Mumbling Into My Beard: Archive

Tuesday, 3/10/09:

Early Morning: Midnight: Mostly cloudy, gusty south wind and 68ºF/20ºC. Rain moving this direction. Nothing severe at the moment, though. Late Morning: 11:00 AM: Mostly cloudy … gusty south wind … 67ºF/19ºC. We may get thunderstorms later today. Early Afternoon: Mizzling a mist that is surely a drizzle wannabe. (65ºF/18ºC @ 2 PM) Heading into town on a routine...

Mar 10th

Monday, 3/9/09:

Early Morning: ► Midnight: Temp = 49º … The little cool front that came through today is actually dropping our temp a little … mostly clear … wind calm. ► Spend a little time on computer … then nap until 2 AM … don’t “officially” make it to bed until almost six o’clock. ► I’ll blame my need for an early morning nap on Daylight...

Mar 9th

Journal Through Saturday, 1/17/08:

Tuesday, 1/13/09: Jo and I are learning all about television antennae by trial and error. The main thing we learned today is that an antenna on the ground is useless. We got the antenna full assembled and hooked up to the digital converter, but it still could not pick up a signal. Later, I bypassed the converter and hooked up the antenna directly to the television set. I wanted to see how well...

Jan 17th

Monday, 1/12/09:

Early Morning: ► Worked on various projects, getting some photos cropped and uploaded among them. Clear, calm and a temperature that hovered just above freezing. ► Interesting Website: Day and Night World Map Shows the current position of the Sun and indicates which parts of the Earth are in day and which are in night. Page also has links to world clock and other time zone conversion...

Jan 12th

Sunday, 1/11/09:

► Weather Summary: High = 61ºF/00ºC. Low = 21ºF/00ºC. A very nice winter day, except for being a little chilly in the early morning. Mostly clear with a light north wind. ► Day of reckoning with the studio light fixture: Jo and I got the ballast changed with only one minor glitch. The leads on the new ballast were only about half as long as the ones on the old unit, meaning we had to...

Jan 11th

Saturday, 1/10/09:

► Weather Summary: High = 57ºF/14ºC. Low = 24ºF/-4ºC. Overcast with a gusty north wind most all day until after dark when the sky cleared so we could bask in the glow of the huge perigee moon. ► New cold front finally eased into our area while I slept. Overcast and 31ºF (-.5ºC) when I awoke. ► Forecast says we’re supposed to have afternoon clearing, but thus far (2 PM) the clouds...

Jan 10th

Journal Through Friday, 1/09/09:

Tuesday, 1/6/09: ► Weather Summary: High = 41ºF (5ºC). Low = 28ºF (-2ºC). Overcast most of the day, but cleared to partly cloudy for a couple of hours about the time we took our afternoon walk. ► Jo and I installed the new fluorescent tubes in the light fixture in her studio. It still didn’t work. We pulled off the cover and saw the ballast looks as if it’s been getting more...

Jan 9th

Journal Through Monday, 1/5/09:

Thursday, 1/1/09: ► Weather Summary: High = 50ºF. Low = 24ºF. Mostly sunny. A gusty south wind made things a bit nippy in the early morning, but it laid later in the day. ► Several years ago we replaced New Year’s Eve parties with a New Year’s Day hike. In the beginning we hiked with several friends, but over the years the number of hikers has dwindled. This year for a variety...

Jan 5th

Wednesday, 12/31/08:

Sunday, 12/28/08: Weather Summary: High = 56ºF. Low = 27ºF. A new cold front finally arrived and put and end to the gusty south wind we’d endured for the past couple of days. Mostly sunny. We walked the woods/pasture loop on our afternoon hike. Not much going one there. Some sections of our normal path are getting churned into a muddy mess by the cows. Monday, 12/29/08: Weather...

Dec 31st

Thursday, 12/25/08:

► Midnight: Clear, calm and 29ºF/-1.5ºC. I hear no sleigh bells. ► I am tired of waiting and will soon go to bed, but first I’ll consume some milk and cookies. (Clear, calm and 27ºF/-3ºC @ 4:30 AM) ► Nature in the Ozarks blog post/photo: Christmas Eve deer in the woods. Seen along the bench road while on our afternoon walk. ► A beautiful Christmas morning going here. Clear skies,...

Dec 25th

Wednesday, 12/24/08:

► Heat wave. Foggy, gusty south wind and 49ºF/9ºC @ midnight. ► A little light rain during the early morning hours. Only .3” in total for yesterday and overnight. ► Mostly cloudy, but patches of blue sky starting to show through … northwest wind … 53ºF/11ºC @ 10:30 AM. ► We are in the process of receiving a new cold front. This one is neither supposed to drop the...

