Unwanted Hitchhiker

This is NOT who you want to find hanging out, waiting for a ride deeper into the swamp. Let's go fishing, boys!

It's been cold and windy and rainy, off and On. Not golf ball sealing weather by any means. Not really fishing weather, either. But the Bass Pro catalog arrived a few days ago and I feel the juices stirring...

And So It Goes...

Here We Go, Again

Roads once again ice and snow covered here with almost everything shut down, curfews in place. Martial law the next step if the food supply doesn't catch up quickly. Power lines are predicted to fail after daybreak with winds projected. Oh joy... And I have bronchitis, too. A bad winter here but far, far worse in Maine.
Stay warm, y'hear.
And So It Goes...

This is NOT the "Life of Riley"

For those of you old enough to recognize the title of the radio/TV show above, you can fathom the depth of emotion I'm conveying by saying "What a revolting development THIS is." upon discovering all bridges, cars and other quickly cooled surfaces are covered in ice, like all of the Interstates and bridges across the Mississippi River. A good day to stay at home.

 And So It Goes.

Live Oaks

Sitting outside the Live Oaks HS. Waiting for a granddaughter to finish a baton clinic (who knew a baton gets sick?) I was struck by how beautiful this tree is.

Oodles of Noodles

So, I hit my head yesterday. Second time in a week. Second time I've been bit by the corner of the bedroom slide out. Second time I've drawn blood. First time that I saw stars for more than a moment. And the first time that I should have had a stitch taken in the skull this week. Number 1 Grandson found the piece of pipe insulation in the shed, there being none to be had in the entire Southern half of the US after the Arctic Vortex got done extorting millions of households this past week, shaking them down for every last drop of fuel oil, Natural and LP gas, firewood and KW of electricity. I scavanged the swim noodle, leaving an IOU for a new one when they hit local shelves in a month or so (swim season starts early here) and performed required surgery thereupon.

Voila! No more bloodbath, I hope.

And So It Goes.

Updates and Merlin Bird ID App & Fwd: Cornell Lab eNews: Happy Birding This New Year With Our Free ID App

Well, the sub-freezing weather is gone for awhile. Actually, I'd be happier if it didn't return at all - these folks aren't ready to cope with freezing temperatures here in central Louisiana. I hear the plumbers will be out straight for two weeks, repairing frozen pipes. Then comes the painters and plasterers, they get to tackle water-damaged ceilings and walls. Good for the trades. Keeps insurance adjusters afloat. The big box stores are doing land office business in what is usually their quiet time. But homeowners are taking it on the chin, according to the news broadcasts.

I haven't even begun to deal with the damage from the sub-zero freeze up we had in Maine in early December. I do know the water pump and hot water heater are shot. Haven't assessed the extent of pipe joints and pex that will need replacement. Just hoping the water tank and waste tank made it through unscathed. Maybe next month I can start the process of tearing out everything from the "basement". Nothing is coming out until I know there is no further freeze up possible this year. I can limp along with water jugs and sponge baths a while longer. I know for certain the black tank is sound (don't ask).

I got this news release in my morning email. If you like birds, as do I and the Mrs., then this FREE app for iPhones and ipads is just what the doctor ordered. If you do Android smartphones or pads, signup to be notified when that version is ready for use, too.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Cornell Lab eNews: Happy Birding This New Year With Our Free ID App
From: Cornell Lab of Ornithology <cornellbirds@cornell.edu>
To: olddog299@gmail.com
CC:

