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Hot and humid, but a nice breeze...just got back from a hike and swim for Della. Hope you had a great birthday, Kyle...you deserve the best. Finally cleaned the zero yesterday, scraped the underside of the deck, and swapped out the 3 blades with the ones I sharpened. I just had to try it out...

72 going to 90, probably rain late this afternoon. Finished sharpening my mower blades after getting run inside by rain a couple of days ago. But by the time I finished, the wind had dried the grass, so I mowed for 2 hours instead of swapping them out. Maybe today, but wife wants me to go to...

74 and at least there was a little breeze outside to stir up the humidity when I fed the birds. Going to 95. Weather man said Monday or Tuesday will give us a break. Ron, I think the word 'swell' doesn't get used often enough anymore...used to be a bigger part of our lexicon. Glad you typed it...

72 going to 92, probably more t-storms. Seems like I'm mowing some part of the yard every other day...still better than drought. I started sharpening my mower blades outside yesterday and a t-storm that missed us seemed to circle around and ran me inside before I finished. I have an idea when...

71, light shower popped up. Going to 90. Sitting here icing my shoulder. Using AI to "diagnose" the problem and show me some PT stretches. Had a hot but good hike yesterday so Della could take a swim. Then made a diesel run and mowed for 2.5 hours...grass never fully dried due to a week of...

Saw this beetle on my house foundation yesterday...never saw this type before...red legged buprestis...apparently likes dead trees...but none close by, so must also like to fly.

71 and 97% humidity, going to 92. Kyle, changing oil until midnight...that's devotion and work ethic. I still use that so-called horse pee in my truck. 😁 🐎 Got a few small things done yesterday but mainly was a Tex-Mex lunch and Costco run. Dee-lish, and Costco was running smooth even on a...

69 and foggy. This seems to be the longest streak of high humidity days I can remember for several years...last summer had a nice cool and low humidity break every week...now grass never dries before the next rain and you soak your shirt just standing around. But this is better than drought...so...

69 and been raining a lot overnight. Going to 86. More rain. Kyle, sure is good to hear of your mom's progress...I hadn't heard of the watchman procedure. If your pto shaft is like mine, the plastic sheath gets warped and makes it hard to slide...or maybe it wasn't lubed inside. Happy...

96 now...had the hottest hike of the year earlier today...Della cooled off in the river. Had the park to ourselves...everyone else too smart to go today. Got the mowing done between storms yesterday. BEF, glad you had a safe trip. Prayers for Buppies, Holly and Texas.

61 going to 89. Had a great day yesterday with part of family...the rest are coming today. I have been rebuilding our cornhole boards...I built them years ago and they needed new tops. I don't do enough jigsaw work to stay sharp, but did a decent job cutting the holes out Thursday, and then...

Happy Birthday America! “My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!” —Thomas Jefferson's Memoirs, 1829

68 going to 90. Feels pretty good outside for this time of year. Just ran a raccoon away from our bird feeding area. Too light for her to be out. Got interrupted before posting, so that was over an hour ago. Nice job, Lou. Stronger than new. Ken, sounds like a great meal to match the great...

After getting 2 inches of rain last night, we got another 2.5 this morning...went out surveying the damage once it let up some...Creek is usually clear and only 6 ft wide max where I built my bridge...now it is 100 yards wide in places and flowing extremely fast in the middle...part of the...

73 and light rain, going to 83. Had hours of t-storms last night, with a lot of heavy rain. Widest lightning bolts I've seen, looked more like ribbons. Got an unexpected call while hiking Della to the river...the phone tech wanted to come fix my fiber...a day earlier than rescheduled from the...

75 going to 93 and storms here, too. Happy Canada Day to those up north. Phone tech never showed up yesterday afternoon...after they scheduled a visit from 1pm to 5 pm...I was out mowing for 3 hours of that 1 to 5pm timeframe, adjusting my mowing route to keep an eye out for his arrival...then...

69 after last night t-storms...got a good rain that we needed. Heading to 93, maybe another storm. Glad RNG checked in...know he's been busy. He's helped me in the past, so will miss him. Buppies, sorry things are still in a rough patch. Prayers. Been wrestling with our new fiber...

All the Lone Star ticks moved here. Maybe too hot there.

70 to 93. Thomas, the ticks are the worst I can remember this year. Deer ticks (Lyme), Lone Star ticks (Alpha-gal), Dog ticks (Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever, Tularemia), and I read about a new one that's here, but haven't seen it. I've had numerous bites. I feel like I need the Frontline medicine on...

71 and thick fog, going to 92. Yesterday was a cool day in the 70s with low clouds and easterly breezes, not at all the 85 forecasted. Thomas, good bear story. I checked game cams yesterday and we still have a couple moving around here...seen no cubs, though. Hiked Dell to the river for a swim...

Real pretty. Seneca? Nice sounding "campsite."

72 up to 85 and maybe a storm, since we missed our turn yesterday. Roasted coffee for a couple of hours yesterday morning and met the fiber internet tech in the yard at 1pm sharp...right on time. The phone company had laid the fiber on our ground for a few hundred yards from the pole up the...

72 and muggy, going to 96. Prayers, Buppies...it really is a tough time for you both. Ken, your milkweed looks good...ours have mostly finished blooming. Wew're sending our monarhs your way. Took the short trail to the river so Della could take a nice swim. I went in to my knees and found a...

