Weather Conditions – Todd Bennetar

February 2, 2016

Groundhog Day 2016

Today is Groundhog Day. If this furry little varmint sees his shadow, then we are doomed to six more weeks of winter. If he does not, then Spring is just around the corner – 6 weeks or less. I personally don’t see the logic in this. If you don’t see your shadow, it’s because the sun is behind a bunch of clouds. What does that have to do with foretelling the speed of spring’s approach? Spring will get here in her own good time.

In these parts, spring does not come in February, no matter what shadows lurk around groundhog holes, although yesterday we did enjoy warm temps – it hit 60 degrees and felt great when I took the dogs out for their walk. So February takes up 4 weeks of winter, regardless of the shadow seeing moment. The question then becomes, how far into March do we have cold weather? Does a quick spring conflict with the other old saying, “If March comes in like a lion then it goes out like a lamb”? I say, welcome the lion and forget the groundhog!

January 12, 2016

No Snow Could Mean Possible Early Drought Like Conditions Around Here

In many ways we have been extremely lucky this winter with the small amount of snow that we have had to deal with last week. Other than that one time we haven’t had squat, which has made this winter a much easier one to get a handle on since I haven’t had to be out and about getting about the business around here at the farm under control when we get snow. Other places haven’t been all that lucky and have had to deal with severe snowstorms all winter. It is only in my area that the snow removal companies aren’t making any money and the kids are still going to school, but who knows when this blessing will come to end.

The only good thing about getting snow is being able to enjoy it with a child for a few days and the fact that our grounds aren’t getting the soaking that they are used to getting each winter, so we may have drought conditions even earlier in the year this summer. That wouldn’t be a good thing for farmers such as myself and all kinds of other people that depend on the earth’s harvests that we rely on for food and other products. Well we still have another month or so to go before spring arrives, so if it is going to snow I just wish that it would get on with it and get her done. I have lots of animals that don’t appreciate the snow storms either, but I’m ready for it when the time comes, it could be very well a real dozy.

December 11, 2015

TV and Sports Programs

A good friend of mine has cable and I subscribe to satellite, so we tend to bounce back and forth to each others living room in order to get the best of both worlds. He gets the best in cable sports, while I get the Sunday ticket package, so between the two of us we get it all. It’s just too bad that we don’t live closer to each other but I can handle an hour drive in order to enjoy the companionship of a good friend and in order to enjoy a sporting event that I don’t get on my television. He has put to good use the Cloop – Your Handy Magnetic Cable Keeper that I brought over to his place a few weeks ago. His place is a total nightmare, even for being a confirmed bachelor (as I am myself) that I just couldn’t deal with all the cables that keep seeming to breed and cluster all under the entertainment center that he is currently using.

Say Hello to Cloop- Your Handy Magnetic Cable Tie. — Say goodbye to tangled headphones

We both try to keep the refrigerator full of beer and each is responsible for bringing over some munchies to enjoy during the games. It usually isn’t anything fancy, maybe some popcorn, nuts, chips and dip, something along that line. Once in a while we’ll call the local pizza joint to have a pizza delivered, since neither one of us enjoys cooking and we both enjoy a thin crust pepperoni pizza.

I have found that Cox cable sports really does have the best selections available. And if I didn’t have the opportunity to go over to my buddies place to watch these sports with him I would most likely switch over to Cox cable. But I have had satellite for a good long time and have always had good customer service and I don’t pay a lot of money each month so for now I’ll just stay put. Since I do live alone it does me good to get out once in a while and I’ve known this guy for most of my life and it works out well for the both of us.

November 24, 2015

Christmas Trees

Well today is the day I’ll be cutting my Christmas tree. I’m one of the lucky folks who has the ability to just walk out to the “back forty” and cut down a tree off of my own property. Just one of the benefits of having a farm, I guess! You can plan your own Christmas tree needs and take care of that with very little trouble. I was noticing that the live Christmas vendors are selling live trees for $60 and up this year! I think that is a pretty steep price! And a lot of the live Christmas trees that consumers buy off of tree lots (and some farms) are covered with chemicals used to control pests.

