Snow and Cold

It started snowing last night at about 6:00. There was a blanket of snow on my lawn when I let Stumpy out at 4:00 a.m. this morning for his first foray to check his territory. He did not stay outside long. When he wants in Stump will jump to the top ledge of the outside shower. From this perch he can claw at the heavy wire screen protecting the swing out bathroom window. When he gets going you can hear him in any part of the house. I am programmed to open the window and coax him into the house. He has to rub the bottom window frame and poke… all the while the freezing cold air pours in! You can’t hurry up a cat. Then he climbs up to the window sill, and I’ll carefully close the swing out window being careful to not pinch his paws. I don’t have to worry about his stump of a tail! It’s a quick jump to my shoulders and he gets a lift to the kitchen where I’ll dish up his treats. I think we have this routine down!!

6:00 a.m from the back study steps: The clothes line is actually a TV cable I salvaged on one of my walks. An old bleach bottle with an opening cut in serves as my clothes pin holder! Household hints from Jamie!! LOL!!

I was enjoying my first cup of coffee messing with E-bay about 5:00 a.m. when Stumpy signaled he wanted in… NOW! He and Daggy got their wet food treats and both cats are now sacked out with full bellies blissfully sleeping on the bed. To be so snug and warm when it is 27° outside is a luxury I appreciate.

7:00 a.m: Contented Cats! My everyday Utilikilt is draped over the footboard: you can just barely make out the snow through the window...

There is a “Railroad Crossing” sign I’m negotiating on. I won the E-bay auction a few weeks ago, but it did not meet the reserve price. The seller relisted it with a buy it now price, or make an offer. My offer is way more than the high bid on his auction, but about ½ of his buy it now price. Who knows??? That sign would go well with the fire hydrants!

I needed a good stick to the ribs breakfast this morning. HOTCAKES!! They are such a pain to make with having to melt butter, beat eggs, etc, but the results are so worth the aggravation. First I seasoned up my great grandmother’s cast iron griddle by frying thick cut pepper bacon. That smell of frying bacon should be bottled and marketed! The hotcake batter was then poured onto the heated greasy griddle. When it was time to flip the cakes the pure maple syrup was nuked. The cakes were buttered before taking them off the griddle, they were plated up with the bacon and the hot syrup was poured on top. I had to force myself to eat slowly as this is one of my favourite meals.

The city seems to be functioning. I’ll call in a bit to see if the “Y” is open. So long as the schools are in operation, everything else seems to follow. I’ll have to push myself now doing my rowing sets aggressively to work that meal through my system!!

This weather sure puts a damper on getting projects finished up. Nearly all my outstanding chores involve being able to work outside. There are a number of “piddly things” and paperwork that need to be done. I’ll work on those projects this afternoon.