Well, here it is. Another New Year. Doesn’t seem any different. It’s still cold. Very cold. Feels like winter. Hard to believe that there has been snow on the ground now for over 2 months. And it’s just the beginning of January. There is still a lot of winter left. Too much. I think my cabin fever has returned early again this year. Actually, I think it started about a month ago. But it’s getting really bad now. That fever is climbing, and about to burst. And there is 3 months of winter left. That’s right. It’s left. Sometimes left can be right. But can right ever be left? Actually here in this town sometimes to turn left you have to turn right so in that case right is left but that’s a different story since I am just talking about right being left but of course if right is the only choice then it could be said that right is the only one left. So then right can be left just as left can be right but if I’m right does that also mean I am left? But how can I be left if I am right when I am not left at all so does that mean I can’t be right if I am not left if I am left when I am right or am I right when I am not left and left when I am not right or maybe I am only right when I am not left or should I say I am only left when I am not right or should I stop before I get even more confused than I already am confused because I certainly am confused about not being right when I am left or was that left when I am right or… it’s enough to make a person jump up and down, pull their hair, bang their head on the wall, roll on the floor (what do you expect after banging your head on the wall), and, and…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s okay. I’m fine. I’m calm. I think. Sometimes anyway. I know I think sometimes because it gives me a headache. It’s proof that I actually think. I think. Told you my cabin fever was bad. That wind was sure getting cold out there on that frozen pond as I tried retrieving more of those crossarms from their frozen prison. And it wasn’t easy. And dad just sat over on the shore in safety and behind a small stand of spruce so he didn’t even feel the wind. Sad. Making me do all the dangerous stuff. Finally he called to me to come over to where he was sitting. You stay here for a while and I will get those crossarms, said dad. Let me help you, said I. You can help by staying here, said dad, it will be safer for both of us. Not sure what he meant by that. He seemed to be walking rather slowly. It’s good thick ice, I called out to him. He turned around and shouted, what did you say? The ice is good and thick, I called back. Dad looked around, I don’t see a stick, he said. That’s right, said I, just keep going. Dad looked down at his feet. They’re fine, he called back. I don’t know the time, I didn’t bring my watch, said I. Good, just keep watching from over there, he said. Off he continued and arrived at the crossarms. Oh, he forgot to take the axe with him, better take it out there, he might need it. Dad was pushing on the crossarms as I arrived with the axe. You forgot the axe, I yelled. AAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! said dad and he fell quickly to the ice and there was a very loud CRACK! It broke, I said. Dad got to his feet amazingly fast. Why did you yell, asked dad. Because you were not able to hear me very well, said I. BONEHEAD, you are only 6 feet away now, he said. Minor detail, said I. At least the water isn’t coming up this time, said dad. Toss me the axe, he said. Well, that is what he said, toss. So I did. The look on dad’s face was priceless again. I didn’t throw it high or hard, just tossed it and if dad hadn’t jumped it would have missed him completely. But, he jumped, right into the path of the axe, which then connected with his leg. Just below the knee. Dad started his little pain dance again, groaning rather loudly. Then he leaned on one of the crossarms that was sticking out of the ice. Which then broke free since the ice had cracked substantially when dad fell and dad yelled again and down he went again and hit his head on one of the insulators, which caused him to groan some more while holding his head. But at least his glasses didn’t fall off this time. Quite amazing really, he is always dropping his glasses when he hits his head. I helped dad get up. Sure is a good thing I am around when you hurt yourself, said I. Just think what might happen if I wasn’t here, I continued. Nothing, said dad. Not sure what he meant by that. I’m also not sure why he ever wanted to go insulatoring on such a cold winter’s day. And it sure is cold. Very cold. And it’s supposed to get even colder. It’s winter. And winter is cold. And that’s what it is right now. It’s also dark. And Muffin is snuggled nice and warm in her chair. Yes, she has her own chair. Good thing I don’t spoil her though. My new computer is working nicely. Such a difference. Decided to clean the frost off my door yesterday, it was an inch thick in places. Outside of the door, not inside, though there is some on the inside too, but only along the bottom of the door. It’s winter. And it’s cold. Hmm, must close my drapes before that little drone comes by again. Out there nearly every night now, and it comes quite close to the windows. Which I don’t like. Someone must have gotten it for Christmas. It started coming around just after that. Hmm, this is getting too long again, I’m trying to keep my ‘musings’ shorter. Kind of hard sometimes. Maybe I will have some changes by next week. Try to stay warm this week, and God bless!

Steve, and Muffin.

