February 8, 2019 A Cougar & More COLD

The solar panels before
tilting up. . .

. .  and after.

Wednesday 2/6. The temperature this morning on the side window was just 6!  And there was no valley fog today.

JB is pretty sure that he heard a cougar yowling on this morning's walk when he and the dogs were on the south ridge.  Sounded like it was up on the peak.  The dogs heard it too and their heads snapped in that direction, but they made no move to check it out.

I did my regular chores, plus, with all the power coming in, I vacuumed.  Also wrapped and packaged a couple of birthday presents to send.  One for our son, which obviously will be late, but he had to go to Hawaii on business for two weeks, so he wouldn't be home anyway.  The other is for my cousin whose birthday is March 1.  That one may also be late.  Had a Christmas stocking gift for my Aunt Nene that had finally arrived last time I went Down There, so that is now wrapped and ready to mail.  Will be more like an Easter gift in Christmas wrapping.

Am reading another book by Dean Koontz, The Key to Midnight.  Hard to put down.

What a magnificent winter day, even though our high was only 18.  Never saw cloud one.  And the stars in the moonless, winter sky are so brilliant tonight.  Orion looks as though it is made up of flickering bits of bright neon.  After living Up Here for almost eleven years, I am so much more aware of the stars and just how many moonless nights there are.  Especially since the moon is the main night light Up Here.

Thursday 2/7. It is 9/6 this morning with icy blue skies.  But this may be the last of the sunshine for a while as the forecast is calling for snow beginning tomorrow through Sunday with the possibility of one foot accumulation.  Then a day off and more snow through next week, especially Valentine's Day.  Well, there's another mailing that will be late - Valentines.  Maybe I'll just send all the kiddos Easter cards instead.

Thin, wispy clouds soon formed, although we had some blue sky for most of the day.  But it is cold, and I just do not do as well in the cold as JB does.

After lunch, we hiked up to the panels and tilted them halfway up.  Much harder than tilting them down.  I shoveled a few little pathways.  So did JB, then he started the generator to pump water into the cistern.

I really did not want to go on the afternoon walk until I noticed that the temperature has risen to 18.  My chin really gets cold if I forget a scarf, which I did not forget for the walk.  By then I could just barely make out blue sky behind some of the thin cloud cover.  Our high for the day was 20, but that was probably for just a minute or two.

I did finish my Koontz book and started another one by a different author.

Friday 2/8. It is 8 and overcast this morning.  The forecast for lots of snow has not changed.

Thought for the day: When even one American - who has done nothing wrong - is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth, then all Americans are in peril.  Harry S. Truman