Weather or whether?

Across North Country (any place north of Mexico) you can count on bad roads, ice storms, white outs and airport closings in late December. That’s 90%of the time and you can make book on it. That leaves 10% of the time to break out the snow throw and shovel. The question is, do you weather the storm like great, great, great grand father Ralph who tried to ford the frozen Mississippi River around Dubuque and wasn’t heard from for the next 5 months. He reappeared around Vicksburg, MS. in an amazing feat of cold water treading. Or do you head to Australia or a Caribbean Isle?

Like great, great grandpa Ralph I to was caught in a winter wonderland twice in my life. The first was on a return trip driving from Omaha to Northern Wisconsin. As a young family we’d driven down to spend the holiday with Rosebud’s family. As a young brain dead employee I was worried about making it back to work while driving on an ice cover I-80 & I-35.

Between Omaha and Death Moines we must have past a dozen jacked knifed trucks and that many cars all buried in the ditch line, then we headed north on I-35 thinking, "It can’t be any worst." I told myself. It was and my young family all had white knuckles. Yes, I should have parked it at the nearest motel and spent an extra day or two letting the road crews do their magic.

Twenty-five years later I was driving the East Coast and got nailed in a 40" storm that closed the East Coast for a week. Did I press on? Hell no! There is a time when gray hair "makes" you seem more mature. I just saw today's weather map and Denver is going to get hit again, isn't it time to drive to Aruba.

Thought of the day from Mark Twain... "Everybody talks about the weather but nobody dose anything about it. "

It’s Christmas day… you can’t be online?

Go do something constructive like walk your cat.
Or watch a bowl game, there has to be one the dial.

Happy New Year see ya next year.

Christmas Day thought... "Success is getting what you want,
happiness is wanting what you get."

I do hope that your Christmas presents brought you happiness
and that pease will follow you year round.

Stocking Stuffers 12/22

Ho, ho… so down the stairs I tip toed just to see what my favorite Santa had put in my stocking, around here he sometimes shows up early.

Several weeks ago a wrote to Santa to see if he could kick it up a notch. I even let Santa’s helper know that ‘wouldn’t it be nice to see something different?’

My Santa’s helper didn’t just get off the boat from Scotland but close to it. She has a thing for costs thinking it's a thing to be controlled. Here are a few things in past years that found a home in my Xmas stocking… a pen from our local bank, a windshield ices scrapper from our local Ford dealer and a calendar planner from one of the realtors in town.

I am not complaining for it’s the thought that counts. Yet it’s getting harder and harder for Santa’s helper to come up with these gems. Just like the airlines and their minature bag of peanuts cutting back on freebies is getting to be a national fobia'. Thankfully our local auto parts store is still handing out next year’s color calendar featuring dollies holding onto exhaust pipes and other miscellaneous items. I peaked and can’t wait for Miss May to appear, wooo!
Today’s thought…
"It’s very uncomfortable to be in a bath tub with an elephant."

The family flick 12/21
Last year around the holidays out came a slug of movies. One was called the Family Stone.
It wasn’t quite your normal Christmas tear-jerker feel good flick. It was about a dysfunctional family that is introduced to a poor young gal who herself is a triple AAA personality. While she's visiting her in-laws to be over the holidays something hits the fan. So much for the plot for most of you have seen it, if not there are flick rentals.

Anywho, I was talking with the misses and it came to pass that she too was thrown into such a cauldron as well, my family. Then it got me thinking about why that movie hit home. It wasn’t such an abnormal movie… it was right on. Another words there are many "dysfunctional" families and they are the norm rather than the other away around.

Throw in a canon lose uncle, a mad baking aunt, fifteen screaming cousins and a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, three dogs a barking and then introduce a visitor for the holidays and bingo.
It’s The Family Stone movie plot all over again Yogi…..deck the halls.

Today’s moment of thought… "Anyone can win – unless there’s a second entry."

