Adventures in Ruralia

June 05

2010-06-05T12:20:00.001-04:00

Wow, no posts in over a month. That's pretty bad, but more or less normal these days. As always, there have been a number of things on my mind lately. My primary concern has been my impending unemployment. I had an interview last week but I didn't hear back on Friday, the day that I figured they would have called (if they were going to). I'll keep my fingers crossed but it's not looking good. I don't see any way that we could get by on one income next year...

Well, in the past month we've had one of the warmest Mays recorded, punctuated by the latest snowfall in 30+ years and four seasonably late frosts. Twelve of May's 31 days were in the 80s, which is pretty warm for this time of year. Rainfall, though irregular, has been adequate.

I continue frequenting the Free State Wyoming message boards, a big part of me would love to sell out, use some of the gains to pay off some debt, and go buy a small place in Wyoming somewhere. However, my wife would never go for that. I, too, have reservations, but I'm not sure they're enough to hold me back. Freedom is a very powerful lure...

Weather Update

2010-04-03T23:02:00.003-04:00

I guess you could call this a "Summer Weather Update." The weather has been positively summer-like the past few days. Since the second week in March it has been an extremely warm Spring. The daffodils began blooming today, and the grape hyacinths and tulips aren't far behind. Thursday's (April 1st's) high temperature was 79 degrees Fahrenheit - a cool 31 degrees F. above normal. Friday was 85 degrees Fahrenheit - nearly our first day at or above 30 degrees Celsius and 37 degrees above normal! Today's high temperature was a mild 81 degrees Fahrenheit - still 32 degrees above normal. This happened last April as well, but it was even hotter then. Amazingly, it looks like were in for at least another week of temperatures in the 60s and 70s Fahrenheit. While it feels nice, such weather can make for a horribly destructive frost down the road. We still have more than a month before the average last frost, but buds are popping everywhere.

Oh, I meant to mention the fact that last Tuesday's (March 30) high temperature was 38 degrees Fahrenheit. It even snowed for a couple of hours that day. Friday's high temperature was 85 degrees Fahrenheit - a 47 degree swing in just three days!

Too many good things tonight!

2010-03-27T23:22:00.003-04:00

First of all, I came across this delightful blog via a link on TheGeekWithA.45's blog. A line from the author's biography struck me because I had the EXACT same thought a couple of weeks ago:

"The AR-15s of today are the Brown Besses of 1776."

I honestly think that the author may be a long-lost sister separated at birth, because she seems to convey her identical thoughts using the exact phrasing and syntax that I do (rather, would, if I wrote more often).

Before I found the "Politics, Guns & Beer" website, I had been checking out TheGeekWithA.45's blog when I came across this quote:

"As a libertarian, it is my view that people are free to fling themselves off cliffs all they want, but they aren't allowed to tie ropes around my ankles so as to take me with them."

Well said.

It's moments like this that help me get through these political times without becoming a news story. Thank God that there are others out there like me. It gives me hope for the future.

2010-03-21T17:37:00.001-04:00

3,2,1...

2010-02-28T18:27:00.001-05:00

F*** you, Canada. You're dead to me.

Winter Weather Update

2010-02-07T08:06:00.002-05:00

Though it has been the coldest winter in quite some time, it has been a very dry winter. (Those two things go together if you live in an area that is normally below freezing in the winter.) Through more than half the winter, we have had only 60 centimeters (23.6 inches) of snow.

Wow. That's definitive.

2009-12-15T21:49:00.005-05:00

As I have gotten closer to purchasing a "man rifle" (as opposed to a "deer rifle"), I have been trying to find any and all information available on the couple of weapons that I am considering. AR family rifles seem to be the most popular "man rifles" out there for a variety of reasons, but they have always been nagged by questions of reliability under adverse conditions. I LOVE the idea of an M14/M1A, but I have found a number of sources indicating that M14s have their own reliability questions. In fact, I was beginning to wonder if M14's benefit from their "reputation" as much as ARs are hurt by their's...

Then I came across this post, which pretty much confirms my suspicions. It's pretty definitive.

Hole version 2.0

2009-12-13T22:54:00.003-05:00

I don't know if you can see it, but there's a brown dot in the middle of the lightest shade of blue on the map. That represents less than two inches of snow cover. Guess where I live? That's right, the least snowiest part of Upstate New York (along with the area around Fort Niagara). It sucks. Warmest part of Upstate New York, least snowy part of Upstate New York... How the hell is it that my wife's family is from here?!?

Global Warming

2009-12-09T15:44:00.004-05:00

"Global Warming! Global Warming! Ahhhhh!"

Admittedly, I believe that global warming is occurring. I also believe that it is, to some unknown extent, affected by human activity. With that said, I am sick and tired of reading about global warming like it's a killer asteroid hurtling at us from space. I am also sick and tired of people blaming every abnormal weather development - be it snow in Texas or warmth in New England - on "Global Warming." It's bloody irritating.

In the past, I've been guilty of blaming "Global Warming" for epically-sucky winter months (see A.D. 2006 December). In addition, I've written about how global warming could affect the climate here in the Finger Lakes region of New York. I think I've written about its potential effects elsewhere, too. However, despite my occasional descents into Chicken Little-type hysteria, most of my writings discuss the potential FUTURE effects of global warming. Why the future? Because most of the weather events that get attributed to global warming - dramatically-warmer-than-average temperatures; snowfall droughts - are simply normal variations in the weather. Global warming is not to blame for these regular ups and downs. Instead, global warming threatens to raise average temperatures over a long period of time. To put it another way, don't blame "Global Warming" for the warmest November on record. Blame global warming for the fact that in fifty years, average temperatures in November will be slightly higher...

Okay, where am I going with all of this? As a few people know, I've been scheming to build the perfect hockey pond for going on a year now. In searching for information on the internet, I came across a web page today that blamed "Global Warming" for the fact that "the few community lakes or ponds that do still exist [in southern Ontario] they [sic] don’t freeze over until the end of January due to global warming." To say that I was beside myself would be an understatement. What an asinine comment!

I live in one of the warmest areas of Upstate New York, which, last I checked, is warmer than ANYWHERE in Ontario. (Yes, even you, Windsor, Hamilton, and London.) Despite "Global Warming," our ponds always manage to freeze over during the winter, providing us with at least three weeks of good skating in all but the most abnormal years. During most winters, there is approximately a week of skating in December, all but a few days in January, and three weeks or more in February. We have skated as late as the third week in March. For anyone to suggest that "Global Warming" is threatening southern Ontario's hockey traditions is ridiculous. To date, global warming has had a minimal impact on skating in southern Ontario and across the northern tier of American states. In the future, global warming may dramatically reduce skating opportunities in these areas, but to say that it has already done so is ridiculous.

To the Chicken Little Canuck who thinks global warming has turned Ontario into Southern Ohio:

Don't be a hoser. Think before you write.

Weather Update

2009-11-14T22:25:00.004-05:00

Six of the last eight days had high temperatures at least eight degrees Fahrenheit above normal. The other two had high temperatures that were exactly the historical average. Seven of the next nine days are forecast to have high temperatures at least eight degrees Fahrenheit above normal. Two days are forecast to have high temperatres three degrees above normal.

I know, I know, the weather forecast could change dramatically. However, if the weathermen are anywhere near accurate, we will have thirteen out of seventeen days with high temperatures signficantly (at least 8 degrees Fahrenheit) above average, fifteen out of seventeen above average, and 0 out of seventeen below average. November is usually one of my favorite times of year because it is usually the month in which we begin to have regular snowfalls. Not this year. It has snowed for twenty minutes in November, and that didn't accumulate. I know the forecast only goes to November 21, but there is a real possibility that this November could be the first November without snow accumulation since I moved here.

All I know is that one of my favorite times of year is disappointing. I sincerely hope the situation improves.

Winter Weather Update

2009-11-08T23:42:00.000-05:00

For the most part, we've had slightly above average temperatures since the unseasonable cold in mid-October. Today was extremely warm, with high temperatures reaching the mid-60s F. Tomorrow promises to be even warmer, with possible record-high temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s F. Despite the warm weather, we did have 20 minutes of intense snowfall last Thursday, A.D. 2009 November 05. One cold day (high temperature of 34 F.) followed before we resumed our above-normal temperatures.

2009-11-08T23:40:00.001-05:00

If this is how it's going to be, give me my f***ing reservation.

Snow!

2009-10-15T21:51:00.003-04:00

Incredibly, it began snowing this morning! This is the earliest that anyone in my family can remember it snowing in this area (my in-laws have lived her since 1977). Not only is it snowing, it's accumulating! I took the above picture this afternoon about 13 km (8 miles) from my house. At 16:00 it was already accumulating on the hilltops. (The spot in the picture is about 610 m/2000 ft. A.M.S.L.) It started accumulating at my house (about 350 m/1150 ft.) around 19:30. We're expecting about 1 cm tonight - not much, but more than we're used to this time of year!

First Hard Frost?

2009-10-03T07:23:00.002-04:00

Well, we had another frost on A.D. 2009 October 02. This time the temperature was 33 degrees Fahrenheit and somewhere between 50 and 85 percent of the lawn was crunchy from ice. I decided that I would call it a "hard" (killing) frost if the tomatoes were dead when I got home. Well, two of the four lost their tops, and all of them had a little browning at their leaf tips. My wife says that constitutes a killing frost, but I was hoping for something a little more definitive. I'm still thinking about what to call it...

The time has come...

2009-09-26T23:06:00.003-04:00

...to fire up the wood stove. Mom and sister are here from Georgia, and they're complaining that the house is too cold (61 degrees F.). ...So is the wife, for that matter. Tomorrow morning I'll start a fire, making A.D. 2009 September 27 the first fire of the season.

First Light Frost

2009-09-20T21:29:00.003-04:00

The growing season is still going (strong), but it nearly ended this morning. It was 35 degrees Fahrenheit (about 1.6 degrees Celsius) this morning, and there were patches of frost throughout the landscape. Our backyard was particularly frosty after having been mowed yesterday afternoon. I was very pleased to see some ice again (my favorite season is winter), and I look forward to even colder dips in temperature (and the subsequent killing of the pollen-producing weeds that are currently plaguing me) in the near future.

2009-09-09T23:27:00.002-04:00

Wanted:

A place to live and be free. Requirements include a limited government, individual freedoms, gun rights, and the lowest taxes reasonable. Countries led by arrogant Marxists need not respond. In return for a chance to live and be free, you will receive two (2) hard-working rural Americans with graduate educations. Interested parties should leave comments at the end of this post.

