A warmer walk

When I got up this morning the temperature read only 14 degrees.  The wind had died down to a slight breeze but still 14 sounded pretty cold so I decided to wait until the sun was up and out and left about an hour or so later when it had warmed up to 19.  As I walked I could feel it getting warmer and by the time I was back home the thermometer read 31 degrees.
I did a body electric workout before I left so I got that out of the way early in the day.  I walked around the lake.  I saw a few people here and there but it was pretty quiet.
I saw a wren on a branch of a tree and a downy woodpecker on the trunk of the same tree right near the path.  As I clicked the camera for what I thought would be a great shot, they both took off.   Farther on though I saw this big bird which I don't know what it is fly by and land on top of the light.  I had to zoom in but still I was glad to get the picture.  Does anyone know what it is.

After not being able to get much of a walk in yesterday it was so nice to be out walking on a nice sunny day.  I stopped often around the lake just to take a close look at things.  I had finished walking around the lake and started up the path away from it and sat down on a bench just to look back and say a prayer of thanks to God for giving me such a great place to walk and for all the beauty around me.  I felt a wash of joy come over me and knew that it was God smiling down on me and saying Your Welcome.

Continued walking and hadn't gone very far when I saw some geese walking around on the hill.  When I stopped to take their picture I scared them (not on purpose) and they all took off.

From there I walked on home.
Walked 6.7 miles.

Sunrise 7:02

Sunset 5:42

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When I got home there were 8 shirts waiting to be ironed so I did that while I watched some house shows on HGTV.
That done I made some corn bread to go with supper tonight.  I made the recipe that was on the box.  It was quick and easy.  I tasted a little bit of it when it was done and it wasn't the best I've ever had but it was pretty good.

I been wanting to bake these molasses cookies ever since I saw the recipe on Vee's Blog.  I've been moving the recipe from one place to another for quite a while now and today I finally got around to baking them.  Since this is the first time I've baked them I had to eat one to see how they came out.  After eating one I wanted another but only ate the one.  BUT,  I'll be having more later tonight for my snack!! They are sooooo good.  The cookies are supposed to be bigger made with a tablespoon, but I made them teaspoon size.  That's one way to count down on the calories. : )

After I got the kitchen cleaned up, I spent a little time working on my counted cross stitch.  Usually I use two strands for the cross stitch and one strand for the backstitching.  There are some half cross stitches that I'm doing now that call for five strands.  It doesn't make it easier or harder just mentioning it because I've never had to use that many strands before.

In just a little while I'll go and do some reading until Ken comes home from work and it's time to eat.

Hope your having a great start to this week.
A smile from me to you.
Happyone

Remember the tea kettle -

it is always up to its neck in hot water,

yet it still sings!

~Author Unknown