Friday, December 11, 2009

Winter-y Update

Brief updates on several things...

It was 9 degrees this morning outside and 65 degrees inside, in the warm part of the house.  I think we can conclusively say that last year's temperature problem has been fixed. Oh frabjous day...

The anemometer is whirring merrily away, but not transmitting data any more.  The battery is probably dead, and a tremendous pain to replace.  You can see it in the below picture at the rear of the shed.  I miss being able to see the numbers showing how fast the wind is going, but not too much, since those numbers were wrong anyway.  It's like the wind just disappeared!!

I'm taking a felting workshop this weekend, learning how to make felt vests. As much as I don't want to give away my entire weekend, I'm looking forward to learning how to felt. Other classes at this studio are on how to make hats, bags, table runners. I love that I'm off in the woods, but there are artsy people close enough around here!


The choir christmas concert is this weekend too. Dress rehearsal is tonight and the concert is on Sunday.  I enjoy singing, but will be happy to have Sunday evenings back again. I'm not planning on singing in the spring concert.  It's important to me to be able to spend at least one uninterrupted day at home every week, if I want to.

It'll be a busy weekend, but busy in a nice way!

Say goodbye to Mr Schenectady.  Over the weeks I began to view time spent with him (and driving, so much driving) as time I couldn't do other things I wanted to do.  I took that as a signal that dating him wasn't where my heart is at.  It wasn't a surprise for him.  It didn't last all that long, but it was exactly the right thing at the right time for me. Just what I needed.

All of the roof pieces I put on in June came off the woodshed roof.  You can see the wretched roof in this picture.  It's actually not a problem ... if it doesn't rain.  Rebuilding the entire woodshed is one of next year's projects anyway.  The wood for the job is already at the 'stead.

And last, but not least - I have to buy something to keep the dogs' water from freezing on the porch.  Right now, I'm knocking the ice out every morning and refilling with fresh water.  It's frozen again when I come home.  They're outside now, dog beds on the enclosed porch in this 20-degree weather.   I just bought them a wool blanket from the Army surplus store to supplement the Salvation Army hot pink polyester sleeping bag that neither of them like.

8 comments:

  1. A very pleasant, chirky, bringing-us-up-to-date post. You sound like you're in a good place right now. Glad to hear you gave Mr. Schenectady the boot. Seems like a healthy move to me.

    Regarding the dogs and their dislike of the hot pink polyester sleeping bag . . . I don't blame 'em. :o)

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  2. I had to go to the rural VT town where my cabin is to meet the tax appraisal person, who wanted to see inside. (Town was told by the state that appraisals need updating.) Bitter cold.

    Always take my 4 year old German shepherd, who loves to run in the wide open spaces, where I play with him.

    But this morning in a NY city, he shivered like I've never seen a dog shiver, when we went out on the front porch and he waited for me to lock up and head to VT.

    So back in the house he went, and I hit the road alone.

    My doggy became a weather barometer.

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  3. P.S. I am closer to Schenectady than you are, and it always seems like a long drive to me too. Trust your heart.

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  4. Not tied down anymore...sounds like the right thing right now...you have other options to keep boredom at bay. My hubby golfs a ton in the summer and some people think that is bad. He does his work before and after, he doesn't hang in the bars and he is home to do stuff with me when I want or need it. And I am free to putter and whatever while he is gone. Not bad for me to have MY time. If it's a good match, you'll feel it. Glad it is warm inside. I think you'll like felting. I'm not a good knitter yet, but felting covers up a multitude of booboo's IF you make any.
    The wind blew so hard yesterday a.m. it blew my LLBean outside thermo-sensor off my overhang and the hubby ran over it with his Tahoe...OOPS! So I set it out on the deck so I'd know how cold it is...of course, I have to reach out there and brush the snow off. Put THAT on my Christmas list!! Never measured the wind before.
    My friend had a little heater thing to put in her birdbath in the winter to keep it thawed a bit...I think my mom had one too. Of course, I don't know your dogs, if they would want to carry it away..probably could rig it up with a rock or brick or something. I'm with Mama Pea-I don't like polyester much, either... :o)

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  5. That's funny Kate! I lure my dogs out with treats. They know that when I start to put on my coat, they'll get treats if they go outside. They do look forlorn when I get in the car and drive off without them!

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  6. Oh, Jordan, what a hard day. I felt like I was missing a limb when I drove away without my dog.

    He shivered bad when we were locking up, and didn't eat a treat that fell out of my pocket, and I decided to leave him home.

    But, when I came back at 2, from meeting a tax appraisal person in VT, I sat on the toilet in NY very happy to be relieved. (No water in my VT place in the winter.)

    And my doggy kept running up and licking my face, and running back and nosing me, on the toilet. And I went out to bring things in from my car.

    And he pee'd by the back door.

    He gave me about six chances and I missed it, but he was supposed to come with me.

    I laughed a lot and had some beer.

    Hard days, but nothing compared to other people's real problems.....

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  7. Geez - you're telling me he'd held it the entire time you were gone, and then had to let go after you got back. Days like this...
    So often I drive down the driveway while the dogs look at me from the yard, and I say, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, ..." Probably what most parents feel when they have to leave their babies behind.

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  8. FYI, I was gone 5.5 hours. I suspect it was just an unusual set of circumstances. 95% of the time, the first thing I do is let my dog out. This time, I made him wait ten minutes. Oops!

    (My hunch too, is he didn't do his usual morning routine when it was so cold.)

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