Heading Into The Frozen Hinterlands

[Amskeptic]

I have enjoyed Pensacola tremendously for its lolling-in-the-sun flavor, music in the park, several parades, and a picture perfect old southern Law Firm which has been a perfect work environment for some real focus on the task at hand. But now I must head north to do the Holiday Visits a little late the better which to avoid Holiday Traffic and Holiday Manic Advertising, and as for my usual Starbucks Holiday Music Fury, I have not been in a Starbucks for a whole year now. I will be hanging out in the Catskills until the end of February, drinking in the companionship of people who I love, yes, but who unexpectedly love me back. The cold is creeping in relentlessly as I head north.

I had to do a test fit of my new hood mascot:



Some of you may remember last winter's Cat Dilemma, where I had befriended a white cat who got all soft on me to the scorn of his half-feral cat friends. The dilemma is back:




Stopped by at my brother's. We discussed our Individual Evolution in the context of our Social Evolution in the context of our respective Business Evolutions in the context of our Current Political Climate.
Then we watched Elyseum, a what could have been promising movie starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, marred by Obviousness of its Polemics and a mawkish sub-plot.

Alexus has had no hiccups as yet. In this cold, I would as soon set it afire as fix it:



Currently on Interstate 75 northbound to visit Cindy and fam in my old stomping grounds of upstate New York. Then I shall visit my sister in Brooklyn and an old friend who I last saw in 1971 when I was 12. If there are photographs of us from then, I will post them with a current photograph of us. THEN I shall get to work stacking wood, cleaning out the wood stove, clearing the walk, doing some art for Ramona, and trying a different tack with my book. I shall write the next chapter (s) without interrupting the flow with all of the usual twelve-to-fifteen hour picture drawing marathons every two pages.
Colin

[hambone]

Safe travels out there.

[Jivermo]

"Mawkish"...great word! I sure appreciate a person who milks the language for its wonderful gems. I've always been partial to "miasma", although the opportunities to use it are few, and far between.

[Amskeptic]

16* this morning as I head from Rochester NY to Catskills to NYC for New Years Eve/Day. I have no photographs in these temperatures. I am cocooned in the Lexus, braving the elements only at gas stops. If the oil is low, I sure don't know about it. The tires, these poor Michelin X-Ice snow tires that have seen thousands upon thousands of miles of 80 mph interstate driving in 70-80* temperatures, are down to their wear bars (with eaten shoulders, too), but I must ask them to do real snow duty now. I ask only that they make it til Georgia where they will be permanently retired as I put on a set of Michelin Harmony SooperCushyOldManLexusPillowCushions.

Drive safe, folks! There are people who do not understand the Laws of Physics any more. They arm their kinetic bombs, then set to work putting on make-up, texting their best friends, and trying to control their Burger King SloppyFat SlitherGrease burger. Rules are, no ketchup on their Christmas sweater, even if it means a gory bleed-out upside down over the guardrail. Oy oy oy.
Colin

[sped372]

-16F here when I left the house for work this morning. Brrr.

[glasseye]

"Alexus"

Welcome to the (sorta) GWN. Hope you find a wood stove to sit by and a cat to sit on you.

[Amskeptic]

"Alexus"

Welcome to the (sorta) GWN. Hope you find a wood stove to sit by and a cat to sit on you.

Sitting by the wood stove, cat is visiting elsewhere, stew is on the stove, snow due in 12 hours.
I have some photographs to upload when I decide to brave the cold and get the camera out of the car.
Colin

[glasseye]

Put cold camera in ziplock bag to avoid catastrophic condensation when brought inside.

Peterwhohasmadethismistake.

[Lanval]

"Alexus"

Welcome to the (sorta) GWN. Hope you find a wood stove to sit by and a cat to sit on you.

Sitting by the wood stove, cat is visiting elsewhere, stew is on the stove, snow due in 12 hours.
I have some photographs to upload when I decide to brave the cold and get the camera out of the car.
Colin

Mid 70s today. Rode up the hill to where the really rich people live, and got a great view of the somewhat dingy atmosphere in LA. Could still see almost to Long Beach.

A pretty chilly 60 degrees now. Better bring the cat inside, eh?

[Bleyseng]

"Alexus"

Welcome to the (sorta) GWN. Hope you find a wood stove to sit by and a cat to sit on you.

Sitting by the wood stove, cat is visiting elsewhere, stew is on the stove, snow due in 12 hours.
I have some photographs to upload when I decide to brave the cold and get the camera out of the car.
Colin

It's what, 0F so that's not too cold and only 12" of snow is coming. I had my fill in Montanta of temps of 16 to 28F as I am leaving soon for 90f in Suriname. Getting all the cars ready for storage and packing my bags

[hambone]

th meek sun filters through gossamer lace
yep

[TrollFromDownBelow]

According to the gauge in the old BMW, -7 F this morning. Very grateful for the heated steering wheel and hair singing heated seats :). Have some maintenance planned for her on Sat (some gaskets, rear brakes and such)... in my heated garage of course.

Cleared about 6 inches of snow off the drive last night. high of 15 today. A balmy 29 Saturday, but we are supposed to get another 4-8 inches on Sunday. Which in my contrarian thinking will be the perfect day to go to the international motorcycle show. I figure everyone will go on Saturday to avoid the crumby weather on Sunday, and I can day dream of sunny summer days with my knees in the breeze.

[Bleyseng]

Ok, I have been watching the weather on the East Coast so are you guya buried under snow?

[Amskeptic]

Ok, I have been watching the weather on the East Coast so are you guya buried under snow?

The media reports were dire, yes, but here in the Catskills, everybody is just doing what they always do:

The initial snowfall began about 100 miles from my destination:


A too-common sight, out with the old:


More "out with the old":


Toyota has decent enough traction control and ABS to allow relaxed driving:


Bridge over the Ashokan Reservoir, camera freaked its aperture with all of this white:


Made it to the house without undo drama to enjoy the beauty of the new kitchen with snow backlighting:


My cactus is likely to perform a late blossoming after Florida botched its internal calendar, but this plant here seems happy:


Everywhere I look in this house is arty:


It was 3* this morning, and I shovelled the back veranda to the wood pile, shovelled to the cars in the driveway, then shovelled to knock down the snowplow "dam" across the driveway, and built up enough heat that I had to bare my bald pate for some conductive cooling, then had to doff my sweatshirt to stay cool in the cold. Can you believe it, me? little wuss itinerator who wilts in the 50* chill? I couldn't.
Beautiful but cold now that I am not exercising.
Happy January 3rd, everybody, MSNBC has just reminded me that this is an "election year".
Colin

[glasseye]

Lovely images but WHERE'S THE KITTIE?

3F is cold, man.