Mt_Rider

Had a WONDERFUL ride today.  Sunny and actually, warm.  I was dressed for it and took off my coat during part of the ride.  Snow in a lot of places but no ice.   

Brought home a pizza....starving.  The sun is being covered with clouds right now.  The weather maps show a big storm system falling out of western Canada onto Montana, Dakotas, Minnesota....  Wyoming and CO are getting a batch too...soon.  There's some snow showing up in the high country of eastern CA. 

I'd rather not get more snow right away but, can't control the weather.  Today was very nice. 

Miki...is "A ninja" one of your dogs or your relatives' dog or....I don't think you'd be walking a cat.    Hope you're having a great time with your family. 

Little Sister....kinda gives me an ache when you describe your knee or shoulder.  Ow!  don't over do it!  Keep it at a level where it is still possible to heal it.....when you can get to the ortho.  Water barrels sound like a success!

Necie....I'm beginning to hate stairs too.  Too easy to miss or trip or just the exertion.     One level living ..... My idea is all on one floor but dug into a hillside so you'd still have a "basement - cool" area.  Without stairs! 

I'm tired.  Fresh air and sunshine. 

Did I mention my mom's in the hospital again.  She can't drink or eat enough.  Cognitively, she thinks she's drinking/eating.  Not.  So she's in for rehydration and encouraged to EAT!  Old taste buds aren't working so nothing much is tasty to her.  And....she's just tired.  In her 90's and functions pretty well but ...just worn out.   

MtRider    

I get to RIDE tomorrow.  Total surprise cuz I thot the mountain would be snow-packed yet.  Maybe it is and we're going on an adventure.  Dunno but after all the dealing with snow and DH's heart acting up, I NEED a ride....or two...or three.  Seriously.  I did walk the road with dog tonite.  Just did the ducks too so DH didn't have to move.  He was on the floor with "SOT" blocks.  Chiro term but it's two wedges that he puts in strategic places to shift spine while laying on back on floor.  Self adjustment.  Glad he can still do that.  His heart hasn't completely calmed down yet so he's still trying to rest. 

And the forecast for Sun - Mon = ..........drum roll.......more snow!  The weather guys/gals are waffling on the amounts.  Meanwhile on one of those Neighborhood Gab sites, someone posted a lot of stuff to get done BEFORE the storm hits again.  Great.  And I'm not sure if our guy is up and running or what!  THOUGHT we had a snowplow guy.  Heard one of them broke a leg; another had engine trouble; others had different problems during this last blast.  Hope the broken leg wasn't our guy!!!  It's hard to switch to a new person mid-winter.  You need to be established with one.   They know the oddities of this driveway in winter.     

Weather person said it would be up to one foot.  That's gonna need plowing. 

Are we done with March yet?  April or even May doesn't mean it will be better.  El Nino year is wetter for this region than La nina.  But..... (almost unhappy about it...almost)  we haven't lost power.  Want to try out the battery station.    Just lost our plow guy....which is worse. 

Can't believe they're going out on a ride tomorrow.  Need to go to bed and sleep.  {last nite was in bed/ lights off by 11:30pm.      .........     Didn't get to sleep until 3am ....kept getting overheated and such.  Changed what I was wearing and took 1/2 Unisom.  Then went to sleep.  Had my Unisom for tonite so .....

MtRider  ....  

YAY!!!  We're FREE!  After last nite's slog up our mountain...er, I mean, driveway ended with me coughing and breathing with pain, I needed to move on this issue.  Put out a 'help' call to the church folks.  Does anyone know a snow removal person up here who has time to finish our driveway?  Yep, got to referrals.  Texted both.  One texted right back and was "just down the road a piece".  Well, probably 10 miles but he finished there and came right over.  He was hauling a skid steer on a trailer.  Wow, he operated that thing like it was part of his own body.  With the raised bucket, he could dump the snow over and behind the growing snow mountains from snow just being pushed to the edges.  And when the tracks...not wheels...started to slide on the slant, he moved everything at once to straighten and pull up out of the dip.  Even uses the scoop in front to shove the cabin part backwards.  So we're completely cleared now.        And we both kinda stood on the porch and watched the sun turn what's left into water running down the lane.  We've still got huge piles of snow all over.  But we can get the car out -- to the village.  Post Office had a package to pick up.  Market supplied a few things we ran out of...fresh things.  We could have holed up for a long time but ....I missed another appt today; had to push it back a week.  Just happened on the busy week.  

DH was feeling his heart by the time he climbed up our narrow trail after dealing with the ducks/goose earlier this morning.  That's what canceled my appt.  He knows when he has to "lay low" for a few days.  Canceled with his client these next two days as well.  Old man on the mountain needs to be careful.  He's ok but ....      'Nuff of this walking down and UP this driveway!   Yay, skid steer!  Never saw one in action with snow before. 

MtRider  ....not riding but I am certainly on the mountain. 

