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Entry Index – 2025
January 05, 2025: A New Year, Biting Cold, A Warm Hearth, And The End Of Colleen’s Christmas Break.
January 12, 2025: More Biting Cold, A Daily Fire, And The First Snowfall In About Three Years.
January 26, 2025: Bitter Cold, Snow And Snow Days For School, Nothing Better Than A Hot Fire!
February 02, 2025: Warmer Weather Finally, Plenty Of Sunshine, Lots Of Cleaning.
February 16, 2025: Lots Of Rain, Cooler Temperatures Again, Snow In Next Week’s Forecast!
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January 05, 2025: A New Year, Biting Cold, A Warm Hearth, And The End Of Colleen’s Christmas Break.
Well, it is the first weekend of the new year, and it is as cold as the Dickens! Mother Nature gave us a break with some very pleasant and unseasonably warm days to close out December, but she turned off the heat on New Year’s Day, and the mercury has been dropping ever since. The temperature is now starting the days near 25 degrees and struggling to make it into the 40’s. Colleen and I have been burning the fire hard to heat of the house, and it looks like that will be our strategy for at least the next couple of weeks. We have not had much in the way of precipitation, but that is supposed to change later today and into tomorrow. Unfortunately, it will just be a cold biting rain.
We started taking down Christmas decorations last weekend and Colleen spent the better part of last Sunday taking down the decorations hung on the walls, while I did my writing. We did get some rain Sunday afternoon. After the rain passed, Colleen headed down back to bring the girls their afternoon treats. That did not go well, because Colleen lost her footing in the chicken pen and ended up on her backside. Fortunately, she did not get hurt. It was a good excuse for her to get into her pj’s before dinner though.
Monday after our morning walks, Colleen and I were both all in on putting Christmas decorations away. In the morning, while Colleen packed up decorations inside the house, I took down the garland and lights on the front porch. The noon hour showed up, and we kept going as we headed outside to put the yard decorations away. That took us a couple of hours. Since we had not eaten lunch, after Colleen took care of the girls in the afternoon, we ate an early dinner. I always get sad when we put away our Christmas decorations and sitting out in the front porch in the evening with my cigar just did not seem right without the Christmas lights.
Tuesday was New Year’s Eve, and it was time for the Christmas tree to come down. That little job took us all morning, but by 1 o’clock, Colleen and I were unceremoniously tossing the defrocked Christmas tree over the front porch rail. Neither of us did much for the rest of the day. Taking down the Christmas tree is another sad event for me, and the living room looked barren without it. It was not even cold enough to have a fire in the fireplace. A fire would have at least added a warm and cheery glow to the room. We did get Chinese takeout for dinner though. It is a New Year’s Eve thing for us.
Wednesday was New Year’s Day. The morning brought us a fiery eastern horizon to start the new year. Colleen and I filled up about half of the back porch firewood rack after our morning walks. Colleen puttered around the house for the rest of the day, and I worked with my baseball cards, packaging some up for the mail and listing a bunch of others for sale online. The whole day was calm and quiet and for dinner all we did was heat up the leftovers from our New Year’s Eve Chinese takeout.
Thursday was market day, and Colleen and I headed out shortly after daylight. I guess it was a sign that we were getting back into a normal, everyday routine. It was cold though, and as soon as we got home, I made sure we had a good fire burning in the fireplace. I spent most of the day tending the fire. I did go for a walk after lunch. When I got home, there were deer in the backyard, and they didn’t seem to mind me being on the back porch to get more firewood for the hearth rack. Colleen spent the evening figuring out and looking for what we needed to get a “Real ID” to replace our driver’s licenses. Those things are a pain!
Friday Colleen and I started thinking about getting back to a post-Christmas normal daily routine. The morning was a cold 25 degrees, and while Colleen was walking Roux, I made sure we had a nice fire burning in the fireplace. While I was out walking, Colleen started making a big pot of corn chowder. The chowder recipe is from Revolutionary times and is one of our favorites. I ended up taking a nap after lunch, and when I came back downstairs, Colleen was just taking a batch of freshly baked blueberry muffins out of the oven. Since it was Friday, we got takeout pizza for dinner. We spent most of our evening relaxing.
It was another cold start to yesterday, and while Colleen was walking Roux, I made darn sure we had a hardy fire burning in the fireplace. Colleen made some German apple pancakes for breakfast when she got home. I went for my walk after breakfast. Colleen and I put some more firewood on the back porch rack after lunch. I tended the fire and listed baseball cards for sale online for the rest of the afternoon. Colleen made a turkey dinner with frozen Thanksgiving leftovers. After dinner we spent a quiet and peaceful evening in front of the fireplace.
