ZOEY AND HER TOYS

Lately there have been a number of cute cat toys

mostly on Instagram....they got me.!!!!

Historically, Zoey usually pays little or no attention to toys.

Most of these are interactive, talk or make noise, fly and

roll around...even light up!

This bird tweets and flaps its wings when touched...

Key word "touched".

Each one of these toys got an "audition."

They each got the usual 30 seconds.. never to be touched again.

That dent in the back of my sofa cushion is her favorite activity.

(watching the birds in the birdbath below).

Someday I'll get the message!!

STARLINGS, STARLINGS AND MORE STARLINGS

I am a fan of birds...most birds!

I watch them, feed them, paint them, provide water for them....

at least I try.

Starlings make it darned near impossible..

They empty my birdbath and feeders several times a day.

My birdbath is filthy and of course my hose is put away for the winter.

The Robins have to wait their turn..

They're just as bad but there are fewer of them.

Across the street waiting for me to refill the birdbath !

Hopefully they will find another place to visit soon..

Dirty Birds!!

10-11 INCHES with SINGLE DIGIT TEMPS

Do you think they used enough salt???

They started salting two days before the storm..

The driveway in the foreground is mine.

24 hours after it stopped falling our driveways and streets

were clear and dry....Good job guys!!

What you see here is all salt that hasn't been driven on!

I'm betting that this is the same squirrel who always comes

to this window to visit Zoey and before her, Mollie and Max.

They are nose to nose through the screen when the window is open.

This little bush was completely covered when it was all over.

This was only the beginning.

Zoey lost a lot of sleep today trying to keep up with

all the birdie and squirrel activity at the feeders.

I had to refill them late today...very unusual.

I guess I neglected to take any "after the storm" pictures..

It's too cold to go out!!!

You've probably seen enough through the windows.

It's going to take awhile to melt...We won't be even close to

above freezing until sometime after the middle of Feb..

Paul Clark

Matthew Palmer

The lighthouse has a bit of a shift....

I hope everyone is well and warm😊

READY TO PAINT

Now all I have to do is reclaim my chair.

I guess in reality,

 she spends more time in "my chair" than I do.

She lets me use it on weekends.

Paul Clark

Peter Sheeler

Peter Sheeler

Paul Clark

Up to date !!

2025 IN REVIEW

2025 was my anniversary of 15 years of blogging

 and relatively uneventful.

We didn't have an abundance of snow....less than 2 inches.

The average winter temperature was 29 degrees.

Mostly deer tracks...

The deer forage for corn and apples that are left for them.

Springs' average temperature was 65 degrees..

Our rainfall amounted to a little over five inches..wetter than average.

That was good  as we have been pretty dry this year..

The Finches left the flowers on this Cherry tree for almost three days.

I have been here fourteen years and have never before seen this tree

in full bloom.

   

The blossoms are stripped as they bloom. Normally there would be a carpet of white under this tree by now.

   

The deer regain their summer color.

We start to see "Little Bambis "here and there.

The defroster is removed from the birdbath.

The Bluebirds have been here all winter.

Birds begin to fill the birdhouses with nesting materials.

Especially the Wrens...

It's time for a six month service..

It's nice that they come to you!!

Zoey had company for a couple of days

while our neighbor was in the hospital.

This is Becky.

This is very hard for me emotionally because Becky looks exactly

like my Mollie who I lost 2 years ago..If not for the red collar, I 

would not know the difference in the picture..Becky is a little smaller.

This is Mollie..

This is Becky.

By this time we are well in to summer..

I spent most weekends painting watercolors.

Zoey always joins me when I'm finished for some "pets".

 We've had more than our share 

of wind storms and broken tree limbs.

       

 

The landscaping crew had its hands full keeping up with it all.

Then came the leaves!!

In late August, I started thinking about selling my car and did so in November...There's a blog post about that.

https://missymax-thisandthat.blogspot.com/2025/12/just-catch-up.html

Shortly after selling my car, I decided to get this little scooter so I could run around the neighborhood and "keep in touch."

Since these pictures were taken, it has gotten mirrors.

Another frequent activity here is the cutting and/or removal of trees.

Our trees are old and big and some are in sad shape.

The trees that were removed here were both sick and "dirty".

Not good for patios and hot tub use.

Zoey and I wish you all the happiest of New Years

and look forward to connecting with you in 2026!