Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings posts give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.
Welcomings will be posted at the start of each week (usually Saturday night with a Sunday date). To find the posts, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).
The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.
So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?
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NOTE: The comments page will split off after 20 or so left margin comments with the most recent comments on the current page. To see the older comments, scroll to the bottom of the page (right before “Leave A Reply”) and use the Pages Tool to view previous pages, shown here with 3 pages of comments available and Page 2 circled.
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Good morning, 47 and cloudy outside my window today. I was awake in the night, listening to rain and worrying about things I can’t control so I hope I find some energy for today. We’re going to the bookstore cafe for lunch so that will be a nice moment. Best wishes to all.
Good Wednesday morning Meese. 35 here in Kingston – going up to 61 and I peeked at the upcoming weather – not a snow storm in sight. Yay!
This is horrific
It is difficult to understand how the party of freedom has become the party of spying on your neighbor and suing them if they disagree with your religious tenets. That the Supreme Court is allowing it should be argument number 1 and done to expand the court and dilute the tRump “justices.”
Puerto Rico
Good morning, meeses! Wednesday ..
It is 61 degrees in the desert Southwest with an expected daytime high of 81. Sunny skies are in the forecast.
The Party of Trump seems to be distancing itself from his BFF Putin. I hope the lazy press does not allow them to get away with a whitewash. Coddling a dictator because the guy you foisted on the country will sign tax cuts and put terrible people on the Supreme Court should be a permanent blemish on the entire party.
No, Congress, don’t do it. Daylight Saving Time is not the time to preserve to maintain “consistency” – Standard time was just fine between 1883 and 1966. Do we really want to be Belarus and Argentina, opting for permanent DST? By the way, this line from the Wikipedia article on DST is hilarious: “With DST, the sun rises and sets one hour later on the clock, but does not add any additional daylight.” Wut? Congress can’t control the actual sunlight?!? By the way, they changed to permanent DST back in 1974 then repealed it because it sucked so bad to have no sun in the winter until 8am. We never learn from history. By the way, Arizona has the right to opt out of DST so they will simply look like Pacific Time year round. It will suck to be other states.
See all y’all later!
Good morning, gorgeous weather here. This is the weather we pay for in our incredibly long summers. Going to go out at lunch & buy a loaf of soda bread to take to work tomorrow. Meanwhile, wfh.
It’s 44 heading for mid 70s today and sunny. Yesterday cleared off earlier than forecast and we generated 12.6 KWHs – m-t-d is 157.3 – so didn’t lose much ground at all. Today we should gain a little back.
By the time it was light enough for me to go out I was dealing with other stuff and didn’t. So I’m gonna take off shortly to do all the errands I meant to do yesterday. I hope that doesn’t mess up my treadmill “protocol”. I find I can go longer sessions earlier in the day. Sometimes I’m still having to do that last 10 minutes in 2 chunks.
Daylight Savings Time is about and always has been about manipulating people. But I’ll still take having it permanently over changing the times & clocks twice a year. The shingles are better. Only needed one dose each of Tylenol and Ibuprofen last night. Sinusitis was better too. Hands are about the same. At least I’m OK with the mouse. But keyboarding at all is an issue. Especially getting the spacebar to actually put in a space.
I haven’t connected with anybody yet today but I know Aji and Amelia and Fineena all need prayers and money. Well, they need better health situations but prayers are all we can do about that. Jill’s in a good news (SBA situation) bad news (stalker/domestic violence situation) place and prayers would be good there too.
Prayers all around are good – Ukraine is the last place we can stop Putin. Putin’s already started WWIII and anybody who says we shouldn’t help Ukraine for fear of starting it is a Putin supporter. COVID isn’t gone or even getting better. We’ve just stopped doing anything to track or stop it. Officially we’ve now accepted COVID deaths as we accept gun violence deaths. With “prayers and sympathy” – and no actions.
Off to twitter to get set up and deal with anything immediate. Then off I go into the wide world. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Glad you’re feeling better, bfitz! Sorry about your hands, though.
Good Wednesday morning, Moosekind! We have sunny skies and 48 F. in Ashburn this morning, with promises of reaching 73 F. later today. The sky won’t start clouding over until afternoon, which means I have a good chance to dry the dog bed and blankets on the screened porch. The dog bed in my office will just have to wait for a another warm, sunny day.
Today marks the fourth anniversary of our move here. I’m not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, I think we’re still alive because they locked us down and gave us the vaccines right on time. On the other hand, when I think of what we gave up—MOST of all, the fenced backyard for Monty—I wish we’d never moved. Taking an aging dog out to do his business 20 times a day quickly loses its charm. Also, despite his age (about 70 in human years), he has as much energy as ever and would love to run wild and free.
And I’ll never stop missing my house, with its endless freezer space, herb garden, desultory vegetable garden, aging raspberry canes and strawberry beds, and so forth. I miss Vesta in the winter and the sun beating down on lavender and rosemary in the summer. Oh, well.
I’m still amazed that the Powers That Be allowed the likes of us to move in here. We’re certainly not rich. All we had was a house that sold for 8 times what we paid for it. That money hasn’t lasted very long. There are people here who live on their dividends, if you please. That sort of people warmly welcomed Racist Goobernator Dumbkin when he came here to speak. I didn’t attend, but I have a Democratic friend who dares to attend such meetings. She reports to the rest of us.
It is rather nice to have people my age to do things with. I certainly wouldn’t be reporting for a publication, as I do now, and participating in a quarterly book club, as I do now. I’m also leading a writers’ group, and I enjoy that.
It’s a mixed bag, and in the universal scheme of things my concerns are Very Small Beer compared to what Puerto Rico and Ukraine are going through. I had two unpleasant surprises yesterday, which will decrease my enjoyment of life, but as I say, those are negligible compared to what others are suffering.
Yesterday our dear friend who lives nearby treated us to a slap-up lunch at a fancy restaurant in Leesburg. We enjoyed it greatly. It’s always a pleasure to see Leesburg’s old town, with its 18th-century brickwork and so on. We might plan an expedition there later in the year.
Must get on with my day. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond and to Ukraine and P.R.!
This!!
With my two previous dogs, I had a little doggie pen and would let them out and I would watch from the door. My current dog is not much taller but was more athletic and leaped over the doggie pen. So I had to leash her up and go out with her and watch her walk back and forth when it was 80 below.
I have yet to regret ending my long run of home ownership (since 1979) but it has not been very long. I don’t miss the unexpected maintenance that depleted my savings or the onerous tax bills that I eventually could not afford or the responsibility for shoveling the sidewalks and mowing the lawn and worrying about selling my house as it aged when I could not afford to upgrade. I pay my rent, hope that rent increases are modest and let someone else do the maintenance. Plus I get a pool, a fitness center and perfectly manicured grounds without lifting a finger.
All those things are very good to have! Are you having to take your current dog out a lot?
I do like the fact that the gym is a 4-minute walk from my apartment. It has a wonderful pool, which I never use, lots of treadmills and weight machines, and a ROWER, which I love.
Good morning, 43 and partly sunny now, but I listened to rain when waking up in the night. We enjoyed lunch yesterday and it was nice to see my flower shop friends again. I need to go to Fairhaven more often but covid seclusion has become a way of life now.
Today is a house keeping day but I think Sue will be here to help me. She has needed time for her own life so I’ve been doing the basics but her assistance is needed now to do the rest. Best wishes to all.
You know, it has for us too.
Good morning, Meese! It’s Thursday the 17th, but I will refrain from wishing you a happy St. Patrick’s Day. I’m not a fan of St. Patrick. Currently we’re between showers in Ashburn, although it has been raining, my husband says. The temperature is 49 F., going up to 59 F. I wish I weren’t deaf as a post, because I’d love to wake up during the night and hear the rain. When I wake up at night, it’s for quite a different reason.
Had a rotten night again: no trouble getting off to sleep, but after my 3 a.m. wakeup, could not get back to sleep. Trying to catch up is going to ruin the day’s plans, which were to finish the damn income taxes. We’ll see what happens.
Not much to say, I’m afraid. Too sleepy. Hope everyone at the Pond will have a good day.
Good morning Meese and Happy St. Patrick’s Day to those who celebrate it. 40 degrees and raining here in Kingston, going up to 54.
Will be exploring the history of the St. Patrick’s Day celebration on the Caribbean island of Montserrat today in Caribbean Matters.
Puerto Rico
Denying people the pensions they’ve worked for all their careers is the dirtiest trick imaginable.
Good morning. In the office today, wearing green and gold, and I brought a loaf of soda bread. We have high fire danger today,for areas West of town, it’s extreme. Then Monday, they’re expecting severe thunderstorms. Texas.
Posted
It’s low 50s heading for upper 70s today and sunny at the moment. Clouds are supposed to move in this afternoon – I hope late afternoon – with maybe rain and temps dropping tomorrow. Yesterday we generated 15.875 KWHs and the m-t-d is 173.24 – which means we gained a little bit.
Yesterday I looked at, made sure I could actually open and close the latches and put the tools on the wand (& get them off again) of a rather expensive vacuum cleaner. This thing was designed for folks with arthritis. Also allergies. It’s got 2 carbon filters and a HEPA filter – and the bag locks closed when you take it out of the machine. It’s slightly less expensive than the companion model because it doesn’t do carpets (so a different motor and no wiring down the wand to turn the carpet brushes) but still $770 after taxes. I took a deep breath – and bought it. I haven’t used it yet. But will shortly. I’m still picking up cat toys and the cardboard boxes they play/sleep in and litter boxes and food dishes and stuff they’ve shredded that’s too big for the vacuum to get. LOL. (No flannel sheets though. Bed Bath and Beyond only have queen size left until “the season” rolls around again. So I’ll either order online or wait. I still have 2 sets of flannel sheets so it’s not urgent.)
