Cold weather and ways to keep warm

 Cullman,   AL

Like most of the country these last few weeks, here in north Alabama we have been hit by some cold, cold weather.   Fortunately we are not suffering as are folks in Texas and many other states.   

Having lived in NJ most of my life I am used to cold winters along with the snow.     For example, this is our old house in southern NJ.   We sold it to our daughter Terri back in 2009.  (She had since moved to Pa)  She took this picture only a few days after we left NJ in 2010 start our 7 years of full time RVing.

Yes we had snow here last week.   When it snows in the south everything shuts down.  These are pictures of our Alabama blizzard.

We woke to morning temps in the teens the last several days.   Today we expect to get up into the 40s.  Biscuit gets up every morning begging to be let outside.   A few of the colder, wet days he was happy to remain on his futon in my office.  But he is back now begging for the outside during the day.  Still loves what he consider his own room in the house at night.

Before it turned really cold in Texas and Louisiana etc. Len had talked to his brother Royce who lives in the Lake Charles area of Louisiana.   Royce was complaining about how cold it was there.  It was 62!  It was 27 here.   I do believe Royce now knows what cold really feels like.

The pond has been partially frozen over.   Still the ducks swim.   As the pond is in the front of the house and only about 20 feet from the road, the ducks are curious to what is on the other side.   The road is not a main thoroughfare as about a mile beyond us it turns into a one lane gravel road.   Therefore, the road is lightly traveled.  People who live on this road are used to seeing the ducks cross the road.  Our friend Judy tells us she has stopped and blown her horn to make them get out of the road.   Two weeks ago we put of these signs as a reminder.

The same day we installed the signs Len took down an apple tree that was in the front yard.   Each year it has produced apples however now it was mostly hollow and limbs were falling off.   Time to come down.   It took hardly a push of the tractor for it to topple.

We expected Boondockers to arrive today for a one night stay and another couple on Monday for one night.    The couple due Monday has changed their stay til Wednesday.  The couple expected today has cancelled.   Both say it is due the restrictions on their traveling due to the weather.  Todays couple said they can't get out of their driveway.

When we lived in NJ we installed a propane fireplace in the great room.  Leonard especially loved it.  How he could stand up next to that heat for a long period of time is beyond me.  Here it is.

We have been wanting to install one here.  This winter pushed us to do it.  We were going to install a propane fireplace but the propane dealer would not deliver to us as just the fireplace would not use enough propane to be worth it.   We thought about getting a 100 lb tank but that would mean we would have to get it into the truck and off to take it to be filled.

Len was talking to our neighbor up the street and Gary said he was connected to natural gas.  He lives on the corner of our road and main road so we did not expect there to be gas lines on our road.  Len called the local gas  company and a rep came to the house.   He told us the gas lines run pass our house and on to the large chicken farm down the road.   HOORAY.   

The gas company put us on schedule to run lines to our house.  In addition  they are giving us a gas tankless heater.  Wonderful as in this cold weather we are having  difficulties getting enough hot water to fill our walk-in tub.   And he suggested putting an infrared heater in our basement room.  This room is 26x26 with high ceiling.  The open steps leading down to it are between our living room and bedroom.  Sometimes we can feel cold air blowing up.  The thermostat is near those steps so would kick on due to the cold air.   This will also help  to warm our floors.

Once the gas company runs lines then we have a plumber to run house lines and connect us.

We purchased the fireplace from Lowes.  Of course we had to assemble it.  Easy to do.

All done except the logs.  That will be done once the gas company installs line and the plumber runs lines in the house.

That brings us pretty much up to date.

Until next time.  And stay warm.

January into February

 Cullman,   AL

I am so looking forward to Spring.   Due to the weather, Len's not feeling his best and Covid most of our days are spent in front of the TV.   Len watching, me reading.

Len turned 72 in January.    We were invited to our son Lennie and wife Lois' for a lunch after church on the 24th.   They always ask Len what he wants for a birthday gift.  Always the same answer ..... coconut cream pie.   So that week we gained a few pounds.   The coconut cream pie plus cookies and cake sent from daughter Terri and hubby Steve.     His greatest joy was hearing from all our children and families plus grandson Justin who lives in Chicago and granddaughters Charlotte and Abby in Maryland.

We still host Boondockers but at a much less frequent rate than in October and November as RVers were leaving the north headed to Florida.   We expect to have lots of requests again starting next month when the opposite trips start.  We had one family from Chicago stay one night while on their way to Florida on January 31 and left the next morning.    They gave me these flowers on the 31st and they are still beautiful today February 9.

I had signed us up for the Covid vaccine about three weeks ago at the local hospital.   We waited and waited for them to call for an appointment.    At church on January 31 some people told us to check in at the local Health Department.   We went there the next morning at 8:30.   They gave us appointments for 8:50.   Whew!   That's done.    We go back on March 1 for the 2nd shot.  Then the next morning we get a call from the hospital regarding coming in there!  Too late.

