Christmas will be different

Didn't think much about it being a winterish month until high winds, heavy snow and power outages arrived a couple of weeks ago. Nothing compared to the ongoing C-19 pandemic. After surviving the Thanksgiving Day holiday while the predicted pandemic surge forged ahead as warned we now face a Christmas weekend with the same modus operandi and most likely with similar results. The new vaccines cannot get here soon enough.

Back to the weather, had another foot of snow added to the previous storm. Sunny day, nice for cleaning up the yard. 

Things I (we) didn't expect

Looking back to November 2019 there were plenty of things to keep my mind occupied. The heating up of election campaigns, upcoming holidays, changing of the seasons, staying busy at work, countdown to my retirement, among many other things. 3-4 months later, COVID-19 took over the attention of people planet wide. Business/employment collapsing in many sectors of commerce, industry, non-profits, schools and a plethora of other organizations adversely. So just about everyone of us have had our lives affected in multiple ways and need to handle them in our own ways.

My present perspective as a new retiree and the expectations I had a year a ago pre-COVID-19.

• Being laid off six months before retirement at the beginning of the pandemic (events not connected).
• Never thought we would be scrambling for toilet paper, disinfectant and shopping on practically empty shelves at the grocery store (not that bad now).
• Never thought I'd be wearing a face mask when I went anywhere (still sucks).
• Never thought we would be standing outside stores separated by six feet apart waiting for a turn to get inside (not that bad now).
• Once retired expected to be doing yard work and projects (happening). Taking in some local school's sports teams an other activities now and then, (not happening).
• Visit more often with my 93 year old mother at her elderly apartment facility and take her out to lunch. Now one visitor at a time. Not worth taking the chance. I do try to call weekly.
• Expected spending Thanksgiving with Ian and Ali who live in the next state, didn't happen. COVID surge. Fingers crossed for Christmas.

Could go on but you get the gist.

Well, that's where I'm at now, All my closest relatives have been healthy though a nephew who is a first responder has had bouts with the virus. (lives across country from us) so I am fortunate where it's most important.

Happy holidays, be safe, wear your mask.

Junk begone

Now then, dumpster follow up - it has come and gone. It was a beautiful thing. 14 x 7 x 4 ft empty giant bin that Carol and I filled front to back, top to bottom and stuffed in every cranny that we could fit some thing into. Then I watched it driven away.

Wasn't cheap but worth it. Had some stuff left over so I loaded up most of it and took it to the bulky waste facility at a neighboring town who charged me about $40 to depose it there. There is more to get rid of but it will take a little time to make it happen. Need a pile of bricks?

More for October

Big project for the month was bringing down the old woodshed that had been deteriorating for years since we stopped burning firewood.

We are getting a large dumpster dropped

off to load this week and the weekend to 
rid of most of the remains of the shed and

other materials from earlier projects.

Will be a big change in the look of this

part of the yard.

Also, camper has gone into storage for the winter.

A couple of other projects coming up in the next month.

Stay tuned.

Catch-up for October and a milestone

Nothing new here, on the first weekend of October we were off to our favorite two-nighter campground. Beyond of  just hanging around we did a (cloudy) road trip into New Hampshire for some cross-state leaf peeping.

Of more significance, Carol and I celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary on that Saturday!
Many more to come.

View across the road from the campground.

Road trip views

Back to home base

Labor Day 2020 extended weekend

Finally getting around to blogging our Labor Day weekend on Mount Desert Island the last week or so. Like last year we did a Thursday – Tuesday stay, plenty of time to kickback and get out and abouts. Lois and Jim were in the site next to us. Also on a nearby campsite friends of Carol and Lois' family were Grayton and Jamie. Of course COVID-19 was still a factor with the campground office/store relegated as a office only though firewood could be purchased with our credit cart account. and use of face masks and social distancing was fully in effect even on the hiking and bike trails.

Did some socializing with Carol and Lois' cousin John S and wife Linda and their friend (and ours) Inga where we had a lobster dinner.

Carol and I did a 3.5 hour, 5.4 mile hike on Friday of our stay.

Great Notch Trail – Had a long stretch of elevation
climb though the trail was easy to navigate.

Long Pond Trail – Lead us down slope to Long Pond
where the wooded trail followed the shoreline back to

where we parked the truck.

Saturday at Inga's for lobster dinner. John S is a
lobsterman so we came by the lobsters directly
from the sea.

Biking the Carriage Roads of
Acadia National Park – Monday we loaded the
bikes into the back of the truck and headed
to a one of the entrances to the Carriage roads.

 Great weather the whole weekend, great eats and

company. Great way to spend the holiday weekend.

