Today is the first day of winter, and the shortest daylight hours day for the season. I enjoy watching the beautiful snow blanketing the earth during the winter; it is so breathtaking beautiful when small amounts of ice cling to the branches of the trees and there is enough snow cover so that no grass is peeking through. Having said that, I have to say that I’m glad that I work at home and don’t have to travel in bad weather and can just enjoy the beauty of the snow through my window, or put on my cross country skis and go skiing right outside my door. I truly do love the life up here, and the distinct four seasons that I can enjoy so many different types of outdoor activities!
My father is an avid hunter. It really doesn’t much matter WHAT hunting season it is, he loves to tromp around the woods hunting. It was a family tradition in his family for generations. He says he’s been hunting since he could walk! He started out hunting with his grandfather and father, and now he hunts with my brothers. He doesn’t usually come home with anything; I think he just enjoys being outdoors communing with nature and being with the “men folk.”
For Christmas this year I’ve ordered him a pair of Nikon Monarch and Trailblazer Binoculars from the nikonhunting.com website. The binoculars I’ve ordered are the Monarch 10×36 binoculars; they are lightweight so it will be easy for him to carry them around with him all day when he is out hunting. I’m sure he is going to love them - he has been complaining for the past year about how heavy his old binoculars are! What’s even better is that the website that I’m ordering them from is having a promotion that will result in a $50 gift card towards another purchase from their website - so he will be getting the opportunity to buy an additional gift of his own choosing! So he’s getting two gifts in one! I’m sure he will be thrilled!
I hate Labor Day weekend! It makes me realize that the summer is over, and winter is coming! It’s impossible to canoe and kayak on the pond during the winter - it is totally frozen over! Not that I hate winter sports, I do enjoy skiing, but I don’t like having to worry about heating the house and making sure that the pipes don’t freeze! And I do NOT like to shovel snow! Not one bit!
So, although I like long weekends, Labor Day weekend is one I do NOT enjoy very much!
I was just reading on the BBC.com website that the Beijing Olympic Village has opened to the Olympic athletes. The story was talking about how the buildings the athletes will be staying in are very “green” and modern. Then the story goes on a tangent about how the air quality in Beijing is very bad, and even though China has been trying to eliminate the pollution, it is at the worst level in recent months. That is going to be bad news for the competitors, it is hard to be performing at your best when the air you breathe in is poison!
Anyway, the entire topic reminded me of how this state that I live in is supposed to be such a clean and pristine state, but it has a horrible toxic rain problem because of the toxins pumped into the air from factories from other states that drift downwind into our state. I get aggravated over how the folks “upwind” have the “right” to pollute the air of those of us who live “downwind.” My aggravation grows when I am reminded of how the government has relaxed emissions standards to allow for more air pollution.
I got up yesterday morning and went down to the lake. It was very early. The water was as smooth as glass. I discovered that somehow my kayak had broken free and had rubbed against the rocks all night. There were several gashes in the side. I was very upset to see the damage. It was several years old, so I decided that instead of fixing it, I’d take a trip down to LL Bean’s in Freeport to buy a new one.
So I went to LL Bean’s. When I got there, there were dozens of different colors and sizes in stock. I knew what I was looking for, so within fifteen to twenty minutes I was the proud owner of a new red kayak! I didn’t really need new paddles, but they came with it. So I headed for home with the new kayak strapped on the top of car. When I got home the water was still so calm on the lake that I decided to try it out right away. That’s how I spent my day yesterday!