Friday, Feb. 22

Was awakened around 5:30 this morning, when the backup power unit to the office computer squawked, apparently caused by a brief power outage. Not sure what caused the outage, but it required setting the clock again, so the alarm would go off at 6:30. After that, though, I wasn't sure I could go back to sleep. But I did.

Got up with the alarm to get ready for water aerobics. There was still ice on the vegetation outside, but the temperature had risen, and it was melting. Hubbie had to chip a thick glaze off the van windows, though.

The road was clear, so I assumed the schools were back in session, which meant the pool would be open. As I was leaving the driveway, I noticed how pretty the melting ice was on a cedar tree. So I hopped out of the van and snapped a pic with my cell phone.

The trees on either side of the road going up the hill to the college were lovely, too, and I decided I'd get snaps of them after the water aerobics session, if the ice hadn't melted by then.

At the college, I noticed that a stand of pine trees really took a hit from the ice storm, which uprooted a couple of them, and broke branches off several. The ice was melting from them at this hour, though, which caused a shower of ice pellets. I discovered that falling ice pellets sting when they hit bare flesh, as one did on my right hand. I wondered if I'd get a bruise on that hand later, but I didn't. I walked at a brisk clip to the gym, though, worrying just a little that an ice-laden tree branch could snap and fall on my head.

Only seven of us showed up for aerobics today, but we enjoyed a great workout with the water noodles, and using the water for resistance by walking fast in a circle in one direction, and then abruptly turning and walking fast in the other direction. We also split into two lines and raced to the middle, clapped hands with a partner, and raced back again. I'll miss these forms of water exercise when we go back to our old routine.

On the way back home, I saw that the trees on the hill were still white with ice, so at home, I grabbed my camera, and Hubbie and I went back so I could take some photos. He drove, while I did rapid-fire shots through the windshield. This is the only way I could get the shots from the perspective of the middle of that winding road.

We drove around town, too, to see if there were any other photo opportunities, but the ice had melted in the residential areas, which are warmer than the higher elevations. We finished our tour by driving down a dirt road, where the trees were still frozen. On this road, we saw a roadrunner skitter past.

As we drove past our own yard, we saw for the first time that a tree had been damaged, when the top of it broke out with the weight of ice. Last night, we heard a loud noise, like a gun shot, or a car backfiring, but thought nothing of it. Today, we realized that what we'd heard was that tree breaking.

This is a favorite tree of mine, because it turns a lovely yellow-gold in the fall. I don't know what it will look like next fall, though. It's sad, because a number of years ago, when it suffered damage, Hubbie wanted to remove it and level the hill it stands on, but I argued against it. It turned out to be a very nice focal point, until now. I don't know if it can come back again, but I'd like to see if it can.

At home, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, while I indulged in a couple of cups of coffee. Daughter called during this time, and we chatted for a while. She was interested in knowing when the local Scottish Festival is scheduled, which is in April. She really enjoyed it last year and wants to go again this year.

By now, it was time for lunch, so Hubbie heated the chicken noodle soup, which we had with blueberry muffins. Afterward, I finally went upstairs to get ready for the day (which was half over by now). Afterward, Mother and I spent the afternoon working on scrapbook pages. We each completed two pages.

Later, she and I made a recipe of pancake batter, and Hubbie did the honors of cooking them. After supper, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then he and I spent the evening watching TV, including a 2009 British movie called "The Disappearance of Alice Creed," about two ex-convicts who kidnap a woman for ransom.

We followed that with a DVD movie borrowed from the library...the 2009 "State of Play," starring Russell Crowe, and Ben Affleck. A congressman's daughter is murdered, and a seasoned investigative male reporter, and a young up-and-coming female reporter, work with a police detective to try to solve the crime. We've seen this movie before, but Hubbie didn't remember it when we picked it up at the library, but soon after we began watching it, he finally remembered it.