Chillin'

Presently in the midst of a quiet week after a weekend of temperatures in the 40s we're back to the cold side. I'd say we're about 15 degrees or more colder than average for this time of year. Upside has been no new snow to cleanup or drive through. The truck and car appear to be garaged in a salt mine, maybe a drive to the car wash is in order for the weekend.

In the rearview mirror

Nice to have the relentless winter battering behind me for the time being. From wicked cold to snowstorm after snowstorm and finished off with some heavy rain turning roadway snow into slippery slush with winter thunder and lightening. Today and tomorrow mild and sunny, temps in the 40s, can step outside without a jacket, just put a sweatshirt on to keep the breeze at bay. I rolled out the snowbeast to check the auger and drive cables and adjusted the skidplates so I'm ready for the next storm that thankfully isn't yet in the 5 day forecast. By Monday there will be a steady drop in temperatures but having the weekend that is I won't think much about what's to come.

S-O-S, different day

I know how tomorrow starts and there is a forecast for an afternooner for when I finally get back home from work.

Me and snow, we go way back

When I was a kid the only time I put a shovel to snow was to dig a snow cave or tunnel. As an homeowner the shovel is a given but I've also used a lawn tractor with a blower attachment, for a number of years we had our driveway done by a snow plow guy and now for the last 10 - 15 years it's been the walk behind snowthrower - I'm on my second, a Troy-Bilt 28 inch wide. Thursday's 9 - 10 inches of snow and last night's 4" additional snow have kept me quite busy though at this point I'm open to other forms of winter recreation like moving to a warmer winter climate.

Winter wiggles

Picked up a bit of frostbite during snow removal operations after last week's storm. I had my boots packed too tight to allow air to help insulate inside the boots. I've been out clearing snow for a long time, had cold feet often but nothing that ever ended up as a medical condition. Finally visited the doc today, the discomfort didn't seem to be improving. He looked over my toes particularly the big left toe which had the largest sore, about the size of a quarter. He went through what I should do in the future, stuff I know just never bothered with or thought what I have was and usually is enough. Recommended the toe/foot warmer pads, better socks and boots. For treatment of the present condition keep my toes warm and 600 mg of ibuprofen 3 times a day for two weeks. There I thought my toes were going fall off. I get to put to practice what I've been told, snowing now with projections of 10 inches or more by morning. Will the fun ever stop.

Into this life a little (more) snow must fall

Dang, all in for the night when I remember that I hadn't gassed up the snowblowerbeast. Just brought home a fresh gallon of gas last night. Had filled up the truck and was about finished filling the gas can when a Japanese woman from the other side of the pumps said to me "a lot of the animals are dying". Concerned I was about to get an earful of anti-hunter spiel I asked "what animals?" "The ones in the woods" she replied, "from all the snow and the cold weather, there must be a lot of them dying". Well I tried to assure her that most animals will hunker down during the worst of it. She didn't seem convinced as I capped the can, loaded into the back and made for the warmth of the front seat to get home. It had been a long day as I'd gone to workout first thing so I stayed at the office until 6pm. It's been a long cold streak and it's finally catching up to me dragging my attitude and energy down and now we're expecting snow to come in midday tomorrow, ending Friday morning after leaving about 10 inches in it's wake. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm.

Dead Cat Walking

Not actually, more of a sight for sore eyes. It all started like a normal weekday morning - I get up at 4:45am, one or both dogs comes down stairs with me to go out for the morning's business, if one goes the other one appears after I close the door on the first. Then Scotia shows up for her own personal exit. Then I fill the food bowls and a fresh bowl of water, let the dogs back in and maybe the cat comes back in, maybe not. Didn't remember either way this morning. We received a wee bit more snow overnight than had been forecast, enough that I wanted to clean the driveway after eating my breakfast. Still dark out when I open the garage door where I see cat paw prints heading away along the driveway to about where under the snow there is piled lumber that Scotia frequents in search of chipmunks but as I approach that location with the snowthrower the tracks end in a little circle of disturbed snow no paw prints going away from there in any direction. Damn I think, a fricking Snowy Owl nabbed my cat!

