Lotta Snow Moving Today

Lotta snow moving awaits me today. Using a highly sophisticated and finely calibrated piece of equipment, OBACE ventured outside to measure the total snowfall from yesterdays storm-

OBACE feels confident enough to say we got 6 and 1/2 inches of snow. The WeeGees, or any of their peers, will not be listing the totals for awhile yet. And I can rest assured a Google search for such information will be a pain in the royal tush!! In the meantime the current weather conditions are 21° with overcast skies, calm winds and 96% humidity. They say we have a slight chance of rain this afternoon, then sunny skies. I'm guessing the window for sunny skies is a very narrow one since the sun will be setting a couple of minutes after 4 pm.

I'm waiting for one of the neighbors to start their snowblower. I don't wanna be the first one to shatter the silence this morning.

:)

I HEAR A SNOWBLOWER!!

I'm off to help shatter the silence!

A Day Off

This has been a nice day off. 

Been in me jammies all day watching the snow fall, drinking numerous hot beverages and eating too much.

It has snowed all day. Light fluffy stuff that was easy to shovel off the driveway. That reminds me. I need to shovel the back porch. I'll be back!

...

There. Now to repeat the process in the morning.

Tonight's WIP displays the snow somewhat. Took many pics before we figured out how to capture the falling snow.

 We have about 4 inches of accumulation so far. And it's still falling. Weather as of right now is, 22° with 100% humidity, calm winds and Light Snow/Fog/Mist.

Quite obviously I still got nuttin' so I'll quit now.

Te quiero, Travelers. And remember-

Viva Ridi Ama

What's With The Nuttin

I still got nuttin'. Which is WRONG. Because, there is ALWAYS sumpin'. If yer senses are awake to take notice. ALWAYS. Yet I got nuttin'. I need to wake up ...

At 11:02 am, when the above WIP was taken, we had 21°, fair skies, calm winds and 50% humidity. The Junco posing in the picture was preparing for another aerial battle over foraging rights with a Chickadee who managed to avoid Camera. It was beautiful out. Brrrr, but beautiful.

Later,

at 4:18 pm, when the above WIP was taken, we had 20°,  fair skies, 7 mph winds and 45% humidity. The sun had set at 4:03. 

Isn't that just riveting info?

More Garden Lights!

The place was sooo beautiful!

Sweet Dreams, Travelers. 

Garden Lights

GARDEN LIGHTS

What a display of lights!

I have no time to babble this morning. Took too long dragging myself out of a warm bed. I'll try to remember to babble tonight after work. No promises, cus my Brain ain't big on remembering stuff.

Weather! I haven't checked the weather!

11°, 92% humidity, calm winds and, I always love this, "a few clouds." Maybe the WeeGee checking the sky can't decide if the percentage of cloud cover calls for partly or mostly cloudy. You'd think the radar readout on the computer would do the math for him/her...

ok, what's the proper pronoun when you are speaking of a single individual and you don't know the gender? C'mon, there's gotta be something other than 'individual.' Or the oh so over used him/her and he/she. I admit to being a bit lazy and I am more than ready to embrace the abbreviated style of writing and speaking that befits this "hurry-up" society we live in. So give me a shorter pronoun for a genderless reference other than "individual.' If you typed like I do, you would understand the necessity for this.

WHOA! Gotta go now!!

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and, just in case I don't get back, Good Night to you, my fellow Travelers.

And much love to you!!

Bacon Time

4:39 and all is 

BACON TIME!

Breakfast first...back I'll be :)

...
Hmmm... wonder what that shadow is in the lower left corner of the picture?
Heavy sigh.
Poor Camera. His is an epic struggle in my hands. And yet, he is still snapping pictures.

The ONLY reason I am sharing the above pic is because it shows some rare restraint when it comes to me and bacon. 3 pieces. Only 3 pieces. The pic has 2 in it because I ate one piece before I cut the avocado or rinsed the tomatoes and put them on my plate. However, in honor of "full disclosure" I must add that the other 5 pieces cooked this morning went into my lunch box.
:)
Haven't been out side yet. The Front Porch is enjoying a brisk 2°... no, I did not forget a digit. It really is 2°. To go along with that 2° we have fair skies, 88% humidity and calm winds. Thank Goodness for calm. Wind chill is chilly. Shortly, I will venture out to awaken Trusty. His little heart, um, make that battery, is having to try extra hard to get the blood pumping, um, make that gas flowing.
I feel yer pain, dude.