In this issue: a free, easy-to-use bird ID app, winter garden tips, a very large eagle, and more.   Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.   Cornell Lab eNews January 2014 Click image to watch a short video about how the app works. Introducing Merlin Bird ID: A New Kind of Birding App Information overload is the bane of the beginning bird watcher—as anyone knows who has ever flipped through 40 species of sparrows in a field guide. What if an app could quickly tell you which birds are most likely based on your location, date, and a brief description? Not just which birds theoretically could occur near you, but which birds are actually reported most often by other birders. That’s what Merlin Bird ID does. And it's free—because we want to make bird watching easier for everyone.  Merlin Bird ID covers 285 of the most common birds of North America (with more on the way). In addition to help with ID, it contains expert tips, more than 1,400 gorgeous photos, and sounds for each species. It’s available now for iPhone and other iOS7 devices, and it's coming soon for Android.  Download Merlin Bird ID from the App Store Get more details at our Merlin website Android user? Sign up for notification when it's ready Do you know the name of this yellow, green, and black seed-eater? Photo by Collins Cochran via Birdshare. Which Species Is This? Our latest mystery bird is a little yellow, a little green, and sometimes a little black. These small, primarily Western birds sing songs that include snippets mimicked from other species. Breeding males are distinctive, but in winter you might overlook them at your feeders, thinking they are another kind of American gold. Do you know what species this is? Check your guess and learn more. Test yourself with more quiz photos: The above photo features a helpful shot of a bright breeding male. Want to see some more challenging plumages? Test your wits against this set from Project FeederWatch. How many can you get?  A nice winter feeding station by Linda Roa via Project FeederWatch. Your Holiday Greenery Can Double as Winter Bird Habitat in January and February, with no leaves on deciduous trees, shelter can be hard to come by. That’s when birds turn to evergreens, whose dense needles offer protection from heavy precipitation and wind. Right now, you can breathe new life into your holiday wreaths and boughs by placing them near feeders and birdbaths. Read our full set of tips on making a welcoming winter garden—the birds will thank you. Top 10 Green Garden Books: If the weather outside is frightful, escape to warmer days by planning your spring garden. Our YardMap project suggests these great books for green gardens as inspiration.  A Quiet Moment in the Snow—With a Very Large Eagle Our Multimedia program is working on a documentary about the great sagebrush ecosystems of the American West. Tying together the many strands of that story is one of the region's top predators, the Golden Eagle. On a filming expedition last fall, as a morning snowstorm descended on the gray-green plains of Wyoming, we captured a brief moment with one of these majestic predators. Watch it. Get Ready for a Global Bird Count: The Great Backyard Bird Count happens this coming February 14–17. Participation is free and open to anyone, anywhere in the world. We hope you'll join us! Birding Goes Mainstream? A lengthy article in USA Today says 2014 is the year for bird watching—and makes a pretty good case. Share Photos and Win: Enter photos, stories, or artwork by Jan. 15 in our Fascinating Feathers challenge, or check out our BirdSpotter contest with new weekly themes through Feb. 24. Giving the Gift of Data: Over the holidays, Cornell Lab scientist Caren Cooper described for the CitizenSci blog how doing citizen science is like giving gifts to needy scientists. Take a Road Trip: Our Upcoming Bird Festivals webpage makes it easy to plan your next birding destination. You can look through listings by calendar or on a map, so you can start planning your road trip right from the page. Create a Legacy for Birds Northern Cardinal by Phil Haber. A great way to create a legacy for birds is to include the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in your will. A bequest allows you to maximize use of your funds today while providing for the Lab tomorrow.  And modifying your will to provide a legacy for birds is easy. Some of the benefits: A bequest provision will create a lasting legacy for birds. Your bequest will not be subject to potential federal estate taxes. You may designate how you’d like your bequest to be used and you may change it at any time. For more information, visit our Legacy for Birds website, call Scott Sutcliffe at 607-254-2424, or send an email to Sutcliffe@cornell.edu.  Find Us on Facebook: If you're on Facebook but don't follow us yet—please join our community of 172,000 fans for a daily dose of bird quizzes, gorgeous videos, fascinating articles, and tons of photos.  Attention Educators: Check Out These Resources Free Webinar Jan. 20: Feeding birds can spark kids’ curiosity, interest in the outdoors, and engagement with science. Learn how to make feeders, identify birds, and more in our free Feeding Our Feathered Friends webinar, Jan. 20 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. The Ordinary Extraordinary Junco is a series of free, short videos and teacher resources produced by scientists at Indiana University. They've studied the birds for decades, and their excellent videos cover myriad science-standards-related topics.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Cornell Lab’s website at http://www.birds.cornell.edu. Copyright © 2014 Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All rights reserved. You are receiving this message because you subscribed on our website or are a member, donor, participant, or contact of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Our mailing address is: Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd Ithaca, NY 14850 Add us to your address book Update your information, manage subscriptions, or unsubscribe from Cornell Lab eNews OR Unsubscribe from all Cornell Lab electronic communications