Very strange day.  DH did the ducks/goose this morning.  Still no word from S about plowing.  I'm getting hyper cuz we needed to leave for neurology appt and still can't even get out of the driveway.  Road grader or plow sprayed a huge amount of snow at that end of our driveway.  With truck in 4-wheel, I don't think we'd make it up hill in that deep stuff. 

I ended up doing a barely functioning zoom type appt with neurologist.  She and I took turns blinking out of the zoom room.  Just doesn't work well here.  Basically I said I'm done with more tests.  Nothing to go on.  I've been testing for a year.  I'll wait another 30 yrs and see what we can find.    She did laugh at that.  And said I'm coming back in 6 months again.    So...that appt actually happened.  

While that was going on, someone came into our driveway in an odd, old vehicle and plowed us out, down in the barnyard and that mess at the road.  Got our truck "cleared for take off".  Then tried to come up the driveway but his rig couldn't handle it.  Whoever...just drove off.  ???  We have two theories.  He'd driven by before but we don't know him.  But he might have just noted the truck down there and decided to make sure we could get out.  Or S contacted him to get us out????  OR the Senior Coalition is active in this county.  One guy had called us and said he couldn't deliver cuz we're so clogged with snow.  We said we understand and don't know where our snowplow guy is.  He might have contacted this person with the old rig to come get us out.     

But God knows.....   

So we packed up the ice fishing sled with things we needed to attend this class tonite.  Took the same trail we've used to get to the ducks.  Slid purse and bag and a change of shoes in sled down the hill and over to the truck.  I wore snowpants and high boots to get thru the deep snow.  Went down a couple times...deep snow is so annoying!!  I went to the truck and got it ready.  DH put the ducks/goose inside - they'd had a chance to see the sun.  They have built in snowshoes so they can walk on top of the snow.   We were able to get to a class about 'lead' things and certify again.  4 hours but quite interesting.  Different than a previous one so long ago.  So now we're official again.  But we had to change from boots, etc.  to shoes for the class, and then back again at 11pm when we got home.  THEN pull sled UP HILL.  I gulped in so much frigid air, I was doubling over.  I couldn't get breath.  Painful to breathe.  DH took over the sled when we got to the HILL.  He was only in a sweatshirt (today was nicely warm) and he was freezing at this dark hour.  I had a flashlight but still have zero balance if I can't see the hill I'm climbing.  I went to my knees or an abrupt SIT several times.  Rough to walk in the boot prints we'd been making on that hill.  Tripping if I didn't follow the boot prints tho.  And I couldn't keep up to DH.  Had to sit and gulp O2.  Ack...it was a horrible hill climb.   

However it was a beautiful moon lit night!  Enough to see...but not the variations of depth in snow.  DH got up before me but ...I did make it.  Then up our 15 stairs.     Both of us.  I was in pain for breathing for about 20 min.  I don't want to do that again.  I'd take it slower but it was COLD!  But we're both very pleased to get this event checked off the To Do list!!!   

I'm gonna put a bounty out on S, our missing snowplow guy.  Probably the only one who knows the driveway well enough to get this mess at the top outta here!  I have one more medical appt tomorrow but it's in afternoon and DH will go for groceries - fresh stuff and whatever.  Then we'll be getting home in the later afternoon.  Maybe come home to all the driveway done???   But warmer so we will NOT race up that steep hill at 8,500' elevation.  Not training for the Olympics!   

My breathing diaphragm and bronchial still hurt but not nearly as bad now.  I'll have to keep an eye on that tho.  Weak spot.  What A Day....Past 5 days have been challenging.  Need a break.  Even us tough old mountain folks have a limit.    Hmph!  I think OLD is the key word.   

MtRider  ...got thru another day. 

I'm waiting to see if I'm going to make my neurology appt or not.  I have a call in to them saying I'm still stuck with deep snow in our long driveway.  Told S that I have an appt I had to wait 6 months for....but due to the Snowmaggedon here, his cell mailbox is full and I haven't heard from him since Thurs.  He's probably brain-dead due to snowplowing all hours of the day ...and night if the place has lights.  He has to plow here in the morning cuz the sun hits in the afternoon.  It makes the driveway (which has an end-over-end car tumble if you slide off one side)  way too slick to plow.  Am I repeating myself?  Don't know what I've said to who....  Called neurologist office and left message about not being plowed out yet but expecting at any time....maybe.  Doc wanted to see me in 3 months at the Oct appt.  6 months was soonest on her calendar.  Today.  Hmph!

DH and I will probably both go down to see to the ducks and WADE over to the top of the driveway near the road.  Not sure we can shovel what the road snowplow left up there.  Yards of sprayed snow usually PACKED TIGHT.  2 swipes for the blade on a truck.  A "thousand hours of sweat" for a shovel wielded by an old person .      And....I might miss a different med. appt tomorrow too.  We may or may not miss a class we're signed up for tonite.  DH is supposed to work with his new (former) client Wed/Thurs.  Next week is nearly a clear calendar. 

