Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings posts give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.
Welcomings will be posted at the start of each week (usually Saturday night with a Sunday date). To find the posts, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).
The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.
So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?
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NOTE: The comments page will split off after 20 or so left margin comments with the most recent comments on the current page. To see the older comments, scroll to the bottom of the page (right before “Leave A Reply”) and use the Pages Tool to view previous pages, shown here with 3 pages of comments available and Page 2 circled.
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Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 44 degrees in Tucson 🌵 with an expected daytime high of 52. It is raining lightly now but the rain is expected to taper off and end by about 8am. There is a chance for a few lingering showers this afternoon but we should see glimpses of sun. I hope to get my walk in during one of those breaks.
I am glad that people took time to go to the polls in New Hampshire and write-in Joe Biden’s name. I think the polls will start reflecting that it will be Biden v Trump and the choice will be pretty clear. It will probably take one more loss by Haley to knock her out of the race and crown tRump the emperor of the garbage people. She may say she is in it for the long haul but reality in the form of having no donations will intervene. It will be particularly embarrassing when she loses South Carolina.
More states are passing travel bans making it illegal to take a minor out of the state for an abortion. Of course, Burp Keggernaugh promised that would never be authorized under the Dobbs decision but that was then and this is now. The first time someone is prosecuted, it will probably wind its way to SCOTUS where they will make up some new fetal right to further limit a woman’s right to not only control her body but to move freely about the country. Fk you, Bernie Sanders – may every life destroyed or lost come back to haunt you.
I woke up early with things stirring in my brain that I needed to do which had been set aside for my client project. I could not get back to sleep so I am working through my to-do list now.
See all y’all later!
Good Wednesday morning, Moosekind! Another gray morning in Ashburn, with a temperature of 37 F. on its way up to 50 F. It’s supposed to rain tonight, which is why I’m very happy that I saw the Wolf Moon in all her silver glory as I was walking home from the UU dinner last night. Tomorrow it’s supposed to rain bigly, so no chance of seeing the Wolf Moon at all.
We have to bend all our efforts to getting ready to leave here at 10:45 in order to get to L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls today. I’m taking Beloved Nephew and his wife, Darling Niece, and my great-nephew, the future East Coast Steven Spielberg, to lunch there. He has been awarded his degree in English and Creative Writing from George Mason University. Considering what he had to go through to get his degree, it definitely calls for a major celebration.
Tonight there is a two-hour run-through of the script. Hope I stay awake through it. I wish I could be as interested as I’m supposed to be in these Oklahoma Territory characters. Now, now (slapping self on jaw), I mustn’t be negative.
M’Daughter and son-in-law flew from Austin to New York for SIL’s appointment at Sloan-Kettering, then made their way to Lenox, Massachusetts, where they will move in May. “It’s snowing!” texted Daughter. “Four seasons, how wonderful!” SIL exclaimed enthusiastically on Facebook.
Yesterday I read a really interesting comment at Orange. It was a diary about Taylor Swift, in whom I have almost zero interest, but while they were discussing how she gets young people to vote, a commenter named Tweedledee5 made an interesting point. T5 said the forced-birthers did not anticipate, nor do they know how to deal with, the tremendous backlash against the overturn of Roe. They assumed that everyone felt as they did, aside from a few “woke” feminazis. The extent of the backlash and the concomitant votes against Rethugs have taken them completely by surprise. The overturn of Roe is going to be the equivalent of the Voting Rights Act—the Christofascists have lost women for a generation. Even Rethug women overwhelmingly favor abortion rights.
Heartrending story after heartrending story will continue to break in the news. People, especially women, are pissed off.
Wish we could get gun control legislation passed, but perhaps one day…
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!
The woman who had to flee Texas to save her own life and to preserve her ability to have another child will be a Biden guest at the State of the Union Address.
GREAT! Why has the SOTU been pushed back to March? It’s usually in January.
Good morning. Late stopping by here, I went to the grocery store then had to get started working. Still lots of rain, some schools are closed because of flooding. Watching astronomy and working. Think I’ll go to the gym this evening, unless it stops raining.
It’s 45 going up to 58 and overcast. At least not so dark I have to have the lights on. Yesterday we got 1.5 KWHs and the m-t-d is 104. We’ve got 8 production days left in the month.