Tight fit

Not much sunlight, but we're in here.
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Yeti Coolers

I got to see a Yeti® Tundra cooler (http://www.yeticoolers.com) up close and personal while at the RV Shop in Baton Rouge yesterday. I must admit to being very impressed. A semi-rigid polycarbonate, vacuum formed shell filled with urethane foam insulation, o-ring gaskets, well thought out features for locking and tieing the cooler down to your boat or truck's exterior, an excellent warranty and flat rate shipping. What's not to like? The price. Holy jehosephat, they're expensive. I use a big marine 7 day Igloo and a smaller 5 day wheeled jobbie for everyday use. Total investment twixt the two is about $125. For 3 1/2 times that amount, you can have a Yeti® Tundra the same size as our big Igloo. OUCH!

During the summer in Maine, we were using about 40 lbs of ice every two days keeping meat and other comestibles cold in the big cooler, as well as keeping SWMBO's soda and my Unsweet Tea cool and drinkable in the smaller cooler Iggy drinks from the lake when outdoors, he has a lake water bowl inside, too. I'm guessing a Yeti® might give us twice the duration of the big chest's ice but make little or no difference in the smaller chest as it is opened to outside air too many times a day to offer much increase in the duration of the ice.

Happy New Year

Seems like I was just here. HERE being Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Temps are relatiively mild at 44°, moderate rains are forecast, and its New Year's Eve day. It's similar, but not quite the same as the first time I experienced a Louisiana New Year's celebration.

Iggy and I scared up a Jack rabbit about 1 AM out by the dog park of this KOA were staying at. They both took off lime a shot, the dog hitting the end of his lead almost immediately; bunny foo-foo hit the fence and had to run almost a hundred feet down to find an opening in the fence to wiggle through.

Things are wet here, saturated, really, so I am reluctant to try my luck putting the 5er in to the backyard, assuming I can even get it through the gate. Sinking the truck and trailer in the red gumbo mud is Not my idea of fun. I've got some planks to cross the grass with. Also have some wide planks to park on if I can get it back there. We will see...

I do hope y'all have a good celebration and a far better 2014.

And So It Goes...

We're safely setup on lot 33 in the O Kentucky RV Park. SWMBO IS ensconced on the porcelain throne worshiping Peristalsis, iON tv is showing Cold Case. Summer sausage is safely back in the winery box; Iggy is greatly saddened that all the ell good food is in the truck while he is in the trailer. And So It Goes.

Merry Christmas

Despite trials, tribulations, false starts and stops, we are in Kentucky, freezing with the locals. If Murphy allows any luck to escape his clutches, we will depart for Louisiana on Friday. I figure if I just keep driving South until I can't go any further my hot water tank and the rest of my plumbing will eventually thaw. What do you think?

Seriously, here's hoping you all have a Merry Christmas and the new year brings joy and success your way.

Sunday

We survived the death line of snow, sleet, thunderstorms, lightning, helacious winds, hail, downpours, flooding - flash and areal - frogs and grasshoppers Dizzy Dick sent up from Texas. Had to pull the sliders in a couple of times when the flying Brahma bulls soared by. Today is grey, wet and windy. Aside from venturing out for a bite of lunch, my area is going to be anchored right here at the table, watching Ohio oaks try to hold their leaves. So, you have a good Sunday, y'hear?

And So It Goes...

Nothing until Monday

No mechanics on until Monday morning. In disgust, went to Friendly's for Brioche French Toast. SWMBO had the meat-lover's skillet. Both tasty, but her toast was limp - not our idea of toast.

Been hanging out all afternoon waiting to move over to an electrical pedestal for the rest of the weekend. Ran the generator last night as they'd pulled out a bunch of stored trailers for pick-up by owners so no electric spaces were available.