76 going to 101. Hit 100.5 again yesterday. Did my usual hike to the river and let Della swim early. Kai's Kia was parked, but we never saw them on the trail (Della's playmate). There are two ways to get to the river, so 50/50 chance. Decided to go ahead and mow in the heat...3.5 hours, but...

92 heading to 100...hit 101.5 yesterday. Congratulations to Don and wife for 50 years of marriage! Nice way to celebrate. Ken, smart bumper. Worked on cleaning out the washer drain pipe again yesterday. Found a clean out to bypass the trap and fed all 25 feet of my snake cable 3 times. Hoping...

Hit 100 yesterday, and forecasted today through Wednesday. Phil, sorry you lost a good friend. Hope you are feeling better. Buppies, Precious looks happy at home. Hope the nurse situation gets better, and with Holly. Ken, sounds like a rough patch. You deserve a break. Had a good hike with...

Yes, clump clean up time.

Hot, going to real hot. Glad days are getting shorter. Scotty, Kathleen looks like she is in paradise on that deck...Pinot Grigio? Glad you got Precious back home, Buppies. Our internet is down...modem died , just days before we are switching to fiber. Long story. Got grass mowed and string...

70 going to 92. Just so bright outside already at 5:40am. Happy Birthday Ron! Enjoy! Scotty, glad you are feeling better. Went to the mountains to work on my Shenandoah 500. Hiked a couple of shorter trails and enjoyed chatting with some other hikers...one guy's trail name is Popeye, and his...

Sorry about you stones, Scotty. Hope things get better soon.

68 and more rain overnight...drizzled all day yesterday. Heading to 85, then 90s next few days. Mostly, Della has been great since that one episode...took her hiking the last 2 days. Best guess on her strange behavior was eating something toxic. Ron, we'll share our gray squirrels with...

Buppies, I hope things are going better and you were able to pick up your new pup.

Happy Father's Day! Enjoy! Will be a rainy one here...68 going to 78...went outside a little while ago and it's pretty steamy.

Happy Flag Day and Happy 250th Birthday of our wonderful US Army! [emoji631] This B-29 Superfortress flew over our house low yesterday...so loud I heard it over the diesel mower and deck at top rpm with headphones on...probably headed to the big Military Parade in our nation's Capital today.

71 going to 87. Yesterday was a repeat...hike to the river and swim, then mow for 3 hours before the thunderstorms got here. I let AI pick out my playlist and it named it Mow-Jamz Vol 1...all Cumbia and Ska. Volume 2 will be Helen O'Connell and '40s big band tunes. Volume 3 will be Junior...

67 going to 88. Probably rain later. Need to mow since like L4N, didn't get to it yesterday. Took my wife to Tex-Mex, and then grocery shopping at several stores. One was Wegmans, where they had some of the same landscape planting you are doing, Buppies...lots of butterflies and bees...hope all...

64 going to 92, our hottest day this year, so far. Get well, Phil! Ron, never seen wild turkey poults that small. Great photo. Yesterday was Della's day to hike and swim...saw some interesting mushrooms after all the rain...and 1 snake. We took a mid-day break and watched the last 2 episodes...

63 to 88...but less humidity. Would go to the mountains, but their forecast is "Widespread Haze" which I have never seen on the NWS site. I think their particulate count is high due to the Canada smoke at higher elevations. Beautiful sunrise pic, ganzer. Roasted 3 coffees yesterday. Drinking a...

70 going to 84, maybe more rain. Congrats Scotty. Sorry about your gazebo. Did a dump run, hike and swim, and then off to get gas and diesel...surprised that there was 20 cent/gallon difference between neighboring gas stations. I stopped at the first, was not happy when I drove a couple blocks...

Scotty, nice job on that gazebo. Thomas, you need to develop a Bear IQ test, and see if Scotty is really smarter that NuBoo.

BEF, sounds like you had a nice family visit like we did, and we got caught in a huge t-storm driving 30mph, too, but fortunately we were off the interstate and only 15 miles from home. I don't turn on my flashers, because when I'm behind someone with theirs on, it's harder to tell when they are...

68 and light fog, going to 87. Ron still amazed that pileateds come to your feeders. Like you and Buppies, we had our first fawn spotting last week. A pair were doing zoomies in our field as their mom watched. One was especially energetic, bucking like a bronco and then head butting its...

69 and just stopped raining. Going to 78. Kyle, Happy Birthday to your daughter! Your wife is a master cake maker. Yesterday was a typical Della hike, swim and mow for 2 hours.

66 and wet, going to 83. Nice land and view, FWT. Hope the deal works out. Picked a homesite yet? Got a little seat time yesterday, moving my firewood box, the pallet of wood I split, and moving a big flat rock to use as a step...something my wife wanted. Unfortunately, I did it all between...

63 and a little ground fog, going to 85, and another tick up of the humidity level. Buppies, that's scary about Holly taking off. You might need a security system with a code to get out through the doors. Grass was so wet from dew yesterday, decided to use the cool morning for a hike and swim...

These sound like a beautiful planting that will also be good for the pollinators.

62 going to 83. Already getting light outside. Scotty, hope that plumbing issue is easy to fix. No fun. Don, nice job on that streambed. Kyle, there were a few things in the barn that my wife brought home, but most of the "good stuff" we had already been cleaned out, except my FIL's tools. I...

