It's a chilly 45 degrees this morning, heading on down to 35 this week. There have been weird cloud formations in the sky for the last few days. Word has it that the aliens are pouring chemicals into the atmosphere, causing these "trails" that are sucking the life out of us. Poisoning us as it were. Who knew? I just thought they were pretty clouds!
Kissack Adventures
Nancy, Cooper, Jessie and Jonathan
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Birds In The Belfry
Monday, December 4, 2023
Speaking of Trees
There wasn't much going on yesterday as I rested my achey fingers. It always amazes me just how much popping and cracking there is when I first stand up. I take a hint from the doggie critters ... I do doggie yoga every morning just so I can walk without waking Jonathan up.
It seems that tinsel brought about lots of Christmas memories. I think we got our tree about fifteen days before Christmas. You were at the mercy of the tree lot guys, who were very scary to look at. We would pick up several, twirl them around and see if they were even.
After being cut, wadded up and hauled clear from the forests of Oregon, they were a little worse for wear. I later realized those guys worked really hard for that money and were always covered in pitch. This was a once a year money maker for them. There were maybe five tree lots in town. Now the only place you can buy a very sad tree is at Home Depot or Lowes.
There were rules. It could never come in the house that day. It had to sit outside in a pail of water while all the critters fell to the ground. We learned that after swatting all the bugs that dropped to the linoleum floor. Finally inside and firmly screwed into the red tree stand, it was ready for the boxes of ornaments.
But WAIT .... you had to wait at least one day for the branches to settle in.
Sunday, December 3, 2023
Foggy Trees
Our winter weather has suddenly changed yet again. If there is one thing we have consistently around here, it's fog. People complain. On occasion, it even lowers our Bingo numbers. That's a shock. It usually shows up at night and hangs around until maybe noon.
As much as people complain, it is NOTHING like it used to be. In the old days when we drove to Bakersfield for Christmas in our 1949 something (I only remember it was gray) or later, in our 1959 green Buick, it was really bad. You've heard these stories before.
Today if I'm driving in fog and making a turn, I'll roll down my window, turn down the rocking cowboy radio and listen for cars. Oh ... and never walk under the foggy trees. You never know if it's the dew dripping or if the birds are hanging out above you.
The outside kids are still fighting over the fruits of their midnight scavenging. Most times they show up at 7:00 pm or so, then come back for a look see ... you know, just in case something magically appeared at 2 am, then once again at 6:30 in the morning.
Last night when I let Cooper out at 5:30, someone was checking in early. The early bird catches the worm and gets the last of the leftover turkey. I watched him jump up on the top of the six foot fence, knowing there is nothing on the other side to help him. I just can't believe these guys are like cats!
When he saw me, he froze. When I moved, he jumped down into the corral. These guys are something else.
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Twelve Days Of Christmas!
And we're OFF!! It's December 2nd and Santa will be coming around the moon and through the fog in no time at all. If you haven't bought any of those must-have Christmas presents, you better get on the ball. Time is running out faster than Rudolph's nose can light up.
Having been otherwise occupied for the last few days, and no sign of that slowing down for a week or two, I had to get in some play time with Cooper. He's definitely a ball fanatic and will return it every single time. Of course he may not GIVE it to you, but he will return it. Eventually he rolls it to you with his nose so the game will continue. I love this kid!!
Friday, December 1, 2023
HELLO DECEMBER!!!!
Only 24 more days until Christmas! How could that be? I checked out the back door for the predicted snow storm that would afford me another chance to make snowmen. This didn't look too promising. The sun was shining brightly the entire day. Honestly, I don't see how the weather guys can always be so wrong. You would think they might lose their jobs since their predictions are always out in left field.
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Fighting Over Food
Well ...... I wonder about our weather guessers. Here we are at the nausea-inducing altitude of 171 feet and they have predicted snow. Snow flurries that is. The white cold stuff. That has happened twice in my long lifetime at this location.
Believe it or not, we actually got about one whole inch way back in 1998. I think it was before that, because I remember making a 6 inch tall snowman in the back yard. It's a rarity for sure, and I doubt we will see any today. On the other hand, it gives them something to talk about other than "It's Sunny"!!
If it's going to be THAT cold, I need sustenance. What better than a sugar coma inducing French toast breakfast. Yes ..... yes that IS whipped cream on there, not butter. Oh there's butter too, underneath the whipped cream!! I think they even said it was National French Toast Day.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
The Magic Castle
Yay ... yahoo .... OH BOY! Another night of Bingo in the Magic Castle ... but first, let's be entertained by my kid.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Beavers and Salsa
Another day in paradise has faded away. It's not your normal paradise because it's colder than a frozen water trough you have to take an axe to every morning so the cattle can drink. Woooeeee I even went out to turn the heat on in the fifth wheel.
The propane tanks were a little bit of a problem. I should light the stove burners more often I guess. The spark on one isn't working at all, but I finally got two going to clear the air out of the lines. My tank sensor battery died, so I had to practice my surgical skills to replace it. It's a Mopeka in case anyone was wondering. I love that thing. It sticks on the bottom of the tank with strong magnets (haven't lost it yet) and the app on my phone tells me how much fuel there is.
Though you would expect paradise to come with a housekeeper, she does not. I can always tell when we've had a breezy day. If I HAD a housekeeper, I could leave her notes in the dust. I spent two hours cleaning ... my least favorite pastime.
Monday, November 27, 2023
Tap Tap Hooooo Hooooo
What a fun night!!! I spent most of it flat on my back staring at the ceiling. You know those nights ... everyone has them. Lucky for me, I was serenaded most all night long. Come to think of it, that's probably why I was staring at the ceiling.
The tap tap tap ... tap tap tap on the window was like a woodpecker on a tree. I thought I might sneak out with my camera, but it was 36 degrees outside ... in the dark. And then the hoo-hoo's started. That wasn't enough to get me up, but the hiccups that followed was. There's nothing like chugging half a bottle of water at 2 am.
I wandered around the back yard in the freezing cold, but not for long. I counted not one, but FIVE different Hoo's, hooting for all they were worth. I tried to record them for you, but I was too far away. That was fun ... no use going back to bed now!
For those that have been seeing the weirdness in the sky lately, this is a Sun Dog. It's an atmospheric phenomenon that you don't see very often. This image was taken by a resident at the Salton Sea. Pretty cool. This has absolutely nothing to do with me wandering around in the middle of the night.