Jill’s got more good news and bad news. Her SBA stuff is going apace. She can’t get another Order of Protection – he’s not in NM and the NM cops don’t believe cyberstalking is a thing. Amelia also good news and bad – rent’s paid for another month, the sewage backup issue is getting worse. & everybody needs prayers (or whatever) for health issues & money issues.
Ukraine’s still hanging on. That’s good. Putin’s still ordering attacks on civilian sites (like hospitals and apartment houses) and on agreed-upon evacuation corridors. That’s war crimes and all the “but he’s threatening to nuke if we help Ukraine” people can’t get it through their heads that if he gets away with this he’ll threaten it again with the next country he invades until he either has the whole of Europe or somebody calls him on it. (Of course the Rs are fine with this. They want Putin to take over Europe so we can be his “Me-Too Mussolini” and have the Americas and China gets to have the Pacific basin – 21st century Axis powers.)
Anyway, I need to set up twitter then vacuum. I’ll be late to Dee’s diary but I’ll get there. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, meeses! Quick check in from the Denver airport where it is 32 degrees and snowy. We will be in Madison in a few hours where it will also be in the 30’s. Reality!!
See all y’all later!
Good morning, 44 and raining outside my window today. Yesterday was a busy housekeeping day so I’m resting this morning and trying to decide whether to work at my desk or in my sewing room this afternoon. Choices! I’ll play my daily solitaire challenge now and decide later :) Best wishes to all.
Friday Meese. Extraordinary weather here in Kingston today. It’s 45 going up to 71.
Puerto Rico
Enjoy the weather while you can – cold weather is on its way!!
Oh, gods, restoring a mangrove swamp! Yikes! I’m told that mangroves are a Good Thing.
Perhaps they are, but I just want them to be 500 miles away from me. Once I had to tramp around a mangrove swamp in Queensland (thank Goddess there was a wooden walkway a couple of feet high over it), and HATED IT. I thought of all the poisonous snakes (Australia abounds in them), crocodiles, poisonous spiders (Australia has many), and could not stop shuddering. I silently vowed I would never, ever go near a mangrove swamp again.
It was not our idea to visit it, BTW. Our cousin did not like the idea of waiting outside Steve Irwin’s Croc World while we went there, so took us to the damn swamp instead.
Good morning, meeses! Friday …
It is 37 in Madison with an expected daytime high of 39. Rain expected all day, possibly turning into mixed precipitation this evening when the temperature gets closer to freezing. As long as I can get to my haircut appointment this morning, it won’t impact me.
So Republican Senators are planning to attack Judge Ketanji Jackson for her previous work where she had to make difficult decisions related to criminals. Shades of Wisconsin Fked Up Judicial Politics! In 2008, Michael “trump won” Gableman ran against Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler using the attack that because Justice Butler had been a defense attorney, the crimes of every one of his clients were his. Of course Gableman won (a 10 year term on our highest court) because people are ignorant and don’t understand how the criminal justice system works – everyone is entitled to an attorney and the attorney advocates for his or her client. Plus Wisconsin is racist and Louis Butler was a Black man (appointed to the court by a governor who had Black children) and Gableman was a Pillsbury Doughboy White Guy from Up North. Dumb as a box of rocks but pleasing to his patrons. Gableman is running the “investigation” into Wisconsin’s non-existent 2020 election fraud, wasting taxpayer money to please his cult leader, tRump. In any event, linking a Black person seeking a high office to a criminal is a time-honored Republican tradition. I hope Manchin doesn’t fall for it.
So Russia is turning to India for arms and oil. India’s transformation into a garbage nation continues. Mahatma Gandhi would roll over in his grave.
Today will be a wasted day as I shake off the effects of time-zone whiplash and four days away from my desktop. I hope I took good notes and can find the threads of the projects I was working on last week! If not, I will settle for a successful haircut and work harder tomorrow.
See all y’all later!
You must have enjoyed your time away in a warm climate! Did you find a nice garden apartment to live in when you move? Are there allergies in Arizona? One thing you won’t have to put up with is bloody old daylight saving.
Good morning. Chilly enough here for long sleeves, but will be near 80 this afternoon. Weather report was all about the high fire danger. Drought plus strong gusty winds is bad news.
Do you watch “Jeopardy,” another? Last night the final question was about the book Rachel Carson published in 1962. She dedicated it to Albert Schweitzer, who said something to the effect that “Man is the only species that will destroy his own planet.”
