Looks like a nice day out today. Betcha it’ll hit about 84-85 degrees by 2pm…
My bones been cold so long, I think I’ll just go stretch out in the sun somewhere, leaning on a big old oak tree, and soak up them rays, filtered through the branches and leaves. Maybe I'll read a book, or simply sit and watch the ducks down on the river, splashing around, or the squirrels, playing and chattering up in the treetop. The flowers are getting purty again, too. I can almost see the grass growing - it's been shooting up an inch a day at least, for the last week or so.
It will feel good to be warm again. But I do like the winter and the snow. This is just the first of those pangs of wishing for something I cannot have taking over. Give it another two months and I'll be saying, isn't this ever gonna end? But if it weren't for the periods of coldness, we wouldn't much appreciate the warmth, now would we?
I suppose we all have that pang of dissatisfaction, in some form or fashion, all too often. We're given beauty and life and can't quite be satisfied with what we've got. I bet in the springtime when things start getting green again - it'll be raining too much. And in the summer, when everything is growing like mad, it'll be too hot. And the autumn... Well. I bet it'll be perfect. Just for a moment.
Then, it'll be gone.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Christmas Wishes
I am sure my one fan (if he or she is not, in fact, simply a figment of my imagination) would probably like me to post something meaningful. I have all the good intentions to do so.
I will again be writing meaningful content (okay, meaningful to me only - but take what you can get). Someday. But for now, I'll just post another picture.
I'm glad I started bringing my digital camera along with me on my daily trek into work. There's been some nice shots lately. Today's is from last evening's sunset atop Peter's Mountain (a good place to take a picture almost anytime!)
At any rate, the title of this post is Christmas wishes. It's not Christmas yet, but just in case I get away and don't get back to this, I do hope each and every one of you have a very Merry Christmas (or, if you prefer, a Hootin' Hollerin' Happy Holiday).
I will again be writing meaningful content (okay, meaningful to me only - but take what you can get). Someday. But for now, I'll just post another picture.
I'm glad I started bringing my digital camera along with me on my daily trek into work. There's been some nice shots lately. Today's is from last evening's sunset atop Peter's Mountain (a good place to take a picture almost anytime!)
At any rate, the title of this post is Christmas wishes. It's not Christmas yet, but just in case I get away and don't get back to this, I do hope each and every one of you have a very Merry Christmas (or, if you prefer, a Hootin' Hollerin' Happy Holiday).
Friday, December 16, 2005
Appalachian Trail on Peter's Mtn
One of the things I really like about Pennsylvania (and western and northern Arkansas as well), is the wonderful people who live here. The other great thing is the natural beauty that surrounds us each and every day. In the springtime, here, it's the fresh green on the trees... Summertime has stripes of land where corn and other crops grow like crazy, and fall has the autumn colors, and winter... Winter is finally here.
This morning, driving into work, I crossed Peter's Mtn between Halifax and Dauphin PA, where the Appalachian Trail crosses, and although overnight the temperatures in town had risen to higher than freezing, on the mountain, it was still cold enough at sunrise to have ice coating all the trees.
I thought it was beautiful, and took these shots while I was driving along.
This morning, driving into work, I crossed Peter's Mtn between Halifax and Dauphin PA, where the Appalachian Trail crosses, and although overnight the temperatures in town had risen to higher than freezing, on the mountain, it was still cold enough at sunrise to have ice coating all the trees.
I thought it was beautiful, and took these shots while I was driving along.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Cold
This morning on the way to work, they said the temperature was 4 degrees. A few minutes later, however, it had warmed up to a right balmy 5.
By afternoon, it made it somewhere in the mid-twenties. Now, 10pm, it's around 18. Not gonna get cold tonight, I think.
Course, we've got weather moving in. 1 to 3 inches of snow tomorrow... ice tomorrow night, then a few more inches of snow, if we believe the weatherman!
Sounds like a fun end of the week coming up.
By afternoon, it made it somewhere in the mid-twenties. Now, 10pm, it's around 18. Not gonna get cold tonight, I think.