Been in the upper 40s last 3 mornings...great weather. Since I got all the mowing and most of the trimming done monday, took Della hiking in the mountains for the first time in a month...since she had spaying surgery. Hiked from the eastern boundary to the western boundary over the mountain and...

Yep, me, too. Neither my wife nor her younger brother live close by. He grew up there, but she had moved out as an adult before they bought the farm. As their dad grew older, he knew he would not keep farming it, so planted trees on most of the farm that wasn't already forest. He was a...

46 heading to 76 and low humidity :) . Kyle, glad things are looking better for your mom. Terrible about that Golden. Phil, real nice gift for Buppies. When I was a teenager, always wanted a TR6. My big sister had a Spitfire for a while, before I had a license, but I got to drive it once...

65 and showers, going to 79. Buppies, glad your leg is healing and you have Holly comfortable at home. Got caught in the rain while hiking Della to the river...it was too high for her to swim, so we went to a side stream.

56 some fog, but rain stopped. 76 tops it out later.

We made a Costco run in the rain...plenty of other folks had the same idea, but everything moved smoothly...skipped lunch this time, but just about ate enough free samples to make up for it. Needed to make a business stop, too. Gas $2.84.

56 and steady rain, hard at times. Going to 66. Glad I took Della for a hike and swim yesterday before this rain got here.

Sitting in the waiting room at the Toyota dealership getting my annual free state inspection. Already walked around and drooled on the new models...new, same model Tundra is $22K more than mine 9 years ago. I'm in no hurry to change. Stopped at our favorite Chinese for lunch.

Gratitude to the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and their families. Thank you for our freedom. 56 and a sprinkle going to 70. PJ, congrats on the new truck. Looks sporty. Nice Sassy pic. Took Della for a hike and swim...first time in the water since...

43 earlier when feeding the birds. Grass is as wet as after a rain from the dew. Real nice morning. Skies so clear and blue. Real good looking pup, Buppies. What are you gonna call him/her? Happy, congrats on your bridge crossing! Roasted 3 batches of coffee Friday while things were still...

54 going to 72. Felt great outside doing morning chores. Happy, your project looks like it is really coming along. BEF, great train pix. Ashland is our closest big town and has a couple of restaurants with dining right by the tracks, and an Amtrak station that is quite popular. Fun to watch...

57 and drizzle. Going to 74 and windy. Rained/drizzled all day, so did inside stuff, including "weeding" a file cabinet drawer of about a 4" stack of old papers. Now much easier to file necessary records. BEF, deck looking good, and wow, those strawberries!

57 and raining, going to 65. Yesterday was another perfect weather day. About 30 years ago planted 2 hemlock trees...bare root things about a foot high. They are nice size now, and I really enjoy them. This spring I was amazed to find wooly adelgids on them...an unfortunate tiny insect pest...

50 going to 74. Now that's sweet! Finished the pavers yesterday and have one of the planters filled and my wife is enjoying designing her flowers. Got some bush hogging to do today.

52 earlier, now 72 going to 80. Sunny and too nice to be inside. But nursing a painful wrist and foot. Got all the paving stones for the raised bed planters laid yesterday, but we redesigned, so need 5 more...also bought more sand than needed so 1 bag is going back...will trade for 5 stones and...

Saw this slime mold next to the mulched flower bed near the front porch this morning. Wasn't there last night...walk right by this spot frequently. Google says it's called dog vomit mold, or scrambled egg mold...harmless, even eaten by some cultures. Decided we'd just have regular scrambled...

63 rising to 80. Lots of wind and blue sky yesterday after the rain. Scott, glad your family is enjoying the cruise. Thomas, sorry your driveway washed out. Rain was so hard a couple of days ago that Shenandoah closed many trails and the state closed nearby roads due to washouts. Mostly...

63 going to 88. Delayed taking Della out, since raining now, had hail at 4am...went outside to eyeball the size...1/2 inch. Scotty, congrats on the certification. Senior Prom Day! Ken, hope he has a blast. Mowed for 2.5 hours yesterday, until a shower ran me in. Got most done...had to dodge 2...

63 heading to 90. Maybe a storm late today...yesterday's missed us, but am glad. Grass growing an inch a day, so need to mow, but it never dried yesterday. Maybe today. I gave my wife a couple of raised bed planters, so picked up some bags of soil for them yesterday and will assemble and fill...

63 going to 83. Still really wet. 90 tomorrow? My hike yesterday wasn't the same without Della, but I did see her playmate, Kai, who had been swimming in the flooded river. I took Della for several long walks here, but not to the Battlefield park for another week.

63 and foggy. Going to 77 and maybe more this afternoon. Fields are flooded in low spots. Took it easy yesterday, caring for Della.

Do you wish you had that Morris back? I didn't see many but always thought they had charm. Not count my wife's vehicles, I've had 6 cars/trucks in 49 years.

65 and rain, going to 70, and flash flood watch. Lots of inside chores today. After dropping Della off at the vet for spaying, came home and mowed the remainder of the grass and trails. Sure glad I got it done before this rainy week began. Used the grapple to move some brush and then took it...

