Messages from Tom Cat - 2

[agate]

From Ralph on Sunday:

Here are my morning turkeys, all the way up the handicap ramp. You could catch one out of the front window with a fish net.Nice clear day but cold. Day started around 9° out. Should be in the 40's in a couple days, and maybe the snow will start to go by then.

In the back yard a male downy woodpecker on a hanging feeder and a black squirrel feeding on a timber.

One of my new friends, Jeff, is helping get my Kindle Fire in order. Somehow I lost my Web page and a few other things. Ah, the bird feeder outside this living room window is loaded with birds. Up to 6 goldfinches at a time, 2 tufted titmice, a white and red breasted nuthatch, and chickadees. Quite a show for the start of the day.

The cats are fed and napping, and I just had my peanut butter and& jam of toast--p/j as I call it.I May have a late breakfast or is it called brunch where you are?. Take care, and virtual hugs to all.

I said I thought black squirrels were rare, and he replied:

On the rarity of the black phase of grey squirrels, there are cities in this area and Vancouver, BC, where almost all the squirrels are the black phase of grey squirrels. There are 2 cities about 20-30 miles from me here where over half the squirrels are black. I have 2 right now, but have had up to 3 or 4 in some years in the past. I think there are some other species of small black squirrels in the West around Arizona. Take care.

[Parsi]

Agate, you asked about helicopters. I don't know if they have for that kind of emergency list. I know helicopters have been used to move patients from city to city. But I'm not sure how practical they would they would be to get Ralph out. He does have a prairie area in back of his house but I'm not sure how open. The general location of where he lives is fairly wooded. So I wonder if there is practical landing space.

After googling I believe an ATV would be able to get to him with help. If they needed to get him out I'm sure they could add a trailer. Not the most comfortable, but I think it would work.

But I'm sure that Ralph has a plan on how to get out that they had developed if Ann had needed it.

[Virginia]

Still cold and a lot of snow where Ralph is.

Hi Parsi, yes I think he does have a plan and now he has neighbors again that check in with him every day. I was glad to find that out.

[agate]

Hi, Parsi,
Nice to hear from you!

I guess I had the impression that a helicopter could land just about anywhere but apparently trees are a problem. I used to live a stone's throw from a hospital and often saw medical helicopters overhead. They were landing on the hospital roof but maybe the hospital roof was a larger area than I knew.

Ralph does seem to have a network of people around him who check in on one another.

[agate]

I've just learned that some people here haven't been able to see the dark blue font I was using for Tom Cat's posts, and so from now on his messages won't be in blue but I will try to set them apart so people can find them and know they aren't my posts. I'm so sorry there was this glitch. I'm setting his post as a quote and using boldface type. I hope someone will let me know if there are still problems.

From Tom Cat (Ralph) yesterday:

The tom turkeys here are displaying for the hens, of which there are around 18 throughout the back yard.

I have spent most of this day having my friend Jeff K. trouble-shooting my Internet connection so I can send pictures, research stuff, and use the Amazon connection. These were all down for about 4-5 days now. He went through trouble-shooting it for 2 or 3 hours online, with little success. He got a Century Link guy to send a repair guy over in the afternoon, and after checking out the inside and outside phone hookups, he decided to install a new router. My friend figured that's what was needed. What a mess, but finally back in working order. It's 4 PM; I've had enough "fun" for the day. Think I'll go out and have a Mexican dinner by myself. Take care.

[agate]

From Tom Cat today:

Oh boy! The snow has returned last night. We have an inch or so on the ground this morning, and 25° temperature. Doesn't look like much above freezing all day, or tomorrow. I guess I can leave the golf cart in its storage shed for now.

Waiting for my tax papers to return and hoping I sent everything in to my tax preparer.

The snow removal gives me a sore back and legs and arms but is much easier to live with than the stress and anxiety of the paper work and sleepless nights. Nice and sunny out right now. No prairie burning this week any more, with the snow on the ground. This winter looked like a snow shortage, at around 45 in. Now it's a about 60 in, which is 10 inches over the normal amount. We can use the extra moisture for crops, but not the cold.

Vision is getting blurry now, so I need to wet the eyes and take a reading break. Take care.

[Ikoiko]

Hi Tom Cat! Stay warm.

[agate]

Messages from Tom Cat (Saturday):

Good morning, Ikoiko.

It's been sleeting, a little snowing, and raining for a day or so here. Just plain nasty weather. All outdoor plans are on hold.