This morning Colleen and I were treated to another brilliant orange horizon as the sun came up. The fire is burning in the fireplace now. Colleen is walking Roux, and I will go for my walk later today. Today is also Colleen’s last day of Christmas break. She will be getting everything ready to head to school tomorrow morning, but she is not looking forward to heading back into school. I cannot say as I blame her either. As for me, I am just getting ready for another day of being retired which I very much enjoy. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time though. When we come to the end of each day, we will look around and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead
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January 12, 2025: More Biting Cold, A Daily Fire, And The First Snowfall In About Three Years.
Mother Nature did her best last week to remind us that we are still in the throes of winter. Most of our mornings last week started with the thermometer needle sitting at the 20-degree mark. For three consecutive days, the high temperature in the afternoons only got to 36 degrees. While we were doing our best to keep the house warm, the weather prognosticators warned us of an impending snowstorm late Friday afternoon and all through the night. Snowfall projections ran anywhere from 3 to 5 inches. Having missed out on a White Christmas, Colleen and I genuinely were excited at the chance of snow. Yesterday morning, we woke up expecting to see the ever so rare winter wonderland around here. It did not happen! Mother Nature really dropped the ball. We barely got an inch of snow, and most of it melted by sunset. What is left on the ground today are a few white patches of snow in shady spots and black ice on the roads where the runoff refroze last night.
Last Sunday started out like most winter Sundays around here. Colleen took Roux for her morning walk, while I put a fire in the fireplace. I did not go for my walk when Colleen and Roux got home because on top of writing our weekly blog, I needed to put together the source code for this year’s new page on our website. Colleen spent some time in the kitchen, and when I finished my preliminary work with the blog and website, she proofread my work. I got everything posted and made sure all the links on the website worked after that. I thought I had enough time for a walk when I finished, so I headed out. A mile into my walk, the weather app on my phone warned of rain starting soon, so I turned around and headed home. I was not home more than 15 minutes and sleet started falling. We had a five-minute snow flurry in the mix with the sleet, and then everything turned into a cold biting freezing rain. It turned out to be a perfect evening for a dinner of hot corn chowder and grilled tomato and cheese sandwiches.
Sunday night’s freezing rain left a layer of ice on Colleen’s windshield that she had to scrape off before heading to school Monday morning. Fortunately, the roads were not bad, and Colleen got to school without incident. The morning was too cold and miserable to take Roux for a walk. I ended up spending most of my day tending the fire to chase the cold damp air from the house. The sun came out when Colleen got home from school, so I went for a walk while she tended the fire. By the time I got back from my walk, Colleen had dinner almost ready. After dinner, we just relaxed in front of the fireplace.
Tuesday morning was bitter cold, but dry outside. It was too cold to walk Roux, so I spent the morning tending the fire and doing housework. After lunch, I banked the fire and headed outside to refill the back porch rack with firewood. Filling the back porch firewood rack entails me pulling firewood off the winter-ready racks, tossing it up to the back porch, then stacking the firewood on the back porch rack. I did what I could, but only got the back porch rack about two-thirds full. Colleen got home a little late, but I still went for a walk when she got home. The sun was low in the sky by then, the wind picked up, and it got cold. I was glad to get back home to a warm fire and a hot dinner.
Wednesday morning started the same way Tuesday did. I did not walk Roux and focused on the fire to keep the first floor warm. I managed to get some vacuuming and other housework done during the morning. I did go outside to make sure the Honda started, because we had not used it since the weekend before Christmas. When Colleen got home, I went for my walk. The high temperature Wednesday afternoon was just 36 degrees, and the windchill stayed below freezing. Colleen and I let the fire burn down early Wednesday evening and headed upstairs to the bedroom where we have a high efficiency space heater.
Thursday was market day. I put Roux in her heavy winter coat to keep her warm while I was gone, and I headed down to the market as early as I could. I got home, put the groceries away, and the fire was burning by 9:30. That was still three hours later than I usually start the fire, so it was a struggle to heat up the first floor. Of course, another day with the windchill temperature under freezing outside did not help much. I managed to have the first floor somewhat warm by the time Colleen got home, and yes, I went for my walk. Colleen had dinner ready and waiting when I got home.
The pending snowstorm was Friday’s big story. Some school districts in the area outright canceled school for the day. Colleen’s school released the kids three hours early, so Colleen was able to come home early. I spent the day tending the fire and getting more firewood up to the back porch rack. Roux decided to hide under a blanket for most of the day. When Colleen got home, I went for a walk. Anticipating getting takeout might be an issue because of the snowstorm, I had bought all the fixings for Friday evening tempura shrimp street taco dinner at the market on Thursday. Once I got home from my walk, Colleen and I just hunkered down and had our dinner. The snow started falling about 4:30. By the time we went to bed, everything looked very promising for a real, honest to goodness, snow storm overnight.