It is certainly a cold winter day.  The sun is shining brightly on me as I sit at my desk, shining right in my eyes actually which can make it just a bit difficult to see properly.  My fault for waiting until afternoon to write this instead of doing it in the morning like I had planned in the first place, but no, I had to go and do something else first which I only finished just a few minutes ago, as usual it took much longer than I anticipated to finish that little job which should have gone much quicker but for me nothing is quick anymore it seems as everything seems to go along in slow motion and sometimes I have to spend a lot of time thinking about things as I do them because things just don’t work out the way I had planned and so an alternate plan then needs to come into play and sometimes that also does not work out as planned so I have to try a third option and if that doesn’t work then it is time for me to pull my hair, jump up and down, bang my head against the wall, roll on the floor and and….AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s okay.  I’m fine.  I’m calm.  This was one of those days.  Sigh.  It is cold.  Very cold.  We have now finished two months of winter.  And it is cold.  Time for the long underwear, and two sweaters, thick warm socks, and slippers.  But when I go outside, then I dress warmly.  In this kind of weather it takes so long to dress for going out that I really don’t feel like going out once I have gotten dressed to go out and I have so many clothes on that it is hard to even move around. If I ever fall out there dressed like that I will never be able to get up again.  So I get dressed to go out  and feed the birds and it is hard to bend my legs to step up onto the box and then try to stretch out to put food on the feeder, it’s just not easy.  Then I come back inside and get all those heavy clothes off and it’s time to do it all over again.  Sigh.  It is just too cold.  It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have to put that bird feeder ten feet off the ground.  I mean really, what town would have such a bylaw as that?  This one.  Amazing.  It’s just too cold.  Good weather to stay indoors, wrapped in a blanket, and drink COFFEE!  Muffin agrees.  Except for the COFFEE part.  So she is wrapped up and sleeping, as close to the heater as she can get.  That’s where I put her chair.  Yes, she has her own chair.  Wasn’t really meant to be that way, but she decided it was going to be that way.  Just fed the birds again, they will be leaving soon, heading off to their nightly perch, wherever that is.  It is just way too cold.  Much like that day dad and I were out looking for insulators on that frozen pond.  Still can’t believe dad suggested that.  I left off right when that loud crack occurred.  The look on dad’s face was priceless.  He used to get that look a lot when we were out together.  Not sure why.  The water came up quite fast and turned the snow to slush which isn’t really a nice picture when out on the pond so far from shore.  And the snow was actually fairly deep along the path I took out to the crossarms, and dad followed my path. I was actually quite amazed at how fast dad managed to turn around and run through that deep snow back to the safety of shore.  I decided to take a wide circle around that spot and got safely back to shore.  Dad hands me the axe and says, “take this back with you”.  Back where, said I. When you go back out to get those crossarms, said dad.  Forget it, said I, I will go to the next bunch instead.  Fine, said dad.  Off I went.  The snow wasn’t quite so deep out to the next bunch of crossarms.  There was five of them sticking out of the ice.  Still not sure why they were out there like that in the first place.  Oh well.  Frozen solid, I yelled back.  Chop them out with the axe, yelled dad.  Right.  Out in the middle of the pond.  Sigh.  So I started chopping.  I thought I heard something so turned back toward shore.  Dad was up to his chest in the snow waving to me.  Odd, I thought, but I waved back, then went back to my chopping.  Suddenly, splash, the axe went through to the water, and I almost dropped it.  But the crossarms were free so I hauled them out onto the ice.  Heard dad yelling so I looked back to where he was standing.  At least I thought he was standing.  He was now waving both arms frantically and yelling to me to come help him.  I brought a couple of the crossarms with me.  Are you stuck?, I asked.  No, said dad, I just decided to jump in this hole to keep warm.  Dad could be quite sarcastic at times.  Dig me out, said dad.  How?  We have no shovel, I said.  Maybe I could use the axe, I said, and started digging.  You should have seen the look on dad’s face.  BONEHEAD, don’t use the axe, he yelled.  Odd that he would be enjoying this.  Finally got down to his stomach.  That’s why you can’t get out, I said, pointing to his stomach. HA. HA. Said dad.  Here, I will put this crossarm across the hole and maybe you can help pull yourself out, said I.  Good idea, said dad.  So I slid it across the snow.  THWOCK!  Oops, sorry about that.  Got dad right on the side of the head.  The look on his face, amazing.  I moved the crossarm in front of him.  Wait, said dad, my glasses fell off in the snow.  You lose those glasses a lot, said I, good thing I’m here to help you.  Yeah, said dad, I might not get hurt otherwise.  Not sure what he meant by that.  It is just sooo cold! Think I better stop and continue next time.  I hope you all had a great Christmas!  I probably won’t be back until next year so enjoy your New Year’s and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.