Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Suspending Blog
Because I receive no feed back or comments on this blog, I have decided that it isn't worth my time to continue it. If you are a regular reader and wish for me to continue it, please let me know.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Week of Feb. 8 to Feb. 14
Monday, February 8, 2010
The skies are clear and the sun is out, shining brightly this morning. The low temperature was 3 degrees, with the high predicted for the mid thirty’s.
I worked all day on genealogy but took breaks to play with Zack and do a little bit of cleaning. I finished the day by loosing my eyesight at about 7:30 PM, showered before eating dinner and rested the remainder of the night.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Last evening, before it got completely dark, I watched an ice cloud drift slowly down my gulch from the Divide. It was an eerie sight and I wasn’t sure if it would remain for the night or move on. When I got up, the hoarfrost covered all of the forest around me and left me with visions of old man winter blowing ice-cold air, covering everything with a layer of white frost.
Aside from the morning weather, today was a repeat of yesterday. Following my grandmother on my father’s side of the family, I managed to view 478 pages of the 1900 census for Cass County Texas, which is where my grandmother was born. Each of the pages consists of 50 handwritten, in cursive, entries of the family name and members. Most of the pages had water damage at the bottom and the gif format made reading them difficult. So, at 50 people per page and 478 pages, I perused almost 24,000 names.
My diligence paid off, as I believe I found the family. I will continue to search for additional information to see if I can trace further back on her side of my family. Check out this page to see what I had to view and the family of Mack Johnson (entry number 70), my grandma’s father.
I ended the day with eye fatigue and a neck and back pain from straining to see the names, so a hot shower and some dinner were in order.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Blowing snow this morning and out of all the mornings to have heavy snow, I have to go into town. The temperatures are staying in the low 20s to teens for the night and then right around 32 degrees during the day.
By eleven O’clock, I had the Argo warming up and played with Zack before heading to town. We made the trip there and back again without any problems. I managed to run all of my errands, make my chiropractor appointment, and still get home before dark. Zack and I played briefly after I had put all of the frozen and refrigerated food away.
I stoked the fire back to life and had my V-8 while reading my mail. My camera was returned from warranty repairs and I made sure it was all there and working. The work order only listed that several things were cleaned, but nothing about repairs or replacements, so I hope what they did has truly fixed the problem. In researching possible fixes before sending it in, I discovered that Nikon’s are all made in Thailand now and that most of the parts are purchased from other country resources, so I shouldn’t be surprised that everything else, like the quality control and finished product, is below my expectations.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
I was surprised to see an almost clear sky this morning, with the sun making a valiant attempt to break through and shine. By 11:00, it was snowing heavily, like it did most of yesterday. The one positive thing is that the clouds are keeping the temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s.
I cleaned the cabin most of the day, as I am having my friends, Joe and Michele, up for the three-day weekend. Normally Joe would have to work on Saturday, but the owner closed the business for good on Wednesday. Joe wasn’t depressed as he had already lined up another job here in Helena and was quitting at the end of the day anyway. He now gets a mini-vacation until his new job starts in a week or so. He had already moved all of his things to Helena, so after locking the store doors, he was free and clear to move on.
I spent the day cleaning the cabin, organizing and putting things away. Zack and I had our playtime and I managed to get four loads of wash done. While living alone gives me the luxury of letting things go, it is always nice to have a clean house and everything in its place.
Friday, February 12, 2010
It is snowing and blowing this morning with the wind being fairly consistent at 7 mph, with gusts to 14. NWS is predicting snow for the next several days, but the temperatures are supposed to stay in the double digits.
This type of weather makes it nice to stay inside by the fire and with company here; we can play board games and visit while relaxing.
After my usual morning routine, I cleaned the kitchen and assembled the items I need to prepare my seafood chowder for our dinner tonight. I will be taking the Argo to meet Joe and Michele in Maryville at 6:00 and then return for a hot meal and good visit.
I arrived in Marysville at about 5:20 and only had to wait about 5 minutes before Joe and Michele showed up. We loaded their things into the Argo and headed for the cabin. The trip was uneventful and we arrived home before it became dark enough to need headlights.
They got settled while I prepared dinner and we ate around 7:00 and then enjoyed the fire and a visit before going to bed at about 11 PM.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
It is overcast and gloomy outside this morning, with snow in the forecast. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warmer, so I would expect to see several groups of snowmobilers come by. Last weekend, I had several and my tracks are fresh, which is why they follow them.
