April 28, 2017 Work, Work, Work

One of Thursday's deer.

Our first alpine
shooting star.

Wednesday 4/26. Very windy all day, so I worked on the refrigerator, cleaning it and refilling the cans with snow from the little bit that is left on the north side of the house.  I also put everything in the freezer down into the fridge.  Once I was done, the temperature fell from 31 back down to 23.

JB baked blueberry scones today.  Soooo good!

It was a fairly nice afternoon sun wise, but the wind was gusting up to 18 mph.  Our high for the day was 50 (not counting the wind chill).

Thursday 4/27. It was a chilly 32 and clear this morning, but the wind was still blowing.  Gusting to 14 mph.

We got outside before 10:00 am to work on taking out about 40 feet of fence on the south ridge.  There were four rows of barbed wire to be rolled up and seven fence posts to be taken out.  Got that done before noon.  Then after lunch, with the tractor JB pulled out several dead bushes that were on top of the ridge, while I drove Miss Kitty up and took three large loads of huge, old branches that were just over the other side of the ridge down to the wood cradle.  I have wanted to do this for a few years now, but it has to be done before the rattle snakes get active.  Still more wood to haul, but we have time.  It feels so good to be doing this work again!

Several of the big ponderosa pine trees are dropping a lot of large pine cones now.  Some years they don't drop any, or if they do, the cones are small.  So many great crafting projects to do with all those cones. . .

Before our afternoon walk I was sitting on the porch when I saw four deer walking across the east slope up to the south ride.  First time we have seen them since last Fall.  Dinga was on the porch with me but is just too blind to have seen them, so I got a few good pictures.  About ten minutes later when both dogs and I were on the ridge for our walk, Jesse got a whiff of the deer and was off into the canyon.  A whiff was all he got though, as they were gone by then.

With the warm sun and cool wind, it was a perfect day for working outside.  I ended up taking off my vest and hoodie, and working in just T-shirt and jeans.  Our high for the day was 52.

Friday 4/28. It is 34 and mostly clear this morning and that wind is still blowing.  I plan to drive Miss Kitty down to get the mail today.

Thought for the day: To be good, and to do good, is the whole duty of man comprised in a few words.  Abigail Adams, second First Lady

April 26, 2017 The Tractor Whisperer

Larry & Elsie's wild tom turkeys
strutting their stuff.

The balsam root is blooming1

As is the dwarf waterleaf.

Monday 4/24. We drove Miss Kitty down to Larry and Elsie's in order to bring JB's Jeep up to where our road meets the main canyon road.  Had a nice visit with them and were able to see their turkeys.  Those toms are beautiful when they are strutting their stuff!   Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be our national bird, but I am really glad they decided on the eagle.  Also beautiful is the hillside of blooming balsam root that Elsie said began on Saturday.

JB had to add some transmission fluid to his Jeep, but he drove it up where we wanted it and it will stay there until May 3 when he takes it down to be fixed.

Around noon Larry drove up on his four wheeler to check out our tractor, and brought their youngest grandson who is three.  Larry got on the tractor and started just pushing buttons.  When he pushed one that has absolutely nothing to do with starting the motor, it rumbled to life!  His new nickname is The Tractor Whisperer.

I walked up to the south ridge with Larry's grandson and as soon as we got there, he pointed to the peak and wanted to go up there.  So up we went.  When talking to Elsie later in the evening, she said he almost fell asleep riding back down to their place.  Then he did fall asleep as soon as she put him in the car seat to go home.

There are so many birds around now.  At least one wren is back and singing his song.  Haven't seen any more hummingbirds though.

There was a light overcast most of the day, but the sun broke through a bit in the afternoon and our high for the day was 48.  Since the snow is all gone, there is no more water leaking into the cistern, so I pumped in well water after doing the wash.

Tuesday 4/25. It was 34 and clear this morning, but clouds soon moved in and our high for the day was 50.

On our morning walk we saw five or six balsam root plants that had burst into bloom, finally.  There are also many of the dwarf waterleaf plants with their new purple blooms.

Since JB has his toy back (the tractor), he drove it up to the south ridge and we loaded the bucket several times with the rest of the large, old logs laying up there.  He dumped them all near the wood cradle.  That kept us busy for a while and then we sat on the porch.  We love sitting on the porch. . .

Wednesday 4/26. It is 38 and mostly cloudy with a wind gusting to 15 mph this morning.