Trusty took some extra coaxing to get going this morning, but, as befitting his name, he's a Trusty little guy.
Have a good day, Travelers.
May love and Happiness be yours, and don't forget to Live Well, Laugh Often and Love Much.
Te Quiero!

Parenthood And Roller Coasters

The 80's produced some of the best motion pictures ever. Have you seen the 1989 movie Parenthood? One of director Ron Howard's masterpieces, as far as I am concerned. Brilliant casting with a great script. A quote for you (from IMDB, so it could be wrong. But it's close enough) between the main character and his grandmother-

[Gil has been complaining about his complicated life; Grandma wanders into the room]

Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster.

Gil: Oh?

Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride!

Gil: What a great story.

Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.

Eight sentences. In Grandma's last quote there were eight short sentences, and she managed to sum up what goes into a great life. It's a roller coaster ride for sure. Feeling great one minute, crying until you're sick to your stomach the next, completely unsure and self conscious a moment later, then laughing hysterically after that. 

She's right. 

Oh, what a ride!

Time to clean the kitchen. I'll be back with the WIP, the weather and maybe some witticisms (such as they are. Or aren't.).

...

Ok, after a 5 minute search for Phone and Camera I finally found them, hiding in my shirt pockets. Oh, it is to laugh. Ha Ha Hee Hee Ho Ho. Wise arses, the two of 'em.

Weather is such: 16°, fair skies, 5 mph winds and 71% humidity.

Work time.

Have a great day, Travelers

Vivi Ridi Ama

A Bluey Bacon Morning

This feels like another nuttin' day. I'm gonna go nuke some bacon. Wait, the dryer stopped. Gotta go fold some clothes first.
...
Now the bacon.
...

Taste buds are happy this morning. They aren't usually fed before coffee. This must be the key to happy buds! Bacon first, THEN coffee. But that poses the question, how happy is that gonna make my heart?

Well, a quick Google search reveals a split in recommendations. One saying fatty meats are not the hearts friend, the other saying recent research may prove otherwise. How has the human race managed to survive so long without the aid of "RESEARCH?" In all fairness to "research" though, I have actually formed a penchant for the activity, or rather it's baby sibling, the 5 minute Google search. But I have SERIOUS misgivings about EVERYTHING I read online. So, I research to my hearts content but take it all with a grain of salt...

a grain of salt? Whadda ya say Google!?

...

Quick search reveals that one of the phrase's possible origins include Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia, regarding the discovery of a recipe for an antidote to a poison. In the antidote, one of the ingredients was a grain of salt. Threats involving the poison were thus to be taken "with a grain of salt", and therefore less seriously.

Uh huh.

Well, this round of research has posed another question in my brain pan. Totally off subject,

I'm wondering now, if the Latin word for salt is the same as the Latin word for wisdom...

No time to Google that one. But you can be assured I WILL be Googling that one!

The current weather is... Phone? Where'd ya go?...

I swear, Phone and Camera have feet!

Weather. 

32° of overcast skies, 7 mph winds and 96% humidity. Still too early at 5:45 to take a WIP so I'll be back inna few minutes. Things to do before I go!
...
Back I am, and I caught that brief moment of predawn blue!! Check it out-

Beautiful! Not just the bluey dawn but also, a sliver of Luna shining through the clouds and the next door neighbor using that most excellent of winter tools, the Snow Blower! Oh and footprints in the snow!

L's are on the far left. Center we have Dog, maybe? Raccoon? Opossum? 
Tis a mystery!
Gotta go!
Toodles!
Addendum (I love big words that I don't fully understand:):
Latin word for wisdom- sapientiae (so sayeth Google. And we know how reliable THAT is.)
Latin word for salt- salis (so sayeth Google. And we know how reliable THAT is.)
Is there an echo in here?

Nuttin But Nuttin

*heavy sigh*

Staring at a blinking cursor for 10 minutes has conjured up a whole lotta nuttin'. A monitor headache will rear it's ugly head if I continue, so I must concede this is yet another in a long line of nuttin' days.

We still have Mama Nature, the current weather and the Front Porch, tho. Boring, mundane and monotonous as those may be to some, they are reliable as all get out and much loved by moi. Maybe I should include on that list, the ever reliable putrid cup of coffee. The one that stuns my taste buds awake almost every morning. You would think by now my taste buds would be used to the disgusting swill. But, no. 

