90: Frozen on the Solstice

(A message from M.)

The real sledding hill is officially open, as I discovered this morning when I looked out at the pond and found that M had written a short message in the snow almost in the middle of the pond.

You can see the pathway he shoveled in this wider view of the pond.  It didn’t take long, after seeing the message, for M the Younger, Merdi, and I to bundle up and go outside to try out the hill and see how far we could get on the pond.  I went for my walk first so only managed one run down the hill.  I was too tired to walk back up the hill again.  Lazy me.

(Looking down the sledding hill.)

In my defense, even though the snow has packed down a bit since it originally landed and accumulated, it’s still a workout taking a walk around the pond.  By the time I’d been to the woods and back, I’d worked up quite a sweat.  We were all pretty warm as the temperature today was in the mid-30’s.

(Draped.)

There were a lot of birds back in the woods.  I think that’s because the creek is the only open and running water now.  There were plenty of animal tracks back that way, too.  I was able to identify the raccoon, the deer, and the cat tracks.

(Today’s view of the creek.)

Yesterday’s trip to Cleveland was fun.  We took a quick trip to the West Side Market and then went to the Rock Hall.  We spent so much time at the Rock Hall that we didn’t have time for anything else since we had to be back home in time for M the Younger and Merdi to welcome their friends who came over to spend time with them and have dinner at our house.

(Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.)

Our home was filled with laughter and chatter last night as the young (compared to us) ones caught up with each other in terms of what’s been happening in their lives.  M and I made a deep dish vegetable pizza with a salad to go with it.  M the Younger, Merdi, and their friends made cookies for dessert.  The pizza was delicious and quite filling.  The cookies were ooey-gooey-chocolatey goodness (and it was fun watching the kids make ’em).

This morning, before the sledding fun,  we watched the movie “Up!”  I thought it was a wonderful movie, full of adventures, with some sad, almost bittersweet, sections to the story.  It was also a good reminder about commitments and the promises we make, and how well we keep them.

(Buried in the snow.  The only visible part of the pink flamingos.)

That’s about it from the Bogs for now.  I’m hoping to get caught up with everyone via blogs and email this evening and tomorrow.  We took M the Younger and Merdi to the airport a little while ago and they should be winging their way back to Colorado by now.

The house feels quiet… and a little empty…

But it should be noted that I am grateful to have had time with my sons, their wives, and my granddaughters over the past few days.  Things are now as they should be, and I can’t ask for more than that.  🙂