Sunday evening 6:45PM 15 degrees. I been reading the latest Mary Jane magazine. One quote in it that I've been repeating to myself - "people may not remember what you said or did, but they will always remember how you made them feel." I'm watching Nims Islandas I write this blog. A coworker loaned me the DVD because he thought I'd like it because the little girl on the island has animals for friends. I am enjoying it. Abigail Breslinis just darling as usual. Mike's out in the sunroom watching football. yes, Mike drove my truck down the hill.
We get a 24/7 western channel, that runs old movies and TV shows. I especially like Have Gun - Will Travel. In fact, I'm announcing here that I'm on a new career path, as the gray-haired, post-menopausal therefore emotionally-charged, all-black wearing, with a string-of-pearls-around-her-neck female version of Paladin, BooneDocksWilcox the gunslinger. Unlike Cheyenne Bodie in Cheyenne who takes a couple of beatings on each show before he solves evil in the town, Paladin just pistol whips or shoots the bad guys, that will be my style too. Paladin was a male role model who memorized poetry in a 1950s television series. Have Gun — Will Travel was an American Western television series that aired from 1957 through 1963. The show followed the adventures of Paladin, a gentleman gunfighter who preferred to settle problems without violence, yet, when forced to fight, excelled. Paladin lived in the Carlton Hotel in San Francisco, where he dressed in formal attire, ate gourmet food, and attended the opera. Hey, I've been living in an RV but I can handle a big-city hotel, good food, plus I have cousins that live in San Francisco.
When working, he dressed in black, used calling cards, wore a holster that carried a characteristic chess knight emblem, and carried a derringer under his belt. Paladin charged steep fees for his services — typically a thousand dollars a job. My emblem will be a turkey and I won't come cheap either. His primary weapon was a custom-made, .45 caliber Colt Single Action Army revolver that was perfectly balanced and of excellent craftsmanship. It had a one-ounce trigger pull. The derringer that Paladin hid under his belt had saved his life numerous times. Ever a man of refinement, Paladin even carried a few expensive cigars in his boot when out on adventure. Don't think I will smoke cigars, how 'bout if I walk around eating expensive chocolate?
My Mama was from San Francisco, she loved gunfighters, and the finer things in life so I'm for hire (in a warm climate please) and working on my business cards. You'll be hearing from me.
I always like it when Mike climbs in the bed, 'cause his big body radiates so much heat, however, he's a nightowl, a catnap of 4 maybe 5 hours and he's good to go. The other night,
me - Mike come to bed and warm up my butt. naked Mike as he is climbing in bed - If you'd take your clothes off you'd stay warmer. me - yeah, just bet I would, I've heard a lot of lines but... Mike - In the Boy Scouts, they used to tell us to take off our clothes before we got in the sleeping bag, and then our bodies would warm up the bag. me - In the Girl Scouts none of us were stripping down and I can tell ya my Daddy would've had none of it. Mike - I'm just saying, it seemed to work.
At the office, I thought I'd do a little informal research, asking male coworkers, former Boy Scouts and military, about Mike's theory, all chuckled and the group was in agreement that Mike was angling for some hoochie-coochie. However, I kept pondering the whole "Boy Scout" mentality, and now have found some online comments -
My army trainers insisted we sleep naked in our sleeping bags. Having been in the Canadian military playing soldier in -30-40C temperature, this is absolutely true. In fact one should be in the buff. If you wear any clothing, you will sweat into them, rendering them useless and in fact you will get very cold very fast. Your body will insulate the bag. Our bags were rated to -60.
Improvements to sleeping bags using Gortex(TM) are making them even better than they need to be. Anytime you can wick away moisture from your body you will be warmer. I have slept quite comfortably in -40F in an Extreme Cold Weather Bag and nothing but a T-shirt and PT shorts. You can also put your clothes in your bag with you where you are laying on top of them, then you have warm clothes to put on in the morning. We also placed our VB boots in the foot of our bags so as to not be putting "blocks of ice" on our feet in the morning. (make sure they are free of mud/snow/dirt before doing this)
Sleeping in clothing is optional,
some like to sleep in their clothing,
other schools of thought are that your sleeping bag will keep you warm so sleep a’ natural, but you should always wear a stocking cap (a.k.a. ski cap, tuke) to sleep in.
So maybe Mikey was speaking from the BRAIN this time.
In Part 3 is 7hrs later coming home from work, my mother-in-law is talking to me from her front porch, she wants me to come sit down inside her house, and Mike is calling on the cellphone. I always have to get home to my animals.
We're in Zone 6, the most Northwestern part of North Carolina. We live in the Blue Ridge Mountainsof the Appalachians.
The movie, Cold Mountain, is a real mountain located within the Pisgah National Forest, Haywood County, North Carolina, which is south of here near Asheville. Have you ever hiked the Appalachian Trail? well, neither has South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.
The three landforms of North Carolina make up the three major geographic regions of the state: the Coastal Plain, the Piedmont, and the Mountains.
We have several ski resorts in this area - Appalachian Ski, Ski Beech, Ski Sugar, and Hawksnest. Presently at Ski Sugar: Summit: Current: 5.6°F • High: 5.6°F • Low: -1.3°F Base: Current: 10.6°F • High: 10.6°F • Low: 4.7°F
Local weatherman - With winds gusting to 50 mph tonight, wind chills will be in the -5 to -15 range, snow showers will increase tonight through Tuesday morning.
it's been lightly snowing all day, temps are in the teens, and winds keep gusting.
Local weatherman - ...chill readings will make it feel like its 10 or more below zero and that is respectable even in these normally windy hills. The only easing of the cold I can promise is a week away from happening so hunker down and hide your body parts!
I've got some good magazines waiting for me on the bed, did you read the quotes in Bakers Creek Heirloom Seeds? My favorite was: "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison
At good ole Big Lots, we bought Reddy Heater TB100 - 30 - 55,000 Btu Pro Tough Series Propane Forced Air Heater. 30,000-55,000 BTU Reddy Heater, Propane Gas, Operates On 20-100 LB Tank. We paid $79 at Big Lots, but I see it advertised online in the $119 – $229 price range.
We've got a large propane tank hooked to the furnace and wall heater, but we had two small LB tanks from the RV, so this ReddyHeater can be a good backup just in case.
When we tried it out, the heater/blower sorta works too well, the LOW setting is not low enough, heats up the room very quickly, then we have turn it off.
Here's our New Years supper today down at Mary's, my mother-inlaw.
Leftover's for the birds
I took the bowl to Franklin and the gang.
Pearl Guinea
In 2009, a big goal accomplished, Mike and I became debt free. http://www.backwoodshome.com/advice/aj86.html A few hints from this old grandma (Jackie Clay): Get out of debt and stay out of debt. Pay off any credit cards and loans. Actually live simply. Drive a reliable used vehicle and repair it as needed. Stay away from the “must haves” like the plague.
We have to live very modestly, but the feeling of true freedom - being debt free, is amazing.We have everything we NEED and live very comfortably.
This is Spec, a Speckled Sussex.
Cuckoo Marans
A Cuckoo Marans/Ameraucana cross.
Ameraucana
Bourbon Red Turkey hen, Frannie
Sally
From our local weatherman - Keep the heaters rolling and the path to the woodpile clear as both will get heavy use through next week as we may not get much above twenty until Tuesday....not a typo!
She's on the wrong side of the net, in the hayloft.