Autumn is here! (at least temporarily)

2009-09-01T07:17:00.000-04:00

Wow! Autumn came in like a rocket! Sunday, August 30 was chilly by late August standards with a high temperature of 62 degrees Fahrenheit. The following day was also autumn-like, with sun and a high temperature of only 63 degrees Fahrenheit. This morning was the coldest since May with a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius). Awesome stuff!

Browning Hi-Power

2009-08-23T19:10:00.006-04:00

While in Pennsylvania over the weekend, I went to a wonderful gun shop and was able to handle a Browning Hi-Power for the first time.

(I have NEVER seen a Hi-Power for sale at any of my local gun shops, and have been told that they're almost impossible to get. That must not be true elsewhere, because I saw half a dozen new and used models at two gun shops in PA.)

In any case, I had pretty much narrowed my pistol interests to 1911s and the Hi-Power. I LOVE 1911s, and I hope to always have a few around. The Hi-Power is the only other pistol in which I'm seriously interested, so I was eager to check one out.

After getting over the excitement of actually coming across a Hi-Power, I asked the attendant to pick it up and...

...it didn't feel right. The grip was too thick. The blowback would take a bite out of my fleshy hands. Having had such high hopes for the Hi-Power, I was disappointed. I really had hoped that it would be a nice complement to the 1911. Unfortunately, that was not going to be the case. Right then and there I came to the conclusion that the 1911 is "my" gun. It would've been nice to find another handgun to love, but I'm a one pistol man.

A few thoughts on Pennsylvania

2009-08-23T18:23:00.007-04:00

I was in Pennsylvania the past couple of days for a family reunion. This trip, there were a few things that struck me about Pennsylvania:

1. Once you get off of the unglaciated sections of the Allegheny Plateau, both the physical and cultural geography change considerably.

2. The differences between the governments of New York and Pennsylvania are evident in the prevalence of billboards, poor road quality, and hideous sprawling development that is so common in Pennsylvania.

3. While Pennsylvania's government has created some less-than-ideal situations, it has also created some positive ones: gasoline was less expensive, sales taxes were lower, firearms and ammunition were readily available, and there fewer general restrictions on behavior.

My conflicting feelings about Pennsylvania illustrate perfectly the conflict that exists in my political and philosophical beliefs. I strongly promote the rights of individuals above the interests of the community; I adhere to Ayn Rand's notion that "[t]he smallest minority on earth is the individual," and that "[t]hose who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities." At the same time, I strongly support the protection of agricultural and undeveloped lands from residential and industrial development. For years I have tried to reconcile my beliefs, but I don't know if I'll ever succeed in doing so. I am, for the most part, a libertarian. However, supporting restrictions on private property is about the least-libertarian thing you can do.

I'd like to hear from others who may struggle with this same issue. Is there anyone out there who believes in a VERY limited government, but also seeks to protect the countryside from randomly-placed businesses and McMansions? Drop me a line to let me know how you reconcile your conflicts.

Scotland

2009-08-13T22:13:00.005-04:00

Why is Scotland so beautiful? I would permanently settle there if it was any more free than here. GREAT history, GREAT culture, GREAT geography, GREAT climate (if, like me, you believe that temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius are ideal), and, from everything I read and hear, GREAT people.

Australian men are the least egalitarian?

2009-08-04T12:06:00.004-04:00

I think that the results of this study confirm one thing: Australian men are the least domesticated, most masculine men in any of the countries studied.

The idiot news agencies in Australia seem to be reporting this as a bad thing: "our men don't treat women properly." The idiot news agencies in the United States of America seem to be reporting this as a good thing: "our men are great husbands!"

Screw them all.

I'm with you, men of Australia. Kudos for not selling out your manhood and keeping lit the candle of Western Civilization. There is no doubt in my mind that the domestication of men and erosion of traditional gender roles is inextricably tied to the decline of our societies.

Change Blindness

2009-07-30T13:11:00.001-04:00

Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or other, please watch this.

I'm still here.

2009-07-29T17:06:00.002-04:00

I'm still here, but sometimes I wish "here" was Idaho or Wyoming. Not that either of those places will be much different from here in another couple of decades. Still, if there's hope anywhere, it's probably there.

Those of you who think Texas is the promised land are right, but it's not your promised land, amigo.

Health care is a "right"?

2009-07-29T17:04:00.001-04:00

Just read.

Do you still think health care is a right? If you do, get the hell out of my country.

Ghetto Mancala

2009-06-07T10:47:00.004-04:00

For those of you who don't know, Mancala is a family of board games primarily from Africa. The majority of variants involve a scenario in which "players begin by placing an equal number of seeds, prescribed by the variation in use, in each of the pits on the game board. A turn consists of removing all seeds from a pit, sowing the seeds (placing one in each of the following pits in sequence), and capturing based on the state of board." (http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mancala)

Sometime around age 11, my family purchased an inexpensive Mancala board and I began playing a variant called "Kalah" with my sister and step-brother. For a year we played regularly, but the game eventually lost its appeal.

The other day, I looked up some information on one of the tropical plants that I had grown in Texas. I began researching the plant's genus and came across some information on the nickernut. The nickernut is used in place of seeds in Caribbean Mancala games, and with that information, a flood of childhood memories returned to me.

I quickly researched Mancala games and re-learned how to play them. I decided to introduce my wife to the game later that evening. There was only one problem: I didn't have a Mancala board!

That's where "Ghetto Mancala" comes in.

In my part of the United States of America, improvised versions of things are often called "Ghetto something." The best example is "Ghetto Lemonade" - water flavored with lemon juice and small packets of sugar. In any case, I decided that, in order to play Mancala with my wife, I would have to create a "Ghetto Mancala" board.

The requirements? Twelve "pits" (six to a side), two "houses" (places to hoard captured seeds), and the seeds themselves (usually nickernuts, glass stones, or marbles). A "real" Mancala board looks like this:

My "Ghetto Mancala" board looks like this:

Oh yeah! Half an egg carton, kidney beans, and two baby cups! It worked well. The only problem was that it was a pain to scoop the kidney beans out of the egg carton with your fingers. Still, it worked, we played (until the little one decided to steal our "seeds"), and it was fun. I'm making a wooden Mancala board out of an old piece of oak that was rotting in our garage. When that's completed I'll only have the memory of the time that we played "Ghetto Mancala." ;-)

Libertarian Republicans the last best hope on Earth?

2009-05-24T17:06:00.004-04:00

I believe that the Libertarian Republicans are the last hope for the Republican Party (and the United States of America). For reasons that I don't fully understand, many "George W. Bush Republicans" have dismissed the Libertarians within their party. Today I opened an e-mail that seeks to refute those "Neoconservatives."

I'm serious folks, join the Ron Paul Revolution.

Hockey Pond

2009-05-16T14:58:00.006-04:00

So I've just about given up on creating a high-quality hockey pond on my property. It seems that we just don't have a good spot for one. Faced with this realization, I'm getting serious about Plan B: build a backyard rink.

As every inch of my property is hopelessly sloped, I'm going to have to grade an area to make it level enough for a rink. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to take out some overgrown vineyard before I can do that. Convincing my wife to let me clear the patch that I have chosen may be tricky. It's the most level place on our property and right next to our backyard. Unfortunately, it's a section of vineyard that she had hoped to put back into production. I'm afraid I'll have to bribe her...

In any case, I'm looking at putting in a rectangular rink measuring 14 meters (about 46 feet) by 8 meters (about 26 feet). Ideally I'd construct a rink 15 meters x 10 meters, but my best liner option is only 32 feet x 100 feet. This way I'll get two liners out of one roll of plastic, halving my cost.

I want to make a metal goal, but I'll look into that after the school year has ended. For now, I'm ordering the plastic for the liner, planning how to make the boards, and beginning clearing of the vineyard. Now that I have a definite plan for this winter, I'm psyched!

Wish me luck!

First post in more than two months...

2009-05-16T14:14:00.004-04:00

It has been more than two months since my last post - blame facebook. Earlier this year my buddy finally convinced me to join facebook. It has been fun, but it has had terrible consequences for this blog. I have no intention of deleting this outlet-for-my-random-thoughts, but I can't guarantee that it will ever regain its former "glory." [Note: I use the word 'glory' VERY loosely.]

In any case, today's blogging subject is the A.D. 2009 Bones season finale. For those of you who aren't familiar, Bones is a drama series on the FOX American television network.

My wife and I began watching Bones when it premiered back in A.D. 2005. My wife was/is a fan of star David Boreanaz, and decided that we would be loyal viewers before the show had even aired. It was extremely convenient that I enjoyed the show so much. Season one was excellent and season two was great. However, the show began tending toward the gimicky in season three. Nonetheless, it was still good television. Unfortunately, all of that changed in season four.

This past season was marked by a plethora of gimicky and mediocre episodes that were interspersed with an equal number of terrible and fantastic episodes. Unfortunately, the worst episode of ANY Bones season was this year's finale.

If you haven't seen the season finale, you're not missing much. The basic plot is as follows: Booth and Bones are married club owners in a dream that Booth has while in a brain surgery-induced coma OR in a fictional short story that Bones has written (which is promptly deleted). At the end of the episode, Booth awakens from his coma to ask a joyous Bones "Who are you?"

The episode was a joke. Media outlets have been reporting that it was to have been the episode in which Booth and Bones finally consummate their relationship. Instead, a fictional Booth and Bones consummate a relationship in a dream/fictional short story. To top it off, Booth has apparently lost his memory at the end of the episode. Quite simply, the plot is out of some low-budget "B" movie. Why should I be surprised? Both of the last two episodes were like that. I've been threatening to give up Bones since midway through this past season. My wife grew angry with me every time I predicted increasingly outrageous plots, but yesterday, for the first time, she agreed with me.

I'll finish with a note to television show writers: You manage to screw up most good shows in an effort to squeeze out as much milk as you can from each cash cow. For once, end a show before you've ruined it for the viewers. Make season five the final season of Bones. Have Booth and Brennan end up together. Have Hodgins and Angela end up together. Get rid of the gimicky interns. Get back to your original formula for success - interesting criminal cases supplemented by a growing attraction between your two main characters. Please, just this once, don't screw it up.

Think, people!

2009-03-03T21:26:00.011-05:00

When will America realize that left-of-center government is bad?