Dipping a toe in the employment water

Up to this point of being laid off, the corona virus pandemic and dealing with unemployment compensation I've been at odds whether I should be seriously searching for a job given that I will be retiring in September. At that point I'd be taking Social Security payments and withdrawals from my retirement savings. Until recently there was no mandate to be actively looking for work and as the mandate did take effect emailing resumes have been disingenuous as I have no desire to work full time. That being the case I signed on with a national and a local temp agencies. The local offered some work that I thought might be fine but as it turned out put me in a situation with people who were cavalier with social distancing recommendations among several other issues. With that I'll wait out the situation for the next few of weeks and pick up a life of a sometime blogger and home and yard baron, much as I'm doing now.

Back to the Bunker

Been a week since since Carol and I returned from our lake camp vacation. As the hot summer temperatures dominated the weather at home it had carried on farther north to the camp with a big exception, the breeze from the lake itself. Ian had joined us for the first three nights, he and I managed to get in 9 holes at the local golf course. He also took out one of the kayaks to visit a point directly across the lake and followed that with a paddle up a adjoining stream he last visited as a youngster in a canoe with brother-in-law Jim and I as we were doing some fishing. Kind of disappointed that Carol and I didn't kayak for all the preparation we did to bring them along. Better luck next year. Otherwise we biked the camp road, took a long drive around the greater region, did a couple of projects for the camp (assembled a new fire pit, a level concrete pad for the grill to sit on) relaxed and watched the sunset.

Once back home more yard stuff and dealing with changes to the unemployment requirements. Need to start actively looking for work. Wasn't necessary during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still a couple of months until my real retirement.

Old news

Written updates from two-three weeks ago, been a little too busy to finish it up back then.

Still mostly on the hot side of the weather situation but better than shoveling snow I always say. We did have a several downpours daytime and overnight over the last couple of weeks. Easier to hold my tongue about the heat as we have something like green grass growing in the backyard. Other than a few errand runs I've been holding down the fort here on Ledge Hill. I did leave the bunker to visit one of my brothers a couple of weeks ago. He and his wife bought a "handyman special" RV camper that he then rebuilt the front of (a lot of neglect) and some other fixes while his wife redid or cleaned up the insides and adding her own touches. They did a great job on it and promptly took off to a wilderness campground up near Moosehead Lake area. Can't wait to hear about their experiences. (update has a great time!)

I did get a portion of the yard makeover started with big help from my brother in law Jim. We dealt with the camper parking place next to the garage and widening some places where the driveway narrows using gravel. I had rented a compacter to settle it down solid.

Finally visited my mother. Picked her up, bought a couple of sandwiches, ate at a nearby park. Took a ride around the greater area including the neighborhood we use to live in. Good time for the two of us to get out and around.

Hot or not summer rolls on

A mix of pretty hot weather with some daytime and overnight downpours over the week past. Did have a short period of overcast skies to clear some brush, otherwise I get baked. Haven't been one for working outside under a scorching sun since I was much younger. Hoping for a break in the temperatures later in the week as I need to start some prep work to have my brother in law Jim regrade the a parking spot for the camper before having some landscaping done. Lot to be done before the snow flies.

Stay safe.

Escape from lock-down

Well, after more of the same around home Carol and I made for the camp Thursday with brother-in-law Jim riding shot gun and he'll meet up with Carol's sister Lois. We stayed through the Fourth of July Independence Day holiday at the family camp with Lois and Jim. The sister's brother lives nearby as does his daughter and her family, a little farther away so there was plenty interaction from all corners. Be that as it may I did have my concerns about the COVID-19 possibilities but it was good to get out and spend sometime with the family. That area of the state has a lower rate of transmission the elsewhere in spite of the boobs walking around common places without face masks. The icing on the cake was that Ian and Ali joined us on Friday as they had left the trail hike they were on due to bad weather and one of the dogs came down with an eye infection that needed treatment. Things did become little tight but it was worth it to have the extra time with them.

Moving into real summer

That it has been. After a period of a few days with mild conditions we entered an extended period after a previous warm up. It was nice outdoor working weather, the lawn was about as green as it would get and sunny skies. Then the temperature started to climb and the humidity with it, could get some work done but as the days went by it became harder to deal with as the lawn turned brown and only the weeds and bugs were thriving. Have managed to keep a good variety of birds happy.

In spite of the COVID-19 situation our state began allowing campgrounds among other businesses to open so Carol and I made a long weekend of it and took up residence at a CG in Skowhegan, Maine. We had not been there before.