Took Charlie in yesterday afternoon. He said his “goodbye” with just over 3 hours in my lap (would have been longer if I hadn’t had to go to the bathroom) – 15 minutes was his normal – then started hiding in the cupboards. He couldn’t hold down anything but was continually barfing up clear fluids. It was time. I held him until he was gone. I’ll bury his ashes where I would have buried his body if I were still able to dig that big/deep a hole. The evening and morning routines feel odd. There’re the same as always. Just without Charlie.
Sinusitis overnight & so slept in. I’m very late getting started. Hope I manage to get it done relatively quickly as I need to mix & grill breakfast sausages today and also my son will be coming over after work to take me to Tractor Supply. Off to start my boosting day. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Hugs btitz, so sorry your time with Charlie has ended. May memories of your time together be a comfort.
Thank you. He was a sweet boy.
So sorry, BFitz. We have our dear pets for such a short time – it is the kindest thing we can do to end their suffering no matter how much it hurts. :(
It IS hard. But it was right. Thank you.
So sorry. But you gave him a good life. Be good to yourself, it’s hard to adjust to being without a companion.
Thank you. I did my best. He wasn’t my only cat. It’s why this morning’s routine felt so odd. Everything was the same as usual – except no Charlie lining up with the others in front of the food dishes. (I’ve lived times without a companion, it’s very hard.)
Oh, dearest bfitz, I didn’t see this until now (nearly 6 p.m.) I’m so sorry your Charlie is gone. May he hunt forever in the long grass on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.
When your heart stops hurting less, the memories of good times will be there still.
Blessed be.
Thank you. Time it takes. But there are 14 years of memories, most of them good, to help.
Prayers lifted for Charlie. May he play in cat heaven (and for you)
Thank you. I’m sure he is. And will for me soon.
Good morning, 43 and raining outside my windows today. I managed to sew another needlepoint pillow yesterday, but it was not easy. Techniques I used to just do are now difficult with my stiff fingers and elusive memory. Oh well, sewing while old is an interesting challenge :) Just another day here, so time for coffee and solitaire and then I’ll get busy. Best wishes to all.
Thursday Meese. 39 going up to 45 with rain here in Kingston – which will hopefully wash away the last of our snow/ice
Puerto Rico
“Today we continue talking about PS 1282 to prohibit racial discrimination based on hair styles in the public and private spheres.”
“NOW on Teleonce to talk about PS 1282 to prohibit racial discrimination based on hair styles. Tune in!”
(FYI – some of the comments attached to this post are vile racist, sexist and homophobic responses to the Senator )
I’m glad PR residents’ houses are becoming connected with the grid!
Good morning. In the office, did my walk. Very foggy out, but the rain is ending. In the office. The problem with taking time off is that then 5 day weeks seem so incredibly long.
You’re in the office five days a week, right? I hate capitalists’ moronic belief that “You’re not working unless I can SEE you.”
No, they let us keep 2 wfh days. Lucky my new section manager really believes in wfh; she’d let us do more if she could.
Caribbean Matters. Posted:
Cricket!
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is 42 degrees in Tucson 🌵 with an expected daytime high of 55. Mainly sunny skies are in the forecast. This morning I saw a few stars over the mountains but there is still a cloud cover at the horizon. Yesterday Mt. Lemmon got 10 inches of snow and it is not done. They are getting ready to open the ski hill. I did see my nearly full moon (99.8% illumination) out of my office window. She was surrounded but not covered by a few puffy clouds and brought light into my office. She is now behind the clouds and will be below the horizon when she is completely full at 11am or so. We have had cloudy skies and rain for several days so I feel blessed to have caught a glimpse of her!
Arizona Republican Party in disarray after Kari Lake trashed the guy running it and forced him to quit. Excellent. We have a very good chance of winning a majority in both the AZ House and Senate this year to give Governor Hobbs a legislature to work with. If the worst of the worst – the anti-McCain MAGAt Republicans – are in charge, we have a good chance to elect a Democrat to the US Senate and maybe even give Biden an electoral college win.
I have a few projects I want to get done before the sun comes up. I am clearing my Inbox, making sure that all the emails I tagged to reply to while I was so busy, are replied to. I have a few accounting things I would like to get done today, so I best get back to it.
See all y’all later!
Good Thursday morning, Moosekind. It’s 51 F. and cloudy again. Yesterday the snow melt was pretty well advanced but today, owing to overnight rain, almost all the snow is gone.