Time for a Front Porch visit!

...

What Phone saw.

What Camera saw.

What I saw was somewhere in between. It wasn't quite as light as Phone says, but nowhere near as dark as Camera says.

Oooo!

The predawn bluey should be happening soon. Gotta go see.

...

My first visit was a brief 5 minute visit. It had begun to snow. A very light snow. I couldn't see it but I could feel it. The current conditions, according to the WeeGees and coinciding with the WIPs above were-

20°

85% humidity

3 mph winds

Light snow/fog/mist

The WeeGees go on to predict snow this morning, rain and snow this afternoon and rain this evening, with a possible 3 to 5 inches of snow accumulation throughout the day.

The second visit Phone Flash revealed what Eyes still couldn't see.

The Snow.

No predawn blue for my viewing pleasure.

Camera Flash revealed the same Snow but with a different take.

And still no blue.

I must say this is a whole lotta babble for a whole lotta nuttin'.

Gotta get Trusty ready for takeoff. We're gonna need at least 30 minutes to make the 10 minute trip to work.

Have a great day, my fellow Travelers.

Enjoy the storm!

I Almost Forgot

... is there such thing as almost forgot? If something is remembered before it is forgot how can it be almost forgotten when it's remembered before forgotten? It's either forgotten or not, right? It's all in the timing, I guess. Timing... a particular point or period of time when something happens. So, if it's forgotten till the last second then remembered, it's almost forgotten. But after that last second passes then the almost part fizzles away into the space-time continuum and it becomes forgotten. Like the almost part never existed. What a bunch of brain pain. Let's get to the FPR before the last second passes and almost goes and gets lost in that space-time thingy

I have a WIP, maybe two. Lemme check.

Two WIPs. The above taken at 1:00 pm when the weather was 38° of  partly cloudy skies, 55% humidity and 5 mph winds. And then the one below taken at 3:16 pm when the weather was 37° of mostly cloudy skies, 54% humidity and 3 mph West winds.

I got nuttin' so we're done here.

Have a good night and may sweet dreams keep you company tonight, my fellow Travelers.

We Got Snow

Total accumulation is somewhere around 6 inches. WHY is it so hard to find the Official Snowfall Totals!?!? Google you have failed miserably! No matter the wording of the query, Google can't or won't go there.

Well, 

HUMPHF!

:)

As Darren McGavin, playing Old Man Parker in the BRILLIANT movie "A Christmas Story" put it-

You filty sicken hookaid! Oh, smelly wok buster! Grout shell fratten house stickle fifer! You bladder puss nut grafter! Dorton hoper... You wart mundane noodle! Shotten shifter paskabah! Snort tonguer! Lame monger snaffa shell cocker!

:)

WELL SAID!

:)

Here's a WIP taken at 6:52 am-

Mama Nat has donned one of her winter mantles.

The conditions at 6:53 am were 28°, 96% humidity, calm winds and partly cloudy skies.

My hope for a Fairy Island mosey has been cancelled by the snow accumulation total, the possible lack of plowing, the possible denied path access, the lack of proper footwear for some participants and a lack of energy brought on by the tiny amount of shoveling done this morning to try and prep for a timely liftoff. I never made it to the car, let alone the driveway, let alone the walkway! What the h%$#! We're talking a minute amount, minimal, verging on insignificant as far as shoveling goes. And yet I want to do nothing but sit down right now. My growling stomach, begging me for food, can not entice me from a seated position. Not even the promise of cheap shopping, which, I found out, must be done TODAY or not at all, has moved me out of a sedentary position. That's what I get every time I try to pretend I'm an event planner. 

*heavy sigh*

piffle

But that's ok! How does Mike Rowe put it? "Just because your passionate about something doesn't mean you won't suck at it.---That’s why I would never advise anyone to “follow their passion” until I understand who they are, what they want, and why they want it. Even then, I’d be cautious. Passion is too important to be without, but too fickle to be guided by. Which is why I’m more inclined to say, “Don’t Follow Your Passion, But Always Bring it With You.”

Again with the

WELL SAID!

But, where the hell did that come from. Oh, the brain, it is to ponder. But HEY! I just live there. I had nuttin' to do with the architecture. 

:)

Sposta Get Snow

Sposta get snow today!

