Four wheel drive driveway

It’s the worst I have ever seen our driveway.   Not only was it washed out, but it was frozen with a layer of ice on top.   It gets worse.   It was washed out in front of the wooden bridge over Fiddlehead Creek.   There are washouts throughout the woods of water streaming down the hill to the pond.   The pond overflowed the dam, the dock at my place was underwater, water over the dam, the overflow tubes were clogged (and frozen), the beach was breached, Zug’s rock garden is half gone, and everything I have mentioned had a layer of ice on top.  Check out some pictures:

Breached Bridge

Beach Breached

Zug's Rock Garden rocked

Overflow overfilled with debris

Debris high up on dam

Sophie doesn't care

Right now a car can’t make it down the driveway,  and a truck without four wheel drive won’t make it back up the driveway.  Because of the ice storm on Friday night, Angy and I decided to stay home and go to the Creek on Saturday morning.  When we left our house, the deck, driveway, and truck was a solid sheet of ice.   The roads in Hamilton County were not too bad, the roads in Indiana were not as good, and that was the State Highways.   The backroads were ice covered.   We took US50 and 350, which weren’t too bad.   25E was treacherous, our driveway at the Creek wasn’t any better.   As we drove down the hill, it just got worse.   Ice covered deep ruts made for interesting driving.   When we got to the bridge, I got out and broke the ice in the puddle at the bridge to make sure it wasn’t a hole to the creek.   The debris was everywhere, and everything had a coat of ice on it.   Even the gravel around the LoveShack on the hill was washed out.

Pretty impressive.   It was pretty with all the ice, but the damage was devastating, as you can see from the pictures.   We had trouble opening the door on the LoveShack, breaking off a chunk of wood on the bottom of the door because the ice was so thick.  After we fired up the heat, we walked around the property, checked the deer decomp project (more on that later), and took a lot of pictures.

What a Winter.   We have only had about 5 days of cold weather, but the cold was brutal and the rains were fierce.   I was in the West Palm Beach, Florida airport on Thursday afternoon in 80 degree weather, and at midnight I was in the Dayton, Ohio airport where it was 7 degrees, two inches of snow on the ground, and my truck door was frozen and I couldn’t get the door open (with a light jacket on…..Welcome to Ohio).   Friday was the ice storm, and it was going to be 50 on Sunday.   Wow.   That’s a lot of weather in a few short days.

Angy and I stayed in at the LoveShack on Saturday night, a nice night of relaxation in a very warm place with a great bed.   In the morning, we slept in a little longer, then trekked into Osgood to the Whistle Stop for breakfast.  We returned to the Creek realizing that the driveway wasn’t going to get any better without any help.   I fired up Ol’ Blue, which started on the first try.   That was impressive, we haven’t started it for a couple of months.  I took off the bush hog, wasn’t planning on cutting any grass.   I put the box on, the box is a gravel box that you drag behind the tractor to spread and level the gravel.   After several trips up and down the driveway, I realized that it was frozen and I wasn’t doing any good.  I put three concrete blocks on the box for additional weight, and that didn’t break through the frozen driveway.   I gave up.  It’s not going to get fixed till it thaws.   I did manage to break up our gravel reserve pile and dump some new gravel on the bridge entrance, making it passable.  Four wheel drive on a tall wheelbase will get you to the bridge, where anyone can now cross.

I then went up to the overflow tubes on the pond to try and clear them of debris.   It was frozen, and I took a rake and pipe to bust it up and clear just enough around the tubes to allow flow.  Even the tubes had damage, they are smashed down a bit and will need repair in better weather.   All the damage is manageable, not a monetary loss, but some hours and back breaking work to look forward to.   We need more gravel, but I think we have to fix the driveway to get a gravel truck down the hill.   The weather is warm all week, hopefully it will be warm enough in the daytime to defrost the driveway and I will be able to work on it this weekend.  Until then, the Creek is closed to cars, two wheel drive trucks can make it back up if it isn’t ice covered.  Four wheel jeeps and trucks will find it fun.

Unlucky Buck lower left, camera upper right

The Deer Decompositon Project is doing great.   Angy and I checked the photos taken the last 7 days and they are better than ever.   We didn’t see any new faces, but better shots of the coyote, redtailed fox, possum, raccoon, and redtailed hawk.  I will post them on the Deer Decomposition Project page found on the right side of this blog page, probably Tuesday or Wednesday night.   Check them out, you won’t be disappointed.   I’ll keep the camera on the Deer Decomp for a few more weeks.

Weatherwise, who knows what tomorrow brings.   Plans are to get the driveway repaired this weekend and you can get to the Creek soon.   Weatherwise, it’s pretty warm, and a daytrip to the Creek is not a bad plan.  Stop down and I can tell you how bad the weather is in West Palm Beach, Florida (not so bad….), you can see the storm devastation, and we can do that around a warm fire with a cool drink in our hand.   You have to make the best of a bad situation, right?   Every day is a good day at the Creek, even when you need four wheel drive to get there.   See you at the Creek, soon, I hope.

Well, it got cold.  Finally.   One would think that by the middle of January we would have had some cold weather, but this weekend is really the first cold spell we have had.  And it was pretty cold.   We got snow at the Creek, not so much at home.   It was cold enough to hold our traditional Friday the 13th poker game indoors at my house instead of the Creek.   The weekend started out as a poker game, then a sea food buffet at Belterra with our Creek neighbors Bruce and Lynaya, and then completed with a sad Packer’s game at my house.   Lots of action.

