We got a light dusting of snow last night. I suspect that the white fluffy hides a bunch of ice so I’ll be walking very carefully on manmade surfaces until it warms up a bit.
The temp is a balmy 29°F at the moment.
I wasn’t wanting to spend another winter here, but here I am. I’ll make the best of it as I always do. I probably wouldn’t mind so much if the county plowed our street, but they don’t, and I’m not looking forward to the winter workouts.
I’ve replaced a bunch of threadbare socks with nice wool ones. I’ve replaced my worn out “goto” boots with a new pair. My various seasonal jackets will hold together for another year so I guess I’m mostly set.
I’ll be stocking up on soups and lay in some other food supplies over the next few shopping trips to make sure there’s food in case I get snowed in.
It’s time to fill the overly complicated annoying “safer” gas can. I’m going to need it full of gas to fill the snow thrower soon.
Honestly the stupid thing seems to be a fill it once then toss it, because the vapor pressure caused by temperature changes has deformed the plastic permanently. It’s 1 year old. I had metal cans that were 20 years old before the house fire.
This new fangled complicated abomination has a ratcheted locking ring to keep the fill cap on. Due to the deformation of the plastic, it can’t be pressed down against the can, far enough to release. So I can’t get the top off to refill the POS.
God! I miss the old fashioned standard metal gas cans we grew up with. The flexible “snake” pour spout was the most complicated thing about ‘em. And all those metal cans, had a little plug in the top that you popped open when you filled them, or poured the gas. It equalized the pressure and prevented the glug glug that caused spills.
Hmmm. I’m thinking tin snips and a little brute force engineering will solve the problem on the current gas can. I don’t want to pay another $15 for a single use gas can. Besides, I thought these “improvements” were supposed to make things better & safer.
Because of the “Safety” features, I’m going to have a go at, a partially filled, pressurized, (pressure release? We don’t need no stinking pressure release,) gas can with a metal implement in an attempt to get the damn cap off. Yeah, that’s a lot safer!
I swear, the older I get the more I appreciate the KISS principal!
Speaking of which, I might treat myself and buy a new snow shovel. My favorite one, (we have several,) is a little tattered. It might make it through another Winter, but then again, It might not. I don’t really want to spend money on winter gear if I’m not going to be living someplace where it’s necessary.
I did treat myself to an un-necessary but convenient little device. While shopping for my nice wool socks, I bought one of those little headlamp deals. I used it a lot while I was cleaning the garage the other day. It was nice being able to peer into dark corners to see if something was peering back at me.
At one time we had two of these headlamp things. We’d received them as gifts, but Jerry used them more than I did. Now, I can only find one of the two, and it seems a little flakey. I’m thinking Jerry wore out one, switched to the other, and was well on his way to wearing out the second one. They were large, heavy, and clunky. I found them uncomfortable and they tended to have a lot of light shining back in my eyes, in addition to illuminating the area I was facing.
This new one is smaller, brighter, more directional, and I can change the brightness.
It wasn’t necessary, but I’m using it in the basement going through boxes of stuff and it was cheaper than some of the work lights I was looking to purchase.
I can also see using this one if I move someplace where Jesse & I take walks in the evening. That was a lesson learned while we were evacuated due to the fire. Jesse has a “Disco Light” that I use in the evenings to make him more visible, but if I’m not carrying a flashlight I’m invisible. Having a light is also helpful when I’m bagging his poo.
Winter preparation chores are upon me. It’s time for me to shut down the external hose bibs, and trim the chocolate flower next to the walkway. I let it grow wild throughout the Spring & Summer because the honey bees like it. In Fall, I trim it back to almost the ground because it interferes with clearing snow.
It’s strange, last year I was still reeling in reaction to Jerry’s passing. I wasn’t really feeling it.
This year, I feel it very sharply.
This time of year, Jerry would be doing things for the church or the temple, he’d be laying in canned goods and doing the inside stuff to prepare for Winter. I’d be outside, trimming plants, and securing various items for the freezing temperatures, I’d be adding mulch to protect their roots, cleaning the dryer vent, moving things around to make snow clearing easier, and I’d be whistling the whole time. If it was cold while I was working, Jerry would call me in every couple of hours to drink something warm. It was the inverse of our Spring / Summer routine.
Doing the chores now, and being present, (to use an overused “woo woo” term,) makes the loss a bit sharper and yet not overwhelming as it seemed last year. I guess I’ll count that in the “Win” column. I suspect it means I’m healing and coming to some sense of peace.
I miss him. I always will. Yes, I’m doing the stuff that needs to be done. Only now I realize I was doing that stuff for him, for Us, and it was about making us comfortable. Somehow, when I come in from the various chores, the house seems oppressively silent. This is the second winter without him, and it’s feeling a lot harder than the first. Harder isn’t the right word, poignant? That seems to be a better fit, but doesn’t really capture the breadth of it.
All that being said, it is a beautiful day outside. Yeah it’s cold, but the sun is bright and it’ll warm up while Jesse and I are on our walk. I think it’s time to get up from this desk and go enjoy nature. It will make Jesse happy, and most of the time I end up smiling or laughing at his antics.
We encountered a portable generator yesterday. He didn’t know what to make of it and didn’t like it. So, he decided it was appropriate to bark at the little red block.
The workmen and I were all laughing but Jesse was undeterred in telling the machine that it was on our walking path. I took a knee and told Jesse it was okay, then one of the workmen kindly turned the machine off until Jesse & I were well away from their work area.
I’m curious to see what today brings.
Carpe Diem!