Thought for the day: Historically, much of the motivation for public schooling has been to stifle variety and institute social control.  Jack Hugh

April 24, 2017 Good Weather For Working Outside

Almost.

We get our porch back.

Buttercups!

Friday 4/21. JB left for Down There a little before 9:00 am and made it out fairly easily.  He had to put transmission fluid in his Jeep and then was able to drive around just fine.

I vacuumed, worked a bit outside and just generally enjoyed the day.  Had a nice chat with Randy who is recovering from having an infected tooth pulled.  And our first hummingbird visited, checking to see if the syrup was out.  I usually wait until May 1 to do that

JB arrived home a little after 3:00 pm with mail, groceries, and gas.  He also brought up the year's worth of different gluten free flours and oatmeal that I had ordered from Bob's Red Mill.  We had the most incredibly delicious dinner of Costco rotisserie chicken, cole slaw and potato salad!  And milk!  Fresh milk, not powdered!  Life is good.

We will soon have more of a variety of wild flowers.  The balsam root is about to burst into bloom in a few different places, and the grove is covered with budding dwarf waterleaf.  The buttercups are out and yellow bells are spreading, along with the alpine spring beauties.  My Aunt Nene remembers yellow bells from the ranch where she grew up in Spokane Valley.  She would pick them for her Mother.

It is so funny to watch Dinga listening for moles.  She cocks her head like a robin listening for worms and then pounces, but rarely comes up with anything.

Five eggs from the girls again today.  Our high for the day was 56.

Saturday 4/22. It was 39 and mostly cloudy this morning.  We spent most of the morning enjoying newspapers and magazines.

We got our porch back today.  We used Miss Kitty to move the swing seat back to its frame south of the house.  A great seat from which to enjoy the view of the mountains.

I finished a Thomas Perry book, Vanishing Act, and started another one of his, Shadow Woman.  One of my favorite authors.  I also started another basket.

The morning sky threatened the forecast rain, but we just had a few short sprinkles, no more than it took to dot the porch steps.  Most of the afternoon was sunny with a high of 54.

Sunday 4/23. It was 37 and overcast this morning, but the sun managed to break through a few times.

JB read the book on the tractor but still couldn't get it started.  Tomorrow he will call the store where we bought it to see if they have any suggestions.  I went on both the walks today, up to the point each time.  And, of course, did all the daily chores.

Our project for the afternoon was to raise the threshold on the gate to the girls' run.  We are going to do this on the door to their hen house and the door to the garbage/recycle shed so we don't have to shovel so much snow out of the way in the winter.

There is very little snow anywhere now, except for the east slope.  Tomorrow morning we plan to drive down to Larry and Elsie's to bring JB's Jeep up to where our road meets the main canyon road.

There was a short but heavy shower while we were eating dinner, and our high for the day was 52.

Monday 4/24. It is 36 with a light overcast this morning.  Hopefully we can get out of here by 8:30 am to go get JB's Jeep.

Thought for the day: If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.  George Orwell

April 21, 2017 More Sun & Less Snow

Looks like an explosion
in the mole population!

Dinga enjoying the last of the
snow in the front yard.

Wednesday 4/19. We had a short rain shower at 11:40 am.  Almost to the minute that it was predicted.  It amazing how weather forecasters can be so exactingly correct and so very, very wrong.  Obviously today no errant butterfly flapped his wings in China.

There seems to be a lot more lawn-type grass coming up this year.  The alpine spring beauties are beginning to carpet the ground in several places, and there are more yellow bells every day.  My irises are popping up and have multiplied.  
There seems to have been a population explosion in the mole community, also.

JB made another pound cake today.  Now I know the real reason it's called pound cake - not because of how much it weighs, but because of how much it makes you weigh!

It was cloudy and breezy today with a high of 46, but with the past few days in the 50's, a lot more of the snow has disappeared, leaving a lot of mud.  But that's okay as the mud won't last nearly as long as the snow did.

Today was a record day for the girls.  They gave us SIX eggs!  Must be because I am picking grass and other greens for them, and gave them fresh shavings in their nesting boxes.  Good thing we are doing a lot of baking.

Thursday 4/20. It was 34 and partly cloudy this morning.  With the sun shining on the porch, I had to get out there with my coffee.  It rained overnight and suddenly the brown hillside is green.  Watching the robins, I think I know where one pair is nesting.