My sister from NJ had planned on visiting for a few days in January.   But since she had been traveling and visiting  and we had not had shots, we all decided not to take the chance.  I was so disappointed.

There are several improvements we want to make here at home.   We need stone in one part of the driveway where puddles collect.   We talked to the person who had delivered stone a while back.  We were put on his list.   We didn't hear from him.   Come to find out, a tree fell on him and damaged an ankle.   He just got out of the hospital a last week.  

We also want to install either a propane or natural gas fireplace.  We had ordered one from Lowes that only ran on propane.   We ended up cancelling the order as we found out natural gas lines run at the end of our road, about 1,000 feet.  So Len called the gas company and we had an appointment last Monday for them to check out what it would take to get gas here.   They called that morning and canceled as there was a death in the mans family.   He is rescheduled for this afternoon.    

Yesterday we walked out to feed the fish.  Len looked in the duck house out by the pond and found this.

Elsie is not brooding (sitting on the eggs) at this time.  So we brought 6 eggs into the house to use, leaving 3.   We know to leave some because if all are removed she will nest elsewhere.   We are going to get some wooden eggs to leave.  Ducks aren't real smart.   This morning I checked and there were 4.  

I hope all is well with each reader and I do appreciate you still have an interest in reading this blog.

Until next time.

On to another year

 Culllman,  AL

Here we go again.... does not look like 2021 is off to a great start.    IT WILL GET BETTER , won't it?

One thing good..... my old printer would not connect to my computer.   I had an IT tech who was boondocking here try to resolve the issue.   He could not.   It seems that there are problems with the latest Windows 10 update and HP printers.   I researched online.   Over my head how to resolve it.  So after dealing with my frustration, I bought a new Epson printer.   It sat in my office for a couple of weeks because I did not want to "deal with it".    I should not have worried, it was an easy set up.

But of course with each problem resolved it has to be replaced by a new one.   Now I am having problems loading pictures from my camera on to my computer.   It was always so easy in the past.   Now everything imaginable comes up.  Almost 800 pictures and other stuff.  I have been trying to delete them but it is an endless task.   So, no recent pictures. The ones you will see on this blog are ones I had chosen to delete as each time I get 6 or 7 of each picture plus other stuff.    This issue to beyond me.   Hopefully the computer man I have used in the past can help.

So..... some pictures taken of family over the holidays'.  This is our newest grandson Jeremiah, son of daughter Cassie.   Grandpop had just given him a jelly donut.

This is daughter D'Juana cooking.   Her babies are trusting she will be dropping something.

Christmas Dinner

The area that Leonard's family live in Louisiana is where Hurricane Laura hit.  I took many pictures but can't get to them.     Here is one example I did get.   Fencing in front of a new housing development.

The above is no where near the sever damage we saw in the Lake Charles / Sulphur areas.   Blue tarps everywhere.  Debris piled high everywhere.  

 Tornadoes earlier in the year in Mississippi.   This is taken near Laurel, MS.   Miles of destruction following along Interstate 59.    Miles of trees taken down from the 2nd tornado to hit that area last year.  Those who follow this blog might remember that we were there during the first one that hit Laurel.  We were safe in the motel but heard it coming and pass overhead.  Massive damage done in the area during that one also.

Some have asked about Leonard's health.   He has good days and others not so good.  Still tires very easily.   Both arms are about useless as he can't reach out in front or lift them.   He had been approved for surgery by the cardiologist but due to the pandemic hospitals are not doing elective surgery.  Not         even UAB.   This is not like he wants a nose job or liposuction.  He is in pain.

We've had two recent Boondockers Welcome guests.  Both stayed the night in January 9 and left on the 10th.    Our guests have lessened  a great deal since October when we had 10 rigs in only 3 weeks.  At that time RVers where headed south for the winter.   We expect in a couple of months to be busy again.  

There are no street lights on our road.   The area where the sites are is really dark.  We tell our guests to expect this but I think most are surprised at how dark it really is.   One of the guests back on the 9th didn't arrive til 6:30 pm.   Pitch black.   We went out and helped them set up.

To make it a bit better for future guests we have installed two solar motion lights in the area.  

Hope we all have a good 2021.

Until next time.

My silly list

 Cullman,   AL

To get my mind off all that is going on around us, I came up with a list of celebrities I have seen in person.   Ok...... silly.   But it gave me a few moments of stretching to my mind to remember.  And not thinking of more serious stuff.

Here is my list,  or as many as I can remember.   Do you have a list?

