Day 20

ANT WINTER GONE..

Yes I am ready for spring, too many days of grey clouds are making me feel like Im in a bubble that I can't see out of...we have more ice/snow forecast for this weekend...I used to ski.  Skiing is about the only reason I would want snow but since I no longer ski...it's hardly on my wish list.  
I recall when I finally got how balance and weight distribution was the key to good skiing..  It was a thrill to swoosh down the slope on a sunny day with no wind and just feel like  you could fly...but then it got so expensive to ski.  For us it meant flying or driving and reserving rooms, then lift tickets got every high...in the beginning we could get a lift ticket for like $30 half day...and if we flew to western slopes we normally went to Colorado and stayed with my sis.  But not always cause she had a small place with only a pull out couch.  So it just got to be a hassle, and seems I was always in debt from the ski trips so I gave it up!

When I bought my x out I cleared out all our old ski stuff took the boots and ski suits to goodwill and even the ski's too but they were really too old to even be of use....very outdated compared to the stuff of these days..I think the last time I went skiing was at Snowmass in Colorado...I recall I got very sick and we had to delay our departure by one day. 

So yesterday I spent the day getting in wood for the 3 days of bad weather we are predicted to have, hope the electric stays on this time.  My sis is having her 73rd birthday on Monday...we are getting way too old.  She has lived in CO for many years and yet she is the only one of us who never took up skiing....go figure.

Post Script:

I forgot to mention, last week I destroyed my binoculars.  The dial that controls the focus was spinning around not attached anymore....so miss fix it decided to put super glue on it...

Don't ever do this if you really want to keep your binoculars....I should have used double sided tape or some of that tacky putty whatever it's called.  So now they reside in the bag with the last pair of dead Polaris Binoculars that one of the prisms  simply jarred loose and was whoppersided, and even thou I tried to take it apart and get it back in alignment....it was never to work again.  What can you do with 2 pair of non working binoculars? 

So I found a pair of used Vortex Diamondback 8 x 42...hope they are not scratched or anything guy has 30 day returns so Im covered...

And they are $100 cheaper than the Amazon new ones...

I hope I will like them. 

day 16

EATHER WOES

Today we have an ice storm my electric keeps blinking on and off and I hope it doesn't just go off it could at any moment...the trees are covered and the power lines as well with ice.. Limbs are falling off the trees it sounds like a shotgun blast then you hear the thud of the limb hitting the ground.  Every single thing is coated in ice...it looks like a disaster movie.  

I ate breakfast early so I wouldn't have to use the camp stove if the power goes off but I have it at the ready jic...and my lanterns, and my battery bank also if I need to charge things...I don't know if my Modem will run off the battery bank? They should make modems with a battery backup a lithium ion inside like the laptop has.

My phone has very little service so using it as a hotspot is not really gonna work...never tried to do that.  It rained all night and as the temp dropped it began to coat the world if the sun should peek through it would be like a prism...but the Sun is no where to be seen and the wind i s picking up which means more  limbs falling..

This happens pretty regular in winter here I'd rather have snow than ice...snow does not damage things like ice does...my son had to go into work anyway which is scary hope he will be ok,,,and I hope he gets off before dark... The power just dimmed and blinked so I better publish this now!

Day 14

ENT BIRDING...

It was cold...but sunny.  So when I got back I downloaded my photos and put up an ebird list.  Went to what I call the Sparrow Place...its the key species there...18 species 7 of which were sparrows, had one Fox Sparrow couldn't get a photo of him this time.  Such a beauty.

But no Juncos.  That surprised me, last year Im certain they were there.  Had Jays, Wrens, Cardinals, Dove, Hawk, Vulture, and more.

an

It was nice to walk around but I sure got cold so when I got home I made a nice bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.  Not Vegan but Vegetarian.  It sure was tasty and it warmed me right up.  
That made me think of a time back in 1994 when I went on a birding trip with the CBC,  I had invited my friend to go with me, and we signed up for a field trip that took us along the beach by the cold Atlantic Ocean in Feb,,,We were frozen when we got back to the parking lot.  