My back muscle is acting up again and is causing me a lot of discomfort, which along with the weather had us all staying inside, watching the Olympics and visiting most of the day.
Sunday, February 14, 2010 HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
As predicted, the sky cleared and the sun shone brightly. After a hearty breakfast, Joe, Michele and Zack went for a walk in the snow.
I haven’t had any relief from my back pain and it is bad enough to upset my stomach, so I stayed inside and tried to find a comfortable position that would help.
In the afternoon, we watched some more of the Olympic events and a few DVDs, and then I prepared dinner. After eating we watched television before retiring.
Michele and Joe watching the fire dance while it snows outside. Note the icicles hanging from the roof.
This is a double icicle that ran into each other and formed one. Note the size of the snowflakes in the background.
The skies are clear and the sun is out, shining brightly this morning. The low temperature was 3 degrees, with the high predicted for the mid thirty’s.
I worked all day on genealogy but took breaks to play with Zack and do a little bit of cleaning. I finished the day by loosing my eyesight at about 7:30 PM, showered before eating dinner and rested the remainder of the night.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Last evening, before it got completely dark, I watched an ice cloud drift slowly down my gulch from the Divide. It was an eerie sight and I wasn’t sure if it would remain for the night or move on. When I got up, the hoarfrost covered all of the forest around me and left me with visions of old man winter blowing ice-cold air, covering everything with a layer of white frost.
Aside from the morning weather, today was a repeat of yesterday. Following my grandmother on my father’s side of the family, I managed to view 478 pages of the 1900 census for Cass County Texas, which is where my grandmother was born. Each of the pages consists of 50 handwritten, in cursive, entries of the family name and members. Most of the pages had water damage at the bottom and the gif format made reading them difficult. So, at 50 people per page and 478 pages, I perused almost 24,000 names.
My diligence paid off, as I believe I found the family. I will continue to search for additional information to see if I can trace further back on her side of my family. Check out this page to see what I had to view and the family of Mack Johnson (entry number 70), my grandma’s father.
I ended the day with eye fatigue and a neck and back pain from straining to see the names, so a hot shower and some dinner were in order.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Blowing snow this morning and out of all the mornings to have heavy snow, I have to go into town. The temperatures are staying in the low 20s to teens for the night and then right around 32 degrees during the day.
By eleven O’clock, I had the Argo warming up and played with Zack before heading to town. We made the trip there and back again without any problems. I managed to run all of my errands, make my chiropractor appointment, and still get home before dark. Zack and I played briefly after I had put all of the frozen and refrigerated food away.
I stoked the fire back to life and had my V-8 while reading my mail. My camera was returned from warranty repairs and I made sure it was all there and working. The work order only listed that several things were cleaned, but nothing about repairs or replacements, so I hope what they did has truly fixed the problem. In researching possible fixes before sending it in, I discovered that Nikon’s are all made in Thailand now and that most of the parts are purchased from other country resources, so I shouldn’t be surprised that everything else, like the quality control and finished product, is below my expectations.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
I was surprised to see an almost clear sky this morning, with the sun making a valiant attempt to break through and shine. By 11:00, it was snowing heavily, like it did most of yesterday. The one positive thing is that the clouds are keeping the temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s.
I cleaned the cabin most of the day, as I am having my friends, Joe and Michele, up for the three-day weekend. Normally Joe would have to work on Saturday, but the owner closed the business for good on Wednesday. Joe wasn’t depressed as he had already lined up another job here in Helena and was quitting at the end of the day anyway. He now gets a mini-vacation until his new job starts in a week or so. He had already moved all of his things to Helena, so after locking the store doors, he was free and clear to move on.
I spent the day cleaning the cabin, organizing and putting things away. Zack and I had our playtime and I managed to get four loads of wash done. While living alone gives me the luxury of letting things go, it is always nice to have a clean house and everything in its place.
Friday, February 12, 2010
It is snowing and blowing this morning with the wind being fairly consistent at 7 mph, with gusts to 14. NWS is predicting snow for the next several days, but the temperatures are supposed to stay in the double digits.
This type of weather makes it nice to stay inside by the fire and with company here; we can play board games and visit while relaxing.
After my usual morning routine, I cleaned the kitchen and assembled the items I need to prepare my seafood chowder for our dinner tonight. I will be taking the Argo to meet Joe and Michele in Maryville at 6:00 and then return for a hot meal and good visit.
I arrived in Marysville at about 5:20 and only had to wait about 5 minutes before Joe and Michele showed up. We loaded their things into the Argo and headed for the cabin. The trip was uneventful and we arrived home before it became dark enough to need headlights.