The Statler Brothers

The Oak Ridge Boys

The Gatlin Brothers

George Strait

Alan Jackson

Vince Gill

John Conlee

Don Williams

George Jones

Tammy Wynette

Loretta Lynn

Tom T Hall

Jerry Reed

Doug Kershaw

Crystal Gayle

Merle Haggard

Billy (Crash) Cradock

Betty Ford

Alex Haley   (Author of Roots)

Gavin McDavin   (The Old Man in the movie A Christmas Story)

Fess Parker   (Was BOTH Davy Crocket and Daniel Boone

Chonda Pearce

Brian Kilmeade

Bill Cosby

Scott Adams  (Cartoonist Dilbert)

Robert Reich   (Clintons Sec. of Labor)

Cokie Roberts

Colin Powell

Ben & Jerry   (The Ice Cream guys)

Christopher Reeve  (only months before he passed)

Bob Newhart

Ray Charles

Eddie Rabbit

Arlen Spector  (Senator from PA  and on the Warren Commission)

Joe Kennedy Jr.

Ricky Skaggs

Charlie Pride

Charlie Daniels

Mel Tillis

Ellen Goodman   (Columnist at the Boston Globe)

June Carter Cash

Johnny Cash

John Cash   (Their limited talented kid)

Don Rickles

Bobby Rydell

Joe Diffee

Jeannie Seely

Sally Starr   (had to be from Philadelphia area to know who this was)

Okay....enough of this silliness

Until next time

Disgusted, mad and sad

 Now that I have your attention, I will explain.

Disgusted?    At our politicians, both sides.

Mad?            At how they spend OUR money.

Sad?            That future generations will have to pick up the tab.

For the last few years Rand Paul has put out his list of needless spending by Congress.    It is shocking.  

Need examples?

    Help for Tunisian youth to not feel like they are a problem        48 million

    Study of Lizards on a treadmill        1.6 million

    A wearable headset to track eating behaviors        2 million  ( I don't need a headset to tell me I eat                                                                                                             too much)

    Overspent for pre-fab housing in Texas     182 million

    Spraying alcoholic rats  (!!!)  with bobcat urine        4.6 million  (WHAT???   WHY????)

    Afghanistan  counter narcotics        8.6 BILLION

    For truant Filipino youth   37.5 million

    Sending Russian students to community colleges   3.3 million

    To a Sri Lanka think tank     800,000

    Will Americans eat bugs?    1.3 million   (not me, but if they give me enough of that 1.3 million I am                                                                         willing to try)

    Study Why adults watch so much TV   1.2 million

    Gave Federal employees duplicate Medicare customer service access   217 million

    Does a hot tub lower stress    2 million.    (Give me 1 million and I will say yes it does)

    To study why people fear the dentist    1 million

These are just a few of the crazies.     Altogether the list totals 54 billion, 747 million and that doesn't include our giving Jordan millions to build a border wall or the money that goes to Pakistan for gender studies.

I want to know who applies for this money.    I think there needs to be a list of what politician applies for and wastes money on projects such as these.   The information needs to be distributed to the people in the Senators or Congresspersons State and district.   Then VOTE THE BUMS OUT.

What else am I mad about?    The distribution of the vaccine.    In some states prisoners get vaccine before the elderly.   Congress had their shots and now in the coming week 2 staffers in each Congressional office will get a shot.   Elderly and the chronic sick again on the back burner.  

The nerve of elected officials.   One Congressman in NY had a skating rink shut down.  Kids not allowed to play hockey.   Then he played.   There are many examples similar to this.

Our cities are crumbling.   In the 1950s Detroit was our richest city.  It is now among our poorest.  Car manufacturing and other manufacturing moved to China and other countries that abuse their citizens.    Bring manufacturing back.  Then there will be jobs, jobs, jobs.    We all know how hard it is to find something NOT made in China.

The Police situation.   Less police means more crime.   Just ask those living in Minneapolis.  

And now to the Stimulus money.    If the above stupid spending was eliminated this country could better assist those businesses suffering due to shutdowns.   Sure, folks love getting those stimulus checks, whether $600 or $2,000.    But many do not really need this money.  There must be a way to determine which folks are really suffering due to COVID shutdowns.   Who has actually lost income.  Help those, only those.

Federal employees still get paid.   Social Security recipients still receive their checks.   Pensioners still get theirs.  (We get both a pension and SS).    Yes, we received the $2,400 earlier in the year.  And we will receive the next amount whatever it is.    I know we could give it back to the Treasury.  For them to waste?   NO!      

When we got the $2,400 months ago we found a local family with a need and gave a large portion of it to help them.  We donated cases of food to the local food bank.  I tell this not to brag but to point out that many people felt the need to help.   This is what Americans do.    Look at what Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports has started.   Americans have donated over 13 million to his fund that is  supporting 49 small business so far.    Again, this is what Americans do.   (UPDATE:   53 small businesses saved and 14 million donated as of early Jan 1.

