Bee just told me that she wants to make a three dimensional shape museum. What a fun idea!

Ducks

We fed the Ducks on campus yesterday after school. It was a bit cold, but still sunny! Frankie actually chased the ducks, while Bee tried to get the ducks to eat from her hands. I took pictures! Frankie saved half of her roll to eat herself as we walked back to my building.

Happy Birthday Bee!!

Happy Birthday Bee!! We can't believe you are 6 years old - that is one third of the way to 18. Yikes! We love you!!!

Spring!

The sun may not wake up till 8am... but spring is (almost) here!! Our first crocus bloomed yesterday!!

dark mornings again

the sun rises at 8.02am tomorrow -- that is just about as late as it was Jan 1, in the dead of winter. Kids should not have to walk to school in the dark, which is what this month earlier time change amounts to here in mid michigan. Besides this puts us out of sync with the rest of our global society (for whom DST ends April 5 and March 29 this year ).

OK, Im done with my rant.

Lulin

Well, Koomps and I just came back inside after looking in the early morning sky for Lulin. Its 10.8 but the windchill is 11 so it felt oddly warm, or rather not so cold. This morning is supposed to be a good time to find the green, backwards comet. We found the big dipper, and then we looked west and south and found saturn and the butt or head of Leo (Im never really sure which side of that constellation is up), but we didnt see the green little icepack. The sky was clear but a tad hazy so whole you could see all of the major stars they were not super intense. We're going to try again tonight (which is supposed to the best time), and Tues morning/night and then I think our window is gone. Tell me if you see it!

Marky

Marky went over the rainbow today. She lived a good long life. She was 15 and a half, and as the vet said to us today, it is very rare for her to see a dog her size live so long. For the record, Marky's full name was: Marky, Jimanez, Rooster, Joy, Watering can, Love Black Hole, Neurosis, Smelly Butt, Calabrese Barton. She earned a new middle name like a soldier earns his stripes. Scrappy. Determined.

Our most memorable times with Marky were the times: She rescued Smelly Cat, when she saved me (angie) from the pit bull, and just her way of sticking her butt in your face when she wanted some love. When we told Bee and Frankie, Frankie's immediate response was to say that her heart was broken and Bee just cried.

We love you Marky!