According to a February 2009 study by the Mercatus Center, states that voted for the Democratic candidate in the A.D. 2004 U.S. Presidential election tend to have lower rates of overall freedom. In the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, the 28 states won by B. Hussein Obama included 20 of the 28 states with the lowest overall freedom ratings, including every state ranked 35th or lower. Ironically, B. Hussein Obama won both New Hampshire and Colorado - the two states ranked highest in overall freedom. Aside from those two, he carried only one other state in the top ten. An average of the rankings of the states carried by B. Hussein Obama results in the number 31.32. Averaging the rankings of the states won by John McCain results in the number 18.09, indicating that, on average, states with higher rates of overall freedom tended to vote for John McCain.

To dramatically oversimplify the results: free people vote for Republicans and subjected people vote for Democrats. The question is, "why would Americans elect people who consistently take away their freedom?" Unless the answer is "They're a bunch of idiots," I have no idea.

State debt levels also lead one to question the wisdom of voting for Democrats. In the A.D. 2008 U.S. Presidential election, B. Hussein Obama won 18 of the 28 states that, in 2002, had the highest public debt (per capita). That included 8 of the top 10 and 15 of the top 20 states with the highest public debt. Twenty-five of the states carried by Obama were in the top 40, while three were in the bottom ten. Again, a logical individual would question the wisdom of empowering a party that consistently builds public debt. Again, our conclusion must be that Americans aren't logical.

Finally, one can look at cost of living rankings and conclude that Democrats promote a high cost of living. Of the 28 states won by B. Hussein Obama, he carried 10 of the top 11 and 25 of the top 29 states with the highest costs of living. Obama carried none of the twelve states with the lowest costs of living.

People, get your head out of your ass and stop voting for those who would bring us down.

Note: I understand that the information in post has been presented in an unscientific way. However, I believe that my conclusions are valid. I understand that opponents of my conclusions might argue that I have made some ideological leaps in drawing them, but I firmly believe that any "leaps" I have made would stand up to academic scrutiny.

"I want to be a part of it - New York, New York!"

2009-03-03T21:21:00.004-05:00

"New York is by far the least free state in the Union (#50 economic, #48 personal). One of us lives in New York and can attest to the fact that few New Yorkers would be surprised by such a finding. Sadly, equally few New Yorkers seem to believe that anything can be done about the situation. New York has the highest taxes in the country. Property, selective sales, individual income, and corporate income taxes are particularly high. Spending on social services and “other” is well above national norms. Only Massachusetts has more government debt as a percentage of the economy. Government employment is higher than average. On personal freedoms, gun laws are extremely restrictive, but marijuana laws are better than average (while tobacco laws are extremely strict). Motorists are highly regulated, but several kinds of gambling are allowed statewide (not casinos, except on reservations). Home school regulations are burdensome, but asset forfeiture has been reformed. Along with Vermont, New York has the strictest health insurance community rating regulations. Mandated coverages are also very high. Eminent domain is totally unreformed. Perversely, the state strictly limits what grassroots PACs may give to candidates and parties, but not what corporations and unions may give."

Source: http://www.mercatus.org/uploadedFiles/Mercatus/Publications/Freedom%20in%20the%2050%20States.pdf

If you're an American (or find America fascinating), this study is really interesting reading.

Traitors

2009-02-28T21:41:00.003-05:00

B. Hussein Obama and Eric Holder disdain the United States Constitution. Though I knew B. Hussein Obama disdained the U.S. Constitution before he was elected, I still find it ironic. Upon taking office, he swore the following oath:

"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

B. Hussein Obama has not only failed to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, he has violated it. I grant that EVERY President of the United States has violated the Constitution is some way or another, but there are only a couple of dozen that have done so as blatantly as B. Hussein Obama. (Yes, George Walker Bush was one of them.) Is there any recourse for his breach of oath? Unless Congress or the Supreme Court respects and is willing to uphold the Constitution, there is not.

I do believe that I can feel the hope already.

State of the Empire

2009-02-24T22:42:00.003-05:00

I didn't watch the General Secretary's State of the Union [Empire] address. However, I was eager to watch Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal's Republican response. Let me start by saying that I really like Bobby Jindal's record. However, that was the worst State of the Union response that I have ever seen. It was terrible in so many ways that I cannot begin to list them...

Since the General Secretary's ascension, I have casually followed the Republican party's decision-making. If the G.O.P. hopes that Bobby Jindal can become their Barack Obama, they are sorely mistaken. While I like Jindal, it appears to me (and a few million other Americans) that Bobby Jindal is merely "a poor man's" B. Hussein Obama. It's not that he isn't relatively handsome, good at public speaking, and squeaky clean - it's the simple fact that he wasn't first. Kobe Bryant may be as good as Michael Jordan, but, if given a choice, who wouldn't pick MJ?

More great change courtesy of the General Secretary

2009-02-19T18:35:00.004-05:00

I don't use the word "hate" very often, but I really do hate B. Hussein Obama.

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZTNlNmE3NDdkMTc0M2I4ODYyYjI1YTNlMmM2N2VjYzU=

2009-02-15T22:52:00.002-05:00

I must admit that, at first, I had my doubts about the General Secretary. However, after a month in office, it is clear that our hope is being fulfilled and that a great change is indeed taking place. The remnants of the previous corrupt, tyrannical regime are being obliterated. The General Secretary has proven his commitment to the revolution by attempting to silence those who would hinder our progress. Now, after 233 years of bourgeois domination, the citizens of the Motherland have united to effect the change that we have so long desired. Long-live the revolution!

A.D. 2009 February 02

2009-02-06T20:58:00.000-05:00

Putting it into words...

2009-01-20T21:54:00.004-05:00

I've been having a hell of a time putting my thoughts into words the past few months. I think a lot of my troubles stem from the hour at which I've been typing (late). In any case, I'll try one more time:

To those of you who come across this blog (if anyone does), I want to convey my feelings about the future of the country of my birth. While I believe that the United States of America is on the verge of collapse, I do not believe that our society is on the verge of collapse. I'm sure that some visitors may read my doomsday-ish posts and think that I'm a crackpot, but I'm not. I'm simply a man who cherishes the government created by his forefathers. In my opinion, the United States Constitution is the greatest plan of government in the history of the world. Is it perfect? No. Is there a better plan? Not of which I am aware.

With that said, my fears about the future of this country do not revolve around societal collapse, enslavement, communism, or any other horrible fate. Instead, they stem from the reality that the United States Constitution has become nothing more than a symbol. There was a time when the Constitution WAS our country, but that time has long since past.

I have little doubt that the United States of America will continue to exist and be a world power. It is my belief that we will continue to become more European-like in our form of government. That is, we will expand government services while slowly reducing basic freedoms of choice (in the name of public safety/health). While this has proven remarkably popular in Europe, it is quite at odds with the traditional American form of government.

I foresee the European-style of government being immensely popular in the United States. I think that the country will continue to thrive and attract immigrants from around the world. To have these things we need only to sacrifice one thing: those small freedoms that so many of us take for granted.

For me, no number of government services can equal the smallest freedom.

What has happened to my once-great country?

2009-01-18T16:59:00.007-05:00

The federal government of the United States of America is no longer a government based on the rule of law. The election of Barack Obama has highlighted its transformation into a government based on the whims of man.

I do not blame Barack Obama for creating this situation - he did not. However, he did take advantage of it like no other presidential candidate in American history.

Obama's popularity - both perceived and actual - illustrates how the majority of Americans have abandoned traditional American political principles in favor of rhetoric about "change" and "hope." It also illustrates how America has abandoned Republicanism in favor of Democracy.

In a republic, the rule of law limits a government's excesses, protecting its citizens from abuses of power. In a democracy, the people determine a government's actions. While this may sound preferrable, it leaves minorities vulnerable to the whims of the people. For example, a majority could pass legislation prohibiting the practice of a certain religion. Should adherents of that religion be forbidden to worship as they choose? Absolutely not.

Unfortunately, the days of such safeguards in American government are nearly gone.

While many Americans believe that the election of Barack Obama marks a positive change, a thoughtful minority fears that America's "noble experiment" may have finally failed.

The Last Best Hope on Earth

2008-12-20T23:36:00.000-05:00

Great article.

BIG brother

2008-12-19T23:03:00.005-05:00

This is priceless. I honestly believe that we're in the opening stages of the collapse of Western Civilization. Freedom is being abolished in the names of safety and the collective.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/18/new.york.budget/index.html

The masses are drunk off of affluence and entertainment - they're unwilling to risk their comfort and demand their freedoms. The American train has derailed and is headed straight for a brick wall. It's time to jump off, but where can one go? In my opinion, the only reasonable alternatives are Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Unfortunately, those places are farther down the path to collectivism than the United States! There is no escaping this issue. One might limit its effects by moving to a more classically liberal region, but they would still be putting a Band-Aid on the problem.

Difficult questions, difficult answers.

addendum:

Great sites relating to this post...

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/02/24/75-threatening-to-move-to-canada/
http://www.slate.com/id/2202070/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-notte/where-will-conservatives_b_144524.html

Schneefall

2008-12-19T12:38:00.003-05:00

We're in the middle of another pretty good snowstorm for our area.

Hockey Pond

2008-12-14T13:18:00.015-05:00

This post is borne out of my search for information on how to build a pond solely for the purpose of playing hockey.

(Yeah, I love playing hockey that much.)

The ponds on which I currently play have a number of drawbacks. Our favored location (a friend's pond) was built for hockey and swimming. It is NHL regulation size and between 1 and 4 meters deep. It is also 20 minutes from my house. It sounds great, but its inflow keeps it from freezing on one end (and occasionally floods the ice), and its depth makes it the last of our playing areas to freeze. I have a pond on my farm, but it also has a number of drawbacks. For starters, it's located a quarter of a mile uphill from my house. That distance prohibits a morning skate before work or an evening skate before dark. Other problems include its small size (a circle about 15 m in diameter) and its tendency to silt up. As a result of these difficulties, I have begun planning der Über Teich - the Super Pond.

The hypothetical Super Pond has a number of attributes. It has a rounded rectangular surface area of 20 m x 40 m. It freezes early in the season and thaws late in the season. It freezes completely - it does not have places of weak or thin ice. It is located within 200 meters of my house. It is located "close to" a water source (to facilitate resurfacing). It does not require periodic silt removal.

When I list the attributes, it doesn't sound very difficult. Unfortunately, it's a lot more complicated than that. What type of pond is appropriate? If I locate it in a wet spot, will it remain filled? Will the soil support a pond? Will it require a clay liner? If it's located in a natural funnel, will I have a problem with silting? Will the inflow end freeze? Will the ice be flooded by mid-winter thaws? How deep should the pond be?

Now it sounds a little more complicated.

