Life with the Three Crazy Dogs

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Sun and snow

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Yesterday was the longest drive home ever for me since I started with company. It took me 1 hour 15 minutes to get home which normally takes 25 minutes max.   It started snowing early Thursday morning and by the time it was time to get home at 2:30 pm, snow was lighter and the sun was outl.  Really weird.

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There was an accident on 35E South the freeway I use Monday thru Friday back and forth.  The moment I took the exit to 35E South, I came to a halt.  Me and other cars ahead of me sat there for about 15 minutes before we actually made a tiny move.  Good thing I took a pee before I left work.

So what you do when you sit in the car with n0thing to do…take pictures lah.  Don’t have my camera with me, so have to use the phone camera.  Not good pictures tho.   While taking pictures, tow trucks, State troopers and city cop cars’ zoomed by the shoulder of the freeway. When I finally got out to 35, the battle to merge with the cars already in the lane….hate that but this nice old man let me in….bless his kind heart.

Sat there for another couple mintues and finally started to creep/brake till I saw the colorful flashing lights from the cop cars and that’s where the cars in front me merged to the left lane (middle lane).  Put on the blinkers but no one let me in…..of coz I started cussing lah, KNN!!!  Finally after 4 vehicles passed me, a lady stopped to let me merge.  So sweet of her….bless her kind heart! :)

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After this shot, I dared not take anymore….cops were everywhere plus sirens firing behind me – paramedics, fire truck and more paramedics. As soon as I got closer to the accident scene, it looked mighty nasty, I recognized the spot where accidents always occur. It’s the bend before Difley Road exit. Must be a “bad” spot! :)   Cantonese word “chaay”, with a descending tone.  Don’t know, I saja only.

The accident involving a tanker (don’t see any damage on that sucker); a Toyota pickup with the windshield and passenger window totally shattered; a car sitting in the ditch with the front bumper and hood smashed like a pancake; and another car sitting up in the tow truck bed with damage to the back and front bumpers and smashed windshield. I didn’t see any people in those said vehicles.

Of course after car passed by the accident scene, traffic it was flowing freely!!! GAWKERS!!!! There were also 2 more cars on the South side of the freeway in ditches and 1 more on the North. These cars must be going fast. I tried going 50+ mph and the Monte was already fish tailing.  So had to go 45 mph.

Needless to say when I got home, I had to park the car on the street and my workout began….clearing the 3 inches of snow. Bah!!!  The car could not even go all the way up, stucked half way on the driveway.

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Jan 8, 2010

Love snow day, sorta

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It was a snow day for me yesterday. Boss lady called me in the morning to stay home and so I happily did and finally had a chance to watch a movie.

The picture below was taken around noon, minutes before I went out to clean the driveway.

1st significant snowfall for Dec2009

I reckon there was 7 inches of snow on my driveway. Shovelled my way out of the drifting snow at the top of the driveway. It didn’t help to have a crappy shovel either. My favorite shovel is missing a screw at the bottom and it totally sucks. So I was switching in between the ergonomic type shovel (supposely better for the back) that to me is useless. Hated it.  The city snow plows came through and packed the end of the driveway.

The neighbor across came over with his snow blower when he was done with his driveway.  I was still shovelling the upper 1/4, he started to work the 1/4 end of the driveway.  He said it’s way too much snow to be shovelling and his snow blower does not do well with packed snow.  Less than 5 minutes of him helping, he had to get back to his house since the COIT (carpet and upholstery cleaners) guys came.  He left the snow blower runing and asked if I know how to use it.  Hell no!  He sort of told me what to do, and so I took over where he stopped.  My ever first time using a snow blower.  It took all of my energy for the day to get 3/4 of the driveway cleared up.  It would be easier if the driveway is not so hilly.  Keeping my balance and pushing/controller that sucker was a bitch!!!  Plus the wind was blowing like frigging crazy yesterday.  I don’t even know what the temp was when i was out there, 15F (-9C), I think, and windchill must minus something.  I know I was sweating crazy and my face was stinging!

When I was towards the end of the snow packed driveway, the blower died!  Darn, it’s either out of gas or I screwed it up.  So I turned it off, left it there and used the shovel.  I was glad I was able to clear up the rest of the driveway, but was I tired, very very tired…my shoulders and back are calling out in desperation for a rest.  I wanted to but then I saw that much left to do, I continued.  So I kept digging and finally the COIT guys left, the neighbor came back and I telling him his snowblower died.  He was ok with it, he dragged it back to his garage and came back with his shovel.   It definitely makes a big difference having a man shovel snow and a teeny weeny pruney like me working with the shovel.  He got so much done so fast.  I thank him a million times for his help.  This was not the first time he helped me with the driveway.  He definitely “Love thy neighbor”!

