Half Quarter

I keep getting these little signs and signals and hints of Spring. My friends are saying "I'm ready for Spring". But isn't it too soon to start counting the days and wishing our short lives away as we wait for something in the future which will be better than "the now" that we have? I am wishing for Spring, but by God, I'm enjoying the "now". I've got patches of green in the grass. And coming up though my cheap asphalt. Our cold house crisis we have every year has eased off. Temps are seasonal finally. I guess we could say that the worst of the winter is over. I suspect we'll get a big storm or two before it's all over. During the below average temperatures I worked on tightening up our leaky old farmhouse. I put bales of straw against the north wall. I blocked off two rooms for the winter. We had the electrician come last week and install two new 220 volt heaters. I'm building a door for the pantry. Wife sleeps with a GreatDane that weighs more than her. The dog is a bed hog and likes to cozy up, so at least wife is warm at night. But if I go in to kiss wife goodnight, the Dane puts her big head between us and gives me a little growl. It's OK, I can catch a kiss and hug passing in the hall later. My airstrip got kind of soggy and is slowly getting firmer. It needs no rain and warmer temps to really dry out. I have some nice plans for our garden this season and I plan to start early. I plan to celebrate Groundhog day. This is a serious holiday for a calender worshiper like me. It's what's called a "half quarter". It falls between the Winter Solstice and the March 21st equinox. This is a holiday as old as the rest of the seasonal feasts. A few years back I actually went to Punxutawney in PA for the celebration. It was damned cold. After being out in the snow and cold out at Gobbler's Nob or whatever they call it for a few hours, I really didn't give a s___ what the Groundhog did. While the tourists are freezing their asses off on the hill waiting for "Phil" the Hog, the locals are celebrating in the town, which is a few miles away. In town there are old hotels, and a bookshop, and cafes, and booths outdoors with ice sculpture, and music and ice skating. It's pretty small, and some of the locals kind of protest your being there, and some want to get your money one way or another, and some love to see you and are proud of their town's fame. I have a plan for my Groundhog Day. I will get up just before dawn. I will have a nice big pot of coffee. I will add some whiskey. I will bundle up and smile. I will take my dog Jake (he looks and acts a bit like a large groundhog) and I will go out and watch the sunrise. A large fire will already be laid in my fire pit. So if it's not raining I'll have a nice fire. We'll see whether Jake sees his shadow. After a few hours of winter fun, I shall go back to bed. Wake up for the lovely sunset and write here and tell you about it. Of course you are invited. Drive way out here on a Tuesday to be up half the night in the cold. But that's exactly what I did when I went to Punxutawney. It's kind of like Times Square. Everybody should do it once.
LLITTY :::::+:::::

Alphabet Groups

I was considering joining the AARP. It's the retirement organization. I'm retired, so why not. But I'm having second thoughts because of something I saw on Fox News. The guy was saying that AARP wants a big government option in the health care plan, so they can sell more "fill the gap" insurance to their members. He said AARP was no longer an advocate for old folks. Just another business who wants them as a customer. So I didn't join. I can see both sides of the health care question. I can see both sides of all the issues in politics today. I'm not a Democrat or a Republican. I wish the Congress would enact an Amendment limiting all terms of office to four years. With elections every 2 years. Let's stop having professional politicians. Also let's have each bill in Congress stand alone. One Bill, one issue. No piggybacking, no trading favors on another bill. Just the Bill on it's own merits. I digress. Back to alphabet groups. I was considering joining the ADA. That's the American Diabetes Association. I've never joined and I guess I never will. I suspect it's even dirtier than the AARP. The ADA recommended diet includes enough carbohydrates to put most type 2 diabetics on insulin. Their recommended diet will make a type 2 into a type 1 and eventually kill him. The ADA is actually promoting diabetes. Next is ALPA. The airline pilot's association. I was a proud member for 29 years. But unfortunately, once I retired, they dropped me like a rock. No paycheck to "check off" dues from, no union. Next, the CAP. Civil Air Patrol. I've been a member off and on and now mostly off. I was a "Cadet" member and got a lot out of that program. I got my start in aviation there. I owe CAP. But the last few times I've dealt with the program, there was so much red tape to become a CAP pilot, that it didn't seem to be worth the time. I want to take young people up flying though. That takes me to the next group. The EAA. The experimental airplane association. I was in this once and to me it was just a magazine subscription. I wasn't building an airplane and I never will. But the EAA has a program to fly young people. It's called "Young Eagles". If you want to help in their young eagles program you must obviously join EAA. So we have a hit. I gonna rejoin EAA. But I'm not crazy about them for other reasons. Next we have the AOPA. Aircraft ownwers and pilots assoc. I just sent in my renewal dues of $39. This organization is pretty big. A few hundred thousand members. A lobby to help General Aviation. I wish they had the "Young Eagles" program instead of EAA. I hope the AOPA isn't "corrupt" like the ADA and the AARP but I suspect AOPA is big enough to have that sort of problem. The NRA, national rifle assoc. has sent me very glossy and nice junk mail forgiving me for letting my membership lapse, and reminding me of what a powerful lobby they are, and offering me a nice tote bag, if I will only rejoin. We'll see. I have limited budget for dues. Next, the SSA. (the soaring society). If you fly gliders you are told over and over to join this. You must be a member to receive "awards" as you progress in your gliding career. When I took lessons, the school told me I "had to join" SSA or could not fly there. So I joined and it was a magazine subscription. Now it's long expired, but I still fly gliders. Some day I may take a trip out west and go for one of those awards. Called "Diamonds". If that happens, I'll rejoin SSA. I thought that the SSA was the nicest, most innocent Alphabet group. Just guys floating around in quiet little gliders! But it turns out a few years ago their Chief Financial Officer ran off with $140,000. They had to boot him and then re-boot the organization. Maybe I'm just not a "joiner".