    Well, hey.  At least we didn't have a house fire like my friend did yesterday.  Haven't heard an update on her today.  Church folks were getting over there to help with generator, etc yesterday.

Very thankful we had no power outage.  The second snowfall was just under an inch - no big deal.  Thankfully. 

MtRider    ...don't think we'll be moving to Alaska any time soon. 

Martian, I envy your ambition to get everything organized now that you've got more time.  I've got time but ...energy keeps getting bled out by....all sorts of things.  Doesn't take much. 

Necie...you make me tired just reading about up and down and make this and cut that and..... Jealous!  That's all.   

Glad to hear you're getting better, Little Sister.  Don't have a relapse tho.  Kinda glad we're not out in the community much in these days of colds, flu, etc. 

Happy Anniversary, Euphrasyne and dh.   Nice device.  Thot it looked like what Annarchy has.  All-in-one ...good in our small space.  I like IntantPot for that multipurpose too. 

Praying you have Happy Dreams, Jeepers.  Finally, huh? 

3 hours ago, out_of_the_ordinary said:

TMC, my problem is that after I organize, I can't find anything. 

OOTO.... I can relate to that!  When it's been in a pile by the door, yeah I know where it is.  After putting it away in a drawer - out of sight/out of mind.   Better to leave it in plain sight, right?   That's my story and I'm sticking with it.  Obviously, from the look of my tiny house.   

We're still stuck at the top of our driveway.  I'm finding out that the dog and the DH get stir-crazy when they can't get out and ....just. get. out.  Hmm.....  I'm so used to it, as long as we have power, I haven't noticed.  Except for the extra labor and paying attention when I go down for the ducks/goose.  That's been heavy labor and sketchy footing.  My folks were always like that too.  HAD to get in truck and go "to town"  ..tho they lived in the town but not the center where stores are. EVERY day but Sunday.  My mom is still going buggy cuz she can't.  Didn't know DH had that but yeah, he's always going to get library stuff exchanged for new stuff.  Or to do this or that.  He and dog jump in car and go and DO.  Since we're stuck at the top of the hill, can't even walk dog on road.  Did let her just run for a few minutes.  That dog can run thru this deep stuff in the woods.  Came back in 5 minutes - and plows into the house for a drink of water!  LOL 

They have cleared our road....and left an insurmountable pile of snow at the top of our lane.  Counting on S to arrive in the morning and clear that mound on his way into our driveway.  We need to leave by noon.  If he doesn't wake us up roaring up with his truck and plow blade, I'll give him a call.  We really have a lot of snow all over these parts of CO.  Even by OUR standards.  4 FEET in some places not far from here!  All sorts of things going on. 

In fact, pray for a woman from our church.  Her house caught on fire today....and her road hadn't been plowed yet!  She called me to put it on the Prayer Request.  Well, YEAH!  Fortunately, it started under the porch and they saved the house.  Mostly.  She was running out of charge in her cell so I didn't get the details when she called back to say:  Fire is out.  House is damaged but ok.  No electricity cuz she has solar and.....dunno.  She's not going to motel but will rely on the fireplace for heat.  But the whole church heard about it when I put the word out.  Someone was going over with a genny tonite and women's group will make some hot meals for her.  We've got another older woman with a recent fall ( this snow!!)  and a non-related neck surgery coming up.  I was busy on the Prayer Requests today.    ....but her road did get plowed with the fire trucks just behind the plow!   

My day gets busy without leaving my chair! 

MtRider     ....gonna be a looong day tomorrow! 

Wow, you're on a roll, Necie!    

Glad your cold is getting better, Little Sister.  Do NOT get up and labor intensively until you're completely over this!  Think of your GGD.     A relapse wouldn't be good. 

Much better picture without all the modern do dads of wires and telephone poles, Annarchy! 

I hear ya all on Maui.  We'll be there soon .....if the April solar eclipse doesn't set off massive earthquakes in diverse places ....or nukes don't fly......or China doesn't take over Hawai'i.     I am kidding but... 

I don't think I've been in a time when any of those things don't necessarily stay in our Disaster Fiction books.     Kinda weird, huh?

MtRider  

Remembering the BEAUTIFUL ocean (my favorite part) and kayaking did lift my mood while gasping for breath and heaving another shovelful of snow out from under the car. 