I am happy to say I still like the white stuff very much. But I haven't had to work that hard to live with it. Even the bad winter in W. when the snow buried L's car right up to the rear view mirrors, L and his friend S shoveled most of it, while S Jr. watched from inside his snowsuit, sitting on top of a 4 foot snowbank. And the bad winter in B., more than once, G helped me shovel out of the parking lot. And on several occasions, random young men who lived in the apartment buildings around the area, lent a helping hand. Then there was the time I was coming back from living in Georgia, no sooner crossed the border into M. and got a flat tire. In the middle of the night. In the middle of a serious snowstorm. MTA came to the rescue, change my tire while his hands froze and sent me on my way with a smile and a "you're welcome!" I wouldn't have known to call them if it weren't fer Baby Sis. I have been most lucky, greatly appreciative and certainly blessed. 

LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!

And now for your viewing pleasure, I bring you today's WIP-

You're right, you're right. The viewing pleasure is a bit of a stretch. In defense of Camera, it does it's best when the light is limited and it's in the hands of a photographer who is several notches below the  armature rating. One who insists on bumping elbows with the beginners, even after all these years.

Camera and my breath had a couple of moments of fun tho!!

It's that time of year!

Baby, it's cold outside.

29° with 89% humidity, calm winds and fair skies. Yep Yep Yep and Yep. The Featherless Goose confirms the temperature, the humidity we take in good faith that the WeeGees know of what they speak, the complete lack of movement in the air kinda confirms there is no wind at the moment and the beautiful Luna gave credence to the fair skies.

Off to work with me now.

Have a good day, Travelers. 

The best day that you possibly can.

Instant Nausea

This does not bode well. First look at the monitor and instant nausea hit me with a strong, sucker punch to the gut. If I could bluster in print I would do so, right now! I just can't figure out how to spell the noises I'm making. Noises of the loud and indignant, rant and raving sort.

HUMPHF!

If I'm gonna do this I must hurry and I must do it in short segments. Again I say,

HUMPHF!

I can quickly tell you that the weather is 32°, with 69% humidity, 5 mph West winds and fair skies. Oh, and that when I closed my window this morning there was the biggest star winking at me just above the trees across the street. Probably to low in the sky to see now. I've been up awhile. Sure was pretty. Done fer now. Must be done.
...

A tasty breakfast. I'm feeling bit better now.
...

The star had set by the time I got outside. Actually, it's probably a planet. I'm not an astronomer so I can't tell you which one. Well piffle. Hang on... Jupiter. I Googled :) So pretty, shining there, saying good morning. I couldn't have taken it's picture. Too far removed from Camera and Phones capabilities. I'll try for a WIP later. Must stop looking at the monitor NOW! I'll be back.
...

Um...

I'm back. Almost twelve hours later.
So, this calls for an evening WIP-

The current, current conditions are thus (doncha love it when you can use a word like thus and get away with it:)-

35°, 54% humidity, 3 mph SW winds and fair skies. 

Sposta snow tomorrow!

Good night, Travelers.

Didn't Sleep In

Well, I didn't sleep in. Slept good, woke refreshed, and got up at 3:45 am.

3:45!

I had to go to bed at 8:30 pm for that to happen.

8:30!
But I didn't need the alarm to wake up. That's always a bonus. A sure fire way to start the day wrong is to be irritated FIRST thing in the morning by an annoying alarm.

Whatever works I guess. My evenings are getting shorter and shorter. Much like the winter days. The only problem is they don't get longer with the changing of the season.

*Heavy sigh*

Moving on. Time to clean up the kitchen while making breakfast. Ya know, Coffee doesn't taste all that putrid today. Must be the cinnamon :)

Back to finish this later!
...
Yummy! Hamburger patty, half an avocado, half a tomato and some nuked onions for breakfast. My stomach loves me at the moment. Figured ya'all wanted to know that.
Gotta go take a WIP.
BRB
...

It WAS a beautiful blue out on the Front Porch, but not as blue as Camera made the picture. Digital cameras sure take a lot of liberties with colors.

Luna was saying "Hello" this morning.
Have a good day, Travelers.
Sorry fer the nuttin'.
Maybe tomorrow I'll have sumpin'.
May Love and Happiness always be with you.
To the fab 3, I LOVE YOU! I miss you, and I'm always thinking about you!
GAB, BAG, BAA, ABA, RAB, BRA, BAR, GIR, IRA, RIG, GIA... oh!...
GIA... one of the most familiar Italian baby names used in the U.S. Short for Giavanna or Gianna, the feminine form of Giovanni, which is the Italian form of John and all of which mean "God's gracious gift."
GIA... my CA. baby girls.
:)

Slept In

Good evening.