Course, we've got weather moving in. 1 to 3 inches of snow tomorrow... ice tomorrow night, then a few more inches of snow, if we believe the weatherman!
Sounds like a fun end of the week coming up.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Belsnickle Parade
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If you ever want to hear what the "Amish" Night Before Christmas is like, there's a version of it available, just like the redneck "Night Before..." The main character is a Santa-like character called the Belsnickle.
Saturday we went to the "Belsnickle Parade" in Halifax. There was snow on the ground, and there weren't many people there to see. Our Girl Scout and her troop all dressed up in very old fashioned dresses and marched, and got a good place in the judging, winning for the troop a nice cash sum of $100.
The first picture is of my son standing under a rather largish tree, near the parade route. Just a cool picture of a boy and a tree, nothing at all to do with Belsnickles! The second picture is of the Girls Marching in their dresses, singing Christmas carols. And the last picture is my daughter, wearing a dress handmade by the assistant scout leader.
Friday, December 09, 2005
More Pictures Part 3
Peter's Mountain, with the Appalachian Trail running atop,
is on the side of the valley, straight ahead of this shot,
but you can't see it because after the snow stopped,
and the sun started to shine,
there was still fog on the mountain.
I just happened to see this and was lucky enough
to snap the picture before it was gone.
Taken from Powell's Valley Rd
12/09/2005
S. E. P.
I don't like to write posts on the fly. I really do like to sit down and think about something worth writing, write it, and check it for grammar, and spelling, and then, cut and paste it into blogger.
This all assumes that you have the time to spend. I am guilty, often, of having way too much time on my hands. Sometimes, this is a very, very bad thing, as idle hands and minds tend to get themselves into trouble. But, usually, it makes for a fairly relaxed working environment, and as "fires" need to be stomped out, I hop on them and do it.
But, today, and probably for the next few, I am going to be busy on a project. It doesn't even matter the nature of the problem, but... I'll just describe it as an S.E.P. This was Douglas Adam's acronym for Somebody Else's Problem.
In one of his books, a spaceship landed in the middle of a ball game, in England, and no one could see it. That is, it was there. But, they didn't choose to see it. Their minds blocked it. They ignored it. It didn't exist, in their perceptions.
At work, we had a problem, a couple of years ago, that probably should have been fixed, then. But, it was somebody else's problem. I pushed and pushed and pushed for a "right" fix, but, there were other priorities, other projects, and no one wanted to pay the bill, take the responsibility, and eventually it shuffled off into a corner and got quiet.
And now, people are trying to "look ahead", to create a "roadmap" as it were for work, and I have resurrected this beast, this S.E.P., because now, since it was never taken care of before, it's an even bigger problem. It's one of those that isn't a problem, until something breaks, and then, it's a show stopper.
So, my posts may be few or far between, or they may not be - don't really know. All I know is if you do spot grammatical errors, or other problems, it ain't entirely my fault. It's S.E.P.
This all assumes that you have the time to spend. I am guilty, often, of having way too much time on my hands. Sometimes, this is a very, very bad thing, as idle hands and minds tend to get themselves into trouble. But, usually, it makes for a fairly relaxed working environment, and as "fires" need to be stomped out, I hop on them and do it.
But, today, and probably for the next few, I am going to be busy on a project. It doesn't even matter the nature of the problem, but... I'll just describe it as an S.E.P. This was Douglas Adam's acronym for Somebody Else's Problem.
In one of his books, a spaceship landed in the middle of a ball game, in England, and no one could see it. That is, it was there. But, they didn't choose to see it. Their minds blocked it. They ignored it. It didn't exist, in their perceptions.
At work, we had a problem, a couple of years ago, that probably should have been fixed, then. But, it was somebody else's problem. I pushed and pushed and pushed for a "right" fix, but, there were other priorities, other projects, and no one wanted to pay the bill, take the responsibility, and eventually it shuffled off into a corner and got quiet.
