Pinball Wizard

 We've  had 2.4 inches of rain since Friday night and it's still raining.   We have another rain wave approaching tonight.  Sunday night around 10:00 p.m. We had a major thunder and lightning storm for about 30 minutes.  It was very unusual for Feb. 23rd.  

What does it look like outside?  

It reminds me of the first line of a song, "In the bleak mid-winter..." I believe it's a Christmas Carol.

We don't have a lot of activity going on, but we're watching Gonzaga basketball and some of our favorite programs on TV.  

I gathered up all of our tax documents and after two days of work, finished filing our taxes for 2024.  

Jon and I paid our share of taxes, just like we've done for more than fifty years. 

It makes me angry that the powers that be want to give the billionaires and corporations another tax break, while they're taking away even more benefits for the average American.  

Add to that the insane DOGE and the firing government workers, using the excuse that they're not doing their jobs, but they don't even know the names of the people they're firing or what they really do.   They tell us it's going to save us money?  These people are now un-employed.  They have families, house payments, car payments, health care needs, and no job.  This is not right.  

Once again we're in what I call "Pinball Wizard Crazy Time".  Every day it's like being in a pinball game being played.  The lights are flashing and the buzzers and bells are ringing all while we're watching that silver ball crash around to see what DOGE can hit and destroy next.  

                             The price of eggs today at Yokes:  $6.49.

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Looking back at a time when we didn't have to worry about the Pinball Wizard. 

In 2013 we fought the bleak mid-winter blues with our Mardi Gras event.  It looks like we had a rainy winter back then as well.

Fat Tuesday is next week, March 4th!  Get ready!

The float decoration crew finishes the job.

Joe Heisel reads the proclamation!

Lighting the flambeaus - always fun!

Linda was always our float driver.

JON UPDATE: Day 6 of his blood clot meds. I can report that the swelling in his leg has diminished a lot.  We have improvement.  We have been told that the Eliquis that he is taking is the best medication for his DVT even though it's quite expensive.  It's worth every penny.  We've been working with our doctor and the VA trying to get his prescription through them.  It's a red tape entanglement and we have all been doing our best to jump through all of their requirements to get it filled.  Today we're going to Sandpoint to have more lab work done to check for anemia and possible kidney issues. 

Enjoy this rendition of Second Line!

 

The lucky shot.

 Last night around 9:00 the snow that's been on our roof for more than the past month had slowly begun to slide off.  It was a slow thaw as it wrapped and hung down over the eave.  It was impressive since it filled the entire window frame, almost reaching the top of the handrail on the deck.  There was at least twelve inches of snow up there, getting ready to slide off. 

I decided to try to take some photos of it and had both the windows open in the living room, leaning out taking shots.  It was a little chilly but Jon didn't even complain when I asked him to turn off the lights so I could get a better photo.

The "deck" on the north side of our house is only 3 feet wide.  There's just enough room to walk the length of the house, but in the summertime you can set a lawn chair there and look at the view, which we have done for 44 years.  

When the deck was built our theory was that since it was only 3 feet wide, when the snow slid off the roof, most of it would miss the deck, but unfortunately, for the most part that is not true.  A LOT of it falls within that narrow 3 feet.    

This is probably the luckiest photo shot I've ever taken.  As I leaned out the window, the snow broke loose along the entire length of the house and dropped to the deck.  It happened fast. Within a millisecond and it was off the roof and on the deck. 

(Julie says, "Quick!  Go buy a lottery ticket".  I think she's right.)

This is what it looks like this morning.  That is a lot of snow!

To shovel or not to shovel?  That is the question.

Clinging to the handrail. 

This morning's sunrise.  

It was clear for a few seconds.

Get ready.  The rain is coming.

In My Life, I love you more.

 Happy Anniversary to my brother Don and his wife Linda!  They're celebrating 50 years today.  They've had to postpone their celebration event back in Massena, Iowa due to bad weather, but I'm sure they're still remembering their special day fifty years ago. 

They visited us in Hope the following summer and I have a couple of photos of their visit.  We drove up Lightning Creek and then to the Auxor Mine.   

Yesterday, we had no plans to be out and about on Valentine's Day, but some of the youngsters did. 

David and Julie were "out on the town" to celebrate Valentine's Day.  They sent us photos of their celebration which was at the Town and Country in Missoula.  The place where Jon and I ended our first date back in October 1971.  Boy, does that seem like a long time ago.   Yes, indeed. 

They wore their matching Town and Country Jackets. 

We preferred staying home on Valentine's Day and celebrated with a dinner of pan-seared sea scallops and pasta.  I have never tried making the dish but it turned out really tasty.  It was what you would call a quiet evening at home.

I'm posting a photo of a Valentine that Jon gave to his cousin Kay. After keeping it all these years, she gave it back to him several years ago.  It has a special place on my hutch.  Note that he gave it to her in 1948.  That was the year I was born.  Yes, indeed, we're old. 