Today was sunny again like yesterday.  I had a very slow start but finally got it all together.  Got dressed for going down with water to take care of ducks/goose.  Snowpants over jeans.  Tank top/Tshirt with jacket.  Spare gloves in pockets - in case first pair gets wet.  Cuz...    snow gets soppy...  Yes! Remembered the yellow lens sunglasses and was very thankful for them.  Same 5 gallon Reliance jug set sideways rolling on the ice sled.  Ski pole to help me keep upright on the downhill of the driveway and thru the even bigger drifted snow on the berm.  Crossing that to get over to duckhouse was a bit laborious. Again, getting close to waist-high, but I could stay on the lower end of the drift to some extent.  Arrive!  Take of jacket!!!     Hung it on the fence but put the Emergency YELLOW vest thing on over the Tshirt.  DH is watching from house/porch - but thru the bushes.  He can see the yellow.  I also have an Emergency Alert button that does work from the duck pen.  He'd hear that go off in the house - and tell the emergency people...yeah, we've got this or....better send the Fire/Rescue folks.    Never had to call them in the decades we've been here.  

Shoveling this dense, heavy stuff is what exhausts me.  Deep snow in front of their duckhouse door and the yard gate and inside the yard.  16" maybe.  So I'm shoveling enough room to open door and gate and maneuver.  Large drifts of snow close by but I'm not tackling them - yet.  Felt like I was working inside a cup.  Got inside finally and they had barely any water left.  Water birds.  They mess around with water!  Flies all over.  Knew I had to do this today. 

Dumped out thin ice, etc.  Grabbed disgusting food tray and dumped it out in the snow.  Snow is good for scrubbing that tray clean!  Got tray and big round water container back in.  Filled with 5 gallons.  Filled lot of feed; heavy on the seeds for oils.  More shell-grit for their grinding of food.  More straw but I'd put that pretty thick.  Put straw outside the door in the low spot that will fill with water and freeze to slick ice by tomorrow.  Straw will give traction.  Opened the sunny side window for a while but closed it before going up. 

Then had a wonderful time with the shovel.  Clear at least enough snow in the immediate area for bringing in food/water.  Opened the gate and cleared an area for them to be outside - once we can do duck-care morning and evening again.  In other words, when S clears the driveway.  Tomorrow early - before the sun begins to make the snow heavy and down-right greasy.  SO slick in a half-melt. 

I had keys to truck but I was definitely not going to wade hip deep any further.  I could see that the truck created drifts to form on either side but blocked a good route in the middle.  We could actually get out to the road (plowed already)  and go if we can't get the car out.     Trudging UP that crazy driveway, I had to stop and sit on the water jug....or lean against the aspen tree half-way up that I use sometimes.  DH was still watching my progress.  Bugs him that with his back, I end up doing so much heavy stuff right now.  I'm really okay but that shoveling does exhaust me.     That's what I looked like this morning after shoveling car loose.  Took hours to stabilize my legs today.  Then I had to do it all over again.....  I finally made it up to level ground again.  And UP 15 steps to porch.     Steaming hot, and dripping wet from exertion.  Face red!  Had to rest before getting into shower to cool and wash off.  Even working in the Tshirt!    

So here I am, no horse riding for a couple weeks....and doing all this....and I have a neurology appt on Monday.    What can I say.  I eat adrenaline for breakfast!  

Finally sat down and DH made us lunch.   Haven't done much more today, obviously.  But I'm walking ok tonite.  ....except when I looked at the Doppler Radar for our area.

   ....Whaaa....????   Went out the door to look!    

MtRider  .....it's snowing  

Electricty is still on.  Others have regained their power...not all. 

Remember how I was getting confused here... Thursday nite around midnight?  .... see above post....

The High pressure systems were dancing with the Low pressure systems.  They can't be in the same place.  The Highs chased the Lows into AZ and NM.  Check!  That happened .....and we've had two sunny days.    Check!  Had that.  But the forecast I was looking at on Thurs night predicted the Highs ultimately LOST THE BATTLE and ran back up NW again...today. 

The Lows are repopulating Colorado....  

MtRider     It's snowing. 

And so it begins for another season.....   

 ....yep, snow storms don't look so bad...    

MtRider  ...I'm scared to death of tornadoes 

Oh Wow!  Really neat, Annarchy!  I agree with Jeepers.  That trees are so good.  Whole pic is well balanced as your eyes go over it.  And zero snow!    Is it a real place or just your vision?

DAY 3

So today was mostly a day-off.....   ....until I stared sweeping last night's snow off the porch....steps which were getting heavy cuz sun was shining.  Got them cleared and the sun dried them and porch.    Then I got a "bright"  ....ahem, idea to move the car forward a bit to clear some snow around it.  Cuz it had a good foot or more snow covering it completely.  Snow all around the sides was about knee high or more.  I carved out enough to get the front door open and there was still an "awning" of snow stuck up there over the door.  I didn't clear anything but the door.  We usually try to dump excess snow down in barnyard when we move vehicles down there.  So without windshield cleared.......and evidently my head wasn't either, I pulled the car forward.  Well, it didn't get far. 