I don’t spray my trees, so I’m confident that whatever tree I bring into the house is chemical free. And for every tree that I cut down, I plant three in its place so I don’t feel too bad about wreaking havoc on the environment by cutting down a tree on my own farm. I think that if I didn’t have that option of cutting down my own tree on my own farm that I’d probably buy an artificial one – they don’t cost that much anymore and are easy to care for. The only problem with them, as far as I’m concerned is where to store them in the “off season!”

fresh cut — Can’t Get Any Fresher Than This

October 31, 2015

Halloween

I don’t get many trick-or-treaters out here to the farm. Never have had many of them, we live so far out in the boonies, and our driveway is a very long distance from the road. So I don’t bother laying in a stock of Halloween candy for trick-or-treaters. I just lay in a stockpile of quarters and if anyone shows up I’ll give them a couple of quarters. I figure that when I was a kid I would have much preferred money to candy anyway! Parents don’t have to worry about kids getting too much of a sugar high from quarters, either! I figure it’s the perfect “treat.”

September 25, 2015

Daylight Savings Time Ends at 2:00 a.m.

Tonight is a night that I look forward to all year long, each and every year. At 2:00 a.m. we are all supposed to set our clocks back one hour and to let Daylight Savings Time end for the year 2015. This is not my favorite “holiday” life is so much better when it stays lighter out for longer periods of time.

Right in the middle of summer is actually stays light until after 9:00 p.m., which is so awesome. Since I spend so much of my time outside in the yard and the garden that time of the year and I tend to wait for the sun to go down and it becomes dark to to in the house to start to fix,cook, and eat dinner, some of the summer time my dinners aren’t until almost 11 o’clock, sometimes midnight!

Anyway, don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour tonight folks.

September 13, 2015

Amazing Rainbow

This picture has become very well known by now, on TV, in the newspapers and magazines alike and of course all over the World Wide Web. I don’t like beating a dead horse but this is just to special not to post here. It’s all in the timing, as they say!

pre 9/11 rainbow — Becoming The Most Well Known Rainbow In The 21st Century

September 5, 2015

It’s All About The Weather Gods

My sister and her family (hubby and two kids) are leaving tomorrow for their last fling of the summer. Most kids are all ready back in school, but she home schools her kids so they don’t have to worry about the kids missing the first part of school and can take advantage of the reduced rates that are offered for after the Labor Day week end is over and done with.

The whole family enjoys playing golf and hopefully the weather will be great for the beach as well as a few rounds of golf. There are wonderful Myrtle Beach golf courses that they will be checking out. Sis spent a good amount of time online looking for the best Myrtle Beach golf packages and her efforts paid off when she landed on http://www.myrtlebeachgolf.net. Their site made it nice and easy where she could arrange their tee times and their accommodations at the same time.

She picked the Stay & Play Golf package and I’m sure I’ll be hearing all the details along with plenty of pictures and videos that they will be taking. Hope they have a blast, may the weather gods be gentle with them. This time of the year you never know what to expect!

July 20, 2015

Birdhouses and Feeders

My parents used to love putting up birdhouses, they really enjoyed finding interesting birdhouses and feeders here and there and the back part of the yard is filled with numerous varieties of them that are still hanging about. Some are really old and in bad shape, so I’ve been contemplating taking some of those down and trashing them and looking for some new ones to replace them with that would fill in the gaps that will be left.

My father made some of them that are out there himself and I hate to toss any of those out, guess I’ll have to take all things in consideration when I take on this task. Dad was a very handy man and made so many things that I have to decide upon what to do with at some point, not a cheerful chore to even to think about.

This one is my all time favorite. I have no clue where he came up with this one, but it has always fascinated me. I don’t know if he made it or if he bought it or was given to him. Too bad I’ll never know the story behind it.

July 14, 2015

Paint Ball Update

The recent game of paintball ended up being a blast, a good time was had by all. The weather was perfect, no rain or severe heat threatened the days fun. More peopled showed up than I expected but it all worked out and I’m looking forward to the next scheduled game day,

I’m not nearly as tired or sore as I anticipated, since I had not playing a game in some time. So next time I will not be as anxious about the whole ordeal and can relax and enjoy the sport for what it is. I still want to buy my Tippmann A-5 Scenario Paintball Gun as well as the whole darned set that is pictured with it.

the whole kaboodle — Tippmann A-5 Paintball Marker Gun 3Skull Flatline Paddles Set