What a charming snowy white winter scene with a splash of bright red and black on the water. Thank you Peter Ralston. Here I was in the middle of preparing my tax returns happily interrupted and taken back in time...far, far away from the Judiciary committee, book banning, the election in Wisconsin.... HCR you navigate well through the endless storms of state and the ruckus in the house. We know how lucky we are to be on your boat. Thank you.
So true, Fern. I start my mornings opening this letter. Not only do we get some up to date detail on some key events. But they are presented with an accurate historical perspective. I have enrolled in an extended education course! The clarification of the role of the troops in the South post Civil War was a revelation. Every day a lesson.
Today's takeaway is appreciation. For Heather Cox Richardson. And for the "nature's fertilizer" our soil so needs. As a passionate gardener/farmer, the drought of last year is still fresh in my head. But how different every year is. Last year we sowed our first planting of sugar snaps and snow peas on March 15. Not in 2023!
Now off to Florida to honor my mother in law's 96 years. She is another "spirit leader" in my life. If we had let her, she would have organized her own party. She inspires us with energy and attitude. And love for everyone. Except the bad guys. I am lucky to know her. And even luckier to have her daughter as my partner.
I will focus on reconnecting with cousins and friends and politely try to avoid the political tiger traps of Florida politics. Wish me luck.
Bill, I chuckled a bit at your description of snow as nature’s fertilizer. At the moment, snow is a pain in my back. Literally. I spent time each day last week chopping ice off my driveway and carefully tossing it on the landscaped areas and garden. Why? Last September and October were the third driest on record.
Today, we are on a path to near-record snowfall totals for the winter (80 inches and counting) And that damn little snow icon appears on my phone weather app six times in the next ten days.
Planting will be late this year. At least here in the Upper Midwest. Lots of fertilizer to start with though, lol. Cheers.
I remember the weather varying from year to year. What seems new is the the dramatic differences. But Mother Nature has her own plans, I guess. We just need to be flexible.
Mother Nature has her own plans, but it's those humans who have warmed the atmosphere and the oceans, melting the ice, changing the winds, and making the lives much harder for the people who go out in those lobster boats
My husband's cousin on the Pine Ridge was complaining about he lack of snow and rain a while back and then boom. Even here in the Willamette Valley, we have had snow and of course, it doesn't take much to throw everything in disarray. I see snow in the forecast, but mostly it is cold in the am and snow at fairly low elevations. I am still waiting to plant peas and put out some early flowers that I bought. The outdoor Saturday Market started its year yesterday and there were a few brave souls in the rain and wind. I would like at this point, just one warmer, drier day (when I don't have something on my calendar to get outside to work.
Christine posted links to Politics Girl, I highly suggest both YouTube Channels of "Brian Tyler Cohen" and "Beau of the Fifth Column" if you can take your smartphone and watch in private. A break away from the insanity. I guess if someone asks what you are watching you could share it with them. (........nah, wouldn't work)
Good luck with your visit. Let us know how it went.
Love the way you said that, Fern. We are lucky to be on Heather's boat! It was a beautiful storm and, as predicted, followed by a gorgeous, sunny day. It's why we live here.
One of my ex-students took about 6 hours getting home during the surprisingly deep snow earlier. I don't know if he finally parked his car and walked. I like snow as long as we don't have to go anywhere. As a midwesterner, I don't trust Oregonians here in the valley to know what to do. I see on my weather page that some of the snow has disappeared although there was an ice warning.
I don't know where he was, probably on some freeway. He was frustrated having gone 1.5 miles in three hours, 45 minutes. He was talking about parking if he could fine a safe spot. Sorry about your friend, how awful.
Yes. 620 feet; the "500 foot snow line" is a real thing. I have a friend who lives about 1.5 miles away (as the crow flies) who is at 950; she almost always gets far more snow than I do.
My SW Chgo suburb was predicted to get 6-10 inches, thus cancelling a fundraiser being held for our school district's Arts Foundation, of which my husband is a founding member. Unfortunate, as they held none during pandemic. They fund small scholarships and mini-grants to teachers., for educational items for which the school budget does not allow. (You know, arts are always deemed "lesser" somehow.) We got rain.