Last weekend Ian and Ali with the grand-dogs had come up from New Hampshire for Father's day. Caught up with each other while enjoying some summer beverages followed by a few rounds of corn hole, I need to up my  game. Finished up with burgers from the grill, corn on the cob and other fixings. All too short of time to spend together. We haven't seen them since Christmas, had we only known what was to come. At this time they and the dogs have begun a two week hike on a portion of the Appalachian Trail. Hope they get some good weather.

May 2020 catchup

Never say never for snow... in May!

OK, more snow came back on May 9th of all things. Had setup the gazebo 2 weekends before. Leading up to the snow's arrival we were well informed it was on the way but to see it that morning had some impact with 4 - 5 inches. As it wound down I actually pulled some of the snow from the top of the gazebo in case the weight of it could tear the cover. Temps were in the mid- to high 30s and the sun came out so the most of it was melted away by late afternoon.

Unemployment pays.
Guess I get confused often enough so trying to navigate the state's unemployment system hasn't been a breeze for me. I did finally with a little online "Chat" help from someone in a different sector and now I have 4 weeks unemployment compensation in the bank plus money from the federal that I will not complain about. I expect to see a deposit weekly until my benefits run out and see what may happen next.

This week Carol has returned to work at the office. She had gone in for a day here and there but since the end of March had been basically working from home. I had really enjoyed that time together, it gave us a chance to see what in may be like when she retires in March.

The pandemic is still the situation of each day, so far no one I know in my side of the family has contracted it. One nephew on Carol's side tested positive about a month ago. He is a first responder in Texas and also volunteers working with the homeless there.

Finally getting temperatures up to summer standards, bright sun and temps in the upper 80s really puts the beat-down on me when trying to get something done out in the open. Still, better that snow.

Time dilation effect

Northern Flicker - insect diet,
my lawn is full of bugs so I'm
off the hook to feed him.

It's Friday, seems I just got out of bed on Monday. I had been wondering as I came into this period of my life that the days may drag on after having left behind the hectic days of the cube farm life. Not the case so far. I start the week that way and now here on Friday it is as though I'd time jumped ahead. I don't rush through a day, keeping a more or less moderate pace, reading, yard work, errands, etc. with a short nap tossed in for good measure. Lately I've been trying to get a brush cutter running and some ongoing raking and yard debris cleanup. Sunday Carol and I set up the screen room on what had been the warmest day of the year so far. Before and since then it's been on the chilly side. The birds have been coming and going so I keep the feeders stocked up. Got to keep them happy.

With the COVID-19 protocols in effect the brothers

and I will not be able to visit and take our mother

out to lunch so this photo from last year will have
to do

Stay Safe

Long way to adjusting

While perusing the preeminent business social networking service known to employment-kind I came across a job listing darn close to my previous job. Though I find myself satisfied as chief groundskeeper of my domain on Ledge Hill I started working up a resume tailored to the job description. Fortunately, Carol brought up whether I was intending taking up full time work as I approach full retirement and all that implies, most of which I'd been happy to leave behind at my previous employment. Ah, not really. Must have been a bit of ego gone astray, good thing she reeled me back to earth. Close call there, I might have gotten the job.

Isn't over till its over – more April snow and that other thing

Yeah, its coming, 3 - 5 inches over night into tomorrow. Right now there is very little chance I'm going to do any clean up. Temps will be in the high 30s to mid 40s. We have no reason to drive anywhere, should melt away in a day or two. The weather for the remainder of the week isn't all that great but no snow in the forecast.

Last week was pretty nice, some chilly, some mild. Still working on yard related projects. Yesterday we retrieved the camper from storage – no idea when we will be able to use it thanks to COVID-19. We do have campground reservations for late in the the summer that I hope we'll be able use. Anything earlier we'll have to wing it. Ian said we should camp out in the yard – maybe if we had a sewer hookup, otherwise we can use it as a pleasant retreat.

Home again

Stay safe

Waiting for the backside curve

Other than another week of sheltering at home and social distancing, etc. things here have had their moments. A week ago Friday we had a moisture laden snowstorm that cut across a large region of the state with down power lines and slippery road conditions. Of course snow in April is not that big of a deal unless the snow was heavy enough to drop tree branches and such onto power lines leaving several  hundreds of thousands of customers without electricity which is what happened. That included those of us here around Ledge Hill. So we and the neighbor's generators were put to use and the power by the next afternoon. At least a distraction for a short time from COVID-19 happenings.

Now that I have passed my first full week of semi-retirement/unemployment, managing paper work for unemployment and working out financial matters regarding my future retirement I've taken to  yard work. Trimming low and broken branches, raking the yard perimeter of several years of deteriorating and fresh oak leaves with other debris. Barely made it a tenth of the way around the area. Need to get it done before the regular yard plant growth gets to full bloom. Plenty more to do elsewhere now that I have more time at home.

