based on how good the jockey's uniform is. Real scientific, huh? Well, before you laugh too hard, let's see how well I do this year.

1 - Storm In May (26-1) ... can't help but go with horse named after weather!
2 - Cowtown Cat (20-1)... meow!
3 - Scat Daddy (7-1)... a cool name and nifty colors.
4- Any Given Saturday (13-1)... a tribute to successful underdog teams.

Reunited and it feels so good....

2007-05-04T19:35:00.000-04:00

Steve (my husband) is finally making his way to Maryland permanently. He's visited a few times since I left Grand Forks in January '07, but it will be so great to be back together, living in our new house.

House

2007-04-29T18:13:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, I get to sign all the papers associated with closing a house purchase. I have lived in Maryland since mid-January in an apartment, so it will be awesome to live in a house once again.

Green & Orange Pie

2007-04-27T22:13:00.000-04:00

After mulling over the name of my new blog, I have decided to go with "Green & Orange Pie". For those who are Trivial Pursuit buffs, you know that Green is "Science & Nature" and Orange is "Sports & Leisure". This sums up my life and interests quite well.

Thanks for reading!