This last day of 2019 - snow report.

Still snowing on this Tuesday and reported snow amount of ten inches up to midnight.

That means the storm total snow may approach fifteen inches.

Christmas before, day of and now after.

Some spend weeks of hours preparing for Christmas.
Some divide that time by ten or twenty.

Some buy either three or just one gift. I always draft, proof and print a letter. Jointly we mail  well over sixty letters to many.

Now after Christmas it is time to respond to letter writers.

PREPARE, CREATE, RESPOND.

Walking path access and arboretum.

 My previous gardens are gone. Here at our condominium association we have a few square feet for outdoor use. The walking path city right-of-way does offer me outdoor space. Today I chipped thorn shrubs.

It feels good to work outside (where allowed).

Walking with and without sidewalks.

My walking neighborhood has sparce traffic. Even so I use the sidewalks. HOWEVER, following any five inch snow the sidewalks disappear.  In many early winters here in Maine we get snow eating rain before January.

That happened this year. Conclusion, my sidewalks returned.

Breakfast on foot in Portland.

Driving into Portland is fine, but riding the bus is relaxing.

No concerns on time limits or parking. I walk every day so the walk from bus stop or from parking is a wash.

People watching on the bus is fun and informative. Time is no longer an issue so a few extra minutes translates to added experience.

Two Lights - place to view panoramic ocean!

We are within ten miles of ocean access.

Choices include rocky coast, extended sand, and various harbor or bay options.

Our wild ocean panoramic view is within twenty five minutes.

Thorns - near a walking right of way.

I walk every day. The first portion of the walk is a right of way on top of a city sewer. The paved path through a small section of woods is a quiet refuge. Thorns enjoy the woods as much as I do.  I enjoy attacking the thorns. Full disclosure the thorns snap back and drive spikes into hands, arms and legs.

An arctic front.

We have winter cold air and a secondary sharp feel after an extra dry and cold air mass moves in.

This arctic air mass is also deep. The 850mb weather chart shows temperatures at about 5000 feet.  When the temperature is colder than -10 Celsius arctic air is in place.

Veteran's Day 2019 - a Monday

We went to a sponsored Veteran's Day breakfast this morning. Our United States senator and former governor opened with remarks. 

Some of you have heard me talk of the Messenger's of Hope. At the breakfast two open seats allowed us to visit with one of the four, Robert (Steve) and his wife. 

Bus and Casco Bay ferry on this damp day.

The light showers arrived late. I finish most bus ride days in the Portland City Library so I stayed dry.

An early bus, brisk walk and a later scheduled ferry means I made my connections. Not only a brisk walk but a cool brisk ferry ride.

A November ride on the water is my second choice. July is mild but the boat is full. Not so today. Twenty people on outbound and fewer than forty inbound.

Here is our diminished breakfast list.

We travel up to thirty miles to eat breakfast.  Once in the car after church we decide on a location.  Last Sunday we headed to a distant spot with the back up even further.  As we checked in at the first location the host said, "we do not serve breakfast after 11 AM". It was 11 AM.  Back to the car we headed to Mels and saw breakfast all day on the menu.

We have now eliminated the first stop.

En route to camp two other go to locations went out of business.

Our old list contained well over twenty stops.  Not so now.

Close to church - Simple Simons and Q Street Diner are stand by locations. In Westbrook we also have two close to home spots.

Wind a week ago and rain last night

Thursday, Oct 17 an explosive low pressure developed and caused extreme wind with power line damage.  The wind brought down branches and trees. Many fell on power lines. Last night rain started near midnight and ended before noon with gushing showers middle of this morning.

Snow will follow the cold air.  WHEN?  At times as late as January for the first major snow.

A trip to a city of history.

Plymouth, Massachusetts and the Plymouth museum are places of history.

We visited friends there this weekend.

I am late.

My posts should be each week.

New England fall colors are amazing. The maples on my walking route are now red. Brilliant!

Hello to October!

I use an Excell spreadsheet to track local maximum and minimum temperatures.  On a graph I let the software compute and plot a nine day running mean.

The nine day running mean plot removes extremes. The trend of steady spring increases or fall plunges is very obvious. This month of October shows a significant plunge.

Dry September until now.

Well under one quarter inch of rain before today is rare at the end of September.

Even with the four hours of precipitation total for the month will still end below typical.

Walking onions!

We had seven gardens and now I have a small patio area full of crushed stones.

With patience I dig down to dirt and now grow my onions in crushed stone.