30°, 92% humidity, calm winds, fair skies and the WIP to go with it!

I slept in this morning.

I'll try not to sleep in tomorrow. I got NUTTIN' done this morning.

Have a good night, Travelers. May your dreams be of the sweetest kind!!

Sweet Breath Of Air

Good morning.

It's dark out. 

Well, of course it is. Dark out, I mean. At this time of morning, at this time of year, what else would it be?

I feel sooooo much better today. Good enuf to brave the elements and plant my fanny for a moment. A fanny plant this morning calls for a Nanook gearing up against the cold. Where's my coat? And my nimitz? I'm headed out to 30°, calm winds, 88% humidity and overcast skies. That's what the WeeGees say. Time for OBACE...

...

If it's 30° out there it's a warm 30°. The Nanook gear, while appreciated and very likely extended my stay with the Front Porch, proved to be unnecessary. My everyday jacket would have sufficed and no nimitz were needed. My fingers never got cold.

I have a WIP for you, as mundane as it is.

Hadta use the flash to get this utterly not fantastic picture.

Street light posed flashless for us, as the next door neighbor left for work.

Zoomed in on the Christmas lights down the street. I've seen them every morning for several days. What is that? A snowman? Now I gotta go check it out.

Be right back.

...

Piffle.

I wanted to go see what the lights were in ninja mode. You'd think, as dark as it is, that would be easy to accomplish. But you can't do that with at least 3 people out and about, who will witness your ninja moves in the street lights. First, the guy across the street, indulging in his favorite mood altering drug, coughed and gave away his position. Then, the guy next door, indulging in his favorite form of smokey vapors, I guess, quietly closed his door. But not quiet enuf. He, too, gave away his position. And third, I saw the light from what may have been a lighter as someone, possibly enjoying some sort of gaseous fumes of their own, lit up not 10 feet from the Christmas lights I wanted to ninja snap a picture of!! So much for my indulging in any smooth moves this morning. Honestly, now that I think on it, I'm pretty sure I used up my quota of smooth moves about 2 decades ago.

:)

May you enjoy your smooth moves while you have them, Travelers.

They are yet another thing that disappears with age.

Love and Happiness, may they always be yours. When it seems they may be gone, they're not. They have not abandoned you. They're waiting for you. Like that sweet breath of air when your head finally breaks the surface of the water. 

Neglected The Weather

It occurred to me that I neglected the weather report in lieu of a Garden report. 

Well! We can't have that, can we?

Lemme go get a WIP.

Um, that sounds rather ominous, when it really isn't.

Lemme go take a WIP.

That sounds rather larcenous, when it really isn't.

Lemme go snap a WIP.

OK, now that just sounds violent.

Let. Me. Go. Out. Side. And. Take. A. Weather Illustration Picture.

There. 

I'll be right back.
...

Alrighty then.

The above picture is trying to illustrate the 39°, 53% humidity, 5 mph winds, fair skies and the setting sun that the Front Porch is currently enjoying. I think it managed to convey the weather conditions quite well. What it cannot convey is the raucous noises being made by a large gathering of Crows who sounded quite putout by something in their territory.
I'm gonna go bake some pork chops now.
Toodles, Travelers.

The Lights That Didn't

N and I headed to the B-Gardens yesterday to see the light display. Tickets for the 4 to 6 pm time frame. We arrived early, at a little after 3. Early enuf that we were the 5th car allowed thru the gate. Front row parking. We walked to the visitor center, got our ticket-stickers and waited in the lobby, with the lovely Christmas Trees, until they opened the doors to the Garden. 

20 minutes after we were let into the Gardens the power went out.

I took this next picture just seconds before it happened.

As you can see, the day was still too bright for the lights to be shining at their best.

