White Stuff!!

[Eamonn]

Got out of bed yesterday to find that my part of the world looked very white.

Yes! We had our first frost.

The furnace was running!

We'd had a new super efficient furnace installed over the weekend.

I wish I could say that I was playing my part to save the planet. But the truth is that I was trying to get as much out of the $2.54 a gal heating oil as I possibly can.

Jack Frost is late this year. Not that I'm complaining. I really dislike winter so the longer we go without any form of white stuff; the better I feel.

Not having had a frost has made for a very lack luster Fall. The leaves didn't have the changes that make for a real spectacle. A lot of the trees in my yard just seemed to say what the heck and allowed their leaves to drop off without any fuss.

A week or so back I gave the yard it's, what I hope will be the final haircut of the year. I can't be bothered raking leaves, so I'm happy for John Deere to take care of them for me.

It's been very dry. Walking through the fallen leaves is great. I love the sound of them under my feet. When no one is looking I like to make a pile of them and Rory and I have a leaf fight.

Friday, the new little dog likes to bury her head in a mound of leaves. She seems far more independent than Rory. He rarely lets me out of his sight. Where as she likes to get into the woods and corn fields and chase anything she can find. Normally doves. Last week she hit pay-dirt and found some wild turkeys.

Rory sees the world as one big smrgsbord.

Earlier in the summer I tried picking blackberries, my dreams of a blackberry pie were dashed due to him eating all the berries I picked. He has mastered the art of husking corn and eats a couple of ears a day. The pear tree is now a stop on his BLW (Big Long Walk). He likes pears.

Friday and him fight over the fallen apples.

Last year when Her Who Must Be Obeyed wasn't well, I didn't do much around the house. The flower beds that she looked after were let go. Weeds took over and the weeds were full of burrs that stuck to the dogs. I spent hours de-burring them and at times had to remove the burrs by cutting them out.

I don't know much about flowers, but I swore that wasn't going to happen again. This past Spring, I took over the flower beds. I spent a fortune at the nursery. You name it!! I bought it. I dug, weeded, covered with some type of weed resistant sheet, planted and mulched. I fed the plants. No self-respecting weed dared show its ugly head in my beds.

All in all I was very proud of my efforts. I have no idea what the plants were! But I got a lot of joy tending for them and just looking at them.

When I looked at them yesterday afternoon, I was a little sad to see that the frost had done a number on them.

Next week Rory and I are planning to prune some of the trees.

I'm in the bad books with the power company for not allowing them to cut back my hemlock trees. I seen the terrible job the tree company they employed did butchering the trees in the area and refused to let them near mine.

Rory tends to think that every time I pick up a stick we are going to play fetch. He likes to chew on OJ's socks, I'll take a sock with me to keep him occupied.That way maybe I'll get the trees done.

Rory, Friday and myself were out about 1800 yesterday. I noticed that things were a lot quieter. Far less birds were around, the bugs and crickets were gone, I did spy one small yellow butterfly. I think he must not have got the memo that Fall is here.

There are signs of deer activity. OJ, wants to try his hand at hunting for the first time this year. He isn't happy that I will not allow him to hunt on our property!!

My hope is that he goes out once, doesn't see anything, freezes his tail off and decides that hunting isn't for him.

Of course I'm now resigned to the fact that Winter is coming. That light coating of white frost will in the next few weeks be replaced by a wet heavy coating of white stuff. There is nothing I can do about it.

Rory likes to play in the snow. I enjoy having him chase snowballs or playing fetch with the icicles I break off from the out-buildings.

Friday is such a little thing.I don't know how she will manage if we have any heavy snow?

I do hate to see winter coming.

The Ship has said that they want to return to Georgia next summer. HWMBO wants to go to the beach.

I can't wait to just sit with Rory on the porch admiring the flower beds and waiting for the fireflies to perform their magic. Until then I'll enjoy my new furnace, stock up on hot chocolate and maybe something warming to add to it!! I'll fight my way through the Christmas crowds at the stores, bundle up like Nan-nook of the north and maybe take a long winters nap.

