New Years at the Creek
5 years ago
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Catching Up
Ok, there were several pics from the last couple months on my phone and camera that I meant to post. The next 8 posts are comprised of these neglected pictures. Enjoy!
Erin's New Toy
A Catch-Up Post:
So Erin has been wanting the ability to use two monitors when she works from home for a long time. She asked recently again, and I thought, "No problem."
I mean I can just pop in a new video card, buy another monitor, and bamm!
Oh wait. Our computer was about 5 years old. It was a low end Dell. Still worked fine for what we needed, except motherboard wasn't really set up for expansion, or anything else. Putting in a new video card wasn't a good option.
So time to build a new computer. Then she had to choose her monitor. Except she wanted to keep the old computer for the kids, which meant I couldn't cannibalize it and we would need two new monitors. 22" for $150? Hell, let's go for it was her thought. So a pretty sweet dual core, raid drive machine with two monitors for under $750 is what we ended up with.
And her first reaction was, "I think I screwed up. This is too big for our office."
Followed awhile later by, "This is awesome!"
So Erin has been wanting the ability to use two monitors when she works from home for a long time. She asked recently again, and I thought, "No problem."
I mean I can just pop in a new video card, buy another monitor, and bamm!
Oh wait. Our computer was about 5 years old. It was a low end Dell. Still worked fine for what we needed, except motherboard wasn't really set up for expansion, or anything else. Putting in a new video card wasn't a good option.
So time to build a new computer. Then she had to choose her monitor. Except she wanted to keep the old computer for the kids, which meant I couldn't cannibalize it and we would need two new monitors. 22" for $150? Hell, let's go for it was her thought. So a pretty sweet dual core, raid drive machine with two monitors for under $750 is what we ended up with.
And her first reaction was, "I think I screwed up. This is too big for our office."
Followed awhile later by, "This is awesome!"
The Big Snow (s)
Another Catch-Up Post:
Ok, I know I posted some pictures from the last big snow. We had our big snow in December that was on the top ten snow falls in recorded history. I think they called it Snowpocalypse or something. Then a couple weeks ago, we got Snowmagedon. It was a lot more snow, and a lot heavier. I measured about 2 feet in the open, but later realized I could easily measure almost 3 feet in other spots. That snow started Friday night and ended late Saturday. Wednesday another winter whallop was scheduled. I took a trip to the store to get some spinach to make stuffed chicken breasts, and was greeted with this for a produce department:
And like I said, the snow ended Saturday night. This was Tuesday afternoon on the main road near our house:
The truck pulled more than one person up this hill that thought they could get around in two wheel drive. Wednesday we got Snoverkill (like all the names they came up with?) We only got about 8-10 inches out of that one, but since none of the previous snow had melted, it only made it more fun. Plus, that was technically a blizzard with winds over 30mph. Of course, we just caught the southern end of it. An hour north, people were stranded in 4ft+ snow drifts and the plows were taken off the roads for safety.
All in all, the federal government was closed for 38 hours straight (4 on Friday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and a 2 hour delay on Friday). Followed by President's Day on Monday. I just ended my first full week at work in what seems like forever. Not sure I'm up to another one next week.
All three of the storms I mentioned ranked in the top 10 for DC. Our total snowfall for this winter is now at the top of the list. Almost sad that today's big storm missed us to the north and nailed NYC instead. :(
Ok, I know I posted some pictures from the last big snow. We had our big snow in December that was on the top ten snow falls in recorded history. I think they called it Snowpocalypse or something. Then a couple weeks ago, we got Snowmagedon. It was a lot more snow, and a lot heavier. I measured about 2 feet in the open, but later realized I could easily measure almost 3 feet in other spots. That snow started Friday night and ended late Saturday. Wednesday another winter whallop was scheduled. I took a trip to the store to get some spinach to make stuffed chicken breasts, and was greeted with this for a produce department:
And like I said, the snow ended Saturday night. This was Tuesday afternoon on the main road near our house:
The truck pulled more than one person up this hill that thought they could get around in two wheel drive. Wednesday we got Snoverkill (like all the names they came up with?) We only got about 8-10 inches out of that one, but since none of the previous snow had melted, it only made it more fun. Plus, that was technically a blizzard with winds over 30mph. Of course, we just caught the southern end of it. An hour north, people were stranded in 4ft+ snow drifts and the plows were taken off the roads for safety.