And now, people are trying to "look ahead", to create a "roadmap" as it were for work, and I have resurrected this beast, this S.E.P., because now, since it was never taken care of before, it's an even bigger problem. It's one of those that isn't a problem, until something breaks, and then, it's a show stopper.
So, my posts may be few or far between, or they may not be - don't really know. All I know is if you do spot grammatical errors, or other problems, it ain't entirely my fault. It's S.E.P.
Snow...
Just had the first real storm of the season blow through... dumped several inches ... I didn't go out and measure, but I'd say at least five or six. It's pretty much stopped now (almost 8) even though they said it would be snowing till 11.
Work is on a 2 hour delay, and the school is actually closed today. I suppose I'd better quit being lazy and go shovel some snow so it doesn't pack down into something superslick in the driveway.
Work is on a 2 hour delay, and the school is actually closed today. I suppose I'd better quit being lazy and go shovel some snow so it doesn't pack down into something superslick in the driveway.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Pa Snow Pictures
The first one is from the tree farm, Sunday afternoon. I don't think that was the tree we ended up getting, but by the time we got there my batteries were dead.
This one is this morning's sunrise over Powell's Valley, a mostly agricultural area where we live. This picture is from a road the climbs over the hill to the next valley, maybe three or four miles from our house.
Another sunrise picture, taken this morning, in the next valley over...
Monday, December 05, 2005
Smoke
Sometimes, when I lay in bed at night, I think up these bright thoughts... Ideas for a new story or serious thoughts that should probably be placed on paper/keyboard, and once in a while, I get up and jot them down, but if I do, I tend to be up for a few more hours. So, sometimes, I just drift off to sleep, promising myself that I'll remember tomorrow, but I rarely do. It's kinda like waking up from a dream, drifting back off - and you can't remember the next day anything about it.
I had some thoughts last night, things I wanted to say, somewhere. But now, they're gone, like smoke in the wind.
I had some thoughts last night, things I wanted to say, somewhere. But now, they're gone, like smoke in the wind.
Tree Hunting
Since we've lived here, we've gone and gotten a fresh tree each year. It's usually only $20 (this year went up to $25) and the farm we go to is only about a mile from our house, and they will either let you cut it or cut it for you, shake out the needles, core it if you've got that kind of stand, and bag it in netting, and mount it on your car, all for the same price. And don't forget the free coloring books and coffee and hot chocolate.
My son was saying on Saturday that we needed to wait until there was snow on the ground to go get the tree (last couple of years have been that way!). And, we woke up Sunday morning with about two inches of the white stuff. By Sunday afternoon, when we went to get the tree, a little of it was melted off, but not much. It's finally getting cold enough that this time it actually stuck on the roads a bit, too.
At any rate, we went and got a tree, and all the douglas firs, and other types of trees he had looked really cool there, with snow resting on the "leaves". The farm is only open Saturdays and Sundays, plus it's dark by the time we get home from work here, in December (almost full dark at 5pm), so we decided to go ahead and get it. We traipsed around just a bit, but the owner gave us an idea of where some trees about the height we were looking for were, and so didn't spend hours travelling through the acres and acres of trees. Everyone has an opinion - I like this one, no that one's too skinny, the top's messed up, or there's a gap in the side. But, finally, we found one that'll do...
Unfortunately, we spent the rest of the afternoon moving some furniture around the house and doing other things, and when I went to get the stand, I noticed a fine crack in the bottom of it. I am sure it would still hold the tree, but any attempts to water it would have ended up in the carpet (which actually probably did happen, last year). It was late enough, I didn't want to go all the way back into town and try to find one.
So, I got the stand, and a largish plastic cup, took them outside, and planted the tree in a cup of water, outdoors, and tonight we'll try that one again! I guess we'll have to get it in tonight, because overnight, they're calling for another 2-4" of the white stuff south of Harrisburg, and 1-2" up where we live... so we might have a 2 hour delay tomorrow. At least, the kids hope so.
