What Could Have Been

The Pinewood Derby is a racing event held by the Cub Scouts. Two Hundred years ago when I was a young Club Scout, I won this event, or I should say my father won the event, because I don't remember working on the car.
Maybe I did, maybe I didn't.

This was the boy's first Pinewood Derby and he choose a Star Wars themed car. It all starts with a block of wood, some wheels and axles.


The boy works to release a car hidden in his block of wood.


More sanding to define the shape and bring the car to life.


After all the shaping and sanding, we painted the car black, attached the wheels and strategically placed lead weights, and added some Star Wars Stickers.

Please Note, "Some components of this prototype car are classified top secret and can not be disclosed here."


This is "Darth Vader"


I am very sorry to say that Darth never had the opportunity to show just how fast he was.

Early in the morning on race day, The boy developed a stomach bug and spent race day recovering on the couch, and I imagine, he dreamed about what could have been.

Jordan was a big disappointment. I asked her to cut her hair, put on the boy's official Cub Scout uniform, and "Win one for the Gipper".

I don't think she wants to be in the same room as me.

Maybe next year.

Obsessed With Sheetrock

During past few months since we broke ground on this project, I have discovered that maybe I am not the lazy wimp I thought I was.

With that said, I do admit, with my face hidden in my pillow Friday morning, I was whimpering a little thinking about hauling sheetrock.

Friday we had 70 sheets, or 3780 lbs of sheetrock/drywall delivered, and because we have a dumpster blocking the driveway, it was neatly stacked at the end of the driveway.

Ron and Willie gave me a very much appreciated birthday gift when they showed up and the 3 of us loaded 70 sheets up onto the first floor, and then moved 28 sheets, or 1512 lbs up a second flight of stairs.The total of sheetrock moved, 5292 lbs, or 98 sheets.And we will handle each sheet again when we hang it for a total of,
9072 lbs, 168 sheets, or just over 4 tons sheetrock moved.
The only disappointment was, they didn't sing happy birthday to me.

Ron and I started hanging sheetrock today and the rooms are starting to look like rooms. Hopefully we will finish hanging sheetrock and see the windows installed this week.

And to make the week complete, we will receive another substantial winter storm this week.

Got Snow?

Sometimes we must eat our words. In the past I often said if we are going to get snow, then lets get some real snow. I wanted feet not inches, after all, "I am a New Englander", but lately I find myself during temporary moments of weakness, wishing I was a Floridian.

To date, 71" of snow has fallen on Connecticut and the yearly average is 47", and the great news is, there is talk of another possible Nor'easter next week.

Last night I worked late into the night, and a large part of today insulating the addition. Mike, the building official from the Town Of Mansfield was here today performing a insulation inspection, and mentioned something I have thought about, but at this point in time, I don't wish to add onto my long list of things to stress about. With all this snow, if we get a fast melt, add some heavy Spring rains, our new porch may become a dock.

Tomorrow is Friday, and we are expecting a large delivery from Willard's Building Supply. Our windows, siding, and 70 sheets of sheetrock will be delivered. So now I can look forward to spending my birthday hauling sheetrock from the driveway up the icy driveway, up the stairs, into the addition, and up some more stairs.

I must admit, snow can be extremely tranquil.

25 Degrees Would Be A Heat Wave

Umiak, kayak, mukluk, tupik,
Umiak, kayak, mukluk, tupik,
Umiak, kayak, Eskimo words,
Learn them if you can.

Umiak, a boat for many men,
Kayak, a boat for one man,
Umiak, kayak, Eskimo words,
Learn them if you can.

I had a very heavey 2X6 piece of lumber drop onto my head, and when the stars went away, I started to sing a Eskimo song that I think I learned in Elementary School. While I was in this daze I also believe I witnessed a full grown polar Bear diving into the river.

I never wanted to be a Eskimo. Not that there is anything wrong with being a Eskimo. I also never wanted to live near the Arctic Circle.

Today I felt like we lived next to the flag that designates the North Pole. I woke this morning to minus 12 degrees and I heard the weatherman mention 20 below and with a wind chill of 25-35 below. They also issued a frost bite warning, and another Nor'easter may be here this week.

This is not exactly the weather one hopes for in the middle of a construction project. On this past Friday, Adam and Chris from Ackart Electric, roughed in the electrical in the addition and this week we should have it insulated and sheet rocked. Hopefully we can have the heat installed early next week. Also the windows may be installed this week, and the roof finished. If this Nor'easter misses us and the Arctic air goes back to the Arctic, we might have a really good week.

