Whining with my Wine

Back in mid-January, I complained about the weather here in the Chihuahuan desert.  We were hitting highs around 45deg F.  I got all kinds of comments from friends in New England like "shorts weather in Maine" and "warmer in Candia [NH] than here [Phoenix AZ] and "82 in FL".   So today, March 7, 2013, we should be around 75deg F here.  AZ has had more snow than we have, even had to postpone a PGA golf tournament round due to snow.  FL is plagued with pythons and sinkholes.  As for New England, many people can't see over the snowdrifts to get out of their driveways.

Not that south-central New Mexico is perfect.  As I write this, I am recovering from Valley Fever.  That's a fungal infection that feels like a really intense allergic reaction or the flu.  Congestion, sore throat---we all know the drill. Coccidioidomycosis. I swear I'm not making that up even though the spell-check says it's not a word. It is caused by the fungi being released from the soil during plowing and other agricultural processes then being carried by the wind and inhaled, causing irritation to the lungs and respiratory system.  This is the first time I've been affected by these little plants and hopefully I'll never suffer with this again.  But all in all it's a small price to pay for the sunny skies and not having to look out the window at snow cover from October to May.

We are waiting for our local feed store to notify us of the arrival of some Welsummer chicks.  This breed produces almost chocolate colored eggs.  We hope to add 5 or 6 to our existing flock which would more than double its size. At present we have a range of colored eggs from our Americauna (green), Barred Rock (brown), and Leghorns (white).  We presently have a couple of Rhode Island red chicks living in a crate in the spare bedroom until the Welsummers arrive.

A nice day's production

It still gets too cold at night to keep the newly hatched chicks outside but hopefully we can recover the bedroom in April when the night-time temps climb up into the 50's.

I've been sort of following the sequester, snowquester, and filibuquester in that place from which we are allegedly governed.  I think I'm more troubled by the fact that the UN has stiffened sanctions on North Korea than I am about the usual bozos in WaWa, DC.  The regime of Kim Jong Un  has nuclear devices and is working on a delivery system that could reach the USA.  That is a real threat because I believe that regime is mentally unstable enough to actually attempt such a maneuver.  Makes the petty partisan squabbles over money seem more than a little insignificant, unless the politicians actually allow cuts so stringent that we can no longer defend ourselves.  And speaking of unacceptable---Citgo should be fined for flying the Stars and Stripes at half-staff for the late President of Venezuela.  I realize that company is owned by Venezuela and have no problem if they want to fly their banner or the Venezuelan flag at half-staff but the US flag should not be lowered for some inimical foreign dictator. 

Done whingeing.  Pouring a glass of red wine to help me live forever.