Dec 24th

Tuesday, 12/23/08:

► Damp south wind kicking up. NOAA says freezing rain is on the way. (23ºF/-5ºC @ midnight) ► Temperature holding at 23ºF/-5ºC @ 4:45 AM, but south wind gusting to around 30 mph/48 kph makes it feel a lot colder. ► Don’t think I’ll be spending much time outdoors today: Overcast, gusty south wind, intermittent sleet and freezing rain, 28ºF/-2ºC @ 10:30 AM. ► The last of our...

Dec 23rd

Monday, 12/22/08:

► Heading down to our coldest night thus far this winter. (Clear, moderate northwest wind and 12ºF/-11ºC @ midnight) ► Down to 8ºF/-13ºC @ 4:30 AM. I don’t even like saying “single digit temperatures” much less experiencing them. ► Sky becoming mostly cloudy. 18ºF/-7ºC @ 11 AM. ► Jo made a routine trip into town. She waited until early afternoon to depart, giving our...

Dec 22nd

Sunday, 12/21/08:

► Chilling down. 23ºF/-5ºC @ midnight. A northwest wind gusting to 30 mph/48 kph doesn’t help with keeping warm. ► Time to throw a couple more logs on the fire and go to bed. (Clear, gusty north wind and 15ºF/-9ºC @ 4:30 AM) ► Nature in the Ozarks blog post/photo: Today’s Flowers — Beach False Foxglove. ► Not planning a picnic, but not too bad out if you can stay out...

Dec 21st

Saturday, 12/20/08:

► Not too bad here at the moment: Light south wind, clouds starting to build and 40ºF/4ºC @ 4:00 AM. Bedtime. ► Let the caffeine consumption begin. (Overcast, moderate south wind and 47ºF/8ºC @ 10:30 AM) ► Overcast and moderate south wind continue. Wood stove going to take the dampness out of the air. (53ºF/11ºC @ noon) Sometimes it’s amazing how quickly dogs can learn something you...

Dec 20th

Friday, 12/19/08:

► The sky is clearing and our forecast calls for a mostly sunny day. I reckon I best go to bed or I’m liable to sleep through it. (60ºF/15ºC @ 5:00 AM) ► .7 inch/1.7 cm in our rain gauge this morning. That includes everything from the sleet that fell a few days back to the rainfall overnight. Most is the rain that fell from around 11 PM Thursday until around 4 AM this morning. ► ...

Dec 19th

Thursday, 12/18/08:

► Melt water dripping off the eaves has been joined by drizzle. (35ºF/1.5ºC @ 2:00 AM) ► Blog post on Nature in the Ozarks: Echinacea and Ice: By Jo ► I’m tired of fighting with this computer that keeps wanting to reboot. I never told it to go ahead and install that %$#$% Microsoft update, but now I must keep telling it not to restart. I’m going to bed. (Still drizzling and...

Dec 18th

Wednesday, 12/17/08:

► It looks as if our cold snap is broken. Temperature is gradually creeping upward as the night progress. Our forecast calls for messy conditions with temperatures above freezing for the next couple of days. (Overcast, calm and 32ºF/0ºC @ midnight) ► Temperature hovering right at the freezing mark at 4:00 AM. Still overcast and calm. ► Just barely above freezing with no noticeable...

Dec 17th

Tuesday, 12/16/08:

► Sleet showers continue off and on. We’re beginning to get and accumulation of the crunchy stuff. On bare ground it’s melting and refreezing enough to become awfully slick. (21ºF/-6ºC @ midnight) ► Fallen Tree blog post on Nature in the Ozarks. ► Our temperature has actually crept up a couple of degrees, but now a freezing fog/mist is putting and icy glaze on all exposed surfaces....

Dec 16th

Monday, 12/15/08:

► Definitely time to rekindle a fire in the wood stove. (Overcast, blustery north wind and 32ºF/0ºC @ 1:00 AM) ► Made a trip over to Jo’s pottery studio to apply our freeze protection regimen: Letting the water faucet on the sink drip and putting a heat lamp on the toilet in the bathroom. The house’s front steps were wet when our temperature dropped below freezing. The freezing...

Dec 15th

Sunday, 12/14/08:

► South wind continues rocking and rolling, pumping up warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. (49ºF/9ºC @ 2:00 AM) After the arrival of a new cold front forecast for tomorrow, we will get the warm, moist air back as cold air and ice. ► Weather: Same song; second verse. Strong and gusty south wind with gradually increasing temperatures. 52ºF/11ºC @ 10:00 AM. Precipitation varying between...

Dec 14th

Saturday, 12/13/08:

► Piddled with more computer house keeping and tagging photos until I got bored with that and went to bed around 2 AM. ► Still no Ozzie (ISP). Mostly cloudy, strong and gusty south wind and 40ºF/4ºC @ 10:00 AM. ► My ISP is down, my television station has reverted to fund raising this weekend and the weather is lousy and forecast to get worse. I am not a happy camper. (41ºF/5ºC @ noon) ► ...

Dec 13th

Friday, 12/12/08:

► Mostly clear, calm wind and 33ºF/.5ºC @ midnight. ► Bedtime. Mostly clear, calm and 32ºF/0ºC @ 4:00 AM. ► Looking good here in the Ozarks on this Friday morning. Clear, calm and 44ºF/6ºC @ 10:00 AM. NOAA says it isn’t going to last, though. ► In honor of this last day of predicted sunshine for a while, Jo washed two loads of clothes and hung them on the clothesline. ► I really must make...

Dec 12th

Thursday, 12/11/08:

► Sunny … light north wind … much melting of frozen fog and sleet off trees, roof, etc. going on … 33ºF/.5ºC @ 10:30 AM. ► Jo is making hay while the sun shines. Actually, she’s getting clothes washed and dried on the clothesline while the sun shines. ► I need to get moving and make a trip into town — not that I really want to go. (43ºF/6ºC @ noon) ► Trip to town postponed until Friday at...

Dec 11th

Wednesday, 12/10/08:

► Freezing fog has “progressed” to sleet. Nice. Blustery north wind and 28ºF/-2ºC @ 3:00 AM. ► Sleet still falling. Trees beginning to creak in the gusty north wind. (27ºF/-2ºC @ 4:30 AM) ► Sleet fell overnight. Overcast, moderate north wind and 30ºF/-1ºC @ 11 AM. ► If the temperature climbed above freezing today it was just barely and very briefly. Overcast, gusty north wind...

Dec 10th

Tuesday, 12/09/08:

► In the process of receiving a new cold front. Rain (.7”) and light thunderstorms overnight. Possibility of rain persists until this evening according to our forecast, but sky is clearing at the moment. Temperature is suppose to begin falling for remainder of the day. 64ºF/17ºC @ noon. ► Clearing skies reverted to overcast. Cold front has finally rolled in with clouds and fog....

Dec 9th

Monday, 12/08/08:

► Heading home: Jo and I slept a little late (me later than Jo) and approached loading and leaving for home at a leisurely pace. Our only deadline for the day was picking up Rusty and Bucket before Puppy Park’s 3:00 PM check out time. ► Getting our personal stuff loaded back into the van — and still leaving room for the dogs — proved to be a little bit of a challenge thanks...

Dec 8th

Sunday, 12/07/08:

► Sundays are almost always the slowest days at an art fair. They take a long time to get started and tend to die early. Today was no exception. ► The show closed at four o’clock. Jo and I spent the next three and a half hours or so packing and loading. Functional potters are almost always the last folks to leave a show. When a show site starts getting empty — down to the last...

Dec 7th

Saturday, 12/06/08:

A pretty much routine day of modest sales at Arkansas Craft Guild’s Christmas Showcase 2008. We were back down at the Statehouse Convention Center by 8 AM. The show closed at 6 PM. After the show we enjoyed a great potluck supper and visiting session back at our friends house. The Peabody is a privately owned hotel that sits atop part of the Statehouse Convention Center which is owned by...

Dec 6th

Friday, 12/05/08:

► Up at 5:30 AM and back down to the Statehouse Convention Center by eight o’clock. The show opened at 10:00 AM. Jo and I didn’t really need to get down to the show quite so early, but we hitched a ride with someone who did. We and two other artists stayed with a friend who was also exhibiting at Christmas Showcase. We usually all ride together on Friday and Saturday. I greatly...

Dec 5th

Thursday, 12/04/08:

► Sky has cleared … north wind has backed off some, but still blustery … temperature continuing to fall … 25ºF/-3ºC @ 2:30 AM. ► We left the house heading down to Little Rock around 9 AM. Little Rock is approximately 120 highway miles to our south, a distance that can be driven in around three hours by me in our van. We take Arkansas Highway 65 down to Conway where we pick...

Dec 4th

Wednesday, 12/03/08:

► South wind velocity approaching shingle-ripping. Clear and 44ºF/6ºC @ midnight. ► Temperature beginning to increase as south wind brings in warmer, moister air. 47ºF/8ºC @ 5 AM. ► Little computer time available this AM. Loading the van is the first item on my agenda. Not raining yet, but looks as if it could start at any minute. ► Strong and gusty south wind still rattling the windows....

