New Year - January 2013

 Having had a very pleasant autumn and early winter, weather-wise, with the advent of January 2013 we have hit by the full blast of winter.

today at 3:00 pm - most of the world is cold, gray and white

Most days lately our high daily temperatures have been in the mid-20's to mid 30's. Many mornings before going to school the skies here at home were clear, but by the time I get home the fog has moved in and we have another gray and frosty day, as the picture above shows. This past week the fog and freeze did dissipate on Monday afternoon and evening, giving the horses and I a view like the two below. Out my back door I have a view of the mountains to the east, and off the front porch I have a view of the Walla Walla River Valley to the west.

Looking to the east upriver at 4:30 pm

Looking to the west at 5:00 pm

Tuesday morning we had a dose of sunshine, before the fog came in for the balance of this week.

One thing I have noticed since December, is our days are getting longer. Around Christmas I was feeding my horses at 4:50 p.m. in the dark. Now about a month later, I can feed at 5:15 and with natural light I can easily find my way around. 

Another neat thing that happened on Monday this past week, was I got to sing along with a coyote. I have had these guys coming and going through the pastures behind my home usually on the run / move, but Monday I had one to stop, sing, and lounge around for awhile.

It was mid-day, I was at home and looking out my office window when I noticed this guy standing around and howling. His howls were bouncing off the hill on the other side of the river, and it appeared he was talking to himself.

So I stepped out the backdoor and started taking pictures and howling with him. This was a good thing, and I had fun singing with him. Life with such simple pleasures.

After our singing fest the coyote just laid down and stuck around for awhile.

Today is the last day of my month long treatment of using Fluorouracil to scald my face most days. This has really been a tough regiment to undergo, as most days my face has felt scalded, dry, and itch so bad that I could have almost clawed the skin off. This treatment has been to remove the UV damaged and per-cancerous skin from my face. From here on in, I shall religiously use sunscreen and wear a wide brim hat when spending much time outdoors. Make a note - baseball caps are worthless.

Looking forward to it clearing up now. Doctor says when my face clears from the medication, it should be as soft and smooth as a baby's butt.

Other than singing with Mr. Wile E this week, most days this year are much the same... with wildlife viewing,  a.m. school bus run, a.m. horse feeding, mid-day horse feeding, p.m. school bus run, p.m. horse feeding, reloading the feeding stations twice a week with a ½ ton of hay, and just puttering around the house in the meantime.

Last Saturday I treated myself with an outing to visit the BIG screen in Walla Walla to see The Hobbit. I really enjoyed the show, and found myself jumping around in my chair a few times. I think the movie(s) will be almost as good as the book which I read 40+ years ago.

 Last Sunday I did prepare a smoked venison dinner for a school bus driver buddy, Randy who gave me the venison to smoke, that was a good meal. Other than the above daily routines, I will just say that the girls, boys and I are wintering along well in the Oregon Territory.

Peace be with you.