And to make things more interesting, an ice storm with freezing rain is forecast for tonight and tomorrow. That does beat the heavy thunderstorms expected in Louisiana and Kentucky tonight. So that's what is happening here. More Monday.

And So It Goes...

Taking A Brake

We're set up in the yard in front of the Akron, Ohio Camping World service center, hoping against the realities of weekends, Christmas parties and other holiday doings, flash flood and areal flood warnings, that today they will be able to check our trailer brakes. It isn't fun driving with next to no brakes. My fingers are curled into unbreakable claws and I'm popping nitro tabs like M&M' s!
They have Saturday service hours, so there is real hope. But there are also those here before us to contend with as well as the issues above, so I won't be terribly surprised if we were still sitting here on Monday morning.
I do hope your weekend is better and safer, if you're in that band of wild weather forecast for this weekend...

And So It Goes.

We're lost

Sitting in a parking lot of a Flying J outside of Milton, Pennsylvania. Got a Subway sandwich for each of us. Plan on visiting the Woolwich factory in the morning. Plans changed about lunch time as we sat in a parking lot in upstate New York. Baton Rouge is still our destination, but instead of traveling down the coast it looks like Christmas in Ohio! So instead of a thousand miles of I-95, we've been over I-84. I-81, and now I-80 since leaving the truck stop in Meridian, Ct. Who knows, maybe we'll visit the airstream factory.

And So It Goes.

~~~

 

Asleep at the wheel

Snowed up, slowed up

Made it as far as the mass-ct line early this AM. SWMBO insisted we pull off after I dozed off into the verge. One moment I was awake the next asleep. Scared the bejeezus out of me. Pulled into the Weston Welcome Center at 2AM and called it a night. Woke up to snow at 8:30. Made it a hundred miles or so to outside Hartford to a TA truck stop about 11:30 and here I sit. Six inches of heavy wet slop that is a greasy blanket on the Interstate has stopped further progress for now... I have no desire to brave the Bos-Wash corridor in a snowstorm on a weekday. Storm is supposed to blow out to sea at midnight. We will attempt further progress then.

My Location

This is my current location as determined by TruckSmart. Click or copy this link into your browser to find me http://maps.google.com/?q=42.1568,-71.9635


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I tried...

I really did. Little did you know, Dick, but I have been trying for the past few days to get packed and get out of here for warmer climes. Despite an almost pathological lack of strength and energy. So yesterday was the big push. And I'm moving like mired in molasses. Add descending temps. I spent hours outside in single digit temps and winds topping out around 30 MPH. An early evening run for food and fuel and pharmaceuticals for SWMBO. Return to no heat from the furnace ... just frigid air pumping out. Tried everything I knew to do but no joy. Worked outside until I just couldn't work any more ... back at it this morning (Saturday) @ 7:30 & -13°F. Finally all packed and loaded at 11:30. As we're pulling out, I caught the awning against a tree and completely buggered that up. I figure close to two grand for a moment's inattention.

We made it the eight miles to our dealer in Bangor. Sadly, the shop was empty, but the owner kindly offered to put our unit into an empty, heated bay until Monday or let us spend the night on site with an extension cord for lights. Without heat, it was best to put her inside, so that's what we did, after I spent nearly an hour trying to unhook. Seems the trailer was twisted due to a snow furrow so it took 3 of us to get it disconnected.

So our journey is momentarily on hold. We're at a motel, warm and bored. Forgot to get the CPAPs so not able to sleep. Tomorrow, with luck, we will have heat, four new tires, and a couple hundred miles under our belts. Sorry there's no photos ... I was too cold and stressed. Expecting a foot or more of snow today, so a slow start tomorrow is likely.

Before the storm

Z

The view from my perch this morning is cold and clear outside with icing and condensation on the inside, Definitely chilly at 5*f and bitter with a NW wind blowing down the lake at us, A winter storm is forecast to hit on Sunday. Bringing us 8 to 14 inches of snow with more to follow. Getting out of here is going to be difficult for a while. And So It Goes. ---***---