Such a gorgeous day and we had a high of 56!  JB got Miss Kitty ready for his trip Down There tomorrow, and I got mail ready to send.  We also sat on the porch in the afternoon just enjoying the day.

There is still a lot of snow on the east slope which is quite shady, but the only snow left in the yard in on the south side of the house.

Friday 4/21. It is 36 with clear blue skies this morning.  A perfect day for JB to go Down There.

Thought for the day: Why do we only Rest In Peace?  Why don't we live in peace too?  #Petrol Pump on Facebook

April 19, 2017 A Long Hike

My sixth basket.

Dinga with the deer leg
she found on our hike.

Our neighbors' outdoor
kitchen on its back.

Monday 4/17. I finished my sixth basket yesterday.  I have been trying different styles with each one.  This one didn't turn out quite like I wanted it to, but it's okay in general.

This morning Dinga started barking furiously, which is not so unusual, but she stayed by the house.  Jesse went out to the driveway with his tail and hackles up barking, but he, too, did not go any further.  It may have been a cat, but odds are it was a bear.

It was a beautiful day so we decided to hike down the road to see what condition it was in.  I went a little less than a mile and JB went about half that.  I think we will be able to get out on Friday as planned.  The dogs were thrilled to go on such a hike and Dinga found a deer leg bone.  We also checked our neighbors' place who have the yurt.  Unfortunately their outside kitchen was laying on its back!  When we got back home, I rested for a bit then took a tarp and bungie cords down to cover it so rain wouldn't get in.  I think the heavy snow sliding off the roof pulled it backwards.

On our hike I saw some of the large elk tracks and some scat I had never seen.  Back at the house, JB got out the book on tracks and scat, and we identified it as bobcat.

Clouds began moving in around noon, and we had a short rain shower around 4:00 pm.  But all in all it was a great day with a high of 56.

Tuesday 4/18. It was 36 and partly cloudy this morning.  Nothing will get you up faster in the middle of the night than hearing your dog barfing.  Obviously Dinga does not have the strong intestinal constitution that Jesse does. . .

Just before 8:00 am we saw a blue grouse in the yard strutting his stuff for a female.  He is beautiful.  I didn't get a photo, but I do have one and will look for it.

Big black clouds moved in, and around 11:30 the wind blew in a short, fierce rain/hail squall that left the ground white.  For the rest of the day we still had some clouds, but the sun shone most of the time.

We both read books, and I worked on my blogs.  We were going to take the tracks off MAX, but with rain in the forecast for today we decided to wait until tomorrow.

We can't get JB's Jeep into the shop until May 3, but JB is going to go down anyway.  He will do some shopping, pick up packages at Larry and Elsie's shop and get our mail.

Wednesday 4/19. It is 36 and overcast this morning.  Will see if we can get the tracks off MAX today.

Thought for the day: You are only what you are when no one is looking.

April 17, 2017 Wild Flowers!

Our first blooms -
yellow bells on the
south ridge.

Then spring beauties
on Saturday.

My main project
for Friday.

JB on the tractor with
Dinga supervising.

Friday 4/14. There is nothing like stepping out on the porch first thing on a crisp, sunny morning with snow still on the ground and hearing a robin singing.  Once we saw the first one, we have been seeing and hearing them every day.  Other than that, the best thing about a cold morning is that the mud is frozen.

On the morning walk, JB found some yellow bells blooming on the west end of the south ridge!

My main project for the day was extending the little drainage "canal" from the south side of the house so that it went across the driveway and way into the east side.  I used the macintosh which seems to get heavier every year.  JB got the tractor out and started moving some snow, until he got stuck in the mud.

The forecast rain got blown north and south of us as often happens, so we had quite a nice day with a high of 49.

The girls gave us five eggs again - two days in a row!  My aunt Nene says they know it's almost Easter.

Saturday 4/15. It was 30 and clear this morning, but clouds soon moved in.  We all went for the morning walk, the dogs and I going up to the peak.  When we arrived back at the house, JB made some more muffins.  Then after lunch he tried a new recipe for pound cake.  It is on the back of Bob's Red Mill sweet white rice package.  It turned out soooo good!

I worked on my other blog, the address for which is: livingremoteotg.blogspot.com.  Then I spent as much time outside as I could.  I collected some of the large branches that had broken off during the winter, and generally picked up little branches around the grove.  While doing that, I discovered that the little spring beauties are now popping up in many places.  I LOVE spring!  Sometimes I don't do anything but just walk around and enjoy.

