MORNING ROLL CALL OCTOBER DECEMBER 2021

[DaveMcK]

MORNING ROLL CALL OCTOBER DECEMBER 2021

Good morning everyone on this FRIDAY morning October 1st, 2021. 

[DaveMcK]

Good morning everyone on this FRIDAY morning October 1st, 2021. 

[DaveMcK]

Good morning everyone on this FRIDAY morning October 1st, 2021. 

[DaveMcK]

Closed! Use new topic for 2022. Goodbye December 2021.

[DaveMcK]

Closed! Use new topic for 2022. Goodbye December 2021.

[OscarE1968]

Good morning to all you Wonderful people On The Front Porch !!!! Hope everyone is doing well as we approach this joyous occasion. I haven't been on much but I wanted to wish All A Very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year. It's been a rough and bumpy ride with this Covid at every corner, but hopefully it will soon pass. Enjoy your time with family and friends, May God Bless each one of you and yours. Happy Holidays My Friends 🎉🎄🎅🎉🙂

[LaDolceVita]

Hello all.   We have taken a sharp turn into spring.  Looking at a whole week in the 70s before we return to the 40s.   I left the window open last night accidentally and it was comfortable.  Good weather to get things done on the new home place.  

[catwoman500]

@DaveMcK ...Happy New Year!

When you get a minute, can you start a new one for January to...?

Thanks!!

[Frozenoem]

It’s Monday got my snow, maybe a foot. Looks like it will stick around and be added to on Wednesday. Presently 10* and Sunny.

Had to pull out my pacboots to remain upright for my walk abouts, might be time to lose the jeans and pull out the wool pants. Bit of a nip to the air🤣

Think I’m going to start a fire and shovel off the mud room roof or use broom out the hallway window, while it’s still powder vs frozen lump.

Followed by a trip to the garage for lag bolts and brackets, might have plan for mailbox. Drill IS charged!

Froze

[LaDolceVita]

Hi folks.  A bit nippy the last few days.  Had to dig out the long johns.  I am hoping we get some more cold before winter is over,  sporadically of course. 

Preparations for the moved are still proceeding.  I am hoping for dry weather for that. 

Merry Christmas and  happy New Year in case I get  too tied up to post😀.  

[Frozenoem]

@LaDolceVita 

Same to you, and for your move enjoy.

Today has been rain, snow and sleet - take your pick it’s bound to change.🤣At least the ground is still white (snow), and I’m remaining close to the home fire.

Any thoughts of escaping South for a brief respite we’re changed when inlaw got pneumonia, and is at home presently. I’m staying put, rather not catch any little surprises.

Froze

[catwoman500]

Hi there Peeps!

Oh, yes, @Frozenoem, do not put yourself in any questionable health situations. I have sent my regrets for the New Year’s Eve party I was invited to. No way do I want to be one of the “breakthrough” cases for COVID. With this omichron variant blazing a new trail, I’m not about to put myself in a situation inside a house full of people, most of whom I don’t know. This is in a county where there are a lot of anti-vaxers, so how am I supposed to know if they have been vaxxed or not? So, not gonna do that!

As for Christmas, since I usually go to my friends’ who just lost their son two weeks ago. I figured they’d just want to be with family for Xmas dinner, but they invited me to come up for brunch on Xmas morning, so I will do that. It will be good to have some quiet time with them. I have been with them all through covid and we all are vaxxed and boostered, so I feel comfortable going there.

@LaDolceVita …how soon will the move take place? I sure hope you have good weather for that.

@MsStretch …Yes, even @Frozenoem 's photo of the Wreaths Across America convoy was stirring. I feel bad you weren’t able to lay the Arlington wreaths this time.

In case I don't get back here in time, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. 🎄

Right now I need more coffee!

[Frozenoem]

@LaDolceVita 

@catwoman500 

Presently a sunny 6*, at least staying here means I remain virus free👍 And only slightly flash frozen.

@MedusaE76171 

Coffee makes life bearable, cracked the bomb case of hootch, feel an overwhelming desire to eat and make next years fruit cakes. Don’t relish the walk for flour and sugar.

At these temps wool pants are ready with Sorels and Parka, dressing for true Winter weather. Still have snow on ground and more is coming Christmas, for entire state🤣. Might even share with Southern latitudes.

@MsStretch 

Which means I hope you get your roof repaired soon, might be coming your way -surprise. Get the ferals under cover and in their igloos.

Froze

[MsStretch]

Ongoing noise overhead as they rip and replace.  Turned out some of the plywood was wet and starting to rot.  Appears too insulated to breathe, no leaks though.  Anyway, looking like a bigger job than originally anticipated with replacing more plywood.  Lot of banging going on. 😖

@MedusaE76171 , I am sure the guy that slipped off the tree felt his heart skip a beat, but that's what safety harnesses are made for.  He almost looked like he was rappelling.  The ground guy who was also the head guy would normally do the tree work, but he had a hurt hand, so his helper went up.  Probably the last time he will go up for awhile unless it's a big open area.  He did fine except tie off the branch tight enough, totally slipped the knot when it fell.

Much rather be laying wreaths today, but alas... 🤷  I tried. Can't help but get choked up watching the WAA convoy trucks.  They used to have ceremonies every year until last (pandemic) year and they would have a lone soldier standing among the graves play TAPS.  That one always got me.

[Frozenoem]

@MsStretch 

Thanx, had to reread my posts been a good 5 years since I’ve donned safety gear to climb a steel roof in the snow to seal a chimney. That was my clue to avoid roofs, got tangled in harness and hung upside down for abit.🤣

Presently awaiting fluffy stuff to fall from heavens, I think I’m ready, batteries charged, bleeder valve on in case power goes, and stove is finally roaring.

Actually trying to find picture of Pa , Va or NY monument from 30-50 years back, something about the architecture is sticking with me, and planning on finding it again when it’s post pandemic.My minds eye has it as CW and made of Marble or Granite, reminding me of Boswell Tower but, different stones and more Polish, with definitely slippery when wet granite steps leading up/down.  Geez, what are the chances of finding that, amongst 70 rolls of 35mm and 220 film or Polaroid backs.🤣

*Minor miracle - remembered Little Round Top overlooking Devils Den in Gettysburg. Don’t need to go thru negatives, quirky memory still works. 🤣 It’s now on list for daylight and sunny days.

@MedusaE76171 

Only way I’m doing tree work is still in a bucket attached to cherry picker and harnessed up and in.

Learned my lesson ages ago, with log cabin and at camp. Feet firmly on ground or maybe sitting on roof and with pole chain saw. Wonky inner ear maybe, I’m not 64 anymore 🤣. Starting to act my age kinda.

My present house with it’s roof pitch, never ever gonna happen period. Need to be part mountain goat to climb, and masonry guy just retired at 80.

He was the only one to walk up it using old tennis shoes, everyone else cherry picker.

Froze

[MsStretch]

@Frozenoem , the Wreaths convoy will be rolling into VA tomorrow morning.  There are a lot of them, definitely requiring police escorts through all the states south.  Pretty impressive convoy.

Also watch those waving oak branches.  Last week, I was on side of house when I heard an ominous ker-r-rack and BUC (Black Ugly Cat -- hanger-on stray) came flying from the back and I flew after him.  Do not like ominous ker-r-racks on windy days while standing among tall oaks.  Turned around to see Willie Mae (one of the resident shed kitties) flip-flopping in the dirt behind me and yelled at her to get out of the way!  But nothing fell.  Turned out to be a branch, about 25' long - the size of a smaller tree, had partially cracked off an oak.  The branch was about 50' up the tree and only thing holding it were other branches.  Two sheds and my place were below it.  Definitely would take out at least one of the sheds and possibly hit my little house depending on how it fell. 

Property owner got a couple of his tree guys out there and I was watching.  Tree peeps fascinate me.  They're crazy -- climbing trees with chainsaws hanging off their belts.  Of course, safety harnesses and ropes in place, but the tree guy actually slipped back down about 6' at one point.  So finally he gets up high enough, ties off the branch, and saws the rest of it off.  They were going to drop in the middle between the 3 structures and I thought that's like threading the needle.  As it dropped and I was thinking how flaky it looked, I heard the crash and splintering of wood.  It hit my roof. 😱

To make an already looooong story shorter, it ended up just taking out the overhang.  No structural or inside damage.  After the tree guy got reamed out, they tarped it and crew will be out here at oh-dark AM tomorrow to repair.  I took no pictures, didn't have my phone on me and not sure I wanted to.  They took plenty of their own pictures for insurance, etc., etc.  Yep, life is just a bunch of thrills and surprises living here among all these oaks.

[Frozenoem]

@MsStretch 

Saw the convoy at Arlington today, laying wreaths at,”The Wall” still hits me hard.

Trees and local arborist are on my speed dial, hope to never call him again.Does great job at affordable rates and hasn’t taken out any roofs👍.yet.

With 45-50 mph gusts, almost jinxed my day. Maybe I should try to get my saws running again, Nah, keep it local other than me.🤣

Time to play need to get 5W-30, while my mind is working.

@DaveMcK 

same freaky weather patterns here, get 6” of partly cloudy, and then it melted or rained the next day.Really want snow, to warm things up around here, and bring my water table back up.

@MedusaE76171 

Not to leave you out , two Tamara’s and a Tam locals in Maine. Took a fast minute to remember who was whom.

Froze

[MedusaE76171]

@Frozenoem, that was kind of you to mention; I still feel in.  🙂

You had a harrowing day!  I can imagine watching the "tree guy" actually slipping down the tree a ways.  I wonder if that's par for the course for them or it scared him a bit?

And then your house gets hit anyway!  Sheesh.  At least, as you say, it didn't cause any internal damage and the homeowner is on it.

Our homeowner had a huge Holyberry Tree that used to stand outside my kitchen window, (giving me cover from the medical center directly across the street), cut down to the trunk.

It was huge, that tree and when it fell, (I watched the hole procedure because I felt someone should witness the demise of such an old tree), I saw a squirrels nest fall from near the top.  

Thankfully, it was off season and there were no squirrels in it at the time.  

Sure it dropped leaves that required the wearing of, at least, flip flops in that part of the yard, but it was pretty, gave me shade and privacy.  Ah well, not my house, not my tree.  

[DaveMcK]

MORNING ROLL CALL OCTOBER DECEMBER 2021

Good morning everyone on this Friday morning December 17th, 2021. 

It has been a hectic December so far filled with a lot of appointments for Mary and myself. 

Our weather has been all over the place with record high temperatures for the month.

The record for the warmest ever December day in Wisconsin was broken in Boscobel, where the temperature reached 72 degrees during the day. Following the warm temperatures, an overnight storm system swept across the state, bringing with it strong winds, trees down and power outages across the state. 

We do not have any major plans for the Holidays. We did join a group here for a bus trip to a local Supper Club for dinner out. What is a Supper Club you ask? Basically it is a family owned local restaurant. 

They are having a cookie exchange here at a our retirement center and a Holiday mixer with everyone wearing massages of course.

Be safe and be well. An have a blessed Holiday season.

Photo of our Grandaugters visit with Santa!

[Frozenoem]

Still mornings- the joy of life in Western Maine, my perfectly placed oak and concrete encased rural mailbox, was shattered last night by a snowplow/sander found it today leaning against the mud room.

For those following “Wreaths across America”, the convoy left Maine this morning, lost count after 14th semi with Police escort passed me in Eliot.

Guess it’s time to figure out how the heck to re-attach mailbox to present spike sticking out of ground, the base was the only survivor😡. Wonder if I can re-attach with basic black tower case and lag bolts, at least until the ground thaws again.😃

Froze

[catwoman500]

@LaDolceVita ...Hooray for your knee! I get my gel shot tomorrow, but not expecting miracles.

@Frozenoem ...Geez, the plows take no prisoners, huh? They should at least offer to replace it...Like that will happen! 😒

Went to look at new washers & dryers today. Actually was able to get a set that is in stock and will be delivered next week! Some of the brands and models are 6-7 months out because of the supply chain problem...kind of like the car dealerships having no inventory. Feeling lucky!

You all take care!

Oops, it's already afternoon!

[Frozenoem]

Hey peeps,

The joy of hospital visits this week, followed by power failures across western part of state. That would be me. I know I’m without but, no clue how long, nary a flashing display to be seen.

Mailbox I’m on my own, need a happy back to repair, and a day without hospital outpatient appt’s might happen Friday? Or next Tuesday?

Think it’s time to start a fire, get camp stove setup, fill the percolator and brew caffeine-to   drink, what looks to be a long day😀.

26* and streets are glazed over same as power lines.

Froze

[MedusaE76171]

@Frozenoem, you are one of the few peeps I've met, our age, who still uses the term.  🙂

I hope you got your elixir of life, I mean coffee.  🙂

Um, I'm trying to guess what you do for a living... glazier?