And so goes life in Pennsylvania. If I can get the batteries in my camera recharged, I'll post a couple of pics of the snow covered trees (maybe tomorrow).
My son was saying on Saturday that we needed to wait until there was snow on the ground to go get the tree (last couple of years have been that way!). And, we woke up Sunday morning with about two inches of the white stuff. By Sunday afternoon, when we went to get the tree, a little of it was melted off, but not much. It's finally getting cold enough that this time it actually stuck on the roads a bit, too.
At any rate, we went and got a tree, and all the douglas firs, and other types of trees he had looked really cool there, with snow resting on the "leaves". The farm is only open Saturdays and Sundays, plus it's dark by the time we get home from work here, in December (almost full dark at 5pm), so we decided to go ahead and get it. We traipsed around just a bit, but the owner gave us an idea of where some trees about the height we were looking for were, and so didn't spend hours travelling through the acres and acres of trees. Everyone has an opinion - I like this one, no that one's too skinny, the top's messed up, or there's a gap in the side. But, finally, we found one that'll do...
Unfortunately, we spent the rest of the afternoon moving some furniture around the house and doing other things, and when I went to get the stand, I noticed a fine crack in the bottom of it. I am sure it would still hold the tree, but any attempts to water it would have ended up in the carpet (which actually probably did happen, last year). It was late enough, I didn't want to go all the way back into town and try to find one.
So, I got the stand, and a largish plastic cup, took them outside, and planted the tree in a cup of water, outdoors, and tonight we'll try that one again! I guess we'll have to get it in tonight, because overnight, they're calling for another 2-4" of the white stuff south of Harrisburg, and 1-2" up where we live... so we might have a 2 hour delay tomorrow. At least, the kids hope so.
And so goes life in Pennsylvania. If I can get the batteries in my camera recharged, I'll post a couple of pics of the snow covered trees (maybe tomorrow).
Thursday, December 01, 2005
High Speeds
Look out!! I may be uploading more pics and if I don't post them here, maybe I'll post a link to them! I (finally) got high speed internet hooked up.
The phone company offered a deal, packaged with our satellite provider, and the discount on Dish Network, plus dropping the second phone line, and bundling some service that were seperate before, we couldn't afford not to upgrade. Umm.... welll......... okay, then, I suppose we could have afforded not to. Rather well.
But.... Now we have combined three formerly seperate bills into one, even if slightly higher one, and have joined the world of high speed internet! Whoo hooo....
First things first... the son wants the latest updates and patches to Star Wars Battlefront, and it is downloading slowly (I think) but compared to dial up, it ain't so bad.
Web pages sure do open a heck of a lot faster!!! Including this one. And now maybe I can get more of those really cool music downloads from The Electric Key Orchestra (visit www.theelectrickeyorchestra.com). My son, the musician, thought that the one-man ability to play so many instruments (through his synthesizer) was pretty darn neat! A thanks to the owner of the website!
I haven't posted much the last few days. Left work an hour late today, and it's just been one of those kinda weeks. I will try to do better in the future.
Later.....
The phone company offered a deal, packaged with our satellite provider, and the discount on Dish Network, plus dropping the second phone line, and bundling some service that were seperate before, we couldn't afford not to upgrade. Umm.... welll......... okay, then, I suppose we could have afforded not to. Rather well.
But.... Now we have combined three formerly seperate bills into one, even if slightly higher one, and have joined the world of high speed internet! Whoo hooo....
First things first... the son wants the latest updates and patches to Star Wars Battlefront, and it is downloading slowly (I think) but compared to dial up, it ain't so bad.
Web pages sure do open a heck of a lot faster!!! Including this one. And now maybe I can get more of those really cool music downloads from The Electric Key Orchestra (visit www.theelectrickeyorchestra.com). My son, the musician, thought that the one-man ability to play so many instruments (through his synthesizer) was pretty darn neat! A thanks to the owner of the website!
I haven't posted much the last few days. Left work an hour late today, and it's just been one of those kinda weeks. I will try to do better in the future.
Later.....
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