They got settled while I prepared dinner and we ate around 7:00 and then enjoyed the fire and a visit before going to bed at about 11 PM.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
It is overcast and gloomy outside this morning, with snow in the forecast. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warmer, so I would expect to see several groups of snowmobilers come by. Last weekend, I had several and my tracks are fresh, which is why they follow them.
My back muscle is acting up again and is causing me a lot of discomfort, which along with the weather had us all staying inside, watching the Olympics and visiting most of the day.
Sunday, February 14, 2010 HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
As predicted, the sky cleared and the sun shone brightly. After a hearty breakfast, Joe, Michele and Zack went for a walk in the snow.
I haven’t had any relief from my back pain and it is bad enough to upset my stomach, so I stayed inside and tried to find a comfortable position that would help.
In the afternoon, we watched some more of the Olympic events and a few DVDs, and then I prepared dinner. After eating we watched television before retiring.
Michele and Joe watching the fire dance while it snows outside. Note the icicles hanging from the roof.
This is a double icicle that ran into each other and formed one. Note the size of the snowflakes in the background.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Week of Feb. 1 to Feb. 7
Monday, February 1, 2010
Well, the first month of the New Year has passed us by and after re-reading my own blog; it wasn’t that great of start for me. I hope things have been better for all of you.
The weather is still overcast and NWS predicts snow through the entire week. It is snowing lightly this morning, with a 2 to 3 mph breeze blowing snow out of the trees.
Saturday, I changed out my last full propane tank so I have to go into town to get one refilled and pick up a few things. Zack and I loaded an empty tank into the Argo and headed for Marysville at noon. Once we reached the Divide, the sky cleared and the sun was out, but a glance back towards the cabin showed that it was still snowing heartily.
We reached Marysville, parked the Argo, warmed up the Jeep for the next leg of the journey and visited briefly with Guy and Mary before departing. The trip to town was unremarkable and I collected my mail, filled the propane tank, got groceries, prescriptions and gas, returning to Marysville by 4 PM.
On the way back up to the Divide, the Argo was making an odd noise and with the problems I’ve been having I stopped to check on it. The sound seemed to be coming from the snow tracks and almost sounded like a flat tire as it was rhythmic and made a thumping sound. I stopped and checked all the tires and the tracks but found nothing wrong. I surmise that it may have been the weight of the full propane tank (187 lbs.), 15 gallons of gas (84 lbs.) and groceries of an undetermined weight, causing the tracks to make the noise.
We continued on, arriving home at about 4:30. I unloaded the propane tank to gain access to the groceries and then took the items into the cabin to be put away. Once that was done, I moved the Argo to its garage and removed the gas cans, putting them in the shed. Zack and I played for a while and then I fed him and the cats, built up the coals into a good fire and sat down to read my mail before a shower and dinner.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
It is still snowing, heavy at times, but generally light and staying just around 30 degrees. The snow is dry and almost a crystal rather than flakes.
I spent the day doing research, reading and writing with time to play with Zack several times. In the afternoon it began snowing harder and Zack doesn’t care what the weather is when it comes to playing, so I stand under the roof and throw the disc for him until he gets tired or I get too cold. After we come back in, he naps by the fire while I continue with whatever I am working on.
Rusty is having a very good day and has been a real pill all morning. He tried to get me out of bed to feed him at 6:30 this morning, but I resisted until a little after 8 O’clock, and then got up and started my day. Meanwhile, Rusty is racing up and down the stairs, into the sunroom and back to the kitchen, trying to climb my leg. It was like he was high on catnip or something. This continued most of the morning with naptime coming just before noon, and then he started all over again. All of his activity got Zoey going and she chased him around for a while and then didn’t want to be bothered.
I guess I strained my lower back yesterday when I wrestled the propane tank out of the Argo, as it is bothering me this morning, along with my leg muscles, so I am moving stiffly and not feeling like being too active.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The sky cleared during the night and the temperatures went from double digits to a single digit, with the low being 3.7 degrees at 7:30 this morning. When I start my morning fire, I try to remember to check the outside temperature to see if I need to heat the flue before lighting the fire and it was 8 degrees, so I preheated the air in the chimney using my propane torch. After a few seconds, I lit the fire and it had no problem drafting properly.
