February 27, 2012

Only  wild life on the game cam this past week -
caught us driving Down There on Tuesday.

It is 8 degrees this morning with clear skies and valley fog.  Just under 4" of snow fell last night.  Crystal feathers covering the ground.  And there are rabbit tracks right up to the house.  As I started writing Sunday afternoon, I looked out the loft windows to see sun and blue sky to the south, with falling snow coming in from the west and north.  The late afternoon precipitation wasn't flakes but rather minuscule balls of hail.  Looking at it on the ground reminds me of something I can't quite put my finger on.  Probably minuscule balls of hail. . .  Once again we are right on the edge of the weather pattern.  It was like that most of the day.  Sun.  Then snow.  Then sun.  Very cold though -only 22.  Well, at least that seemed cold until we woke up to 8 this morning.

After crawling around in the mud under the house the other day, I rubbed my clothes in the snow to get the worst of the muck off of them, then laid them on the porch.  When it dries and freezes, the dirt peels right off.  They should be really frozen this morning.

JB and I have been discussing this year's projects and have whittled the list way down.  Basically we are going to finish the great room walls, solve our drainage problem, put a railing around the deck and build outside stairs up to it.  A nice short list, but that drainage issue may take most of the summer.

Forgot to mention that when we drove Down There last week, we saw lots of tracks on our road - deer, rabbits and one cross-country skier.  Doubt it was anyone living Up Here.  At least they turned around at our No Trespassing sign.  Nevertheless. . .  I think it would be very interesting to have a game cam just above the sign.

A few years ago I noticed the ad for a kit to make your own laundry soap in the Lehman's catalog.  I just didn't want to spend the money for it as it includes a bucket and other utensils.  Seemed kind of pricey.  Then several weeks ago friends in Laramie sent the recipe for it.  Last week I actually found all the ingredients at Fred Meyer and at almost half the price as in the catalog.  Our friend says she only needs two tablespoons of it per load in her front-loading washing machine.  I will definitely be making that soon.  One of the ingredients is Twenty-One Mule Team Borax.  I'm really going to date myself with this sentence, but I remember Ronald Reagan doing adds for that on TV with his "Death Valley Days" series!

Well, the Oscars were broadcast last night.  One of the few events I do miss seeing on TV.  My Mom and I would never miss them, and I continued to watch through the years, long after I had left home and after she was gone.  I love the movies and I love the night that celebrates and rewards them, regardless of all the politics involved.

Thought for the day:  If you're old enough to know better, you're too old to do it.  George Burns