Wednesday, May 25, 2011

May Hails





Today we had our weather radio on warning us about possible hail. We had 2 hail events in one day. A light one then a heavy one that rained down ice. Luckily no tornado was formed on this huge system. So after the hail stopped we walked around taking photos of the hail. One did hit our birdhouse damaging it. But the cars, our house and our animals were unharmed. These hail balls were very cold and had many layers. Never seen the jagged ones before.

Luna Moth

I caught a shot of this rare moth on the screen at a local shop in town. It was drying its wings and avoiding the rain.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Jar Journeys

We decided to replace all our plastic food storage containers with glass jars. This way we know nothing is leaking into our food we don't want. We eat a lot of grains, seeds and legumes and store them in the kitchen. We also drink a lot of tea and it is just better in glass.
I need several 1 gallon jars for this and they are hard to find; everything is made of plastic. Also, the shipping for new jars is more than the purchase price of the jars. So I placed an ad in our local paper and have gotten several calls about used jars.
I have had calls from people from all walks of life. I never realized buying old jars would become a journey into so many peoples lives. Everyone has a story to tell about these old jars they have saved for so many years in sheds, closets and kitchens. People out in the Ozarks save things for years. And everyone has a story to tell. And that makes the purchase of these jars special. You would not get a story from a jar you bought at the store. But each jar I pick up locally, comes with its own unique history. And I get to sit and talk to all kinds of people and listen to their story. Some jars were minnow traps, milk jars, penny pots and saved after the depression. Some jars held coffee originally and were saved for their unique decoration. Many jars have tops that have long rusted away. But all have been carefully stored away until needed. I never thought such a simple request for a jar would open up so many lives.

May Ducklings




Our ducklings are now 2.5 weeks old and growing fast. They are losing their baby fuzz and getting small feathers. However, their wings are still just nubs and have a long way to go. They are a lot of fun to hold all feet and bills.