Dec 3rd

Tuesday, 12/02/08:

► Closed the vented lid of Jo’s kiln so it can finish firing. Outside temperature holding at 29ºF/-1ºC @ 2 AM, clear sky, light south wind. ► A fairly nice day going here in the Ozarks, though the south wind is building. 45ºF/7ºC @ 11 AM. ► Jo and I are going to try and get a little van loading done today since the weather forecast for tomorrow is horrible. (47ºF/8ºC and sunny @ noon) ...

Dec 2nd

Monday, 12/01/08:

► A very light dusting of snow is being blown around by a gusty north wind. 29ºF/-1ºC @ 1:30 AM. ► Time to throw a couple more logs into the wood stove and then go to bed. (28ºF/-2ºC @ 4:45 AM) ► Blog Post on Nature in the Ozarks: Buck Deer in the Garden ► So far today is much better than yesterday — and better than today’s forecast too. (Partly cloudy, blustery north wind...

Dec 1st

Sunday, 11/30/08:

► Keep seeing stars overhead although it’s supposed to be cloudy. A chance of snow in our forecast for later today. (40ºF/4ºC @ 2 AM) ► Time to call it a day. (38ºF/3ºC @ 4 AM) ► Awoke around eight o’clock. 38ºF/3ºC and sleeting. Went back to bed. It was too early for me to get up anyway. ► Still 38ºF/3ºC and a mixture of drizzle and snow is falling from the sky. The...

Nov 30th

Saturday, 11/29/08

► Overcast, calm and 43ºF/6ºC @ midnight. ► A very brief, very light rain shower earlier. 42ºF/5ºC @ 4:30 AM. ► The tops of our sweet gum trees are full of cedar waxwings scarfing down the seeds in the recently opened sweet gum balls. (Overcast, calm and 45ºF/7ºC @ 10 AM) ► Blogger is moving too slowly for me and my dialup to accomplish anything. (Overcast and dreary , calm wind and...

Nov 29th

Friday, 11/28/08:

► Out of the shop on onto the computer. (Cloudy, calm and 50ºF/10ºC @ midnight) ► One eye open and working on the second. (Mostly cloudy, light north wind and 51ºF/10ºC @ 10:00 AM) ► Had I remembered to open the damper on the wood stove before lighting a fire the house would not now be full of smoke. Doh! (Overcast, calm and 51ºF/10ºC @ 1:00 PM) ► Gray skies prevail. The sun made a...

Nov 28th

Thursday, 11/27/08:

► Beautiful morning here in the Ozark Mtns. A few high, thin clouds to the west, virtually calm wind and 69ºF/20ºC @ 11 AM. ► Can hear hired bulldozer working in my neighbor’s woods. Not a good sound. Jo and I will have to check out the progress/destruction later. 73ºF/22ºC @ noon. We didn’t find a great deal of damage done thus far by our neighbor Jerry Joe and his hired...

Nov 28th

Saturday, 12/27/08:

► Gusty south wind and intermittent light showers continue. No storms on the radar map yet. Temperature holding at 66ºF/19ºC @ 1:45 AM. ► Strong south wind blowing … gusts to 45 mph (72 kph) … showers off and on … .6 in/1.5 cm rain thus far … 66ºF/19ºC @ 11:00 AM. ► Checked the rain gauge. Only .6” rain has fallen thus far. ► The intensity and frequency...

Nov 27th

Wednesday, 11/26/08:

► Blog Post/Photo on Nature in the Ozarks: Thanksgiving Cactus ► Bedtime. (49ºF/9ºC @ 4:30 AM) ► Let the coffee consumption begin. (Clear, calm and 65ºF/18ºC @ 10:30 AM) ► Major warming trend today. 72ºF/22ºC @ noon. Wind calm and the sun is shining brightly in a mostly clear sky. Beautiful! ►Temperature holding at 72ºF/22ºC @ 2 PM. Loving the sunshine we’re getting...

Nov 26th

Friday, 12/26/08:

► Our temperature fell after sunset, but then started heading back up around nine o’clock. A strong and gusty south wind is pumping in warm, moist air. 72º is our forecast high for Friday. And, thunderstorms are forecast with the arrival of a new cold front Friday night. (44ºF/6ºC @ midnight) ► Awoke to overcast skies, strong and gusty south wind and intermittent fog/drizzle/mist. In a...

