Tuesday

Signs of spring.
The daffodils are up and will be blooming in a few days. Here is a picture of some green appearing just outside the back door.
I took the "boys" to the groomer this morning and they are beautiful. The pictures don't do them justice. I have a hard time getting Max to put his ears up and I was at the wrong angle for Bailey but you can see their neck scarfs with an Easter motif and they are happy to be clean and beautiful again. Of course there is no telling how long Max will last that way as he gets taken for walks in the woods by his master and comes back full of seeds and mud. But they love it and that is what counts.

As you drive around Ames you see signs of the remnants of the ice storm. Just to the North of us there is a large pine tree being cut up and there are piles of brush all around town. Over b y the cemetery they have a fire where they are burning the wood. Of course, we can't have a fire but they have one going 24/7 and if the wind is just right I have smoke around the house and can smell and taste the smoke as it permeates the atmosphere. Last night as I drove across 13th street on the way back from Des Moines I actually saw the fire. It was beautiful and impressive under control and burning steadily sort of like a lava flow might look.

I went to the city council meeting tonight to get a picture of Tim Gossart the new president of Good Neighbor receiving a proclamation making April Good Neighbor Month in Ames. It is nice to see these given because they do recognize a part of our community and the good things they do. Good Neighbor is made up of 23 organizations, many of them faith communities, who donate, collect and then distribute money to those who need help with rent and utilities. Tim said that they had given out more than 100,000 dollars.

Cassie wants to go outside so I opened up the door so she can go out to the porch. One of these days I am going to get someone to come and scrub it and I will be sitting out there in the morning drinking coffee. Max is out there also. He just barked at something. He never seems to learn that when he barks I bring him inside.

Still warm so stay happy!