When the snow is perfectly flat in the parking area, you really can't tell depth.  But I know it's deep!     Yep, I got it stuck with serious snow UNDER as well as on all sides.  Like we jumped into a sea of DEEP snow.  Aaaaugh!!!  I'm going back to Maui and kayaking!  Hmph!  I spent quite a bit of time shoveling out 3 sides and from underneath.  Making big piles of snow all around that were getting warmed by the sun.  Which will freeze tonite and become a LOT harder for S when he gets up to plow this area on Sunday.    Oye.  By the time I was half done, I was in high boots/snow pants and a tank/Tshirt.  Finally got it backed up to where we started.  None of the snow draped over it fell off.  But.....I had to email to S.... "When you come up our driveway, at the top you'll see immediately a car-sized hole in the snow...and mounds of snow around it.  Keep to the right and you'll miss it."  He's gonna give me a rough time cuz he knows I know driving, etc.     Remind me to check under it cuz I saw reddish drips in the snow while shoveling.     and forgot to check with DH about it.  He's been in pain with back for the past week.  Tension from the caretaking job, probably.  Today was pretty bad all day.  I'll be the one riding the sled under the car to find out what's what.    

Tomorrow I have to service the ducks/goose again.  Slog down with sled + 5 gal water jug.  Ski pole for support cuz it's gonna be SLIPPERY this time.  Yellow glasses at the ready!  S is coming Sunday, unless he finishes elsewhere.  But he needs to hit this steep driveway early before the sun gets around the ridge and trees.  Possible he might not even make it and we'd have to wait for some melting.   

There have been some power outages but not near us.  We're still fully operational.   

MtRider ....gotta go study Hawaiian.

Forgot the yellow glasses again.  So everything looked purple when I came in.  Wow, sunburn on eyes.  Got the classes and put them with the rest of my supplies for going out.  Drenched again so took shower but was overheated for a while.  Maybe I'll sit down and not do anything remotely dangerous or stupid. 

Power still on here but some places lost power.  It really is a lot of snow.  Will be glad when S can come get our driveway. 

MtRider  ...keeping my eye on the Highs and Lows while they dance in the SW.

LittleSister,   Sorry to hear this illness your family is passing around is hitting you so hard!  Just focus on getting better and not getting up to "accomplish something".  Unless it's to get yourself some hot soup or 7-up/fluids, etc.  Stay warm, cozy, and sleep!!!  Warn that grandson that if you get up to a messed up kitchen, he'll be banned till it's cleaned up!!!  Tell him I said so!    

Jeepers...yeah, you had me    at HBA for a minute.   

The snow has stopped.  Was still snowing late into the night  { Don't ask me how I know... }      Then I kept waking up with this left hip pain.  Been doing that for a couple months now.  Due to sitting in LR chair  (that's living room...LOL ) on computer?  But I get up and down and crawl into all sorts of positions in it.  But it wakes me in the night till I put it into a painful STRETCH and then it eases.  But kept doing it so I didn't return to sleep this morning.    Doesn't do it during the day...not even after my long trek in the deep snow yesterday.   Odd tho.  It's the left hip but I have the most MS trouble with the Right side of the body.  Dunno.  Mebbe ask neurologist on Monday.  

I've told snowplow guy S, that I need to get out by then....and don't worry about us before that.  I'm sure he's barely sleeping with every driveway/parking lot with SO much snow.  I put out an general "Are you okay" to our church prayer email.  Getting snow totals back that are higher than our 2 feet.  One reported with 46 inches.  Good thing they plowed/shoveled part way thru that amount.  We got a full 2 feet. 

Sun isn't actually shining full time yet.  And we're not out of the "losing power" danger.  I've rarely seen this much snow clinging to the pine needle trees.  If it gets warm enough, we'll begin to hear the loud WHOOMP!  of snow dropping all at once from a branch or two. 

MtRider  ....DH was awake but went back to sleep.  I should take a nap today...early, rather than later tho. 

Hmmmmm......I forgot to put the link.    This is the real time Doppler Radar.  It's an Iowa site so you have to scroll down to other options.  Looks like this.  Find Weather Radar (it won't be in red on the page)  Zoom out to get the whole U.S. and move to the area of the country you want to see.  Zoom in and out as needed.  Also has a function to reset the pic back an amount of time.  I use that function to see which direction a storm is heading or which way it's circling. 

https://iowaweather.com/iowa-weather-radar/

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AND.... @LittleSister .... That nasty tail that's been following the more northerly storm?  I think it's projected to skip over the Appalachian Ridge after all.  And Virginia is probably going to get rain in various amounts but eastern part has most likely prospects.      Depends on which weather map ya look at.

I'm looking at a lot of them...trying to figure out our weekend prospects.   

Looks like the High pressure systems coming from NW is going to push the cold/wet weather down to Arizona and New Mexico.  Want some rain Annarchy? 

That will take it out of CO by....Sat?  Maybe tomorrow nite.  But Weatherunderground has the snow (Lows) pushing back up north into CO again Saturday morning??? 

