It IS Cold Outside! SO What Else I s New?

SHIP'S LOG:

     SO much for Vermont! They got over a foot of snow and, even though they are used to such amounts, the freezing rain/sleet/ice that followed it, plus the melting re-freeze last night, has really made a mess of the highways. Russ in his wisdom decided against the trip. Perhaps we'll go next week if the weather co-operates a little.

     One fun fact about winter that I let slip my mind is that no matter how careful you are, how well you shovel your driveway, the city/town/state will come by once you have finished to plow you in again. Not only did I plow the driveway, I actually plowed north & south of the entrance for a sufficient distance - I thought- so that should/when the plows came by again, they wouldn't plow me back in. 'Tain't sure how they did it, but they  did plow me back in, though not to the degree that they would have had I not made my attempt to prevent it. I now have to go out and chop my way through the ice barrier that is in place. The re-freeze made it like rock and the snow blower is not up to the task of digging through it. I'd let it melt a bit first but the temperature is going down even as I write this . . .  at 9:30am!

    O, to be in Key Largo for the FORCE 5 Winter Nationals. There will actually be a contingent from TYC down there, joined by those who this year made the trip down the ICW. Well, I'm not and I have to deal with it, which means freeze here in God's Country. It could be worse but it seems like we may be getting a bit of a break. The weekend storms looks to be less of a monster Nor'easter than it was first forecast to be.  Then again, it is NOAA making the forecast and their record this winter has not be exemplary. In any event, monster or not, me and everyone else will just have to deal with what comes. Villanova was among the towns/universities in PA that lost power when they got clobbered. The news said they closed down but what the students who live there are going to do I have no idea. One great aspect of Chez Rolando is a wood burning stove in the basement. Hopefully it will remain a mere adjunct to better heating.