Oct 31, 2012 No snow!



Valley fog yesterday.

 Come the cold weather every Autumn, I have all but forgotten just how long and how much energy it takes to get ready to go outside.  The dogs get all excited when they see what we're doing, but, literally, end up lying down and taking a short nap while they wait for us.  Then there is the trudging - vs. walking - through the snow.  I'm not really complaining, just wondering how I tend to gain a little weight in the winter.  Oh, yeah - Christmas!  Eggnog, cookies, candy, etc., etc.

While we had snow, JB filled up two very large bowls and three coffee cans with snow and really packed it down.  We ended up with 2-1/2 gallons for all our effort, snow being just very fluffy water.  However, we did find out the real reason why the generator didn't work on Sunday.  Mother Nature was saying, "Oh, don't pump for water.  I can fill the cistern for you now!"  We got the generator going on Monday, our theory being right on why it wouldn't start, only to find that the cistern had once again filled by itself.  Not all the way to the top this time, but a good two or three feet.  Unfortunately, when we tried to pump, the wind was making so much noise that we couldn't tell if it was pumping or not.  Will try again today.

And it was very windy on Monday.  We did manage to get the last three rounds split for fire wood and stacked on the north end of the porch.  And that finished the outside row.  The temperature got up to 50 and the snow is 95% gone.  All 15 inches of it.  But the wind seemed to blow the moisture away and kept the ground from getting too soggy.

We got up at 6:00 am on Tuesday in order to give ourselves plenty of time to make it to JB's 9:00 dentist appointment to have a broken tooth pulled.  The road was actually much better than we expected with just a couple slippery places.  Got all my errands done, including dropping off our ballots.  We were home by noon, and JB slept most of the rest of the day and night, just getting up to eat some mashed potatoes and jello.  Am sure he will be doing much better today.  I spent the afternoon and evening reading the mail.  Lots of catalogues to look through, which I always enjoy, especially toward the holidays.

I am really worn out thinking about the election, so I'm not going to fret any more.  What will be, will be.  If Obama wins, I may just become a hermit and never leave the mountain again. . .

Thought for the day:  I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited.  There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.  Ronald Reagan