All in all, the federal government was closed for 38 hours straight (4 on Friday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and a 2 hour delay on Friday). Followed by President's Day on Monday. I just ended my first full week at work in what seems like forever. Not sure I'm up to another one next week.
All three of the storms I mentioned ranked in the top 10 for DC. Our total snowfall for this winter is now at the top of the list. Almost sad that today's big storm missed us to the north and nailed NYC instead. :(
Captain Underpants!
Another Catch-Up Post:
I'm so buying a full page ad in her senior yearbook to put this picture on!
(I think those were Emma's underwear. I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume they were clean. But then again, does she deserve that benefit?)
I'm so buying a full page ad in her senior yearbook to put this picture on!
(I think those were Emma's underwear. I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume they were clean. But then again, does she deserve that benefit?)
I think someone lost a bet...
Another Catch-Up Post:
I found these pictures on the camera, I think the sequence speaks for itself.
I found these pictures on the camera, I think the sequence speaks for itself.
Another Catch-Up Post
Back in the middle of January, we took a trip to Steamboat Springs, CO. The girls and I flew out a day before everyone else. So while waiting, we all went ice skating for our first time. We had fun, even if we all had bruises to show at the end. Grandma and Grandpa Grant and Mom showed up shortly after we got off the ice.
The family portrait:
Cailin and Marlee went to ski school the first couple of days, while Emma went for several more days while the older ones skied with us. I think the last day, even Emma skied with us. Emma and Marlee loved the moguls. And they would fly down them. Cailin had a little farther to fall, and so was a bit more cautious. But they definitely made us feel old.
Here was when Cailin and Marlee did their first real black diamond. They were happy up to this point, because it really wasn't too bad. But see where the slope drops off the horizon just behind them? One of the steepest blacks on the mountain. Whoops.
But they love the trees. Lots of skiing through the trees. We got some fresh snow by the end of the week, and life was good.
Back in the middle of January, we took a trip to Steamboat Springs, CO. The girls and I flew out a day before everyone else. So while waiting, we all went ice skating for our first time. We had fun, even if we all had bruises to show at the end. Grandma and Grandpa Grant and Mom showed up shortly after we got off the ice.
The family portrait:
Cailin and Marlee went to ski school the first couple of days, while Emma went for several more days while the older ones skied with us. I think the last day, even Emma skied with us. Emma and Marlee loved the moguls. And they would fly down them. Cailin had a little farther to fall, and so was a bit more cautious. But they definitely made us feel old.
Here was when Cailin and Marlee did their first real black diamond. They were happy up to this point, because it really wasn't too bad. But see where the slope drops off the horizon just behind them? One of the steepest blacks on the mountain. Whoops.
But they love the trees. Lots of skiing through the trees. We got some fresh snow by the end of the week, and life was good.
Igloos
Another Catch-up Post:
Back in the big December snow storm, Marlee and Emma helped me build an igloo in our front yard. The snow couldn't really be formed well into bricks, but we still found a way to pack into our igloo. It stood for several weeks after everything else had melted, although it got closer and closer to the ground every day.
I could barely fit inside, but barely still counts. Here's a picture looking out. Notice the size of my foot compared to the opening. I could barely wiggle in (or out).
Back in the big December snow storm, Marlee and Emma helped me build an igloo in our front yard. The snow couldn't really be formed well into bricks, but we still found a way to pack into our igloo. It stood for several weeks after everything else had melted, although it got closer and closer to the ground every day.