Sunday 4/16. Easter Sunday began with a cool 30 and a very thin overcast which soon thickened and sliced off the tops of the mountains.  Very disappointed that we couldn't make it over for the family dinner, but we will one of these years.

JB tried to figure out what is wrong with the tractor as now it won't start.  He narrowed it down to the starter.  I worked on my blogs and a basket.  Pumped more water out of the cistern.  I took a hike after dinner and dragged a small log down from the south ridge.  It's that time of the year when we start gathering wood.

It turned out to be quite a gray Easter, with a high of 46.

Monday 4/17. It is 38 this morning with a few scattered clouds.  A little rain shower just passed through and there is probably more on the way.

Thought for the day: May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.  Nelson Mandela

April 14, 2017 Mud Season!

Lot more ground (mud)
visible now to the south. . .

. . .  the east. . .

. . .and to the north.

Wednesday 4/12. Mud season has begun with a vengeance and today's weather only made it worse.  It was a typical dreary, drizzley Seattle day and we were ensconced in the clouds the whole time.  I pumped water out of the cistern twice.  Our high for the day was 40.

Things I want so badly when I go Down There - a grande vanilla latte; a big, juice burger; a rotisserie chicken from Costco. . . and maybe some ice cream.

This was our third 5-egg day!  I think the girls were just too bored with the weather to do anything else.

Thursday 4/13. It was 33 and partly cloudy this morning.  We had received 3/4" of rain during the night.  So now there is even less snow and more mud.

Again, I had to pump water out of the cistern twice.  After the night's rain, it was full to the very top this morning.

There is no snow at all left on the south ridge all the way up to the peak.  I guess I should start going up there on our walks again.  I know I need the exercise.

I filled the cans in the refrigerator with snow, which may be one of the last times I can do that.  I got outside just in time for a hail shower with tiny, little hail.  When I was done, so was it.

I am spending at least an hour every day writing my new blog.  More time consuming than I thought it would be.

Clouds continued to drift across all day, but the sun managed to shine most of the time until late afternoon.  The wind tried to blow in some snow, but the squall went to the south.  By sundown the sky was blue.  Our high for the day was 48.

Friday 4/14. It is 30 and with mostly clear skies this morning, but more rain is in the forecast.

Thought for the day: Patience is counting down without blasting off.

April 12, 2017 Snow Flurries & Rain

Snow still by the
tractor on Saturday.

Enough said.

Tiny red shoots covering
the south slope on Tuesday.

Monday 4/10. The clouds had blown off to the northeast by 9:30 am and we had bright blue sky.  Until noon when we didn't.  More clouds moved in relentlessly and we had snow flurries off and on most of the afternoon.  None of the snow stuck and even the morning snow had soon disappeared.

Jesse didn't eat breakfast, but by dinnertime he was hungry and quite obviously feeling much more chipper.

I pumped some more water out of the cistern, but other than that it was just a slow day, with a high of 46.

Tuesday 4/11. It was a chilly 28 with clear sky this morning.  After feeding the chickens and dogs, I sat on the porch with my coffee.  Mmmmm.

By noon the sun was hiding behind a light overcast, but at least we didn't have any snow.  Our high for the day was 44.

JB baked a loaf of blueberry pound cake, and then made chicken chile for dinner.  I vacuumed, and then spent some time outside gathering small branches, and picking grass for the girls.  I have done that for the past few days, so now every time I walk by they come running to the gate.

Having finished season one of Mr. Robot, this evening we watched the movie Monuments Men.  I can see why it didn't get good reviews. . .

Wednesday 4/12. It is 34 and raining this morning.  Rain fell most of the night and we are in the clouds.

Thought for the day: Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it.  Diply on Facebook

April 10, 2017 Murky Water & A Mail Delivery

Jesse with his find.

Fence railings broken
from the weight of the snow.

Friday 4/7. Reading my blog lately seems little different from someone's life Down There, but with the snow still Up Here there is very little we can do outside that would make it different.  And I write about the weather a lot because it affects our lives so much more that when living Down There.  No paved roads and sidewalks at Rose Camp.  No county trucks to plow our road.  And due to our situation, we are so much more aware of the fickleness of Mother Nature.  As for the fog, I certainly do not want to be out when I can't see very well considering the critters we have Up Here.