Colleen and I woke up yesterday morning to a pathetic sight. The 3 to 5 inches of snow that was predicted to fall, turned into one inch and just barely covered the ground. Colleen decided she would take Roux for a walk while I got the day’s fire burning. I did not take my walk in the morning, instead opting to tend the fire and heat up the first floor. Colleen spent her morning in the kitchen making ham and pea soup and oatmeal raisin cookies. After a lunch of hot homemade soup, I took a nap while Colleen made a double batch of cinnamon rolls. When I woke up and came back downstairs, I banked the fire again and then headed out for a walk. By the time I got home, Colleen just about had dinner ready. After dinner, we took care of the evening chores and then relaxed in front of the fireplace.
Colleen was up before me this morning. She decided it was not too cold to take Roux for a walk. I got the day’s fire lit. I will take my walk later today. I think Colleen wants to do a little bit in the kitchen today to get ready for the upcoming week. I will tend the fire and do whatever odds and ends around the house I can. I do not think next week will be as cold as last week, but I am sure I will have a fire going everyday while Colleen is at school. I am now six months into my retirement, and I am loving every minute of it. I do not get rushed for anything. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time. When each day comes to an end, we look around and smile, knowing that all is right on the homestead.
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January 19, 2025: Plenty Of Sunshine, A Few Warm Days, And An Arctic Blast Of Bitter Cold Temperatures Headed Our Way!
Last week was not a bad week for weather. The snow we got a week ago Friday sort of hung around here and there during the week. Between the sunshine and the temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s all week, the last few shady spots did not lose their snow until yesterday though. We were supposed to get some rain yesterday, but we only had a few sprinkles. Today, it seems we may see some rain, but as of right now, all we have is fog. The nice weather ends today though. We are in for some bitter cold starting tomorrow morning, and we may even see some snow on Tuesday night. I sure hope if we do see some snow, it is more than what we got the last time it snowed. That was pathetic.
Colleen and I just laid low last Sunday because the roads were covered with ice from the refreezing of the snow that had melted. We, however, both managed to get our walks for the day, Colleen with Roux in the morning and mine later in the day. My day was consumed with tending the fire, writing, and listing baseball cards for sale online. Colleen puttered around the house mostly. For dinner we enjoyed Swiss mushroom burgers Friendly’s style. For those not familiar with Friendly’s restaurants, the burgers were on toasted bread instead of buns.
There was still some lingering black ice on the roads Monday morning when Colleen headed into school. Fortunately, she did not have any problems and got there safely. It was warm enough for me to take Roux for a morning walk. There was a little bit of leftover snow around our herb garden too. I spent the rest of my day doing housework, tending the fire, and researching baseball cards. Colleen got home at her usual time without incident. It seems that tending the fire chews up more time than I think it does, but it kept the house warm, and after dinner, Colleen and I relaxed in front of the fireplace before we called it a day.
Tuesday morning was warm enough to walk Roux and when we got back, I promptly lit the fire in the fireplace. It did not take long to warm up the house either. I spent most of the morning refilling the back porch wood rack. After a quick lunch, I cleaned the kitchen and entry way floors and did some other housework. Colleen stopped at the laundromat on her way home, so she was a little late. After she took care of the girls for the afternoon, we had our dinner and then we headed into the living room to relax in front of the fire for the evening again.
Wednesday was a busy day. Colleen headed to school, and I got up to do some housework. One of the kids I tutor and her mom were going to come by the house later in the morning, so I could help the kid. The young lady really did not need much help. I gave her a couple of books, pointed her in the right direction, and she was off and running. She ended up working until just after noon while her mom who is a friend of mine and I got caught up with each other. After the kid and her mom left, I listed some baseball cards for sale online. When Colleen got home, I headed out for a walk while Colleen brought the girls their afternoon treats and started making our dinner.
Thursday was market day, and I headed out early. I did not light our fire until I got back home around 9 o’clock. It did not take me long to ramp up the fire and chase the chill from the first floor. After I put the groceries away, I spent the rest of my day tending the fire, packaging up baseball cards for the mail, doing research, and listing more cards online. I took my walk when Colleen got home. Colleen had dinner ready when I got back from my walk. We spent our evening in front of the fireplace once again.
Friday turned out to be bright sunny and warm. I took Roux for a walk in the morning. I started a small fire in the fireplace when we got back just to make the house cozy. I spent a good part of the morning filling up the back porch firewood rack. I can only do so much before my back starts to get upset with me, so I never quite get the rack full. I did let Roux outside in the afternoon for about an hour because she loves laying in the sunshine. Colleen and I took the Trail Blazer to the shop when she got home so they could reset a maintenance indicator and then we got takeout subs for dinner. Colleen has a 3-day weekend this weekend, so we did not do much after dinner.
Yesterday was gray. It threatened to rain, but it never really did. We both managed to get to go for our walks in the morning. Colleen puttered around the house, spending some of day in her workroom cleaning up and filing papers. Colleen hates filing. I tended the fire all day and mostly just bumped around. I do tend to do less when Colleen is home so I can stay out of her way or help her do things if she needs my help. I did manage to list a few more baseball cards for sale during the day. Even though the day had not been terribly busy, we both called it an early day when our fire burnt down in the evening.
