Okay, I Lied

Blizzard Beth dropped just under 10" of snow on us.  It was enough to break the

previous record snowfall for January 28.  The wind picked up today and it moved that light snow from here to there and back again.  I looked out and saw that the snowplow went by one more time around 11 this morning so there was a low plow drift at the end of the driveway.  Grr.  I didn't want it to freeze into a speed bump so I got ready to bundle up to go out and move the snow.  Then I thought that since I'd be out already I might as well go to the Y and play with the weight machines.  So I did.  I'm glad I did because -15 is supposed to be the temperature at 9 o'clock in the morning rising to a "high" of -8 with plenty of wind to make wind chills in the -25 to -50 range.  I am not going anywhere outside tomorrow, except maybe to the bird feeders and birdbath just to make sure that there's food and water for the birdies.  But no place else.



Here's a bird that should ride "the short bus" of the bird world.  It's a Junco and it migrates from the Arctic Circle where it summers to the northern half of Wisconsin because it's so much warmer here in the winter.  Except that tomorrow it's supposed to be warmer in the Arctic than it is here.  Joke's on you, bird.



 
Every time I go work on the weight machines at the Y I think about taking a picture of one of the machines to prove that I was there but there's always a bunch of people around and no one wants their picture taken when they're all sweaty and gross.  Well, I think there're a couple young guys who strut around checking to see who's watching them but I'm not counting them so here's a selfie in front of the Y as I left.  See?  I was glad that I went and I was still warm enough from working out that I wasn't freezing.


 
As I predicted I ran out of the first (and supposed to be only) skein of yarn for the Keltic Beanie tonight.  I got 2 1/2 rounds into the crown decreases before I had to add in the other onesie skein.  There'll be a definite color change but with the way the colors shift and move I don't think it'll be offensive.






29 January--Tropical Obsession. 

Climatologists swarmed to the island for their annual convention. Not that there was anything special about the data to be gathered from the exposed coral terraces on the north end of the island. It was the reputation of the island's reefs as prime dive sites and the agreeable resort accommodations that brought them in droves to stalk like bespectacled storks atop the exposed ancient reefs in Bise Morto collecting samples for their labs or bob greenly in small boats at the base of the short cliffs while identifying and classifying sea life preserved in the limestone. Major George Clemment and his wife Susan hosted a cocktail party for the most notable of the visiting scientists and the members of the local diving group. Jack Swallow was also invited as a major financial supporter of the island's reef preservation movement but he never appeared and didn't even call to make an excuse. "I don't care how much money he has poured into the coffers of the organization," Susan said to George as she refilled the punch bowl, "the man is plain rude." George just grunted, as have wise husbands from the beginning of time.

Today's toss was the other bin of Halloween costumes and accessories.  Those things got bagged for a trip to Goodwill on Friday and the make up and hair goo got put into the trash.  It's so satisfying to go downstairs and be able to see in a moment where I left off.  Most of the shelves aren't totally empty but there are definite spaces and gaps.  Ahhh.
--Barbara