Phitin' Phils

It was the moment I waited for 28 years to see. The Phillies won the World Series tonight. I became a Phillies fan during the last World Series they won. It has been a long ride. As every Phillies fan knows, you love them, but they don't make it easy for you. You have to take the good with the bad. They can go years without a winning season. Tonight though, they became the best in the land, and it was a moment the everyone who has stayed with them through the years can be proud.

Fun In The Snow

Leo was let out of work early today due to the weather. He said the roads weren't too bad. The biggest problem was down tree limbs. Since he was home, he decided to take the dogs out to play in the snow. Both of the dogs love playing in it. They played a little earlier in the day, but I can only do so much at this point. They were extremely tired this evening due to their playing. They will be upset when the snow melts.

Out In The Open

There was no hiding by the deer as suggested by a certain commentor. They were out in good numbers this evening. This little guy decided to get a jump on eating before everyone else arrived. I also think he is out there eating as I type this. With all the snow and wind our motion lights on the side keeps getting tripped. The bright spot of that is that the snow on the ground is causing a nice illumination and we can see the deer eating that are coming at dark. For those of you who met John, he missed one of the large deer. In fairness to him, he didn't get a good shot and the wind played a big factor. There hadn't been one in this spot all season long, so to say he was surprised was an understatement. The good news is that he was with a doe meaning that he most likely will be back there tomorrow when there should be better weather conditions. We will get one of these boys on his wall before the end of the season.

Winter Wonderland

Here are some pictures from today's snowstorm. So far, it hasn't been as bad as originally predicted, but I have noticed in the past hour that the intensity and wind have increased.

Winter Weather Preparation Afternoon

Well, my original game plan was to run some errands tomorrow instead of going out today. That was until I saw the weather forecast for tomorrow. We are supposed to be getting 3-6 inces of snow tomorrow. That left much to do to make sure we are ready. I looked to make sure that we had food to make that doesn't require electricity to make. Well, we were a little short on that so, I had to run to the grocery store. We were also low on dog food, so i had to get that because I knew we didn't have enough for tomorrow night, and since I had to go out anyways that was added to the list. I got what we needed plus some more deer food knowing that they would be here in full force with the weather that was being called. I then decided to go check the wood pile. Even though it had bothered my allergies, we used the past few days and I was fine. We were using it for Phillies good luck. They lost the game that we didn't have a fire going. Sometimes you have to take one for the team. Plus, if we lose electricity, we can still have some sort of heat. The nice part of having a fireplace is for situations that could happen. I brought in some wood to dry better. It had gotten wet overnight. Leo hadn't covered it. It was actually supposed to be a nice day today as of yesterday's weather news. That didn't end up being the case. I put the wood in the utility room. That room is extremely dry with the furnace being in there. I also covered the wood pile that was left so it can continue to dry and doesn't get wet with the rain and snow we are going to get by tomorrow night. I think that we should be pretty well set no matter what the weather brings tomorrow. I think the wind tomorrow will actually be the worse thing in the storm tomorrow. That is supposed to reach 40mph, so that may cause the worse of the problems. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

First Part Finished

The first part of the garage construction is finished. Of course, I and I am sure my neighbors could have done without the 5:30AM start time today. I thought something crashed into the house early this morning only to look out of the house and realize that Dave was getting an early start to his day. He was banging the side of the truck trying to load it because it was hard to see in the dark. Needless to say, I went out and proceeded to tell him he had to keep the noise down. After all, my neighbors do have children who were probably still sleeping. If not their children, the children in the next county. It was very loud noises. At least this part is done. In about two weeks, we will have a garage. Also note how the deer were bothered by what was taking place this morning. The one doe was very curious. I guess if you want to see wildlife here you must bring big machinery.

Excavation

Here is some pictures from today's big dig. Much to the dismany of Dave, the excavator, there really wasn't that many big rocks. The area cleared was basically top soil. This is most likely the only spot of the yard that was mostly top soil. It didn't take him nearly as long as he thought it would to do. Our neighbor took the dirt which was still good even if it was top soil. We need to keep the res of the yard the way it is for the most part due to the fact that it is built the way it is for drainage. There was also some concern that the process would scare away the deer, but as you can see in the picture they were very interested in what was happening. They also were here eating this evening, so they can't be too upset. All that is left for tomorrow is for him to cut the swell and evel everything. It is expected that is will be done on the early side. The materials for the garage itself will be delivered on November 3rd. The construction will take place later that week.