Nap, walk, eat less rather than more.

The first I do without guilt. The second allows me to boast. True in subzero temperatures. The third remains my challenge.

Thanks for various phone and email wishes.

Siblings, friends and family called or sent notes.
My birthday task is to walk every day.

I did so this morning! Log the day in my daily line by line book, walk and send a letter at least weekly.

I am now starting on year seventy four. Two days in and counting. dlj/ 9/5/2019

US Open Tennis

Two days! Opening two days means over ten matches at any one time.
It was special for us because we shared the event with a granddaughter.

Crabgrass in the lawn.

Nearly impossible not to have crabgrass in the lawn!

Our lawn belongs to the association but it is fun to claim the patch of green straight out of the front door.

Therefore I spent an hour on my knees digging a few hundred thousand seeds attached to ugly crabgrass.

Today I drive back 114 miles.

Trash day is Friday.  I drive a friend on Thursday. Mail piles up if we are at camp for extended days. I drove to #20 on Wednesday evening and will return after the trash truck leaves our neighborhood.

Back and forth #20 to camp and reverse camp to #20.

Alex and family have been in tropical North Australia and are starting the various legs south and then the long flight north back to California.

Oquossoc Union Church , Tony's message

Pass the baton of faith. He put down the track from Peter through all the various power writers. Martin Luther, John Calvin to yesterday morning's faithful.

In 1996 the United States men's relay team dropped the baton. He told of two of his early childhood mentors.

One said to him, "you always are saying gimme!"

My words, he gained importance (value) of giving as well as getting.

Three of my mentors great grandmother Amelia and two of her sons.

In what manner do I pass the baton of faith? Often not through words.

Robin Robert's mother or grandmother would ask, " have you tended your soul today?"

A brother and family visited.

We returned the three to the airport two hours away this morning.

Yesterday all saw where we live for many days each summer.  We have room to sleep seven, with shower and flush included. In the years 2016, 17, 18 and now 2019 we have spent many days in July and August at  CAMP.

Brother and family also treated us to ice cream at the well known Rangeley Frosty. Always good summer ice cream.

August the month after July

Also the last summer month. And then we get September.  Much of September in Maine is also pleasant. Fewer bugs, cooler air and (you fill in the blanks). Winter, spring, summer and fall.

weeklyabcxy:The blog title since 2007.

My goal is to write and post snippets weekly. Why snippets?

Readers may be sparse as is. I do not want to bore you.

If you are reading this as a link off my Facebook page I will respond to your email. Use

 zz4dj@yahoo.com

Talking face to face.
Phone
Text
email
A US postal service letter.

We drive or fly long distances to talk with many.

Long drive twice!

Over 300 miles Friday and over 200 miles today. Travel through five states yesterday and four states today.

We drove from northern Maine through New Hampshire and Vermont to Connecticut. No I didn't forget Massachusetts, I chose to leave it out.

We traveled from our summer primitive location to our three-year old year-around abode.  No rotten wood here.

Today I replaced a foot valve.

The lake intake plastic pipe must remain primed. The foot valve keeps the water in.  Plenty of repairs on the water system this year.

We have plenty of water in the river and lake. Water for shower, dishes and flush comes from the river.

Brush teeth, plug in all devices*

Wash your face, brush your teeth go to bed.

Now we hear "did you plug in your phone?"

The phone I am holding is Honey's phone.

It was partially connected but only at 55 percent this morning.

Did you check the connection? Is the power reaching the receiver?

For those who pray regularly there is a high degree of confidence. God will and does hear.  If you ask for help in prayer God promises a yes, a no or a "are you kidding?"

Jimmy Carter a real president who was a servant of the people had a better response.
I just do not recall the specific words.

If my last post is one week ago!

My goal is to post weekly. To do so means I don't fully think or proof my content. I rush to make weekly deadline.

Specifically, do I edit before I post?
No. Should I? Yes.

I write on the fly.

Sarah helped me find the correct driveway to pick up an offered water pump. I plan to leave camp in 48 hours, return to #20 and print this post. Then I will mail it to Sarah and sisters.

Sarah correctly recommended I call when I was lost.  Not willing to admit I had failed to listen she put up with my floundering.

Writing on the fly.

dlj 7/7/19

A dilemma - small or large

Dilemma.

Most are not an issue if the decision maker has integrity and a track record.

Do I walk twelve miles or under two miles today?  Not an issue if I have not walked twelve miles in the last thirty five years.

