Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 7 February 2021

Diane: Thank you. The photo looks so spring like,. but aren't you frozen solid up there?  The weather forecast for the Midwest and the Great Lakes looks ferocious.

OG:  I think I need you to guide me through some recipes.

dibnlib:  A quidditch?  I had no idea they existed outside Harry Potter.  How nice that you found it though (whatever it is).  :-)  Benson sounds very smart; why go outside when you can loll about in a warm house watching other people run around in the cold.  But why is it called the Calcutta Cup when the competition is between Scotland and England?  Don't worry about explaining.  :-) .

Have been busy all day (well for the last two weeks actually) with a small freelance project for the magazine, which is looking to feature three events scheduled for May or June.  Ha!  Talk about pulling teeth.  The entire 'events' world is on hold, hoping for the best but unwilling to commit to anything specific.  I've managed to round up some likely suspects, but writing about events where where everything is so tentative is a challenge.  Arghhhh...

Meanwhile, am going to dig around for some rubbish to watch on TV and for a miniature ice-cream cone to enjoy while I'm watching whatever it is.

Have a good Sunday everyone.

Annette: Yup. The polar vortex arrived this evening and is predicted to stay for about 12 days, with increasingly brutal cold every day. By next Saturday, the actual temperature here in my area will be 12 below zero Fahrenheit (-12F) or 24.4 below zero Celsius (-24.4 C). The wind chill or "feels like" temp probably will be 20 degrees lower than that, because we also will have high winds all week. My house is already frigid even though the heater is on. I think I'm just going to stay in bed under my electric blanket all week. I'll read and listen to National Public Radio during the day and the BBC at night. I'm really worried about the red-tailed hawks and the other wildlife.

I was late in starting the new thread tonight (sorry if anyone was waiting). I was busy getting my car ready. I charged my battery to make sure it had a full charge. Then I used my tire pump to put air in one of my car tires that likes to leak during extreme cold. Then I went to the convenience store on the highway and filled up my gas tank. At these temps, condensation (beads of water) will freeze the tank and the gas lines. 

People at the store were full of dread. Our people were already suffering from the Covid economic crisis. A lot of folks were having trouble buying enough food and paying bills. Nobody knows how they'll pay the massive heating bills that this vortex will cause, and the utility companies will cut people off. CNN says that the federal government won't release any stimulus checks until late March if at all. I'm not counting on it. 

Annette: I forgot to say good luck with your freelance project. That one sounds more than challenging. 

Diane: I was wondering how things were going in your area with Covid, etc. Are you guys getting the vaccine?

DIANE – Another cheery start to week with an alert(?) inquisitive(?) deer. No worries here about starting late; early, late, whenever, thank you.

DIBNLIB – What is a quidditch? I see ANNETTE refers to Harry Potter – and I’m still clueless.

ANNETTE – Nothing like a new project with a challenge to get those brain cells ticking. . .

LINDA – What’s the rhyme about magpies? 4 for a boy, 5 for silver. Or can you add the 2 trees together. . . 9 for a kiss.

Just a thought

Never regret. If it is good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience.

Annette: To answer your question: The population of my rural county is 38,000. Only 2,920 people have received a first dose, and 502 have received both doses. Our small Health Department is very good, and 40 people have volunteered to help for free. (Midwesterners can always be counted on to jump in and help.) However, getting an appointment for the vaccination requires luck and super-human effort. There just isn't enough vaccine available here. My county only does vaccinations for three hours on Monday, three hours on Wednesday, and 6 hours on Saturday.

Good Morning and Thank You to Diane for starting us off again, in spite of cold local conditions. Love the deer.

Keep yourself safe, and warm if you can, in those minus temps, Diane!

My OH continues to slowly improve. Our neighbour said "Have you nailed him to the floor yet?!" And a relative said "Are you tying him down?" !!!

The 1st snowdrops picked from our garden this year.

LINDY - I'm happy that your OH is on the mend ! I empathise - these old farmers are made of strong stuff !