Today will be another gray day. Colleen is already out walking Roux, and the weather folks issued a dense fog warning for the area. I have already started the day’s fire. I guess I will try to take my walk a little later. Tomorrow, the bottom will fall out of the thermometer, and most of next week will be bitter cold. It does not get that cold, that often, around here, and it is a sure bet I will be burning hard all week long. After we get through this cold snap, it looks like temperatures will get back to seasonal. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time. No matter what Mother Nature throws at us though, at the end of each day, we can look around and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead.
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January 26, 2025: Bitter Cold, Snow And Snow Days For School, Nothing Better Than A Hot Fire!
It seems like Mother Nature and Old Man Winter had a little party for themselves last week. It was easily the longest stretch of sub-freezing temperatures I can remember since the early 2000’s. Then just to make things interesting, a storm moved across the Gulf States dumping inches of snow from Houston to Tallahassee. We were far enough north to only get about an inch of snow. Still, that inch really made a mess around here. Colleen only had to go to school on Tuesday and Friday. The snow showed up Tuesday night. For most of the week, I kept the fire burning hard and hot for as long as I could. This morning the temperature is just below the freezing mark, but it looks like this will be the last time the mercury drops that low at least for the next couple of weeks.
Last Sunday was a low-key day around here, but we still rolled out of bed early. Colleen was in the middle of a 3-day weekend, so nothing absolutely had to be done for Monday. Colleen took Roux for a walk in the morning, and I got to take my morning walk when they got home. Colleen spent a good part of her morning making a pot of beef and vegetable soup. I tended the fire and did my usual Sunday writing. The daytime temperatures managed to climb over 50 degrees, but by early evening the breeze picked up, and then temperatures started to drop rather quickly.
Monday morning the temperature had fallen to below the freezing mark. Colleen did not have school, so she bundled up Roux and herself and went for their morning walk. I got the fire lit and burning as soon as I came downstairs. The high temperatures for the day barely got over the freezing mark. Knowing it was going to get colder and stay cold, Colleen and I headed out back after breakfast to put more firewood on the back porch rack. I waited until the middle of the afternoon to take my walk. We can keep the house warm enough to be comfortable, but Colleen decided our meals were cooling too quickly, so she started microwaving the dinner plates to keep the food warm longer.
Tuesday morning Colleen headed off to school at her usual time. Since I wanted to get a fire burning as soon as possible, I did not take Roux for a morning walk. The daytime high temperature was only 25 degrees, and I worked hard keeping our fire burning to heat up the first floor. Colleen’s school district decided to release everyone a couple of hours early because of the impending storm. I finally did go for my walk after Colleen got home. The snow started falling not long after dark.
Colleen’s school district canceled school on Wednesday because of the snow. It really was not all that much snow, but the roads were a mess, and it was cold! Colleen spent the morning making big pot of gumbo and baking some gumbo cookies. I tended the fire and stayed at it all day long. The temperature may have gotten a degree or two above freezing during the afternoon, but that only made the roads worse, because anything that melted refroze quickly. I did manage to go for my walk in the middle of the afternoon while the sun was high overhead. Colleen baked some blueberry muffins while I was out walking. We did not do much after dinner.
School got canceled again on Thursday for Colleen because of the treacherous roads. I got the fire lit as soon as I came downstairs in the morning. Colleen made a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies in the morning. I waited until after lunch to make our usual market run. Colleen stayed home and tended the fire while I headed to the market. The mess on the roads had softened up considerably in the afternoon, but everything else seemed to be still frozen. When I got back from the market, I headed out for a walk and Colleen started making dinner.
Colleen had to go to school on Friday. Even though school started with a 2-hour delay for the kids, Colleen had to go in at her regular time, so she would not have to make up any time. Unfortunately, the teacher in her room called in sick, a sub did not pick up the job, and Colleen flew solo all day. I did a little housework and tended the fire on the day. When Colleen got home, I went for a walk. Colleen ordered our takeout pizza when I got back, so I hopped into the Trail Blazer and went to get dinner.
Everything started warming up yesterday. Colleen took Roux for a walk in the morning, and then Colleen and I headed to Walmart. Mostly, we just needed a few odds and ends, but it gave us a chance to get out of the house. I did buy some seeds with the hope I can get out into the gardens early this year. We treated ourselves to a couple of burgers from Hardee’s for lunch before we came home. Once we got home, I lit the fire to chase the chill out of the house. With the fire burning nicely, I headed out for my walk. It was a clear, sunny day and from our hill we could see for a good many miles down into the lowlands.
Our warm up starts for real today, and the last of the snow on the ground should disappear. The thermometer needle is sitting just below the freezing mark right now, but this should be the coldest it will get for the next couple of weeks. Colleen is already out walking Roux, and after that, she will spend some time in the kitchen. She said she has a hankering to make another pot of soup. I will go for my walk when Colleen and Roux get back. I am sure my day will be spent tending the fire, getting baseball cards ready for tomorrow’s mail, and listing more cards for sale. The relentless bitter cold of last week was tough on us, but we made it. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time. At the end of each day, we will look around and smile though, because we know that all is right on the homestead.