What?  My "barometer" is still "low" but not drastically. 

LOL  on this map, the 4 corners region looks like a war zone! 

https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/94fndfd.gif

It's LATE and I'm done playing and projecting weather for this night.  Our power is still ON so   and good night.  

MtRider  

Ooooooo.....Euphrasyne!!!  I'm impressed but .....not adequately cuz I would never make sense enough to know all that is difficult math.  Sheeesh! 

Give me a weather map....Doppler....Highs and Low pressure systems......  THAT is what I like.   

MtRider         Discalculia, indeed!!!  Me Too! 

There's a long tail end that's  following last night's streak of intense thunder storms.  The tail seems to be migrating north as fast as it's drifting east.  I'm not sure it will rise over the Appalachian Ridge to get at you, Little Sister.  I was watching it for my northern VA kinfolks.  But it's all red/yellow (usually thunderstorms on Doppler Radar) with fringe of green (rain).  They don't have a color for hail...but red is probably where that occurs. 

This is the Doppler I use.  You have to shrink the map and then move it to the area you want.  Love checking the Doppler! 

MtRider      

Welllllll....the good GREAT NEWS is that our power is still on.  So far. 

The bad news is....with each passing moment, the weight on those tree branches entangled in power lines, gets heavier.  Yeah, we're STILL SNOWING!  Thankfully, for the last hour it's been teeny, tiny stuff.  A lot of it but tiny.  

We've had something over 20".  Don't see that going up much unless it freshens up with something.  But I'm delighted to see a line of HIGH pressure systems descending toward CO from the Pacific NW.  That will push this complex of LOW pressure outta here.  It's just been sitting on CO.  I assume the eastern side of the Rockies is getting lots and lots.  Denver is always inundated with these storms.  Meanwhile the middle of the country {Iowa, Missouri, etc} have had severe thunderstorms....with damaging hail on rooftops further south of my friend near KC/MO.  Wow... 

Gotta go eat but will come back to tell our tale later.  We're all good...even the dog that has to "swim" to get out to do her business.  But it doesn't slow her down.  I'm ready with towel when a white dog comes in!!

Hawaii doesn't change for obvious reasons.  Their daylight nearer the equator is pretty constant.  So we have two times - 4 hrs different in _________ and 3 hrs difference in ___________

Now if someone could fill in those blanks for me....cuz I canNOT remember which is which.  It's written down on the phone list.  Yes, a PAPER phone list! 

MtRider  ...some of us are antiquated.    

Well.....we're ready.  Spring snow storms with huge impacts are fairly common in the high country.  No one likes them.  And DH and I both dealing with back issues at the moment.  His is permanent.  Mine is from slinging mud/grit/Decomposing Granite (DG) across the ice of our driveway, etc. days ago!  Hmph.  However...the result of that action (other than slightly pulled back muscles) is that we're starting THIS monster snow with a totally melted-clear driveway.   

My old truck is stationed down in the barnyard....at.the.ready.  Parked facing out!   If we had to get out to the road before S can come with his snowplow, it's not too far to shovel a path for the 4-wheel drive truck.  Hmm I have snow treads somewhere.  Not chains, just those cords.  Anyway, we'll never forget getting stranded at the top the first winter.    Besides, it's outta the way for our snowplow guy.  Only have to move the car when he comes.

IN CASE OF POWER OUTAGE due to overloaded branches breaking and bringing down power lines:

--down comforters ready + warm dog   

--shower-wash/dry hair done

--power station/battery charged 100% 

--pellet stove working; lots of bags of pellets...some up on the porch

--lots of water in juice bottles...all over everywhere (drinking, cooking, toilet flush - pour into small bucket to pour fast - all at once.  Not glug * glug out of bottles, btw )

--DH delivered a bill that would be due during storm; library to turn in and take out new movies for him; bring our mail in from communal box; grab last a few minute stuff from the market (apples, cold meat for sandwiches, etc). 

--trying to imagine ways to cook on top of pellet stove.  Can bring water to slow boil.  Can heat a cast iron griddle -grilled cheese and ham.  Certainly soup/stew is viable.  Hot cocoa or camp coffee.

--dog food containers up here filled. 

--basic laundry done

--both BIG flashlites charged up

--if WIND kicks up - bubble wrap for windows at.the.ready

Now if I could just not over tax my back; or DH's back with a lot of snow removal.  Hmph!  Don't know how to arrange that with the snow totals they're predicting.  Ours went UP to 3' potential.  I HOPE THIS STORM IS AN UNDER-ACHIEVER in our county.    It's been snowing off and on most of the day.  Only about 3" fell today off and on.

Besides moving my truck down by the road at 4pm tonite, I had to prep the duckhouse.  Put down heavy layer of straw.  Brought another bushel basket of straw from shed to duckhouse.  So two bushels are inside.  The food buckets are inside to scoop from.  Warm water is brought down by Reliance jug.  On a sled if I'm walking.  By car if DH thinks he can make it back up the hill.   At least we don't have horses at this age.  $$ at the riding stables seems well spent right about now!  DH came home in time to drive dog and I back up to the house. 