A bunch of winners at this game

We decided that the cold weather and blowing snow is a might bit harsh for an outdoor poker game, so it was moved to my house on the Whitewater.   It started around 9pm, with Sner, Sena, Nick, Parks, Vaught, me, Jdub, Ross and Alex.  Everyone seemed to win a pot now and then, and everyone stayed in the game almost till the sun came up.   The game ended at 5am, a 8 hour poker marathon.   I was winning most of the night, but tried to deal a little late night BlackJack and the boys were hitting better than Joey Votto.  A profitable night went South right before we quit, I lost $13 for the night.   The big winner was Sner, who thinks he won more than $50.   It was great fun with a lot of laughs.   After crashing at our house on the couch, the floor, the spare bed and anywhere else, we all got up and rolled to Stateline Restaurant for breakfast.  No one was moving too quickly, we drank two pots of coffee before we left, and breakfast was my-t-fine.

Everyone went their merry way, Angy and I loaded up and went to the Creek.   We were on a time schedule, we were to meet Bruce and Lynaya at their house at 4.   I checked the game camera for the Deer Decomposition Project and came up with more great photos.   More on that later.  Angy and I met Bruce and Lynaya and drove to Belterra for the seafood buffet.   It was Bruce’s birthday and we celebrated it by stuffing ourselves with Alaskan King Crab and exotic fishes cooked to your choosing.   It was awesome.   All you can eat and we cracked crab legs until your fingers hurt and your belt was on the last notch.  It was one heck of a meal, and we all got our money’s worth.  After dinner, we waddled back to the car and went back to Bruce and Lynaya’s house.   We played Euchre until the wee hours, a great time with our Creek neighbors.   I had about 4 hours of sleep in 41 hours, and the bed at the Loveshack never looked better.   Angy and I slept in, not getting moving until after 10 am.

No losers here, we gained 10 pounds

Rested and refreshed, we left the Creek early to watch the Packers game.   The last time the Packers played, Angy and I was at the game at Lambeau Field.  It was pretty cool to watch the game on TV, seeing the places we had been.   The problem was the Packers played like they hadn’t played in 3 weeks, played badly, and lost badly.  It was sad for them and sad for us, but call it a great season and put away all the green souvenirs.  We are talking about going to another game, this time in September, spending a week and taking the Jeep.   We had fun being Packer’s fans, it was a good year, and we will start it up again this summer.

Foxy lady

The game camera has taken over 400 pictures of our unlucky buck.   He has been very popular in his carcass state.  I will post the photos on its own page, look on the top right side of the blog and click on “Deer Decomposition Project”.    There are some great photos of our wild friends at the Creek.  It should be up tonight.

As you read this blog, I’ll be in Tampa, Florida on a business trip.   I know its tough to go to Florida in January, but my work is making me do it, so here I am.   I’ll be back on Thursday, and we will be at the Creek this weekend.  The weather is supposed to be above freezing all week, even maybe 50 degrees on Wednesday, and pretty nice this weekend.   Break away from the cabin fever and get outdoors for a day.   See you at the Creek.

Nice March day....in January

If you don’t believe in global warming yet, it must be pretty cool in your cave.  What is up with this weather?   It was warm in December, it’s even warmer in January.  It was a nice weekend at the Creek.   It was Zuggy, Sner, Angy and me.   Angy and I arrived early Saturday afternoon, I had to work.  When we got there, no one was there.  I figured Zugford was at the Legion watching the Bengal game, Sner rolled in not long after we got there.   It was a beautiful, warm afternoon.  We built a fire and listened to the Bengals, a lot of fun at the Creek but not so much fun for Bengal fans.

Packers last week, Bengals this week. What a pleaser.

After the game, Sner and I checked out the Deer Decomposition Project.   The unlucky buck that caught a hunter’s slug and died in our field was still at the same site, but moved about 40′.   Something had been eating on him, there were ribs showing and lots of meat missing.   I had set up the camera on him, which was still there, but I didn’t know how the pictures would be since he was moved.   I took the card out of the camera and Sner and I went back to the Creek to load the card into the laptop to see if we had scored.

Sner makes life look easy

Boy did we score.   There were about 300 pictures taken.   The camera is set to take a picture once a minute anytime there is motion or infared heat.  There were lots of pictures and we set some milestones.   I was looking for animals I haven’t taken pictures of, I already have pictures of deer, dog, birds, people, and cars.  This time I got several pictures of coyotes hanging around the carcass.  I got some pictures of red fox, male and female turkeys, a real nice picture of a red tailed hawk, several turkey vultures, a raccoon, lots of crows, and some pictures of local dogs, one being a husky that I have seen before.   The dogs are what moved the carcass away from the camera.  The pictures are great and I will share them with you in a blog in a week or two.   It has to do with downloading them on a flashdrive and moving them to my computer.   Too busy to do it now, but you will really like the pictures.

Saturday night was a full moon, another beautiful night at the Creek.   Angy made some special chili (Wild Turkey 101) and we enjoyed being outdoors on a January evening.   Unbelievable how nice it was.   Sunday was more of the same.   Sner, Angy and I went to the Whistle Stop for breakfast and a train came by while we were eating.   After breakfast we went back to the Creek.   I changed the hydraulic unit on the wood splitter, the old yellow one is so much better than the new red one.   Sner, Angy and I walked the trail, it was over 40 degrees, balmy in January.   We stayed till almost 5, got home just as it was getting dark.   Of course, you know, each day is getting longer and every warm day we get in January is one less winter day before March.   March is only 7 weeks away, 42 days.   Not much of a Winter so far, we haven’t seen any measurable snow.   I like the snow, but I sure do like these warm January days.   I hope the trees don’t get confused.