After the clean up of the driveway and front entrance, went out to the patio to clear the snow by the patio door and entrance and also made a path so the boys won’t come trudging back in with snow.  With all these clean up, I still the boys out for their walks: Ranger a short little 20 minutes for him.  The other two Cs I took them to the trails by our house.  That’s the walks they are going to get for the rest of this week.  The high for today is 7F (-13C) and Friday is not getting any better.  So I’m just going to rest my poor achy body and stuff myself with carbs!  I’m constantly hungry since yesterday’s workout.

So much for a snow day of wanting to do nothing but relax!!!!! :(   DB said he is feeling super duper rotten and he better be! :)

Filed under MN Weather, Personal, Winter
Dec 10, 2009

Sunday workout

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I’m working hard to burn off calories!! Actually I’m not even working on it…just that with DBs not around, I pick up the yard work and housekeeping, too. On Friday night through Saturday early morning, mother nature gave us a good old “fall”.

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Just overnight, there were leaves all over the yard and streets. Must be gail force winds whipped up them leaves off the trees. A lot of the trees in the neighborhood are mostly “bald”. And the leaves that felled on the groudd are still green and some yellow, they were still “alive”.

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(Above two pictures taken on my walks)

I went for my walks with the boys and leaves were still falling.  So I was debating if I should rake them leaves up on the front yard, backyard don’t look too bad, yet! So yesterday after church, I had a good old carbohyrdate lunch of soba noodles with chicken and headed out to tackle the leaves. Initially I wanted to sweep the front door area but then the entire front yard needs to be picked up. Reason was because of the damn showings. If there were no showings, I wont give a rat’s ass about the leaves, weeds and mowing.

The boys came out with me and went straight to the new neighbor’s yard coz their kids were out there playing.  So I ended chatting with the new neighbors for a good 30 minutes.  The neighbor guy offered to help with the raking should I need his help.  Hahaha, i said NO!!!  But….after I started raking the leaves from the first tree to the second tree, I gave up!  What a wuss, huh? But I have to say, raking leaves is a good fat burner, no doubt the natural way of burning fat! :)

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(Front yard after the neighbor mowed and cleaned up the leaves)

Also raking with the boys out with me was a pain too. I need to keep an eye out on them especially Ranger, the wanderer. I know I can keep them in the house but I know I won’t have time to walk them, may as well scoot them out and the neighbor kids can play with them – throw ball, frisbee and chase them around.

Once I stopped raking, I didn’t see Ranger, I called out his name, the neighbor guy in his garage with his wife, kids and the boys yelled out Ranger is with them. He walked the boys back to my yard and he offered again his help to do the leaves. I took up his offer!!  Me so damn spoiled!  I told him I have the rider but I have no idea how to operate that monster plus god knows where the key is. Yep, zipping around the yard with the rider and sucks up the leaves takes about 15 minutes. I had to call DB asking him where the key is and he thought I was going to ride it!! I told him about the neighbor’s offer and so on….got the key but the damn rider wouln’t start!!! Figures huh?

Have to place another call to DB where the battery charger and extension cord is.  I never, ever have to do yard work, so I didn’t bother what DB does with this gadgets.  Found the charger and cord, chargeed her up for a good 2 hours and the neighbor was able to mow, mulched up the leaves and sucked up them with the rider and put them in bags for me too.  And he only did the front yard and the leaves on the street.  By the way, I swear the leaves on the street, the city will take care of them but I saw every neighbor on our street who were doing their yard picked up the leaves on the street!!!  That’s why I did mine too.

I told neighbor guy to use DB’s rider when he wants to do his yard some time this week.  Also, I know he will be the one doing the back yard soon, and I provide the bags.

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(Six bags plus the yardwaste can (one with the yellow sticker) of leaves from half the front yard) 

I hate doing yard work!!!  PERIOD!

Oct 12, 2009

Enough of rain

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I have enough of the rain, for me, not sure about some folks…yes, it finally stopped last night and drying up the ground this morning when I went out for my walk.  The boys are happy they get to go for their walks, again! 

Yesterday was trash and recycle day which means I need to haul the trash and recycle cans out to the curb of our yard. I was hoping it would quit raining but it rained the whole day Tuesday since Monday afternoon.

