A New Month

   It's one of the rare Saturday's I'm tapped to work, hence today's blog. It is the start of February, and it's supposed to be very mild for this time of year, with highs today and tomorrow of 4 Celsius. Which I'm not a fan of. There's been a lot of melting going on since the warm weather started last week, which means lots of slush on the road. Which  freezes into a monolithic block of ice at night. I'd be happier to have it around -10 for a daytime high.

   Tomorrow is groundhog day, when several of the furry critters are dragged from their den to see if we get 6 more weeks of weather, or an early spring. In my part of the world, it's a moot point anyway. Spring 2020 won't arrive on the calendar until March 20th, and we've historically had some lousy weather between groundhog day and then

   Lastly, did it seem like January zipped by? It sure did to me. Which is kind of odd, because the month (although it is no longer than any other) usually seems to crawl by at a snail's pace. Not that I'm complaining.

TTFN

NOT A Good Weekend

   My wife and I decided to take a run to Regina Saturday for her to pick up a few things at some specialty stores. We didn't get very far. In fact, we only made it about 45 minutes into the trip when we had to turn around.and it was due to freezing rain.
   We started getting a few spots on the windshield about 20 minutes into the trip, but it was pretty much continuous by the time I decided it was best to turn around. Despite the best effort of the heater, and liberal use of windshield de-icer, it started to cake on, and not much helped.
   Flash forward 24 or so hours, and I went out to clear the ice and snow that fell Saturday. I managed to get 3 steps down toward the sidewalk, and went down. Hard. On my posterior (which has ample padding, nit that you needed to know that), and my left wrist. I've got quite a nice red spot  where I'm sure I did some soft tissue damage, and it's sore.
   It's also the wrist I broke a bone in a few years ago, AND the same one I injured a few months back.
   I will heal, I hope, and we'll plan another trip in the not too distant future.

TTFN

It's Become A Tradition

   It has become an annual tradition On or around Robbie Burns Day, I don the kilt and other regalia at work, and this year is no different. Why do I do it? I guess it's a diversion during the long, usually cold, winter. It certainly raises eyebrows at the office, although long-time staff are by now used to my various incarnations.
   The question "are you Scots" does come up now and again, and sadly, I'm not. Although "back in the day" I have consumed more than my fair share of Scottish Wine. If that makes me Scots, so be it. actually, my heritage is 1/4 Norwegian, 1/4 Swedish, 1/4 English and 1/4 American. I'm 2nd generation Canadian on both sides of the family, although I tend to relate more closely to the Scandinavian side.
   Normally, I have a set of toy bagpipes I bring in and give a toot on. But today I joked with GX94 morning guru Danny Ismond that every time I tried to play them, they made a horrid screeching  noise, so I took them tho a shop for repairs and told them to f=ix them until I could play them. Which could be an eternity.
   Danny took one other picture

   Which proves to me that I seriously need to go on a diet.
   Happy Robbie Burns Day!

TTFN

Finally A Break From The Bitter Cold

   We've been shivering under a dome of cold, Arctic air for more than a week, but there is finally relief in sight. Last week, the static air temperature in Yorkton was -38 Celsius one morning, and windchills were -52 in some areas.
   That's all supposed to end today, as milder air finally pushes in. We're looking at a high of -10 today, and possibly -1 tomorrow. Which could cause problems. If it does get that warm, there's a very good chance we'll get pavement frost, which can make for some dicey driving. It also raises the prospect of possible broken water lines.
   On the positive side, we won't have  to plug in our cars for hours on end, and  scraping the windshield will be easier. The warmer weather is supposed to be with us most of this week, and possibly the rest of the month.
   But we in the  west shouldn't complain too much about the cold. We could be in Newfoundland, where 76 centimeters fell, and  was pushed around by wind gusts of 130 km/h.
   And it will get colder again, since we still have weeks of winter left.

TTFN

Back, And Looking Back

   That was a long spell away from this venue. What should have been a quick switch over to a new computer ended up taking a little longer than I anticipated. The switch didn't happen until yesterday. Luckily, our tech guru worked an awful lot of magic, and managed to save most (but not all) my bookmarks. Of course, the one he couldn't save was this.
   Flash forward to this morning, and I was still working to get my system back to what passes as normal. Except this blog. Through a lot of trial and error, I did, as you can plainly see,manage to get "back in business".
   Now the look back. We celebrated an anniversary this past Sunday, the 12th. It was a year ago that day we added anew fur baby to our home

   This little girl got her forever home with us. "Minerva", as my wife called her, was just a little ball of fluff.  She's grown considerably since

   She's still rambunctious,  but  has learned, as far as cats can, what the house boundaries for her are. She's actually turned into what we think is a rather pretty cat.
   It's good to be back!

TTFN

Quick Note

   We're getting computer upgrades at work. Because of that, all but our core operating systems will need to be reset. That includes this blog. And since I can't remember how I actually set this up to begin with, I may be away for a few days. I'll also need to input my information on social media, and rebuild my bookmarks. Which won't be a quick process.
   So, please be patient. I'll be back ASAP.

Thanks, and TTFN

Merry Orthodox Christmas

   To all who follow the Orthodox Calendar, I wish you all a Merry Christmas! Всім, хто дотримується православного календаря, бажаю всім вам Різдва!

TTFN