the mid-winter doldrums

We’re about half-way through winter now, the holiday madness is in the rearview mirror, and – maybe - the coldest of temps are also past tense. The snow is deep on the mountains, less so at our elevation, as some of the abundant moisture fell as rain, making things a soggy mess for a few days. Much of the snow that was on the ground here has turned into ice, given the rain, warm temps, and now back to cold again. Local ice climbs briefly formed, melted out, and are now coming back into something worth climbing; I at least looked at my ice tools a few days ago, but don’t want to get them out and tempt fate by climbing on very thin ice.

Strange oddities abound this season. For one, the local supermarkets were completely without eggs over the holiday season. Bird flu, high demand and a new state law pertaining to the raising of chickens all joined together to keep the breakfast table a bit deficient, and holiday baked goods recipes had to be changed or done without entirely. This, in one of the most expensive patches of real estate on earth – even all the local money didn’t overcome the unusual shortage of the ubiquitous food staple. Eggs are now mostly available again, at the bargain price of around $7 per dozen.

To go along with said food shortage, one now has to bring their own shopping bags to any store in the state, as all store-provided plastic shopping bags are things of the past, outlawed by another new state law. I suppose “no bag” complements the “no food” thing pretty well.

All is not lost though, yet another new state law now allows one to possess, sell or use hallucinogenic mushrooms and other psychedelic goodies without fear of prosecution. I have some not-so-fond recollections of dealing with some rather rambunctious individuals who displayed remarkably odd behavior backed up by unbelievable strength while they were dosed up on the magic fungi. I lean pretty far to the libertarian side of things, but this might or might not be a good idea, time will tell. It is unknown if it will be permissible to sell the mushrooms in plastic bags or not.

Work is available for anyone who wants to do it; qualifications include having a pulse and showing up at least some of the time. Wages seem high, until the cost of living is factored in; once the math is considered, it’s no wonder that the working class is fleeing en masse to other areas.

Griping aside, the snowpack is anywhere from 125% to 140% of normal, with more snow (and rain) coming a few times per week. So far, we have been spared the hydrological catastrophe that was visited upon California recently. We’re quite happy with the way things are in our part of the water world, and hope that the trend continues for a long time.

Our Newfys are quite happy with the winter temps and snow. They love rolling around in the freshly fallen fluff, which keeps them clean and tidy – until the snow starts melting down to the old nasty layers and mud underneath. No worries even then, there is now a dog-wash booth at a local car wash. Just bring the mutts in to the heated comfort of the booth, slide the credit card, and begin laundering the furballs. Much like the automotive wash, there’s a hose on a swivel that reaches all the way around inside the booth, the water is warm and comes complete with shampoo and conditioner options (though no wheel and tire setting), brushes and a blow-dryer. We can usually get the two of them quite presentable for less than the cost of a tank of gas, and we are then spared cleaning up the bathroom we would have trashed in the process. This new addition to the community is a pleasant reminder, for which we are thankful, that not all the recent changes are bad. In times like these, it’s the little things that count.