A touch of frost this morning in Dixie

[Riley Smith]

It's chilly in the Southland this morning, with a little frost here for the first time. We picked the oranges off the tree the other day and got a big bag full. And the sun is shining today so it should be really nice after a while. There is a big pile for the New Year's bonfire on the beach at the Labrot House and we should be able to stay warm in the night The weather seems to be cooperating for once, as we need a northern component in the wind to burn. There isn't much boating going on but I've got new halyards to make and I'll get the stuff lined out for it. !/4" line. It isn't easy putting a thimble and eye in small line and you need a fid, which I ONCE had but I'll have to get another. We'll prolly watch our share of football, too, although I have refrained all year, having lost passion for the hoopla. We had a considerable surplus on our HSA card and went shopping last night at CVS before it expired. Imma open a drug store!

At any rate, y'll have a great New Year!

[Brian N.]

Thanks for the New Year wishes - May 2024 bring good Health and Happiness. No sailing here, despite the milder winter weather (so far). Boat is in bed, the halyards and lines all washed and coiled.

[Spot]

Happy New Year's to All!
We are hovering around freezing as a daytime high all week, possibly some rain/snow mix tonight.

[Riley Smith]

That's our low at the moment, so we've heated the plants we want to keep alive (I still have a few tomatoes!) and enjoyed the warm afternoons. So far we haven't had any of that extended rain and gloom either. I try and keep S R Cat available to sail if the occasion occurs during the winter. It has happened a few times over the years but during that time, the option of the river diminishes due to currents and high water. That still leaves the whole coastline but that adds distance too, so chances are much muted. Almost never during the holidays too.
 My work compatriots are invested in the college football championship and will be back from their oldtimers vacation rights on Tuesday. I did a look before the season started and realized Alabama had one of the hardest schedules I've seen in a while, so believe it or not, ROLL TIDE!!! I can't believe I just said that!

[Jim B., CD-25]

Happy New Year, Riley, and all the other good folks here.  It will be a very quiet New Years Eve for us.  After almost 4 years of keeping Covid at bay, it got to me on Friday.  I had just gotten home from a motorcycle ride and my nose was snotting up (technical medical term).  Then a scratchy throat... better take a test.  Not like I was going to go out and party this evening prior to testing positive.

It hit me like a truck the next day.  Joan took me to Urgent Care, where they prescribed Paxlovid as well as 3 other things... I am old, with other underlying issues.

Now living in the desert (Phoenix area) I thought maybe we'd get away from the cultural setting off of fireworks that was such a big deal in the Tropical Tip.  Based on what we heard at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and this week between Christmas and New Years, fireworks are just as popular here.  I haven't seen any PSA commercials warning people to NOT fire off guns into the air for New Years Eve - that was a standard every year in south Texas... seems that some people didn't understand that the bullet you shoot up is going to come down.  Somewhere.

Wishing us all a good 2024!

[Norm L.]

Yours is the second report I've gotten about friends getting C19. And all from Arizona. Id cactus a spreader?

[Riley Smith]

I'm sorry you have the crud. Mine didn't last too long....couple of days but I had a real cough afterwards for about a week. I had saved the antibiotics instead of taking them right off when I visited the doc, and started on them when the cough came on. That worked out well as I could tell the chest congestion was serious when that cough developed. Hope you feel better soon.

We did the New Year's thing and I didn't get to shoot my gun. That all depended on the bonfire and IT got cancelled due to wind the OPPOSITE way we needed. Kinda lost all spark after that but Charles (Brother-in-law's clan) played Hallelujah on the piano, Sonya accompanied, and the old house rocked with the chorus. Yes, grand times. Me and Mr. Bean fell asleep on the couch long before midnight

Happy New Year.