Our cistern filled waaayyy up by itself since yesterday morning, and by the looks of the water, it is from snow melt leaking in.  Time to use our water filter.

A little rain shower blew in after 10:00 am, but it lasted just long enough to make some more mud.  We had some sun and blue sky in the afternoon, with a high of 44.  And we saw our first robin today!  It really is Spring!

I am learning a little more with every basket I make, and I think each one is a little better.  But I don't want them to be perfect, that's why I call them Rose Camp Rustics.

We started watching the first season of Mr. Robot this evening.  Very different, but very good.  Our son likes it and says that if you think you have it figured out, you haven't been watching closely enough!

Saturday 4/8. It was 32 and overcast this morning.  The cloud cover soon broke up and we had blue sky and sunshine, but with a strong, icy breeze.  Our high for the day was 44.

A week or so ago our battery room door came off its hinges.  I had jerry-rigged it with bungee cords, but today we finally got out and fixed it.  Used screws instead of nails this time.

This is the first winter we have really used a lot of our long-term, freeze-dried foods.  The chicken is very good, although we are not too fond of the diced ham.  However, the fruits and vegetables are great.  It is so handy to have potatoes, spinach and broccoli available all the time.

Jesse has obviously found a fairly fresh deer kill, possibly by a cougar or coyotes.  A week ago we found a pile of deer hair by the swing, then today we found Jesse over there chewing on a deer leg and enjoying it immensely.  Don't know if he ever shared it with Dinga.

The cistern was so full this morning that I had to hook up a hose to the hydrant and empty some of it.  I pulled the hose across the drive so the water could run down into the large swale.

On the radio this evening, Larry said he would be up with another mail delivery tomorrow morning!  This would also give him a chance to check out our road to figure how long it might be before we could get Miss Kitty out.

Just before we went to bed I decided I better check the cistern again.  It had already filled up, so I was up another 45 minutes with the generator on while it emptied some more.

Sunday 4/9. It was 27 and clear this morning.  Larry and Elsie both arrived on their four-wheeler at about 9:30.  Not only was there mail in the pouch but also a bag of Crunchy Cheetos!  When they were at Fred Meyer yesterday, she said she was trying to figure out what fruits or veggies we might need, but then saw the Cheetos and decided maybe those would be better yet.  Boy, was she right!

Elsie and I had a nice visit while Larry drove JB down our road so he could see for himself just how much snow was left.  When they returned, JB said he agreed with Larry that it would be another two weeks before we could get Miss Kitty down.  They saw some tracks indicating that a huge elk had gone up our road and part of our driveway.

I dug out around the riser on the cistern where I saw it was leaking and I think I have it stopped.  I emptied a lot more water and filled it up a bit from the well, just to get some clean water in there.

We had some clouds move in this afternoon, but basically it was a beautiful day with a high of 44.

Whatever else Jesse found and ate must not have agreed with him as he did not eat his dinner, and Jesse never misses a meal.

Monday 4/10. It is 32 and mostly cloudy this morning.  It was snowing at 4:00 am when I let the dogs out and put a fire in.  Looks like we received less than 1/2".  Everything is white again.

Thought for the day: I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within.  General Douglas MacArthur

April 7, 2017 Gray With Rain

The south slope of the
south ridge on Thursday. . .

. . .the north slope. . .

. . .and down to our house.

Wednesday 4/5. Today was our granddaughter's tenth birthday and thank goodness it was a much nicer day in Mobile, AL, than it was Up Here.  83 and sunshine there.  44 and grey clouds here, again with the sun trying to peek through but never any blue sky.

Still feeling crappy with this sinus issue.

Since we finished watching the first season of The Flash, this evening we watched the John Wayne movie Hatari.  Talk about completely opposite genres!  Pretty sure the last time I saw Hatari was in the theatre.

Thursday 4/6. It was 36 and lightly raining this morning.  We had light and hard rain off and on all morning, then. . . the fog moved in.  Surprise, surprise.  But I was feeling oh SO much better today, that I really didn't care about the grayness outside.  After several days of not doing much, I couldn't sit still.  I did my normal chores, baked some Toll House bars, sorted recipes, worked on my basket, read my book & generally puttered around the house.  Also had a nice conversation with my Aunt Nene, who at 91 years of age, is popping back quite nicely from her hip surgery.

With these warmer temperatures and this morning's rain, the snow cover is really shrinking.  There is more and more ground visible every day.  Our high for today was 46.