These are just some of the questions that require answering before I can begin construction of a pond. I have intensively searched the internet, but I have not found a website with the answers I am looking for. Next spring I will contact my county soil and water conservation office. They are supposed experts on pond construction, and I plan to make full use of their knowledge.

In the mean time, I'll continue to hope for cold days and even colder nights.

Glory!

2008-12-14T13:00:00.004-05:00

We were dumped on (by last year's standards) with 15 cm of snow last Thursday/Friday! For the first time this season it was really a winter wonderland. Ironically, the weathermen had forecast a bunch of freezing rain just a day before the storm. They weren't completely wrong, because that's what we got for about 4 or 5 hours. However, after a solid layer of ice accumulated, we were blessed with close to six inches of the white stuff. As I LOVE to snowshoe, I walked about a mile through the woods on Friday afternoon - pure bliss.

Two thoughts...

2008-12-08T23:00:00.006-05:00

Thought 1:

Incredibly for this time of year, snow has fallen 20 of the past 23 days. That total will probably become 21 of 24 after tomorrow, though the storm that will start as snow is forecast to turn to ice and, eventually, rain.

Also incredibly, during those past 23 days, we have only received 22 centimeters (about 9 inches) of snow. Almost all of that came during a week-long stretch in mid-to-late November. Though it has snowed 11 of the last 13 days, we've only had 4 centimeters (less than 2 inches) during that time. (and I was VERY generous with the totals) There has not been complete snow cover since November 29, and it appears that the next 10 days will be the warmest in a month. Are we heading toward our fifth consecutive brown Christmas?

Thought 2:

My sister-in-law was over this past weekend, and she made a passing comment that got under my skin. We were discussing this story when she threw in the old, "We have to bring in [illegal immigrants] because no one else will work those jobs." At the time I told her that I disagreed and simply left it at that. However, as I thought about it later, the comment began to irritate me even more.

It is my opinion that people who need to work will (1) take any job they can get and (2) work hard to keep that job. In the state of New York, people do not need to work. Why? Welfare. Low-income residents in New York are often eligible for one or more of the following benefits: welfare payments, unemployment payments, WIC (food stamps for women, infants, and children), food stamps (conventional), HEAP (home energy assistance program = free or reduced home heating), HUD rental assistance (federal program), medicaid (free healthcare). I am aware of single-parent families that subsist entirely on public benefits. Since their needs are completely met by the government, they do not need to work. The result? Many impoverished citizens choose not to take menial jobs. Often, those jobs are filled by illegal immigrants...

So, we've established what's happening, but what about what to do about it? It is my opinion that a significant reduction in spending on public benefits could rectify the problem. Stop redistributing money to those who made poor choices with their lives. Start forcing those people to choose between working at eating and not working and starving. I would be willing to bet that those previously undesireable jobs would become hot commodities. Yes, there would be people that choose to starve to death. That is their choice. Perhaps then our children would begin to understand why they need to do well in school. Perhaps our workers would begin to understand that work is for working, not sitting on your duff and looking at pornography online.

Maybe I'm an idiot for thinking that significantly reducing public benefits would be a "magic bullet" against our society's ills. I know it wouldn't cure all of our problems, but maybe it would be a start. At this point, that's all you can hope for.

Snow, snow, and more snow!

2008-11-26T22:48:00.002-05:00

It continues to look like winter outside. (Which is awesome!) We've had ten straight days with snow covering the ground, and it has snowed every single one of those days. This is the first time anything like this has happened in the five Novembers that I've lived here. I wish it would become a regular occurrence!

Last year I began scheming about cross-country skiing. I think skiing would make more sense than snowshoeing does around here. I love to snowshoe, but we only have a handful of days per year with snow deep enough to justify it. I don't think that it's necessary to have as much snow to ski, so maybe I'll pick up an old used pair one of these days...

Hockey season is just around the corner. All of the ponds are iced over - we've only to wait until it's thick enough to hold a man!

Go Sabres!!!!

Mother ****ing Poachers

2008-11-18T00:32:00.002-05:00

My neighbor knowingly trespassed on my farm this morning, drove two blocks of vineyard with an accomplice, and killed a deer on my property. If I could press charges, I would. Unfortunately, without recorded visual evidence, the cops won't do a damned thing. The most aggravating fact is that the asshole denied doing it, knowing that I lacked recorded evidence. Too bad cops won't investigate poaching, because the boot tracks (in the snow), shotgun shells, blood pool, and drag marks to the neighbor's pickup truck are pretty damn good evidence.

Can you tell that I'm a little ****ing angry???

Puppy at Play

2008-11-10T22:10:00.001-05:00

The season's second snowfall. (A little bit is better than nada!)

Flowers in Bloom

2008-11-05T15:33:00.002-05:00

The Christmas Cacti are beautiful right now. Both of the ones in this picture were started from cuttings in the autumn of 2004. The Jade was started from cuttings early in 2007. In the background is an Amaryllis that I purchased from Lowe's last year.

Great Post

2008-11-05T11:34:00.001-05:00

http://freeinidaho.com/2008/11/05/no-change/

My poor, neglected blog.

2008-10-31T22:35:00.004-04:00

Weather-wise, October has turned out to be one heck of a nice month. Unlike last year, when our first hard frost occurred on October 29, we've had more than a dozen since the month began. In addition, we had our first snowfall of the season on October 21 and our first snow accumulation on October 29! I've been calling it a "throwback" autumn because this is the kind of weather that was normal from the region's settlement by Europeans (about A.D. 1800) until about 30 years ago. I love it!

...In other news, the A.D. 2008 United States Presidential Election will be held next Tuesday. I look forward to an end to the election coverage, but I'm nervous about the results. Nationally, we'll find out if John McCain, the lackluster Republican candidate, can defeat Barack Hussein Obama, the shrewd socialist/messiah (depending on your perspective). I dislike both candidates: McCain for his foreign policy and economic stances - Obama for his disguised socialism. In reality, both candidates will lead the United States of America farther down a path to cultural destruction. Though I will not be voting for either major party candidate, I hope that McCain wins the election. As Jack Aubrey once said, "One must always choose the lesser of two weevils!"

End of the Growing Season

2008-10-07T21:29:00.004-04:00

This was the scene at my house this morning. 2008 October 07 brought the first hard frost of autumn and an end to the 2008 growing season. The temperature at my house was 28° Fahrenheit (-2° Celsius). The statistics for the growing season of 2008 are as follows:

Last hard frost of spring: 2008 May 05
Last light frost of spring: 2008 May 28
First light frost of autumn: 2008 September 19
First hard frost of autumn: 2008 October 07
Length of the 2008 growing season: 153 days

The statistics for the growing season of 2007 were:

Last hard frost of spring: 2007 May 14
Last light frost of spring: 2007 May 22
First light frost of autumn: 2007 September 17
First hard frost of autumn: 2007 October 29
Length of the 2008 growing season: 167 days

The statistics for the growing season of 2006 were:

Last hard frost of spring: 2006 May 07
Last light frost of spring: 2006 May 07
First light frost of autumn: 2006 September 29
First hard frost of autumn: 2006 October 06
Length of the 2008 growing season: 151 days

I'm not sure of the spring statistics for 2005 because my wife and I lived in western New York for a brief period of time. The autumn statistics were as follows:

First light frost of autumn: 2005 October 20
First hard frost of autumn: 2005 October 28

The New Europe?

2008-10-02T21:46:00.001-04:00

Someone connected the dots.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1843168,00.html?imw=Y

Vice Presidential Debate

2008-10-02T21:36:00.004-04:00

I'm watching the vice presidential debate, and it's reinforcing my conviction that my country's political system is irreparably broken. Both candidates are spewing political garbage...

...I will say this: Sarah Palin is hot!

Oesterreich

2008-10-02T15:24:00.001-04:00

Interesting reading.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4828326.ece

Awesome! ... Crap!

2008-09-21T21:43:00.006-04:00

My wife and I went to the Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival yesterday. While there, she decided that she was ready to buy a couple of sheep. I gave in and told her that it would be okay as long as we could wait to take possession of the sheep until a month or so down the road...

Awesome! I've been wanting sheep for four years! ... Crap! I'm not ready!

We've been planning on getting sheep for more than four years. We've purchased books on raising sheep, talked to flock owners, gone to livestock shows... Believe it or not, we've prepared ourselves the right way. The only hold-up has been my insistence that we wait until our pastures are in tip-top condition. As of this moment, some are in decent condition while others are not. I have been creating pastures from blocks of old vineyard - removing wire, cutting down the grape stumps, and mowing over them. It works pretty well, but it takes a few years for the grass to fill-in (and choke out all of the weeds). I had hoped for another full year before we bought any sheep. Now I have about one month. To top it off, the pasture/grazing specialist at my local extension office - a man for whom I have great respect - has moved on to bigger and better things. A visit from him might have helped put me at ease.

I'm not stressing because we don't know what we've gotten into - we know exactly what we've gotten into. We bought the breed of sheep that we decided upon four years ago from the farm that we decided upon two years ago. I'm stressing because now - as I begin to look at things like removing poisonous plants from my pastures - I'm seeing how imperfect my pastures are.

Most sources indicate that sheep will avoid poisonous plants unless they have nothing else to eat. Unfortunately, that gives me little comfort. Though the core pastures are in pretty good shape, it still scares the hell out of me. I'm afraid that the only remedy for my fear is having healthy sheep after a couple of years of grazing...

I guess that getting livestock is like having children: you might as well do it now because there will never be a perfect time.

God save the sheep.

Oncorhynchus mykiss

2008-08-28T22:25:00.003-04:00

This picture doesn't do them justice. The Rainbow Trout that my father and I caught two weeks ago were beyond beautiful. After hiking some of the Finger Lakes Trail, we decided to check out the stream that babbled next to the small gravel parking lot. Some old-timers had told me that the stream contained big Brown Trout or small Brook Trout (depending on who you talked to), but no one had fished it in years. When my father and I peered into a small hole, we saw neither of those species. Instead, we saw nearly a dozen small Rainbow Trout.

The next day, we went back to the stream with our fishing poles. After an hour we had fished less than 50 meters of the stream, but we had caught and released 17 of the most beautiful Rainbow Trout that you will ever find. No longer wanting to disturb such a magical place, we left, thankful of a wonderful experience.

America: Why I love her.

2008-08-20T01:01:00.003-04:00

I value...

...the fact that my wife does not have to wear a veil in public.
...the fact that my wife can choose to wear a veil in public.