Came home to see the cans with their lids opened!! Urgh! Hate that.  (The smaller one is for trash.  Bigger one is for recycles: newpapers, plastics, cans, cardboards – anything that can be recycled.  The recycle company will sort them things out.  We don’t need to.)

Trash day on a rainy day

Of course I have to curse those trash and recycle guys!  Coz I need turn those heavy cans over to get rid the water before I could roll them back to the side of the garage.  On normal trash days, and btw, it’s DB’s job to get these boys out, the trash/recycle guys were really nice, the cans will be emptied and all standing straight up like the one you see across our house.  

I’m glad the next couple of days are dry till Saturday…rain/flurries in some areas.  Friday will be a crunch time to get the yard clean up of poop and leaves.  I have to say the backyard is like a cow pad. 

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Filed under Just, MN Weather
Oct 7, 2009

Woohoo, it’s raining!

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I cannot believe it, it has been raining since this morning.  I never used to like the rain but now, hahahaha, since I walked the boys this early morning, it can rain the whole day, I don’t care!!!  But joke aside, we really do need the rain.  The outside plants which I planted last fall and some couple of years ago, and grass are in need of free water.  And, surprisingly, last evening picked weeds from the flower bed on the front yard.  I must be bored at home!!

It looks like it’s going to rain the whole day according to the weather radar.  Since the internet is back in action at home, I will be glued to the PC for a bit, or will watch a movie from Netflix.  That movie, I can’t even remember what’s the name of the title, arrived when i was on vacation.  That’s how long it has been sitting on top of the DVD player.  Or, I can do housework……YUCKS!!  But if I get them done today, I will have more free time during the weekend, right?  Yeah, so I think I will finish vacuuming the house which I started last evening after dinner.  Chase is scared of the vacuum!  He will be jumping when the vacuum cleaner comes close to him.  Too funny.

Filed under Just, MN Weather
Aug 7, 2009

White scene

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Snowfall April 5, 2009

That’s what we woke up to. I took this picture before I left for church and I was still snowing lightly.  The wet snow makes everything very pretty.

However, it’s melting fast now and now the sun is out with gail force winds blowing, all white on the trees and streets will soon disappear.  Plus the ground is warm from the 40-50 F degrees temps.  The boys are bugging me for their walks but I’m not budging coz it’s wet out.

I think this will be the last of the snowfall we will get.  Hopefully.  But like every one tells me, we are in Minnesota, not happy with the weather, wait 10 minutes.

Filed under Just, MN Weather
Apr 5, 2009

March is leaving like a lion

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The past few days we are enjoying the temperatures in the 40′s.  I don’t mind the 40′s.  It’s perfect for me.  There were occasional flurries on Wednesday and Thursday with gale force winds.  The winds really put a damper on the weather.  It makes it extra chilly.  Can’t walk out there without a jacket with that 50 mph winds.

The “best” weather will be next week.  Get the sarcarsm??  The national weather guys forecast snow from the West to the midwest by Tuesday.  The yard, ground, roads, sidewalks, every thing is drying so well.  Mother nature wants to dump an expected 10 inches of snow on us.  Man, I want the dry grounds.  I’m tired of cleaning the dogs after their walks, or even coming in from the yard.  I took the boys to the trails early in the morning (7 a.m.) on Sat and this morning.  It’s very chilly but it’s nice to walk on “solid” ground.  No muddiness greeting us.

So, March is definitely roaring out like a lion.  The trees and shrubs are budding.  But…this is Minnesota, the weather is very unpredictable.  The good thing about spring snow fall is it will melt really quickly because of the warm ground and the sun is sitting higher now.  Yes, the sun is really warm now.  I’m putting on sun screen already.  Amazing how I used to worship the sun, but now, hah, no way I’m out there without my SPF30 or higher.

Filed under MN Weather
Mar 29, 2009

Pics and the thawing is here!

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Our last snow fall which was last week.
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*Ranger’s passing the time since he was housebound :) *

Yipee-ka-yeh!  The snow and ice is starting to disappear, and the robin is out.  Sorry, don’t have a telephoto lens, ok!  This is the best my P&S can do.  Picture taken by the patio door.
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I can see the ground and brown grass.

And the boys are out on the patio soaking up the sun.
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*Ranger*

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*Awwww, look at Chase, posing for the camera*

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*A nap in before lunch, perhaps?*

Cooper was out of sight……he has to stick to me, like a leech.