Give me 25 degrees without wind and I will be happy

I am very concerned about this last bit of open water freezing solid.

Turkey Is Not On The Menu

It is a bit unnerving when you find a frozen puddle of blood below the tree that some of your birds roost in at night.

The other night something attacked Hope" our female turkey. She is OK and has decided that maybe it is a better to sleep in the safety of the hen house with Bob, our male turkey.

The wounds appear on her back, indicating she was attacked from above. The only suspect at this time is, "the Owl".

What Cold Looks Like

You know it is cold when the river freezes

Another Day, Another Battle

They are tiny, and they are extremely annoying. The Pantry Moth, also known as a Indian Moth, or Flour Moth, can drive the most sane and sensible person to take drastic measures to eliminate them from a home.

They usually enter a home on grains and other dry foods and soon multiply. They don't bite, and they don't eat fabrics, but I think I would rather have a house full of spiders.

I am very distressed to announce we have been invaded by this little irritant. I became a little lackadaisical when dealing with some birdseed, and now the war has begun.

It only takes a couple of little eggs to come in the house on birdseed to start the infestation. Some years ago while living in a Condo, I was inundated with these little moths. At the time I refused to use any chemicals, so I came up with what I thought was the answer to the problem.


I purchased some tiny little house geckos and turned them loose in my Condo. Thinking that the little Geckos would feed on the moths, and because I have a thing for geckos, I thought watching some geckos run around would be somewhat entertaining. This proved to be true, I, being a gecko lover, found them very entertaining as they would shoot straight up the wall like little rockets, so fast that if you blinked you would miss them whizzing by.

This solution to the problem created its own set of problems. At the time I lived above a very nice older Russian couple who had a very hard time coming up with certain words in English. I did understand what she was saying when she tried to explain in her strong Russian accent, how they were watching TV and repeatedly caught the fleeting glimpse of something shooting up their walls and across the ceilings. She asked me, if the mice in the United States were that fast?
With all the genetically altered grain grown in this country", I said, "it's possible."

I don't plan on using a army of geckos this time, but I will not rule out, DDT, TNT, Flamethrowers, Hand grenades, or Missiles with pesticide filled warheads.

The Polls Are Open

I think the debate we are having, is a debate that will plague the minds of hard working, intelligent, sensitive men for a thousand and one years.

What is tougher?

1)Risking ones life and limb to climb up on a steep, slippery, cold, icy, snow covered, windswept, roof, in the freezing cold, and shoveling 2074 cubic feet, or 20740 lbs of snow off the roof.( did I mention frozen, and near frost bitten fingers and toes?)

OR

2) Bringing 2 weeks of laundry for a family of 4 to the Laundromat. ( sitting and reading a book while you work hard to lift those quarters into the machine)

I won't say who is on which side of this debate. But because I would prefer not to wear pink socks and underwear, I had better vote for number 2!!

Baby Its Cold Out There

To provide heat, or not.

I am not 100% sure what is correct. Many farmers provide shelter from the cold for their livestock, but not heat. Some say heat is not necessary, and every horse or cow barn I have ventured into during the winter months, did not provide heat. Most livestock will survive the cold, but who really can say they would not be happier and more comfortable if we provided a little heat.

With temperatures in the single digits and last night hitting 6 below, I sleep a lot better knowing the heat lamps I hooked up in the goat shed and chicken coop will help keep our critters a little bit comfortable at night.

Mr Doodles2 has taken my kindness a bit to far. Every night without fail, Mr Doodles2 waits by the basement door. If I did not let him in, he would wait all night by the door, looking pathetic huddled in a cold dark corner. As soon as the door opens he sneaks in and sometimes a couple of his girlfriends follow. I never realized how loud a rooster sounds, when he crows at 4am in our basement directly under our bed. And just to be perfectly clear, Jeanne wanted a rooster, not me..

Bob and Hope, our Royal Palm Turkeys spend most nights up in our Chestnut tree, but with this burst of Artic weather, they have taken refuge in the chicken coop.

The Days Are Numbered

Hollywood California was experiencing some record setting heat back in July of 1945 when a writer and a composer, Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne got together during that sweltering heat wave and wrote, "LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW".

I woke up this morning and decided I do not like these two men very much, and I find myself singing, "LET IT STOP, LET IT STOP, LET IT STOP".

I usually appreciate the beauty of a snowstorm, but, "Not NOW" . We have so much to finish before February arrives, and this 25 inches of snow does not help our schedule.

