rural mail carrier in snow

The weatherman is talking about 50 degree weather next week. That will be a relief. We have enough cold to kill off a lot of bugs in our garden spot. Cold weather does that to gardens.
Mom is at work this morning.
Our Mockingbird is keeping birds away from our feeders. She watches and if a bird flies near the feeder she swoops in and pesters them. I was wondering why the birds were keeping away from the feeders. I can broadcast the seeds on the snow and the birds will come that way. I do have some cracked corn just for sowing in the snow.
What amazes me is the ability of mail men and mail ladies to go near a mailbox in their autos and deliver the rural mail in this slick snow everyday. Our mail comes every day rain or shine, plus they have to open the rural mailboxes at every home they come to. Nobody ever thanks them for that they just complain that they are overpaid.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU
by Leo Tolstoy

***

What clothing do our leaders wear? What clothing do we wear and what clothing do I wear? When I was dropped out I wore none in the warm climate of California or wore recycled clothing from our clothing bin. Gandhi wore clothes he made. Where on the scale of vanity do we place our being. Is it important as to what we wear in this day and age? We as a society wear clothing that is made quickly and cheaply by women and children.
The idea of children working in sweat shops has been banned in the United States. Children working at home is fine.
I do not don jewelry but I do wear a watch because I am not outdoors all the time. When I was outside in my younger days I viewed the sun and by seeing where it was I could tell you the time of day.

Where as a society do we stand?
Where as a society do bees and ants stand?

***

Raising crops to create fuels to burn in cars and/or burning garbage for electricity are as good an idea as the burning the Amazon. When you take good topsoil and raise crops, eat the seeds and turn what remains back into the soil that is productive land management. Replacing mulch, organic matter and organic garbage in the soil is good land management; it create a soil that the creatures below the surface can consume which produce good soil for plants. Green crops and trees that are burned go up in smoke and offer little to the earth as mulch and organic matter.

I have talked to people about how the city fathers want you to conserve the water in your city. In truth you should have a pool in your backyard. Do you hear what is happening to the rain forest in South America. They are burning them, that is a good way to become a desert. My best examples of what to do what is right for the planet are Israel and Las Vegas. They use water, they hold water in basins (reservoirs), they have swimming pools.
Trees in the Amazon (South America) hold water, swimming pools in Las Vegas hold water, Israel uses water to irrigate their plants.
When you have water in mulch deep in the soil, in pools, with misters, drip waterer, Amazon forests and reservoirs the water vapor rises to the clouds and stays in the area, when you burn the earth ash consumes the water plus you lose the ability to store water in trees and mulched landscapes.
It is nice to create machines that use less water as in toilets but do we really need a shower that only dampen your dreams. I removed all the strainers out of our shower, we shower with a full head of water which goes down the drain and into the earth where it is held until it evaporates and rises to water someones else's garden.

It is minus -2 degrees outside and it is 68 degrees inside. Now it get serious as to whether our vehicles start and our pipes keep from freezing. I have worked in my earlier years in this home to find the troubling spots that cause problems and repair them or make them safer, hopefully my work is still paying benefits. The truck and van are newer vehicles and hopefully are protected from the cold.
Mom is off work today (it is a normal off day). We both feel good. Mentally I am in great spirit and I am one with the planet.
I will go out and start each vehicle and let them run for 40 minutes to warm them up.
It is time for a cup of tea.
1000
We had homemade scones and oatmeal for brunch and ah - was that a treat.
Just came back in from warming up the red truck and the white van. I will warm them up good so that it will take a while for the metals to cool.
1400
You know when Spring is close by when the temperature gets to 20 degrees.

House Republicans Aim to Cut Funds for EPA, Energy, Health Care, Police

I put a peanut butter and jelly sandwich out for the birds, I hope they find it. I had an old peanut butter and jelly sandwich out before and our mockingbird loved it.
1500 (3:00PM)
I just saw a small bird dancing in the snow/hopping (bunny hopping) and pushing the dusty snow away from the seeds on the deck. We have about a full inch of very dusty snow. It is very deceiving and slick.

Bill would allow ads on Kentucky school buses

how much interest does the average citizen pay in their lifetime?

Good morning, our temperature outside is 15 degrees and inside it is 72. Our roads are clear and may be black ice in some places. The snow is still in place.
The other day we had a talk about me staying home while mom drives in these terrible conditions while I make a good and healthy pension just staying home. I drove and walked across the dam (3/4 of a mile and up 118 steps and down 118 steps twice a day) for 15 years before my legs just could not climb and walk across any more. At that time mom worked at the hospital we had only one car for about 5 years and mom walked to work (900 yards) in all conditions. Mom earns her social security plus what she earns at Walmart. We were in terrible debt and mom is digging us out with her job. Our home and her van will be paid for in another year and that will free up close to a half millions dollars in interest payments.

See walking on RipRap.

See Walking.

The State of the Union

A 'prescient' warning to Boeing on 787 trouble

The sun melted the snow that was plowed and that that lay on the ground settled a white perfect snowman, angel or snowball. It is 25 degrees outside and a comfortable 71 indoors.
My pension allows me to pay my bills and mom's social security allows us to eat. Her job allows us to buy clothes, toothpaste and soap suds for our appliances.
She is off today and she is at her computer. She is in good health as I am in.

We had a least 5 inches of wet snow this morning.

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