All this winter, we've used our snowblower only once.
I used to START looking for my crocuses coming up in later March, they appeared about 3 weeks ago. Daffodils are up about 5". While I am happy to see the end of winter, this is not good---obviously climate change happening.
No snow in the City of San Diego but plenty of snow in the Cuyamaca & Laguna mountains to our east. Also, the air was barely clear enough last week for me to see, from an upstairs window, substantial patches of snow on high points along the San Bernardino Mountain chain, a bit over 100 miles as the crow flies, where some areas have had over 7 feet of snow - lots of national news coverage about residents trapped in their homes or barred from returning to their homes for up to 5 days. The high Sierra has had far more - crossing our fingers that the weather doesn't suddenly turn hot and melt the snow too rapidly - it's an essential source of water for our reservoirs.
Here in coastal San Diego, this may be the most consistently cold weather for months (since early November) in my memory of 53 winters here, frequently not getting out of the 50s in the daytime. Probably doesn't sound that cold to many of you but with wind chill and often overnight temps in low 40s and even mid-30s, my electricity bill for heat has skyrocketed.
This gorgeous photograph immediately brought back memories for me (born and raised in Portland, ME) and my wife (born and raised in Orono, ME). Nothing more special to a boy growing up in ME than to go to bed with a clear sky, then wake up to the utter quiet of a heavy snowstorm, THEN rushing to the radio to see if school would be cancelled! -- I would be remiss if I didn't also comment on the composition of the mostly B&W photo, so wonderfully enhanced with the foreground color. Special thanks to Peter Ralston for being out in a blizzard to capture this image for those of us comfortably sitting indoors at our electronic devices.
Thank you, Heather and Pete, for the beautiful image of the end of winter in Maine....it is already in the nineties in India during the day, only down to 70’s at night.....I look forward to your next inspiring LFAA. Sleep well!
This brings back snowy memories of my time living in mid-coast Maine - the heaviest snowfalls usually came in late winter, and I still have a picture of my house after a March blizzard where the snowbanks along my driveway were higher than the roofline of the cars. Even with my snowblower it was hours of work to clean up after those storms, but the heavy winter blanket of fresh white snow was always beautiful even as I labored to clear it off. I recall watching the bright red flicker of male cardinals coming out to my feeders along with the squabble of chickadees as they reappeared after the storm cleared, and the fun my Sheltie had romping in the fresh snow until I'd have to put her inside to let the snowballs melt from between her pawpads. 😊❄⛄
It's nice to know you are snuggled up and safe. 5 a.m. in Portugal North, We've had two weeks of sunny days 65*, nearly freezing at night, but we are in for a week of rain and 55*., With a thunder storm coming in off the Atlantic. March roars in like a lion.... Time rambles on like an old train, stopping now and then for people at various stations on life. Trains in Portugal are quite good, and there is a nice route from Viana to Valença, with lots of whistle stops at villages with nice beaches, for lazy ambles.
The requirements for permanent resident status changed after we arrived in 1992. Now, one must have Portuguese parentage.
Portugal is many faceted; many facets are hidden. It is facinating. The irregular verbs are overwhelming to me. For the first ten years, there were no free language classes for foreigners, so I was in a beautiful language prison. But my brainy husband spoke several languages and Spanish professionally, so I lived in a happy bubble. Begining in 2004, I was allowed to attend classes for seniors who owned land but were illiterate, so they could sign a will. In 2006 the local high school let me audit 10th grade, but I didn't learn to speak. When my husband passed away, I had to speak the language and THAT'S when I became fluent in more than 50 words. I was the only permanent American resident in my district until about 5 years ago, when 40 moved in. They are above my income snd social level, and they are younger and I'm not much help to them, so I've not met with them. We hardly speak the same language. Most women need more social life than I do.
I'm committed to living out my daze here.
I've only seen photos of Appalachia, it's so beautiful!
Verb conjugation for Spanish drove my daughter's to distraction often. I expect Portuguese to present similar problems. Appalachia is a portion of our country I'm most familiar with and it is indeed beautiful throughout, yet with some significant contrasts from booms and busts, especially from the extractive industries. I was born there; Born there but reared and continue to reside in Ohio, between Cleveland and Akron Ohio. *Thanks so much for your response Susan.
