You must be building some real character, Chris!  Have you received any Christmas gifts yet?

We gave our postman his gift today.  Lola delivered it to him in exchange for a milk bone.

Rain, rain, rain today in L.A.

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

today it's brisk. well, for here at least. last week we had 2 inches of snow and the city was completely shut down. (yeah, don't laugh. it only snows about every 18 years here...)

OK, Brrrrrr!

It is 26 at Boeing Field, I'm guessing it isn't much warmer here.

I got off work on Saturday got on the bus home and buried myself in a book (Sorrows of Empire, Chalmers Johnson.) I got off at my stop, looked up and sure as shinola it was snowing.  Just some light flurries at first but at one point it actually got pretty heavy.  We picked up maybe a half inch, enough to look nice anyway, and it's still here.

So it got real cold for here, down in the teens I guess.  I lost a couple of carboys, giant bottles used to brew beer.  The corks got frozen in place and the contents expanded, as freezing liquids will, and shattered the glass.  My roommate has a couple of humming bird feeders hanging in our yard and as he was at work it fell to me to make sure they didn't freeze up on the poor little birds.  I was taking one back out after its first thawing session this morning at about 7:45 when I spotted one of the hummers in a tree.  I looked at it and said 'I wonder how long I'd have to hold this before you'd come down and drink?' No sooner do I finish than the little guy flys down and lands on the feeder, which I'm holding up and away from my body, and starts feeding.  This goes on for 20 or 30 seconds, it being one of those things that actually happens pretty quickly but seems to take a long time.  The bird sips, pulls its head back and looks at me first with one eye, then the other, sips again, not two feet away from me.  Finally I can't help but laugh at the situation which breaks the moment and the bird flys away.  Magick.

More of the same in the forecast.  NWS is calling 40/90/100% snow tonight, tomorrow and tomorrow night with possible 2-5 inches total.  The forecast high tomorrow is 37f and that's the highest this week.

So, as I said, Brrrr.  Please to note that to many of you this sound pretty tame but we are not used to it here, the city all but shuts down at the mention of snow.  Hope you are comfortable (warm, cool, dry, wet, what ever you're into) where ever you are.

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu

Redbear- that's an awesome story about the hummingbird!

Cold and clear here in northern California today.  Girlfriend and I had to venture outside with our headlamps last night to cover up our citrus.

I was outside all day Sunday in some driving rain for one of the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Counts .  The hummingbirds didn't seem to care about the rain- so weird that the Anna's hummingbirds start breeding soon.  I'll be out on another count on Saturday, which should be better.  I think the next storm should pass through by then.

It is snowing in Seattle and watching people drive reminds me of what my sainted grandfather used to tell me; 'Redbear' he'd say, he being the first one to start calling me redbear, we never figured out why other than the fact he was a crazy old fuck, 'Redbear driving in the snow is a lot like pleasuring a woman and, now that I think about it, probably quite a bit like pleasuring a man as well but I'm not sure on that count as I can, in the end, speak only of what I know but in any event driving in the snow is like pleasuring a woman, or man, in that while having good equipment can certainly help if you don't have at least a little basic technique down you may have trouble getting any where.'  Depending on how drunk he was when he imparted this little gem of a simile he might vary the destination to involve a rut, a ditch, a hole or, a 'sticky situation', one of my personal favorites.  It was pronouncements like this that caused Grandma to start hiding his hooch. This is how we discovered that he was sainted, he started turning his water into wine. As it was Mad Dog and he only did it for himself we didn't bother informing the church.

So, yup, it's snowing here in the Emerald City. although very lightly at the moment.  It ramped up about four this morning, tapered off about seven then picked back up in the late morning and early afternoon. The upshot is the city is fairly fricked. Just, I don't know, 2-4 inches but in a city with next to nothing in the way of snow removal equipment, little more experience in dealing with cold weather and snow and quite a few hills it is more than enough.  Normally we get some and it will melt off over night but they are saying that it's going to get colder again which means the streets that melted a little today are going to freeze back up.  Ugly.

The Hbird feeders stayed fairly liquid this morning but they started getting covered in snow. Did my best to keep them cleared.  I worry about the little things but it seems like they do alright.  Good lesson to learn, something that seems small and fragile can end up being pretty damn tough.

