topic of weather

I am not sure about the rest of you, but my part of Virginia had about three days of gorgeous weather in the 70's. I got outside as much as I could to enjoy it before old man winter sits in. I was a pruning fool on Saturday when I trimmed up a very tall Rose of Sharon Tree. It was threatening to break off at top with the first snow. I pruned the other one like it last year about this time and it bloomed it's head off for me this summer.

I also made a couple of trips to new compost bin that husband put together for me recently. I had been just using a large plastic trash can, but found that definetly was not large enough. The cinder block enclosure is so much better. I finally hooked up a paper shredder that I had bought a couple of years ago and am shredding things to put in bin. I like shredding paper too. I know that I am a cheap date. Get my kicks from feeding paper in to be shred. ha-ha. I find it relaxing, sort of like watering plants outside with a garden hose. I could do that all day and never tire of it.

I believe that I heard that Thursday is officially the first day of winter. I hear different predictions from different folk. I bought my husband a copy of The Farmers Almanac for Christmas, so we will have to see those predictions. I started to wear a pair of snowflake earrings today, but decided against it. I can wait a bit longer before we have snow, thank you very much.

So, tell me how the weather has been at your place.

Ruby

Not quite that warm here but it's been beautiful during the day the past few days - in the 50s or 60s. Colder at night. It's supposed to get cold again tomorrow. It's very cloudy and a bit cooler today. Looks like rain.

If anyone has cats, those large plastic buckets kitty litter comes in make the perfect scrap buckets for your compost piles. I keep mine under the sink and put all my vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, banana peels, egg shells, etc. for the pile. I don't have a shredder but my friend Joyce saves me her shredded paper for the compost.

Here's the farmer's almanacs' long range weather forecasts online:

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/weather.html This one is free

http://www.almanac.com/weather/premium/index.php This one isn't (for shame)

http://www.almanac.com/weather/index.php free excerpts here from the one above

Here's our forecast from the one immediately above:

Winter will be colder than normal, with above-normal precipitation but near-normal snowfall. The coldest periods will be in mid- and late December, mid-January, and early February. The snowiest periods will occur in mid-December, early and late February, and early March.

Spring will come early, with some of the hottest temperatures of the year in mid- to late April and mid-May. Temperatures in April and May will be well above normal, on average, with well-below-normal precipitation.

And here's the Virginia state climatologist's white Christmas probability map
http://climate.virginia.edu/whitexmasprob.htm

Thank you for the links. I am sure that I will be using them in the future.

Very interesting weather prediction for next year. I do hate seeing less than normal precip though. It is always scary to me when things become so dry.

Have a good one sweet........hart,

Ruby

LOL

It's raining right now. I suppose if it continues we could get snow tonight. It has certainly been cold enough for snow at night, in the 20s or 30s.

Hey Sweetie - There have been several occasions in the past month or so when the skies looked like snow might come. It was always too warm though. Our rain yesterday amounted to about ten minutes of barely sprinkling. It didn't even wet the deck solidly. John says that it is calling for rain later today though. Not sure how much or what time to expect it.

I need to go our later this morning and go to grocery store. I keep thinking of things that I need. ha-ha I also have a gift for an elderly aunt that I need to take to her. I feel obligated to stay and visit a bit when I go. She is nearly deaf and conversation is strained.

Tomorrow evening we are invited to family friends for a meal. Some fine Virginia cooks will contribute to the meal and I am looking forward to it. My contribution is going to be either Mrs. Smith's or Sara Lee pies. Ain't I bad? They are on sale now and will be easy to fit in during all the other mad rush.

This week we hooked up a very large deep freezer that we got from John's parents house. We have always had a very small one but for the past few months it has been full. I bought a load of pies yesterday while on sale and extra bread for the freezer.

I found or re-found a grocery store that I used to use years ago but haven't used since moving here. It is called Sav-a-lot and has some excellent prices. I will be going back over there after Christmas Day and buying things to stock the freezer for my sons while I am in Atlantic City from the 29th of December till the 5th of January.

Atlantic City you say? We are not really gamblers per se, but own a time share at VA Beach and I wanted to do something a bit differently this year. I am hoping that hubby will take me in to New York City one of the days and we also plan to visit a niece who lives in Jehhhhseee.

I recently bought a lap top computer and haven't used it yet. I will be taking it with me, so I hope to be able to check in here from time to time.

Anyway, for all who are reading this.....have a very wonderful day.....and don't work too hard or stress too much. Take care good friends.

Ruby .

Ruby & Hart, Our climates a changin'... [HYPERLINK@arborday.org]
I've gone from a 6a zone to right at 7....

Joey

Oops ~ maybe this will work... http://arborday.org/media/map_change.cfm

This message was edited Dec 22, 2006 9:07 AM

Oh, don't get that started again, Joey. LOL

Warm winters and cold winters and dry winters and wet winters occur. (And cold springs and warm springs, etc. etc.) I remember Christmas of 1971 it was 72 degrees on Christmas day. The year before that, we had a foot of snow in Richmond on New Year's Eve.

It's been raining here all day. It's 49 out so nowhere near cold enough for snow. It has been cold enough at night but as far as I know, we had no snow last night.

We have had rain all day too. I have just finished up a marathon house cleaning. The lady who used to come once a week to help me didn't show up for about six weeks until today. The place really needed her. lol For some reason my 16 year old son woke up and began cleaning and changing around his bedroom. I know why, I am just surprised by it, is all. He did a good job with it. He put his bed in a different place in the room and it gives him a lot more space it seems. The past couple of night he has been entertaining in his room. A few females have come through the doors and I think that is why he decided to straighten a bit.

