Archive | February 2011

Birding

Feb28

As the weather warms up, my thoughts are turning to what kinds of activities I can look forward to in the coming seasons.  Most of my outdoor fun revolves around pulling on my hiking boots and grabbing my binoculars and bird book and going for walks in the many parks near where we live.

Although the Eastern Bluebird is common around here, it always gives me a special thrill to see these beautiful birds. Another one of my favorite birds is the red cardinal.

One of my favorite memories of bird watching is of an unexpected bird sighting on my drive home from work one day. I saw a large snowy owl sitting on a tree branch that was hanging over the road. I thought it was awesome, but it worried me about the safety of my pets at home! I’ve heard tales of small pets being carried off by those birds!

My Special Blend

Feb28

The price of coffee keeps going up and I only realized recently that the Starbucks coffee sold at the grocery store is only 12 ounces for about $9 a package. But when you go to the actual Starbucks store, you buy an entire pound. So the $12 package price at Starbucks is actually cheaper than the grocery store because the cost per ounce is less.

At home, I make a custom blend of equal parts Starbucks ground Columbian and Folgers ground Columbian. There is a world of difference between the two brands, even though they are both Columbian coffees. But the price of Folgers is half the cost of pure Starbucks, so I mix them together and get a little smoother coffee and save about 25% off the cost of the Starbucks branded coffee.

Beach House Rehab

Feb28

One of my Facebook friends has inherited some Lake property and she is so excited about fixing up the house and spending more time this summer on the water. That fits into my plans for more boating really well, so I’ve offered to help her on the weekends with painting and cleaning to get ready for the warmer weather. I have visions of adirondack chairs on the back deck, the barbecue grill smoking, and a cold drink in our hands.

She has been busy shopping for utility sinks and a new refrigerator to fix up the kitchen and add a laundry room. The cabinets are in good shape and the countertops look good, although everyone seems to love the granite countertops now and she might want to upgrade those when she has some extra cash.

If she has granite countertops installed, she might want to have butcher block put at the most logical work area. I love fixing up kitchens, in my opinion they are the most important room in the whole house. A big, friendly kitchen with lots of counter space and storage, modern appliances, and an island for friends to sit and chat while you prepare the meal is the ideal room.

Tornado warnings

Feb28

Here it is, the end of February, and the weather is supposed to go into the 70′s today. I can’t remember any time in this area when it has been that warm in February!

The downside, though, is that the weatherforecaster is saying that it will rain later this afternoon, and scattered tornadoes are possible! I can’t believe it is tornado season already! Tornadoes scare the dickens out of me!

San Francisco Convention

Feb27

San Francisco has always been a magical city to me. Ever since I read the poem by Carl Sandburg about how, “The fog comes on little cat feet” when I was just a kid in school, I have wanted to see San Francisco’s fog. I finally got my chance to visit the San Francisco, Castro Area last summer when the trade association had their annual convention in Northern California. I love the Castro area, which is known for its many gay-friendly inns, B&Bs and guest houses.

The Castro is next to the Haight-Ashbury community, the Mission District and the Twin Peaks area. The other famous parts of San Francisco include Chinatown, the Wharf and Nob Hill, the Financial District and Pacific Heights.

I love the variety of Restaurants, and if you love seafood, you can eat a different type of exquisitely prepared fresh seafood every day for weeks and never eat at the same restaurant twice. The restaurants are great for nice dinners and even Sunday brunches, but if you want to mingle with the people who live there, you should check out the Coffee Shops for a quick breakfast or a nice, casual lunch.