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*Finally, Cooper wants to snoop before daylight disappears*

Dogs, tough life they have, huh? :D

And the finale, since the weather is warming up to 50′s F with the blazing sun, it gets warm.  I know, I’m spoiled by the cold weather….what can I say??  This is how much I had my hair chopped off. Photobucket

And this is the final product….hve to blur it a little…coz…..I look terrible in pictures.Photobucket

Mar 16, 2009

Wintery pic

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My current wallpaper on my home laptop.  This picture was taken last Thursday afternoon.  The snow definitely looks good on the tress and on the ground.  It is also nice to have them on the trails.  Why?  Coz the boys will lick the snow to quench their thirst.  This year winter is so far the longest ever with dipping temps below zero for many, many days.  Today is a heat wave.  The temperature shot up to 39 F and the sun was bright.   A lot of the snow melted.  There are hardly any snow left on the trees.  Of course there are aplenty on the ground.  I think after the end of this week, most of it will be gone.  The weather guys forecasted the weather to be in the 40′s and daylight saving time begins this weekend, too.  Yikes!!!  We are going to loose an hour of sleep coz we need to set our clocks forward an hour.  DOG GONE IT!

Filed under MN Weather, Winter
Mar 4, 2009

Winter storm

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These pictures were taken yesterday afternoon while sitting at the lights waiting for my left turn light. 

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*The driver side window.

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*White out condition from snow and strong winds

The drive home was horrible.  The car is a front wheel drive. it totally didn’t help driving on this type of road conditions.  The car was fish tailing a lot.  Had to go like 25 mph all the way home.  Took me an hour and 20 mintues to get home and once I got home, the car was stuck on the drive way!  The car couldn’t get up the slopy driveway.  Snow is pretty to look at but to drive on it, it totally sucks to high heaven. 

We had a total of at least 7 inches.  Spring snow storms are nasty.  Drop a bunch and good thing the sun is high in the sky, it still melts the snow even the temps are in the teens.  The fresh snow fall will be nice to walk on when we hit the trails this afternoon.

Filed under MN Weather, Winter
Feb 27, 2009

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It h as been 4 days since the boys had their walks in.  They are driving me up the wall.  The temperature today was still 20 below and it actually went up to 5 below which actually feels like 24 below with windchill.  It is windy, windy the whole day since this morning.  I wanted to walk them this afternoon but when I saw them walking with one of their leg hanging in the air, I knew it’s too cold for them too.  No walks or runs for them.  Even going out to throw the frisbee for Chase is not working.  The frisbee is buried in snow!  Plus DB won’t allow us to go out for our walks anyways.  The weather station sent out a windchill advisory.  Meaning, it’s not advisable to go out if it can be avoided.  In the next 24 hours we will have a heat wave.  There will be snow tomorrow.  When it snows, we know it is warming up.  It won’t snow when it is this darn cold.

This is what our kitchen windows looked like this afternoon.  The glass is those cheap single panel glass.  I’m surprised it is still in one piece.  It does not block the heat or cold.  Yes, majority of the sidings and the windows are the originals.  What is good about this damn arctic  cold is it’s a free icebox for us to freeze our extra food and meat.  Just leave them in the garage, and they will be hard like a rock the next day.
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Filed under Just, MN Weather, The Boyz
Jan 15, 2009

It’s an icebox

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It’s -20 F (-29 C) right now.  If only there is no wind at all, I will not feel the bite.  With -36 F (-38 C) windchill, it definitely took my breath away while walking from the parking lot to the office building.  Not too bad of a brisk walk but this morning was just “lovely”.  This is what the morning talk show said “Good old Minnesota winter”.

The snow storm rolled in yesterday morning and ended in the evening.  The roads were pretty bad.  Took me an hour plust to get home which normally takes 20 minutes.  There were 5 cars spun out.  The slow traffic was because drivers need to slow down to an almost complete halt to see what, who landed on the snow banks.  Plus there were some samaritan stopped to dig out those landed in the ditches.  Tow truckers were in good business yesterday.

Filed under MN Weather
Jan 13, 2009

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It snowed the whole day yesterday from morning through late evening.  I was out for a walk with the three boys, the snow was quite light and temps was 23 degrees, a frigging heat wave.  On my my out to my part time job, it started to snow heavier and the roads were a mess.  Can’t go fast either.  When I got to my driveway after work, I had to maneuver to get to the garage.  Front wheel drive sucks in snow.  There was at least 5 inches of snow on the driveway.  I didn’t shovel the snow either coz the temp dropped to 6 degrees.  Plus DB said he will get her done when he gets home from work.  He didn’t do it coz he got home at 9:45 p.m. and he was beat and the wind was gusty too.

