Well I survived the storm. Compared to last year this years storms, TO DATE, are not much. If things pan out the way the weather folks say I'm going to have to get off my fat butt and do some out door work. The temps look like there going to be normal which for around here means temps in the 40's during the day.

I have been getting the loft work done, slowly but surely, I'll pick up some wood this week to frame up the hip walls. I'm going to use wanes coating so that will make the wall surface easier, at least that is the plan. I am full of plans.

Welp the snow has started. Lets see if we get 1 or 6 inches of the white stuff!!!

I am spending my day enjoying the sun and warm temperatures, getting laundry and other small chores done. In between folding loads of cloths I have been reading an apocalyptic tale by S.M Stirling and it got me thinking, I know there will be a change in the weather tomorrow; there is the possibly of “substantial” snow. Because I can look things up on the internet and I have the radio I know that things are going to be less pleasant tomorrow and I can prepare. There was a time when your only clues of the weather to come came from local clues, the clouds on the horizon, the feel and smell of the air but now we count on NOAA and the Weather Channel. After living on the beach for nearly 30 years I do have some sense of when the weather will change but the smell and feel of the air is different in the mountains. It seems the fronts are harder to see and feel. The weather is less predictable. At the beach I knew the winter would be wet and windy, summer hot and dry and spring and fall a blur on the calendar. I haven’t learned the seasons here yet. This winter is so different from last and last was so different from my first winter here. I am looking forward to the spring. The past two springs have been consistently wonderful.

Well gotta get a move on. I have to stock up for the snow, I need milk and ice cream!

I’m sitting here in front of the computer in shorts, a tank top and flip flops. It is 75 degrees in the cabin down from the 79 it was in the “heat” of the day. That is what passive solar can do. While I spent the day reading a book with my legs basking in the sun shining through the windows I had a false sense of temperature. When I took the dogs for a walk I found out that it really was cold out side and the wind made it feel even colder.

There is nothing “special” about my cabin it just has good insulation and big south facing windows but that is enough to keep the cabin warm during the day. Even if the wood stove is off or kept very low (like today) on a sunny day the heat pump does not come on at all.

Another ½ month has gone by and I have not done anything I “wanted” to do. I still have the last half of January to finish the loft that was my finish in January list topper. I AM going to start it TODAY and there is not a lot to do, just a little sanding, painting, put up trim and a kick wall with wanes coating and then putting down the flooring. Humm maybe I will put this on the top of my February list right next to get the garden beds in order.

Oh man. It is the middle of January all ready. This winter has been a little different from last year, the Farmer’s Almanac said it would be colder and dryer (at least that is how I read it) ; it feels like it has been colder to me and we sure have not had as much snow. The “timing” of the weather has also changed. Last year it seemed any weather we had came on the weekends, this year it’s been mid week. Last year I hardly had to drive in the mess and this year uggggggg, it seems like every damn shift I have worked the weather has been bad. At least when I am at home my cabin is cozy and warm and my view is beautiful.

This weekend promises to be a good one; we are going to get a bit of a winter thaw this Martin Luther King holiday. The warm temps and sunshine will give me a chance to tromp around the property and dream about the spring planting and summer gardens that will come from them. I know this warm weather is going to be short lived, the cold winter is not even a month long yet, but it will be a nice break and I am going to enjoy it.

I lift my coffee mug to you, stay warm and enjoy the weekend

Happy New Year

It is hard to believe that it is January 2011. It is said that as we grow older time seems to go by quicker and for me it is sure speeding by. I woke up this morning thinking that in 4 ½ months I can start planting my garden and then my mind went to the John Lennon song that says “And so it is Christmas and what have you done? Another year over and a new one’s just begun” or something like that. 2010 was a good year for me, not great but not bad. I can’t say that I accomplished a lot but the important things got done. I have a few personal New Years resolutions that I am going to try and accomplish this year (for real THIS time). My only real hope for this New Year is that my family and friends have a year filled with a lot of good times and that the bad times, because there are always bad times, aren’t too bad.

2011 is already starting off on a relatively good foot, its 6 am and 46 degrees. It’s going to rain but heck its still warmer than its been in a long time.