...my right to defend myself from attack using whatever means I choose.
...my right to vote for political representatives.
...my right to criticize my government.
...my right to own private property.
...my right to be agnostic.
...my right to life.
...my right to liberty.
...my right to associate with whom I choose.
...the opportunity to increase my wealth.
...a society in which upward mobility is possible.
...my country's affluence.

...choice. Something increasingly restricted by local, state, and federal governments.

Withdrawl Date

2008-08-13T23:55:00.003-04:00

Well, maybe it's not a withdrawl date but it's definitely not a date to throw a party.

For more information, click here.

Apparently we'll still be a plurality, just not a majority. It still sucks to be a minority, ask African-Americans in the South or Mexican-Americans in the Southwest.

I wonder if there will ever be a massive return of Whites to Europe? Perhaps Australia? ...just a question that popped into my head.

What to type?

2008-07-17T01:28:00.005-04:00

A couple of months ago I learned that one of my old friends had committed suicide. I've been wanting to write about it for a while, but I've had neither the words nor the inclination.

The whole thing upset me a great deal. First of all, I hadn't spoken to this friend, a girl whom I had dated, since I became engaged to be married back in 2004. I believed that she still had feelings for me and, out of respect for my wife, I distanced myself from her. I would like to say that it was difficult for me to let go of the relationship, but it wasn't. That is not to say that I did not have a strong affection for my friend. Though I no longer harbored romantic feelings toward her, we shared one of the closest and most unique friendships that I have ever had. So, when I googled her a couple of months ago and found a memorial page, I was shaken.

I contacted some of her friends and found out that she had committed suicide a month after we stopped talking. A number of questions raced in my head. Did the end of our relationship lead her to commit suicide? What if I had not ended our relationship? What if we had gotten back together? I felt a number of emotions as well. Guilt for ending our relationship. Sorrow at losing a friend. Sadness that she would not get to experience the joy of having a child.

I thought about death. Since I abandoned Christianity, I have avoided the topic of religion, and the finality of her death was terrible. For the first time, I was confronted with the death of a friend my own age.

I was extremely depressed for about a week, but I slowly began to move on. Now, two months later, I have stopped thinking about her on a daily basis. Still, when I see girls who resemble her, I hope that, somehow, it has all been a bad dream - that she is still living in Boston and making people laugh with her crazy humor.

I worry that there will come a day on which none of us think of her, and perhaps that's the saddest irony. She committed suicide because she felt invisible and alone, and now she is.

Best Westerns

2008-07-09T14:54:00.003-04:00

On a very rare trip to Wal*Mart, I came across "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" on DVD. Since it only cost US$5.00, I decided to buy it and add to my collection of Westerns. I just finished watching the movie, and I must admit that I forgot how good it is. I began to think about my favorite movies, and realized that the majority of them are Westerns. In descending order, here are my favorites:

01. Tombstone (1993)
02. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
03. The Searchers (1956)
04. Unforgiven (1992)
05. High Noon [Turner Network Television version] (2000)*
06. Stagecoach (1939)
07. The Magnificent Seven (1960)
08. Crossfire Trail (2001)
09. Red River (1948)
10. Once upon a Time in the West (1968)

*The most realistic Western I have ever seen.

Note: Dances with Wolves is among my favorite movies, but I don't classify it as a traditional Western.

Fourth of July

2008-07-03T23:29:00.005-04:00

A year ago I received the best present a man could get: I became a father. It's hard to believe that a year has passed - it seems like time has flown. At the same time, it seems like it's been forever. All I know is that the past year has been the best of my life, and that each day is better for having my son in it.

This sucks

2008-06-16T13:18:00.005-04:00

Poor seals.

I've come to a crossroads in my political beliefs. I've long been an advocate of environmental protection, and I feel strongly about the need to reduce carbon emissions. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that environmental policies are being used as tools for controlling the people. When faced with choosing between personal freedom and "Mother Earth," I choose personal freedom.

Perhaps I'm imagining things, but I recall hearing multiple scientific reports that concluded we had already lost the fight against global warming. If indeed we have lost that fight, isn't the passage of mandatory emissions-reduction legislation a futile exercise?

Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of industrialization and modern society. Still, I am an individual who values his rights every bit as much as he values the environment.

2008-06-06T08:16:00.003-04:00

Heilige scheiße! I haven't posted to this blog in more than two months! With school winding down, it has been an extremely hectic time for me. I believe that my blogging will dramatically increase in July and August.

For now, I wanted to air my displeasure with the government of the state of New York. I am getting much closer to taking political action, for it is becoming increasingly apparent that the rights of citizens of the state of New York are blatantly disregarded by our government. Comparing the wrongs perpetrated by our government in Albany with those of earlier tryannical governments, it is clear that we are nearing levels of abuse unprecedented in modern American history.

I will not stand idle as my children's rights are abolished.

Der Krokus

2008-04-02T22:52:00.002-04:00

Scenes of the Season

2008-04-02T22:26:00.002-04:00

After a February ice storm...

A.D. 2008 March 29

Galanthus nivalis - Snowdrops
These began blooming almost immediately after the snow melted in late February or early March

Crocus ancyrensis 'Golden Bunch'
These began blooming on A.D. 2008 March 21

Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl'
These began blooming on A.D. 2008 March 24

Crocus tomasinianus 'Ruby Giant'
These began blooming on A.D. 2008 March 31

Interesting Weather

2008-03-27T18:50:00.004-04:00

It's raining at the house, but up at the highest point on the farm it's snowing. I just drove home from filling up the car and it was snowing at 1500 feet, snowing but not sticking at 1400 feet, and raining at the house (1150 feet). We're supposed to get between 5 and 10 cm of snow tonight, a pretty good amount for this time of year.

It's been an abnormally cool March. I don't think that we have had one day with a high temperature above 45 degrees F., which is the average high temperature during the middle of the month. I've loved the weather, though another 10 degrees F. colder would've lengthened the hockey season by three or four weeks.

The Crocus ancyrensis 'Golden Bunch' started blooming on March 21 - a full week later than last year. Ironically, the Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl' started blooming on March 24 - two days earlier than last year. The Crocus tomasinianus 'Ruby Giant' plants look like they need another two or three warm, sunny days. The Crocus sieberi sublimus 'Tricolor' plants look like they need another week or more of warm days.

Other than the cooler than average weather, it appears to be a rather typical spring!

Tell me what you think

2008-03-09T17:19:00.000-04:00

I wonder, do most foreigners perceive the United States to be a neo-fascist, theocratic, right-wing state? It seems to me that a lot of people in our own country think so, and I find that view incorrect for a number of reasons...

*In 2006, the Democrats (our major left-of-center political party) won control of our government's legislative branch. They appear poised to win the presidency this year, and, even if they don't, the alternative is a liberal Republican (our major right-of-center political party).

*At this time, the United States has the second-highest percentage of foreign born citizens as it has every had. Immigrants have a significant tendency to vote Democrat. In addition, the fastest growing segment of our population (Latinos) tend to vote Democrat an overwhelming majority of the time. Our higher education institutions continue to be hotbeds of left-of-center thinking, and it is incredible how lop-sidedly our young people support Democrats over Republicans.

*While the United States may have been a Republican-dominated country for the past 28 years, the Republican grip has grown ever weaker in the last 8 years. At no point during the "neo-Conservative Era" has the United States been anything like a fascist country. During the Republicans' time in power, religion has seen a declining importance in American society. Ironically, the "Reagan Revolution" sought to return the United States to some of the ideas of our founding fathers (freer markets, reduction in the size of government, etc.).

In my opinion, it is not that the United States has moved farther to the right. On the contrary, the political parties of the United States have moved farther to the left. The fact that we have generally elected governments from the far right of our political spectrum does not mean that we have elected governments from the far right of the political spectrum.

One other thing that I find interesting is that Europe has been moving away from its neo-socialist policies of the 1990s. Instead, much of Europe has swung back toward more conservative policies. However, here in the United States we seem to be behind the times (despite what most Americans would tell you). In fact, it seems as if we are following in the footsteps of our European cousins at the very time that they have begun heading a different direction.

What do non-Americans think of our government? Are we right-wing fascists in your eyes? Are we left-wing socialists? Are we level-headed moderates? Put your dislike of our president aside and tell me what you really think about our government.

Passion versus Restraint

2008-03-04T14:52:00.007-05:00

Note to readers: I am having a hell of a time getting this post how I want it. I'm just going to give up and post it as is. Good luck...

Per my "William F. Buckley, Jr." Post, I am putting fingers to keyboard to discuss ideas sparked by the death of Bill Buckley.

The first ideas that I would like to discuss are the lack of passion in political discussions and the dwindling percentage of people involved in political discussions. I am often conflicted by my desire to argue passionately about a topic. However, to be taken seriously, often one must debate an issue without emotion and with sophistication. This has resulted in the exclusion of the average person from political discussions. This exclusion is a travesty; everyone has a right to express their opinions - regardless of education level and speaking ability.

In this era of apathy, I worry that many people lack strong feelings on important issues. It is my opinion that society has contributed to this. More and more, it is becoming unacceptable for people to express their opinions. Many people argue that an expression of strong opinions will result in the hurting of someone else's feelings. Perhaps that is the case, but does it matter? As the old addage goes, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Apparently, an ever-increasing number of Westerners* disagrees.

This is a frightening development, for our freedom of speech is the freedom on which all others rest. I often applaud those who speak their mind - regardless of whether I agree or disagree with them. Personally, I believe than an unsophisticated but passionate argument may be just as legitimate as a calculated but emotionless one. It is imperative that we stop robbing our children of passion and drive. Inspired individuals created the world that we live in. If we are to continue to improve society, our children must know that everyone has a right to express their opinion - even if they aren't a member of the debate team.

Freedom of thought, speech, and expression is necessary in a healthy society. Promote these, and (it is hoped that) the result will be increased dialogue and improved society.

*Westerners used in the context of Western Civilization

William F. Buckley, Junior

2008-03-04T14:02:00.004-05:00

On A.D. 2008 February 27, William F. Buckley, Jr. died in his home in Stamford, Connecticut, United States of America. To be honest, I know of Buckley more for the attention surrounding his death than his life. Ironically, the first and only time that I remember listening to him speak was on "Charlie Rose," sometime in the past six months. At the time, all I knew about him was that he was a "Conservative political strategist." As it turns out, that was only half true. From the articles I read, Buckley seemed to have been an aristocratic, Socratic, party animal. At that same time, he is with credited with single-handedly making Conservatism a respected political ideology.

After reading so much about Buckley, I wanted to type a few ideas that I have been thinking about. In the coming days, I plan on putting at least three of these ideas on screen.