So serene. It immediately slowed my breathing and delivered calm. And thank you, by the way, for reminding us regularly that common sense and accurate telling of history have certain merit. Quite a bit, in fact.
What a charming snowy white winter scene with a splash of bright red and black on the water. Thank you Peter Ralston. Here I was in the middle of preparing my tax returns happily interrupted and taken back in time...far, far away from the Judiciary committee, book banning, the election in Wisconsin.... HCR you navigate well through the endless storms of state and the ruckus in the house. We know how lucky we are to be on your boat. Thank you.
So true, Fern. I start my mornings opening this letter. Not only do we get some up to date detail on some key events. But they are presented with an accurate historical perspective. I have enrolled in an extended education course! The clarification of the role of the troops in the South post Civil War was a revelation. Every day a lesson.
Today's takeaway is appreciation. For Heather Cox Richardson. And for the "nature's fertilizer" our soil so needs. As a passionate gardener/farmer, the drought of last year is still fresh in my head. But how different every year is. Last year we sowed our first planting of sugar snaps and snow peas on March 15. Not in 2023!
Now off to Florida to honor my mother in law's 96 years. She is another "spirit leader" in my life. If we had let her, she would have organized her own party. She inspires us with energy and attitude. And love for everyone. Except the bad guys. I am lucky to know her. And even luckier to have her daughter as my partner.
I will focus on reconnecting with cousins and friends and politely try to avoid the political tiger traps of Florida politics. Wish me luck.
Bill, I chuckled a bit at your description of snow as nature’s fertilizer. At the moment, snow is a pain in my back. Literally. I spent time each day last week chopping ice off my driveway and carefully tossing it on the landscaped areas and garden. Why? Last September and October were the third driest on record.
Today, we are on a path to near-record snowfall totals for the winter (80 inches and counting) And that damn little snow icon appears on my phone weather app six times in the next ten days.
Planting will be late this year. At least here in the Upper Midwest. Lots of fertilizer to start with though, lol. Cheers.
I remember the weather varying from year to year. What seems new is the the dramatic differences. But Mother Nature has her own plans, I guess. We just need to be flexible.
Cheers to you. Careful on the ice :)
Mother Nature has her own plans, but it's those humans who have warmed the atmosphere and the oceans, melting the ice, changing the winds, and making the lives much harder for the people who go out in those lobster boats
My husband's cousin on the Pine Ridge was complaining about he lack of snow and rain a while back and then boom. Even here in the Willamette Valley, we have had snow and of course, it doesn't take much to throw everything in disarray. I see snow in the forecast, but mostly it is cold in the am and snow at fairly low elevations. I am still waiting to plant peas and put out some early flowers that I bought. The outdoor Saturday Market started its year yesterday and there were a few brave souls in the rain and wind. I would like at this point, just one warmer, drier day (when I don't have something on my calendar to get outside to work.
Sending luck to you straight from on location.
Salud, Bill.
🗽
Good luck Bill! Not just with the Floriduh folx but also with the planting! It has indeed been a very weird winter.
Christine posted links to Politics Girl, I highly suggest both YouTube Channels of "Brian Tyler Cohen" and "Beau of the Fifth Column" if you can take your smartphone and watch in private. A break away from the insanity. I guess if someone asks what you are watching you could share it with them. (........nah, wouldn't work)
Good luck with your visit. Let us know how it went.
Peace to you, Bill.
That may be hard, Bill. Enjoy your family don't listen to any news...it will be here when you get back. Hugs
Love the way you said that, Fern. We are lucky to be on Heather's boat! It was a beautiful storm and, as predicted, followed by a gorgeous, sunny day. It's why we live here.
Good one, Fern.
Exactly.
We’re prepping our 2022 financials too.
Nicely put, Fern. I am just up here in Oregon to enjoy the snow scene and the wonderful posts of people here. Thank you to all.
We are fortunate to have you as well, Fern🍀
We're together, Laurie. Thank you.
Rest; stay warm; and know how much I (and so many) appreciate all that you do to keep us so well informed.