Two more beers or world peace? Beers.

 Friday the 13th        

Feeling lucky?   The luckiest day of all is coming up, Friday the 13th, and you know what we do on the luckiest day of the year.   We play poker.  The game is at my house this year, we really don’t have a place at the Creek for a January game, even though the weather has been pretty good.   Traditions must be kept, and my house is halfway to the Creek, so we can meander there Saturday morning.  We used to have a lot of Friday the 13th games at my house, we played in the fishcamp house next door, but I burned it down.   The game will be in the garage, so bring warm clothes (it isn’t heated, but it won’t be very cold), bring your drinks, a snack, and an attitude to lose all your money to me.  Bring a sleeping bag, no one goes home after the game, we will have a sleepover in my livingroom.   See you at the game, then see you at the Creek.

Creek reflections on a beautiful day to hike

He's just sleeping......

Since Angy and I were out of town last weekend, we are not sure what happened at the Creek.   There may have been someone there, but I haven’t a clue.  Angy and I will be there this weekend, but will get a late start because of work.   We should roll in around 1:30 or 2pm.   The weather looks balmy considering it is January, but we’ll manage.   We have lots to do, all fun, and look forward to doin’ it.

I’ve got a science project working as we speak (read?).   One of our unlucky bucks was found in the field near Sner’s Gobler’s Knob with a 1/2″ hole in his side.   He managed to elude his hunters, but died an early death in our field.   At first I was going to push him with the tractor into the woods where he will properly feed all the carnivores in the forest, but then I had a better idea.   I found him three weeks ago, and two weeks ago I placed my game camera on him.   We know he is going to be eaten, why not see who comes to dinner?   I would imagine our coyote friends will attend, also turkey vultures, possum, neighborhood dogs, maybe even an eagle.  Since I haven’t been there in two weeks, there might be a lot of photos to check out.  If there are some really cool shots, you know I’ll share them with you.

It’s no secret, Angy and I went to Green Bay, Wisconsin for New Year’s Eve, and, since we were there, we thought we would catch a game with their local football team, the Green Bay Packers.  We arrived on Friday evening, after a terrible rainy, foggy drive through a terrible Chicago traffic jam.   We made it in 9 hours, should have taken 8, and gained an hour because of the time change.   We checked in to our motel, about a mile from Lambeau Field, and then went to check out Lambeau.   What we found was pretty amazing.

Lambeau is where the Green Bay Packers play every weekend from August through January, on a good year.  What we found out was that although Lambeau is where the Packers play, it is much more than that.  We walked in the Atrium on the North end of the stadium.  The Atrium is a huge entrance way into the stadium, but also the entrance to the Pro Shop, the Packer’s museum, the Packers Hall of Fame, and Curly’s Pub, a sports bar that is all about the Packers and faces the parking lot where the players park their car and walk into the locker rooms.  We had a few cocktails and went back to our motel.

On Saturday, we ate breakfast at the motel restaurant, then went to Lambeau Field.   We went through the Pro Shop, then went to the museum and a history lesson on the Packers, then we went to the Hall of Fame.   It was there we had pictures taken of us and four Lombardi Super Bowl Trophies.   It was an awesome day, then we took the stadium tour.  Wow.  We were up in the Skyboxes, where people like you and me would never see a game, we walked onto the field through the tunnel where the players enter the field, all led by a Packer Tour Guide who was enjoyable and informative.   Lambeau Field is much more than a football field.   We got back to Curly’s in time to watch the Bearcat Bowl game, watching for Creeker’s Ross, Lucky Luke, Snerfy, and L.G., but never saw them.  I was getting pictures text to me during the game, so I thought I was there.   Bearcats won, and we celebrated at Curly’s fairly late into the evening.

Watching UC at Curly's

On Gameday, we ate breakfast at the motel, complete with a Bloody Mary.  We dressed appropriately for a snowy, windy day in Wisconsin, and walked about a mile to Lambeau.   We were at our seats by 11, an hour before the game.  It was stadium seating on aluminum benches, and they pack you in like sardines.   You couldn’t get cold if you were naked, and two guys in front of us took their shirts off the whole game.   It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that they finally made it on TV (we were right behind them) and I’m sure they were purple on a color TV.  The game was awesome, Rodgers didn’t play, but his back up Flynn threw 6 touchdown passes for a Packers franchise record.  The Packers won 45-41 in a scorefest, with 1,000 yards passing.   What a game.  We were 17 rows off the field, Lambeau Leaps were right in front of us.

Bare's Fans?

After the game, we went to Curly’s to get warm.   We got right in, got a table, and watched the Bengals game.   We didn’t leave Curly’s until 8 or so, taking pictures and saying goodbye to one hell of a weekend.   We were in Green Bay for the weekend and only went to our motel and Lambeau Field.  That is all we did and had a great time.      Lambeau is open 7 days a week and there are people there all the time.  There are eateries, shops, receptions, conventions, and even Packer stuff like the Hall of Fame, Pro Shop, and Curly’s (named after Curly Lambeau, the team founder).   Even the outside is cool, with statues of Lombardi and Curly, a tailgating section, and the players parking lot where the kids hang out for autographs.   The history, the 15-1 season, the neighborhood around Lambeau, the people, and all the things to do there, all make Lambeau Field a mecca for football fans, as it should be.  We are already planning our next trip.  Hopefully the Super Bowl party will be at my house again this year.   Go Pack Go.