I hope the people who enjoy winter have a great time. I'll be happy when all the white stuff is gone.

Eamonn.

[anarchist]

Aw geeze Eammonn,

 

ya had to go and ruin a good introspective narrative by hoping OJ learns to hate hunting!

 

Most of my Southern forebearers and I think all of my Native American forefathers would heartily disagree with that sentiment (as would every PA truck driver that has whiped out a deer and a truck in a collision).

 

Hunting is noble and necessary endeavor(as well as an enjoyable past-time). Killing or harvesting, if you prefer, of wildlife is particularly necessary unless you are willing to re-introduce cougars, wolves and bears into suburbia. We have taken out the pedators and unless we function in that position over population is the result.

 

Hunting teaches one to wait, reflect and plan. It is a perfect opportunity for a hunter with a young man in tow to teach respect for the outdoors and the game we hunt. Ethics in taking clean kill shots, in being clean in our outdoor manners, repecting the rights of land owners, being safe...lots of scouting basics...

 

It leads "good ol'country boys" to become active stewards of the environment... even after the modern education system has failed in that area. It controls and improves a renewable resource, feeds people (including those less well off...read- "Hunters for the Hungry"). It saves some folks gardens and orchards from the dining pleasures of hungry (starving?) deer. It keeps herds in check and helps control "over population" infections like hemoragic fever and plain old starvation.

 

And by the way it tastes pretty darn good too if you take proper care of your kill and handle it the way any food should be cared for.

 

Please hook OJ up with an ethical and safe hunter, have him take your states Hunter safety program...in other words get him good instruction...so the young man has a chance to do it right.

 

I doubt if you would have said "I hope OJ really fails at sailing" (or whatever) so try not to let your personal prejudice pre ordain the outcome of OJs hunting expericene experience...as in all things our children do...why would we want to encourage failure???

 

Some of my best friends are hunters, most of my scouting friends are hunters and fishermen (women). The act of hunting which results in a clean kill and the prcessing of that animal for food is certainly less "ethically challenged" than supporting the "factory farm" process by purchasing your meat in a plastic wrapper!

 

:>)

anrchist

[OldGreyEagle]

Down here on the floor of the Lehigh Valley we havent had a frost yet. Most of the trees are still mighty green for Oct 30th. Most of the time the Valley gets rain while the Pocono mountains get their share of the real white stuff, snow. They get so much that I was wondering about an activity my father told me about. Now, Dad was born in rural depression Maine and he has frequently told me how he and his brothers would go hunting rabbits in very deep snow. Rather than shoot them, they would kick up the rabbit out of his hiding spot and proceed to chase them down. The key was they were wearing snowshoes and ran across the snow while the rabbits would punch through the snow and have to leap up to move forward. So, the story (!) is in deep enough snow you can run a rabbit to exhaustion if you wear snow shoes.

[Gunny2862]

As long as you mention it, this week has the 1st of November in it and I don't have any leaves to rake! In Austin Powers Goldmember voice, "Isn't that weird?"

[Eamonn]

anarchist

Like you I have a good many friends who are into hunting.

I'm not anti-hunting.

In fact the Wild Turkey Federation seen fit to make me an honorary lifetime member. Their way of thanking me for hosting Wild Turkey Game Dinners.

I'm very much aware of the good work some hunters do, providing habitat for game and wild life.

While I appreciate that on this side of the Pond, hunting and gun ownership are seen by many as the norm.

I however am not crazy about guns. I'm not at all happy that I might have to have one in the house.

I'm also a big softy!!

While I was never keen on turkeys, in fact as a kid staying on my Grandparents farm in Ireland I was scared to death of them!! I know I couldn't look into the deep brown eyes of a deer and shoot it!!

The river Boyne runs through my Grandparents farm, which is near Slane (Rolling Stones just played Slane Castle) The main road from Belfast to Dublin follows the river.