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February 02, 2025: Warmer Weather Finally, Lots Of Sunshine, Lots Of Cleaning
Last week the weather seemed to have turned on a dime. I lit fires last Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday to chase the days’ chill from the house, and I lit it again this morning. From Wednesday through yesterday, it was warm enough to not only warrant not having a fire, but to also open the house and let in the warm, fresh air. Today, the mercury will struggle to reach the 50-degree mark, but for most of last week, daytime high temperatures ran between 65 and 75 degrees. It looks like warmer temperatures will be back with us for the coming week again. The only significant rain we got last week showed up after dark on Friday night and was gone before sunrise yesterday. The weather was so nice at the end of the week that I contemplated working in the gardens, but I knew better. We are only at the beginning of February, and I am sure we are just biding our time until the next cold snap arrives.
Last Sunday was low key up here on our little hill. All the holidays and holiday cleanup were well behind us, and it was too cold the week before to do much of anything outside. We did wake up to a very colorful morning though. Colleen and I both got a chance to go for our walks to start the day. I spent the bulk of my day tending the fire and doing my usual Sunday writing. Colleen spent her day in the kitchen preparing meals for the upcoming week. The real treat for the day was the Cuban sandwiches Colleen made for dinner. Colleen spent the evening getting ready for school on Monday morning. I enjoyed a cigar out on the front porch.
Having battled the bitter cold for almost two weeks, Monday’s warm up was both a relief and a chance to get caught up on housework. I scrubbed the downstairs bathroom and gave the floor a good washing. I cleaned the entryway and then tackled the family room. The family room really was not all that messy. There was a pile of Amazon boxes than needed to be broken down and put in the recycle bin, and the rug needed a good vacuuming. I even managed to get the day’s dishes washed before Colleen got home from school. Roux, who does not like the vacuum cleaner, decided to take advantage of the sunshine, and she laid out on the back porch while I cleaned.
Tuesday, it was time to clean the living room. That was a major undertaking, and it took me most of the morning. I picked up as many small wood shards as I could, moved some furniture around, and started vacuuming. The vacuum cleaner did not sound quite right, so I ended up pulling it apart and giving it a good cleaning. With the vacuum cleaner functioning as it should again, I finished cleaning the living room. I be spent the afternoon working with baseball cards until Colleen came home. Colleen stopped at the laundromat on her way home. Apart from dinner and drying the laundry, the evening was mostly quiet.
Even though I did not have a fire burning on Wednesday, I spent the morning refilling the back porch firewood rack as best I could. I started when Roux and I got back from our walk and managed to fill half the rack by lunchtime. It was a beautiful day, and after lunch, I set up my computer on the front porch to work with baseball cards. I needed to get some cards in the day’s mail and list some more for sale. When Colleen pulled into the driveway in the afternoon, the windows were down on the Trail Blazer, and she was yelling something about springlike weather. She may have been singing, but it was hard to tell. I had to help Colleen with some computer stuff after dinner, but mostly it was another quiet evening.
Thursday was market day. I walked Roux before I headed to the market. I did not get home and get everything put away until just before lunch even though it was a surprisingly light market run. It was another gorgeous afternoon, so I had my computer out on the front porch again. Colleen took care of the girls when she got home and made dinner. After dinner, she sat down to pay our monthly bills which reminded me I needed to start thinking about doing our taxes. I hate doing taxes!
I slept late Friday morning. When I headed down back to open up the hen coop for the day, I found it needed some minor repairs, so I spent the next hour doing that before I took Roux for a walk. By the time we got back home, it was almost noon and I had not eaten breakfast yet, so my breakfast became lunch. Colleen had a bit of a crazy day at school and was she ever glad to get home in the afternoon. Since I did not have a fire burning, Colleen, Roux, and I all hopped into the Trail Blazer to go get our Mexican takeout for dinner. Clouds started rolling right before dinner, and the rain started after dark.
Yesterday cooled off a little, but it was still warm enough for Colleen and I to open up the house in the afternoon. We even had some sunshine later in the day. Colleen and I started the day with our walks. I spent most of the rest my day on the computer on the front porch working with baseball cards. Colleen made a big pot of Bolognese soup and then a marbled pound cake. Today is a perfect day to have soup for lunch too. The day was not rushed fortunately, and after dinner we both got to relax.
On top of being chilly this morning, it is cloudy. I put a fire in the fireplace when I came downstairs. Colleen is out walking Roux. I will head out for my walk when they get home. Colleen wants to do some cleaning this morning and then this afternoon she wants to make Greek stuffed peppers for dinner. I will tend the fire and be available in case Colleen needs me to do something. Hopefully, I have the time to list more baseball card for sale too. It seems strange that it is already February. I am wondering what happened to January. It sure looks like it will be another quick year. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time though. We cannot change yesterday, and there is no sense in worrying about tomorrow. One thing is for certain however, at the end of each day, we will look around and smile because we know that all is right on the homestead.