 Our leader had a surprise for us...he had catered Lunch! A food truck was there with Hot soup, hot sandwiches, hot chocolate,  coffee,  tea...warm apple fritters, and muffins, and it was the most delicious and comforting thing EVER.  Each one of us was smiling ear to ear.  What a wonderful surprise.  AND she had one of those outdoor heaters hooked up to a propane bottle and we around it and warmed up.

So that was a great memory....

BUT the morning did not start out so cheerful today...this morning I had a bad dream.  It didn't seem so bad at first but here is how it went...I was in some  mall it had restaurants inside...and I wanted to eat.  But on the way I stopped to look at batteries and this lady allowed her small child to open one of those emergency doors and the little girl went out towards a busy highway.  The lady said I better find another way out to get her...and I said "lady you better open that door right there and go get your child." it was like she was afraid to set off the alarm...anyways she did go get her...Then I went to the eateries, one served only fish one served only meat.  I was hoping to get something vegetarian...so I went to the last one.  People in front of me were looking at  a paper menu...and I was peeking over their shoulders to see it...and in the corner was a name hand written...when I looked at it, I realized it was my sisters name! I asked to hold the paper, he folded it and handed it to me, but when I felt it, the paper was WET...and when I opened it up her name was gone...It made me so sad I sat down at one of the tables put my head down and sobbed...
I woke up  my face, my pillow was soaked with tears and I was still sobbing!! 
It took me an hour to get myself under control...it was like I had lost something very dear to me, and the pain was so real....the saddness so real and the tears were real. 

I was so glad when I woke up and my sis had emailed me as she does every morning...I don't understand that dream... 

Day 13,

HAT I SAW THIS MORNING

So I watched this preppers video...his claim is the current raise in prices is a conspiracy to lower the population of the planet.  Its all a very well orchestrated plot...

BUT wait if the very corporations we support with our MONEY suddenly don't provide us with what we need and buy NOTHING,..hmmmm how does that work?  LoL..

People believe that tho...and they were saying things like "this is how the Dems handle the economy." LoL again so far none of Joe Biden's economic policies have been passed or enacted except the stimulus payments...but some how he is holding up the production of goods, he is stopping the trains and trucks, and he is not allowing meat to be slaughtered, they killed 1/2 million chickens not because of a disease they contracted, but to make food scarce.  

Yes people believe that...now I have been known to say that the rich don't want the poor, they want them to disappear...but withholding food from the shelves means rich nor poor get any.  My theory is that over decades there will be less poor as only the wealthy can afford decent food, healthcare, decent housing which is and has always happened...but this "Plot" is basically saying it's gonna happen soon!  The thing is this.  WHO is the they in this conspiracy? 

What happened in Kazakhstan was due to an Authoritarian Leader who is without cause raising prices of gasoline.  They  pump their own oil, 1,900+ barrels a day and Chevron owns 50% of it, Exxon owns 25% of it...so there had been a cap on gas prices, it was lifted on Jan 1, 2022...but the whole thing is not really about that is a disguised coup by the current leader as he tries to take the control away from the "old ruler".  So the old ruler and his family are now out of the country and the new ruler has the Military on his side...so we will see if he can do any better...this is how it is when you give ONE man too much power!!

Day 12,

here is the catchy title?

I just can't seem to come up one so I'm just doing a count UP for my titles...here it is day 12 already. 

Yesterday and Today I got frustrated...yesterday I took my propane tank to be filled because if we should get ice I could loose  electricity...if that happens I will freeze.  They say it's possible on Sat and Sun....
I have been very slack in cutting wood and currently I have almost none and it's all dead pine which has NO energy to release, it burns like crap.  I had planned to cut a couple of small oaks to put with it, but they need to cure for at least 2 weeks before they will burn.  I haven't felt well enough to do that.  So I wanted a tank of propane, yesterday I went to Tractor Supply they had none...could they just put a sign out there so you don't park,  go inside and ask for someone to come fill your tank...do all that get inside to hear "we are out of propane."  What a waste of my time!

So I went home without it because I was frustrated....today I had to go back for other things I couldn't find on shelves at Walmart some empty...they had almost no pasta, no lettuce, and a few other things I wanted.  The Fresh Pet dog food I buy...So today I had to go back to town.

