More of the same?

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  Winter is hanging on, but of course it's not Spring until next week.  I should have known.  Today is forecast to be better temperature wise but with a little icy stuff too, even at forty degrees.
  After today the cold air settles in again, it's just what I've been wishing for - I have not suffered enough.  Maybe I'll move south, like to Rhode Island or someplace warm.  What?

Always a problem with something?

I am, or we are, getting older

The geezer digging
Photo: Linda Grant

  We got 15 inches of snow, the bottom 6 were a kind of compressed sleet, it was very heavy.  I know up in North Dakota, where Wilbur lives, that's just a flurry, but to me it's a mess.  Admittedly I don't have to shovel a lot, but a little goes and long way.
  At 73 I can feel it this morning, mostly in my hands which are always sore anyway.  Enough.
Spring is only six days away - if.

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www.davegranlund.com

Taksan Yuki!! Enough already.

Q. What's wrong with this photo?  A. No snow

  We now have enough snow on the ground that will keep me home for the day.  I'll be making some scones with cranberry raisins and orange very soon - a birthday present for my lovely wife, Linda. 
  As Wilbur will remember Taksan Yuki is my version of Japanese for A lot of snow, and this time it's true.  Winter storm Vulcan - how come we got to naming the damned stuff - is here, has been since about noon yesterday and is expected to stay until about 5PM today.  It's not nice.

Needs to be some melting before this happens

Meow! And he means it

Felonious Meow
Photo: AP

  Out in the "other Portland", the Oregon one a family owns a cat with a history of violence, that's according to the cats owners.
  Police got a call that their cat, with a history of violence, had attacked their baby.  The couple, along with their children and the family dog, had locked themselves in a bedroom and called 911 for help.
  The responding unit used a dog snare to catch the beast and placed it in a crate, or pet container.
A report was written up, kitty got more calm and the family kept the critter.
  Oh, by the way the "criminal cat" weighs 22 pounds!  Meow!

Seen around Maine in recent days

Making tracks - click to enlarge
Photo: Gregory Rec Portland Press Herald

  A participant at the World Youth Biathlon Championships held at the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle, Maine.  People from all over the world travel to the Presque Isle-Caribou area to use the two centers for cross country ski races and the biathlon facilities.

Getting some sun - click to enlarge
Photo: John Patriquin Portland Press Herald

Snow tire - click to enlarge
Photo: Shawn Ouellette Portland Press Herald

 

Low Impact Logging done right

Bringing out a load - click to enlarge
Photo: Gabor Degre Bangor Daily News

  Logging is a kind of dirty business.  The ground often gets treated poorly, not on purpose by heavy machinery causes ruts, cuts and digs things up badly.  It's not the operators nor the machines fault, it's just the way things work.  Logging with horses changes that.  While the work takes longer the landowner ends up with the same amount of money.  Horses can't work at the speed of machines, but with the money not spent on upkeep and ownership costs of harvesters and skidders that part of the money pretty much evens out too.
  When I was a boy in the 1940's and 50's a neighbor owned a sawmill, a portable one.  He also owned 22 pair of these horses, Belgians, a tough, hardworking breed.  My uncle Fred ran the mill as a sawyer.  The horses dragged to loads from the woods to the mill, and the sawed lumber to the road.  The mill moved from place to place.  Now the mills are stationary and much larger and trucks do the work of hauling - except in the woods.  Some of the old ways may be coming back.

Tying the load with chains for Bill and Sam to drag.
Photo: Gabor Degre Bangor Daily News

Unloaded and waiting to go to the mill - fine pine for lumber.
Photo: Gabor Degre Bangor Daily News

Taking care of critters

  On all of the news shows this week, and on the internet we were advised to turn our clocks ahead one hour last night.  I did that, and when I woke up it was March 9th!  I wonder how they do that?

A "patient" stops to eat.
Photo: Sandra Stone via Bangor Daily News

  It all started a long time ago when one woman had a son who brought home an injured bird, she applied to the State of Maine for a license to rehabilitate wild animals.  Now there is a least one rehabilitator in each county, and some places that are large and handle many birds or animals at one time.  Others do things at home, Sandra Stone is one of them.  Sandra lives in Frankfort, a small Waldo County town, and she treats each orphaned or injured animal with love, food, and more love.  The critters are released back in to the wild when ready, they aren't pets, but they do mingle.

Orphan Raccoons explore
Photo: Sandra Stone via Bangor Daily News.

A girl hold an orphaned Opossum
in southern Maine, Cumberland County
Photo: Adam Farrington via Bangor Daily News