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February 09, 2025: Unseasonably Warm Some Days, Cold With A Bite Other Days, Nasty Weather Headed Our Way.
Last week certainly was not like any week in February I have seen ever before. If the sun was shining last week, the day was mild with the temperature between 65 and 70 degrees. If the sun was not shining, the day was cold and dreary. Colleen and I opened up the doors and windows on the nice days to let the fresh air into the house. Then there was Wednesday and Saturday. We did not see a lick of sunshine either day. Of course, the mercury struggled to reach the 50-degree mark on both days as well. I lit a fire in the fireplace for those two days. Alas, this coming week, February weather will return. The morning temperatures will start around the freezing mark, the daily high temperatures will struggle to get into the 50’s, and there will be a cold biting rain for a couple of days in the middle of the week.
Last Sunday was a little calmer than usual. Colleen walked Roux and then I took my morning walk. Colleen started cleaning upstairs while I was walking. When I got home, I did my usual Sunday writing. Colleen was in the kitchen for most of the afternoon making Greek stuffed peppers which we had for dinner. I managed to find some time to take a nap though. Nothing much else came of the day. After dinner, it was the routine clean up, some relaxing, and the usual evening chores before we headed off to bed.
Monday morning Colleen headed off to school at her usual time. The day started out warm and just got warmer with no need of a fire in the fireplace. Since I was not tending a fire, after I walked Roux, I started sweeping and washing floors. That took me all morning. After lunch, I took advantage of the beautiful weather and sat out on the front porch sharpening my 30-year-old wood carving tools. I probably have not used them in 20 years, but the weather is getting better, and I am retired now. Colleen got home at her usual time. After she brought some afternoon treats to the girls and then started working on dinner for us.
Tuesday turned out to be prettier than Monday. Unfortunately, I had no motivation to do much of anything after Roux and I got back home from our walk. I basically sat outside on the front porch and enjoyed the lovely weather. After lunch, I figured I had better at least get the daily household chores out of the way before Colleen got home. I even managed to put more firewood on the back porch rack expecting Wednesday to be cold and miserable. Colleen stopped at the laundromat on her way home. Dinner was a few minutes later than usual, but the evening was quiet and relaxing.
It seemed like someone flipped a switch on Wednesday morning. It was gray, it was dreary, and it was cold. The deer did not seem to mind though. Roux and I went walking a little later than usual and when we got back, I put a fire in the fireplace. Once the fire was lit, my day consisted of some minor household chores, listing baseball cards for sale, tending the fire, and keeping the hearth rack full of firewood. Colleen got home at her usual time, took care of the girls, and got our dinner ready. After dinner, it was time to sit in the living room in front of a warm and cozy fireplace.
Thursday was market day. Roux and I opened up the hen coop for the day when we had some daylight, but then I headed to the market instead of taking Roux for her walk. Colleen had a long list last Thursday, and I filled up a buggy. That was the easy part, getting everything home, into the house, and put away proved more interesting. Cabinet and refrigerator space are at a premium around here. I took Roux for her walk after I finished. I did the usual household chores before Colleen got home, but did not do much for the rest of the day.
Friday turned out to be a little bit of a Monday. The check engine light came on in the Trail Blazer while Colleen was driving to school. After talking about it for a bit, we decided that Colleen would drop the Trail Blazer off at the shop on her way home from school, and I would pick her up. My day got eaten up with walking Roux, the routine household chores, and baseball cards. When it was time to get Colleen, I headed down to the shop. Instead of coming right home though, we headed to a nearby restaurant to get some takeout fried fish and sides for dinner. There were plenty of leftovers for Saturday’s dinner too.
The operative word for yesterday was relax. Neither Colleen nor I did a whole lot, essentially using yesterday to recharge our batteries. The day was gray and dreary, so I lit a fire while Colleen was walking Roux. After they got back, I went for a walk. The skies even sprinkled a little rain on me while I was out walking. I packaged up a bunch of baseball cards for the mail when I got home. That was probably the extent of the energy I exerted yesterday. Alex swung by the house for a bit in the late morning. He is looking and doing great. Colleen managed to find enough energy to heat up some lunch and then some dinner later in the day. We do get days like yesterday every once in a while.
It is already warm outside this morning. Colleen is out walking Roux. I will go for my walk after they get home. The skies are a bit gray at the moment, but the sun will burn through the clouds well before noon. Colleen wants to spend some time in the kitchen today. I have a bunch more cards to package up for tomorrow’s mail, and I have got some databases that need updating. This afternoon, I hope I can put more firewood on the back porch rack because we will need for the coming week. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time though. When the day is done, we can always look around and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead.