It's late, and I'm not in the mood to mince words...

2008-02-18T23:13:00.010-05:00

I don't like watching the news. It seems like the only events reported on the news are bad, which leads one to believe that all (or most) of the noteworthy things happening in the world are bad.

Today I read that Kosovo was recognized as an independent country by my own country, the United States of America. I also read that Russia and China have chosen not to recognize Kosovo, citing the fact that such a recognition could set a dangerous precedent. It is extremely rare for me to agree with Russia or China, but I certainly agree with them today...

Let's say the real reason that Kosovo is receiving international recognition of its independence - it has a Muslim majority in an otherwise Christian country (Serbia). Countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom are seeking to improve their status among Muslims, many of whom perceive that the U.S.A. and U.K. are anti-Muslim. By recognizing Kosovo's independence, they are trying to prove that they do not dislike Islam.

If the situation were reversed, and it was a Christian majority seeking independence in a Muslim country, I do not believe that the U.S.A. or the U.K. would have recognized a declaration of independence. In my opinion, that is a double-standard that is ludicrous.

An additional reason for my agreement with Russia and China is that it sets a dangerous precedent. Is establishing a new country as simple as thousands of people flooding across an international border, setting up shop, and declaring independence? It must not be.

A third reason that I agree with Russia and China deals with geography. When do you draw a line regarding a country's minimum size? Kosovo will be one of the smallest countries on earth - by my calculations, the eighth-smallest land-based country. (behind Vatican City, Monaco, Andorra, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Lebanon, and the Palestinean territories) If you're going to start creating countries that small, then I want in on the action! I'm sure that my wife, in-laws, and neighbors would be happy to form our own little country! Unfortunately, things don't work that way.

...well, not until today.

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T19:31:00.004-05:00

On this day in A.D. 1929, four members of Al Capone's gang killed five members of Bugs Moran's gang and two others on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Two of Capone's men dressed as police officers, entered the mechanic's shop where Moran's men were gathered, and claimed that they were executing a bust. They ordered the seven men to stand facing a brick wall, and promptly shot them all with Tommy Guns.

My grandfather lived in Chicago at the time, though he was only a baby. He tells stories about living under Al Capone and how his father was forced to pay "protection money" in order to stay on the gangsters' good side...

On this day in A.D. 2007, we received 50 centimeters of snow.

Winter Scenes

2008-02-10T14:20:00.000-05:00

These first three pictures were taken after our first sticking snow of the season - way back on November 16.

I'm pretty sure that these next two pictures were taken on our first day with complete snow cover - December 01.

These last three pictures were taken last Thursday - February 07.

More Ice. How is that possible? ...and some thoughts on Super Tuesday

2008-02-06T22:07:00.000-05:00

We are currently in the midst of our sixth freezing rain event of the season, and our fourth significant event. As I've mentioned on other posts, we only had two freezing rain events in the previous three winters; the fact that we've tripled that number through one half of one winter is incredible.

I think that the ice is beautiful, but I'm starting to get sick of falling down all of the time. We received an inch of ice last Friday, and it didn't melt until Monday. That meant that all weekend I was slipping and falling on my arse...or knees...or side...or back... I already slipped once tonight while I was getting the chicken eggs. I think that I'm going to have to buy some crampons pretty soon! Walking on ice-covered slopes is tough!

Oh, I don't want to forget to mention that my Buffalo Sabres are back to their winning ways! They've won five of their last six games, and it looks like they have a shot at making the playoffs!

Okay, Super Tuesday. I like Mike Huckabee's personality, but I'm not crazy about his politics. With that said, I don't like any of the other Republican frontrunners. Consequently, I was disappointed to see that John McCain fared well last night. I keep getting closer and closer to changing my party registration from Republican to indepedent...

To be blunt, I detest Hillary Clinton. Although I disagree with many of his political stances, I like Barack Obama because I perceive him to be honest, straightforward, and intelligent. I was glad to see him win a majority of states last night, but I was unhappy to see that "the alternative" won the states with the greatest numbers of delegates.

The bright side about living in a state that will vote Democratic in almost every presidential election is that I can "waste" my vote without affecting the outcome of a close race. If I want, I can vote for Ron Paul, the Libertarian candidate for president, the socialist candidate for president, my father-in-law...whoever I want and it won't affect the election's outcome. In a state where my presidential vote is worth less than a pile of horse crap (I can fertilize my garden with horse crap), being free to "waste" your vote is not a bad consolation.

Super Tuesday

2008-02-04T22:09:00.000-05:00

Ahh, New York's primary election for selecting Democratic and Republican candidates to run for United States President will be held tomorrow (along with a bunch of other provinces-errr "states") I will be voting for Ron Paul, and, though I seriously doubt he has any chance of winning our state's primary, I strongly encourage all registered Republicans to vote for him. He is the only candidate who seeks to shrink the size of government and return responsibility to the people.

Hockey...at last!

2008-01-27T22:29:00.000-05:00

I finally got some hockey in this weekend. Yesterday I went up to the woods and cleaned off our pond with my wife. It was the third time that I've cleaned it in the past couple of weeks, and the ice had finally smoothed out some. I skated for about an hour, working primarily on stickhandling skills. Later in the afternoon I went over to a friend's house and six of us played for about an hour and a half. It was a long time coming, but well worth the wait. There's not much better than a good game of hockey.

Cattle

2008-01-27T21:52:00.000-05:00

I read this article in the New York Times Magazine today about the Ankole-Watusi cattle of Rwanda. It was a very interesting discussion of modernization, loss of culture, loss of genetic diversity, and economics.

To be honest, sometimes I question whether I should go ahead and start raising sheep and/or cattle. My wife is constantly telling me how we already don't have enough time to get everything accomplished, how could we do so if we had more responsibilities? Still, when I read an article like this it really makes me want to start a herd of Dexter Cattle or Soay Sheep. Not only do I want to help preserve the ancient bloodlines, I still feel that Indo-European desire to raise animals -- wealth in livestock.

First a few movie reviews...

2008-01-27T21:32:00.000-05:00

First I want to talk about a few movies that I've seen recently. In the past week I've seen:

Amistad
Lords of Dogtown
Reservoir Dogs

I had seen Amistad when I was much younger, but I was able to appreciate it more this time around. It's an excellent movie that, at various times, made me want to cry in sadness, shout at the television, cheer, jump for joy, and cry in jubilation.

I borrowed Lords of Dogtown from one of my students at school. It's about some of the early skateboarding pioneers from southern California, and I thought that it was a pretty good movie. It's the first movie that I've seen in a long time that I was pleased with when it was over. If you think skateboarding is cool, you'll enjoy this movie.

I've heard about Reservoir Dogs for years, and a VHS copy happened to be on sale at the local video store the other day. It was only a few cents more to buy the movie than to rent it, so I went ahead and got it. I couldn't get all of the way through it in one sitting, but I finally finished it a day later. What can I say? It wasn't a gripping movie but it was interesting. I didn't enjoy it but I was glad to have seen it. If you're into movies that contain graphic violence and marginal plotlines, maybe you'll like this one.

Weather Update

2008-01-27T21:03:00.000-05:00

Through A.D. 2008 January 27:

Days with snow cover: 64
Days with complete snow cover: 29
Total snowfall: 70 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -17º Celsius

Hmmm

2008-01-08T23:27:00.000-05:00

As indicated in my previous post, I'm following the primaries this year. It appears that The Alternative won New Hampshire today...ugh

All I'm asking for is:

Environmental protection/Responsible development
Fiscal conservatism
Personal freedom
Secularism

Is that so hard?

Sabres Skid!

2008-01-08T22:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, the Sabres have lost seven games in a row (including three overtime losses). They are having a heck of a time this year and I'm starting to worry that they won't make the playoffs. If they do make the playoffs they probably won't win a series, but, for some reason, it still feels a heck of a lot better to lose in the playoffs than to not even make them.

...I'm really getting sucked into the 2008 U.S. presidential election campaign. Usually I'm a casual observer, but the lack of a quality* Republican candidate (other than Ron Paul, who has no chance of winning the nomination) has me following the primaries and caucuses. I'm paying attention to find out which candidate the Grand Old Party will send against Barack Obama or...shudder...The Alternative. I don't have a problem with Barack Obama. My impression of him is that he is a decent and honest human being. While I disagree with many of his political stances, I'd much rather have an honorable left-of-center president than a dishonorable right-of-center president.

*I like the political stances of Fred Thompson, which are primarily based on his strict constructionist interpretation of the United States Constitution. However, Thompson has the charisma of a frog (which, unfortunately for him, he resembles) and he has no chance of being elected. Therefore, he does not qualify as a "quality" Republican candidate.

I briefly mentioned Ron Paul. His libertarian tendencies fit very well with my own views, but he's a little bit of an odd duck. I don't see him pulling a Ross Perot and making an impact in the 2008 election.

I'm discouraged by the fact that no Republican OR Democratic candidate seems to have any interest in the environment. I had hoped that global climate change would become an important topic in this election, but it appears that that will not happen.

...I'm really on an ecovillage kick right now. Often I find myself daydreaming about getting out of the rat race, moving to a low-impact community, and spending the rest of my days gardening and raising small animals with my family. Subsistence agriculture has always attracted me, but I imagine it would be quite different from how I picture it...

...I'm also getting on a pre-Cromwell Ireland kick. Like many Americans, my wife has a lot of Irish blood and I thoroughly enjoy piggy-backing off of her heritage. I especially love Gaelic-Irish culture, Norman-Irish culture, and "traditional" Irish music. I can't get enough of it!

...To come full circle...it appears that our extremely warm weather [20 degrees C. today - 20 degrees C. (35 degrees F.) above normal] is coming to an end. Though I love the cold weather, I must admit that it was beautiful today. Nonetheless, more seasonal temperatures are scheduled to return this weekend. It looks like next weekend (Jan. 19-20) would be the earliest that I could get some pond hockey in. Everyone keep your fingers crossed for me!

Winter Classic

2008-01-01T20:22:00.000-05:00

Well, the N.H.L.'s Winter Classic was held in Orchard Park, New York (outside of Buffalo) today. To be honest, I completely forgot about the game and didn't turn it on until the second intermission. (That makes me a bad hockey fan!) I was able to watch all of the third period, both overtime periods, and the shootout, which was won by those pesky Penguins from Pittsburgh.

If you didn't know, the Winter Classic was the first outdoor N.H.L. game played in the United States of America. The game pitted the Buffalo Sabres against the Pittsburgh Penguins and was held at Ralph Wilson Stadium, the home of the N.F.L.'s Buffalo Bills.

