Frozen Pipes All Over The Place

Thankfully our pipes have made it through OK but we know of at least four in the neighborhood whose sprinkler system valves blew off. One was in the area I'm responsible for on the Neighborhood Watch. They were home, so it was easy for me to notify them. They didn't even know about the flood outside! The other was down the street but that captain didn't have info so they called me. I checked the tax records, then the white pages, and got a phone number for them. The other two were neighbors who were home and aware of the situation.

My walking friend Gerre was in NYC and came home to a leak in the pool, broken sprinkler pipes and a broken pipe at their lake house on Lake Conroe. Welcome back! Yeah, right.

They are predicting above freezing (barely) at night with temps creeping back into the 50s and 60s during the day. But that will also bring rain. I'd get out of here if there was somewhere to go. I think AZ and CA are the only two places we could pull the RV to and get warm. Leo and Shirley came back from the Rio Grande Valley when it hit 28. She said she'd rather be cooped up at home than in her "tin can" as she calls their Class C motorhome. We'll just have to "cowboy up" and wait it out.

We stayed home all weekend and Ted made chili one night and tortellini soup the next. Good weather for soup. Other than church and runs to the grocery store and Sam's, I don't think we went out at all.

I had my Canasta group in yesterday and all went well. We always have a good time. I actually came in second and turned my $1 into $5. They did pretty well eating the food I had. I have bunco next Monday so the nuts and candy I put on the playing tables will be put back out. Ted will eat any leftover nuts but the candy will have to go to the food bank. I have no will power.

Our summer trip is starting to shape up. I think we'll be at Rayford for Memorial Day and leave on Tuesday to arrive in Cincinnati on Thursday. Friday is Jesse and Joe's wedding. We'll stay two weeks and then head to Michigan for Morgan and Ally's dance recital. We may stay there through July 4 and then head to Alpena where Howard and Linda will be work camping. Then we're heading across the Upper Peninsula into Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and then south back to Texas to arrive by mid-August. We will leave 8/21 for Cancun. It will be a shorter summer than usual. The Texas Boomers are having a big Labor Day 10th anniversary rally in Boerne, TX and the Hitchhiker rally is in October in Montgomery, TX so we'll just stay around for those things.

I'm thinking spring and called the deck company to come out and renovate our deck. It is 7 years old now and needs some TLC. I'm also having a floor guy in to look at refinishing our wood floors, changing out the bedroom carpet and perhaps putting a wood floor in the office. We have never stayed long enough in homes to have to deal with painting, removing wallpaper, re-carpeting, etc. so this is a new adventure for us.

Stay warm wherever you are. If you need to get out in snow and ice, walk carefully and for good measure, carry a big stick.