Some years back a truck load of Bushmills toppled over spilling its load into the River Boyne.

You never seen so many "Fishermen" in your life.

Ea.

 

 

[GernBlansten]

Last weekend had 10 inches of the stuff on my driveway (7000ft). Already melted, but had to plow it anyways.

Went backpacking with the boys 3 weeks ago and got 8 inches (11,000ft).

Above timberline, its snowcapped. A-Basin ski area opened earlier this month. Gonna be good year me thinks.

 

[ASM915]

Yea Gunny, my leaves usually start falling three weeks ago. They just started last weekend. The last of our trees usually don't shed until the first or second week of December. That means I'll probably still be raking in Jan. in the snow. Damned Pin Oaks!!

 

Eamonn, since you don't like guns why not have OJ try a bow. Better yet, shoot with a camera.

 

Low 30's tonight with frost. Mid 60's tomorrow. Got to love NE Ohio.

 

[packsaddle]

No frost yet at my house. But it just happened yesteday up the hill a ways.

I gave up on the leaves. I'm just cutting the trees down. Really. Enough is enough. A neighbor dropped a huge oak on my yard so I claimed it as mine. Cut it into firewood, a couple of cords worth...so why stop there?

 

The deer that ate my garden last spring. I'm going to eat those vegetables this fall...assuming my freezer can hold all the meat. I'll be glad to stick a piece of lead right through each of those big brown eyes. A beautiful 8-pointer and several does come right to my back door every evening. Won't even have to leave the house...just have to figure out how I can get them all the same evening.....

Happiness is a warm gut-pile. Several of them.

 

I tend to agree with Eamonn on the gun thing, though. Seems like the country is awash with them. Good luck with OJ, maybe he'll come to his senses after he tries it. "A good walk, spoiled" applies to hunting as well as golf.

[John-in-KC]

We've had frost on the windshields. Feed the meter time!

[OldGreyEagle]

"A neighbor dropped a huge oak on my yard so I claimed it as mine. Cut it into firewood, a couple of cords worth...so why stop there?

 

The deer that ate my garden last spring."

 

Are we talking your neighbor ate your garden and you have a speliing issue? Or are you talking about the antlered R-O-U-S's that dominate the PA country size?

[local1400]

Have had a few frosts, and they are starting to make snow up on the slopes. Some snow up on Mt. Washington where 20 seconds ago the wind chill temp was 16.4 F. No one out on the Observation deck according to the webcam!

[Eamonn]

I live about 20 minute drive from Seven Springs.

In fact I can see the slopes when we go for our walks.

Much as I hate the cold and winter, I did feel sorry for the people who work at the other Ski resort; Hidden Valley. It was so warm last winter they just closed the resort.

I'm sure this must have upset and caused a lot of hardship for the people who worked there.

Greater Pittsburgh Council hosts a ski day at Nemocolin's Mystic Mountain. The only thing missing is the mountain!! We attended the event a couple of times. I'm no skier, but I thought you skied on snow not packed ice. Needless to say I found a nice warm spot and enjoyed hot chocolate and hot dogs.

Eamonn.

[pinkflame]

Down here in Texas we're just happy that we don't have to have the fans on at night anymore, although it does mean I get to hear the dogs' new serenades.

 

As for falling leaves, it reminds me of when my son was 6 and we took a trip to Chicago in the fall. He saw those red and yellow leaves swirling down to the pavement and exclaimed "Wow! The teacher really was telling the truth about these things!"

[packsaddle]

Heh, heh, my neighbor ain't no 8-pointer. And as he's kind of elderly, he lost control of that tree - actually had no idea what he was doing, I got lucky in that it only landed on my yard. Anyway, no way he'd be scampering up and down the hill to my garden. Those would be the 4-legged varmints with the white tails. And I'll be gnawing on them soon enough.

[local1400]

I don't much care for venison. Moose on the other hand, is very delicious.