I stopped at Ace Hardware to get the tank filled...they had it and  for a cheaper price...but the guy who filled it...

Ok, so we began to talk about the newly refurbished strip mall across the road.  So he said "you can thank Mr Trump for that...he passed this bill to give lower taxes to developers so we got  this mall fixed...

SO  of course I said "well that would be the only thing to thank him for since he is a complete scoundrel otherwise, he is a crook, a liar, and a traitor to the constitution." 

Does he not get it? So Trump passed a bill that helps an industry that HE is heavily vested in and this is how he makes his millions...real estate development and making money for investors and venture capitalists.  OMG, and at the same time he tried to take away so much from individual people's rights.  What good does this newly refurbished mall do our community? Besides taxes, it's low paying jobs, the HQ of the 2 business that rented are not here so all the money moves to another state to be held by wealthy corporate developers.  Just like Mr DJT.  Here is what I found online about this executive order;

Under the opportunity zone program, investors can receive capital-gains tax breaks if they invest in distressed areas that were certified by the Treasury Department.
But the program has also faced some scrutiny. The Associated Press on Tuesday reported that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, the president's daughter and son-in-law who work at the White House, could end up benefiting financially from the program.

Need I say more??

He said people voted for DJT because they are frustrated with Washington...ok, well how did he make it better??? The guy was not too bright if you ask me...I said "well once the infrastructure bill comes thru we will all benefit not just wealthy investors and his family"!! A new road, a new bridge, new water lines, more internet, bettering the entire community not just rich investors. 

Meanwhile inflation is drowning us...prices have more than doubled in most cases...gas came down temporarily but Im sure its getting ready to explode to new levels.  Food is scarce, and jobs are going to be lost.  Meanwhile covid is really on a huge increase.  Joe Biden has not gotten ONE bill thru the Republican blockade, so it's not his policy that has caused this inflation!! 

Day 11

HERE THE LOVE OF GOD GOES...

This is a line in the song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.  The entire line is "does anyone know where the love of the God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours"...I surely can't answer that if you believe in God maybe you can...

Anyways the reason Im even thinking of this is the other day I watched a documentary on youtube detailing the last couple of hours of that tragic last voyage of the Edmund Fitzgerald.  

I visited the shipwreck museum when I went to the UP of Michigan, and I would recommend it to any who are in the area...very well done...and the ships bells is on display there...the wreck lays entirely in the Canadian side of Lake Superior and it is currently banned from any more dives to be done on it, it's at 530 ft depth.  The ship sank in 1975 and was first dived on in 1976.  All 29 men aboard perished...

The thing is Superior lake is the coldest water possible..at about 36 degrees F.  So they say all the dead in the lake are still in there...still recognizable as human since they remain at just a degree or 2 about freezing...and since there is over 500 shipwrecks in that lake with a body count of 30,000 I don't think I would ever want to swim in that water.  When I traveled around Lake Superior on my Canadian road trip...I camped along the banks...If I had known then about the 30,000 souls I think it would have creeped me out for sure. 

Its amazing how many bodies are under water, not just in that lake but think of the oceans, all the rivers, lakes, ponds...I watch another youtube channel called Adventures with Purpose.  They work cold cases where people have gone missing suddenly never to be seen again and it normally involves there last know whereabouts was driving a vehicle along or near water...they have recovered quit a few so far...the missing person's corpse still in the watery grave which was once their car of truck...it's astonishing to realize people don't just vanish they are somewhere on this planet...

So if you know any story where someone just seemingly vanished into thin air while on their way to "somewhere" see if you can ID any bodies of water along that route that they may have run off into...

Recently the team of AWP, found a man in his truck in only 6 ft of water, people had put their boats in the water day after day right over this man's body!! Makes me want to never swim again unless it's in a pool that I can clearly see the bottom of. 

The sad thing is my Mother's older brother died when the car  he was driving plunged into a lake...he and his wife both died..I don't know if it was from the impact or from drowning...I must ask my sis and hope she knows...my Mom was always terrified of water, and this was partly the reason. 

Day 10

ENT AWOL for 5 days..

