Saturday, January 1, 2011

A happy and prosperous New Year to all of our followers

Hello to our readers, and a happy and prosperous New Year to us all (and Belated Seasons Greetings too).

So since it's starting a new year I thought I'd better post something, and anyway we have quite nice temps it's 10F outside according to our little thermometer.

Over the past couple of weeks we had Christmas with the neighbors, which included games of Pictionary (where we warned them repeatedly that having Plick and I on the same team was highly unfair to our opponents), and Phase 10 (a lot like Rummy) and much eating. Last night I went up there to watch some New Year arson going on with a small fireworks display, in the dark it's very understandable that doing this on July 4th is likely a really bad idea, as you watch little red burning things descend slowly into the black spruce.

Other than those events we've been kicking back and trying to kick some bugs (or the same bug) we've picked up, it's always the same at this time of year, just like cold and flu season everywhere else, I guess.

There have been some technical issues, my Laptop died, in unusual circumstances, somehow the little soldier that could survived a couple of high falls, a full cup of coffee, being frozen outside at -40F for half an hour while I repointed our satellite dish (and subsequent frozen condensation), repeated impacts to the power connector (from the dog) that is notoriously fragile on the model it is, and playing some graphic intensive games while the heat sink was a bit gummed up and the thing was hot enough to be very uncomfortable on your lap. However after those abuses, the little soldier that could died due to a small splash of more coffee (and I mean small). He will be sorely missed, until I figure out the parts he needs for his resurrection. Our wireless router died too, for no apparent reason, the gods are not happy I fear.

This morning we were woken by one of our new neighbors coming in to say "Hi", well that all nice and all, but driving in here on a snow machine and a rifle boot doesn't make me feel good, and asking where the trail behind out tent goes is none of your damned business, it's on our property please go perform a physically impossible activity. Oh and apparently his son has parked his truck somewhere on the trail that may make it difficult for us to get out (or he wouldn't have mentioned it) hope not, boyo, or the truck might wind up winched into the trees back about 10 feet. You know the irritating thing, is the presumption, the presumption that coming up to our place and asking questions is ok, that leaving a truck in a place that might be inconvenient is ok (given that there's about 2' of snow on top of ice, on top of 6" of snow). Oh and his Arctic Camo was irritating too, hey moron, if you get hurt how is someone going to easily see you in your swanky arctic camo suit unless you're fountaining blood, it's not like most animals you'd hunt see colors anyway, and anything to break up your outline will work just as well. Oh and apparently I was standing outside freezing, in my Mucks, jeans and undershirt, really? I'm probably going to cut wood dressed like this in about an hour, it's freaking 10F that's 60 degrees warmer than I was cutting wood last week. Please get a clue... Oh and I hope to high heaven they haven't touched our firewood or there's going to be a damned deliverance moment. Now perhaps you guys can understand why we moved to the boonies... :)

13 comments:

carlos said...

totaly understand!

can you set some moron traps or something?
artic camo!
gee...

in any case great to ear from you

Anonymous said...

Have been worried about you two and am glad to see that you are both still "alive and kicking"!

Apparently the snow and ice is not enough to keep out all the riffraff. Pity. Keep a close eye out.

When you say, "new neighbor", is it someone who has permanently moved into the immediate vicinity or just a seasonal jerk? Hopefully, the latter.

Welcome to 2011, you guys. I hope this is a highly productive year for you both.
--
Sam....

Anonymous said...

so where does the trail behind your tent go? duhhh to the out house maybe You did tell him about that mysterious critter down in the whole that you caught and sent him to look for it in the dark.
Oh well, considering all the good neighbors you have spoken of it figures that there is at least one village idiot :-}

Anonymous said...

I've been worried about you guys since it was so long since your last post. It's good to learn that you're fine. Spring is just around the corner and you'll get comfortably settled into your new home in 2011. Yours is one of the more interesting blogs that I follow and I check it daily for new posts. So, damnit, don't keep us waiting so long next time! Happy New Year. // BSV

Dan Lynch said...

Gee, Gungnir, you automatically hate people who drive snow machines and wear artic camo ? Maybe you should have homesteaded in Florida, instead ?

But, I'm glad you two are alive, and thanks for the beautiful Xmas pic.

Anonymous said...

Apparently you didn't move far enough out in the boonies.

Crank up the generator for a bit and get some electric fence up.

Sue Sullivan said...

Yay, you're still going strong! Another avid blog reader who was starting to worry...
Get well and sorry to read that the bad neighbors manage to find you no matter how far out into the boonies you move.
Sue

Gungnir said...

Some explanation seems to be in order on the neighbor.

Firstly this is a new neighbor, they live in Fairbanks and I think they're likely to be using the parcel they got occasionally.

People here mind their own business, that's why we're here. If there's a trail leading off onto someone's property you don't ask "oh where does that go" because its none of your business. The last person who did this kind of thing wound up being chased off one of our friends land with a warning that if he returned he'd be met by Mr Smith and Mr Wesson throwing very fast things made by Mr Winchester and Mr Remington. I was not that assertive with this guy.

I don't automatically dislike people on snow machines, what I dislike is suburban commando's, playing with their toys in the wilderness, wearing the "right" labels for this years fashions (including the snow machine, rifle boot and Cabela's winter pattern camo). We don't have enough snow to need a snow machine on used trails either. I guess I've just experienced enough of these kinds of people in our time here to be highly wary of them, because in general they do things that are not necessarily good ideas either for themselves or others who live in the near vicinity, and they tend to just do things on and to others property that they have no rights to and think it'll be just fine.

Now on the Camo aspect there is only ONE reason to use terrain colored camo, and that's for concealment against creatures that can see in color, right here that leaves only one creature, and we're it. If you use pink camo you'll be just as concealed here against everything else in winter as you would be with arctic. The regular hunting season is closed, he can't hunt here under subsistence rules since he's not a local resident.

Anonymous said...

Well, there's idiots, useful idiots, and goddamned idiots. Methinks Mr. Neighbor is in the latter category. I think Robert Frost wrote a poem about how to cope with G-D I's. Something about good walls.

Happy New Year, you three! (Our colliemutt Seamus woofs a hello to Rip!) This one goes to '11!! ROCK ON!

Viva -- Sager

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about the drama to start the new year.

How is the cabin progressing with the "nicer" weather?

Hope all is well up there.

Anonymous said...

You should give him a musical toilet. That should keep him busy... Oh i have an old linksys wireless n router 10/100 you can have if you want..

Anonymous said...

I would have thought folks up there would know better - how rude! You don't do that around here, and we're quite populated (Western NC). But your explanation cleared that up.

Hope ya'll are warm and your critters are well and you'll be well soon. Jennifer

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately there is more of those morons out there than not...just be careful. You all are at 10....hehe you ought to be just a hair farther south...of Denali that is. We are getting rain and it is a whopping 40 degrees down this way. Good that you all are fine. I was getting worried actually. Been a while since plickity was on the forum too...not like her to go quiet for that long.

Wash