$635 for 16 hp. 12/20

In 1953 you could walk home carrying an Evinrude Fast Twin outboard for a few bucks. Just think of screwing the new motor onto the transom of your Thompson 14’ Tomboy and ripping across the lake.
It had taken the 2 of us, my brother and I, three years talking Dad into 'investing' in a new boat-motor that would keep his kids off the streets of Minocqua Wis.

In 1963 I purchased my first car for $950 bucks about the same price as the outboard engine.
I still had to hit Pop for a small loan to get my first set of wheels. The car was a 1957 VW with a rubber band motor that would peg the speedometer at 55 mph. That’s going down hill going with a 50 mph wind assisted under full sail (both doors wide open.)

I some how have a nick for winding up with either a boat, car or motorcycle that were well under powered. Another example was a Mercury two-door hardtop that yelled from the car lot, " BUY ME!" It was bright red with a ton of chrome. What a hustle car! So I signed the papers without a test drive nor looking at the sticker.

If I had, I would have noticed that this great looking car only had an inline 6 cylinder engine and an automatic tranny. I did look good driving off the lot and rolling down the street at 35 mph. Also you had to push down the highway. The only cars that I could over take on the roads were old Buicks driven by elderly white hairs.

I first time I tried to pass another car I pull out, pressed the pedal and the tranny downshifted. Due to the lack of horsepower the car would slow down. Now years later I still drive slow motion cars but look good behind the wheel, I wear a mask. However, I have a friend who just purchased a rocket ship and has a kick burning rubber. I have vowed to do the same on my next set of wheels... miles per gallon be damned.

Today's thought...

" It you want your track team to win the high jump, you find a person that can clear 7 foot not seven people that can clear one foot."

Three Branches… 12/19

No, I’m not talking about our family tree that somehow got misplace by a well intended in law who was documenting the trans-Altlantic crossing of our great, great, great grandfather Ralph.
Nor am I talking about the Ontonagon River a beautiful slow rolling stream in the hills of the U.P. that has three streamlet branches. Today’s subject is our new exterior Christmas tree that Rosebud hauled in from our woods.

Several weeks ago loggers cleared out our back woods hauling away 5 semi loads (and still counting) of mature and half dead stuff. The loggers tried their best to save young pines and hard woods but… so after her walk Rosebud came into the cabin and asked me to see if I could do a ‘makeover’ of a mowed over pine trying to make it somewhat making it respectable. She wanted to put Christmas lights on her salvaged tree as a welcome to those coming down our drive... sure, no problem.

I headed outside with an extra tree stand and ‘Oh my.’ Flat on the ground was this 16’ tree with only 3 limbs left. Talk about a sick looker. "There’s no way," I told her as I return inside.
"Are you sure we can’t help it?" she asked, 'Ya with a flame thrower I thought.'
I don’t care what it looks like I just want to hang a triangle of lights on it." as she pointed me once again to the door.

OK, thy will be done. So now we have 3 branch Charlie Brown tree in the back yard as a warm welcoming sign spreading holiday cheer… HO,HO, deck the halls and with duck taped a added a few other branches and we are having a Hooiserville Christmas.

Day's thought of the moment… "Of course the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, why do you think the neighbor put up the fence?"

Still Shopping, it’s getting late! 12/18

Me too and I still have a problem with one gift. I have to get one for a person that tells me she has it all, but doesn’t... that she requires little but I know better. If I did splurge and pop on something really big she’d explode and the thing would be headed back before it was unwrapped.

Over the past thirty plus years I’ve tried annually to come up with something that she needs or wants and in general I’ve missed the mark. Her concern is with others and how they are doing and very little for herself. When close friends and her family are all in positive modes, that’s her greatest pleasure. Are you getting the picture? This is a tough nut to crack. Getting something for her at Christmas is almost as bad doing so on her birthday for she quite counting.

Once again, I am walking the floor heavy into thought about what I can get someone whose greatest gift is making others happy, help! And don’t, "oh me!" for this not a last minute deal that makes my knees buckle. A friend told me to get her angel wings but they wouldn’t fit… so a guess it’s going to be the old 10 pounds of fudge deal.

Starting today is the thought of the moment…
thought of the moment… Fred told me..
" Learn to laugh at your problems – everyone else does."

The local Rag 12/15

While out of town last week I actually read a newspaper, yes a real life newspaper that’s delivered daily to grandmother’s front door. Here at home we have paper it you can call it that. It’s a semi-weekly that should be run over by one as well. Actually our local realtors underwrite the paper as our only local industry is real estate.

Our rag is filled with last months happening and the only the happenings that are covered are what the editor/publisher/manager thinks will sale papers., major scandal. It’s a one-side axe job… the paper has a feather up its nose about our local law enforcement people and the Dept of Natural Resources. Their pot shots alternates weekly these two subjects. So how many times do you have to kill a dead horse?

So opening the Omaha Daily Herald and reading about a local murder, a town mayor running off with funds, and the decline of the Cornhusker football team was a breath of fresh air. Ah… the news of good intent really brings us back in focus of the true meaning of Christmas.

Thumbing though the Omaha newspaper was a challenge. Along with the news there must have been 30 pounds advertising inserts crammed into to the paper (tis the season) as was our mailbox when we got home. I had to use a crowbar to open the thing .

As for the reason why we still subscribe to our local paper? …
the garbage has to go somewhere.

Octane 12/14

The gas pumps in Iowa have 3 selections of gas. There are three octane levels, meaning… low, medium and high, that’s prices as well. From station to station the gas pumps are all different. You have to hunt and peck for the right type but the pricing for the three types are comparatively low, very low compared to our fine state of Wisconsin. The pump price in greater downtown Carter Lake, Iowa was $2.14 per gallon.

Getting home two days ago it was $2.44 per gallon. Whose screwing who? and who in Wisconsin is asleep at the wheel, it's 95 % of the state.

Somebody in Madison has their hands in the pockets of the petro-people, 30 cents a gallon is quite a difference? Gad, I remember when the stuff was only .30 cents a gallon. It’s no small wonder why people are walking more, using bicycles … and it’s not a fitness thing and an econ-thing.

If I had half a mind I’d write a letter to Madison but no one reads down there. They are to busy with their hands in the pockets of others as are town boards. They to have their hands in the pockets of the builders passing one condo plan after. You need a building permit for a new super duper Wal-Mart? That will be a Zillion $, please.

Ok, so I am hot under the collar. But it’s super ugly what our fine quaint little resort area has turned into… the burbs with high price octane...lite up 24/7

Snow flakes 12/13
Did you know that there are eighty-seven zillion different snow flakes designs but whose counting. I opened a box of oat flakes this morning and out of boredom started counting. There were 337 ½ flakes but who’s counting but only four different patterns of flakes in the whole box. Normally our lake freezes over November 25th to 27th around Thanksgiving time but not this year for the Turkey Day came early this year and the lake froze over only last week, but whose counting.

Also during Thanksgiving we haven’t snow cover for the deer hunters, which helps their tracking and hunting success. The deer harvest was down once again this year and who is counting? First is the Department of Natural Resources. Their harvest count lets them know what’s happening out there or how they have missed managed things again.

The second and the most interested party are the auto insurance companies. For decades drivers in rural areas have had very low rates for there was nothing to run into for at one time the DNR knew what they were doing in deer management. Back then metro-area drivers were paying triple for car insurance due to one another and their horns and I am not talking antlers.
Now there is a mass of jarring horns.

These are the deer antlers in the north, which are impacting front bumpers, which hurts our wallets and windshields. Plus along side the roads are the remains many a brain dead deer to the delight of crows, eagles and local sausage makers.

So there are fewer snowflakes on our roads but more prancing bambies’.
Snow flakes splatter on the windshield when they land and so do deer parts….
Tag, you’re out!