 There was a collective groan throughout the Garden when the lights went out and everyone froze in place. For about 10 minutes we just stood there, hoping the lights would come back on. About the time our collective hope started wearing thin, and a slight rustling of movement began among the visitors, a couple of the lights came back on! An approving murmur emanated from all of us, as hope was renewed, and we instantly froze in place again. It was only 5 minutes before hope ran dry and we all decided to begin the mass exodus to the entrance and find out what exactly what was going on. Car accident. Lines down. Refund issued. No one can leave the Gardens. ... Wait. What? We can't leave? Downed power lines, make that LIVE downed power lines, are preventing a safe exit from the Gardens. Police have cordoned off the exit. A disapproving murmur spread throughout the crowd. It's rapidly getting dark, rapidly getting cold and with hope of seeing a glorious light display gone, the desire to leave took it's place. But these Gardens are run by wise people. Free hot cocoa, coffee, chili and chowder if you were willing to wait in line at the snack station! Again the crowd made with the approving murmur. Of course we're willing! At least half of us were, anyway. It's not too cold to wait in line for cocoa and the food's not going to ruin that fast. While we were waiting, the parking lot slowly began to empty of those who didn't wait. The police had quickly set up a detour. To get our free meal, get to our car, get on the road and get out of town took slightly over 2 hours. Not the way I expected to spend the evening. But I must say, it was a great evening! The wonderful company of N, the great crowd that took everything in stride with such good humor and the tasty cocoa served up by a great group of people turned what could have been a disastrous evening into an adventure. The wonderful people running the show quickly kept us informed of the situation and just as quickly did everything they could to appease a disappointed crowd. And kudos to the city of B. Talk about successful rapid response. They had their act together when it came to dealing with the accident and the overwhelming traffic caused by the massive amount of people trying to leave the Gardens. 

I can't wait to go back!

Imagine all this in the dark.

.Oh yeah, I gotta go back!

Monitor Headaches

Monitor headaches. What a royal pain in the ... :) ... head. 

You know, it's totally unfair to blame the monitor when ALL evidence points to another culprit. The real culprit. My Eyes. They have been wonderful Eyes. But they now suffer from Eye strain. Which leads to a headache. Which leads to nausea. Which makes doing ANYTHING all but impossible.

*HUMPHF*

I took a WIP before Sick came to visit.

At 9 am, when this WIP was taken, the temperature was 33°, the winds were calm, the skies were fair and the humidity was hovering at 85%  and all was peaceful and quiet on the Front Porch.

Have a good day, Travelers.

And may your eyes never fail.

Nutcracker

Spent the day with Baby Sis yesterday.

Stopped for coffee, shopped, had lunch at Cracker Barrel, shopped some more, saw some fireworks, went to the wrong theater, applied a heavy foot to the gas pedal to get to the right theater, where we topped off the day with a very nice performance of the Nutcracker.

In a nutshell, a most fabulous day with Sis!

And for the 2 dozenth time, with all sincerity,

THANK YOU, SIS!

The Wip!

...

I almost did it.

The WIP is supposed to illustrate the weather. Sometimes it struggles to do so. Or maybe it does so TOO well. Quite often Mother Nature, aka Mama Nat, decides to wear the same outfit for an extended period of time. It would be so easy and, seriously, with no misrepresentation at all, just to post the same picture over and over again. No need to expend the fuel required to maneuver OBACE out onto the Front Porch.

But, no.

Not doin' it.

I can't. I would miss a vital moment in my morning routine.

Be right back.

Couldn't get a WIP without the flash. To dark at 6 am. 

We have 25°. Yeah, my goosebumps felt it. 92% humidity. Nope. The skin definitely ain't feelin' that. Calm winds. Yep. No atmospheric movement around the Front Porch at all. Fair skies... *heavy sigh* ... really? I stood out there long enuf for my fingers to freeze, so my eyes could somewhat adjust to the dark and guess what? I never saw a single star. Not one. 

Nil. None. Nada. And definitely Naught! 

Zero. Zip. Zilch and DIDDLYSQUAT!!

FAIR SKIES!?!

...

Sorry, Uvula. I got no energy for it this morning.

Have a good day, Travelers.

Equipment, Bells And Whistles

Good morning.

46 degrees is it? I believe the Weegees. Sleeping with my window open every night usually guarantees two things on chilly mornings. First is a total reluctance to throw back the covers and get up. And second, a no holds barred case of horripilation, once the covers are thrown back and getting up gets underway. 46° is not a "reluctant/horripilation" kinda morning. Since I experienced neither reluctance nor goosebumps upon arising this morning, I'm inclined to believe the 46 degree reading.

96% humidity, they say? My usual response to that is, "Okay. If you say so." My response this morning is, "Okay. If you say so."

