Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
It’s Coffee Time #90! Winter Cold, Indoor Fun!
Good morning everyone! And welcome back to winter here at Steve’s Country. It’s only 7F (-14C) this morning, what a way to end the month of March, and quite odd considering we had such a nice early spring this year. However, it is going to warm up to 28F (-2C) today and tomorrow we return to spring like temperatures again. So it’s not really so bad, just a couple days of freezing solid, then I can thaw out once more. Muffin doesn’t quite understand the temperature change. She could have the door open before, now she can’t. She keeps trying to get my attention and runs over to the door, turns and looks at me.
I try to explain that it’s too cold right now. Even when I open the door to prove what I’m saying, she still doesn’t get it a few minutes later. Sigh. But we do have fun playing inside on days like this. Speaking of fun, I saw Skamper out there this morning picking up peanuts and heading home with them. These critters must have big homes. I mean, they start as soon as they come out in spring to collect food for the winter. That’s what they do. All summer. Apparently, from what I have read, chipmunks don’t start gathering for winter until late summer. Obviously that doesn’t apply to northern chipmunks, these start right away.
And now, more indoor fun with old games:
Checkers, of different kinds:
Regular: This is a checker board from about 1920, and it’s a slide in type. They used these in different places like old stores, taverns, etc. There would be a groove in the side of the table and this checker board would slide into that groove so that more people could participate in playing the game. At the bottom of the pic is the part that slides into that groove. The checkers themselves are from the 1950s and are wood.
Canadian: This is a large checkerboard which is said to be of Canadian origin, mainly it’s from the French part of Canada it seems. I had never seen one so big until I started collecting. It is played the same way as regular checkers, it’s just bigger. Mine is from the early 1900s.
Chinese checkers: This game has nothing to do with China nor is it Chinese. It was actually invented in Germany back in the late 1800s, but it was a square design. An American game manufacturer brought it to the U. S. and changed it to it’s present design and it became known as Hop Ching checkers. Somewhere along the way it became known as Chinese checkers. My Hop Ching board is from 1940 and the metal board is from about 1960. I do have the marbles for them as well. The idea is to get your marbles to the space directly across before the other players do the same. You can jump any marble but they are not removed from the game as in regular checkers. Well, I was going to do another checkers game but this is already a bit long, so I will save it for next time. Have a wonderful day everyone and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2021 Steve McLeod.
It’s so nice to read that you do, in fact, have all your marbles. I can’t seem to find mine…
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Well, there are many people who might disagree with me on that one,🙄 but I have them all together in an old tin to prove I have my marbles, and all of them!😂😹 Thanks for reading Herb!😀😺☕☕🌞
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Good morning Steve! Thanks for sharing the coffee and more games! Love playing both! Playing on the old boards must be amazing! Poor Muffin, it will warm up soon! 😁🌞. Hope you both have a great day, I am still smiling! 😁😁😁☕️🌞
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Hi Beverly! Yes, so did I. Muffin is still happy though, she has her sunshine to lie in and warm up.🌞😸 Have a great day Beverly and thanks, we are! Glad you are still smiling too!😁😺🌞☕☕
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That’s great Steve, they are fun games! I am glad Muffin has her sunshine! 😁🌞. So glad your day is going well, so is mine…thank you! Yes, still smiling! 😁☕️🌞
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Yes, it’s been a fabulous day, even though still so cold!🥶😂😹 But I was able to get things done inside and having that sun shining is just something that makes a person want to get busy!🏃♂️🏃♂️ Have a nice evening!😀😺🌞
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Wow, that is not good on the temperature 🥶😂, but glad you made the best of it. Getting things done inside now leaves more time to be outside when the weather warms up, that is what I am trying to do as well. 🧽 🧼😁. Thanks, have a nice evening as well! 😁🌞
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Thanks Beverly! Yep, best to make use of the cold days inside.😁
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You’re welcome Steve! Yes, indoor activities. 😁
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Checkers – usual size – I know.
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Yep, I’m with you on that, plus I used to play the Chinese checkers a lot at one time.
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Your checker boards look like they are in excellent condition, Must not have been used much–as kids we were rough on the boards in the excitement of playing them frequently. It is 10 F in the Far North and a high of 21 F expected. Hoping that all the snow will be gone by the end of April but it might be May. The longer hours of daylight are delightful. 😊
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The boards look better in the pics than they actually are. The big one may have been repainted at one time, hard to tell though, would have been a long time ago. The edges though are very worn and there is a lot of scratches. We’re about the same temp today, but tomorrow will be better. Our snow is gone, a very early spring for us this year which is very welcome! Have a great day!😀😺🌞☕☕
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Thank you!
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So awesome 🌹
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Thank you so much!😀😺☕☕🌞
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So finally the month end is over, it’s the middle of the night, while rest of colleagues are wokring here I have read your morning post and trying to sleep soundly 😸. Have a lovely morning Steve, don’t go out on that cold, stay warm… also.. you must have all checkers board 🤔 interesting how this game was created different in different states 😂. Problem is I don’t know to play any of that 😂😂😂. Good night Uncle Steve 🤗🤗
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It was a nice morning, and afternoon, and evening and, oh, wait, that’s it, still evening now. Wow, that month end work sure comes around a lot, seems like you’re doing it every month!🤔😳 Um, but then I guess you would.🙄 Forget what I said.🙄 I think I’m tired, not sleeping much lately so I can’t think straight. Can’t think crooked either.🙄😬😛😂😹
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for real 🙄😳🧐 What happened? why sleeping less 🤔🤔 you started to worry like Simon…🤔 He is one serious guys suffers from anxiety every single minute… don’t follow him… I think he follows you 😁😄☺️ … let me teach him how to think like Uncle Steve 🤗😍🥰
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No, I’m not worrying about anything,🤔 just getting a lot of pain lately.😳🙄 Probably because of the weather,🤔 now that it’s getting nice again🌞 that pain should go away.😀😺🌞
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That’s good to hear 😍 hope the pain disappears soon… here heatwaves and the heat storms are making the day hottest one in the history ….😳 I love summer but this is not summer 🧐 it’s something else 😄
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Just the thought of all that heat makes me feel better!😁🌞 Maybe it will help you to think of our cold weather.😂😹 It didn’t get as warm as it was supposed to today, nice and sunny, but still cool. Maybe tomorrow!😄😸🌞
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it’s already 42C with lot of heat storms, heat is a good teacher to preach the importance of cold and likewise cold 😄 I’m okay with it.. sweat.. I am just sitting on my robe called lungi.. no short, nothing under, just that piece of cloth😂😂😂. so HOT!
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Wow, wow, wow!!!😲😲😲 That is hot, 😬very hot,😳 nicely hot.😁 Who said that?🤔🙄 Hey, get a bucket of ice and sit on it.🤪🧊 Don’t laugh, it might work.🙄😂😹
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um… where will I go for a bucket of ice 🧐 no not right now. it’s going to be fun in the sun 😎😂
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I remember playing both forms of Checkers; thanks for the memory!
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Yes indeed, me too! You’re welcome Jim and thanks for stopping by. Have a great evening!
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I do enjoy Chinese checkers and the regular checkers ! Sleep well both of you ! 😴😺🍪🍪
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Well, we will both try to sleep, doesn’t always work out though!😁😸😴🌙
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