Short Lived

Looks like the fireplace will be used very sparingly. After using it for two days, my breathing has taken a nose dive. I have found over the years that having the use of breathing through your nostrils is a good thing. At the moment, that really isn't possible. I also over the years like to be able to breathe without feeling like their is a ton of weight on my chest. That too is not possible at the moment. I wasn't like this before using the fireplace. It is amazing how it didn't long for it to take effect. It isn't like I didn't know that this was a possibility. We will use it every once in awhile, but it won't be used on a daily basis.

Fire From Tonight.

Here is the fire from tonight. It is much nicer looking than the one last night.

The First Fire.

With the dropping evening temperatures, we decided to utilize our fireplace. It isn't a practice that I know that we can continue to do on a regular basis with my allergies and asthma, but it wasn't too bad last evening. Leo bought a chainsaw and axes. We also had to buy fireplace tools. We also got a holder to stack the wood outside. The wood was still a tad wet, so it didn't burn that great. Today, I went and bought some Duraflame logs to use to give the wood some time to cure. These logs are supposed to burn cleaner than wood and also last four hours. Right now it is working well although I do admit that I miss the woodburning smell that usually comes with fires. Leo got home from work tonight and chopped more wood. The bright spot is that there is plenty of wood down on the property that we can use for a long time. It isn't like we had to go try and find some wood. It was right here all along. Since it is supposed to rain tomorrow and then snow overnight, we wanted to get what he had cut up with the chainsaw chopped and stacked. I did my part in carrying the smaller pieces down to the chopping station. Obviously, Leo was going to have to care of the larger pieces. I also filled the birdfeeders since it is getting colder. Plus, the deer needed more corn put down. Of course, I could let them forage for themselves, but since the ten point is bedding down at night in our backyard, he needed to be fed. Can't let him start wandering unto other properties. The only place that I will allow him to go is mounted on John's wall.

The disappearing Deer.

For both of his trips here, Dad has tried to view the normally abundant wildlife. I even tried timing feeding them, so that they would be more prevalent while he was here. That game plan did not work. I think they got a little shy with all of the commotion that was taking place during the party. The above pictures were taken the following day. Notice the same large rock that Dad is sitting has deer standing behind it later that afternoon. Even though he didn't see them, he was pretty close to where they eventually went.

The New Car

Here are the pictures of hte new 4Runner.

Our New Wheels

Leo and I bought a new car yesterday. Well, it isn't brand new but pretty close. We have been trying to unload the VUE due to problems that we had been experiencing. After going back and forth on things, we decided on buying a Toyota 4Runner. We knew we wanted to get a good used vehicle. We went to the dealership last night when Leo got home from work, and they had a 2007 with 30,000 miles on it that was kept in meticulous shape. Owner made an impulse buy when coming in for his regular oil change. The car color is driftwood pearl which is fancy for darker gold. It is a 4 wheel drive. It came with the towing package. It is also the first car we have owned that has power windows and locks. It also has great cargo space. Plus, it makes you feel real tall when you drive it. The dealership we went to was one of the fanciest things I have ever seen. First off, there is a Dunkin Donuts in the showroom. Even more impressive was the workshop area they had. It had 26 bays that looked like a NASCAR race shop. It was very clean even in the areas that they were working on cars. They really took care of us, and not in that pushy kind of a way that you get when buying cars. It was a real nice experience. They gave us a great deal on the car price and even went above blue book value on our car. Like Leo said, if only buying a house could be that pleasant and easy. I will post a picture tomorrow once I get a chance to do it daylight.

