February Thaw

Biggest news (besides politics) is the weather; we are now experiencing a spell of above normal high and low temperatures.

Normal high is around 43 degrees but last night our overnight LOW was 47. It is cloudy and raining now, but temperatures for the upcoming week are forecast to be 10 – 15 degrees warmer than usual for early February. The high desert has set a couple of new record highs for the date; some parts of the state are recording highs into the upper 80 degree range. Here in western Colorado temperatures climbed into the low 60s, nearly 20 degrees above average. Wow – I may ride my motorcycle to work next week.

Jerry and his Kawasaki motorcycle

The snow at our elevation is gone and even the long-persisting ice on the north side of the house is fading fast. We have switched back to light jackets in the morning and I recently washed the cars while wearing a short-sleeve shirt.

I don’t believe winter is over but the respite is welcome, both from a reduction in heating costs and just the ability to get out without having to bundle up so much. The dogs spend a bit more time outdoors and the outdoor cats enjoy the warmer air;  both venture out more often and for longer periods of time. The break seems to be doing all of us some good.

Other news…
Brother-in-law Craig and his wife Dianne bought a Minni-Winnie camper; sounds like they plan to do some traveling now that both are retired and the house is completed. Good times ahead! Here is a photo of the rig that Craig put on his FaceBook account:

Craig and Dianne’s new camper

There is nothing new in the house hunt; Pam continues to look at on-line listings but not much has come up that sounds interesting. She did see one listing that advised prospective buyers there was currently a medical marijuana grow in the house and to be aware of that when scheduling a visit! That’s new.

I’m losing an ongoing battle with the shower faucet. Over the years I have replaced the seals a couple of times (including again this morning) but the repairs never last long and the dripping begins again. I’ve come to the conclusion the faucet needs to be replaced, a job I am not eager to take on given the cramped quarters and the plastic plumbing lines used in the construction of this place. I have a bad feeling about this…

Update on looking for a new “minion” at work: I have interviewed a total of five people for my IT Assistant position. Next Tuesday an oral board interview is convened to determine if one of three finalists could be hired. I’ve not participated in the oral board process for quite some time; should be interesting to see how the candidates respond.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Last night, on our ride to the after-hours clinic to get me some meds for a recurring medical issue, I started thinking about distances to clinic/hospital facilities from retirement house locations I monitor. Just a gentle reminder we need to be fairly close to “medical” as we age. Our current trip to medical facilities is 30 minutes. We should probably stay within that range (or less).

Happy Trails.

WANTED:

I’ve been looking for a brush chipper to help with the lot clean-up. I would like to ask for your help in locating a suitable unit. Here is what I am looking for:

Chipper with a 6″ (six inch) capacity. Models are available with either gas engines (most common) or diesel engines which I would prefer. Some come with ball-style hitches, some with pintle hitches. I would prefer a ball hitch but would buy the pintle hitch adapter if necessary. Some common brands and models are:

Vermeer 620 or 625

ProMark 310

Mid-South 612

Bandit 65 series, including AW and XP

Altec Wisper Chipper

And there are other less-known brands out there. Here is a photo of a typical unit; this one is a Bandit 65 AW with a ball hitch:

Bandit 65 AW 6″ capacity chipper

I try to monitor auction and surplus sites but have been out-bid on the rigs I’ve seen. (Budget is around $2,500.00.) So…if any of you see a listing in your local paper, Craig’s List, or just happen to come across one (referred by friend or neighbor) please let me know. I would certainly appreciate it!