Christmas Shopping? 12/12

All right, let’s not be slugs again this year. I know we can do it. We still have some time to put a little thought into it. The battle is half won just by having a shopping list with people on it.
The true test is to set aside a little time for acutely getting our rears in gear and getting out the door.
First, turn off the TV and take your list into a closet, bathroom or the basement (if you have one) then think on each person one at a time. The next question is, do you want to be practical or impractical?

Step two is to set aside what they or others have told you about what they really want. You should not think about what each person really needs and but would be overjoyed to receive.
Some of the most prized things I have were Christmas presents given to me when I hadn’t a clue of what was under the wrappings. Don’t take the easy way out and give a gift cart from XYZ store nor give thoughtful present like a snow shovel….

For many a year I use to give my brother a box of dress ties that were the worst looking things in the store knowing all the time that he’d return them for something that he needed. It was my short cut for not thinking… don’t be a slug like me, there’s still time Tiny Tim!

Cash or Charge? 12/11

To get from our house to my son’s in Omaha you travel through two ‘major’ towns… when you live in the woods any town of at least 100,000 folks is a major city! As you all know tis’ the season and all major towns have a thing called Malls. Last week we headed south.

That’s right, we went shopping. In Minneapolis there’s the Mall of America, then going through Death Moines there’s the new Jordan Creek Mall on the west side. These stops only get you ¾ of the way to Omaha where we were to spend last week.

While baby sitting the very young Miss Charlotte, we only had time to hit two Omaha Malls, the Cross Roads and the West Roads Malls. One of the first stops I made during our Tis’ the season thing was at one of the new Mega Sports shops to pick up a new pair of athletic walker shoes. This wasn’t to resole my daily work out shoes that I use at Snap Fitnesss; no, no… the new shoes were just to keep up with Rosebud as she whipped through dozen of shops.
"Nancy, I am not going in there, that’s Victoria’s Seceret,
I’ll meet you at the Auto Parts Store. "

However, I must admit it wasn’t as bad as I thought, shopping that is and not touring Victoria’s Secret. We’d made a list, checked it twice for notty’ and nice.

We didn’t go to overboard accept for my brothers’ annual lump of coal.

It's 6:15 am ?

We r down the road...
Christmas shopping points south and celi'brating a first birthday, cake and all. Will be back on post next Monday. U all will have to make do e-mailing one another till this adventure guides returns....ta ta 4 now.

Winter Water Skiing… 11/30

Winter Water Skiing… 12/1

You still could, our lake which is frozen by Thanksgiving is still open. It’s soft water not hard. Even BH could wind surf out there if he wasn’t a pansy. Even our young crew could water ski if they were here and had a few extra Brandy Alexander’s that are apart of our family’s holiday cheer.

So why is the lake still open? Could it be that this the advent of what those in the know call global warming? As for me the older I get the colder it seems to be. Yet, something is in the woodpile. Add the fact that the lake level is down a good 30" and it hasn’t been this low since 1947 … it seems strange things are a foot at the Circle K.

I got to thinking, a dangerous pass time; our small 180-acre lake isn’t the only one whose water level is down in northern Wisconsin. If you were to take the surface size X 30" you’d have a zillion gallons of water displaced somewhere. There are 10,000 in Wisconsin and another 10,000 in Minnesota and they are all down. Who says so? I do, I made a few phone call, (4). Even our states’ river reservoirs are way down.

So the question is…who made off with all these tons’ upon tons of water? And should we care?
Normally we have snow in the winter and rain in the spring/summer. Yet for the last 7 years things have not been normal, but whose counting? no snow or heavy rains. And what about the Chinese? But let’s not go there, Freddie will.

Then to the south of us there is ¾ of the state in a relative new business, crop farming, on land that you couldn’t give away. They have pounded 1000’s of new industrial sized wells into the aquifer irrigating their new farms sucking off water to the north. Other rocket scientists are blaming mankind, the auto, smoke stacks, and candy factories for our changing climate. All may have an effect.

Today I still can look out our windows and see a shining lake… oh my, it just froze over.

In the years to come maybe our grandchildren when looking out the same windows will only see a large dry hole in the ground.