Big Bird Visits

We have a new visitor each day now. A pileated woodpecker comes to the bird feeder and eats suet. He or she keeps chipping away at the suet until it gets a piece about the size of a nickel. Then it swallows about 4 or 5 times to get it down. It then flies away only to return the next day.
We have always had them here and would see them in the woods all the time but never this close.

(From Nana: I just finished laughing hysterically. The best laugh I have had this year. It is Bob's writing style that just tickles me. When it comes to telling a story Jonesie is not exactly Herman Melville. And, thank goodness, as I have never had a decent laugh from anything Melville wrote.)

Reward Day

Today was my reward day for not smoking for three and a half weeks!

My reward - a four mile hike to downtown Spring Valley and to Deb's Country Inn for pancakes.
The photo shows me completing the steepest part of my walk getting out of our driveway. (The Spring Valley Bobsled Team were not at practice this morning so I had a clear shot.)
It took me 1 hour and 6 minutes from the garage to sitting down for my pancakes. The pancakes were wonderful along with the Country Smoked Ham and coffee.
Nana joined me for breakfast and was kind enough to give me a ride back home.
If I am home next weekend I think I will get a ride to Spring Valley, have breakfast, then walk home.

Hiking Paths

These are some photos of the view I have during my walks. These trails are used very seldom so it is very peaceful and picture perfect.


This morning I got up to a warmer day. It was minus 14.6 degrees.
I must be getting soft as I waited until 11:30 before I started walking. It had warmed up to minus 4 degrees.

A Bit Chilly Today

It was a bit chilly this morning. My "view out of the window of Jonesie's Digs thermometer " reads minus 12. On the official "Oregon Scientific Weather Station", a birthday present I received from 'the kids', reads minus 15.7 degrees.
In the country a minimum of two outdoor thermometers are essential for our reportive-style conversations and personal peace-of-mind.


Bundled up as much as possible before venturing out into the woods for a brisk walk.
After a half hour this morning I was ready for Jonesie's heated Digs. (Note the frozen nostrils if you can stand to look.)
Took the short but more vigorous route, and was pretty comfortable except my fingers would not warm up.
The good news, for me, is that I am now in the 17th day of non-smoking.

Pdxkatie and myself have been referred to, by Cousin Karen, as the "coke and smoke kids".

Hey, we're both doing all right.

Smoking Update

It has now been 12 days since I have smoked. The task of quitting smoking hasn't seemed so bad for me. I am still waiting for the craving to kick in. I do catch myself thinking about old habits. Such as going to the garage to put more wood in the stove or to put away Nana's car. I use to use those tasks for the opportunity to smoke one before I returned to the house.

Two things that I have learned so far from this experience.
I can see how easy it would be to gain weight. I am always catching myself before I start to snack and tell myself that eating does not take the place of smoking.
I can also see how easy it would be to just go to the store, buy a pack of cigarettes, smoke one and throw the rest away and not call it cheating. It was just a supplement smoke to get through the rest of the day. But tomorrow comes and you go buy another pack, but this time you smoke one and keep two for later. Soon you are back to the smoking routine.

So to take up time I am walking almost 3 miles a day, in the morning, regardless of weather. This morning it was 8 degrees and before I was half way thru my walk I was unbuttoning my coat and unzipping my sweatshirt. The three miles this morning took 1 hour.
I now noticed that my heart rate has slowed considerably. It used to be around 74 - 78 at rest. Now it is at 58 - 62 at rest. Just knowing that statistic makes me more determined to never smoke again.

That is enough about me. Marf, I am still mulling over the offer to train for 1/2 marathons or watch you and drink Leinies!

Not so pleasant part of the farm

After my morning walk, I was going into the house for breakfast when I noticed a raccoon sitting by the house. Now a raccoon out at 9 am in the middle of the winter is not a good sign. The other bad sign was that it never ran away from me even when I got to within 3 feet of it.
This is a sick "coon". So one of the unpleasant jobs on the farm is to "retire" some animals for their own good and the safety of others.

As you can tell there isn't much on the farm to blog about!!!!

Will the days ever get shorter

It is now day 6 without smoking. Well that is in 30 minutes, but who is counting.

I just got an offer from pdxkatie, she said that she will teach me how to knit to take up my extra time during the day. Knitting, hmmm... I don't even know how to play cribbage yet.

My best supporter pdxkatie seems to be well on her way ending her close personal relationship with Diet Coke. YEA!!!

Tom And Moscow Mary's last Breakfast at the Farm

There are just some things in the world that go hand in hand. Here is one example.

When Tom and Mary come to visit the farm, a trip must be made to The Spring Valley Bakery. As Tom puts it, there are no finer jelly bismarks in the world.

So Tom and jelly bismarks go hand in hand.




We were lucky to arrive at the bakery before Kathy and Gale had left. (They begin their day around 3 am.) Tom had a good time catching up with both of them with stories of his travels.

Coincidentially when the Petersons visit, the bakery is usually closed due to vacation. This visit's timing was excellent for the opportunity to talk to the owners of The Spring Valley Bakery.

Phone # 715-778-5904

F&%$ Phillip Morris

I have stopped buying cigarettes as of 4 pm 1-2-08.
I thought it would be terrible, but so far I am still waiting for the cravings to begin. Nothing so far.

But the days seem to be so long, and then I thought of why the days are so long now. If it takes, for example, 6 minutes to smoke one, and if you smoke a pack a day, that is two hours a day that you waste. Now I have two extra hours a day and so I try to find things to keep busy at.

One thing I try to do is go for a walk in the morning, at least 1 hour. And I do a lot of ice fishing.

Well good luck to me!

Post Christmas Card

Our post-Christmas/Christmas card snapped on Christmas Eve just before we are out the door to the annual gathering at the Sherba's. This wonderful family party is so fantastic that Santa always drops in on his yearly rounds - a true highlight of the year.