Number 5 this year?

Meanwhile, back at the Creek.   I imagine Zugs will be there Friday night, Angy and I will be there Saturday afternoon.   The weather looks great for anytime of year, even greater in January.  The fire will be big, the food will be good, and I won’t mention the Packers until someone else brings it up.  Come and see our deer decomposition project, and walk the trails with us.   It is always a good time, but it’s better when you are there.  See you at the Creek.

The Dude says, "Merry New Year!"

I’m sure the Creek wasn’t quiet this past weekend, but it wasn’t humankind that was making any noise.   At least none that we know of.  Christmas being on the weekend makes it difficult to get to the Creek.   Work all week, and enjoy the holiday on the weekend with the family.  It’s not a bad thing.   I always enjoy Christmas and New Year’s in the middle of the week, you get some time off of work to celebrate and still make a run to the Creek on the weekends.   But it was nice to enjoy Christmas Eve on Saturday, Christmas on Sunday, and still have a day off on Monday.  That is how it worked for me, I hope you had the same set of circumstances.

I hope Christmas was as good for you as it was for me and the Brown Family.  With all the medical problems we have endured with my mother, she broke out of the nursing home and moved in with my sister DB.   The Dude is there, too.    We all went to Angy’s sister Faye’s to see Angy’s family on Saturday evening, and then to my sister Donna’s on Sunday to be with my family.   It was just like old times, except we are all getting older and Merry Christmas’s are getting harder to come by each year.  This year was good for both our families.

Our heart and prayers go to the Elsener family, Jean wasn’t able to break out of the nursing home, so Christmas wasn’t as good as it could have been.  Hopefully, the New Year will see better times.

Angy and I won’t be at the Creek this weekend, check with Zugs, he might be out on a reduced visit or might see the New Year at the Creek!   Last year, we went to the Creek on New Year’s Eve–Eve, the night before New Year’s Eve.   That is when we found out someone broke into the LoveShack and robbed us.   Hopefully, our next trip to the Creek will be uneventful.  The year before that, Sner, Lucky Luke, Ross, and I were in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl, and the year before that we all were in Miami at the Orange Bowl.

This year is different.   Sner, Lucky Luke, and Ross are going to Memphis to see the Bearcats plat Vandy at the Liberty Bowl on Saturday.   Angy and I decided we were going to bring in the New Year at a vacation hot spot:   Green Bay, Wisconsin.  We plan on celebrating New Year’s Eve in downtown Green Bay, then enjoy New Year’s Day with a few friends:  65,000 fans watching the Green Bay Packers play the Lions at Lambeau Field.   We have been there before, but not on New Year’s Day and not for a game.   We were hoping for a 16-0 perfect season, but that was blown a couple of games ago.  The game will be on TV, watch for Angy and me 17 rows off the field in the left corner of the end zone.  We will be the ones dressed in Green with a big ”G” on our parka.

Back to the Creek.  We will be back to enjoy the Winter at the Creek.   We have seen some frosty mornings, but no snow yet.   I’m sure its coming, and we’ll be there to have fun on the four wheeler, hiking the trails (they are beautiful in the snow), walking across the frozen pond, and building big fires to keep warm.  It may sound crazy, but you better be ready to get your snow fun in, it won’t be long, less than 60 days, and it will be March.  It goes really quick after the holidays.   December was sweatshirt weather without any snow, we keep this up and we won’t even have a Winter.   I think it will get here—and when it does we will have fun.

Except for a trip to Lake Hope in February, there should be someone at the Creek every weekend until Spring.   Come and get outside and play with us, it’s healthy and it’s fun.   We’ll be watching for you.  Come to the Creek!

Happy New Year from the Browns

We don’t need a good reason to party at the Creek, any old reason will do.  But Solstice Weekend is a huge reason to throw a party and we had a fine one Saturday night.

It started on Friday night.   Angy and I went to Awesome Austin’s 6th birthday party early Friday evening.   It was a fun night with a whole lot of little people and attentive parents.  Nights like that make me appreciate being a grandpa, all the fun without the worry.   We had a drink or two, ate some fine chili spaghetti, lit some candles (1/10th of what was on my last birthday cake), sang a popular song, and finished the night with cake and ice cream.  It was fun, but time for the oldsters to launch to the Creek.   We arrived at the Loveshack around 10pm.

It was a nice night, but a long week, too much cake and ice cream, and an inviting soft, horizontal rack made an early evening for Angy and me.  It’s great waking up at 6am, realizing where you are, and rolling over several times till 8 or 8:30.   That’s what I call a relaxing evening, something that we both earned.  We went to Naptav for breakfast and returned to the Creek on a really nice day around noon.

Nick, Angy, and Snerfy ready to party

Zugs was there when we returned from the Naptav.   Sner rolled in and Nick soon after.   We tried to cut and gather some wood for the evening, but had failures in two chainsaws.   We ended up gathering wood from other stacks, having plenty for a warm evening on the Creek.