So sweet!

Happy Valentine's Day! 

My favorite "Valentine" song.  The Beatles, of course. 

 Day!

Blue Skies

Last night the skies were still clear.  I took these photos at 5:00 a.m. and our thermometer said it was 2 degrees.  The stars are nice in this photo but wasn't as bright as the photo shows. 

 I am good with having some clouds move in tonight and I'll even take some more snow.  Valentine's Day is tomorrow and we'll be halfway through February.  

I love the moonlight shadows on the snow.  I took all of these photos through the window.  It was definitely too cold at 5:00 a.m. to go out there.    

Granddaughter  Rylee is wearing a coat that belonged to Jon's mom.  She bought it at Coldwater Creek when it was still at the Cedar Street Bridge.  It is reversible and very warm.  It hung in my closet for many years and I only wore it once.  Rylee says it's her favorite coat.  She's looking very stylish and dressed for the cold weather.

February winter photos from 2015 -2019.

Song For A Winter's Night

 The clear skies do make for some very nice photos.  The first one was taken just before sunset last night.  The next two were taken at 3:30 a.m.   Our temperature this morning was eleven degrees.  

We began our Super Bowl Sunday with pancakes topped with a few peaches, syrup and whipped cream.  After all the Super Bowl Sunday is all about football, commercials, and food and beverages.     

Song For A Winter's Night - written by Gordon Lightfoot 

Let's Get Lost (and stay warm)

 Our snowfall amount ended up to be around 12 inches of the light fluffy stuff.  Yesterday I used the snowblower to clear our paths to the barn and the basement.  It all went pretty smoothly although we do have one issue with the snowblower.  For some reason the upper chute, which tilts up or down, will not change position.  When it's in the "up" position it blows the snow about 20 feet.  Right now it's permanently stuck in the down position.  I can clear the paths but can't blow the snow very far.  

We checked our manual and looked online as to how to fix it and it's a complicated process - not going to happen until spring.  We're not expecting any significant amounts of snow for at least a week since our forecast is for clear skies and VERY cold temperatures.  

My exciting news is that I have a new iPhone and took my first photos with it.  I am still learning about all the features and my brain can only take in so much at once.  I will say that the camera does take really nice pictures.  My iPhone 7 was certainly out of date camera wise.

It was just beginning to clear off yesterday and today it's a bright blue sunshine day.  Our forecast low for tonight is 11.  

We have enough new snow that you can barely see the path where I moved the snowblower on Wednesday.

Our plan for today is to drive to the post office to pick up our mail and then later this afternoon the band is getting together to play some music.   I don't plan on any outdoor activities.    It's time for card games, music coffee and hot chocolate.  

Let's Get Lost - made famous by Chet Baker.

I've Got Some Oceanfront Property in Arizona...

We have made it through January and in our first few days of February we have been getting a couple of inches of snow every day.  It's very cold and the snow is dry, light and fluffy.  Our accumulation this morning is about 8 inches.  

Our forecast included temperatures into the single digits and bitter cold northeast winds, but luckily for us we have dodged the wind forecast.  I did read that the wind is blowing in Sandpoint and coming down the Purcell Trench.  I remember what that feels like as I used to try to take a walk every day on my lunch break when I worked at the middle school.  It seemed like the wind was always blowing there. 

Yesterday, with about four inches of snow on the ground and more in the forecast, Jon and I decided that it was finally time to move our snow blower  from it's storage position behind the barn, to it's "winter" position next to the house.  It has an electric start, which is an excellent feature and after only a few primes on the choke, it started up. 

  I will say that it's very treacherous out there for walking anywhere.  The fresh snow has hidden all icy spots in the driveway and in the woods we have frost heaves on our hiking path.  Every time you take a step you don't know if the ground is going to hold or collapse underneath your foot.  If we want any exercise besides shoveling snow, we have resorted to walking on the treadmill.  It's not near as much fun, but at least we do have a TV set up to watch as we tread. 

Lady was thrilled that we were outside yesterday and she had several rounds of zoomies all over the yard.  It makes her happy and boy can she zoom.   She actually doesn't like the cold temps either.  When I open the door for her to go outside, she pokes her nose out and many times she says, "No way.  I'm not going out there!".

Moving on - I was thinking of past years and what it was like in Feb. 

I thought I would look back to ten years ago and my February 2015 photos.  No snow at our Mardi Gras celebration.

What a celebration we had that year!

Our overnight low temperature was 14 degrees.  I am very happy that we don't need to bundle up to get out there or go anywhere today.  My plan is to just look at the snow and maybe tomorrow I will actually run the snow blower and clear some walking paths.  Until then, it's more coffee.  

I try to not watch the news.  

What will we buy? 

Greenland?   The Panama Canal?    Canada?   The Gaza Strip?  (I'm thinking that the people who live in these countries are beginning to "not like" Americans.  This can't be good)

Oh, by the way, "I've got some oceanfront  property in Arizona".