54 heading to 75, but big rain on the way. Hope all mom's were well treated yesterday. I did my best. Sitting at vet office waiting for 7:30 opening. Della gets spayed today...nearly 14 months old, so it's time. But it means no big hikes for 10 days to 2 weeks. Of course, other than skipping...

41 going to 74 and sunshine. Nice. Had over 1.5 in of rain so may not get mowing finished today. Lots of other things to do. Roasted 3 coffees yesterday. Letting them rest before trying them.

60 after some t-storms last night. Likely more rain today creeping up to 64. Nice to hear from you, RS. Took my wife to breakfast yesterday, then a Costco run, grocery store. Got home and Della said: what about me? Took her for a hike and swim, and then mowed until I was afraid I was gonna...

I added a token of appreciation and remembrance as many have before me.

One of the highlights of my hike was paying my respects to Audie Murphy at the monument erected where his plane crashed in 1971. He was the most decorated soldier in WWII, earning 3 Purple Hearts, Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Bronze Stars, 2 Silver Stars, and the Medal of Honor among...

54 and a little ground fog about a foot high. Going to 80 and low chance of rain. Buppies, I'm so happy for you and Holly. I was thinking of you two as I drove through Catawba from Craig Creek yesterday. Prayers said for you both and the nurses. BEF, deck is looking great. LS, sorry about...

61 and foggy. Heading to 77 and probably rain. LS, praying for Dona. PJ, hope the ESWL blast job took care of it. Never had a stone but sounds painful. Sodamo, sounds like Makana is a great addition to the family. Hike and swim yesterday and then changed the oil in my wife's Highlander.

62 and a good rain, going to 76. A few bolts of lightning last night. BEF, your fixed up deck is gonna be perfect for those chairs. Kyle, your drake looks happy. Nice pond. I cut so many cedar posts that I had quite a few left over from the grape arbor rebuild. I cleared out an area of...

68 to 86, maybe rain. We need it, too. Pond looks real nice, Ron. Mowed most everything yesterday. Still have a couple of trails to do. Wife went with me and Della for a hike to the river. Then lunch and a few groceries. There was a group of Search and Rescue Dog folks/dogs practicing at the...

68 to 87. Hoping for rain. Nice job on your bridge, Happy. Nice outing with my wife...took her to dentist, lunch at Torchy's and Costco run. Forgot to say that I got a nice email from Shenandoah NP about the parking situation, and they put a special Alert on their website warning folks.

61 going to 87. Feels good outside now, but gonna get too hot later. Happy May Day! Thomas, glad NuBoo is becoming a friend. We've had several bears pass through here this spring, including one that came up on the front porch and posed for the Eufy cam. Finally finished the entire grape arbor...

47 going to 83. Sodamo, congrats on the new girl. Mostly, the sheriff came and authorized the tow. Interesting that I didn't get a parking ticket. Yesterday morning was 39F, so hauled butt to the mountains to test out my newest parking technique...perfectly between the white lines in the SNP...

44 going to 72 and sunny. Mostly, hope you're feeling better today. Caught up on some chores yesterday, like mowing trimming and helping my wife with her flower garden. Didn't drive my truck today...it's on probation.

Well, they said they thought I was legal, and they had parked in the same spot where my truck had been. They said SNP would look into it. It is not their jurisdiction, so they are sort of victims, too...they were carrying lots of trail maintenance equipment, so it will be a long road hike for...

Nice swimming hole, wildflowers, smoke across the Shenandoah River, and still winter high up.

64 going to 80...a little shower last night, probably more today. Don, congrats on the raise! Daily strawberries sounds good, too. Phil, glad your wife is on the mend with her tooth. My truck went to jail. Here's the story... Thursday, I left at sunrise to do a day hike into a Shenandoah NP...

Scotty, good idea to wait to open your pool...here's what the river looked like Monday...Flowers from the Beech trees... Forgot to post these pix of a different Beech tree that the windstorm blew over last week...

55 going to 76. Feels good outside. Ken, nice truck...I guess you'll take it to pick up a load of mulch today? 😁 More prayers for you guys, Buppies and Holly. Rip, we've had active moles all winter...I wonder if the 17-year cicada grubs have gotten big and allowed them to spike in...

62 heading to 82. Phil, real nice looking machine. Can't wait to see your first project. Worked on the grape arbor and made good progress. Also cut 3 more cedar posts from an old dead cedar. Made a dump run and hiked to the river for a Della swim, and she got to play with 2 black Labs along...

Buppies, I'm happy you are getting a pup...especially a Lab. I got a personalized collar from Chewy that has Della's name and my cell phone number stitched into it...holding up real well.

Happy Easter!

69 heading to 86. Need to get out there early before it heats up. Still working on my grape arbor...pulled out one post. Enlarged the post hole and replaced it. Cut and notched a nice long cedar piece for the horizontal. Got some help for my wife getting that in position around some grape...

Hiked down and back up from the bottom of this canyon. Such a beautiful place this time of year.

39 going to 79 and sunny. BEF, nice that you drive that far to help your MIL, and such a nice route to take. I was up there yesterday...Hiked Big Devil Stairs and on a couple of other trails.

Maybe he'll become New Boo.

32 going to 64. Another freeze won't be good...the one last week killed off the buds/blooms on the pecans. Buppies, glad you are feeling better and Holly had a friend visit. BEF, nice pic up in the mountains. Where'd you go? Hope your dad is doing well. We've had male hummingbirds for...