Winds outta the West at 5 mph. Confirmation of that is forthcoming, once OBACE meanders out the front door.

Overcast is it? Please reread the sentence preceding the word 'Overcast.'

And there you have it. The WeeGees version of the current weather, as conveyed to them by all the equipment, bells and whistles at their disposal.

OBACE is now ready to visit the Front Porch and evaluate the weather with all the equipment, bells and whistles at it's disposal.

:)

Alrighty then.

The WIP for your viewing... something or other. How 'bout just "a WIP for your viewing." That works.

It rained sometime last night. Everything is wet. OBACE agrees completely with the WeeGees assessment of the weather this morning. It even FELT humid. OBACE is equipped to register only two levels of humidity. Either it's "Sweating Bullets", when humidity is high, or "Extreme Dry Skin", when humidity is low. I guess 46° is getting close to the "Sweating Bullets" side of OBACE's humidity meter when coupled with the WeeGees reading of 96%.

I don't wanna do this anymore. My body is threatening me with Monitor Sickness if I continue. 

Wait! I must note that our Flying Squirrel infestation may not be over.

I found one of Mama's baby ostriches knocked off the shelf and broken this morning. Took me a moment to find the head. I'm pretty sure the figurine was still on the shelf when I went to bed last night.

Have a good day, Travelers!

Te quiero mucho!

One more picture of Peanut!

Our adorable pet for 20 minutes.

Peanut The Flying Squirrel

I was sitting at the computer this evening when I heard S loudly proclaim “There is a Chippy in the house!” The hunt was on! While I guarded the stairway, L and S went thru the living room, kitchen and dining room, searching every nook, cranny, and crevasse. It only took them about 5 minutes to locate what, at first, S thought was a Chippy, L thought was a Squirrel and I feared was a Rat. After the capture, a closer look and a quick Google search, we made a positive identification.  

Introducing 

PEANUT, The Flying Squirrel!

Peanut was officially dubbed by S. A perfect name because he was found in the food cupboard. During his stay in there, he made a valiant attempt to chew thru the lid on a jar of peanut butter to get to the gooey goodness inside. The presence of Peanut explained a couple of mysteries in the house. Such as, the noise I heard in my room last night, the trash pulled out of the can and strewn all over the floor this morning, the Christmas decorations knocked off the little side table and the popcorn string pulled off the Christmas Tree. Not just pulled off the tree, but also eaten.
Peanut was adorable! 

After catching him with thick gloves, as seen in S's photo (gloves that the little fella immediately sunk his teeth into), and a brief photo shoot, L drove a few miles down the road and released Peanut into the wild. In the meantime, S and I disinfected the entire kitchen and dining room with bleach.

 Good luck, little Peanut. 

Your visit was nice, but costly. 50 dollars or more in food was tossed out of the cupboard. He not only chewed the peanut butter lid, but several bags of chips, several boxes of crackers, a couple boxes of pasta, some seasoning and dressing packets, a bag of hamburger buns and a canister of  grits, just to name a few items. Caused quite a stir in the house, he did. 

But he was so blasted cute!!

A Song Fan

It's gray and cold out there.
On this last day of November.

23° fair skies calm winds and 81% humidity.

My Baby Sis once told me I'm a song fan. I like it. I've been describing myself as such ever since. Bands, musicians, conductors, songwriters and singers didn't register in my head. Only a song. Most songs that have stuck, or will stick with me, are songs I can sing with. And in most cases the lyrics make a huge difference. Some songs have such great lyrics. Poetry to me. But mixed in with those great lyrics are words that date the song and prevent it's immortality, as the new generations cannot relate to those lyrics at all. Fun. Fun's song "Carry On" is such a song. Some great lyrics, poetry really, mixed in with not so great lyrics. So, as others have done for countless generations, I choose those snippets that speak to me and blur out those that do not. Transforming the songs original meaning to suit me and my life. It's so easy to speak encouraging words without fully understanding what it is to be in the position to actually try and live by them. But what else do we have, when we don't know what to do or say, but to try and be encouraging? And hopeful. After all, in most cases, the intent is usually well meant, and in some cases, heartfelt. So, for as long as possible, please try to

"Carry On"

Songwriters: Jeff Bhasker / Andrew Dost / Jack Antonoff / Nate Ruess

Carry On lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc

'Cause we are 

We are shining stars

We are invincible

We are who we are

On our darkest day

When we're miles away

So we'll come, we will find our way home

If you're lost and alone

Or you're sinking like a stone

Carry on

May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground and

Carry on.

