Entry for December 05, 2008

The yards and fields around here are snow covered, but we haven’t really had a monster storm yet. So far, this winter has been pretty much like last, a typical Chicagoland winter with no sign of global warming. Our high temperature today was 15 degrees F. Since early this morning, all daylong there has been flock after flock of high-flying geese, most of them in V formations, are heading directly south. I haven’t witnessed such a migration in years. Maybe these geese know something that we don’t. Just in case, a brand new Toro brand snow blower now sits in the garage, a Christmas present from me, to me; my personal effort to stimulate the economy. I checked prices at the major stores and compared them with prices from a small, local outfit that has been around for 80 years. The local merchant’s prices were a bit lower than the big stores, so the little guy got my money.

My 10-year old Toro is in the shop for a new drive belt and a tune-up. It will serve as a backup and as a loaner to needy neighbors.

The garage is now clean enough to park one vehicle; with more time and effort there soon may be room for two.