It was early afternoon and we decided to start the 2011 Winter Solstice Party.  We fired up the stove, cooked the chili, got out the snacks,  and made the Creek “party ready”.  After setting up, we decided to hike the trail on such a fine day.   Angy had something to show us, something she found on an earlier hike.   Sner, Nick, Angy, and I all hiked the trail, walking to the benches, and around the loop trail.   Angy showed us her find, a Turkey, complete with wings, legs, and bones, with no meat nor head.   It was a bony carcus with wings and feet.  Something had a Turkey dinner just a week or so after Thanksgiving.   We all tried to come up with a predator, deciding on it being coyotes or a fox.  We finished the hike in time to build a nice fire and reheat the deer chili before it got dark.

Happy Thanksgiving!

By nightfall, the candles were lit, the fire was popping, the chili was made, the table was loaded with edible goodies, and our neighbors Lynaya and Bruce rolled in.   It was a small party, just the seven of us, but a beautiful evening with all of us laughing around the fire, it was a great time.   Bruce and Lynaya are always a good time, and when you mix Sner, Nick, and Zugford, lots of laughs are the norm.   We ate deer chili, grazed on pimento cheese dip, watched Nick’s pyro-technics, and talked of a midnight hike, but no one could stay up until midnight.   It was a great Solstice party on a not so wintry night.  I remember some really cold and snowy Winter Solstices, this one was quite tame and pleasant.

St. Nick's bag

The sun was shining by the time I got up, and I still was the first one up.  We all slept in, what a nice way to beat the stress of our real lives.   We had breakfast on the Creek with lots of sunshine and warming temperatures.   It was a chilly night, but by noon it was 40 degrees.   Nick left soon after noon, Zugs and Sner left not long after, leaving Angy and I to sit in the sunshine watching and listening to the Creek.   She did a sudoku while I listened to the Packers.   At halftime, we decided to walk the trail one more time because it was such a

St. Nick in bag

beautiful day.   When we returned, I packed our things while listening to the Packers lose their first game of the season.   That was the only bad thing that happened on a really nice weekend.  We stayed until it started getting dark and left for home.

Usually the Winter Solstice Party is more……Wintery.   Cold.   Snowy.   This year was quite mild, a really nice evening to sit outside by the campfire.   It was a small party by past standards, but quality beat quantity, I had a really nice time with some of my really close friends.  Might be our best Winter Solstice Party ever.

So what’s next?   Christmas!!   Obviously we won’t be at the Creek this weekend, we will be enjoying the wonderful warmth of family traditions.  From all of us who frequent the Creek, we wish you and your family Merry Christmas.  We are blessed with loving families and Christmas is our time to get together and show our love to one another.  We hope that you will enjoy the same love and closeness as we do.  It is a special time for all of us, not just the Santa believers, but also the believers in love and peace.   Christmas is the time when you slow down your busy life and really appreciate your family and those who make your life wonderful.    That is where the “giving of presents”  thing comes in.  We take our friends and family for granted, they are always there as they should be, and because we are so busy, we just move on.   But Christmas tells you to stop and appreciate those you love and show a token of your love and affection with a gift.   A gift of love.   From the heart. We at the Creek offer our gift of love to you, we love you and appreciate what you do for us and for your love and affection.  Enjoy the family this weekend, but plan a weekend next year to share with us.  We would love to see you.

Merry Christmas.

Two wisemen and a good woman

The beauty of the Winter Solstice is that the longest night of the year is followed by longer days.   The 2011 Winter Solstice will be on December 22nd at 5:30 am.  It will be the shortest day of 2011 followed by the longest night.   We have seen the darkness slowly grow and creep into our lives every day since the Summer Solstice, and it is good to put it to an end.   Each day will get a little bit longer, a welcome trend.

We, the Keepers of the Creek, the True Hard Core Creekers (THCCs), the Last Celebrators of the Seasonal Markers, make it a tradition to document and make festive the age old science of the seasonal changes.   Honestly, it gives us a reason to party, and we never let a reason to party go unused.  Indianaland is the perfect place to celebrate these changes, because it actually changes.   What if we were in Florida?   What changes?   What about Arizona?   We have four distinct seasons, they are all different in nature, each one having its personality.   Winter starts in a week or two, and there is no doubt what comes to Indiana in Winter:   Cold, ice, snow, short days, and some serious honkering down.   Spring brings green things and life, a mix of cool and warm days and nights.  Summer is long hot days and cool nights, lots of greenery, and skimpy clothes.   Autumn brings cooler air, green turns into beautiful colors, and the fresh air is welcome to our lungs.

We are blessed to see the changes and enjoy the differences between the seasons.   That is why we celebrate the changing of seasons at the Creek.  Sure, it’s a reason to get together and party, but it is recognition of change, we had that, now we are into something different.  The obvious difference between seasons is wonderful, change is the cure for boredom, and the Creek is never boring.

Because Christmas and the Solstice is basically the same weekend, we decided to move Christmas to the 17th, tell all your families about the change, because we will celebrate the Solstice on December 24th.  Santa has signed on to this and will launch his sleigh on the 17th, making all the children of the world happy on December 18.  Wait.   There might be a simpler solution……..   I know.   We will celebrate Solstice on the 17th, and leave Christmas Eve and Christmas on the 24th and 25th.  You know they were celebrating the Solstice many years before Christmas came along, but now is not the time to confuse all the children who have waited patiently for December 25th.