This morning, DB went to work at 4:00 am and I was still sleeping.  Beat myself up for getting up late this morning (7 am).  Had to checked the pics in Facebook coz yesterday was the anniversary luncheon meet with the girls , from my school, Main Convent,graduatedin 1988.  Had enough filled of pics, then vacuumed.  It’s been a long while since I vacuumed.  Dang, my back hurts!  Anyways, that’s good, it’s a form of exercise for me.

I waited till the sun was high then I went out to do the outside chores coz the temp went up to 2 degrees.  The temp this morning when I got up was -12 degrees. Out to the driveway to shovel the driveway so I can get out and come back in after my grocery shopping.
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The compacted snow from the tires is what I hate most.  I showeled all the way almost to the end of the driveway, the neighbor directly across the street got his snow blower, cleared the end of his driveway and then he came and did mine.  My intentions was just shovel my side of the driveway and leave the rest for DB to clear it when he gets home.  But the neighbor did the entire driveway for me.  Bless him.  I felt sheepish having him to clear the driveway for me, but DB says the neighbor might have felt bad himself seeing me shoveling the snow instead of using the snow blower.  We do have a snow blower, but I never know how to operate it coz it is so darn heavy.

And this was the patio. I have to clear the white crap coz if not, the boys will drag them into the house. Hate it!  That is Chase in the picture with stick.
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And this is me after being in the cold for a couple of hours.  Ice were forming on my eyelashes, time to get inside.
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The boys, without a care. Give them a stick, they can be out in the snow the entire day.
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Dec 21, 2008

Chrismassy mood

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Pretty obvious what mood I’m in coz I changed my blog template to match my mood. 

I was out running some errands yesterday morning at Target.  It was snowing when I left the house, light snow.  I was in the store for about 30 minutes and when I looked out from the store while checking out, the snow fall was heavier.  Seeing the Salvation Army red kettles with the bell ringers standing by the entrance of the store despite the cold and wind, it sure feels like a holiday season.

Shoppers were pushing carts filled with toys, clothes, ornaments, and some were just shopping for groceries.  And since the store has discount furniture during the holiday season, there were a ton of shoppers raiding the furniture aisles.  I got my stuff and out to my snow covered car.  At half an inch felled since I went in. 

I was out with the boys for 3 hours after I got home.  DB thinks I’m nuts to be out in 9F degrees temperature with windchill of 0F.  It was windy, too.  Yes, it was cold but it was nice walking on a few inches of snow on the sidewalks and especially on the trails and school field.  As long as the boys have a good work out which eventually tire them out, I’m happy which means there will be 3 K.O.-ed boys in the evening/night, no bugging me.  The boys had a great time.  The cold didn’t seem to bother them.  There were ice around their snouts.  Chase drools when he plays hard, so there were little icicles hanging from his snout. 

I think I have a little wind burn or frost bite on my cheeks.  I wasn’t using my face mask too much, rather bear the cold than getting all sweaty face and gives me runny nose.  I have not taken a picture of myself all wrapped up in my winter walking attire.  I should have DB to take a picture one day before I go on my walk and post it up here later.   The weather for the rest of the week is gonna be crappy.  Snow all week long and temperatures in the teens.  Yeehaa!

Dec 8, 2008

Fall is here

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I know fall is around the corner when the boys are itching like they have fleas on them.  They don’t, ok?  I know so coz I check them all the time and they have Frontline Plus flea and tick application every month.

The temperature has dropped quite a bit which I like very much.  No more sweating like a pig.  The leaves on the trees are changing colors: green, light green, yellow, orange to red.  Really pretty.  But I doubt the leaves will stay for long with the gail force winds we have lately.

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Remember this tree?  It only looks pretty in spring.  The flowers will dropped like crazy in June and the crab apple will pop out.

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Lovely flowers, ain’t it?  The flowers are just too beautiful.  I always stare out the door or window at the tree when its blooming.  Pretty pink flowers.  Too bad it wouldn’t stay.

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Since fall is here, look what’s on the ground?  A crap load of crab apple!!!  It’s really irritating walking out on the yard with these little iddy beady fruit on the ground/grass; You will step on them and *squish*.  All stuck to the shoes.  You cannot eat them coz they are not edible.  The boys will eat them, no problems from eating them but how much can they eat, right?  The squirrels wouldn’t eat them.  The squirrels actually go for the oak tree acorns.  As for now, these crab apple will be on the ground till DB does his yard work this weekend. 

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They look like cherries, don’t they? I wish they were.

Filed under MN Weather
Sep 29, 2008

 

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