Tamara

[Frozenoem]

@MedusaE76171 

Computers since 1968, which means too long and have a pile to still destroy when I finally get to retire it will be with a e waste blast.

Percolator is reserved for power failures or camping. Besides forgot to clean French press, when power returns I’ll fix that issue I hope.

Almost time to light candles Bayberry , my typing will improve when that happens. Stove is burning, power will happen in theory by 5 pm, went out at 11am, according to electric company.

Welcome to front porch, I’ve now become a classic 70 year old Woohoo🤮.My coffee is perked, and my grumpiness might improve.

Froze

[MedusaE76171]

@Frozenoem, Bayberry is a nice scent, pleasant but not overpowering. 
I hope you got your coffee and power back, respectively, of course.  🙂

Tamara

[Frozenoem]

Power back, coffee brewed, camp stove, French press, percolator and even expresso makers cleaned and put away … For now!

Seem to have storm coming on Saturday and Sunday, 3-6” or 5-9”, My back suggests the latter.

Tomorrow, it’s start the snowblower, check the tires for air, and hope I have power for air compressor. Bicycle pump might take awhile, and 300’ to the woodpile, is just a little to long to haul a sledge.

Enjoy

Froze

[MedusaE76171]

@Frozenoem, Holy Crow you are busy!  You make me tired and put me to shame with your productiveness.  😉

Computers!  Of course.  That makes sense.  🙂  

Sending you positive thoughts about the coming storm.  Well, you know, thinking of you and hoping things go smoothly in the coming storm.  🙂

Tamara

[Frozenoem]

Morning all seem to be in for fun weekend, today winds gusting . Watching 2’ oak branches swaying in the breeze.

Saturday and Sunday look and feels interesting, snowfall totals are climbing👍, think I need to pickup food and coffee.

This might prove interesting, now to play with snowblower and air compressor. Really don’t want to use bike pump.

Which of 3 storm tracks are coming, and when do they hit. The mailbox can stay down for awhile, I’ll walk to PO if needed.

Froze

[MedusaE76171]

@Frozenoem, Yeesh!  And you seem to be taking it all in stride, which is impressive.

Once, when we were having a big wind storm here, I happened to be looking out the kitchen window when the tree across the street got ripped out by the roots and slammed into the ground.  It took about a second, maybe less.  It was such a surreal moment. 

Didn't you mean coffee and food?  😉

Tamara

[Frozenoem]

Morning still, having a heat wave by MAINE Standards, 6* this morning warmed up to 19* Presently with light snow.

I think I’m bringing in firewood from porch to stove today. Temps were supposed to hit 40-50’s next week and I think I doubt this.

We have snow but,  barely 6”. Time for a fire 😀

Froze

[catwoman500]

Hey there everyone,

Happy to be able to take a few minutes between appointments today to catch up with you all.

Had a bad week as my best friend and her husband lost their older son to heart failure at 44 years old a week ago today.

@Frozenoem @MsStretch …love your photos.

@MsStretch …I hate driving at night, too. One eye doc once told me that people lighter eye color are more sensitive to the lights at night.

Roller coaster temps here in the Philly area. Was 66 the other day then the next it was in the 30’s.

Yep, loving the new bedroom and bath. I have kind of reclaimed the living room and dining room, but still need to live each day with a Swiffer attached to my hand. The dust is so frustrating. Hard to decorate also.

A week ago today they started demolishing the old bathroom. The noise was deafening. Thank goodness I was out when they cracked up the old tub. My house is 76 years old and…it was one of those cast iron tubs that had to be broken up and not just removed. Stepson laughed and said I missed the fun! Have had to adhere to rules of when I could go to the basement so nothing fell on my head…several holes in the bathroom floor for a while. I see dry wall coming in now, so things are moving along. Can’t wait until the washer and dryer are up here! Thinking about getting new ones, but not sure.

So, it was nice spending a few minutes with you all. I hope you are enjoying the lead-up to the holidays.

[LaDolceVita]

Hi folks, just checking in.  Thankfully we missed the tornadoes last weekend.  I was seriously worried.  The air had the tornado or hurricane feel to it,  warm and muggy.  

My knee is back to normal, no more pain!   I still do not know if it was ligaments or the knee joint.  I feel very fortunate.