The deer are on some corn I threw out for them. Around a large 3-pound coffee can of corn in back & front of the house each morning. Some sunflower seed too, for ground birds, rabbits, and lots of squirrels. This is what Ann and I came to the woods for. Your own private zoo.

Take care.

In the last message I had Kindle problems. These Kindle problems just don't go away.

Right now it is snowing again. It's right at freezing, so it's the sticking type snow. We're scheduled for about another 1/2 in. It should melt down by the end of the day. And just days ago, I was riding to the mail box (8/10 mi, round trip) in the golf cart. It will be nice when spring makes it here.And the birds for the day are goldfinch, chickadees, crows, tufted titmice, purple finch, juncos, downy woodpecker, red and white bellied nuthatches, and a male cardinal. No turkeys this morning. We usually have 10-18 of them each day.

Take care and virtual hugs. We all need those hugs, in these changing times.

And from this morning:

The chills this morning & last night. Threw the blankets off sometime in the night. 25° out right now and clear. Got a jacket and down moccasins on and put out corn and sunflower seeds for the deer and juncos. I'm warming up now, under some covers. Waking up with a hot cup of oolong tea. This strange weather is hard to get used too. At least no precipitation last night.

I think I'm going to have a nice piece of carrot cake with that tea.

The goldfinches are now getting brighter yellow every day now.

Take care.

[Virginia]

Ralph, your weather is too exciting for me. That hot tea and carrot cake really sound good
Take care of yourself and stay warm. Spring is on the way, even where you are.

[agate]

Virginia, I haven't had any word from Ralph yet. I sent a message and hope he replies.

[agate]

Here's his reply.

I'm doing reasonably well, now that I got my taxes taken care of.

Having some real sleep problems, but that's been true for decades. And the weather hasn't helped my wanting to get all my approximate 5 acres of prairie burned this spring.

My blood work and shots for my hemoglobin are doing well. The head not so much. Real dizzy spells many more mornings now than before. Especially when I'm hurrying things immediately after getting up. Too many things to fix and do with this aging body. Up to the 90's a couple of days last week, with nights I the 50's. Last night had a couple of inches of snow, and down to 28° this morning. Don't expect it to get above the mid 60's today. Unpleasant weather to work in. The crocuses have stopped blooming and I'm not sure the daffodils are still blooming. Really trying to push myself now and need to take more breaks than I'd like to.

Back yard this morning. About 2 in of snow. It is melting back, but still messy.

As you can see, my flowering Easter, midsummer, Christmas, whatever cactus are doing fine. I guess they have loving neglect taking care of them.

[Ikoiko]

I have Christmas cacti, too. I love them, because they can withstand a lot of neglect! Tom Cat’s look better than mine.

[Virginia]

If neglect is what they love then I need to get one of those plants.

Ralph, don't beat yourself up over not being able to do everything you think should be done. Nothing is that important. There are days I can't do anything now.

I am concerned about the morning dizziness. I hope you decide to get it checked and while doing that mention that you are suffering from severe fatigue.

[agate]

From Ralph:

Turkeys in the front yard this morning.

It's midmorning,and I'm just getting going. Spent an hour or so pulling out and cutting up some log pieces at my narrow boat landing. They weren't all that big, 12-15 inches in diameter X 16-20 inches long.They are waterlogged, weighing probably 60 lbs plus. I rolled a couple up to the back of my golf cart the day before and rolled them in back, with much effort. Yesterday I cut three into about 8-inch pieces and managed to pile them into the back and side of the golf cart. I got them back at the house, rolled them out, and under shelter to dry out for burning. I expect them to take 4 or 5 months in warm dry weather, to be dry enough for burning. They're around 40 lbs or so now--half of that being water. I thought Joe had cut them up much smaller. But I guess he was in too much a hurry, as always, to do that.. They were from a 40-foot oak tree that had fallen into the lake.

Got up late with a sore back, but it's okay now. The night temperature is below normal, at around 33, and 50's for part of the day ,with rain on and off. Nasty weather to work out in.

Got some papers shredded, but way more to go. Had a pastrami and aged cheddar cheese sandwich, with a couple of cups of coffee for the morning. Time to make the 8/10 of a mile run & back to the mail box. More later. Need to get some stuff worked on for the day.Take care.

[Virginia]

Ralph, you are truly the only pioneer man I know. You even cut your own wood for burning. It is amazing. You do more in one day than most of us do in a month.