So.  It is done.   The 2011 Winter Solstice Celebration will be at Laughery Creek on Saturday, December 17.   We will provide the entrée (Angy and I are bringing Chili, Zugs and Sner will marvel you with a stunning staple), please bring a plate or dessert to please the average grazer.  As always, I will cook ominous omelets for breakfast.  We make sure the Winter Solstice is properly introduced with excellent food and drink, the Druids would have it no other way.

Maybe it is the busy schedules of Creekers, but it always seems that we have more visitors at the Summer Solstice than we do at the Winter Solstice.  Nevertheless, we would like to see you at the Creek this weekend, the weather seems to be favorable and the good times are guaranteed.  Do the daytrip or spend the night and eat breakfast with us, we are excited about the Winter Solstice and the longer days that follow.

Here is the coolest part of Winter Solstice.  I know that a lot of people are not like me and don’t truly appreciate the beauty of Winter:  Snow, ice, sledding, four wheeling, ice fishing, hiking, and more.   The coolest part is how close we are to Spring.   Summer was over a long time ago, we have seen dreary days and lots of cloudy/rainy days and nights all through Autumn.  But March 1st  is just 72 days away.   Start the countdown, March 1st is not that far off.   March 1st is the start of good things to follow, the occasional warm day, a little greenery, and soon Spring.  When we get to March, it’s no looking back, we might see a snow or two, but they are short lived and 50 degrees the next day.  So even the most pessimistic of you have to feel good about making the turn towards March.  It will be here soon.

This weekend we celebrate the end of short days and loner nights.  We tip our glass and toast the 182 day journey to the longest day.  Put on your longjohns, your favorite hoody and gloves and come to the Creek for our Winter Solstice Party.   The big fire will keep you warm on the outside, you bring the perfect drink to warm your innerds.  Laugh and enjoy good friends, good times, good food, and great reverence to the changing of the Seasons.   We are ready for Winter.   Mother Nature:  Bring it on!!!!  See you at the Creek.

The Solstice is literally the tipping point.   The Earth has tilted away from the Sun far enough and will now start heading the sunshining way.   After the Solstice, the days start getting longer, and I am into that!  Soon the days will start getting longer and in less than 90 days it will be March.   That is certainly a reason to party.

PARTY!

The Solstice is a reason to party, you are invited to the Laughery Creek Solstice Party on December 17.   It’s a little early this year, the next weekend is December 24 and a lot of little people would be disappointed if we were partying at the Creek instead of watching for Santa that night.   Not that we wouldn’t have fun, but traditions are not something that you want to buck.   So we decided to celebrate the Solstice on Saturday the 17th.  Come and spend the night, we have the Teepee, the Palace, and a warm fire to sleep next to if you desire.   Or come and do a daytrip, come and celebrate and head back home, we aren’t that far, many daytrippers have come and gone and we enjoyed seeing them and the daytrippers had a good time.  It gives you a reason to party, a reason to get outdoors and enjoy the company of some really great people.   We will have chili and other entrees, all you should bring is a side dish or dessert, but one that doesn’t freeze.  Winter Solstice is a bit cooler than the one in June.

Zugs and I were at the Creek this weekend.   I had to work and joined Zugford around 2pm at the Creek on Saturday.   We listened to the Bearcats win a share of the Big East Championship and a trip to Liberty Bowl in Memphis.   I won’t be going to the bowl game this year, Angy and I will be at the Packers game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on January 1.  I’m sure there will be other Creekers going to the game.

Zugs and I had a nice time on a warm night at the Creek.   Gary Jr. stopped in to visit, he is the son of our neighbor who visits on occasion and is a welcome sight.   We enjoy sitting around the fire with a local, especially Gary who is a great young man (married to Tai with a little Gary at home) and a good friend.   Not long after Gary left, Bruce and Lynaya, our neighbors on the other side stopped in.   They have become great friends and we always have a good time when they visit.   We have great neighbors, it just makes the Creek in Osgood, Indiana a wonderful place.  Saturday night was really nice, both the weather and the company.   What started out as a night when me and Zuggy spend the whole night planning projects at the Creek we can’t afford and probably won’t do (but it is fun making plans!!), ended up as a fun night with great neighbors.   I hope your neighbors at your home are as good as ours at the Creek.

On Sunday, rain was predicted early so Zugs and I decided to close up the Creek, head into town to eat, stop and see a friend at a nursing home (he had fallen and broken his hip, another great friend from Indiana), and then to head home early.   It was raining before noon, our choice was a good one.

Lotsa Rain.   You gotta be kidding me.

Monday it rained, and it rained a lot.   I got a call from a friend that my dog was in the water in his dog house.   I went home to rescue him to higher ground, but really thought the rain wasn’t heavy enough to flood the house.   Always in denial, I finally succumbed to the flood notion when the water lapped up against the house.  When you live in the floodplain in a major river, don’t be surprised when it floods.   The surprising thing is the frequency.   In over 20 years, Angy and I have seen 10 floods.  It happens every two years or so and we are ready for it.  Water goes in the garage, everything is up and we have never lost anything in 20 years.  It is a pain in the arse, a little bit of work, about one day of work per flood, equating to 10 days in 20 years of living on a beautiful river.  But it is a pain, and you don’t ever want to see a flood.

Here is the weird part.  In 20 years we have seen 10 floods, never more than one in one year.   This year we have seen number 11, 12, and 13.   We have seen 3 floods in one year.  Coincidence?  Or this global warming thing has some merit to it.  Nevertheless, I have never had a flood before January 1 until this year, this flood was on December 5.  If you live on top of the hill, be grateful.   It’s a little difficult in the lowlands these days.   I have no plans on moving to a higher elevation, life is wonderful next to the river.   It would take a complete blog to tell you how wonderful it is.  But….there are days that are unbelievable, and Monday was one of those days.