Those things can grab 12lbs of cat and hell she's barely 7 years old, I'm too close to retirement to break in a new cat (that's another story for another day). So I lament her loss over the day, not a good way to go being hauled off suddenly by a bird of prey the day after she was trying to prey on birds in the backyard. I wondered if she might have managed to escape the talons and survive to find her way home. Once home

from work on a drive where I anticipated having to inform Carol of the tragic end of our feline family member I was met by the dogs and as we entered the house there's the cat in the kitchen watching our entrance, normal as can be. I picked her, looked her over, healthy as ever. Told Carol my story, she says that Scotia had been in all day. Idiot cat!! But how did she get from where her tracks ended in the snow covered driveway and am I going to lose sleep over it tonight?!?

Quiet winter Sunday

No plans today that involved going anywhere, just staying home doing a few household tasks, relaxing and watching the Olympics. Sunny day with a forecast of light snow overnight.

 

A cat, a dog and a bird hanging out in harmony... well, the cat, Scotia, is hoping the bird would visit her at the fence post - not happening. As far as Patches is concerned "what happens in the backyard, stays in the back yard".

RV open house and shows season

The first of our local RV dealers open houses is going on. Carol and I visited Call of the Wild last Sunday our second year of "not" shopping for the next camper but we still like to look at what's available and the latest additions and features. This is the place we purchased our first two campers. Other than a couple of travel trailers in the showroom we only looked over the 5th wheelers outdoors. CotW is the only dealership we've been to that actually has a showroom. Not an overly large space but they manage to get 2 or 3 medium sized travel trailers, several small ones and multiple folding campers inside.

 

 

 

 

 

The open house offers hot dogs, donuts, soft drinks and coffee, after imbibing of the offerings we wander over to the Parts & Accessories department for a look around usually talking over ideas about additions or improvements on our own RV. We've been in and out of the CotW since 1997 when we bought our folding camper, for visitors and their floor staff there has been one restroom available which sometimes has a short line to use the facilities. On the wall over the WC is a framed old time original promotion print that I enjoy seeing on each visit, picture below. Curious about what it sounded like so I googled "it's nice to get up in the morning but it's nicer to lie in bed" where I was able to hear it on You Tube. There are several videos with the song, here's the one I liked.

As usual - there's no place like home.

Winter lament

Put gas in the snowthower, engage the choke, pull the cord, snowthower fires up - it's 5:30am, dark and I'm cold and tired. Did enough to clear the driveway and part of the parking area, then a bit of the deck and a dog path along the backyard fence. That took about an hour, eventually got to work, almost twice the usual time. Not bad considering that once I got to the state road it was a line of traffic most of the way then all the traffic lights on the way to intown Portland would go through two or three cycles before I could get by to the next one. Much prefer weekend snow but the odds are 5 to 2 against me.

Winter is back and bold

It was due to happen eventually, more snow. Well enough to have to shovel, snowblow or plow. It's been a couple of weeks or so since the last time I fired up the Troy-Bilt. Today's blessing from above began about 6am and is winding down now 8:30 in the evening. Should be about 8 inches. I'll tackle it in the morning around 5:30 after having some breakfast. Close to time for a glass of red with a snack then off to get a few hours sleep before the fun begins. Wouldn't want to get picked up for SUI (Snowblowing Under the Influence).

Superbowl Sunday

The final game of the 2013 NFL season will begin shortly with the Seattle Seahawks vs the Denver Broncos and even though my Green Bay Packers will not be playing this time I'm still looking forward to a great game. Most years that has been my approach as not only am I a fan of the Packers, I'm a fan of the NFL. There have been the occasional game that for whatever reason I more or less just didn't find the game that appealing. This year's game doesn't fall into that category, match ups are such that watching how it all plays out should be fun. My pick, Seahawks 27 - 24. Game on!

Late to nowhere

Well I buggered up attending Uncle Don's funeral yesterday. Began by running late, then the address I entered into the Garmin was wrong. I had enter street name "Ave" when it was actually street name "Road". I gave up trying to figure it out when it was half hour after the service was to begin. A few years ago the state was making the effort to improve the 911 system which if I remember correctly included eliminating redundancies in street names in towns and cities. Apparently they overlooked those two. Regardless my bad, should have left earlier and should have figured it out. I'm usually pretty good at road stuff like that. Not surprising it seemed to set the tone for the remainder of the day, a case could be made that it was self inflicted and I'd plead guilty as charged. The day ended well with Carol and I having a chicken and bean supper, two bottles of wine and conversation to solve the world's problems. I slept pretty good after that.