So, hoping the bus comes tonght and hoping you are warm where ever you are, or cool if local conditions make that more desirable.

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu

it's warming back up here in Texas, friday should hit up to about 76, sunny, but I hear by Monday. it's gonna get chilly again.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

Did I mention Brrrr?  Well here we are again.

Clear and sunny at the moment, 27f is the official Seattle temperature at the moment but that is at Boeing Field which is a fair distance from the water.  The general rule is that the closer you are to the water, particularly the salt water, the warmer it is.  It is supposed to be clear or mostly clear for the rest of today and tomorrow during the day with 80/90% for snow Saturday night and Sunday during the day.  The media is hooting about it being more severe than the one we just had but who knows, the NWS isn't predicting accumulations yet although at one point yesterday they were calling for a 'Wintry Mix' (Snow and freezing rain) Saturday night, sounds like something You'd pick up over at MetMart to nosh with your six pack.

My genius roommate who is the actual holder of our Order of the Silver Beak came up with what seems to be a great idea for the Hbird feeders.  He duct taped a little chemical pocket hand warmer to the bottom of each feeder.  This kept them liquid despite it being in the 20's, they are billed as lasting 'up to' eight hours, hopefully it will be enough for the day and with the sun out I'm pretty sure it will be.

The long term is for the snow to turn into mixed snow/rain Sunday night and into the start of next week which may clear things off or may make an even bigger mess.  

We actually had a pretty good day here at the pretty good bookstore which can't be said for everyone I'm afraid.  This on top of the already slow retail season ...  Well it ain't looking good.

Stay warm, stay dry, stay safe and stay sane.  Or not.

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu

Yow!  In the near miss category, they are hanging over I5.  Everyone did get off safely. 

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu

Weather has been very unpredictable.  We got freezing rain earlier in the week.  It was bitter cold, well at least for Ohio.  Worst part was the wind, it was that wet wind that felt like little daggers.  This morning it was POURING!  Got up to 50 today.  I was SOAKED when I got into work.  So, now everything is wet and its going to get down to 25 tonight so you know what that means.  I have been trying to get to Toledo for a month now to visit the fam and the weather has precluded me from doing so.  Dad called me last night and said they were supposed to get a lot of snow, upwards of 8 inches, and abour 2 1/2 inches of ice.  I watched the news this morning and they were getting pounded.  So, I called the 'rents and told them I wasn't coming in town this weekend as planned, because of the weather.  Instead, I am taking the day after Christmas off for a long weekend.  Will be in T-Town from Wed to Sunday.  

I just can't get my head around how nasty it's been.  It's been gross.  

Yes, you guessed it, BRRRRRRRR!

Did the Japan current crash and  no one told me?

The current, and probably final, solution to the humming bird feeder problem is to just keep a warm batch in the house, when they start to ice up bring them in, pour the icy into a jar to warm back up and fill them up with the warm stuff.  No problem, or there shouldn't be.

Forcast, partly cloudy, snow, freezing rain, high winds and cold.  Oh it is so old hat now.

Oh, currently 22f, calm with a thin layer of clouds.  No precip visable at the moment here in the counterbalance.

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu

Jordan .

Right now in the middle of yet another winter storm warning through tomorrow afternoon--supposed to get another 2-3 inches on top of the 3 inches or so we got today.  It's about 20 right now and tomorrow is supposed to be 6 with a -25 wind chill, 30 MPH winds, which will result in drifting, and more snow to boot.

Woo.

Sunny, high of 62 today.  A li'l rain expected Monday and Tuesday but then back to the 50s later next week. 

This is the time of year I pine (or fir) for photos of snow.  Somebody got the real thing???  Last year Smokey posted two great shots from his apartment window looking down into the streets of Chicago.  I loved that.  Some of you (Rocky? Jordan?) must have some beautiful snow photos to share.  

 Heard from my sis-in-law who's in New Hampshire at a ski resort and she says the view from her window looks like Currier and Ives.  Post 'em if you've got 'em.  Please!!!!

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

IT'S SNOWING! IT'S SNOWING! ALERT THE MEDIA!

Oh, never mind.  They're on it.

Things that I've relearned;

1)The low friction short step.

2)The no friction shuffle

3)Gloves are both for keeping your hands warm and for protecting them when you ass plant.

Stay warm and dry, or cool and wet if that's your thing.

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu