Thursday 13: A VERY Random Edition

Since we’ve had so much snow, and I’ve been staying inside so much (because I HATE snow), I don’t have much for a Thursday 13 this week.

So, it seems like a good time to share a very random assortment of pictures that I’m fairly sure I haven’t posted here before.

1.    Of course, I’m going to start off with a cat picture.  I think Mortimer looks adorable here.  

2. This was at a vacation rental that we stayed at in 2023.  I think these hand mirrors are antique (or at least vintage).  They were displayed on a wall in the bathroom, and I thought it was a great idea.  It seemed like a fun way to display a collection without really taking up space.

3.    I enjoy taking pictures of the sky, and I thought it was beautiful this particular evening.

4.    I’m not sure what these little white flowers are called, but I think they’re pretty.

5.   This hibiscus was at a vacation rental we stayed at in 2022.

6.  This was on vacation in 2021.  It was insanely humid that day, and the camera lens fogged, but I liked how it made the picture look kind of mysterious and moody.

7.  Theodore loves it when we get a suitcase out of the closet. 

8.    So does Mortimer.

9.    This was sunrise on Kiawah Island on our 2024 vacation.

10.  This was the first time I successfully built a cooking fire entirely on my own after Hurricane Helene.  I’m not the outdoorsy type, so it felt like a major accomplishment.

11.  This was when a possum stopped by the critter corner.

12.  This was one of the few beach pictures I took on vacation last year before we got sick.

13.  Finally, here's a flower picture that, according to the date stamp, I took on February 29, 2024. I'm trying to remind myself that the snow will melt and spring will eventually arrive! 

Are you also eagerly anticipating warmer weather? 

 

Azaleas (Blogging from A to Z Challenge)

Some of our azaleas are starting to bloom.

They tend to bloom anywhere from late March to late April. 

Some years, we’ve definitely had more blooms by April 1^st, and some years, they’re just barely starting to bloom around this time. 

I love azaleas, so it always makes me very happy when they bloom.

So what about you?  Do you like azaleas?  Are they in bloom where you are?  

Thursday 13: A Lot of Randomness

Today’s Thursday 13 is going to be all over the place.

1.    Mortimer had an emergency visit (fortunately to our regular vet’s office) on Friday due to eating plastic.  Fortunately, after x-rays to confirm there wasn’t an obstruction, fluids and an anti-nausea shot did the trick. 

2.    Unfortunately, I doubt this did anything to curb his obsession with eating plastic.

3.    We mailed out a total of 152 protest postcards on Saturday.

4.    We had severe storms and a moderate risk of tornadoes late Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday morning.  Pre-Helene, we wouldn’t have been very concerned, but almost everyone here gets nervous about storms now. 

5.    Because our house doesn’t have any rooms without exterior walls, we deemed our bedroom closet the best place to shelter in case of a tornado.  We didn’t want to have to round up five cats in the middle of the night with a tornado imminent, so we opted to lock all five cats in the bedroom with us.

6.    Catching and containing five cats is a big job! 

7.    Fortunately, there were no tornados, and we didn’t have to shelter in the closet.  We had a lot of rain, but no flooding or damage.  Unfortunately, we didn’t sleep well at all.  Caroline’s facial expression sums up the night well.

8.    Other than that storm, we’ve still been enjoying mostly sunny weather.

9.    The daffodils along the back fence have bloomed.

10. The daffodils next to the carport are at their peak.

11. The forsythia is just starting to get a few blooms.

12. There are a lot more flowers on the bush in the front yard.

13. And the hyacinth is still blooming,

 

How was your week?  

Thursday 13: Flowers, Protest Postcards, the DMV, and Cats (Of Course)

Today’s Thursday 13 is going to be all over the place.

1.    Let’s start with a cat picture.  Mortimer is warming up to Theodore, and I was able to get some pictures of them hanging out together. 

2.    I had to go to the DMV to renew my driver’s license this week.  It took about five and a half hours.  A little over five hours of that was waiting.  The good news is that I should be able to renew online the next time, so it should be around 15 years before I have to go in person again.

3.    The DMV line and waiting room definitely seem to bring out people’s true natures.  Most people were very pleasant and kind of made friends with their waiting companions.  A few people, though, were just awful.  They complained about everything, berated the employees (who were really nice and doing their best), and complained about people taking lunch breaks.  Complaining that something takes a long time is never going to speed it up! 

4.    We had more nice weather this week, so the flowers are still blooming.  The hyacinth still looks great.

5.    More of the daffodils are blooming. 

6.    These are the ones next to the carport that were just buds last week.

7.    I don’t know what it’s called, but the bush with the tiny white flowers is starting to bloom.

8.    Here’s a close-up of the flowers.

9.    If you know what it’s called, please let me know in the comments. 

10. On Saturday, we got together with some friends at a local coffee shop to write protest postcards.

11. If you’re not familiar, they’re postcards to be mailed to the White House on the 15^th to express our displeasure with the current administration.  They’re also being sent to state representatives if applicable.  Unfortunately, ours are in lockstep with this administration.  We wrote a lot of postcards.

12. I realize that some bloggers view Blogger as a politics-free zone, and I like that idea.  However, I think there comes a time when not choosing (and declaring) a side makes you complicit.  I’m not going to turn into a political blogger, but I do want to be clear that I am not okay with what is happening in our country right now.  I don’t expect to change anyone’s mind, and I know I’m not powerful or important enough to make any real difference, but I can’t just be quiet, either.  Liz wrote a great post about feeling this way. 

13. I’ll end on a more positive note with this picture of Theodore in a basket.

 

How was your week?  

Thursday 13: Groundhogs and Flowers

1.    At least one of the groundhogs came back! 

2.    I saw one outside yesterday and put some veggies out.

3.    I’ve been putting critter mix and peanuts out for the squirrels.

4.    The groundhogs seem to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, so I’ll start putting those out, too.   

5.    The batteries in the camera died, and we didn’t reset the time, so the time and date are off.  From what I can tell, the groundhog(s) came back sometime this week.

6.    I am so happy they’re back!

7.    I suspect we may see some baby groundhogs at some point. 

8.    The hyacinth from last week bloomed this week. 

9.    Here’s another picture of it.

10. The daffodils next to the carport look like they’re going to bloom very soon.

11. Some other daffodils have bloomed a little more.  It was insanely cold last night and today, so I’m not sure how long they’re going to last, but it’s nice for now. 

12. Here's one more groundhog picture because they're just so cute.  

13. A Thursday 13 doesn’t seem complete without at least one cat picture, so I’ll leave you with this one of Theodore in the box he has claimed as his very own. 

How was your week?  

Thursday 13: Another One Without a Theme

1.    I think a cat picture is always a good way to start a Thursday 13, so here’s one of Caroline.

2.    One of our favorite local restaurants that flooded during Hurricane Helene reopened recently, so we went for dinner last week. 

3.    They make all of their own sauces, and everything is so good.  The food is wonderful, but the sauces are incredible.

4.    When we said it was our first time back since they reopened, they showed us where the waterline had been during the flooding.  It’s a little hard to see in the picture, so I circled it. 

5.    You can see why it took a little over four months for them to reopen!

6.    In happier weather-related news, we’ve been enjoying some warmer weather this week.  We’ve gotten almost up to seventy degrees almost every day.  It has been wonderful! 

7.    I know it probably won’t last, but I’m enjoying it for now. 

8.    So are the flowers.

9.    The daffodils are starting to come up.

10. We have a tulip just starting to come up.

11. We have a hyacinth that looks like it’s very close to blooming.

12. I’m hoping it won’t get cold enough to kill off the flowers!

13. A cat picture seems like a good ending for this Thursday 13, so here’s one of Tara.

How was your week?