Morning, Beth. Posting Politics Girl, Leigh McGowan, from this past week. She is on a roll.
https://youtu.be/a4AEvswxSMk
https://youtu.be/dvD83ew14bA
https://youtube.com/shorts/-sLdU32hktM?
Some good listening material for a Sunday. Her podcast on Why Ukraine Matters is just inspiring.
Salud, Beth.
🗽
Thanks, Christine. Leigh is wonderful.
Gorgeous scene. Sleep well.
Winter is desperately hanging on in the Northwest too. Rest well and thank you for all that you do. Beautiful photo!
Woke up to 2” in the yard today. First time we’ve had more than a dusting this winter while other areas have had far more.
Are youat a little elevation in Eugene? I am sure we have some in the hills around here, but we are on the flats here in Salem.
Michele & Ally - I can see some flurries from my 13th floor window in downtown Portland, but nothing will stick this time. (Yay!) :)
One of my ex-students took about 6 hours getting home during the surprisingly deep snow earlier. I don't know if he finally parked his car and walked. I like snow as long as we don't have to go anywhere. As a midwesterner, I don't trust Oregonians here in the valley to know what to do. I see on my weather page that some of the snow has disappeared although there was an ice warning.
My friend also sat on Hwy 26 between Beaverton and Portland for 6 hours that night. She said it was terrifying. :(
I don't know where he was, probably on some freeway. He was frustrated having gone 1.5 miles in three hours, 45 minutes. He was talking about parking if he could fine a safe spot. Sorry about your friend, how awful.
Yes. 620 feet; the "500 foot snow line" is a real thing. I have a friend who lives about 1.5 miles away (as the crow flies) who is at 950; she almost always gets far more snow than I do.
Good morning, Ally!
My SW Chgo suburb was predicted to get 6-10 inches, thus cancelling a fundraiser being held for our school district's Arts Foundation, of which my husband is a founding member. Unfortunate, as they held none during pandemic. They fund small scholarships and mini-grants to teachers., for educational items for which the school budget does not allow. (You know, arts are always deemed "lesser" somehow.) We got rain.
All this winter, we've used our snowblower only once.
I used to START looking for my crocuses coming up in later March, they appeared about 3 weeks ago. Daffodils are up about 5". While I am happy to see the end of winter, this is not good---obviously climate change happening.
Wow!!! The past few years, my daffodils have bloomed in Feb; this year they don't even have blooms on them yet. Before, they'd always bloom mid March.
No snow in the City of San Diego but plenty of snow in the Cuyamaca & Laguna mountains to our east. Also, the air was barely clear enough last week for me to see, from an upstairs window, substantial patches of snow on high points along the San Bernardino Mountain chain, a bit over 100 miles as the crow flies, where some areas have had over 7 feet of snow - lots of national news coverage about residents trapped in their homes or barred from returning to their homes for up to 5 days. The high Sierra has had far more - crossing our fingers that the weather doesn't suddenly turn hot and melt the snow too rapidly - it's an essential source of water for our reservoirs.
Here in coastal San Diego, this may be the most consistently cold weather for months (since early November) in my memory of 53 winters here, frequently not getting out of the 50s in the daytime. Probably doesn't sound that cold to many of you but with wind chill and often overnight temps in low 40s and even mid-30s, my electricity bill for heat has skyrocketed.
San Diego has the highest electricity rates in the U.S. https://www.cbs8.com/article/money/amped/san-diego-has-the-highest-electricity-rates-in-the-country/509-b33c2aa1-5414-431d-a060-273059f1e0da (not exactly new news, however). Thank heavens I don't rely on natural gas for heating house & water or cooking given the outrageous spike in cost per kWh in January while natural gas prices remained low outside of California. An investigation is underway regarding NG price spike.
On the other hand, I have freesias blooming in a pot out on my condo deck, a beautiful lavender.
This gorgeous photograph immediately brought back memories for me (born and raised in Portland, ME) and my wife (born and raised in Orono, ME). Nothing more special to a boy growing up in ME than to go to bed with a clear sky, then wake up to the utter quiet of a heavy snowstorm, THEN rushing to the radio to see if school would be cancelled! -- I would be remiss if I didn't also comment on the composition of the mostly B&W photo, so wonderfully enhanced with the foreground color. Special thanks to Peter Ralston for being out in a blizzard to capture this image for those of us comfortably sitting indoors at our electronic devices.
