Home...back into the swing of things

Snow covered ground and cold temperatures greeted us late Saturday night. Thankfully the sidewalks and driveway had been cleared. We noticed a few larger branches scattered in our backyard and lots of little animal tracks in the snow.

Our first thought after seeing the prints was how Tinge (our resident squirrel who drops by most days for some peanuts) made out while we were gone. We had seen one of the black squirrels hanging out, but Tinge is grey with tinges of brown fur (thus, his name). I'm sure he's fine and hopefully he stashed a few of those extra peanuts for just this absence!

The mail had been piled neatly on the countertop thanks to Sharon and Jacques, our globe-trotting neighbours, and the house plants looked to have survived with their green thumbs looking after them. Thanks guys!

It felt good to speak with my parents and Mark's mom when we got home. Hearing their voices and knowing they were doing well was very comforting.

Alas, being home also means getting back into this time zone. Jet lag will likely create some sleeping problems for a few days. I was wide awake at 2:30am and finally got up at 3:30am - yes, sleeping hours are a little out of whack.

The job of unpacking and laundry was the key agenda item for Sunday. This is the part I like to get done and out of the way, but one that makes the end of the vacation all too real. I am already looking forward to planning the next one...hmm, wonder where that will be.

But speaking of vacations, wishing all the Rutledge's a wonderful trip as they head off on a cruise, that includes the Panama Canal. No doubt Mark's mother, as well as John, Cynthia, Mary, and Jerry will have a fabulous time together. We can't wait for the stories and photos.

Which brings me to our photos. We will begin uploading photos over the next few days - some to the blog itself to update some of the posts and some to a separate website. So check back here for a link.

Finally, as if he knew we had been wondering about him, Tinge came by to sit on our laps and eat a few peanuts this afternoon. He was looking a little 'chunky' (I feel the same way!) so either he found a great stash of chocolate like we did, or he has over-indulged from his winter cache of nuts. In any case, he seemed very happy to enjoy some hand-fed karanga.