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February 16, 2025: Lots Of Rain, Cooler Temperatures, Snow In Next Week’s Forecast.
We sure had a wet week last week. To go with all the rain, the temperatures never seemed to get above 50 degrees. Although, we did get to 70 degrees last Sunday. We did have a few sunny days thrown into the mix, so I was able to get a few things done outside. Mostly though, I stayed inside, tended the fire, and worked at keeping the house clean and warm. This morning Colleen and I slept late because of the weather. To go along with the intermittent rain, we had a dense fog hanging around right as we started to get a little daylight. The week in front of us should prove interesting. The forecast for Wednesday calls for a day of snow, anywhere from three to eight inches. That much snow around here will shut things for a day or two, I am sure.
Colleen, Roux, and I got to take our usual weekend morning walks to start last Sunday. Colleen spent some of her morning in the kitchen baking. After lunch, we took advantage of the nice weather and put some more firewood up on the back porch rack in anticipation of a week of lousy weather. Colleen ended up getting something in her eye that was really bothering her, so instead of cooking dinner, we just had heated up leftovers. Colleen took it easy after dinner. I printed out shipping labels and packing slips for baseball cards that needed to be in Monday’s mail.
Colleen left for school early on Monday. The weather was not great, and she had to drive the Honda. Whatever was in her eye worked its way out once she was at school. Roux and I managed to get our walk when we had a good break in the rain. I spent the rest of the morning tending the fire, taking care of morning chores, and getting baseball cards packaged up and out into the mailbox. Right around lunchtime, the shop called me to let me know we needed to replace the transmission on the Trail Blazer. I told them I would let them know on Tuesday if Colleen and I wanted to go ahead with the new transmission. After lunch, it was more tending the fire and housework. I did some vacuuming and cleaned floors. Colleen got home at her regular time. We decided over dinner that it would be cheaper to replace the transmission on the Trail Blazer, rather than find another vehicle.
The forecast was calling for rain on Tuesday, but not until around lunchtime. Roux and I headed out at the day’s first light to be on the safe side. Tuesday was another day of tending the fire, baseball cards, and housework though. I did call the shop and tell them to go ahead and replace the transmission on the Trail Blazer. I spent part of the afternoon figuring out how to pay for the repairs. It took a little money juggling, but it looks like we will be able to pay for the repairs without putting ourselves between a rock and a hard place.
Wednesday was wet and cold. Roux and I did not go for a morning walk. Roux just curled up on her loveseat under a blanket. I spent all day tending the fire and buried in baseball cards. I did make time to clean up the living room after which I start looking into various accounts, so I could moving some money around to pay for the Trail Blazer’s transmission. Colleen got home at her usual time. After dinner, we had a break in the rain, so I got to go for a short walk. I am always looking to take my daily walks because it is the only real exercise the doctors will let me because of the aneurysm on my aorta. I am all in favor of staying alive.
Colleen left early for school again, because of the weather on Thursday. Since Colleen was in the Honda and the Trail Blazer was still in the shop, I was not able to go the market in the morning. I spent most of the day tending the fire again and buried in baseball cards. In the middle of the afternoon, I decided it was time to download the tax program because taxes will need to be filed before too long. I hate tax time. When Colleen got home, I headed down to the market so Colleen could get dinner ready. I went out for a short walk after dinner again on Thursday. We sure did have a colorful evening sky.
Friday morning, we had Sunshine O’Plenty, and Roux and I went for a nice, long morning walk. When we got home, I lit the day’s fire and had a little breakfast. It was another day of tending the fire and doing what I could in between keeping the house warm. I did notice that there were a good many shiitake mushrooms on our mushroom logs. I did not realize how many mushrooms were on the logs, and I filled a small grocery sack with what I harvested. I found the time to throw some more firewood up on the back porch in the afternoon too. Colleen stopped at the laundromat on her way home and while she was stacking the firewood on the back porch, I headed down the road to get a takeout pizza for dinner.
We were expecting rain again yesterday, but not until just before lunchtime. The morning skies were gray, but Colleen got to walk Roux, and I got to go for my walk. Colleen spent the better part of the rest of her day in the kitchen preparing various things to make our meals during the week. I tended the day’s fire, kept the hearth rack filled, packaged up more baseball cards for the mail, managed to list a few more for sale, and even got to watch some live college baseball. After dinner neither Colleen nor I did much before we called it a day.
The rain is supposed to stop around lunchtime today. We might even see some sunshine in the afternoon. We had rain and fog this morning, so nobody went for a walk. I will most likely go walking later today. Colleen will spend some time in the kitchen. She is planning on having an early Sunday dinner too, so she can relax through the evening. I will tend the fire and look into listing more baseball cards. If I get a chance, I will throw more firewood up on the back porch too. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time. No matter what comes down the road, at the end of each day we will look around and smile because we know that all is right on the homestead.