I always work right along with cleaning lady, so I am a bit whipped. After I catch my breath a bit I plan to go in spare room where I have been keeping all the Christmas stuff. I need to straighten a bit in there and see if there are gifts that I have forgotten to wrap.

I hope that everyone will have a good weekend and enjoy the holidays. Take care.

Ruby

Hi everyone, it is raining here too, but I'm not complaining it sure beats snow. Now if it will only bring May flowers I'd be really happy!

I am looking forward to the long weekend, I have a lot to catch up on, relax, and spending time with Penny.

We received a lot of cookies at work, we devided them up to take home so I really won't have to bake any. Life is good!

Every one take care this Holiday Season, Enjoy!

Chris

Merry Christmas! HoHoHO! :D

Uh oh Joey. This is the first pic that you have posted that I have to say is baaaaadddddd......but funny as heck I must admit. Thanks for sharing.

Chris, since I have spent so much time at my dentists office this past year, I took them a bag of cookies too. Looking around my kitchen, I would have to say that we have never had so much baked stuff and candy at one here ever. I also have some banana and pumpkin bread loaves in freezer that will be given as gifts. Thank goodness that we recently becane the owners of a large deep freezer.

I plan to do as little as necessary today. I absolutely have to go and visit my aunt. I have had her gift on kitchen counter all week thinking that I should go each day and haven't gotten there yet.

Hope that everyone will have a good weekend. Thank you all for being here for me to share my life with. I am very blessed to have found Dave's Garden and all the great people here.

Ruby

Good Morning!!!Well, I'm almost finished! & maybe I'll be able to relax some today, too, Ruby. :D You didn't Like My Pic? :D LOL!

I wish you a Merry Christmas,
I wish you a Merry Christmas,
I wish you a Merry Christmas!
And A Happy New Year!
http://www.thecompassgroup.biz/merryxmas.swf

Joey

Joey, Great pic! I just love Holiday humor, It is not Christmas unless I hear just once "Grandma got run over by a reindeer" or the Muppets 12 days of Christmas, Love Miss Piggy's part!

Ruby, I bet the gals at your dentist's office loved the cookies, sometimes we get so busy that grabbing a snack on the run is the best thing going.

I too share Ruby's feeling about the great friends I have made at Daves garden. This Friday coming up marks the 1 year anniversary when I started chemo, you guys played such a big part in getting me through this last year, thank you all for the postings, picture sharing and kind words.

Love you all

Chris

I want to be Miss Piggy when I grow up.

Chris, that anniversary is quite an accomplishment. We're all wishing a very healthy new year for you and Ruby both.

I have my roast beast to cook today and I have to find time to get up to the post office sometime today. I did a last minute order for some handmade scented candles for a gift and the mail carrier left one of those pink slips instead of leaving the package. Darn him. I was watching the mailbox all day waiting for that package to arrive.

BTW, has anyone watched the Grinch movie with Jim Carrey, which has been shown umpteen times on TV this year? I loved the cartoon version but Carrey is just hilarious as the Grinch. I think I have a new favorite.

Helluu! Tis me again!

Chris I agree w/ Hart ~ Wishing you & Miss Ruby a Much healthier new year!!! :D and what are "peeps" for? but to help your pals thru the ups & downs. :)

Hart, as for Moi? I think That is the Funniest Movie! I like the cartoon verse, but the movie makes me laugh sooooo hard! :)
My roast beast will be of the pork variety (upon special request) for 2! meals! Sausage for breakfast & the ham for mid-afternoon. Yep, we'll only eat twice! :D (I really like that Idea!)

A little more Christmas humor...

Joey

Joey - the compass group is wonderful!!!! That is one that I will make all of my holiday guests sit through. What voices!!! Whoever did that was very talented. Thank you so much for posting it.

I cooked a very large venison roast the other day and it is being most of our meals for now. Tonight's dinner might finish it off. It will be snacking tomorrow until dinner time when we are invited to old family friends for dinner. Yum, yum. We also have a house full of fattening treats. The contractor who put our windows in came today with a large bag filled with nuts, candies and cookies. I already have stuff sitting everywhere that needs to be eaten. I have frozen some of the breads and will take out on Chrustmas morning.

I am so happy that some of my favorite people are posting to this thread. I am NOT dreaming of a rainy Christmas, but think that we will be getting one anyway.

Adios and ciao for now.

Ruby

In an ideal world, I would have one of those Cracker Barrel spiral cut country hams. But at $35 a pop, not this year. I did get a rib roast, but only because they were on sale.

I heard the B-52's do Toy Shack the other day(modeled after Love Shack) it was cool.
Best of the season for all you who understand why I'd rather be out poking in the dirt !

Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas! It's the best time of the year.... (Burl Ives tune)

Merry Christmas Everybody! :D

Joey

Good Morning Joey, Merry Christmas everyone. Have a very happy holiday. and may all your wishes come true. Holly

Oh what pretty pictures. I love cardinals against snow. I have a set of Christmas ornaments shaped like cardinals which have real feathers that I leave up all year. Actually I am guilty of leaving lots of Christmas ornaments hanging throughout my home. None are too obviously Christmas and I just like their colors and designs, so I leave them out to enjoy all the time.

Holly, the little girl with the shell dress is precious. I have never seen anything like that. So cute.

Hubby and I decided against going out this evening. He spent the afternoon with a headache. Once more, we will eat venison sandwiches. We will be having dutch apple pie for desert, compliments of Sara Lee. Our house has never been so full of goodies at one time as it is now.

I am sure that most of it will be eaten over the next little while. John and I will be leaving town on Friday for a week and my older son is coming here to dog and teenager sit for us. He has a good appetite.

So, this is wishing each of you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. God Bless.

Ruby

Same ot you Ruby. Have a wonderful time on your trip.

Gonna try and post pics. This lucky with his candy cane.

Ruby