Winter Thoughts Jan 2019

[ppine]

This is the slow time of year and a good time for reflection.

The bald eagles are in the Valley for calving season. They show up for the calf placentas. We now have a festival called Eagles and Agriculture.

Out in the yard, I love the smell of lodgepole pine burning in the woodstove. The stove is a like a giant incense burner to the Heavens above..

After recent storms, the current clear, still weather is wonderful. In Nevada we have a saying that when the sun is out and there is no wind, the temperature doesn't matter.

The Call of the Wild is getting stronger. Planning a trip to the desert next month.

Now is a great time to get out and see friends in person face to face.

Thanks to all of the friends around here.
Ppine

 

[Cappy]

Thanks to you as well man. Great time is right. We just got back from a 3 week visit at daughters an em. Exchanged gifts and celebrated new years and Peggy's birthday. Had a great visit and now trying to woop the yard into shape while Peg dungs out the house we are into our cleaning mode which is right before our camping mode. So its a wonderful time. The rain has stopped the out side work but made for a relaxing time helping Peg sith some stuff and watching net flix

 

[Roybrew]

It is a busy time here, but slow for outdoor fun. The 41 year old Johnson boat motor finally blew a piston, so been debating what to do with that. Started remodeling the bathroom during Christmas break, and maybe finish that tomorrow. Fixen to get our 3rd washing machine inside of 1 month, I don't know why we can't get a good one. Of course fridge died that was a grand, uhn.

But, getting better. Planning my spring camping trip with my brother. It can't come quick enough. The weather keeps swinging back and forth here in east tn. It was 60 degrees the other day then turned off cold and 30. Lots of rain. Maybe walleye be moving up river soon. Yum.

 

[ppine]

Roybrew,
My Dad finally gave me the old family outboard from 1929. It is a Johnson 1 1/2 hp from the first few years they were made. It has been in the family since 1948 and it still runs.

 

[Roybrew]

ppine
A 1929 johnson, that's really something. Have you ever concidered collecting out boards? I wonder what my wife would say if I had antique boat motors hanging all over the house?

Back to winter thoughts, I think I'm going to hibernate for another month. Sure be cold right now. Not so bad here as in the mid west. You all stay warm up there.

 

[Grandpa]

Cabin fever running strong. Sun's out today so grandma and I decided a little road trip is in order. We ended up in Jackson Wyoming tonight. We've seen lots of mule deer, elk and buffalo and one cow and calf moose so far. Of course they feed the elk in the national elk reserve here in Jackson but there were two big herds earlier.

Tomorrow we will just follow our noses. We're not sure whether to cross back over Teton pass to Idaho or go east and swing sround through Wyoming. It's all good.

 

[Grandpa]

Today, we went back to Idaho. Lots more deer, elk, and buffalo with a nice herd of big horns including several huge rams. Now maybe I can survive another week or two of winter.

 

[MacGyver]

Me? I've been wondering when people were going to come back to the camping forums. They all get dead in Winter. Guess I'm about one of eleven people on Earth who try to get out even when the temps are around freezing and below. It's been driving me crazy for over a month that I can't seem to get out. Family issues, truck problems and work keep getting in the way. This weekend is no exception - housebound for at least another week.

 

[ppine]

ppine
A 1929 johnson, that's really something. Have you ever concidered collecting out boards? I wonder what my wife would say if I had antique boat motors hanging all over the house?

Back to winter thoughts, I think I'm going to hibernate for another month. Sure be cold right now. Not so bad here as in the mid west. You all stay warm up there.

Yes I have thought about collecting outboards. There are lots of them for sale and they are not that hard to work on. I recently bought a 2000 Honda 8hp for a kicker motor on my fishing boat. I have been working on it to get it to start with one pull. I am thinking about some long trips on big reservoirs.

 

[ppine]

Out here in Nevada the pull of the low desert becomes really strong about now. I will heading out to the country around Death Valley in a couple of weeks. We usually camp where there is no one around. We use cots to get off the rocks. No tent needed. Really simple food. Minimalist camping. At night we hear the wild donkeys and coyotes.

 

[Cappy]

This usta be my favorite minimum camping time too put a few things in the canoe and paddle off for a few days. Only ting is ya gotta have some kind of tent. This is soggy fog season and ya dont have to wake up soaking wet covered with a blanket of fog too many times to figure that one out. We dont have dry desert air but we do have beautiful foggy mornings that are wonderful for hunting the elusive oyster mushroom

 

[ppine]

Lot of snow on the ground now. Winter camping in the desert feels like cheating.

 

[Cappy]

81 degrees today and I broke a sweat walking da dawg around the half a mile block. Hows that for cheating? plan to maybe make a lil batch of sausage later or if it dont rain set up our cornhole game and woop peggy in bean bag toss. If ya dont know its sorta like horse shoes but different.

 

[Grandpa]

The ski resort 40 miles up the road just posted the 12 inches of new snow yesterday took the 4 day total in this storm to 60 inches. Louisiana is starting to sound real nice Cappy.

 

[Cappy]

Down to 50 today. Hadda insulate my lil smoker I got a lil 5 lb batch of sausage on. Gonna hang it for a few hours with hickory smoke and have a test sammage for supper

 

[MacGyver]

The ski resort 40 miles up the road just posted the 12 inches of new snow yesterday took the 4 day total in this storm to 60 inches. Louisiana is starting to sound real nice Cappy.

What constitutes nice must be subjective. I pray for massive snow every year and it seems there's someone in some distant part of the country that gets it and I don't. LOVE snow camping!

 

[Grandpa]

I used to love it but age changes things.

 

[MacGyver]

I'll admit that I take way more creature comforts with me now than when my hair was brown, but I'm not ready to give it up just yet. I remember when I first started camping with the group I'm in, we'd sit and talk about how we'd "still be doing this when we're 50". Well... that's come and gone, a few have dropped off the face of the Earth, but the rest of us are still at it, with me looking at 60 in the face.

 

[ppine]

70 is close but I have no intentions of giving up. I was talking with my brother this week as he prepares for a two month trip to NZ and Asia, that being in the outdoors is maybe more important now than it used to be. I have retired from horse packing, but still backpack. In a boat like a raft at the oars or in a canoe I am as good as I ever was and have better judgement. Truck camping and RV camping are tons of fun.

 

[ponderosa]

This isn't my slow time of year. For teachers, this is the time we're counting down the weeks until the big state testing season, stressing about fitting everything in before the tests, worrying about how to help those struggling kids to be successful, holding parent conferences, etc. This while battling through the colds, coughs, strep, pink eye, & flu that come with the job. I keep hearing that teachers build up great immunity, but I'm 4 years in and sick all the dang time. I'm sick of being sick and just plain worn out. Going and coming in the dark leaves me feeling a bit depressed. I count on getting out to play in the snow at least every other Saturday to refuel my energy, but being sick very often has made that tough lately. We're hoping to get some snowshoeing or x-country skiing this weekend, but right now all the roads leading anywhere are closed with more storms forecast so we'll see. Right where I live, we're getting just the edge of the snow, but tons of wind. Blah. I'm about ready for spring I guess.