I hired another local contractor to help me finish, and hopefully meet the Feb deadline. I first meet Earl Logsdon from Logsdon Contracting, while standing in line at school waiting to pick up the kids. We had a few conversations over the years and his son Dylan, and Tommy are friends at school. Earl also gives his time to the Boy Scouts and is Tommy's Cub Scout Den leader. It also helped that he drives a nice truck.

Earl came through for us in a big way. We needed to provide a estimate from a licensed contractor that detailed the labor we put into the project. This is necessary because under the terms of the grant we are to provide 10% of the grant in either cash or labor. We needed to work off or pay approximately $15,000, and it looks like we have already put in $27,500 of sweat equity, or in kind services.

I hired Earl to shingle the roof over the front porch, install the siding, and pop in the nine new windows. He has also offered to help in other areas of the project for the same price and I really appreciate having him on the job.

While Earl finishes the outside work, the inside work to be done is:,
run the rough electrical, insulate, sheetrock, floors, paint, finish electrical and install baseboard heat.

I just got comfortable working in 32 degree temperatures, now with the forcasted temperatures, I will need to develope a new comfort zone, somewhere in the 20 degree range with a wind chill factor sending that number lower.

I may be a full blooded 100% New Englander, but until this project is finished, Please Please,
"NO MORE SNOW, NO MORE SNOW, NO MORE SNOW!!!!!!

Fish Or Cat ?

It is a very rare occasion when we have a empty aquarium around here. I almost think it may be some form of sin to leave a perfectly good aquarium empty. Rugrat, our youngest cat, also known as Piglet, must think the same way, she took advantage of the situation and spends a lot of time hanging out in this empty fish tank.

I guess we can now add, "Catfish" to our critter list.

Sorry, No Possum Pie Today

Recipe for, POSSUM PIE
1 live possum
1 c. flour
1 stick butter
1 lg. Cool Whip
3 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
Grated chocolate Hershey Bar
1 1/4 c. nuts, chopped
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding

Mix flour, 1/2 of the nuts and butter. Press into big pan 9 x 13 x 2 inches. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Let crust cool. Mix cream cheese, 1/2 of Cool Whip, 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread over cool crust. Mix instant chocolate and instant vanilla pudding, milk, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and spread over first layer. Refrigerate until pudding firms. Then top with rest of Cool Whip, sprinkle with nuts and grated chocolate. Now let the possum fill his belly with the above creation and then turn him loose. He is almost guaranteed to return, and more then likely will bring friends.
("Important Disclaimer", To my family and many friends who have pet possums, the above recipe was a attempt at humor, please do not feed your pet possum anything that contains chocolate.)

Well for the second time when I went to collect eggs, a possum had filled his belly with our fresh eggs, and then went to sleep in one of the nest boxes.

The next question was what to do with this little varmint?
Ending his life because he likes our eggs was out of the question. Another thought was to relocate him across town. This would solve our problem but I took two things into consideration.
First, I don't think it is very nice to relocate a animal in the middle of winter. He would need to find a new food source and a new den for protection from the bitter cold and predators that would like to have him for lunch.
Second, I believe it may be illegal to relocate a wild animal in CT.

So the only solution possum loving people like us have, bring him in, name him Frank, and wait until warmer weather. And for the record, Jordan named him Frank Possum.

Peaceful Year Ahead?

Unfortunately my horoscope for 2011 does not mention anything about lottery tickets, but it did say something about unraveling the mysteries of life, and the year is slated to be smooth sailing for me, and I should get ready for a peaceful year where the fruits of your previous labors will start to come together.

I made no resolutions this year, and to be honest, I did not know New Years eve was upon us until the kids spoke about staying up until midnight. The one resolution I temporarily thought about was being nicer. We can always use more niceness in our lives and I thought why not try.

Well on Jan 1st, I failed my first opportunity to be nicer to Jeanne. Today while the kids and I were outside cutting firewood, they came across a dead mouse. I honestly do not know how they came about the idea, but they decided they would gift wrap it and give it to their Mom for her birthday on Jan 2nd.
I swear on everything sacred to me, "IT WAS NOT MY IDEA", but I suppose I could have been nice and stopped them. I believe the old term, "it's the thought that counts" or how about, "Home Made", will not work in this situation.

So tomorrow on Jeanne's birthday, she will get a gift wrapped dead mouse, and I can hear the smooth sailing, and peaceful part of my horoscope being flushed down the toilet.

Maybe I can try being nicer in 2012!