Excitement?

December 23, 2006 (12:38pm)
37º F, Windy clouds, W wind 11 mph, 32 mph gusts.

Good afternoon,

For a dreary-drippy day yesterday, it ended with a bit of excitement. Well as exciting as it gets around here anyway.

I checked the outside trap line close to sundown yesterday and I had something! A cat! It really was probably a good thing, for it, that it was a live trap, but was surprised to see it there. I baited the trap for opossum and usually, cats will not bother the trap. Must have been some hungry or eating fermented mice. Looked like it had been in the trap since sometime the night before. Rather wet and shaggy from all of the rain. It didn’t want anything to do with residing in a metal cage for sure. As soon as I opened the door, it was out an on the move. Headed right for the swamp, which is flooded at the moment, and ran for about 10 yards in water up to about it’s nose. It made a wide circle around the house and headed in the direction of our neighbors. Don’t think it is theirs though. Not sure where it came from, but wanted back there in a hurry.

The other bit of excitement came sometime after supper. I hears some screeching on the road, the gunning of an engine. Looking out of the window, all of them to the east, I couldn’t see anything but dark. The engine noise continued for some time, and I finally saw a pair of taillights aimed in my direction. Not what should have been, since the road goes left and right, not away from the house. After another 30 minutes or so, the vehicle finally got out, with the help of another and headed to the south. From the looks of it this morning, seems a pickup came from the west and after making it around the corner, stepped on the gas too soon and it did a 270º turn, backing into the ditch. There is a bank at the spot, hiding it from my view at first. There are a lot of skid marks on the road and in the ditch where the tulip picking took place today. Glad no one was hurt in the deal. Seems almost every year, someone does the same thing on the same corner, going one way or the other.

Before lunch, we made the rounds delivering the breads Margriet made yesterday. I think we put on about 50 miles before returning home again. It is fun to do and we hope they enjoy. A couple were not home, so left them inside their backdoor and emailed to them so they know who did the damage. Margriet sure gets a kick out of the experience. I do the driving. We still have on here, but that might disappear too. I guess she will just have to bake more - I am almost out of the loaf she made the other day.

The snow did come last night. I counted 7 flakes on the front deck at about 9:00 P.M. last night - before they melted. The central part of the state, from Stevens Point/Wausau area north to Lake Superior, got about 6" or more. The fall tapered off fairly fast going west or east. In line with the storm, there were many folks who lost power. Something like 2,000 residences. The power company doesn’t expect them all to connected again until sometime tomorrow afternoon. The snow was so wet that it took a lot of trees and branches down, taking out the wires also. Sounds like a white Christmas comes with a price for some folks. Wonder how the candle sales are up there?

The weatherman is talking some of a dusting of snow tomorrow or Monday, but I am not holding my breath. The temperature is supposed to remain in the mid 30's to the lower 40's. Not snow kind of weather. There actually isn’t that much moisture in the atmosphere either. Our friends in North Dakota said in an email the other day they are also expecting a brown Christmas. Something unheard of there. They are disappointed too. And after all of the teasing I sent their way when they moved out there.

I started the task of putting on the tinsel today. I find the tinsel ain’t what it used to was. It used to be made from lead, but obviously it isn’t anymore. The material they now use is so light, that it is hard to hang it and have it looks straight. The slightest bit of air movement also moves the tinsel. The package I opened has 2,000 strands in it and I expect that will be about all that I hang this year. Hopefully. Not as fun of a job as in the past.

Time to get a-going.

In Christ My Saviour,

Chris <><