Friday 4/7. It is 39 this morning and overcast.  We received more than 1/2" of rain during the night and more is due in today.  The rain sure shrunk the snow and uncovered more of the ground.

Thought for the day: The trouble with trouble is that it usually starts out as fun.

April 5, 2017 A Mail Delivery & Healthcare

Number 5.

Monday 4/3. The morning sun shines in the east window of our dining area now and right into my eyes as I work on my sudoku and sip my coffee.  But I don't mind, because it's April and I know the days are getting warmer and longer as the sun moves north.  When the sun is in my eyes in October, I know I'll soon be getting out my long johns.

Larry and his grandson arrived Up Here around 9:30 am on the four-wheeler to deliver our mail.  This was the first time his grandson had visited, and he got the grand tour of the tipi.

Larry has been fattening up the wild turkeys that visit them.  Turkey season begins on April 15.  I thought that was appropriate since when you have paid your taxes you won't have money for groceries, so you can go shoot a turkey.  That's not so far-fetched with the "Affordable" Health Care Act.  Since Larry and Elsie self-employed, they would have to pay $1200 per month for coverage and that is with a $25,000 annual deductible.  They can't afford that, so they get to pay a $1400 penalty with their taxes!  How can anyone think this is acceptable??!!  Hopefully this year will be the last time they will have to do that.

I guess the girls wanted to help out as they gave us five eggs today.  They tied their record!

I finished my fifth basket.

Tuesday 4/4. It was 32 and overcast this morning.  The overcast stuck around all day although the sun was able to peek through during the afternoon and we had a high of 42.

I am pretty sure I have a sinus infection, which I seem to be getting prone to.  I took a nice long nap, drank a lot of herbal tea, did a few chores and started my next basket.  JB took the dogs on a morning walk.  With these cold nights, the snow is going down but staying mostly firm.

Wednesday 4/5. It is 32 and overcast again this morning.  We had a little rain during the night and more is due in today.

Thought for the day: Heaviest thing to carry - a grudge.

April 3, 2017 Sitting On The Porch Again

My fourth basket.

Sitting on the porch
Friday morning with
my coffee.

Friday 3/31. I retrieved two chairs from under the tarp on the porch this morning and sat out there sipping my coffee.  Didn't stay out there too long as it was only 33, but just that little while sitting, sipping and listening to the birds singing with March's little lamb was such a great start to my day.  

We can really see the snow melting now and there is so much more earth to walk on.  We were both outside a lot today.  Our high for the day was 54!

I finished my fourth basket. . .

Saturday 4/1. It was 40 and mostly cloudy this morning, but we ended up having a lot of blue sky and sunshine.  In fact, after staying quite busy outside, we both ended up sitting and dozing in the sun on the porch in the afternoon.  Just couldn't wipe the smile off my face.  Our high for the day was 57!

JB has been trying to dig the tractor out of the snow, and I have been picking up small branches scattered in the grove.  JB's ankle is as good a new now, and he has been enjoying leisurely morning walks with the dogs, while I take them in the afternoon.

The frogs under the house have been serenading us a lot lately.  Even under there, they know it is Spring and time to rejoice.  And, to prove it, my irises are already up and the lilac bush is budding.

With March now on the books, we have received just over eleven feet of snow this winter, which is about 13" more than last year.  And, in March, the girls gave us 100 eggs!

And, speaking of the girls, today I found some tufts of grass growing where I don't want it to in the gravel, so I pulled them and gave them to the girls who were thrilled.

Still found time to read my book and start my fifth basket.

Sunday 4/2. This morning was 30 with blue sky and a breeze.  The forecast is for warm days and cold nights.  This is good because it produces a slower snow melt and reduces the chance of a river flowing down the road.

A huge, dark cloud slowly floated over this afternoon, dropping some tiny hail.  But, even with an icy wind, it was a beautiful day with a high of 47.

With all this sunshine, I couldn't put off vacuuming any longer.  But today was the best day for it as the breeze was icy and not at all pleasant to be out in.  This afternoon JB did our taxes and I worked on my fifth basket.

Monday 4/3. It is a chilly 24 this morning with a bright blue sky and a breeze.  It really doesn't need to get this cold at night. . .

Regarding the comment on Friday's posting (by my brother-in-law) - you just couldn't resist, could you?!

Thought for the day: You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself any direction you choose.  Dr. Seuss