Feeling Better

I am feeling much better today. It must have been some 24 hour virus. I got some of the things I wanted to get done around the house. Leo is waiting at the Atlanta airport for his flight home. It leaves at 6:45 if there are no problems. The deer have been here in full force this afternoon. Hopefully, they will be around on Sunday when everybody is here. I am finding it entertaining watching them eat apples. Just like with people every one seems to have its own style in doing it. Some actually spin the apple in their mouth while eating it. Others eats parts at time. One actually used it hoof to break it up and then eat it. You would think they would all do it the same way. I have to take the dogs out and then give them a bath. Something tells me that they aren't going to be thrilled with my evening plans. Hopefully this time I can keep Wrangler in the tub.

Sick Sunday

I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a fever. I took some Tylenol and then I had to run to the store for some food. On the way to the store, the VUE's engine cut out at a stop sign. It didn't seem to have the right power while I was driving it, but then all of a sudden kicked into gear. I made it home okay and don't have to travel tomorrow. Leo comes home tomorrow night and has Tuesday off. We will run it down to the shop on Tuesday. I am thinking spark plugs or possible fuel injector issue. We'll see what transpires. I unloaded the groceries. Took apples and corn up to the deer feeding spot. Then, finished watching the Phillies clinch to go to the NLCS. I then took a nap. Woke up feeling better but still tired. Unfortunately with Leo being gone, I had to deal with all the pets. I did manage to a play a little catch with the dogs, so they aren't out of control tonight. Leo called tonight. He seems to be having fun on his little trip. My father called tonight. My grandmother is back in the hospital. She should only be in for a few days. This is actually the longest in a bit that she has gone between hospitalizations. Now, I am watching the Red Sox and Steelers games. Not at the same time, I am flipping back and forth between the two. Hopefully tomorrow I will fell back to normal. I have some things around the house that I want to get done.

Ever Wonder What People Are Thinking

You ever wonder how people justify their thoughts. I have read numerous articles today about the banning of teaching yoga in a certain school district. Parents and religious leaders arguing that it teaches religious principals of Hinduism. Now, from what I read, the aspect of its religious involvement isn't being discussed. It is just using the stretching and breathing techniques to help reduce stress. The argument is the good old separation of church and state. First off, I know many people of all different religions that use yoga on a regular basis. Are they going against their original religion by doing yoga? I am sure that every single one of them will convert to Hindu now that they do it. That was actually a point a parent against the yoga tried to make by the way. Apparently, this isn't the first district to have this problem. Yoga has actually been banned due to parent protest in a few districts although it is used in over 100 with more planning on adding it to their curriculum. Ironically, some of these same parents fought to keep under God in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why is that? Oh yeah, that is something that supports their ideals. Doesn't matter apparently that actually mentions a God of any sort. Don't get me wrong. I don't think that under God should be removed. I am just saying that if you are going to argue for that you are being a tad bit hypocritical. People are afraid that it may cause conflict in their children. If you are raising your children right in your church thoughts, they should be grounded enough to realize that for most now yoga is just something to make you relax and something of benefit. I can't believe that some people have nothing better to do with their time than come up with things like this to challenge. At least the post I read on book banning/ challenging had some good insight on merits for and against. I at least had something with some thought behind its argument to read. The anti-yoga people should take that approach.

Hmmm!

Leo is on his way to a kayaking vacation in TN. Now, where this story takes a blogging turn is when the airline called the house. I didn't get to the phone in time, and they left a message. The message was along the lines of they were sorry for any inconvenience that problems with Leo's flight may have caused. He should go see a customer service agent as soon as he gets to the airport to assist him with his plans. This call came at 5:48 pm. Leo's original flight time was 6:00pm. I called Leo to see what was going on with his flight. He was surprised that I knew there was even a delay. His flight wasn't going to be taking off until 7:30. I told him about the phone call. Leo said they explained everything to him when he checked in at 4:30. Now, here's the question. If one is still at home at 5:48pm how are you going to make a 6:00pm flight. Luckily, if you were still at home you had time to play around, but still. It isn't like they didn't know that there was a problem earlier. It was like when Leo got to the airport over an hour earlier. Like Leo said it would have been nice to know earlier because he could have done some more things a work instead of leaving early and sitting around at the airport for three hours. I guess in the airline world there is no need for speedy notices.