Not that I was in a hurry

As sometimes happens people lose their jobs, in my case my "position" has been eliminated. Nice though in reality I'm good with it. It's taken a big load of stress off my shoulders as I knew there was that there was a strong possibility of it happening. The workload had been getting more complex taking some of the job satisfaction out of it as well. Others have been laid off also though a small percentage in my office. So I get an early start on my retirement though I will look into finding a new job as I will not begin my real retirement until fall. Could be tough during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meantime call me semi-retired and we'll see how that fits for now.

Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to the store and social distancing we go

Not surprisingly Carol's weekly Thursday grocery shopping had a few gaps of regular items we usually pickup. Yes, TP and sanitizer were no shows though we are set with those items but not forever. This morning we headed out in search of the missing items at our nearby WM. Though they were not terribly busy it's still sort of unnerving to think that being nearby other people in spite of using social distancing is that enough, are we touching things that may be COVID-19 contaminated. One of the things we were short on were dishwater pods that we found but along the way we passed the TP aisle - empty and the same passing the aisle where the sanitizer should have been.

Once home after having lunch we got outside and were able to do some of the post winter yard cleanup on a mild and sunny Saturday afternoon. There will be a lot to do this spring around the yard.

Stay Safe

Hunkered down... more or less

COVID-19 is now front and center of everyday life. That's quite an adjustment that everyone must adhere to for the foreseeable future. Chafes don't it. Friday Carol brought her work computer home Friday, I'm having problems with my situation and hope to resolve it at my office tomorrow then be able to do the same. First couple of days practicing social distancing strategies to minimize exposure to COVID-19 is under way - shopping is the big one. Our food and other goods have been OK but we could use a shopping day by Thursday. Today to get out of the house a bit we drove to our town's main boat launch, parked the truck then took a brisk hour long walk to the local plaza and back then home for lunch. We sorted out some exercise equipment and arranged a workout area on one end of the living room and I got some vacuuming done to lead up to afternoon coffee and a snack. Keeping it simple.

On a lighter note Carol again prepared a wonderful St Patrick's Day supper. Corn beef and cabbage braised in Riesling, served up with a pint of Guinness. Sláinte!

Stay Safe

Unnecessary armageddon

Now that the Corona-virus has gone pandemic and pretty much before I'm beginning to think that maybe the Corona-virus has a mental disorder element within it. A lot of people sure make it seem possible. Let's see: people buying up toilet paper, bottled water, etc. A sane person shopping such as Carol picking up the weekly groceries found a lot of empty shelves, no bananas, many cuts of meat and vegetables and frighteningly enough the canned cat food we buy cleaned out! She was able to pick up a few bottles of wine as usual without any issues. Odd, not clearing out the wine shelves, that would have been one of my first grabs. Yes, at some point there will be people in self quarantine, doesn't mean a neighbor/relative/Amazon couldn't drop off some groceries now and then including a package of toilet paper if needed - we are not talking about diarrhea or the storm of the century here. Too may people need to get a grip. The real issue besides our health is the retirement funds taking a hit. Now that gets my attention.

Manageable weather and corona-virus woes

So far it's been a mild winter, inconvenient at times but manageable. Birds have returned to the feeders having been practically missing in action since late August. Hopefully a good sign for an active spring, summer and fall activity. Work has been busier than I like making me more anxious to retire than I had been. Doesn't make it any easier thinking about my retirement funds waving in the winds of the corona-virus with stock market and other means of retirement savings giving investors nightmares. Fortunately I'm pretty well diversified and should manage to come out of it with gains before I need it.

Welcome to Superbowl Sunday!

So my Green Bay Packers didn't make it to the big game - close though, one win short. That said the two teams that made it should put on a great show. The team that beat the Pack the San Francisco 49ers vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. We'll watch it from home, the cheapest tickets were running in the $10,000 range, a little above my pay grade. For the record I'm picking the Chief's to win 38 to 24. The bettor's spread I think is Chief's minis 1. If it's a good game it doesn't matter to me who wins - entertain me.

Catching up... again

Been two weeks since the last family Christmas get together this time it was with my side of the family. Another great turnout at the apartment facility my mother lives at. Again using the available function room there helps a lot considering how many there are with spouses, girl-boy friends, nieces, nephews and their kids. Never all of them as some need to be elsewhere. Overall it's been remarkable time being able get together with each family group during a very special time of the year.

Hope visitors to this blog have a great 2020!