I guess I am done ranting for now.  Did it help?  NO.... I am still disgusted, mad and sad.

God bless each of you in the New Year.    

Not much happening around here.

 Cullman,   AL

Yup, not much happening.   

The best thing that happened recently was a visit from our granddaughter Lindsey.  She flew up from Pearland, TX for a 4 day visit.     We had planned on seeing her over Christmas down there but The US Navy had other plans.    Lindsey joined the Navy under the Nuclear Engineer program.  She was not supposed to go to Boot Camp until March or so.  However, an opening came up and she jumped on the invite to go earlier.  She leaves on December 16 headed to Great Lakes, IL where she will have to quarantine for two weeks.   

Meet Lindsey

We have had this visitor a few times too.    He is a sweet, sweet boy.   Biscuit does not usually allow other dogs on our property.   But he likes this one. I do too.  They run and play together.   We are not sure who he belongs to but have a suspicion.    We suspect he will be living next door in the trailer that was recently placed there.   No one is living there yet but every few days we have noticed a car or truck there doing some work.   We think he comes with them.   

We have lightly decorated the house for Christmas.    We have LOTS of decorations in the basement.  However, neither of us feels like lugging stuff up and decorating.   We did bring up a tree and a few decorations were placed around the house.    Nothing like we used to do when living in the 1850 farmhouse in NJ.

Only exciting thing to happen here was a Boondocker got stuck.   I directed him where to back in using the driveway, but he missed the driveway and got bogged down in the yard.   It had been raining all day.

They were in a 43' diesel pusher motorhome.   Quite heavy.  Len tried to move him with our tractor but no luck.   This happened about 2 in the afternoon.   They ended up calling their roadside assistance provider.   Did not get here til 8:30.  Needless to say it was pitch black outside.   They remained in the Motorhome awaiting the tow truck and would call me to keep me updated.

With some effort the tow truck got them out.   Needless to say they did not stay the night but went on down the road.   I told them about a large rest area about 8 miles down I-65.  I texted them the next day and that is where they stayed that night.

Today we have mild weather.  Len is out on the tractor trying to fill in the ruts.  Thinking he is making a few more.

As I said it is mild out today.   When I went out to get the mail I see our forsythia bush has some flowers on it.

Oh my,  Leonard just called me.  He said he broke a valve stem on a tractor tire and the tire is flat.  He took the tire off and is going to town to get it fixed.    I am going to give him HECK (or something like that) when we gets back.   He should not be doing that himself.

On a good note, all Christmas shopping is done.   All gifts that have to be mailed have been sent.  And the rest are wrapped and ready.   

Until next time.....

We had to make some changes.

 Cullman,  AL  

We are continuing on our hosting of Boondockers, but with some minor changes.

We have been happy to welcome our RVing friends to park on our sites when traveling this area.  Many RVers we've met on the road have stopped by.   In each case, we have remained friends.  Also RVing friends from PA and NJ that we knew before we moved here have stopped and visited and used our sites.  We built those sites for that reason.   We wanted to host friends and family.    We would never expect, accept nor want them to pay for a site.   We would consider that an insult to our friendship.    We just want to see them and keep in touch.

Continuing on from my last posting meet the most recent guests.   These are folks who found us on the Boondockers Welcome website.

This is Dave.   He traveled from Ohio where we works at a campground in the summer to Florida where he works at one in the winter.   He travels with his sweet Border Collie mix, Holly.  

Next is Mary and Conrad, heading south from Indiana.   This is the couple that responded just 2 hours after I joined Boondockers Welcome as a host.    Wish we had more time to spend with them.

Now this was really fun.  Chad and Sarah have 4 active boys that they are home schooling on the road.  The boys and Biscuit had lots of fun.  By the time they left, Sarah was looking online for a Beagle.

Meet Susan and Joe.   They just came from Leonard's area of Louisiana doing mission work through Billy Grahams mission and Samaritans Purse.

Joe and Quinn have recently started their Full Time adventure.

We truly liked each of our guests.   But we find we must make changes.       We've hosted Boondockers Welcome members ten times.     On our profile I state donations welcome.   I explain the RV sites are on same account as the shop.  That account is charged at a higher commercial rate than the house.   We are also on metered water.   Hence donations.   We are not doing this to make money.   

 Each older couple worked until retirement. Now are living their dream.  Some younger people choose to live their dream now, often working online.   Most guests gave us a donation.  Very much appreciated.   Two couples stayed four nights and  choose not to donate anything using full hook ups.  That is their right to do.   We understand.  We were not demanding a donation.

But after checking the KW usage on house and RV sites, and the RV sites using twice as much as the house in those instances we had to come to a difficult decision and change from donations gratefully accepted to a small per night charge.   Hated to do this. 

We still look forward to hosting.   But not going broke.

Until next time.