Happy 2025. I don’t envy you the cold for I know how it was for me dealing with cold I was not used to. My winter coat was an unlined double fabric jacket and it was not suitable for sub-zero cold and wind where I now lived. All these decades later, I still feel the sting of icy wind. Our NYE tradition is simply having bbq sandwiches around 10:30 p and watching the big doing’s on tv. This year, I was sick with an upper respiratory virus, hubby was feeling better, and we simply stayed home and stayed warm. We did get to go to church yesterday, but came right home and watched football games. You and Colleen lead active lives compared to us, and I’m glad you do. Happy New Year!!!!
Thanks… Colleen and I are not TV watchers so NYE was quiet and we were sleeping when the New Year arrived.
Hope you have a great New Year!
We’re back in the deep freeze for another 2-3 days before a sharp heat-wave. By the weekend, we’ll be sub-zero again. It’s +4 now and the wind is settling down. We’re both still sick with whatever’s going ’round, same as everyone else, north, south, east or west. Snow fell up north but we only had brief flurries amounting to less than an inch, and then it evaporated a short time later. The cats are under the headboard, their night-time snoozing place after spending time outdoors. A couple of nights ago, there was a possum feasting on sunflower seeds the blue Jays had pushed out of a feeder. We have house finches galore but few sparrows anymore. We’ve been talking about getting a few hens because of the rising cost of eggs. Feed’s not cheap but……….
When will Colleen retire? Stay warm, stay safe, and stay well.
Colleen retires in June 2026, until then I am on vacation… We’re headed for a run of bitter cold starting this Monday…
Stay warm and have a great day…
Church services were cancelled in our area due to the life-threatening wind chill factors being near -40. Our congregation is mostly over 70 and no one needed to get stranded anywhere. We are in desperate need of precipitation, being many inches below normal. But, none in sight. Last week, we took a day to go to Spirit Lake, IA since it’d been quite a while since we’d been there and we needed a change of scenery, too. A corn head had fallen off a running gear on the highway so we had to wait for the farmers and implement dealers to reload it in order to continue. No one was in a hurry, and it added some interest to our adventure. We’re looking forward to warmer weather, as I’m sure you and Colleen are as well, Stay warm and stay well.
A week ago we were getting Arctic air. Nothing closed or was delayed, however. This we’re, we’re getting a bit of warmth and right now, we have +35, and later on this week we could nudging +40. No moisture in sight, though, and we’re in dire need of some, no mater then form.
I’ve picked up a few garden seeds at Walmart, too. One guy asked me if I was ready to plant and I replied “not in this hard soil.” SO, I decided to start a crochet project, a stocking cap for myself.
The dentist office told me finally that they were going to take another impression but since the other one was wacky, this one would be free and all I’d pay for are the caps that go atop the implants. THAT I can live with.
I hope the two of you are feeling well…. and Roux, too. Post some pictures of the lowland you mentioned. I’m fond of valley views. Take care, y’all.
Thanks… We’re finally getting some warm weather, but it will be a few weeks before I can plant anything in the gardens. I’m glad to hear about your teeth. You’ve been dealing with that for a too long.
Have a great day!
Happy February. The groundhog didn’t see his shadow so the legend is we’ll have 6 more weeks of winter. Doesn’t mean anything to us since we always have long winters. We are in dire need of moisture no matter how it falls to earth. The cracks in the ground are getting wider and our neighbor lady said she’d heard of a couple instances in town where water lines froze up, and all ours in this area are buried 6 ft. deep. If there was any moisture left, the ground freeze wouldn’t go as deep.
The snowstorm that battered the Gulf states made a lot of folks of all ages happy. That kind of fun (sledding, skijoring, etc) made me wish I was young and flexible again. My brain tells me “You wish. I dare you!” We’re headed back into the deep freezer until mid-month and then we hope our temps will rise to above freezing and not go below 0 again until late next fall. We’ve our garden and flower seeds at the ready, just in case they can be planted sooner than expected. Guess you could call us cockeyed optimists. Stay warm, stay safe, and give Roux a hug from me.
Thanks…
My head and body are always at odds with each other… It’s like my head says ‘Here, hold my beer.” and my body falls on the ground laughing….
Have a great day…
Good Morning! We are getting snow again, a much needed frozen white form of moisture we’re thankful to be getting, even though we complain how slick it makes roads. We’re glad the Super Bowl is over and we’re not celebrating the win. Oh well.
We’re back in the deep freezer again, though the temperatures are going to be colder than the appliance’s for lows. Fuel oil has been ordered for this week. We’re thankful to have wood to burn for our main heat during the day.
Next week I have a dentist appt for seeing how my new and improved denture fits. Fingers crossed that it fits and I won’t have to go back to that place of torture.
Nothing remarkable happening here, and that’s just fine with us. Keeping warm and staying healthy is our main goals right now.
Good Morning,
Hope your dentist appointment went well. Just a wet and cold week around here. We are expecting snow this coming week. Oh Boy!
Hope you have a great day…