I could barely fit inside, but barely still counts. Here's a picture looking out. Notice the size of my foot compared to the opening. I could barely wiggle in (or out).
Sick Day Splicing
Another Catch-up Post:
Home sick a month or so ago, I decided to splice some ropes while watching a movie. I won't bore you too much, but the first is a double braid called Tachyon, which is my favorite climbing rope. This had quite a bit of use on it, and it turns out splicing used rope is much harder than new....I invented a few new swear words burying the crossover on this one.
Now this was a splice in Bandit, which is still a 7/16" double braid climbing rope. But it was new. Still, it turns out it was the toughest new rope I've ever spliced. Can't wait to actually climb on it. It's been a few months since I was last in a tree.
Home sick a month or so ago, I decided to splice some ropes while watching a movie. I won't bore you too much, but the first is a double braid called Tachyon, which is my favorite climbing rope. This had quite a bit of use on it, and it turns out splicing used rope is much harder than new....I invented a few new swear words burying the crossover on this one.
Now this was a splice in Bandit, which is still a 7/16" double braid climbing rope. But it was new. Still, it turns out it was the toughest new rope I've ever spliced. Can't wait to actually climb on it. It's been a few months since I was last in a tree.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Kickin it up a notch
cauliflower, carrots, ginger, and most importantly-BACON.
Bacon makes everything better.
Well, maybe not my cholesterol.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
More snow on the way....
Federal government was closed today. As of last night even the main roads were passable pretty much only if you had four wheel drive or some darn good tires. With temps in the single digits I imagine this morning was no fun. I'll have to ask Erin, she took the truck and went to work about 10.
It's warmed up to the high thirties and some melting is starting to happen. But temps back in the teens tonight, and this storm advisory from the National Weather Service tomorrow.
It's warmed up to the high thirties and some melting is starting to happen. But temps back in the teens tonight, and this storm advisory from the National Weather Service tomorrow.
Issued by The National Weather Service
Baltimore/Washington, MD
11:58 am EST, Mon., Feb. 8, 2010
THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING.
* PRECIPITATION TYPE... SNOW.
* ACCUMULATIONS... POTENTIAL FOR 8 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW. THERE IS A GOOD LIKELIHOOD OF SNOW IN EXCESS OF 10 INCHES.
Anyone want to bet the kids won't see school at all this week?
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Storm Wrap Up
Ok, I'm inside warming up and letting the wine soothe the aches an pains. Totals at our house are about 23.5" out in the middle of the field, but I know I walked through some deeper spots today that came half way up my thigh. I'll have to go and measure those tomorrow.
The snow is heavy. And slippery. And a royal pain to get off the road. I'll post pictures of the tractor work tomorrow, but just think scoop, dump, backup, scoop, dump, backup for 3/4 of a mile through 2+ feet of snow. About 1/2 way done now I guess, hopefully tomorrow goes faster. I doubt it since everything is freezing solid tonight.
Power went out last night about 9? Kids camped in front of the woodstove with the dogs. Dug my way into the barn this morning and got the generator out and hooked up to make a fresh cup of coffee. Some of the neighbors don't have woodstoves or generators and were getting pretty cold by this evening when the power finally came back on.
The important thing is the girls are having fun:
Well, that and the house hasn't collapsed under the weight yet. The girl on the right is the granddaughter of our neighbor, they were building quite the snow fort up at their house.
I did see a bunch of pine trees down, and personally lost some holly trees. Maybe Bettica Services will get some work out of this storm? Next year Bettica Services will be offering plowing for sure....
Snow Dog
to keep snowing through the day. Very heavy snow.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Snow, snow, and more on the way
and a big storm scheduled for this weekend.
That's on top of the December storms which left us with more than our
annual average.
Anyhow, got the road scraped (you can't really plow with the tractor
bucket.)
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