Three things stood out in my mind after the game:

01. N.H.L. hockey played outside is not something to do regularly - because of above-freezing temperatures and snow squalls, ice conditions were terrible.

02. Sidney Crosby is really good - he made some incredible moves in the game, including single-handedly setting up Pittsburgh's only goal in regulation.

03. Pittsburgh's vintage jerseys are hideous - teal and yellow do not complement each other!

Carduelis

2007-12-28T22:27:00.000-05:00

Well, Christmas is past and it was a lot of fun to spend time with the family. On Christmas day, we decided to record the species of birds that visited our feeders as a scaled-down version of the Christmas bird count. On the 25th, we recorded nine species at the feeders:

American Goldfinch
American Tree Sparrow
Black-capped Chickadee
Blue Jay
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebird
Mourning Dove
Northern Flicker
White-breasted Nuthatch

We've also been seeing Dark-eyed Juncos and House Finches at the feeders, but we didn't see any on Christmas day.

I've been pruning trees in the woods the past couple of days, and I was thrilled to spot a Common Redpoll yesterday. It was the first one I had seen on our farm, and the second that I have seen in this area. They're relatively common in forests, but not our open fields and brushlots.

The Common Redpoll brings me to a random piece of information: the genus Carduelis is my favorite genus of American birds. Among the American birds in the genus is the:

Common Redpoll

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

Lesser Goldfinch

I yoinked these images from google image searches - thanks to the authors, whoever you are!

Deja Vu

2007-12-24T00:14:00.001-05:00

In A.D. 2005 December, we had complete snow cover 21 of the first 22 days of the month. All but 2 of the first 22 days had high temperatures below 0 degrees C., and there had been about 20 cm of snow on the ground three days before Christmas. Then the curse struck. Three rainy days at 10 degrees C. first turned the Winter Wonderland to slush, then melted it just in time for Christmas day.

Fast forward to A.D. 2007.

We had complete snow cover 21 of the first 22 days of the month. All but 2 of the first 22 days had high temperatures below 0 degrees C. , and there had been about 15 cm of snow on the ground three days before Christmas. Then the curse struck. Two rainy days at 10 degrees C. first turned the Winter Wonderland to slush, then melted it just in time for Christmas day.

If I hadn't witnessed it I wouldn't have thought it possible. Different years, EXACT same scenario.

On one hand I'm pissed off - this is four Christmases that I have lived here, and four without snow. On the other hand, I've come to expect these turns of events after four years of crappy winters.

In the winter of A.D. 2004/2005, we had almost no snow through the end of the first week in January. After that, we settled in to a "normal" pattern through the end of March.

In the winter of A.D. 2005/2006, the first three weeks of December were wonderful, but, as mentioned above, we lost our snow cover immediately prior to Christmas and didn't regain it until February 06. (the day the we got our youngest pup - hence, I remember the date) February and March of A.D. 2006 were characterized by "normal patters," but we had already lost a week in December, the entire month of January, and a week in February to abnormally warm weather.

In the winter of A.D. 2006/2007 we had the warmest December ever recorded, the least amount of snow ever recorded through January 01, and no lasting snow cover until the third week in January. After that, we experienced "normal" weather patterns through the end of March.

So far this winter we had an excellent first three weeks of December, but, as in A.D. 2005, we have lost our snow cover immediately prior to Christmas. I had been very excited about all of the hockey I would be playing this upcoming week, but now the weathermen are forecasting at least 7 days of temperatures above freezing (highs around 5 degrees C. - 5 to 10 degrees above normal). I can only hope that this current warm spell ends around the turn of the year, because I'll get really upset if it ends up turning into another winter of A.D. 2005-2006...

I know, I know, I bitch a lot this time of year. Well, I have been doing nothing but thank mother nature the past three weeks. Unfortunately, she never seems to give us consistently cold winter weather. Personally, I believe that the underlying problem is global warming. I know that may piss some of you readers off, but that's what I believe. I worry that our living on the historical border between "snow on the ground all winter" country and "snow on the ground off and on during the winter" country is going to go by the wayside, and that my son's winters on the farm will be marked by increasing warmth and decreasing snow cover. That really sucks for me, because a consistently cold and snowy winter is my idea of the perfect season. It's as if my favorite part of the year is slowly being taken away from me...

"Poor me..." Jesus, I sure am throwing one hell of a pity-party. It's time for me to stop whining and end this post. To all of you in colder climates, I envy you. If I don't post again before Tuesday, merry Christmas everyone.

Chucktatorship

2007-12-05T11:59:00.000-05:00

Too bad I couldn't embed this video. (I'm still a novice at "complex" posting!)

Great Weather and a Plan for the N.H.L.

2007-12-02T14:28:00.000-05:00

We had our first day with complete snow cover yesterday, and last night we received 10 cm to go with the 3 that we already had! I went snowshoeing this morning - it was great!

Warning: If you don't like hockey or ridiculous diatribes, stop reading now.

On a completely different topic, I was driving home on Friday listening to Schopp and the Bulldog on WGR Sports Radio 550 (out of Buffalo, New York) when they started talking about the 2008/2009 N.H.L. schedule. Mike Schopp discussed the possibility of adding a few games to the schedule if it would enable each team to play at least one home game against every other team in the league. I like the concept, but I have a plan to accomplish it without adding games...

Currently, there are 30 teams in the N.H.L. Quite frankly, that's way too many. In my "if I was commisioner of the N.H.L." scenario, I would immediately get rid of ten teams. Sorry if you're a fan, but there is no good reason for keeping the:

Atlanta Thrashers
Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panthers
Nashville Predators
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
New York Islanders
Phoenix Coyotes
St. Louis Blues
San Jose Sharks

Two teams would be relocated:

Dallas Stars back to Minnesota (where they would become the Minnesota North Stars...again)

Tamba Bay Lightning to Salt Lake City

Now you'd have 20 teams, and I'd organize them in this way:

Eastern Conference:
North Division:
01. Buffalo Sabres
02. Columbus Blue Jackets
03. Montreal Canadiens
04. Ottawa Senators
05. Toronto Maple Leafs
Atlantic Division:
01. Boston Bruins
02. Philadelphia Flyers
03. New Jersey Devils
04. New York Rangers
05. Washington Capitals

Western Conference:
North Division:
01. Calgary Flames
02. Chicago Blackhawks
03. Detroit Red Wings
04. Edmonton Oilers
05. Pittsburgh Penguins
Pacific Division:
01. Anaheim Ducks
02. Colorado Avalanche
03. Minnesota North Stars
04. Salt Lake City Team (former Tamba Bay Lightning)
05. Vancouver Canucks

Eastern Conference teams would play each Western Conference team only twice (one home and one away), creating 20 games on the schedule. North Division teams would play Atlantic division teams 4 times (two home and two away). That would add another 20 games. Finally, teams within a division would play each other 6 times (three home and three away). This would add another 24 games to the schedule, for a total of 64. In my opinion, a signficant improvement over the current 82 game schedule.

What do you think? Is the N.H.L. schedule too long?

The Red Scot's "Best Places to Live" List

2007-11-29T22:08:00.000-05:00

As I was signing in to hotmail today, I came across this article on the United Nation's "Best Places to Live" list. After reading through their rankings, I decided to create my own list.

Unlike the U.N. list - which ranks countries according to life expectancy, real per capita income, and education levels - my list ranks countries based purely on personal perceptions.

Note: Other than the United States and Canada, I haven't been to any of the countries on the list. Also, I have chosen to consider the United Kingdom as four separate countries (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) instead of one big one.

01. Canada - Sparsely populated; temperate, sub-arctic, and arctic climates; a great culture; universal healthcare; a strong economy...the only negatives are the highest per capita immigration rate in the world and very strict gun laws. Still, Canada's positives definitely outweight its negatives.

02. United States of America - The U.S.A. is my home and it would be my number one if it weren't for a massive military-industrial complex, skyrocketing immigration, increasingly restrictive laws, and a nosediving economy.

03. Switzerland - I love the fact that Switzerland is neutral, not part of the E.U., and one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

04. Norway - Fourth for the same reasons that Switzerland is third.

05. Ireland - I'm very high on Ireland. If only they had a little colder climate and weren't part of the E.U.

06. Northern Ireland
07. Scotland
08. England
09. Finland
10. Wales
11. Austria
12. Germany
13. Iceland
14. Czech Republic
15. Croatia

Random weather fact:

2007-11-26T15:40:00.001-05:00

A.D. 2007 November 23 (Friday) was the first day that didn't get above 0º C. this season. The 24th didn't get there either!

Increasingly Intermittent!

2007-11-25T22:59:00.000-05:00

Wow, I have really let my blogging slip. I'm sorry to those of you who check in regularly to read my posts...

A lot has been going on lately. Many Americans - myself included - have been off of work for some or all of last week. We have the Pilgrims - and their wonderful harvest festival that we call Thanksgiving - to thank for that.

The only problem with being off of work for a week is that you hate to go back. Everytime that I have time off I begin scheming about how I can make a living on the farm... (doing something other than dairying)

My wife claims that it got down to 3 degrees F. the other night. I told her that she was reading the thermometer wrong and that it was probably 13 degrees outside. That made more sense since it was 15 at my father-in-law's house and 14 at my sister-in-law's house... In any case, 13 is still pretty chilly for this time of year - I love it!

Still not a lot of snow accumulation, but a lot of snow events. We've had five or six (I forget) different snowfalls. Each left a pretty little dusting on the ground that mostly melts by the afternoon. The weather this November has been very close to the historical average - chilly days, a little bit of snow, and below freezing nights. I've been in hog heaven!

KLA-TRA-SO = the name of the company that made an antler-handled carving set that my in-laws own. I wanted to remember this so I'm typing it...

Christmas is exactly one month away. I've been attending area Catholic churches the past month to see if any of them appeal to me. I've been agnostic for the past 12 years or so, and lately I've been feeling spiritually unfulfilled. I know that my beliefs make me a Deist, but I've been yearning for some structure in my spiritual life. I am attracted to Catholicism despite the fact that I disagree with some of its fundamental tenets. (When I say "fundamental" I mean the whole "Jesus was divine and the son of god" thing) Am I horrible for seriously considering joining a church that I have such a major philosophical disagreement with? (If you're wondering, I keep my philosophies to myself when I'm at church!)

Okay, it's getting late. I hope that I gave someone something to chew on. Again, thanks to everyone who still checks in every once in a while - you're awesome.

