Nordic Ski Race…
…and Katy skiing fast.
Huge crowd, with cars jammed everywhere. Nordic skiing is big, and very interesting.
…and Katy skiing fast.
Huge crowd, with cars jammed everywhere. Nordic skiing is big, and very interesting.
…from the Dam Bar, out in the middle of nowhere. Lots of sleds parked outside, and lots of folks inside. Good food. Almost stuck in the driveway even with 4-wheel drive.
Able to get out, with 4-wheel drive, to the grocery, by late afternoon.
In Minocqua for a visit and a few projects. Winter storm warning for tomorrow, so travelled today.
First project—group effort to set up the new air hockey table.
…viewed with friends, B and C, in St Charles.
Reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic (programming practice). And a little work on the dory.
Below bottom planks, stem and stern.
…that would be Bri’s new Formlabs office in downtown Milwaukee. Amazing work environment…and kids play place.
…but still good to get out.
Busy at the bird feeder. Had to refill it twice.
…and ready to go…
For next project. A three-boat kit, moving from easy to semi-difficult. Boat one, a plywood dory. Boat two, a lapstrake Norwegian pram. Boat three, a plank on frame Muscongus Bay lobster smack, also known as a Friendship Sloop, one of my favorite boats. This could be a fun learning curve to follow. (I really enjoyed last year’s Chesapeake Bay skipjack, which had a steep curve.)
A light dusting of snow last night.
…followed by a meeting with the radical old democrats. Both a little painful, but probably worthwhile in the end.
Colder, and windy.
Using the Swift programming language and a learning supplement called Playground.
Learning to use commands, functions, loops, and conditionals…so far. In the shot above I used a loop to execute an if-then-else conditional to move the character up and forward and to toggle on any switches that were set to off (a condition that varied).
Rather addicting. And now on to the Sphero Bolt robot!
BTW, Swift can control the Bolt (at a rather advanced point in the learning curve).
Spring-like day. Knee able to make a full revolution. Fun to actually get rolling.
Mobility. Although the big bike is still out of reach.
…for lunch and viewing of the new watery Avatar.
Quick review: extravagant, excessively violent, overdone, and overlong.
Lunch was good.
…weather, fit only for filling the bird feeder. Good day for reading.
…mundane, get-out-of-the-house mini adventures.
Felt a bit like a trip in an alternate universe. Destination: Aztelan Bar and Grill, just a mile north of the ancient mound site of the same name. With the sun breaking out, the landscape seemed unfamiliar. And the bar…I expected a little rustic place with maybe a few farmers holding down the bar stools. Instead, a rustic place with a huge interior noisily jam-packed with all kinds of people. And this in the middle of nowhere. The sandwiches were okay, but I didn’t much like the Bloody Mary.
…on Arboretum business, although results may be indiscernible.
Still gray, but below freezing. Filled the bird feeder three times.
…when able to stop watching Republican dysfunction in the House.
A little light snow, some remaining. Bird feeder busy.
…with continued fog, mist, and drizzle. Thermometer hovering at the freezing mark.
Breakfast with Tom and Mary, who are continuing to enthusiastically sell Tig. After that, a trip to the dentist. Not sure how to add it all up.
…fog, drizzle, rain, and chill.
In the sad news department, our old friend Rosemary (the shrubby herb) who has been with us for many years was moved out to the compost heap.
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
Seems to be. Chilly and damp, just above freezing.
With a few returns, on past the holidays, and looking toward spring.