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.
