New Years Eve

Today I went out in the Mustang, with the top down. It was in the mid sixties, a bit on the cool side but OK with a jacket.

This is one of the things I love about living in the South, when it snows here it is An Event. In the Midwest it's just winter. When it snows here it might last a day or two before going away, in the Midwest it isn't unusual to have snow for a couple of weeks at a time.

In my youth it wasn't unusual for the first snows to start before Thanksgiving and to have snow cover until mid February or later.  These days the snow doesn't last as long in southwest Iowa, and the pheasant have moved northward as well I've been told. Sad that, but nothing stays the same. But I digress.

The smoker is fired up, the hickory is soaking, and soon there will be ribs. 2011 is winding down and 2012 is nigh; in 356 days the end of the world is scheduled according to the doomsayers reading the Mayan calendar. I just think the calendar maker got bored and said "Someone else can take it from here."

At any rate, all of us here at the Refuge wish all of you electronic friends in the magic box a healthy and prosperous New Year.