At check out do I acknowledge incorrect excessive cash back?  Same answer.

Do I call public figures names in public?  What would my mother accept.  Would I disrespect my mother by doing so?

Character.  Am I able to live with myself?

dlj - 6/30/2019

Maine State Music Theater first performance!

In three and six weeks we see the second and third show.

Hello Dolly is the third musical of the season.

Omaha Zoo -- 1:30PM Feeding

The sloth bear eats at 1:30. We rushed back to the venue to see the narrator preparing. Then the sloth bear came bounding!

Whether by whistle or time, the bear knew lunch time. He would stand tall and crouch down as signaled.

Visit the Omaha Henry Dorley Zoo. Always a value even with two major renovation projects this summer.

Collecting states and now one Provence!

From the Omaha area to Western Maine ( Rangeley).

We used the Sault St. Marie to northern Vermont route through Canada thirty some years ago.

We are doing the same right now. A night in North Bay, Ontario. Then tomorrow Sudbury, Ontario into Upper Michigan.

Kathy has had smart phone #2 since February

This is my first post using Kathy's phone.
Too much of too many people looking down rather than up. Look up to see Jesus or fall on my knees in a dark closet and feel the presence of God.

Amen and Amen

Northern tier cold May.

Many say the same, it is cold. 

What a cold month.

Average temperature for highest and lowest values each day will be in on Friday at midnight.

New week, new blog post.

The last three Saturdays we have driven 113 miles each way to and from camp. Both portions of the dock are in the water and some of the twigs are gone in a small outside fire.

The snow bank piled when the driveway was plowed is smaller but still a presence.  Plans to connect the summer water system ( pump,  tank, and lake intake) are in my head but not started.  The kitchen faucet needs assembly, the under sink drain plugs must be in place and I need to crawl under the back porch to connect the above components. 

I cleaned out a red squirrel nest in the boat shed.  Amazing the quantity of fiber and leaves gathered in order to build the nest. 

The kayaks remain in the sturdy shed waiting for warmer water temperatures. A dunk into the brook in late late May is brisk but tolerable for a few minutes.

Boat Dock (x2)

Kathy's father was given a gift of a dock.  The dock is in two pieces. We made an error by pulling one portion out of the water.  

Now two seasons later high water allowed us to launch that portion.  The dock  wintered at the top of a slope so I was able to use both gravity and high water. 

Each fall water is drawn down so our September task is to ground and tie down the two portions. 

May warmth, right on time!

Why make a plan for fifteen years out? Various liberal arts writers say we in Maine will be sweltering in winter in 12 years.  We will need to escape to Hudson Bay.

Baloney.

I will stay in Maine because January and February will be cold and July will be hot. Maine hot at low 80 not Arizona hot at low 100s.

New York City (x 4)

Kathy, our sons and I traveled around New York City often when we lived in Virginia. Now in Maine, we are six hours away. Our son has provided the ride into the city in 2007, 2017,18, and this last weekend.

A special rendezvous with our Kansas granddaughter. She and her dance company danced in Times Square. After we toured the observation deck at the Empire State Building and ate at Grand Central Station.

Travel and return.

A drive is on our schedule today. Rainy.

First up is weekly trash duties followed by our host responsibility at THE Point.

Pickle Ball yesterday. Twenty were there.

A tourist stop - Fort William Cape Elizabeth

We take visitors to the two hundred year old light house. Today we went alone. Fog obsured the view at 100 yards!

We also walked towards the far park boundaries and saw ( up close) various abutting ocean front properties.

We have lived here thirty years and this was our first walk to this portion of the park.

Telling their story. - Sunday 4/14/2019

Go to the East Point APP or site and listen to the youth stories.

Today six students gave their story. Powerful each!

Decade birthday!

We each get less than eleven decade birthdays.
Yes one out of xxxx reaches age one hundred and ten or more.
Out of one hundred thousand people how many reach age 110?
In this day each of us can research and find the answer.

I recall standing in line for food at a Friday fly-in lunch.
I  stood with a man age 97 at that time.
He later passed at age 101.

He walked to work often after the age of 95.

Lesson learned - walk and then walk even more.
There is a decade birthday tomorrow. 

On the fly? or Write and edit?

For this blog, weeklyabcxyz, I  try to write  each week.

Should I edit?

Yes.

Do I?

Seldom.

