Shoveling and Shivering

Here I sit watching more snow come down. The good news - it had to warm up a bit in order to snow! The last few days were pretty brutal here in Maine with lows in the MINUS numbers, around minus 10 or so here near the coast and a reported minus 50 degrees up near the Canadian border! So we get another 6 or so inches today but we get to look forward to some warmer temperatures next week. I hear it may get up near freezing on Tuesday!

In between shoveling and shivering I have continued planning and preparations for our 2009 Winter Getaway trip next month. Part of the preparations included gathering some RV related supplies that we will need and a few more on the "want" list. So Peggy and I made a day trip to the local Camping World store yesterday. By "local" I mean in New Hampshire. For us Maineiacs - I suppose that's local - it was only 114 miles one way! Nice day for a drive as long as you didn't venture outside the car. The Camping World store in Chichester is associated with a local RV dealership and there were a few RVs on display inside the store so we got to tour a few - and that only increased my desire to "hit-the-road." Nothing like touring a new shiny multi-hundred-thousand-dollar rig to get in the mood and to appreciate that what you already have is plenty! So we picked up what we had on the list and the other stuff that wasn't on the list - like the 12 volt heated throw for Peggy to use to keep warm in the co-pilot seat when I keep the heat turned down when traveling (or the A/C turned on in the warmer months) - and the insulation pillows to put in the ceiling vents to help keep the warm air from escaping while traveling in the winter. Staying warm is high on our priority list!

I have also been dabbling more in doing genealogical research. Last year I researched and found out a lot about my dad's side of my family - and I have started to find out more about my mom's side. I am amazed at the information you can find on the internet! Yesterday I learned that one of my great-great-grandfathers was a true '49er - emigrating to the gold country of California from Italy - one of the first Italians to do so. His story sounds pretty typical of the day. He apparently started out mining for gold and then owned a hotel and then a grocery/general store. From all I've read - you got rich quicker during those days by selling goods to the miners - not from being a miner!

Well I suppose it's time to put down the computer and get out and shovel some snow - or not - it's still pretty cold out there.

T-minus 30 and counting.