39 going to 64. Terribly windy yesterday and less wind today. Buppies, that's rotten luck to get sick with all that you are handling. Hope you're better soon. Those old cars sound wonderful. Always fun to see them at a car show. Don, glad you are pleased with the repairs to your truck. It...

Buppies, sure hope you'll have more good days with Holly. Prayers for you two.

40 here in the turkey blind. Hope I see one as nice as yours, Ron. Had a 1 mile hike in, but bright moonlight this morning made it easy. Slept well in the tent, but some far off dog didn't, and tried to keep me up with him. Son and friend hunting about a half mile away. The each got a gobbler in...

So sorry for your loss, Mostly.

48 and raining. Will stay rainy all day and go to 56. Sorry you're in a rough shape, Phil. Hope those hands can get back to woodworking soon. Buppies, hope you can bring Holly home soon. Tough not having your best friend and the love of your life with you. Praying for you guys. Made a Costco...

40 going to 62. Yesterday's freeze did a number on our azaleas and apples and other plants. Mostly, prayers for your brother. Lou, I'm with you on the knee pads when I go under our house. Hope you get good results from your therapy. Took Della for a hike and swim. Met a new dog. Then later...

25 and heavy frost, going to 57. Woodstove feels good this morning. Wife happy I built a fire last night. She is sick again after babysitting our granddaughter for a couple of days. Since I shared her bubble tea using the same huge straw, I'm worried I might be next. Also doesn't help that we...

42 going to 53. But sunny finally after about an inch and a half of rain. Prayers for your brother, Mostly. Took my wife to town yesterday...to pick up a new coffee grinder and grab some Torchy's queso and tacos. Had a good time strolling around the mall, window shopping for the most...

52 and raining going to 53. Don, real sorry about your loss of your BIL. Hope you weren't injured in the wreck. Took the day off yesterday and it felt good.

71 earlier...now sunny and going to 79 with rain coming in late. Prayers for Dona and Kyle’s mom. Kyle, your kids are growing up so fast. Hope your son's injury is fully healed. Phil, nice work as usual...I had to look up Limba wood...never heard of it. Took Della for a hike and swim early...

59 going to 85. had a nice rain last night, maybe another today. LS, good to hear from you and glad Dona is improving. Real nice truck and the deal sounds good. Happy Anniversary, Mr and Mrs BEF! Cool face on your tree. Well springtime hit hard yesterday...1st hummingbird...apples and pears...

70 going to 79, maybe rain later. Scotty, deck progress looking good. Sounds like your stepdaughter knows how to feed a hungry man, Mostly. Caught a blacksnake under the house and took him out to the field on the edge of where I had just bush hogged. Went back in 15 minutes and it had already...

Hope you get it fixed. That stove shape and window looks almost identical to our old wood burning stove, a Vermont Castings Resolute we bought in 1980...except ours was black cast iron.

I have often used a flashlight to search for something even when there is plenty of light...seems to make me more slowly focus on a spot rather than skimming over quickly. Glad you found it.

55 going to 81...cloudy and windy. Had a scare this morning...the coffee grinder didn't work. I took it apart and cleaned it. Worked great...12 years old so I was afraid the motor was burned out. I guess it has been a while since I gave it a good cleaning. Coffee tastes extra good after the...

35 going to 63. Buppies, glad you had some good time with Holly. Hoping for more. You two Deck Brothers are making good progress! Spent most of yesterday cutting cedar down and limbing. Brought a nice, and hopefully final load of 10 to 25 foot lengths up on the tractor. Had to hand carry them...

50 going to 61. Good t-storm late yesterday. Thomas, sorry about that ice damage. Ice storms aren't common there, are they? I'm still working on a number of things, but the grape arbor has most of my attention. Yesterday my wife drove me to an early eye doctor appointment for annual check...

66 going to 79. The grape arbor rehab is still my main project. Brought another big load of cedar posts from the woods and a load of firewood. When starting on the arbor, the corner post had sagged inward when one of the horizontal bearers rotted. Had to use the tractor and the truck to pull...

Here's the first, test load of longer cedar pieces. I rigged a pallet on the carry all to strap them down. Worked well.

62 going to 83. Buppies, sure hope you can get some sleep and Holly improves. Friend, good luck on that land purchase. Scotty, glad you figured out how to make the best of the trex measurement problem. You and BEF are motivating me to install a deck...we don't have one, but my wife would sure...

All the snow has melted except on the ski slopes. False hellebore sprouting.

Happy Opening Day of Major League Baseball! My fantasy teams are mostly healthy and ready to play. Was a frosty 32 earlier and the birdbaths were ice skating rinks for the birds while the forsythias and daffodils were surrounding them with color. Should see 60 later. I use one of these bed...

47 going to 62. A nice soft rain yesterday. Prayers for your BIL, Mostly...and for Holly. Scotty, I see you visited Patchogue. That's where my youngest son lives. Hope Mrs. Sophie had a great birthday!...and Dad of BEF. Happy BD today to Mom of Fuddy. Kyle, happy BD to your son, and glad he...

We bought a pair for Myla's parents through Costco, but I can't remember whether they were Lazy Boy brand. They worked great and never had a problem.

