Meet Chunk the Groundhog. He’s found a garden that he (and a buddy) love to visit. Chunk has also found a very easy-going garden owner who lets Chunk take advantage of the bounty.
Chunk lives underneath the shed by the garden and loves to stare into the camera while eating. Chunk’s gotta a pretty good set up!
Chunk’s got his own YouTube page and lots of videoa. Check it out here! Or check out his Instagram account here.
DCG
The winter storm Uri is hitting many states which means snow and ice. There’s a lot of drivers in hard-hit states who are not very familiar with driving in winter conditions (Texas and Oklahoma, for example).
I grew up in the Seattle area where many are not prepared to drive in the snow. Also, Seattle has a lot of hills so it can be a little more complicated. Here’s what driving in a typical Seattle snow storm looks like:
It’s really not complicated to drive in the snow and one should be prepared to do so in case you have an emergency and need to drive to the hospital or get supplies. Here’s some guidance from Les Schwab on how to drive in winter conditions. This brief video also offers some basics:
The biggest mistake I’ve seen drivers make in both Seattle and Oklahoma is slamming on their brakes. That’s a big no-no! Drivers also tend to drive too fast, tailgate and pull out suddenly in front of a driver.
While many prefer to stay home during winter conditions, it’s really a good time to practice driving. There are less cars on the roads and you can familiarize yourself (a big empty parking lot is a good place to go) with how your car – and you – react to winter driving conditions.
Mostly importantly, remain calm. If you know how best to react, you will feel secure in the fact that you’ll get to your destination without a fender bender.
Safe driving!
DCG
Posted in Nature
Tagged #beprepared, #drivesafely, #staycalm, Uri winter storm, winter driving
If last year’s pandemic taught us anything, it’s that you need to be prepared. Whether it be a natural disaster, pandemic or some other catastrophic event, having emergency supplies on hand provides peace of mind for you and your family.
Today the winter storm “Uri” is blowing through much of the south and heading through the midwest to the northeast. We woke up in Oklahoma to a “balmy” seven degrees with windchills well below zero. Althought we don’t have much snow (it has been accumulating since this AM and coming down harder now), with the Oklahoma winds it’s way too cold to venture outside if we don’t have to!
View from our front door this morning:
Fortunately we were able to make it to the grocery store on Friday (along with the masses) and snag the last loaf of bread and package of hamburger buns on the shelf. It was like another pandemic starting all over again!
Minus some perishables we’ll also need to purchase, we are always prepared for some kind of emergency (tornado, earthquake, etc.) and keep supplies on hand. It is much less stressful to gradually accumulate emergency supplies than trying to run out (if you even can access roads/stores) and purchase items at the last minute.
You can find lots of resources on the web for what kind of supplies to keep on hand. Here’s a suggested list from the American Red Cross. Our list includes the following:
We also have this product: DB Power Portable Car Jump Starter.
This jump starter also serves as a flashlight, emergency light, compass, and cell phone/laptop charger. Every couple months I check the charge on this and it holds a charge pretty well.
While not everyone can afford to acquire and keep an extensive amount of emergency supplies on hand, anything you can start to accumulate will provide you peace of mind in case of emergency.
If you have any great ideas to add to an emergency kit, please share with us. And if you’re stuck in this storm, hope you stay safe and warm!
DCG
Posted in Nature
Tagged emergency preparedness, emergency supplies, survival kits, weather storms, winter storm Uri
For several years we set up a bird bath in our backyard. In Oklahoma we have a variety of birds including Cardinals, Doves, Bluejays, Chickadees, etc. It was so peaceful to watch the birds bathing and drinking. They especially enjoyed cooling off on a hot Oklahoma summer day!
Alas, we adopted two abandoned neighborhood cats who are excellent hunters so no more bird bath (or feeders) in our yard.
Yet if you have the means and an opportunity to do so, I would highly recommend including a bird bath in your yard. You can enjoy the bird sightings (and sounds) from your patio, and interact with wildlife while providing a much needed water resource for birds!
There are many resources available on the web on how to set up a bird bath. Some basics:
The lower a bird bath is to the ground, the more likely birds are to use it. Keep the bird bath in some shade, if possible, so water stays cool during sunny days. Birds also like to to hop up to a tree branch so they can “preen” and clean after a bath.
Water in the bird bath should be shallow (around two inches) so they can splash around safely and wade in it. Most important: Keep the bath water clean and fresh by changing the water every day or two.
Here’s a few other tips:
Happy bird watching!
DCG