Had an exhausting day yesterday. My nephew, aged 49, finally received his degree in English and Creative Writing from George Mason University. He has never let his colleagues know that he didn’t have a bachelor’s degree, just as I never let my writers know that I don’t. To celebrate, I took him, his family, and Dearly out to the nicest French restaurant in Northern Virginia. The three-and-a-half hour lunch passed like a dream. We were ushered to a very nice table for five in the corner, at the junction of two windows. It’s like a restaurant in the French countryside.
I am so proud of my nephew! He did what I couldn’t. His mother never even graduated from high school, she earned a G.E.D. instead. Considering that Nephew began at his company as a staff writer and rose to IT manager, he’s done very well indeed.
Had to attend the read-through for the play last night. Had I But Known what being an assistant director involves, I would have said no, like every other member of the Drama Club. The amount of time I will be gone from home is staggering! Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for two and a half hours. Performance Week will involve five evenings and three afternoons. After this, I am NEVER going to be an assistant director again. Last night the poor old dears in the cast couldn’t even read the script properly. How are they going to memorize it? Yikes!
In other news, young Karl is coming for the weekend. I thought I’d have the weekend to do what I want. Nupe! Luckily, he can amuse himself for hours, now that he’s 9. The rest of the family are going to Richmond, our state capital, because Nora has a volleyball tournament.
That’s enough from me this morning. Wishing all at the Pond a good day!
{{{Diana}}} I should have warned you about the AD position. I never was one but when I was doing lights & sound in community theater back in the day I certainly saw what/how much the AD did. I hope you enjoy doing the show but it is definitely a time & energy commitment. moar {{{HUGS}}}
(Grumble, grumble) You’re right, bfitz!
It’s 48 heading for 53, overcast and raining lightly. The sun did manage to come out for several hours yesterday & we generated 7.1 KWHs. At 111 for the m-t-d we’re definitely not on track but we gained a bit. We might be able to generate another 40 or 50 KWHs in the week remaining. IF the clouds go away for long enough.
I can’t remember the last time I saw a full moon. And I don’t this time either. The feeling of oddness, of going through the regular routines as usual but without Charlie, continues. I know I’ll get used to it. It’s my “new normal” – sort of like not seeing the moon. Because truth to tell, I think he IS here. I just can’t see him
Anyway, off to start my boosting day. Holding the Good Thought for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Thank you for saying that. If you feel Charlie is still here, then perhaps my good friend S. is still around! I keep thinking of things to tell her before I remember she’s no longer here. Her earthly remains were sent to Kentucky by her son.
The last time I saw her in person was when the other remaining Circle Sister and I did a brief Samhain ritual in 2022.
Of course she is. As a friend said to me when Momma left “she’s just gone somewhere Ma Bell can’t reach”. So tell her those things just as you’ve been doing since the last time you saw her in person. Healing Energy, {{{Diana}}}
Thank you!
Good morning, 47 and cloudy outside my windows today. I walked around the garden yesterday and the ice and snow has left a lot of plants looking winter weary. I was waiting for a freeze to finish pruning the salal so I can do that now but first I’ve got a major clean up to do. So laundry first and then some time in the garden. Best wishes to all.
Friday Meese 39 degrees, rain/snow wintry mix here in Kingston
Latinos
Puerto Rico
Vieques
Good Friday morning, Moosekind! I can see by looking at my screened porch that we had some rain quite recently. It seems to have stopped now. Outside the temperature is 64 F. and will climb to 72 F! Ridiculous! I should put on a bikini, but would look even worse than I do in ordinary clothes.
Hoping for a quiet day so I can catch up with deposits to the bank, telephone calls to arrange for medically ordered physical therapy, and the chores that I MUST get to! I have to finish the one story I owe the quarterly and make a list of attendees for rehearsals. Three cast members have already informed me about rehearsals they will miss in February. Yesterday I had a productive session with the woman who was Assistant Director last time, and learned that I should carry a bottle of water with me to rehearsals in case the director needs it.
Still not sure whether young Karl is coming for the weekend. His mother thinks he should accompany the rest of the family to Richmond.
Yesterday I attended the art show of one of my writers and was pleased to see that half the group was there! She is immensely talented with photographs. There were a few I wouldn’t have minded owning, but I have neither the money nor the wall space. Oh, well.