42 and breezy, going to 60. Good rain yesterday afternoon. BEF, are GRK screws special or just another brand of deck screw? I had not seen them before. I have always used just plain star drive deck screws. Scotty, with all that for, are you sure the ferry didn't take you to London instead of...

I saw a bat fly up from the ground as I approached a tree. Got down from the tractor and went around the other side and saw this.

47 to 74. Rain this afternoon. Thomas, how were those burgers? I know that cigar was good. Buppies, good to hear the update on Holly. Prayers. Cut a load of firewood yesterday. Had to make a new path through the woods into an area where there are several trees to cut. In my younger days I...

Watched the splash down and recovery. Was amazing...happy for the rescued astronauts. 101...wow! Will you get a recording of the TV interview?

The pix makes it look smaller, but this waterfall is 83' high.

33 going to 77...a big jump. Ken, condolences and prayers for your family. Buppies, hang in there...Glad you are talking to us. Taking that 5.5 out on the Parkway will make you feel better! Took Della on a birthday mountain hike yesterday (1 yr old on St. Patrick's Day). Combined several...

Happy Birthday Phil!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Don't forget to wear your green! Great pix, Scotty. 58 and dropping to low 50s now that the cold front has moved through. Fortunately, we got only mild wind and rain from the big storm, but some areas east of us got 6.8 inches of rain. Thanks for the positive...

Breezy and warm 61, going to 71 and stormy. Thomas, sounds like a real nice grill. Enjoy! Scotty, tell your wife we think it's a beautiful Saint Patrick's Day table setting. Did you serve corned beef and cabbage or Irish stew? We had Shepherd's Pie for pi day (3.14). BEF, nice work on the...

45 going to 63. Still having easterly cool damp breeze. Buppies. Glad you got to talk with Holly. Prayers continue. Scotty, I need more cowbell! and exclamation points! Sorry vacation ended early, Sodamo. RNG, I love those interior 360 walk throughs...always makes the rooms look enormous...

41 going to 58. Yesterday had an unusual easterly cool wind all day. Felt like the beach in winter. Rip, that's a huge tree. White oak or yellow poplar or something else? Scotty, nice porches. Leeches. I had never seen one until a couple of years ago when I finished swimming in the river and...

40 working up to 64. Cloudy. Prayers for you and Holly, Buppies. Worked outside for half a day clearing brush and small trees from an area that has been encroaching on my lespedeza patch. Also plan to plant some elderberries there today. Put the chain saw, loppers, brush blade, pole saw and...

43 going to 71. Hate to say it, but I could use another month of winter to catch up on my winter chores, and maybe another snow or two to play in. Lou, hope your special diet isn't too bad. Glad you are feeling better. Owls woke me up this morning. So, I went outside to hear them even better...

29 going to 72. Happy 311 Day. Lou, sure hope you are feeling better and get better news from oncology. Buppies, you did the right thing for Holly. Prayers for her improvement. Yesterday, I think I worked about as long and hard outside as I've done in a while. Cleaned up one of my wife's...

31 heading to 65. Ken, prayers for your dad and uncle. Prayers for Ted and Dona. Kyle, perfect clock. Hope your mom is doing okay after her fall. Ron, interesting looking feeder...don't recall one with a roof like that. Our goldfinches are getting color back, too. Mostly, saved only about...

27 going to 60. Great news, Buppies...prayers for a good outcome and bright future. Kyle, glad you got out for a nice ride...sounds like you've been under a lot of stress. I kicked the Diet Pepsi/Coke addiction about 20 years ago and haven't had one, or any other soda since...hope you can...

36 going to 58. Scotty, the chair is looking great. Looks like a hard project. Took Della for a hike and swim. The parks department had a big crew working to tow heavy 2x6x16 treateds back 2 miles to rebuild the deck on a viewing platform. They were using a small one axle "trailer" that...

My wife just told me she knows a woman who's sister demonstrated similar behavior and was diagnosed with a thyroid problem. Obviously just a guess on my part, but in case your wife hasn't had her thyroid checked. Here's what I found when I looked it up... "Thyroid problems can significantly...

27 going to 55 and sunny. Scotty, it does look cozy. I fired up my woodstove late yesterday so it would be warm when my wife returned from babysitting overnight at our granddaughter's house. Hadn't burned it in a while with the up and down temps, but yesterday's strong wind added an...

Here's a couple pix from my hike. That's not me on the rock.

44 going to 51. Lots of wind and rain yesterday, neither of which we needed right now. Prayers continue for you and your wife, Buppies. Fuddy, great job on those barn doors! Phil, will you get your money back if the company declared bankruptcy? I went backpacking on the Appalachian Trail...

18 going to 47. When the boys were younger, we'd clear the brush out at the bottom of the hill to make a great landing for sledding down our hill...There was one tree that was a problem if you didn't make the turn at the bottom, so I tied an old foam mattress around it...it really helped one...

23 and breezy, going to 44. Scotty and L4N, I love your snow pix. Sledding was always a big deal here when the boys were kids. Cut a load of firewood yesterday...seemed a lot harder when the temp was in the 60s than when in the 40s. Then took Della to the battlefield forest for a hike.

42 clear and calm, going to 64 and windy. Scotty, love that woodstove and steamer. Paper birch trees are beautiful. Sassy looks great. Happy Birthday. Buppies, hope you get that area looking food again. Some ideas, if you want to avoid planting trees near your house include forsythia, red...