The days are getting noticeable longer and the sun poked its head over Greenhorn Mountain by 10:30 this morning. It is staying light until 5:30, which makes me believe that spring is on its way. Except for a few high thin clouds, the sky is clear and it is above freezing before noon today. Yesterday, the high was 30 degrees and it snowed almost all day, so this is a nice break.
I split and stacked about ¾ of a cord of firewood, and it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do with my back causing some pain, but it warmed up and the sun was shining, so I needed to take advantage of the weather and get the firewood stack a little higher.
After finishing that, I headed the front door to work on the Argo and as I shut the front door, I almost collided with a killer icicle that had curled all of the way under the porch roof and lurked to injure me. I removed the flooring from the Argo, checked the chains and lubricated everything again. I started to work in the shed, but the clouds moved in and it was getting late, so I quit for the day. Zack and I played one last time, then I fed him, and the cats, did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.
I just stoked the fire and the animals are all laying down for their after dinner naps. I will shower and then fix myself something before relaxing for the evening.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
It is another dreary overcast morning with a few flakes of snow blowing around. The forecast is for snow all day, but yesterdays forecast was the same and it was a sunny afternoon. It is colder this morning than yesterday, with the low being 3 degrees.
I spent the day giving my back a rest and doing some genealogy research on my grandfather. I had spent the last several days looking for him and his family on Ancestry.com and having gone through pages and pages of census records, found nothing. I did find him listed on the voter’s registrations going back to 1924, but that was all. Ancestry.com allows you to have a free 14 day trail where you can search all their records and then after the 14 days, they charge your credit card a monthly fee until you cancel.
I finally gave up and Googled “free birth records,” which led me to the site of the Latter-day Saints, which is free. My grandfather had become a Mormon during his second marriage (he was married three times) and as such was obligated to research his genealogy. In less than 15 minutes I found his family tree and the information I was looking for. He managed to trace his family back to the 1500s and England, but it stops there. So much for Ancestry.com being worth a monthly fee.
Having consumed the day in my research, after one last play period with Zack, I fed all the animals and then showered, relaxing for the rest of the evening.
Friday, February 5, 2010
This morning is starting off exactly the same as yesterday morning, with the low being 3 degrees, overcast, a few errant snowflakes, but no wind. Yesterday afternoon the sky cleared and it was sunny and a warm 49 degrees, so maybe today will end up being nice. When I went out to shut off the generator last night, the sky was clear and I could see a million stars, so I was a little surprised to see it overcast this morning.
I spent the entire day working on the computer, stopping to play with Zack several times and once to service the generator so it is ready for the next time I need it. I have been doing family research and for those interested in genealogy, try the Mormon site: http://www.familysearch.org, it’s free and they have millions of family trees and information.
I ended my research day at five O’clock, playing one last time with Zack and then feeding all my critters, showering, eating dinner and relaxing for the rest of the evening.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
It is a bit foggy this morning; in reality it is a low flying cloud scooting through my gulch on its way down from the Divide. It looks like it may clear and leave me with some sunshine to help warm the day. The days are getting longer fast and I have daylight until 6 PM now. Soon it will stay light until 9:30 at night.
I spent the entire day researching family members, with some success, with time for Zack, Zoey and Rusty. Rusty is having a good day today, as he did yesterday also. His good days are out numbering his bad days so I hope his system is getting stronger and he will gain his full strength.
Inbetween my research, I managed to do some wash, make up the bed with clean linen and vacuum, so I feel like I accomplished a lot.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
I hate starting off my days like this morning, but after checking the outside temperature, 8 degrees, I used the propane torch to preheat the firebox and chimney, or so I thought. The wood started burning and seemed to be drafting okay but then it stopped and filled the cabin with acrid smoke.
It took me almost an hour to set things back to normal after removing the smoke alarm battery, opening the sliding door, setting up the box fan to exhaust the smoke while the ceiling fan ran at full speed. What a pain in the butt. There is still some remnants of smoke lingering in the air, but it was just too cold to leave the cabin open to the outside air, which rushed in faster than a flood. The smoke assaulted my lungs enough to cause a constant cough and eye irritation, but I’ve suffered it before and survived. To top it all off, at about 3:30 this morning, I awoke with a muscle spasm pinching a nerve between my shoulder blades. I took ibuprofen immediately, slept restlessly until 8:00, and then got up. Moving around has helped a little, but it is still bothering me.
I spent the entire day doing more genealogy research and had limited success. I find it fascinating and addictive, but also exhausting and eye crossing. It is now 6:30 PM, and I have played with and fed all the animals so I will now shower and relax for the rest of the night.
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