Never Ending Bowl Weekend

So far, we've watched the "Mixing Bowl", the "Porcelain Bowl", and now we are watching the "Soup Bowl". With probably 20" of new snow on the ground and still falling, watching Bowl games is an normal way for folks to spend the holiday.

Unfortunately, I apparently lack the gene necessary to have a favorite team. I root for the underdog and for any team that doesn't have Brett Farve. While this was a less pronounced aberration before high definition TV, now it has become very obvious. Much to my husband's dismay, I find sports games in high def to be totally disorienting. The players look like Foosball players. I almost see the handles as the little plastic players mindlessly run around the field.

I wasn't always this way. When the Yankees and the Dodgers were both in NYC, I was rooted to my transistor radio listening to the games. Games were played in the daylight back in my day. Once the Dodgers moved, the heart went out of the game. It became just another money maker for high muckimucks and the little people, the ones who used to fill the bleachers, became just another pocket to be fleeced and tossed away.

I've spent my free time today doing laundry (oh - I guess I was doing the "Washing Bowl") and making Spicy Lentil Soup (for filling our Soup Bowls once Pittsburgh manages to lose their lead and the game in the fourth quarter).

Pretty soon we will go out and try our hand at clearing off the snow in front of the garage.
Such is life in Findley Lake in the winter.

OOPS, an addenda to above. Got the plowing done and now are watching the "Toilet Bowl". I guess tonight we will move to garage verbiage for the "Carburetor Bowl". Now if that doesn't get your sports blood fired up, you are welcome to come watch You Tube videos with me.

Winter in October

The first snow has now officially fallen in Findley Lake, on Thursday, 10/15/09. It started in the morning as mostly rain with big snowflakes mixed in. By evening, we had snow laying on the wet ground.

Here at home, we started swapping out the winter clothes two weeks ago. First to be switched out was my husband's stuff. Cotton quarter socks and half of the cotton crew socks were traded for calf length cotton socks and a large supply of wool socks. Decent tee shirts were swapped out for turtle-neck and mock turtle-neck shirts. Fleece, wool, flannel, and long sleeve cotton shirts appeared in place of the short sleeved lighter variety. Shorts definitely moved into storage.

The following week it was my turn. Tank tops, which had basically not been worn this summer, were swapped for mock turtle-necks. Fleece and flannel shirts replaced the short sleeve ones. I happily switched from cotton socks to my extensive assortment of wool blend socks. They are becoming my shopping downfall.

Each year I swear that I have enough wool blend socks. A good supply is OK since they will be worn from October through April. However, Sam's Club has again brought in a supply that just calls to me. I ended up immediately buying one set (four pairs) in the blue shades for a little less than $13.00. Unfortunately for our budget, there is also a brown set and I have very few brown wool socks. See where this is headed?

One tiny justification for the wool socks is the amazing length of time that they last. Over the last five years, I have not had to get rid of a single pair of wool socks. Since mine are worn and washed regularly for seven months out of the year, they hold up really well. Plus, their warm and attractive.

Findley Lake Poll

Because you, the reader, are interested in Findley Lake, I've added a few multiple choice questions to this blog. It's not a marketing or advertising gimmick, just a little survey to see how you, the reader, came to know about Findley Lake, what you do here, etc. You'll be able to see the stats as other readers take the survey. You'll find the survey to your right, under "Questions about Findley Lake". Click on "Cast Your Vote Now" to participate.

While lots of changes have happened in town over the last year, the primary concern lately has been TOO MUCH SNOW !! Fortunately right now we are having a four day thaw with temperatures above freezing. Ice is falling off of the roofs everywhere in town, snowbanks have changed from stark white to tabby brown, and the deer, birds, and other animals are out foraging to fill their bellies. Meanwhile, the natives are breathing a sign of relief for a few days. The sign by the Fire Hall says we have received 258" of snow already. The betting has been on this winter being a 400" snowfall monster. With the rest of February, March and into April still in front of us, that's quite possible. In Findley Lake, when the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2nd, we give a sigh of relief - ONLY six more weeks of winter. Punxy Phil saw his shadow this year so we're hoping to see the end of winter around St. Patrick's day (not likely).

Soon to come, a photo album you can click through for photos from Findley Lake.

The First Snow Fall of the Winter

Actually, our first snow fell on Monday, 10/27/08, but melted quickly. Two days later I took the photos you see posted here. It was quite beautiful and very soothing to the soul. Today, November 10th, we've had our REALLY FIRST SNOW, which means that the parking area had to be plowed and access to the mail box carved out for our postal delivery person.

February 9th Storm

Had an interesting time storm watching on Saturday, Feb. 9th. We knew that the weather was going to change radically so made a Jamestown trip to Sam's Club and Home Depot. Heading back on I-86, you could see the clouds on the leading edge of the front coming at us. We had expected to see the temperature start dropping but strangely enough, it didn't. The clouds looked like the animated sand storm in the movie "The Mummy". They formed a roiling line across the horizon with misty gray haze in front, pushing our way. Arrived home safely and decided to drop off some venison and paperwork down at Ed Mulkearn's. There had been some small sprinkling of rain on our drive home, sporadic and light, then a little hail while we were in the house. By the time we reached Ed's back drive, the rain was really coming down. In the time it took to hustle to the back door, deliver the goods, and return to the car, it had turned to true snow showers. As we headed home on Sunnyside, the temperature dropped 6 degrees in less than one mile of driving. You could barely see across the lake. It was a very good lesson in just how caprecious Mother Nature can be. Around here, forewarned is forearmed (and safe).

That Sunday, my nephew arrived on his way from Arkansas to New Jersey. Having been a helicopter pilot in Iraq and now flying helicopters out to the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, he knows a thing or two about weather. He came through the front door saying that our snow storms were the equivalent of the sands storms in Iraq. Dangerous and difficult to maneuver through. Fortunately, we were able to hunker down and ride out the cold weather and icy conditions safely at home.

Into The New Year Boldly

Had about a foot of snow on Wednesday and seemed to have accumulated more since then. So far this week we've celebrated New Years Eve with friends, visited with my Father in the nursing home in Erie, paid bills for my folks, picked up a furnace repair part and actually fixed the furnace ourselves. The zone valve motor for the first floor had worn out and wouldn't engage regularly. Nothing like waking up to a cold house to get one motivated. Next we need to fix the pellet stove. It's not a good time of year to have both heating units on the fritz. Finished up the venison hamburg soup tonight. Ummmm good ! Rode around the lake about noon. Found contractors working on two of the new houses that are being built. It's reassuring, given the state of the housing market and all the "Henny Penny" predictions that in one small community, we have at least three new houses being built. The weather has been cold (below 20 degrees much of the time) but we are to have a warming trend, possibly up to 40 degrees. Some adventurous weatherman has even suggested we'd see 50 degrees. I think that is overly optimistic but I can deal with it. Read an interesting post on the Internet. Leaving commentary aside, the writer suggested that each town the in the US host a refugee family. That would mean providing shelter, jobs, education as necessary, and other support systems until the family could be self supporting. Just looking at Mina, French Creek, Clymer and Sherman, that could be four families taken in. Every time I think about it, I hear in my mind the chorus version of the poem on the Statue of Liberty "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free". What a wonderful way to share our freedom.