Meanwhile, back to the Creek:   We will be there this weekend, and certainly the 17th to celebrate the Solstice.  We will not be there on the next two weekends, Christmas and New Years.   See you this weekend and/or Solstice Weekend.  Every weekend after that will be more and more daylight, another reason to celebrate, and we are all about celebrations.

Come to the Creek.   Come to the Creek.  You will miss us more than we will miss you……because we will be at the Creek.

It’s late, I’ll some photos tomorrow night………….

It’s almost December and we need a good blast of arctic air to chill our bones.  No, really.   I’ll explain it later and you might just agree with me.

I didn’t make it to the Creek this weekend, too much weekend.   Sometimes it is easier to get to the Creek on a two day weekend, the three and four day weekends usually come with plans that curtails a visit to Indiana.   I am told Zugford was there, Sner, Angy, and I was not.  Angy is still in North Carolina, I was cooking for hundreds at the Miamitown Christmas Walk, and Sner was busy doing Snerlike things.  It’s a shame, because it really was a nice weekend to be at the Creek.  I’m sure Zuggy enjoyed the warm weather.

It’s no secret that I like the snow and cold weather.  There are obvious reasons:  No skeeters, ticks, gnats, or other insects that like to make you feel buggy.   Less ice to buy, your drink stays cold.  The air is cleaner, fresher.   Green is pretty, but fall colors and fallen snow and ice in the trees is even prettier.  The fires are bigger, ambiance fires are cute, but blazers that warm the bones are devine.   There isn’t any grass to cut, most of the work is cutting and spitting firewood, and its nicer to work hard in cooler temperatures.  There is great fun:   four wheeling, sledding behind the four wheeler, hiking the trails, walking across the pond, ice fishing, and more.  

Okay, let’s be fair, there are some downers:   It’s cold out.  Less people visit.  Sometimes the driveway can be a challenge to get to the top.  Nothing is worse than a 35 degree rain.

Given the good and the bad, I have learned to enjoy the good and easily deal with the bad.   It starts with good equipment.   Good insulated boots and gloves, Carhart bibs and jacket over jeans and a shirt and sweatshirt.   It’s a little cumbersome, but I stay warm and my feet stay dry.   No one gets cold at the Creek, we always have a fire and plenty of places to go and get warm if your clothes fail you.   The LoveShack is always toasty, much warmer than my house on the Whitewater.   You should never–never be cold.   It’s not like you are somewhere and can’t go and get warm.   We have warm places all over the place.

Since all the bugs are gone, and you won’t get cold, you have the ability to really enjoy the Great Outdoors in the Winter months.   You could be a Winter camper at the Creek!   Don’t believe me?  I offer proof:   Ask Angy and the Dude   I was a Winter camper since Boy Scouts, so was Sner and Zuggy.   We went on Winter campouts and they were the best memories of camping.  I camped in Ontario in December where the snow was four feet deep, we used snowshoes to backpack into the woods, and never touched the ground for 5 days.  Angy was never a Winter camper, and had doubts about being at the Creek on cold weekends.  We got her the right equipment, she learned how to stay warm with a big fire or toasty LoveShack, and now she sees the beauty of being outdoors in the Winter.   The Dude is another story.   We duded him up with Carharts, boots, and gloves and he never complains about the cold.   What he likes is the early nighttime, enabling him to go to the LoveShack earlier and watch Octopus vs. Shark.  No complaints here.   Angy actually told me she likes Winter camping over Summer camping, and it has to do with the lack of bugs and the heat.

What we need is a cold snap.   A real hurtful blast of arctic air to chill our bones, make us cower in a hot shower to get warm.  Here’s why:   We have had it pretty good, warm days, cool nights, with a taste of what is coming.   It will continue to get colder each day, slowly chilling your bones more and more.  It will go on until mid January or early February when the ice age will knock on your door and you won’t answer because you will be standing in front of an electric heater in your living room.

Several years ago, not too long ago, we got some arctic blasts in early December, high temperatures in the teens for about two weeks.   It was cold, way cold for early December.   But we toughed it out and by Christmas it was 25-30, still below freezing.   Since we had seen the cold stuff, we were used to it and the rest of the Winter was sweatshirt weather.  Getting an early blast toughens you up and you are ready for the rest of the Winter.   We need that now, and Winter won’t be so cold.

Snow is fun, and we had a lot of both last year.   I think with all the snow we got last year, it was one of the best Winters I can remember since I was a kid.  They (who is they?) are predicting a wet Winter, with possibly a lot of snow.  I can’t wait.  Remember equipment?  I have a four wheel drive pick up and Jeep, with a generator at the house for the really bad storms.   I’m ready for Winter–Bring it on!!  I’m pumped!!!

Okay, I’m back.   The point is that we have to look at this cold, dark time of year as an opportunity to get out and smell the frozen rosebushes.  Embrace this change of weather as something that is interesting and fun.   And do it at the Creek.   We will keep you warm.   We will stoke the fire and raise the thermostat at the LoveShack.   We will hike the trails.  We will cut donuts with the four wheeler, walk across the pond, and enjoy the beauty of a fresh fallen snow.  We will get you up the driveway, no one has ever been stranded at the Creek, but even that would be a good time.

