Archive for the ‘life’ Category

The whole backyard is a refrigerator!

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

I don’t understand it, I just don’t understand it!

There’s been a lot of people who lost power around the Washington DC metro area this last week, I understand that.  But several times I’ve heard people quoted on TV or radio complaining that the stuff in their freezer and refrigerator would spoil.  I can’t understand that.

Right now the outside temperature is 27 degrees F (-2 degC).  That’s freezer temperatures.  The warmest it got outside this week was about 40 degrees F.  Most of the time it was in the low thirties or colder.

You don’t need a refridgerator or freezer.  Just a box (read ice chest) to even out the day/night temperatures and keep squirrels and birds out.

A very good day today

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Today is the anniversary of Lincoln’s birthday.  And of Darwin’s birthday too.  The man who freed slaves in the US and set American democracy on the course of increasing freedom started his life today.  He also, at great cost, kept the country together.  He gave his life to his cause too.

Darwin also brought freedom.  But this time the freedom was in thought, to consider how life developed and grew to fill the planet as a natural process instead of one handed down by religious authorities.  He kept scientific though moving forward instead of dividing in a civil war of what can and can not be considered.

Neither man did the work by themselves, both relied on others to implement and fulfill their work and both stood on ideas prepared by others.  But both, for better or worse, have come to symbolize the battles that they were part of.  So here’s to both of them and here’s to our efforts at keeping their work alive and building on it.

Grand total snow

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Well, it’s over.  The recovery from the “February Fury” (as one TV network dubbed it) has begun.  The combined total of storms over the last week dropped 45 inches of snow (114.3 cm) here.  My local airport tried to bounce back during the week.  They were open for less than 24 hours before they closed again.

This is the most snow I’ve seen at once.  And the most I ever want to see.  Can’t wait for spring!

(Note: Next Monday is has snow predicted.  Again.)

Chipolte pepper oatmeal!

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

I had a nice big breakfast of oatmeal with honey, raisins, banana, and chipolte pepper powder.  I meant it to be cinnamon but the bottles of spice looked a lot alike to me right then.  I ate it anyway.

Not bad at all.   A good way to wake up certainly.  However I’m not planning on doing it again anytime soon.