My walking was way better than last nite.  The minor cold   kinda knocked me down.  ....but then, adrenaline from a WEATHER event might be part of the energy.  Doesn't help my sleeping tho.    3am this morning.    Remembering to take the Flexeril would help.  

How you doing for sleep with your Ambien, Jeepers?  ....are you still sleeping?  Catching up?

Anyone else in the path of this snow storm or the heavy rain that's preceding it eastward? 

Hope to get enough sleep to DEAL with this tomorrow.  Good chance of losing power so I'd be off Internet if that happens.  Unless we plug router into the Power Station but that takes away power for HEAT!    Will check back in as I can.  Might not even be noteworthy but ... 

OH my!  Just checked thru the window.  5" more already and it's just turning midnight.   And the lights have blinked out once. 

MtRider 

With all the feet of snow coming into the Northern Rockies....my area may go POOF for a while if this spring HEAVY snow brings down tree branches with power lines entangled. 

MtRider   

So sorry, Euphrasyne.  Great aunts were my favorite too.  Grmas not as much.  Saw my dad's aunts so much more often.  Just who is NICE and who is 'emotionally impaired'.  Unfortunately, we lost them much earlier than the Grmas.  I was 15 when AuntP passed away....and I still remember vividly.     Hurts.  One of the anchors I had.  That's when life afterwards can really be rough for a while.   

Miki....awwww!  Whoever created that trait in Oreo should pay greatly.  But no, I can understand about bites.  Dog bites are hard to heal up sometimes....risk and pain for your dh.       

Everyone is so busy/productive.  Jeepers carrying on with her head dizzy/blacking out....     Hope the doc might have guessed right to help that.  Glad you got your Ambien back.  Hope that will work on your sleep issues.  With all the hooha going on this past year....it's a wonder you know where you are when you wake up!   

So pretty, Necie!     Not gonna be seeing any of THAT around here for a while.  'Nother big snow heading into CO high country.  We're estimated at "over a foot...but possibly TWO FEET!"          

First thing I did was check the Power Station.  Battery holding at 100%.  Part of me would like to test it out.......bigger part of me does not want snow-laden limbs of a gazillion trees to break and take the power lines with it.  But with the pellet stove repaired...we've got a lot more insurance of heat.  Plenty of pellets.  We won't be recharging the battery in the snowstorm with the solar panels.     This storm is widespread.  Up and down the Rockies of CO...probably further. 

DH has a "new" client now.  Praying for H....she went with Adult Protection worker to a neurology appt.   DH got the Adult Protection started.  We'll eventually find out how that went....from H's nice neighbor friends.  It's clear she has dementia but it doesn't have to be this bad.    Anyway, he'll be gone 5 hrs tomorrow with new client, but it's a LOT closer and no highway driving to get to him.  DH has already been his caregiver before.   "Just happened" that client's current caregiver left this week....so DH is back close to home again.  Considering tomorrow's weather coming in....good!  He can run around and exchange library movies, grab a couple things from the market, and drop off a check that's due.  All on his way home.  This storm isn't SUPPOSED to get wild until later tomorrow but there is a dusting of snow on my truck already.    We're ready.....stay ready.  And the driveway is very close to completely melted from the last couple snows.  That will help to melt this one ....fill up the lakes and reservoirs!!!!  Always need that in this era of CO history.  

We're over the mild 'colds' we had.  Thankful for the non-pharmaceutical stuff we take.  Got replenishment of same today...while UPS could still get up the driveway. 

MtRider ... here we go again....   

Martian....yes!  Any walking counts.  I tend to pace when I talk on the phone too.    I do "porch laps".... if the weather is reasonable.  25' one way and back.  Dog thinks I'm nuts.  We should play with her Tug A Rope.   

Littles Sister....I hope you can get someone to really examine that shoulder of yours!  You've had that a long time already!  New doctors.....until you find one that suits you....listens and acts on your behalf.  { isn't THAT their job description?}

Sheeesh, Necie.  You're schedule makes me tired just reading it.  But yeah....always have to factor in the UNexpected. 

Miki..... Oreo?  Did I miss something.     