Embrace the incoming Season.  I will.  Join the enjoyment with me at the Creek.

          It’s great to hang out with people your own age, you think alike, you have many of the same interests, and at our age, you have the same aches and pains to talk about.   But it’s also great to hang out with the next generation.  You get to see what you used to be, and get a different perspective on what’s to come.

          Me and the Dude rolled in on Friday night about the same time as Zugford.  He head to the Legion, I built a fire and the Dude meandered between the Creek and the LoveShack.   The fire was big, we ate, and enjoyed a star struck evening.   I hung out at the fire until Zugford returned, while the Dude went to the LoveShack to review some of his favorite DVDs like Octopus vrs. Shark.  Zugs returned and we stayed up way too late on a great evening catching up on life in general.

          Saturday morning was typical, we rolled to Naptav for breakfast, Natty Lites, and Patsy Cline, only to roll back to the Creek on a cloudy day.   The Bearcat Football team was on the radio, and it was a perfect time to build a small fire, put out some snacks, and listen to them lose a game they shouldn’t have lost.   It was such a good time that we listened to the Bearcat Basketball team lose a game they shouldn’t have lost, losing a perfectly perfect afternoon at the Creek that would have been better if we had done anything else but sit around a fire eating snacks listening to losing sports teams.  We had high hopes for both and anticipated happier outcomes. 

          The day started with me, the Dude, and Zugford, but early afternoon brought Snerfy, then Parks, and then Ross and Sena.  Even though the hometeam was losing (twice in one day), one knew that the next generation was going to spur the old guys into a fun evening.  After the games, we ate Betty’s Chili (a Brown Chili Tradition made by me with Betty Brown’s recipe).  There was lots of discussion between the generations at the firepit, with lots of laughter and generational fun.  There was a late night hike led by Sner who led everyone to the High Lizard Ridge benches, only for him to lay down and fall asleep.   Some of us (me) crashed early, and the youngster’s stayed up partying way past my bedtime.

          Sunday was even more cloudy and spitting rain.   Breakfast was served at the Creek:   Ham and Cheese omelet served on a thin wheat bun with a side of bacon.  There was more discussion and reflection on last night’s revelations, along with a historical reading from the Journal, many entries over ten years old.  It started raining early, prompting an early departure from optimistic Bengal fans who had dreams of victory.  Their dreams were squashed, leaving only one Green Bay fan with a smile on his face.   An early departure found the gate locked before 3pm.

Creek Matriarch Update

          Two of the most important people in our lives are still in nursing homes.   Jean, Sner and Zugs Mom, and Betty, my and the Dude’s Mom, are still recouping from major setbacks in their lives.   As reported in a previous blog, both our mothers had serious medical problems almost simultaneously.  Jean fell at home and broke her hip, had surgery, and is now mending in a Kenwood nursing home, and Betty is recouping from back surgery and is in a Harrison nursing home.  I saw Jean just after surgery at the hospital, but I haven’t gotten on the Eastside to see her at the nursing home.   I have reports from Zugs and Sner that she is doing good, but she wants the healing process to be quicker.  Betty is having more problems, but has a great attitude and is doing pretty good.   It’s amazing, both of these wonderful ladies always have a smile on their face whenever you see them.  I’m not a fan of nursing homes, but our mothers always make the visit worthwhile.  I’m not sure I’ll have the same attitude if faced with their problems, which makes me respect and love them so much more.  We are blessed to have such wonderful women we call Mom. 

          What a contrast to hang out with the young generation at the Creek with their attitude and vision of the future, and then to visit the last generation who looks at the past which brings them so much pleasure.  Our kids are looking forward for that smile that our parents get by looking backward.   As one in the middle, I can enjoy our kids and their vision, smile at them and then look toward our parents who enjoy looking at the accomplishments of their past, which is us and our children.  It’s the full cycle of two fine families, and I get to enjoy both generations.

          These are difficult times with loved ones in serious situations.  Along with job stresses and homelife obligations, the Creek becomes an important part of our life.  Stress kills, it’s a proven fact, and a place like the Creek where the long driveway and great outdoors can take you away from the stressful grip of life, it’s great to walk the trails, sit by an open fire, and sleep in an environment with no alarm clocks.   Stress has no place at the Creek, it’s our haven to enjoy a secluded life and reflect on the outside pressures.   You should try it, it works. 

          Life is good.  We have a pair of women we call Mom who we are proud of and love dearly.   We have a preserve, a haven removed from our normal stressful lives where we visit to regain our sanity and learn to laugh and smile.  For those who come out and visit the Creek, you know what I am talking about.  It’s important that you visit, you help us smile and keep our sanity in a difficult world.  We hope you achieve the same nirvana. 

          The weather is changing for the worse or better, depending on your perspective on cold weather and snow.   I happen to like it, so crazy as it seems, I think the weather is getting better.   Come and visit us at the Creek no matter the weather, we have this fire thing going to keep you warm, and laughter is amost guaranteed.   Laughter depends on you, we will try hard to help you achieve it, but it comes within.  Come and laugh with us at the Creek.  We can laugh at the weather all winter long.

          If you are thinking of visiting this Thanksgiving weekend, give Zuggy a call.   I’ll be at the Miamitown Christmas Walk (you are invited, I’ll be cooking at the Historical Society) and Sner can’t make it.  From the THCCs:   We hope you have a thankful and wonderful Thanksgiving.  We have a lot to be thankful for, I hope you do to.