Nov 26th

Tuesday, 11/25/08:

► Time for some sleep. Clear, calm and 37ºF/2ºC @ 4:30 AM. ► Fantastic day in the Ozarks. Clear skies, light wind and 63ºF/17ºC @ 1:00 PM. ► Wind picked up a bit during PM, but still a great afternoon. Temp climbed to 69ºF/20ºC. Currently, 56ºF/13ºC as the sun sets @ 5 PM. ► South wind building, but skies still clear. 51ºF/10ºC @ 8 PM. ► I thought maybe I could get by without firing up...

Nov 26th

Monday, 11/24/08:

► Forget the drizzle; heavy rain fall now. (55ºF/12ºC @ 2:00 AM) ► New cold front arrived around 5 AM clearing out rainy weather. Temp climbed to 57ºF/13ºC before arrival. .4”/1cm of rain received. Currently: Mostly clear, blustry north wind and 49ºF/9ºC @ 10:30 AM. ► Time to move off the computer and on to making some spoons. (60ºF/15ºC @ 1:00 PM) ► Temperature made it up to...

Nov 24th

Sunday, 11/23/08:

► Started kiln on a glaze firing. (Clear, moderate south wind and 35ºF/1ºC @ midnight) ► Fully closed lid on kiln. Influence of south wind has caused temperature to rise a degree since midnight. Currently 36ºF/2ºC @ 3 AM. ► Bedtime. (37ºF/2ºC @ 5:30 AM) ► The clothes Jo left on the clothesline overnight are not doing a lot more drying this overcast and damp morning. Drying insulated jeans...

Nov 23rd

Saturday, 11/22/08:

► Chilling down. 27ºF/-2ºC @ midnight. ► Time for some sleep. Clear, wind coming up and 26ºF/-3ºC @ 4:00 AM. ► Mostly cloudy, damp and gusty south wind and 36ºF/2ºC @ 11 AM. Jo says the day began mostly sunny. Our forecast predicts mostly sunny for this afternoon. ► Sky well on its way to becoming clear again. (44ºF/6ºC @ 12:30 PM) ► PM weather summary: 49ºF/9ºC @ 3 PM. 41ºF/5ºC @...

Nov 22nd

Friday, 11/21/08:

► Through making spoons for the day. 29ºF/-1ºC @ midnight. Thankfully the north wind seems to be backing off. ► Temperature dropped to 23ºF/-5ºC overnight. Our coldest night thus far this winter. In honor of the occasion, I flaked out early. In bed by 1 AM. ► Day warming quickly. Clear, moderate north wind and 42ºF/5ºC @ 11:00 AM. I’m really glad yesterday’s blustery north wind...

Nov 21st

Thursday, 11/20/08:

► Finished up working down in my shop. Then, made fruit salad while watching auto industry bail out debate on Charlie Rose. (49ºF/9ºC @ midnight) ► I believe I’ll turn in early tonight. (Clear, calm and 45ºF/7ºC @ 3 AM) ► Mostly cloudy skies despite a forecast predicting sunshine all day. Moderate north wind. 40ºF/4ºC @ 10:30 AM. ► Jo made a run into town. She washed a load of...

Nov 20th

Wednesday, 11/19/08:

► Clear sky, moderately gusty south wind and 36ºF/2ºC @ midnight. ► Temperature holding at 36ºF/2ºC @ 2 AM due to wind shifting to the south. Gusting wind makes it feel colder, though. ► Bedtime. (35ºF/1ºC @ 4 AM) ► Getting started with my day (i.e. consuming caffeine). (Sunny, gusty south wind and 57ºF/13ºC @ 11 AM) ► Warming up quickly today. Temp already up to 66ºF/18ºC @ noon. ► ...

Nov 19th

Weekend at the Art Fair in Covington, LA

Thursday, 11/13/08: We left the house around 11:30 PM Thursday night heading for Covington. The route is easy to follow: South on Arkansas 65 to Conway where we pick up I-40, I-40 on down to Little Rock and then east to Memphis, I-55 from Memphis south almost all the way to New Orleans, a twenty mile or so eastward jog on I-12 to Covington. Friday, 11/14/08: We stopped three times for gasoline...

Nov 18th

Wednesday, 11/12/08:

► Temperature and cloud cover have held steady for the past twelve hours. Fortunately, the wind laid. (54ºF/12ºC @ midnight) ► New day; same overcast. Wind calm. 57ºF/13ºC @ 11 AM ► Skies are trying to clear, but progress is very slow. (61ºF/16ºC @ 2 PM) ► Gradual clearing continues, but it’s looking as if there will be no sunshine left by the time skies become completely clear. Oh,...

Nov 12th