I had some busy days and some days where I did nothing in the past 5 days...of course I did what is required in order to survive...shop for food, cook it, and eat it....build a fire on a cold night...take care of dogs needs which are more and more with Floss.  Unfortunately there is some disconnection going on.  My Sis gave me Jimmy's hip pain pills she has been prescribed this before.  I had planned to get her a new script so my sis said just take over this one. 

So she is a little more mobile, but still she doesn't get up and go outside on her own anymore?  Like I said there is some disconnection and even when I take her out and walk around with her she will still come back sometimes and have an accident.  So that has me puzzled.

I think it's Dementia, or some other cognitive process... she has that same look in her eye that Spanky had the last year of his life...it was a vacant look, like he was not sure of anything...it makes me feel very sad inside.  So I am trying to do what I can to make her life as easy and painless as possible...Annie is still the same old girl she even runs a little bit when we get out in the yard and she wants to play she will run these tight little circles around me, then run right at me and dodge off at the last minute like Dodge Dog...lol she is a card.  She is in way better condition than Floss.  When they were pups (as you recall I found 7 young dogs abandoned in the woods back in 2008) Floss was in the poorest condition of the 7....because she was the most meek of the group she didn't fight for her food.  She was not the runt Daisy Mae was the runt.  She was the last one we found a home for and we kept the last 2 and now here it is nearly 14 yrs later.  I think about all their brothers and their sister...it was 4 boys and 3 girls...She is eating good right now but we had some ups n downs with the eating.  

I went to see a rare bird on Friday and I saw it and one other that had escaped it's way off my life list...so UP by two is good.  The Slaty Backed Gull the rare bird, and the other I got was the Lesser Black Backed Gull to me the Slaty is a cross between the lesser and great black backed gull....But it's a mostly Asian Species who found his way here on the east coastal region of SC...
It was at the Conway Landfill in Horry county...About 111 miles away.  So within my 4 hr round trip designation for the carbon footprint of twitching. I will offset that usage this week...hopefully.  
My sis had a new bird come right to her yard, the Rosy Finch got all 3 the grey, black, and brown.   And today the first Junco's came to my yard! They are a full 45 days late.  AND on Saturday evening my son and I were driving on the dirt road coming home and we saw the silhouette of an owl...I had my binos in the car as I have a pair I leave there 24/7 and took a peek even in low light could see the horns of the Great Horned Owl...so that was super cool..I h ad heard a barred owl calling one night when I went out at 9 pm with the dogs...so Owls are on the rise in this new world order.

I was glad other birders were there to point new arrivals in the right direction...that is always a plus...I find that birders are always helpful in that way...most of the time.  The lists I had seen said find the windsock and you find the bird, well there was a MILLION gulls at this landfill...but true to form once I was directed to the windsock, there it was and with help of others who arrived before me, they pointed him out...463 getting closer to my hopes of 500.  If only I could spend a week in FL and TX I know I could get those 38 more.  Hopefully before I kick the bucket...this is NA  birds...The only bird I really recall seeing in the Bahamas way back when I went was a Grackle and an English House Sparrow, and maybe Brown pelican? I should try to do a bird list of that trip...if I can recall the dates. I think I have some old photos maybe they are time stamped.

Today I don't feel well...I feel dizzy and light headed.  Hope as the day goes on I will improve.  Its turning colder as the day progresses, the first really LOW overnight is on the way...low 20's. That is probably what finally sent the Junco's here...

I watched 2 movies last night on Tubi, Glass Castle, and Blood and Money.  Glass Castle (Woody Harrelson) based on true story and reminded me o f my own dysfunctional upbringing...and Blood n Money reminded me a lot of the one I watched last week with Redford, only this one was with Tom Barringer. (Platoon, Sniper,)  Both used to be very handsome leading men both now very old and moving slow with poor posture and the whole nine of aging...BUT both still working, this film was from 2017...so I don't know if he has done anything since.  It was a good drama.  I read he lives in an RV on Hilton Head Island here in SC...in fact in this movie he was living in a truck camper..He has lived in SC since 1987...Im not sure I'd recognize him if I ran into him.

I see some blue creeping into the sky...hope that means it's gonna be a good day for me.