42 going to 58. Never got the promised rain yesterday, just a short spell of spitting. Nice crane photo, Ron. New glasses/better vision is a great reason to celebrate, Sodamo! Roasted 3 new varieties of coffee yesterday...should be in good shape for a while.

I love these shaking off pix.

53 currently, higher than the normal high temp of the day. Feels good outside. Should get up to 67 before the showers get here at noon. Kyle, good luck to your son on his track meet. Sorry his hip is bothering him. Ken, congrats to your son for working hard in high school to get accepted at...

31 going to 68 and sunny. Gotta admit, it's feeling great outside the last few days. I love snow and cold, but needed this change. Even heard the first gobbles of the year behind my house yesterday before sunrise. Daffodil buds were so swollen yesterday, I'm sure some will open today. Prayers...

35 going to 66 and sunny. NHBX, our smelly skunk was out yesterday morning. I went out with the flashlight but couldn't find him. Mostly, I didn't see any fish in the pond, but did see a couple of beer cans. :( Spent some time with son and granddaughter before they left for home. Gave my...

Here's a couple pix of the hike. Longest hike so far for Della.

25 going to 59 and sunny. Kyle, hope you kids are getting well. Cool ice...never seen that. I use AI nearly every day, but have found it is only about 70% accurate...sometimes glaring errors...usually with coaxing it will come to the right answer...but it is extremely helpful on some matters...

Happy Birthday George Washington! Should be a national holiday. Used to be. Here's a little tidbit about him...Contrary to popular belief, George Washington's dentures were not made of wood. They were crafted from various materials, including human and animal teeth, ivory, and metal. A few of...

14 going to 44 and sunny. Already light outside...spring will get here one day. Great job, Ron. Lot of work paid off. Buppies, that's a lot of damage. Glad you got your power back. Spike, sounds like a good reorg plan. Son coming today with granddaughter...DIL went to Colorado to go...

Got to wondering when the crocus would bloom this year. Went over and found this one. Last year it bloomed on February 4th...much colder this year.

19 going to 41, and sunshine. Much of the snow melted...more today. Thomas, homemade donuts sound good. Buppies, glad your generator is working out. Still a lot of extra work and attention required. Often, we complain about the IRS...easy to do...but I have a nice story...I needed to obtain a...

Ken, prayers for your father and family.

Snowed all day from before light through dusk...but very fine, so only 2" but much more at the other end of our county and 12 at the Beach. 22 now eventually climbing to 32. I finally got the tax and financial statements mailed yesterday after 2 failed attempts...1st time on Saturday morning...

Looks like they're fighting but they were playing so well. They wore each other out.

20 and light snow going to 25 and maybe 2-4 inches by this afternoon. Great squirrel in the snow, Ron. Phil, sorry about that finger. Hope being left-handed isn't too tough for you. I am a southpaw, but often do things right-handed since it is a right-handed world. Wow, Buppies, that's a long...

Felt good outside with no wind this morning. 26 heading to 41. Local weather men have dropped our snow forecast tomorrow from 12" to 2" in one day...looks like Norfolk and the Beach are getting the 12 incher. We love snow, but the ground is still too wet so I'd rather get a big one in March.

I wasn't familiar with CO levels, so looked it up...250 is scary! Glad you discovered it.

Most of our snow has melted since it got up to 63F yesterday.

33 going to 43...still windy. Gusts to 61 at the little local airport. We lost power while we were eating dinner with my son...so had battery "candlelight" until power was restored about 15 minutes later. We were lucky...over 11,000 of our coop customers lost power...many more down in Dominion...

Sorry to hear this..that's really bad.

40 and drizzle going to 62 and more rain. We are a pond. Had a good family gathering yesterday.

34 and found out it is overcast when I went outside to see the Space Station fly by. Going up to 40 but lots of rain coming. Kyle, prayers for your mom. You're a good son. Ron, I know you miss her...I bet she was a very special lady. Didn't do much for Valentine's with my 1st love...she was...

I also tried to take Della for a hike back in the woods yesterday, and had to turn around at the creek since it was up higher on the bridge than my boot tops.

25 going to 42. Still some snow...got very slushy yesterday...lots of thinly flooded areas from melt and now frozen when I went outside a few minutes ago. Don... "The Poolbot Kidnap Caper." Phil, beautiful work. Didn't you make your wife a Valentine's piece a while back? I made my wife a...

35 and melting, especially after getting .6" of rain yesterday/last night. Snow depth is still at 4.5" and driveway is a slushy mess. Never froze under the snow. Sunshine is promised before end of the day. Scotty, have a safe trip home!

I saw that our road had been plowed, so walked up there to shovel the ice balls that the plow leaves along the roadside, blocking driveways and mailboxes. Last snow there were only 3 basketball sized ice balls to move, so I took the closest shovel I could find this morning...my wife's little 4"...

I was surprised when I went out and measured our snow...7.5" inches. I guess it snowed some more last night. BEF, Covington reported 16" and Millboro 13" so I bet your old lot was at least a foot.

We had the park to ourselves in the snow. I'm glad we finished our hike before the snow got too deep. Beech trees hold their leaves through winter, providing a bit of color. Della likes to splash in this creek.