In life (you, I, we) often speak or act without editing.  Hours, days, months later we pause and think.  We ask, "had I swapped one word for another the outcome may have been mellow rather than harsh."

Heavenly Father, please edit my words early.

Prepare to fly back to winter!

We are now in the airport after fifteen nights in five states. On four different mornings I woke before four AM.

This morning also.

Therefore near five AM I walked out to see the moon and Jupiter hugging. Nashville's temperature before sunrise was near freezing. I saw frost on windshields.

We will see Maine snow this afternoon. I hope my walking sidewalks are free of snow.

So how was our escape? We found Baskin Robbins four times, light rain three times and a pink breakfast diner once.

The Vicksburg Battlefield park, Bellingrath Gardens, and Memphis Botanical gardens were highlights.

Southwest airlines cancelled our flight!

The email said your flight is cancelled. The options to fly the same day or earlier were not available.

We did gain a flight in the morning.  We lost a day. An additional overnight.

Winter continues in Maine.

We are in Arkansas, Tennessee area with mild temperatures. We made a stop at a Blues museum with guitar and blues artist displays.

The third item.

Date weekly.
Celebrate monthly.
Escape quarterly.

We have escaped to collect four more states.

Our son and his spouse and granddaughters visit.

We visited them yesterday and now.

A road trip with excellent destinations but mixed reviews on the miles between.

Six en route  breakfast places, a discontinued Baskin Robbins and both quiet and rude driving sections.

Cold in early March is typical!

Sharp cold today with wind. Same without wind tomorrow will make my walk more comfortable.

We still must wait for nine weeks for all the leaves. More important my tulips will be in bloom before the trees leaf out.

A dollar bill in ice.

My self appointed task is to pick up trash in our church parking lot.Today I found a one dollar bill trapped in ice by a curb.  With me on my knees I used a piece of wood from the trunk of my car to free the money.  At first I planned to keep the dollar, but I sensed a need to do otherwise.  The bill was moist (with water) so it should now be drying in one of our donation boxes.

Pickle Ball, news, nap!

Friday.

My schedule is in the title line. As I sit in the Lazy Boy with my legs up Cmour instantly lands on my leg and either naps with me or preens.

Shovel the roof. (Roof x two and shovel times three )

Today was my third iteration to clear the two porch roofs. Each year the Western mountain snows pile feet not inches on the roof.

Each porch roof is flat. Too much snow might add too much weight. Solution is to shovel. My first trips in December and January required heavy lifting. Today the depth of accumulated snow was less than expected.

A side issue is distance from our home to the roof. Over one hundred miles each way.  Makes for a long day.

Intercede - intercession.

Praying for someone else. 

Our church handed out a sheet with a one hour prayer guide. Five minutes each in praise, thanks, waiting, asking and other.  Intercession was a word I was unable to pull up when in bed with the lights out.

The root word intercede apparently never made it in to my vocabulary.

Praying for others; intercession!

Write it, say it, remember.

Prayer praying pray.

Prayer -  asking;  thanking; talking to God.  Listening.

Praying.  -  The act of saying a prayer as above.

Pray.

I have to.

I do.

New eyes!

Cataract surgery is more difficult than pulling a tooth. Having said that, medical professionals have great skills today.

My prescription left lens then right lens went in in April.  Today Kathy's right eye improved.

Speaking only for myself, I enjoy not needing glasses to drive. Reading is a different issue. Because my near sightedness was 20/400 I had built in magnifying sight. Without glasses I could read tiny print. AlI that is gone. Five pair of readers are here and there.  One in the car, one in the bedroom, and my office, TV chair etc.

I still enjoy not wearing glasses.

My habit of removing my glasses before showering has faded!

Age and aging.

New borns and toddlers. Just the sight of either brings a smile.   Some teens keep the joy of youth.  Older and older people hang on to either one or the other.

Not so with young and old appearance. The older we get the more we look old.  A definite cross to bear for those who reach age 100.

January cold and July August heat.

Typical.  Winter is cold; summer is not.

In Portland, Maine the coldest temperature was -39F in 1943.  The warmest was 103F in August, 1975.

Saturday week one in 2019

Each year I close the books on my weather Excel spread sheet for one year and open the same for the New Year.

I have a nine day running mean chart for the current year temperatures and a history of the previous year maximum temperatures.

1/1/2019 Tuesday.

Ten years ago, Pasadena, California.

Seven years ago the same. Pre parade, parade and post parade. A four day event.

Equestrian event remains on our TO DO list.