Windy today

We are having wind today, pretty steady at 10-15 mph
with gusts above 40, with higher predicted for later. I had
planned on hanging out the laundry, but decided I didn't
want it to blow to Kansas. It's hanging in the kitchen.

Tuesday and Wednesday we had cloudy weather and a skift
more of snow. We still have ice on the walks and on the
street. It is difficult to get to the mailbox because the
ice stretches from the mailbox out about 4 feet into the
street. Thankfully, I have the "grippers" that Jeanne gave
me. These are rubber overshoes that cover the sole of the
foot and hook over heel and toe. They have metal studs in
them on the foot-area. I leave them on my boots and then
feel comfortable walking about on the ice and snow.
Actually, yesterday I left them in the wagon in the barn so
that when I came home with a load of groceries I put them
on. Then pulling the wagon along on the ice was not a
problem.

I have been working on more pictures for the digital frame.
It is slow so haven't gotten very far, but it is fun looking
at old pictures.

This week I also down-loaded SKYPE (skype.com). It is a
wonderful VOIP (voice over Internet provider, not sure
really what the p stands for). In any case it is free if
you call computer to computer. You need a microphone. The
computer speakers work. I also have a web cam which allows,
if the person on the other end has one too, for us to see
each other. For a small fee you can also get a skype phone
number so that you can call people from your computer to
their phone and vice versa. That means that you may call
people from your computer without them having a computer.
It seems to work very well.

Thursday night Robert went to a movie and discussion, in
town. I elected to stay home since I was feeling as though
I was coming down with a cold. The movie is "What a Way to
Go." It describes, I would gather, what one might expect
from Global Warming, Peak Oil and the current lack of
foresight and/or planning/leading by our so called
leadership. He bought the DVD so I shall look at it soon
and pass on my take of it.

Last night we went to another discussion at the Boulder Book
Store. This group is called "Future Salon" and the topic
was Globalization. We had an interesting discussion.
Richard Breene was there and he is the organizer for a
series of panel discussions coming up and being held at
Norlin Library on the CU campus. The title of this series is
"How Serious are the Problems Facing Our Species?"
It sounds like an interest series and the first panelists
are interesting people, I think. The only one I know is Al
Bartlett and he has been around forever trying to explain to
people about the population explosion.

Politics-wise, I have agreed to be Precinct Captain for
Jared, running for the 2nd Congressional seat from Colorado
and Mark Udall who is running for the Senate. I shall be busy
with that the next week or so until the Caucus.

Martin Luther King, Jr day and a visit with Ariel

Carl, Martha and Ariel came for dinner last night and Ariel
stayed over. They brought candy for Robert; his Christmas
gift was "A pound of candy per month." They also came with
two beautiful bouquets of flowers and two bottles of red
wine. Unexpected, but appreciated gifts for each of us.



Ariel tending the fire








This morning everything is laced with snow making a dramatic
setting for our little town. It continues to snow lightly
and is cold. Ten degrees when we got up and no sun this
morning so it remains cold.

Ariel has spent most of the morning burning trash and
maintaining a fire in the stove to keep us all snuggled
and warm. Robert and I take turns enjoying the fire with
her and making sure the fire stays in the stove. She and
Robert braved the cold to bring in more wood and stack
some on the porch for later use. We'll have to go and
cut some sticks
later.