I won’t quibble about the “man” part, as it was in pre-enlightened 1962, but I do recoil in horror when I realize that “Silent Spring” was published 60 years ago. And we are destroying Gaia, our beautiful planet. The fossil fools are busy urging us all to drive, drive, drive!
Fire danger and plus gusty winds and little rain are a way of life now.
Every time I look at the poster, “Earthrise,” I want to weep. That astronaut, Anders, lost his religion after he saw it.
Good morning, Moosekind! Here it is 10 a.m; on a Friday morning and I’ve been having way too good a time since I woke up after a blissful, drug-induced 8 hours’ sleep. I made a granola sundae for breakfast (colorful berries and mango in a tulip glass, topped with vanilla yogurt and granola), twittered a bit, banged around the Net, and here I am, still in my dressing-gown. I still have energy, though.
We woke up to Brigadoon but the sun is out now, shining determinedly, so I’m washing Monty’s office dog bed and blanket. It can dry all day on the porch. Current temp. is 49 F., going up to 76 F. It did not rain yesterday: instead the air was infused with a soft Irish drizzle-fog that made a person want to sit by the fireplace, swig Bushmill’s Irish whisky, and sing anti-British songs, as in:
Today I have a lot of energy from getting enough sleep so I will finish the taxes. Birthday presents continue to arrive daily: yesterday a nice check from my dear aunt, who’d mailed the damn thing from Bay City, Texas on March 8*; the day before that a large basket of goodies, including frosted cookies and flavored popcorn; and the day before that, a handmade birthday card from my cousin in Brenham, Texas, enclosing a darling fridge magnet that looks like a bluebonnet. If I ever travel again, I’d like to see a field of bluebonnets in Texas.
Well, there’s no other news right now, so I will say good morning and begin my day at long last. Wishing a good, relaxing Friday to all at the (mercifully mangrove-free) Pond! Remember, tonight is the Full Moon!
P.S. There is no reason a birthday card should take 9 days to get here to Northern VA. It’s owing to that bloody Louis deJoyless, who has decimated the postal system.
{{{Diana}}} – definitely if you go back to TX do it in the spring. There may possibly be something more beautiful than a field covered in bluebonnets but I’ve yet to see it. Healing Energy and moar {{{HUGS}}}
It’s 52 and dropping over the course of the day. Also very cloudy. Although the PV system is on. Might actually generate enough today to cover the lights that wouldn’t be on if it weren’t so dark. Yesterday we generated just over 15 KWHs so didn’t lose ground even though we didn’t gain any either. The m-t-d is 188.33 – need to reach 234 to meet the 2.5K system’s March ’15 production. But 3 sunny days will do that. We’ll what we shall see.
The dark let me drift back to sleep this morning. It was after 8:30 before I got out of my bedroom. The cats were not amused. So I’m running way behind my “usual” schedule. Fortunately it’s a self-determined one and doesn’t really matter. That I know of anyway. Shingles rash still bothersome although much less area covered. Still needing a dose each of Tylenol and Ibuprofen to get through the night. I’m sleeping more so obviously the sinusitis is better. My hands are still stiff making typing hard – but doing OK with the mouse at this point. Need to cancel the ENT appointment I set up yesterday (clinic finally got the referral from my NP) because they’re not in my HMO’s network. I’ve ask the HMO CSR to send me the booklet of who is in network in 2022 – when I get it I’ll get back with my NP and we’ll discuss options.
Jill’s stalkers are escalating the threats. The NM cops still don’t believe online/cyberstalking is dangerous and can turn into physical violence. They keep saying “just change your accounts” as if that’s an easy thing to do. Especially when your Disability check comes/must come via direct deposit. At least they’ve stopped saying to just not be online. Amelia’s got just enough stuff showing up daily to keep her totally fatigued and unable to do much of anything she wants/plans to. And I seriously don’t know how Aji manages to think clearly enough to write her daily posts, the amount of pain she’s in. I haven’t connected with anyone else. Just hoping they’re doing as well or better than the last time I did.
Vacuumed yesterday. It’s a good, powerful, machine and I can change out the attachments and open the bag compartment with no problem at all. The house hadn’t been vacuumed since January and the cat fluff and dust bunnies filled an entire bag. Hopefully if I vacuum more often I’ll get multiple sessions per $5 bag. DIL came over, returned the cat carrier I’d loaned her, and helped me clear out the hall closet of useful stuff I couldn’t bear to throw away but hadn’t used in years. (She said what she & the family couldn’t use, she’d find a good home for. LOL.)
Need to get to twitter. Need to do laundry and bake chicken breasts later today. Busy, busy, busy. LOL. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 44 and cloudy outside my window today, and the buds on our maple trees are magically becoming leaves. So grateful to see another season changing in our old trees. I hope to be outside today but I seem to drift from plan to plan so I’ll see what happens. Best wishes to all.