Ariving home after a hard day at the office, January 2002.

Here's Doug just entering the kitchen after a hard day at the office. He just put his attache case down and is now contemplating his afternoon activities.

Reading the paper on the patio, January 2002

Doug is enjoying the sunshine and warmth of the patio.

Reading and sunning on the patio.

Doug is enjoying the sunshine and the morning paper on the patio. Between reading, Doug watches the squirrels feeding in the bird feeder and several robins taking advantage of a free bath.

Dinner time

Here's Doug just sitting down to a scrumptious bowl of home-made chicken dumpling soup.

Stiring the soup

Doug is busy making home made chicken soup from scratch. Yes scratch...he boiled a whole chicken to make the broth, then added celery, carrots and then right before serving he made the dumplings.

Preparing the ingredients for soup

Doug is carefully chopping all the carrots and celery for his home made chicken soup.

Napping on the patio.

What more can I say...after a good meal, or anytime for that matter it always feels good to stretch out on a cold day in the sun and take a short nap.

Off to the BX

Doug is walking down the hall to get his hat and coat before heading off to the BX to try to purchase a CD that won't be release for another 20 days.

Coffee on the patio

Doug is enjoying the early morning sunshine and coffee on the patio.

Smile

Would you call this a self-portrait?

Where is everyone?

Walking into the bedroom to get out of those work clothes and start computing!

Computing and web cams.

Here's Doug on the web cam. Can you see it on the screen?

At the computer

Just sitting down to probably change or add something to our web pages.

Spinning the CD's

The CD player is going almost constantly. Here I'm loading it up for an afternoon of good listening. First up was a new CD by "Nickle Creek". Bluegrass you say? It really is not the hard core bluegrass of old.

Another self-portrait

Yes that's Doug taking a picture of himself. Don't get the idea that I have too much time on my hands.

Dinner

A close up of my pride and joy...just look at those beautiful dumplings, and yes they were delicious. Just like my mother used to make.

Stoking up the fire.

Doug Stokes up the fire on a late January afternoon. Unfortunately he didn't have the camera with him when he was chopping down the tree, so you will just have to use your immagination and believe him!

Warming by the fire

Enjoying the fire and all his hard work. I've always been told that when you have a wood fireplace you get warmth not only when you are burning the wood, but also when you are chopping it.

Doug keeping the house tidy.

Not a moment to rest. Doug is always having to work to keep the home front going while his wife is on vacation. Come back soon to see Doug in action doing the dusting, cleaning toilets, doing the laundry and maybe even washing windows.

Another day...I thought it was never going to end. It sure feels good to be home.

Surveying ice storm damage

Here Doug is in the back yard displaying the small tree branch down as a result of the great ice storm of 2002 that crippled most of the state of Oklahoma and caused the utility company to possibily request a rate hike to make up for the great losses in downed lines and poles.

Heavy duty computing. Since Home Alone Part I, I've received a new computer...see the flat screen and a new super-duper notebook with a 15.7 " screen

Having to keep the house clean. Here you can observe Doug polishing the furniture.

More furniture polishing...who ever said housework was hard?

Cooking Class 101. Here Doug is preparing his evening meal. See the next picture for a detailed view of the actual preparation procedures.

Doug's evening meal.

Staying connected. Doug sitting on the patio bench talking on the cordless phone to his absent wife.

I took this picture to mainly show the new sun mask plaque hanging on the fence behind me. A large view of it is posted on our garden spot.