winter's hard slumber

Tree. Rock. Cold. Cat. Wood. Fire.
That sums up the past 3 months of winter. Every night we look at the neatly-made bed as a place to go and drink a cup of sleep -- it is there, we can see it, the unshaped deep dark softness -- but every late early am it isn't there, it all goes sifting through my fingers, sleep

Here is a string from the comics page one day:
"here ya go Bently, ok ok Johnny what is it, when our coffee is all gone, what is it andy what have you found, a bowl of corn flakes and a bottle of beer, but something is mighty fishy with this heist, betrayed by tuna, my whole world is upside-down, sigh weeks of fretting over Ben all for nothing, it's vital I study the geyser of steam at once, I wonder if this dress needs washing, Betty and I are going shopping for clothes! you can join us!"

syncro I used to own

I used to own this 1991 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro Minivan!
view more photos here

223,426 miles

• I was the original owner (and the legendary "little ol lady", having babied it and rarely took it over 61 mph!) I never had reason to take it "off-roading" -- except for the dirt roads that can be seen in some of the photos. Often went on state forest dirt roads for TrailCares (hiking trail maintenance).
• 4 + L speed Manual transmission, Baulk-synchronized with additional compound Low-speed traction gear
• water-cooled gasoline engine, 2.1 L fuel-injected engine, digifant engine management system
• Syncro 4-wheel-drive, ("all wheel drive"), manually-operated locking rear differential (what is this?)
• 14-inch steel wheels,
• high ground clearance, skidplates underneath
• Folding rear bench seat/bed combination *,
• 2 rear-facing removable seats **,
grey cloth interior, rear compartment heater, 18.5 gallon fuel tank.
spent hundreds of nights outdoors in the van just parked in the driveway!
** Seats and bed are easy to fold up & down and/or take in or out-- see photos...
• Power rack & pinion steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, independent front suspension, coil springs & telescopic shock absorbers, front & rear, double-jointed drive shafts

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screen door

Blue ribbony day-o-way was yesterday for up the storm windows on the storm doors of the storm home we did put (for the first time in 2 years!). It was only beacause we were in need of screenage and thus kilt two birds with one cat... Little Miss Kitty (a.k.a. Frances Jr. Laptop) is not allowed to climb anything including stairs for 2 weeks so we blocked the stairs and put up the 2 storm door glasses.

cold cardinals comments

2 cardinals in the back pines in the morning, bright red blobs. So Very cold; made 2 meals of soup on the woodstove today.

I sure wish this blogger had a blog to link to but in lieu of that here are their thought-provoking commentary on society and the arts: read human stain's 2 comments here:
http://youngstownart.blogspot.com/2008/01/graffiti-pics-from-bears-den.html