Bogieblog

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Aunt Helen saves me from having nothing to blog about. I clicked on her blog and scrolled thru some recipes until I found a video of her on a TV show (the recipe is here). This is a really easy recipe (even I should be able to follow it) and can easily be made into a wheat-free version by using corn meal instead of bread crumbs. I think I will have to try it for dinner tonight if I can find spaghetti squash!

What a Pair

WS got up a bit ago, went upstairs, and yelled for me to get my but up there. He had spotted something that we have never had - a pair of pileated woddpeckers in our back yard. Unfortunately the tree cover is thick enough I can't get a picture - but it was cool to watch them while they were here!

With all the Snow Around, Sledding is on the Mind

After listening to WS describe some of the beautiful landscapes he has seen, and looking at pictures he has taken over the years when he has been out snowmobiling, I told him that I would like to at least learn how, to see if is something I would enjoy.

Yesterday, he and Jimmy decided it would be a good day to go to Greenfield State Park to give me a place to learn (low 40's and no wind). We trailered the sleds over, then I got a quick lesson (this is the throttle, this is the brake, these are the heat controls for the grips), I was off to a shaky start just because I'm naturally nervous about this type of thing - plus with WS as an observer, that adds extra pressure.

We stayed within a small area of the park, where we rarely saw anyone else, which was good as far as I was concerned.

I forgot the camera, but got a couple of pics by phone:

The guys starting to take off ahead of me. Yes, I was stopped when I took this picture. Yes, I lost sight of them while I was putting my phone away and gloves on. No, they didn't let me stay lost (they are so good to a newbie!)

The guys and the sleds. I started out on the "purple" sled at the forfront of the picture. It is the oldest of the lot, very heavy and with heavy stearing. However, it does actually hold into turns better than some sleds. It does take a lot of physical stamina and strength to control for very long, so after a while on it, WS had me try the white and black sled. It is the newest of the lot, with very light steering and a more forward sitting position. It is does not "bite" into corners as well as the purple sled, but I wasn't going very fast (mostly arougn 20 mPH - did get up to 27 at one point), so it wasn't an issue. It was nice getting to sit on two completely different style sleds to see how the seating, leg position and everything else afffected comfort and control of the sled.

Jimmy offered to let me try his sled (the sled in the background of the picture), but I didn't feel up to the challenge of riding a 2-up sled with at track that is much longer than the other two sleds.

We were there about 2.5 hours and had lots of fun. I will have to do this a few more times before I can decide whether I want to do this on a regular basis - but I didn't do badly for someone who has never actually sat on a sled before!

Valentines Surprise

Most Valentines Days, we give each other cards. Last year I surprised WS at work with a bouquet of flowers. This year, I got home to this:

Beautiful roses entertwined with a bamboo.

I think WS is a keeper!

Final Pics from Snowmageddon 2013

Just a few pictures from last weekend's Nor'Easter:

Sunday was so nice; sunny and a high of 28F, so I got hot shoveling and ended up taking off my jacket.

Still had to wear gloves because the handle was cold, and the Sorrel boots to keep the feet dry, but it was still a really nice day for finishing the clean up.

On Monday, the roof started shedding its snow load - WS snapped these pictures of the snow overhanging in the back, then the front of the house before he got out the roof rake:

The roof took a couple of days to completely shed its load, but it cleaned off fine and is nice and clear for the next storm.

Companion Dogs

There are companion dogs, then there are companion dogs for other animals. In this case, cheetahs. It seems that alsthough they are the fastest animals on the planet, cheetahs are also very nervous. In steps the companion dog who becomes a trusted buddy and protector. Very interesting article and full of surprises. I won't ruin all the good stuff, but who would have thought that a 40 pound dog would be the boss in his relationship with a 100 pound animal that can speed up to 60 mph in 3 steps (3.4 seconds - faster than any other car in the world)?

Thanks to Scott for pointing out this article!

Snowmageddon 2013

We have gotten over 30" of snow from Nor'Easter Nemo. At 10 last night, I shoveled about 10" of snow. This morning, I measured 21" where I had previously shoveled. While I was shoveling, at least 1-2" fell (it took me close to 2 hours to shovel - and that was just the deck and front walkway).

 

WS is still trying to get the driveway cleared. Heck, he hasn't even gotten far enough for us to clear off the trucks and move them yet - and he has been out there since 7 AM.

The poor snowblower just disappears in the snow and the Jeep is just a suggestion of a vehicle.

As bad as it sounds, we have had plenty of storms drop this much snow in years past, so it isn't the storm of the century for us.

Snow Rider

Had to share this picture that a friend took from my FB page, did a minor touch-up, and re-posted to my timeline:

This picture was originally from our trip to Indiana.

Nemo is Coming, Nemo is Coming

Nor'Easter Nemo is on the approach with heavy winds and snow. Yep, just another winter storm to u, To the newsies, the world is ending for the east Coast. Got this pic from a FB friend that kind of sums it all up:

Need for Some Speed

Nice voice but the Star Spangled Banner is not supposed to be a lull-a-by. She sang that so slow, that at regular tempo at least 3 of the 4 verses could have been sung in the same time.