Mental Detours

Good Morning.

Sounds windy out. Either that or the street has been seeing more traffic than usual. So, no time like the now to find out.
"I'll be back."
:)
Amazing how those three words are forever etched into the minds of an entire generation and beyond, with an Austrian accent. The Terminator lives on!
WIP time.

Well! It's actually rather mild outside. 47° of mild. 83% humidity, fair skies and 8 mph Southwesterly winds. I spent quite a few minutes with Front Porch before fingers and nose started to protest the cold. The wind coupled with the loudest traffic noise I've heard in a very long time, account for what the ears have been listening to ever since I got up. 

"Where's the WIP!?"

:)

I HAD to! I Googled the Wendy's "Where's the beef!?" commercial! I love that lady!
"I don't think there's anybody back there!"
Where was I?
Oh, yeah. The WIP

Okey-dokey, no more mental detours.

Here's the WIP-

Have a Great, Grand and Glorious day, my wonderful Fellow Travelers of this wonderful Universe.

Seriously, you deserve nothing less!

A Nose With Fast Moving Feet

Now I have a runny nose.

:)

When you say "my nose is running" do you picture a nose with fast moving feet?

Yeah... makes for quite the visual, no?

The WIP has not been taken as yet. Just the act of opening the door instantly brought about the slamming of the door to keep the Dark and the Cold from launching a successful tag team assault.

They both had their aggressive "Let's get her!" faces on. I much prefer their "Can you come out and play?" faces. So, while I wait for the rising of the Sun to placate those two elements, I shall regale you with the weather report.

My, doesn't that sound exciting?

Ok Ok. On with it.

The current conditions are thys- wait. Not "thys", THUS. They are thus-

15°. Ah-huh. Degrees to which I have just slammed the door on. Sorry L. Sorry S. Sorry N.

80% humidity. If they say so.

Calm winds. That will be confirmed when OBACE is forced out the door, all in the name of gainful employment.

And finally, fair skies. The brief glimpse OBACE managed, when the first door slamming attempt to evaluate the weather occurred, is inconclusive in regards to the state of the sky at this moment.

And there you have it, this mornings weather breakfast, as served up by Mother Nature and proclaimed by the National Weather Service, aka the Weather Guessers, aka the WeeGees, aka the LIARS!! whenever OBACE disagrees with them. And when Uvula wants to play.

Can't put it off any longer. I must disengage OBACE's emergency brakes and force the cumbersome and reluctant beast out the door for a WIP. And a car warm-up. Doncha just love watching yer gas gauge go down while not going anywhere? There is something terribly wrong in that.

Ok...

Going now...

ALRIGHT ALREADY!

Took A picture. As in 1. One picture.

But, OBACE's sensory input devices registered several things in pretty rapid secession.

How quickly Jack Frost painted the stormdoor glass when the door was bravely opened.

The crisp smelling air that immediately froze the nose hairs.

The stentorian cough brought on when the involuntary gasp at the cold air attacked the lungs.

The thunderous cracking sound of the Porch reacting to the cumbersome bulk that is OBACE.

The crunchy sound the grass made as OBACE bolted across the lawn for the car, rather than down the walk, as per usual.

And the reluctance of Trusty to instantly turn his engine on. Took him a second to come outta hibernation.

Gotta go now!

Have a great day if you can, Travelers.

Feeling Better

Feeling better. 

But I can also feel the sick coming again. So I must be fast and get off the computer quickly.

Today the current weather recipe for breakfast is 29°, 85% humidity, calm winds and overcast skies. 41° is the predicted high, along with sunny skies.

And, I'm off!

Have a great day and don't make yourself computer sick. 

Ain't worth it.
WAIT!
Wait a minute!
Snow showers...
According to www.dictionary.com a snow shower is
 the label used to refer to a short period of light-to-moderate snowfall, also characterized by a sudden beginning and ending. There is some accumulation with snow showers, and they fall from convective or cumuliform clouds.
The very same source says that
a snow squall is a heavy snow shower with strong winds.
Okay.
But then we have snow flurries, 
which according to www.reference.com,
  refers to light snowfall with no accumulation on the ground. Snow flurries can fall on and off all day.
Right.
Now that that's clear, I'm running from the monitor before bad things happen to my head and stomach again.