Grackels in the grass, alas!

We came home the other day and there was a horrendous sound coming from the trees around our house, a truly awful sound and the trees were full of birds that looked like this, we got out the binocs and looked. I didn't take this picture, though, I found it on the web. Anyway, we got out the trusty field guide and looked it up. As soon as we saw the name we knew what it was, it sounds just like the name GRACKEL!

Springtime in the rockies

Hopefully in a few weeks that dead tree will be gone. It looks picturesque and all, but mostly it looks like a matchstick to me.

Candidate for School Board

I decided a while ago that I should put my name on the ballot for the next school board election at Ashland Public School. We live in the district and for the first time in a while neither one of us is employed there. Since the election is coming up soon, on May 8th, I put a few flyers up around town announcing that I was in the running, and I just finished sending off some emails to the local newspapers to place an ad in the two newspapers that serve the two counties that make up our elementary school district. I think that there is someone else running for the one open seat, so I'll let you know on May 9th how things turned out.

55!

I finally got to open my birthday presents from my husband when we got back from a visit in Billings. Dad cooked us a great birthday dinner and we had Birthday Blackberry Pie and sang "Happy Birthday to Me!" Anyway, when I opened my presents, I knew immediatly why he picked them out for me. This is one of a pair of shiny aluminium bookends with my name all over it, my initials at any rate. I just was wondering though, how many people are there with my initials?

Spring Spruce Up

We wandered into Miles City yesterday to get some information about what we can do to "upgrade" our house. First we stopped by the local heating place to find out if we can put in a new heater and central air conditioner. The guy who does the work was out on call yesterday, so he's going to call this morning to get some information from us so he can make an estimate. Then we went to a couple of lumber stores to price new windows, no point in getting a new heater/cooler if we're going to loose all the inside air to the great outdoors, right? Then if we can afford it, we might improve the roof, maybe just an inspection and repairs if needed.
Retirement is closer with every year, so we're thinking to get the house in shape while we still have paychecks coming in.

Speaking of retirement, we're taking off for Billings today to visit and to celebrate my 55th birthday tomorrow. What does that have to do with retirement? Well, now that I am getting closer to retirement, the next time things at work get too stressed out. . . I may be able to relax and tell myself, "I don't have to do this! I could retire!"