We've been having a LOT of communication with everyone involved with DH's home health aide - H.  She's just caught on tonite that her favorite home aide (DH) has quit.  Got a tearful phone call from her.  He didn't have any choice.  He cannot morally nor ethically give a med to someone that is reacting VERY badly to it.  So...the battle lines are drawn.  Some for H and some for taking H's stuff and stuffing her into some care home - locked.  Battle is not over but DH has stepped out of it....sort of.  H wants him back.  He offered to meet her for lunch sometime.  Then he's not under his employer nor anyone else.  Doesn't have to give her wretched meds that string her up so badly.  There really is a fond friendship between them.  I'm involved enough to be losing sleep also.  Two good neighbor/friends are with H.  Calming her in evenings.  Pray that the Adult Protective services lady will see things clearly  for H tomorrow at neurologist appt.     And she'll see that H's sister has selfish, evil intentions.  And EVERYONE can see H should not be on that drug!  Distinct behavior change ....and not better!  We're still in the battle but indirectly now.  And....we need better sleep!  It's distressing when you see someone vulnerable that is being abused by anyone...let alone "family".    But H still has supporters!  And God KNOWS.... 

I've actually had pretty good indoor energy lately.  Hawaiian every nite.  Make meals.  Clear a bit here and there.  Small stuff that adds up.  Haven't been getting out for walking dog tho.  Cuz energy comes in spurts.  Afraid the "spurt" will run out while I'm on the road with dog.  And I'm still trying to get IN bed by midnight.  Sleep .... hopefully follows.  Right Miki?...Jeepers?  Full time job trying to get a full night's sleep!!  Didn't happen last nite.  So tonite....muscle relaxant already taken. 

MtRider ...take care, all.      (time shift isn't helping)   

Thanks, Midnight!!!! The link worked.  I love watching these crazy things.  There was one that included the stairs to the basement of the house.  Colorful - these dominoes now, making the choices even more time consuming. 

MtRider 

Second floor drying porch....sounds like it WAS a nice set up, M.Chick.     We have a second floor porch and yes, I hung a clothes line between posts.  Only trouble is, the laundry is down the stairs, under the porch and  inside the front side of the basement.  So we're hauling too.  DH and I share the laundry.  If anyone is going up or down, we try to remember to catch the laundry while we're up/down.  One does not do laundry on rain or snow days tho.  Especially snow since we always must sweep/shovel the stairs before stepping on them.  We don't have an inside access to the built-into-the-hill basement area.  (cuz this cabin is too small!)  Do have dryer with the washer but some things need to be hung!  The dryer would eat them.  So I have all sorts of creativity to hang stuff in the bathroom too for inclement weather at the clothes line.  Like verticle clothes line for light weight stuff like sox/undies. 

Well, I'm feeling improved today....chasing away this mild (so far) cold.     No fever.  DH is taking stuff to make sure I don't 'share'.    So far; so good.     I took a nap today.  I felt much better after that.  Working on getting at least IN bed by midnight....tho tonite is:

DAY LIGHT SAVINGS TIME SWITCH.  Everyone remember we lose an hour tonite. 

{ does that mean it's midnight-thirty already? }    

MtRider   

10 hours ago, Jeepers said:

IMO they should hire a woman to go around and check things out at the end of a job.  

      My dad was an exception to that rule and he also drove the work guys crazy.  But he'd go in and fix whatever when they left for the day.  They'd come back and see his work.  We've wondered what they thot.  

Ooooo.... LIKE the camper, Necie.  Yeah, might be an idea for LittleSister ....but, nature hates a vacuum.  If DGS had his own place at your place, would he get too comfortable?  He might vape/smoke/etc and you'd never get the smell out.  Maybe if you begged the Coast Guard to take him.....    He does seem quite good at shooting himself in the foot, so to speak.  But as you say, he also seems to be making progress in finally maturing a bit at a time.   

DH seems to be warding off my 'cold'.  I seem to be stuck in place.  Not getting real miserable; not getting any better.  We take a lot of herbal/supplements and I think that's what makes the difference.  Had to sort thru various odd stashes of those pills cuz we're running out of the immune types.  DH is taking them ahead of time to prevent catching my cold.  So he had to order more this morning.  I have an unfortunate assortment of little bags that I'd take with me to town or wherever and most were not labeled.    Some just mineral or vitamins.  Some for digestion/sinus/etc.  So I sorted them out today.  Some I could I.D. as what we're running out of.  If I couldn't get a positive I.D......they got dumped.  I've been labeling things better recently to prevent that loss.  I just keep the label-side of the box and stick that in the Ziplocks I use when I travel.  All data available and no more mysteries.  At least I'm not coughing ..heading for bronchitis!!!    Clearing throat a bit.  Thanks for your well-wishes!  AND I'm getting in bed earlier.  Asleep....not quite but improving.

DH's situation with his client .....     ....some people are so selfish, it's evil.  Second day wasn't too bad for DH.  But it's so hard to watch relatives harm others in their family.  Not that it's a new thing.  Began with Cain and Able.  Still     Prayers for that appreciated.  

Jeepers, as much as this whole past year has been a horrible hassle, do you think it's raised the price you'll get for the house?  Seems like it should with all new kitchen and such redone.  That's if the dratted insurance company pays what it ought!!!     Can't believe that turned into a year long project.  Two homes and you live at the hotel.  Hmph. 

Take care, all

MtRider    sniffles