A little snow and a few deer

2007-11-19T14:42:00.000-05:00

We received our first "official" measurable snow a couple of Fridays ago. It only amounted to about a centimeter, but it was beautiful. Since then we've had a couple more dustings. Currently, we're up to about 3 cm of snow so far this year...

Two Saturdays ago was the opening day of the regular hunting season for white-tailed deer in our area. I shot a big doe immediately after daybreak. The following day (Sunday) I shot another big doe in the early afternoon. This past Friday I shot another big doe. Thankfully, we almost have enough meat to supply all of the members of our family.

Weather statistics though A.D. 2007 November 25:

First snow: A.D. 2007 October 28
First snow accumulation of at least 1 centimeter: A.D. 2007 November 16
Days with snow cover: 008
Days with complete snow cover: 000
Total snowfall: 3.0 centimeters (1.2 inches)

Harry Connick, Junior is awesome.

2007-11-13T20:39:00.000-05:00

The title has absolutely nothing to do with this post.

We had the first instance of snow sticking on Saturday morning. It snowed during the late afternoon and evening hours on Friday, and there was a thin layer of white on the deck, cars, and in the driveway the next morning. It was gone within a half an hour of daybreak, but it was still good to see it while it lasted.

The snow didn't count as the first snow accumulation of the season since it amounted to something less than 5% total snow cover. Still, it was the first day with some snow cover.

On Sunday morning it got down to -5.6 degrees C. (22 degrees F.) So far, that's been the coldest morning of the season. ...Not a bad start for early November.

...The rifle hunting season for White-tailed Deer begins Saturday. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to put some meat in the freezer. This will be the first year that we've been allowed to use rifles to hunt deer in a long time (more than 50 years). I'm hoping to break in my new Ruger Model 77 (.270 Winchester) with a nice Odocoileus virginianus...

I've been processing other things, but I'll wait to post my thoughts on another post.

Still thinking about the bear...

2007-10-29T22:23:00.000-04:00

I'm still thinking about the bear - that was really cool...

Incredibly, it snowed a few times during the day on Sunday.

We finally had a frost cold enough to kill the tomatoes. It was -1 Celsius on Monday morning - the first sub-zero weather of the season. It was the latest first frost ever recorded in our community, beating 2005 by one day.

From the last hard frost of spring (2007 May 14) to the first hard frost on Monday, we had 167 consecutive frost-free days. That's 16 more than 2006, despite the fact that this year's last spring frost occurred a week later than last year's!

Autumn 2007's weather statistics are as follows:

First light frost: 2007 September 17
First hard frost: 2007 October 29
First snow: 2007 October 28
First snow accumulation: ????

2007 growing season: 167 consecutive frost-free days.

2006's information:

First light frost: 2006 September 29
First hard frost: 2006 October 06
First snow: 2006 October 29
First snow accumulation: 2006 November 02

2006 growing season: 151 consecutive frost-free days.

2005's information:

First light frost: 2005 October 20
First hard frost: 2005 Octoboer 28
First snow: 2005 October 25
First snow accumulation: 2005 November ??

Quick Weather Update

2007-10-26T23:37:00.000-04:00

We had another light frost on A.D. 2007 October 25, Thursday. It was about 2 degrees Celsius when I checked the thermometer at 06:00 - tied for the second coldest morning this autumn. I was surprised to see that my windshield was covered in frost, because it hadn't iced over on either of the other two mornings that it was near freezing.

Though it was warmer than "normal" the past week, it was much cooler than it had been. Highs averaged 2 to 5 degrees Celsius above normal instead of 5 to 10.

We're (finally!) supposed to get a hard frost (0 degrees C.) next Monday morning. Right now, the weathermen are forecasting lows around 0. On our farm, the standard deviation is to subtract another 2 degrees from the forecast temperature. With that said, I'm hoping that I awake to a world of white on Monday!

If we don't get a hard frost before Monday, it will be the latest first frost ever recorded, "beating" A.D. 2005 by a day.

A BEAR!!!!

2007-10-26T23:18:00.000-04:00

I saw a bear today!!!! It was the first time that I have ever seen a bear outside of a campground at a national park! (and those don't count, they're half-domesticated!) It was one the coolest things that I have ever seen.

I was driving home from work when I looked up at the fields on the north side of Interstate-86. I immediately noticed something out of place. Whatever it was, it was big and black. Still, I couldn't think of what it could be. Then, all of a sudden, it moved. At that moment, I realized that it could be a bear. Excited, I continued to stare at the object until it turned broadside and started walking. Euphoric and stunned, I watched the bear until I had driven far enough past that I could no longer see it. I couldn't believe it. Though there are a lot of bears around here, they're not something that people usually see. To be honest, I had never considered that I would ever see one here in New York. ...but today, this glorious day, I not only saw a bear, I got a GREAT look at a bear. To say that I am excited (still now, 8 hours later!) would be an understatement. I called my wife, my father-in-law, and my dad to tell them. Even they couldn't believe my dumb luck. Whatever kind of luck it was, it was a minute of my life that I will never forget...I saw a bear!!!!

Quick Post

2007-10-19T23:41:00.000-04:00

Another week flies by.

The weather has been awfully warm around here. The past few days have been between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. The weathermen tell us that it will be cooler next week, and I hope they're right. We haven't been below 7 or 8 degrees since we had that light frost last weekend. The next sub-5 degree weather is forecast to arrive sometime in the middle of next week. We continue to inch closer to that "latest ever first frost (0 degrees)" date of October 28. I think 2007 will give it a run for its money.

In other news, the autumn foliage of New York's Southern Tier exploded in the past two days. It was amazing, because the trees were only about 40 percent turned on Wednesday. What's more interesting is that the colors seemed muted mid-week, but, this afternoon, I saw hillsides as bright and colorful as I have ever seen anywhere.

The foliage in the Finger Lakes is still unimpressive. I'm not sure if it will pan out this year, because most of the trees that are changing are turning a burnt orange or brown. The next week should show whether we'll continue to underachieve or put on our own display.

Oh, what a beautiful morning...

2007-10-14T17:34:00.000-04:00

We had our coldest morning of the season on October 13. I got up at the crack of dawn to see if we had received a good frost. Though it had been right at 1º C. (34º F.) the previous evening, it was a little warmer than that by morning (35º F.). Consequently, we avoided a hard frost, but we did have our second light frost of the season (almost a month apart!).

I decided to take a walk up the hill to search for patches of white. At the same time, I wanted to get some pictures of the sunrise across Seneca Lake. On cold mornings in autumn and early winter, the warm lake water produces a bank of clouds overnight. It's a beautiful sight, but one that I had never photographed!

Here's a view looking east across Seneca Lake. I'm standing at the edge of the woods and a large wheat field.

After taking a few pictures of the sunrise, I found a decent patch of frost in a small hayfield near the highest elevation on the farm.

As I returned to the farmhouse, I took a few more pictures of the lake clouds, with my pup in the foreground!

Finally...a change!

2007-10-10T22:16:00.000-04:00

In the past 23 days, we've had...

2 days where the high temp. was 2 degrees (Fahrenheit) below the historical average
2 days where the high temp. met the historical average
19 days where the high temp. was at least 10 degrees above the historical average.

During that time, we've set more than 10 record highs. Many of those beat previous records by 3+ degrees.

For someone who loves Autumn and cool weather, it was horrible.

The good news is that a change is in store...

Tomorrow is supposed to mark the start of at least a week of temperatures near normal. In fact, we might even begin having light frosts in the morning - about that, my father-in-law says that, prior to 2005, he can't remember not having a hard frost by October 10. At this point, it looks like we'll be without one until at least October 20.

In any case, thank God that the weather is improving. There is only so much 80+ degree weather a person can take in late September and October. I continue to try to convince my wife that it's time to move north, but she continues to tell me I'm crazy! :-)

GO SABRES!!!!

2007-10-07T17:22:00.000-04:00

GO SABRES!!!!

New blogs...

2007-10-07T17:02:00.000-04:00

There are a couple of new blogs that I've been reading (when I've had the chance). The first is written by members of the U.K.'s 2007 Antarctic Conservation Summer Team. It chronicles life in Antarctica and, being the nerd that I am, I have really enjoyed looking at the old posts.

The second blog I came across is Kate Smudges in Earth, Paint, and Life. I really enjoyed reading her posts, and I think it will become one of those to which I keep going back...

Into the clouds...

2007-10-02T21:54:00.000-04:00

Note: I wanted to post three more pictures, but, for some reason, I've been unable to upload them for days! I hope you enjoy those that are here.

On A.D. 2007 September 28, I hiked up Mount Mansfield, the highest point in Vermont. It rained at times, which made for a unique hike into the clouds. I believe that it was the fourth time I have hiked to the top of the state. Mount Mansfield reaches an elevation of 1,339 meters (4,393 feet).

I was surprised to see this Grey Squirrel at the very peak of the mountain, some dozens of meters above the treeline!

The peak of Mount Mansfield supports about 100 hectares of alpine tundra.

This is the view looking back toward the summit as we descended.

Lowbush Blueberries were abundant at and above the treeline.

As we descended the mountain, we left the clouds and were blessed with a gorgeous view across Smugglers' Notch.

I wanted to take a picture of Mount Mansfield from a distance. This one was taken on route 104A between Georgia and Fairfax, Vermont. The highest point of Mount Mansfield is the section of mountain brushed with clouds.

Vermont

2007-10-02T21:31:00.000-04:00

I went to Vermont this past weekend, and there are three things that I want to talk about:

1. Rosie's Vermont Beef Jerky
2. Second Vermont Republic
3. Rampant Development

Rosie's Vermont Beef Jerky is the second-best jerky that I have ever had. (Garven Store has the best jerky in the world, period.) I always buy some of Rosie's jerky when I go to Vermont. The stuff is simply great. I highly recommend it to all conoisseurs of fine jerky.

The Second Vermont Republic is my kind of political movement. It is paired with Vermont Commons to peacefully advocate for seccession from the United States of America and the establishment of an independent republic. The Middlebury Institute is another fine organization.

Vermont is a really funny place. On one hand, it is populated by proponents of rural living that include New England farmers, hippies, "progressives," and regular-old middle class folks. This is juxtaposed with yuppies and urbanites who have flocked to the state to escape the city. In doing so, they have not only brought high taxes and land prices, they have brought the city as well. I was amazed at how much development is occurring in north-central and north-western Vermont. Three-thousand square foot houses are being built on old farms and formerly wild hillsides. In my opinion, it is killing the character of a truly unique state. If such movements as the Second Vermont Republic are ever to succeed, they need to halt the influx of foreigners as quickly as possible.