It’s Wednesday morning and the end of May. It’s midpoint between last Saturday’s normal post day and next Saturday’s when I will not post. Also, currently finishing unpacking here at Northern Comfort and repacking in preparation of a quick flight to California at dawn tomorrow morning.

The other matter that I should point out is that this post, while normally read by my four faithful readers will now probably be reduced to 1.3 readers – due to the odd timing of this post, and much travel by the others. Don’t worry, I still love you all.

We left the ‘Nati where temperatures were bouncing in the high (and humid) eighties. Here in the North Woods it’s in the low forties in the AM and mid to high fifties in the afternoon (low sixties scheduled today). Our space heaters have been humming every morning since we arrived. And, our heavy Dutch woolen blanket, makes Marcia and I long for bed. All this gave me pause to reflect on the current hype/fad promulgated by the Climate-……. (whatever the current add-on adjective is) types. Especially the nonsense of CO2 presented as a poison gas rather that a trace plant food source. Anyway, these two quotes I spotted this week:

“The beauty is, fossil fuels were made with plants and now we are feeding them back to plants. Perfect recycling on a 100s million year scale. It’s just plain cosmic man. Gaia wins!” ~ Patrick Moore; co-founder of Greenpeace

”Climate change is the religion of people who think they’re too smart for religion” ~ Tom Nelson

The fog is lifting and the sun starting to peek through, good morning!

NANA – Our neighborhood association, NANA (North Avondale Neighborhood Association) is not unlike a lot of these associations – lots of ‘piddley’ stuff, and at the same time great community interaction. Our annual meeting was a couple of weeks ago. It was in one of the member’s homes. It’s a 15,000 square foot, built in the 1890s homes. I’ll let the pictures detail the evening:

This next photo is of neighbor Thane Maynard, the Executive Director of the Cincinnati Zoo. He was the main speaker and is showing us an Armadillo.

C & M – Chaos and Mayhem stayed true to its name. The day before leaving I went for may hour-and-a-half morning walk. Coming home it was an array of 11 fire trucks, 4 EMT ambulances, and a variety of differing emergency types sitting wherever they would fit in front of our place – it was due to a house fire four doors down.

Then, while driving north my phone beeped a new text. It was our energy company advising of a power outage due to a vehicle into a power pole scenario. Almost nine hours later power was restored. Whew, we missed that one.

Meanwhile, let me point out that the peace and quiet here at Northern Comfort is truly comforting. The Tree Swallows were peeking out of their little nest-box when we arrived. The Hummingbirds have discovered their feeder. And the Purple Finches and American Goldfinches are storming the feeder – occasionally panicking when a Blue Jay swings by.

Northern Comfort – I’m trying to discover what actually takes more work. Is it getting the place ready for its over-winter hiatus? Or is it the springtime opening?

This was the very first time since we’ve owned the place where opening was flawless. No stuck doors, no jacking up of the cabin to level it, no climbing through a window to gain entry. All worked seamlessly and how I hoped it would work someday. That day came this year.

Neighbor, Bob the Forester, said that this year was the most severe winter he’s ever experienced; others agree. But now it’s spring, so, for the past few days it was work, work, and more work. Snow-shields pulled and shutters stored. Water line repaired and placed in the lake, then the faucets inspected, and the pump primed. The screened-in porch was relieved of the outdoor furniture and in turn made livable. The dock was lowered and its decking pulled from storage and inserted.

Having bored you with all of that, things did get done. So, yesterday afternoon in celebration I took a Kayak around the cove for a paddle.

Finis – Our friend, Gini Welsh, succumbed after a long illness. R.I.P. Gini and comfort to her family.

Currently I am hot under the collar with what radio personality Willie Cunningham calls our City ‘Clowncil’. I have not seen greater ineptness, crookedness, and self-serving happenings since living in Cincinnati. For any of you who reside in Cincinnati, I urge all of you to sweep the bums out at the next election – this city desperately needs a clean slate in its leadership.

Congratulations Dinah! I know you’ll do well at Walnut Hills.

Kirstin, Derek, and Kellen will be picking me up at LAX tomorrow afternoon (totally excited to see them). Then Saturday they and I will join my brothers and sisters-in-law in Los Alamos, California for the marriage of nephew Connor and his bride Natalie. I just know it’ll a great time!

Now it’s a run to the dump – Wednesday is garbage day in these parts.

Make it a safe week.
Ciao
Dirk