Blizzard of 2011

On February 1, much of the mid-West was smacked by a blizzard. A few days later, it hit the eastern part of the country. Record-breaking snowfall and low temperatures paralyzed us. We shoveled more than 8 inches of snow off the back deck twice within 5 hours that day, and left the final 4 or so inches. On the bright side, we didn't seem to get any ice AND we didn't lose electricity until just a couple of days ago for a couple of hours. Naturally this all occurred AFTER the carport was removed in anticipation of the new garage and studio. Today the temperature went above 60 degrees, so finally a lot of this stuff is melting. The downspouts sound like there is water running through a fire hose at full capacity! Perhaps construction can begin in the near future because we are COMPLETELY ready to get all of the various components of Ozarklake in one spot and under one roof.

This week I will be attending Citizens Day at the Legislature, sponsored by Missouri Citizens for the Arts. Best of Missouri Hands receives a grant from the Missouri Arts Council, and MAC receives funding from the Missouri Legislature -- at least when the Legislature approves a budget with funding for the arts. And that is my purpose in attending -- to ask my legislators to approve a budget that will include some money for the arts in Missouri.

Being snowed in has not been a total waste of time. We have kept busy happily creating art for Kala Gallery in Lenoir, NC; A Wish Called Wanda in St. Michaels, MD; Oak Creek in Scottsdale, AZ; and Artsy Elements in Williamsville, NY.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds should be here in about 60 days!

Hummingbird fact for today: Popular tropical destinations such as Mexico, Costa Rica, and Ecuador are rich in hummingbird species, most of which are never seen in the US.

Winter Doldrums

It had to happen. A major winter ice/snow storm is forecast for this week. Temperature won't be above freezing for several days. It's bad enough feeling "trapped" because the roads are bad, but we also live in constant dread of the electricity going off. Since most everyone at the Lake has a well, this means no water in addition to no heat or light. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the forecasters are way off the mark.

Terrie got rid of that pesky tooth last week. She's still hurting some and her jaw is still swollen a little. She doesn't handle annoyances well, and this annoyance is getting very tiresome for her.

On the bright side, things fell into place this week for a trip to California in March to see my son and Terrie's mom. We were accepted into three shows along the route. We're really looking forward to this extended road trip. And we think we'll do pretty well at the shows. A new wholesale account opened up this week. Oak Creek Canyon in Scottsdale, AZ, will soon have Ozarklake hummingbird feeders in their two stores. So although the weather is depressing, we have something to look forward to and have a reason to be busy creating.

Hummingbird fact for today: Though the smallest of all North American hummingbirds, the Calliope hummingbird migrates over the immense distance between Mexico and western Canada each year.