Thank you, Heather and Pete, for the beautiful image of the end of winter in Maine....it is already in the nineties in India during the day, only down to 70’s at night.....I look forward to your next inspiring LFAA. Sleep well!
Elizabeth, thank you for another perspective. It is a reminder that we are a big family.
It is awesome to be connected by Heather's letters and today Peter's winter photo.
Words can trigger. You used blizzard. Dairy Queen came on in my brain. Thanks! Rest well!
Oh hell. Now I have to get a Dilly Bar today. 🤣
Or vanilla DQ on a cone rolled in nuts and then dipped in chocolate to make shell. Beats a Drumstick every time.
😜
Let’s toast our ice creams my friend.
Cheers!
🗽
Christine absolutely! 🍦
Wilburp, too funny!
This brings back snowy memories of my time living in mid-coast Maine - the heaviest snowfalls usually came in late winter, and I still have a picture of my house after a March blizzard where the snowbanks along my driveway were higher than the roofline of the cars. Even with my snowblower it was hours of work to clean up after those storms, but the heavy winter blanket of fresh white snow was always beautiful even as I labored to clear it off. I recall watching the bright red flicker of male cardinals coming out to my feeders along with the squabble of chickadees as they reappeared after the storm cleared, and the fun my Sheltie had romping in the fresh snow until I'd have to put her inside to let the snowballs melt from between her pawpads. 😊❄⛄
Thank you, Professor. Enjoy the beauty.
Spring is trying to awake in the Northwest but winter is holding on by its cold fingernails.
It's nice to know you are snuggled up and safe. 5 a.m. in Portugal North, We've had two weeks of sunny days 65*, nearly freezing at night, but we are in for a week of rain and 55*., With a thunder storm coming in off the Atlantic. March roars in like a lion.... Time rambles on like an old train, stopping now and then for people at various stations on life. Trains in Portugal are quite good, and there is a nice route from Viana to Valença, with lots of whistle stops at villages with nice beaches, for lazy ambles.
Wow Susan. Have to admit Portugal fascinates me. How was the language adoption for you ? Thousand other questions.
Hi Dan,
The requirements for permanent resident status changed after we arrived in 1992. Now, one must have Portuguese parentage.
Portugal is many faceted; many facets are hidden. It is facinating. The irregular verbs are overwhelming to me. For the first ten years, there were no free language classes for foreigners, so I was in a beautiful language prison. But my brainy husband spoke several languages and Spanish professionally, so I lived in a happy bubble. Begining in 2004, I was allowed to attend classes for seniors who owned land but were illiterate, so they could sign a will. In 2006 the local high school let me audit 10th grade, but I didn't learn to speak. When my husband passed away, I had to speak the language and THAT'S when I became fluent in more than 50 words. I was the only permanent American resident in my district until about 5 years ago, when 40 moved in. They are above my income snd social level, and they are younger and I'm not much help to them, so I've not met with them. We hardly speak the same language. Most women need more social life than I do.
I'm committed to living out my daze here.
I've only seen photos of Appalachia, it's so beautiful!
Verb conjugation for Spanish drove my daughter's to distraction often. I expect Portuguese to present similar problems. Appalachia is a portion of our country I'm most familiar with and it is indeed beautiful throughout, yet with some significant contrasts from booms and busts, especially from the extractive industries. I was born there; Born there but reared and continue to reside in Ohio, between Cleveland and Akron Ohio. *Thanks so much for your response Susan.
So serene. It immediately slowed my breathing and delivered calm. And thank you, by the way, for reminding us regularly that common sense and accurate telling of history have certain merit. Quite a bit, in fact.
Al Bell
Tuck yourself in; you deserve it.
Thank you for the picture.
I live outside Washington DC, and I think we have had the warmest winter ever plus 2 flakes of snow!
Yep! My sister in Vienna VA keeps informing me of your warm temps while I shiver here in "sunny San Diego".
That Peter Ralston is a wonderful photographer!
Yes, that's exactly it about this winter. It's finally come, but Spring is also on its way.
How serene and beautiful. Sleep well.