Dubblog: Blog Bits from Dubbah

Out of the saddle again

Robyn — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:20:22 +0000

Summer in Maine is short and valuable. We make it thru the winter with the promise reward of spring and summer. Although Fall is my favorite, I can’t argue that seeing the lush greens is very inspiring. I like Fall because the air is drier and the bugs are gone.

But even though summer is here, I’m not out in it. My sciatica turned into a full blown disk episode that’s put me on my back for the past month. After the initial week of intense pain, some steroids finally took the inflammation down and allowed the ice packs and chiropractic treatments to take effect. But, I’m on orders to avoid sitting - too much pressure on the disk. Since I want to avoid surgery, I’ll do what I’m told. Some things I’ve re-learned and will share:

TV is definitely a wasteland, with very few exceptions
eating while lying down is an art: eat small portions and drink water
a laptop/notebook computer is a sanity-saver. I found the lapdawg stand and it allows me to work while lying down.
Pain meds don’t kill pain

Logan James

Robyn — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:20:51 +0000

Thursday, June 12, 2008, Logan James Babb Johnson passed away in the company of loved ones. He was a beautiful soul, a true friend and companion, and was instantly loved by all who met him.

Logan, age 15, started out in life with some tough times. But fate allowed that he find his true family. The rest of his life was filled with love, fun and all the things that make a dog’s life the best possible. He was smart, funny, and always ready to be a friend. He will be deeply missed.

Logan is survived by his family, Linda, Verna, Claudette, Phyllis, Robyn, Betty, Roberta; his longtime friends, Midnight, Bandy, Kota John, Vincent, Theo and Madeline.

His family would like to thank the caring staff at the North Country Animal Hospital in Caribou, Maine.

Patriot’s Day

Robyn — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:20:10 +0000

Today in Maine and Massachusetts it is Patriot’s Day. For info about what it is, you can use Wikipedia or read an account over at PBS. Briefly, it recognizes the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord. (more…)

When Snowdrifts Attack

Robyn — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:45:55 +0000

The record-breaking snow in northern Maine has produced some interesting drift formations. My friend Linda, shown at left, recently made contact with alien snow forms at Madawaska Lake, north of Caribou. Click on the photo to see an enlarged view.

Folks will be shoveling out there for quite awhile yet.

Spring is here

Robyn — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:08:13 +0000

Well Spring has definitely arrived in Caribou. It’s been a warm, sunny week. Believe it or not it’s been near 70, or at least it feels like it. The photo was taken today, notice the thermometer on the tree (click the photo to see an enlargement). The snow is slowly going but there’s a lot left to go. Fortunately, the rivers seem to be doing okay.

Forced line breaks in Wordpress

Robyn — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:43:36 +0000

I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t realized the many changes in Wordpress 2.3.2. And now they’re playing with version 2.5, but some changes are causing complaints, so I won’t go into that. (more…)

Latest snow photos

Robyn — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:54:39 +0000

These photos were taken within the past few days at my home in Caribou, Maine.

To the left, is the view out the west side door, onto our backyard. The drifting from the north whips around the house and we’ve got a nice wall of snow on the north and west sides of the house. We’ve tried to keep up with it, but after the last storm, the drifting has caused some hard packing around doors and windows.

The snow has drifted high this year. The drier, lighter snow will easily be carried by the 25 mph winds.

You can click on the pictures and see an enlarged view. Then back your browser to return to this page. On the left again is a view of the north side of the house, you can see the height of the drift.

The side streets have become narrower because of drifting and the city hasn’t been able to keep up with keeping them widened - no place to put the snow. The banks are high. They come around and haul snow away in trucks.

The high winds and tall banks of packed snow do not deter my dog from venturing out. The hardpack allows him to climb to the peak so he can see out across his domain and communicate with the other neighborhood dogs. On the right is his snow wall.

Left is a view from the dining room, a north-side window. The high winds during the last blast caused the drifting up against the windows. Other people living in more open areas report higher drifting than this.

Caribou Makes New Snow Record

Robyn — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:01:28 +0000

Well, it happened. According to the National Weather Service at Caribou:

From beginning of the 2007-2008 snowfall season through midnight March 20, 2008, the National Weather Service in Caribou, ME has recorded 182.5 inches of snowfall. This morning’s measurement (21 March) puts the total at 184.5 inches. This seasonal snowfall total is the greatest amount ever, since records began in 1939. The previous record of 181.1 inches was set in the 1954-1955 snowfall season. … 184.5 inches equals 15 feet, four and one-half inches.

Now the wind is howling and we’re trying to keep up with the drifting. I’ll take a photo of what I see out my window and post soon.

Bracing again

Robyn — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:02:14 +0000

Looks like Caribou may break the snowfall record if this current storm delivers. Meteorologists are calling for another 9-12 inches over the next 36 hours, so that will push the total just past the 181-inch record for the season. We’re prepared for it in this household. The city has been trying to widen the sidestreets as they have become one-lane with the snowbanks closing in. Our roof has been cleared off twice and it’s a good thing - it’s been an issue this year for many people. And why a business would have a flat roof in snow country is beyond me. There have been collapses and a lot of property damage because of it.

…

But Spring is coming and we should have quite a mud season this year. The ground has a shallow freeze this year, so the snow will melt and we’ll have lots of lovely mud. Then, all of a sudden, everything will be green. I never knew how many shades of green there were until I lived here. If any artists have fallen on this blog, you ought to take a visit to Aroostook County, Maine. The vistas are wonderful.

April is Frakkin’ BSG

Robyn — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:20:58 +0000

Theo loves BSG. For fans like us, BSG’s final season is a highlight of Spring. Bittersweet, tho.

If you haven’t been following the show, you can get a very brief catchup at the SciFi location: http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/ in a humorous summary of the plot twists and character relationships. But go rent the first season DVD. If you don’t get hooked in the first 3-hour segment, it’s not your thing. But this is no cheap scifi or imitation of the original series. It has its own depth. I don’t get hooked on tv shows but I really like this one. Character driven, the writing and performances draw you in.

My laptop wallpaper was downloaded from polygeek.