Good Morning!!!! 47F @ 5:45AM.
A mix of clouds and sun. High 64F. Winds light and variable.
That range setup of your neighbor's would give me a lot of concern, Frits. Those rocks will cause ricochets and sparks in that dry grass will start a fire. I see an uncomfortable conversation in your near future, and I hope it doesn't get confrontational. Getting the sheriff on it is a good idea, so far that's worked for me. Bummer about the continuing chainsaw challenge. Good luck sorting it out.
Gee thanks, Phil. Just had to wipe the drool off my chin...
One of the dives I lived in back in my Ohio State days was a Victorian half double with a gravity furnace. The furnace didn't have a fan; it worked by hot air rising from the basement. It also had ancient wood windows in it that would billow out when the wind blew. My roommate and I had very little money, certainly not enough to feed that gas furnace. We cobbled together some wooden frames that would fit the inside of the windows and filled them with pink fiberglass insulation covered with plastic. We put them in every window and stuffed the cracks with newspapers. The place looked like a crypt inside, but it kept the faucets from freezing and us, too.
When I broke my wrist, Doug, the first cast wouldn't let me touch my thumb and index finger. It ended up being too tight, and when they replaced it, I made sure that the thumb could reach my index finger. The doctor didn't seem to care one way or another, but it was a real boon to me.
Got a coat of paint on the red bike's swingarm, so that might get put back together today.
The orchard visit was almost a nogo, as we couldn't find the entrance. No sign, the GPS was off, and their voicemail was full and not accepting messages. On the last trip by I spotted a table up a driveway with what looked like boxes on it, and that turned out to be it. We poked around at the table for a few minutes before a gal about our age came out and started to tell us about her apples. Granny Smiths and Black Thorn. Then there were the walnuts, which were hulled but not shelled. They lost the old sheller in the Camp Fire, along with their home and lots of equipment, and the replacement sheller wasn't very good. But it was still much better than banging the shells open with a hammer, so we spent fifteen minutes working five pounds of nuts through it. The GS apples weren't as tart as I'd have liked, so we'll find out this morning how they taste in a pie. And in an apple crisp, via a
recipe I found on the Jim Beam website.
Then it was off to a grocery store, also in Paradise, CA, for some last minute spices and heavy whipping cream. Also found a 12-pack of Modello Negra on sale, so of course had to give it a new home. Isles were crowded with people, and displays that blocked a third of the isle were no help, either. I think we got the last cart, and it was one of those tiny mini jobs. Filled it fuller than we should have.
Then it was off to a new-to-me Thai restaurant for lunch. The menu was six pages long; I've never seen so many red curry dishes. The food was excellent, just the right amount of heat and lots of flavor. And it seemed we'd jut got our coats off when the food was on the table. We have enough leftovers for lunch today.
Another campfire finished off the day. That oak and manzanita really takes the chill off.