30 and some sleet falling now. Snow topped out at 6 inches and then turned to sleet. Forecast is for freezing rain and sleet today, then 3/4 in. of rain. Scotty, sorry about your friend. Very sad when that happens.

We've gotten 6 inches so far...still coming down. I drove to the Battlefield park about 2pm...roads bad coming home.

M7040, sorry for your loss.

29 and snow is supposed to arrive early morning and go all day. Forecasts vary, but generally 6 to 10. Brought some firewood onto the porch, but probably need more. Haven't seen the skunk again, but had a pair of raccoons out there this morning. Bright moon when I went out to talk to...

35 foing to 44..a few flurries out there now. The local weather guys differ in their forecast, but call for up to 8 in of snow tomorrow. Had a good hike to the river, increased weight in my pack. Della got wet, of course. Tried to watch the game but kept finding something else that I needed to...

36 and clear, except some ground fog. Got about a quarter inch of snow and sleet early, but then temp hovered at 33F all day, so never got anything but rain. Glad no ice, but standing water in some of the fields. Mostly, I used to have dogs in my path while biking, but glad I never encountered...

I bought these micro-spikes at Costco a few years ago and have used them on icy trails with great success. They pull on using stretchy rubber and haven't come off, as long as stretched up on the toe properly.

36 and drizzling, maybe some snow mixed in. I went out to run a skunk off. Next time it will be a more serious discussion. Not getting any warmer today. Great looking dog, Rip. My wife bought eggs at Wegman's yesterday...18 for 5.98. She also bought a 24 pack at Sam's for 8.24. Not as bad as...

47 going to 55. Squishy outside...nearly fell over when I stepped on a mole hill last night that caved in while walking Della. Big squirt of water came out. Creek is running about 6 inches over my bridge. Glad I wore Mucks when taking her back in the woods yesterday. Was funny to see the...

We had thunder during a snowstorm a couple years back in February, but don't remember a regular t-storm until 2 days ago.

Phil, congrats on that award...that really is a nice piece. Had one big bolt of lightning and thunder clap earlier. Nearly an inch of rain...saw where some places in western Virginia got nearly 2 inches.

33 all night and been raining a lot, so no ice. (y) Daffodils are up about 3 inches already from the couple of warm days. Wood stove cranking out the heat. Son came by to pick up and drop off some things yesterday. Good but quick visit. Today will be a good day to get back to work on the...

Della was glad all of the ice was gone...loves retrieving sticks, of course.

38, the high for today...Looks like an ice storm coming. Ron, thanks for posting the Bird info and link. Incredible man...will be missed. Wag, I just finally read about Launie...very impressive place. Yesterday got some more "spring" cleaning done in the house and then took Della to the river.

Scotty, have a safe trip! 1st class for a classy guy. We'll keep the cold air up here for you.

52 heading to 62 before another dip below freezing tonight. Get well soon, Ken and Mostly! Hope you had a better day, Buppies. PJ, sorry the fox has out-foxed you (so far!). I had another sneeze attack this morning - 12...but I am done cleaning out my office...removed everything yesterday...

32 going to 67! Hope Kathleen had a great birthday! Finished going through 40 years of files and stuff yesterday and then a dump run and hike to the river . Woke up sneezing 14 times, likely the paper dust.

Ron, sorry about your friend. Glad you had a chance to help him out.

Your Phil is not even gonna come out in that cold...he'll see his shadow from the light of his fireplace. 😁

I've been lengthening Della's hike as she has gotten older. Her longest so far is 8+ climbing a mountain, but usually at the river we do 4-5 since it has limited trails. My longest one-day recently is 16 when I was completing a section of the AT called the Rollercoaster in Northwestern...

23 going to 41.,,chilly groundhogs. Cleaned out the woodstove and fired it up yesterday. Wife happy when she got home. Buppies, that sounds like a rough night. Prayers sent. Spent most of day cleaning out office...old files, and I mean old. Throwing out a lot of stuff that seemed so...

First time she wanted to walk on the ice...very shallow there...knee deep. Was warm enough that I was ready to step in and help if the ice broke.

Thomas, sorry about your Buick. Hope the snow's not too big a problem for you. Got lots of rain here, but there was still snow/ice in some shady areas when I went hiking with Della at sunset yesterday. Also hiked to the river and all of the ice was clear except one patch in the cove. Went to...

47, the high for the day. Buppies, glad to see the Cahas Mtn fire is nearly contained. That's a big one.

...and INK! 😁 Congrats on the new truck.

40 going to 61. Snow/ice still on ground in shady areas, was still some on the roof yesterday, but now gone. Buppies, glad you got a good nap. I might need one today. I had to take Della out at 2:30am after she threw up...probably ate something while hiking in the park off-lease. She can smell...

32 going to 59. Heatwave! FWT, that's a nice story about your dad and his special sailboat. I didn't even know Boston Whaler made one. I hope you can find some land. I guess I had some extra money to throw away...I had both the HVAC man and the plumber here yesterday. HVAC had a leak in the...

31 going to 51. Ken sorry about your burst pipe. Understandable...our weatherman said this has been the 6th coldest January on record. I'm dealing with another plumbing issue, too. LS, prayers for you and Dona. Good to hear from you. Ron, never eaten walleye, but have wanted to try them. Our...