Messy...

Ok, no steak for you.  Monday was warm and sunny the almost perfect weather for a BBQ.  It is still winter you know.  Uncovered and cleaned the BBQ.  Q'd some smoked sausages for dinner and got out the nice ribeye for dinner on Tuesday.  Mistake.  By Tue afternoon it was grey, chilly and windy.  Conditions got worse from then on.  Wind and snow, towers on Hatchet Mt. out.  Several radio stations out, Dish TV out, some land line phones out and my cable internet out. 

All the above services are now back on.  It has been snowing almost all day.  Temperature is about 40 so it melts soon as it hits ground.

Ribeye still in the fridge.

Tear them out...

The closet double sliding doors in my bedroon had to go. Took them out and removed the rollers and metal frame also.  Then cleaned it out.  There were several plastic clothes protectors with white shirts on hangers, "fresh" from the cleaners, in 2008.  These were my office work shirts.  Two or three dozen of them.  Happy to say I have not worn a white dress shirt since I retired in 2008.  Also several sport coats, slacks and dusty shoes.  When counted I saw 24 pairs but know there are more in another closet.  White shirts were all that I bought for work.  With white never any concern for matching a tie or jacket.  Ties, oh yeah, about 40 of them.  Over half are Gerry Garcia, all silk.  I didn't go for cheap.  This summer I will have a closet sale.

Next for the bedroom is to pull out the very, very old carpet.  Not sure what I am going to replace it with. Hardwood right now is the leader.  Carpet justs collects dirt that can be hard to vacuum out so probably no more carpet.  Living and dining room are already hardwood.  Bedroom is only room left with any carpet.

My curmudgeon friend just over the back yard has cancer and five months of tough chemo failed. He is now being cared for in a private facility, unable to be alone.  Damn.

Cover...

Hooo...K. Now for some writing. I haven't posted anything new for over a year, did you even notice? Probably not. What few followers I had by now are probably no longer interested. Or they are so all consumed with FB that a mere blog is old news. Ok with me.

Funny thing here. No new posts, yet yesterday and today I received two comments from old posts. That prompted me to look at the blog. Good 'ol Blogger has obviously made changes. Blogger instead of Blogspot is one. My side bar stuff is changed, gone, missing or was deleted for lack of activity or removed in the change. Oh well, I'm not too concerned. I do like blogging a little better. More freedom to say things.

Now being retired I don't travel much as I used to. My income went down 2/3's and gas has almost doubled. Been to Oregon three times (one was for Dr. appointment) in last two years and once to Sacramento (also a Dr. appointment).

Four Inches...

Another four inches of snow. Three weeks in a row, a Saturday night, the following Friday night and Thursday night (last night) each had 4" to 6" of snow fall. A little rain out this morning but more snow expected over the next few days.

Could be a more severe winter than last. People are sayin'. This summer, no gardens, no apples, no acorns. I have three apple trees in my yard and four on my lot next door. No apples. Nothing for the deer to eat. They come in the yard every night to munch up on the fallen fruit. Ha. Not this year. My walnut tree is also bare. That tree usually makes my driveway look like an obstacle course with black walnut stains all over. Not this year. Not one nut.

Squirrels are going to have to sit out with cardboard signs. Saw one yesterday and he looked lost. Nothing to bury or hide.

Cheerleaders....

Blue is the color of cold. Weather forecast has changed almost every day this last week. Supposed to snow each day since last Friday. Not so. Only snowed overnight for 6" on Sunday morning. Now it is just cold, 26 outside now and down to 3 overnight. Yes, 3, as in freeze your b..b..bones. Lots of snow piled up all over town. Only half has melted so far. Won't much be melting next few days either with a high of 25-30 until Friday, then warm up and snow for several days.

Well hello there. I'm here...are you?

ZuZu: "Maybe it was just a pot pie...

Short pause...
(Huge, massive explosion in the background, house and car obliterated.)

ZuZu:...or not."


I love ZuZu...

Camping...

I am camping all my life. For the last year at least. The last several years before retirement I spent most available free time camping. Oregon was my home. My adult working life, 40+years, all in Oregon. The Oregon State Parks are the best anywhere. I spent most camping on the Oregon Coast. Gold Beach, Humbug Mt., Honeyman, Harris Beach, Arizona Beach, Arches and on and on. Showers, fire places, water and electricity are available at all sites. Cost is reasonable, about $22 per night. Sitting beside the fire and listening to all the campground chatter and noise, the wind in the trees, the smell of smoke; all these are here. I sit on the deck next to my wooden picnic table and hear the children playing down past the corner. That house is a collection point for the whole neighborhood. Next to the deck are three huge cedar trees, lots of wind sounds and tree shedding. Next to the driveway are two equally large pine trees. Home to the doves and blue jays. My house is at the end of the street and I own the lot next door. It is vacant and borders a dirt road and several acres of woodland all the way out to the highway. I am living in a perpetual campground with a house to live in instead of an RV.

Life is good...