The good news is that the magenta printer cartridge has arrived! I’ll install it today.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
Yay for the magenta cartridge! I had added a comment about the assistant director needing to literally carry water for the director and after reading backwards in the comments (not the best way to read a conversation!), I realized that you were the assistant director and were getting advice from a former assistant director. I thought you were the producer, who of course should not have to do anything she wants to do. I hope you survive this play – it seems to be filled with drama of its own.
Good morning. My, that alarm is early on in-office days. Made it to 4, or maybe 5 rounds of 2 minutes each run/walk. (must think of a better way to keep track of the number of rounds than my fingers). Anyway, just have to stay awake until 5, well a little after so I can drive home.
It’s 41 heading for 52 and overcast. Again. At least the PV system is on. Barely. Yesterday we generated 2.6 KWHs. The m-t-d at 113.6 is not on track. We shall see what the last 6 days of the month bring.
A better night which is good. Hands are cold and stiff making it slow to keyboard and aggravating to mouse. But that’s my reality until June. Sigh. Talked to Fineena last night. She’s in pain and very depressed. Which isn’t surprising. Her toxic sister’s funeral is today. She’s not going of course. She can’t drive that far (shouldn’t be driving at all). And of course the relationship was problematic to say the least. But she was also Fineena’s last link with her beloved mother.
My friend is coming over for coffee (& bringing the coffee) tomorrow morning so I will be either very early or very late online tomorrow. Anyway, off to start my boosting day. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Good morning, meeses! Friday …
It is 50 degrees in Tucson 🌵 with an expected daytime high of 57. Mostly sunny. Gorgeous fullish moon last night and this morning.
I cannot stay as I have a ton of things needing my attention this morning.
See all y’all later!
Good morning, 45 and cloudy in my garden today. I have a haircut this afternoon and will request a shorter cut. I have let my hair grow to a length I used to prefer but it no longer works for me as well as the shorter cut, so like or not ease of care will be my new preferred look. Nice to be old when appearance doesn’t matter as much :)
I hope to do some garden clean up too, but I don’t want to work outside in the rain so that may not happen. As always my best wishes to all.
It is definitely nice being a crone and expending little energy on “looking a particular way.” I have hair that is easy to care for and suits me and I wear comfortable clothes that are climate appropriate.
Good morning, meeses! Saturday …
It is 41 degrees in Tucson 🌵 with an expected daytime high of 61. Sunny skies are in the forecast. The stars are visible in the early morning sky all the way to the mountaintops – and the just-barely-not-full moon is sending moonlight into my office. Tomorrow we might see 70 but it will be windy.
I have been following the University of Arizona fiscal crisis quite closely because it impacts Tucson and everyone who lives here. The UofA is one of the largest employers in the city and, like most big city schools, provides many of the programs advancing culture, the arts and sports in the Old Pueblo. They “found” a $240 million budget shortfall over the summer and the CFO quit but the president stayed in place to “manage the crisis.” The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) stepped in and sent one of their members in as temporary CFO to help sort things out. Thank goodness some local reporting in both the Tucson and Phoenix exposed the rot that goes to the president, his just-fired-but-still-being-paid athletic director and the fact that the CFO who resigned is still collecting her $500,000 salary and is working with the ABOR team to help “fix” the crisis she created. Governor Hobbs smelled a rat and sent a letter to ABOR telling them to hire an independent outside auditor because she doesn’t trust the foxes to guard the hen house. Most of the people here want them to fire the president whose mismanagement and spending like a drunken sailor in collusion with his personal friend, the athletic director, ballooned the deficit. Apparently he kept hoping that his bad ideas would somehow turn around and be moneymakers. Instead, he has endangered research as top scientists bail out and great minds will go elsewhere and let him be literally, Big Man on Campus. This is why you do not put a neurosurgeon in charge of a business enterprise. Running a university does not require a brain surgeon but it does require an understanding of sound business practices and, for crying out loud, budgeting. What a mess! I hope Katie Hobbs’ shovel clears out this stable of dudebros and ignoramuses and gets the university back on track with new leadership.
I have two days without incoming client crises to work on finishing my end of year accounting to be ready for tax filings. I got my last set of 1099s in the mail yesterday so I am ready to go.
See all y’all later!
Good morning. Slept in (well, including all the times I woke up) and I don’t have much cooking to do this weekend. Going to a talk by theologian Diana Butler Bass this evening. And I’ll try running this afternoon.