We could easily become snowbirds

Brrr....outside temp was 18F this morning when we got up at 6. This is the time of year that I check the Barrow AK weather to get a perspective on what cold really is! At least it's bright and sunny during the day, which gives some solar gain through the windows.

Since we keep the house at a maximum of 67 when we're there, sweaters and warm socks are a must! Looking SO forward to Phoenix flyin in Jan!

We could easily become snowbirds

Brrr....outside temp was 18F this morning when we got up at 6. This is the time of year that I check the Barrow AK weather to get a perspective on what cold really is! At least it's bright and sunny during the day, which gives some solar gain through the windows.

Since we keep the house at a maximum of 67 when we're there, sweaters and warm socks are a must! Looking SO forward to Phoenix flyin in Jan!

The Ghost Is Back

We have a ghost here at the house. It's benevolent, but unnerving.

A couple of days ago, Danny found a framed picture lying face down on one of the few remaining installed overhead bookshelves we haven't torn out, this one being in our office. He swears it's not his picture and wasn't there when he completely cleaned out the shelves not long after moving into the house in 2002.

The picture is a framed whimsical pastel ink and color picture of two stylized bears with an Amer-Indian symbology in the upper left hand corner. Amazingly detailed, it's a fun piece, but I SWEAR I don't know where it came from either. The artist's name is Gerald Nailor, and it's got '51 as the year of the painting.

This morning, I looked up Gerald Nailor on the net. He's a Picuris Indian artist of some fame that died at age 35 in 1952. His paintings, similar to the one we have, go from $750 to $3000 unframed.

And it's a mystery where this came from. Or where the 1950s model Swingline stapler came from that appeared on Danny's desk a couple of years ago. And several other manifestations.

We're spooked.

The Ghost Is Back

We have a ghost here at the house. It's benevolent, but unnerving.

A couple of days ago, Danny found a framed picture lying face down on one of the few remaining installed overhead bookshelves we haven't torn out, this one being in our office. He swears it's not his picture and wasn't there when he completely cleaned out the shelves not long after moving into the house in 2002.

The picture is a framed whimsical pastel ink and color picture of two stylized bears with an Amer-Indian symbology in the upper left hand corner. Amazingly detailed, it's a fun piece, but I SWEAR I don't know where it came from either. The artist's name is Gerald Nailor, and it's got '51 as the year of the painting.

This morning, I looked up Gerald Nailor on the net. He's a Picuris Indian artist of some fame that died at age 35 in 1952. His paintings, similar to the one we have, go from $750 to $3000 unframed.

And it's a mystery where this came from. Or where the 1950s model Swingline stapler came from that appeared on Danny's desk a couple of years ago. And several other manifestations.

We're spooked.

The Journey Goes On

Tonight was a good energy night with the Wilde Bunch, starting with the C1 at 6, and continuing through the Mainstream Class, Plus and Advanced from 7 to 9.

In C1, we have a 60ish guy who is now totally blind from macular degeneration; his wife brings him every week faithfully to both the C1 on Mondays and Kris' C2 on Wednesday's when that happens. This year, it's been quite challenging to keep him pointed in the right direction when he dances, which is nearly every tip. His wife is still a competent dancer. But the group is understanding and we work through this. They both leave before the hoo-haw of the regular club dancing, though.

The teaching tips at Mainstream soared tonight. It was one of those nights when every new call teach flowed seamlessly, and they danced it all smoothly and with energy. This is such a rush when that happens. Of course, it was offset by the trans crowd stumbling through Plus calls they've learned over and over and can't get. I don't know how many times I can show the centers part of Load the Boat to our Santa Fe trans, without me coming unglued. Is there something in the hormone treatments that draws them to square dancing, without any ability to do even an allemande left successfully?

I've been playing a LOT of my alternative patter to great success. And with the singing calls, I hear the dancers singing along or singing afterwards, which is always a good sign. Tonight's only 'theme' song was "Bradley the Brown Nose Raindeer," which is such a GOOFY song, that it had some of the dancers chuckling for a long time.

I hope this energy carries over into the Spring. I don't really have much hope that any recruiting efforts will be done for a January class, but I'll keep plugging away. We're going to start a C1 class the 2nd Monday of January.

The Journey Goes On

Tonight was a good energy night with the Wilde Bunch, starting with the C1 at 6, and continuing through the Mainstream Class, Plus and Advanced from 7 to 9.

In C1, we have a 60ish guy who is now totally blind from macular degeneration; his wife brings him every week faithfully to both the C1 on Mondays and Kris' C2 on Wednesday's when that happens. This year, it's been quite challenging to keep him pointed in the right direction when he dances, which is nearly every tip. His wife is still a competent dancer. But the group is understanding and we work through this. They both leave before the hoo-haw of the regular club dancing, though.

The teaching tips at Mainstream soared tonight. It was one of those nights when every new call teach flowed seamlessly, and they danced it all smoothly and with energy. This is such a rush when that happens. Of course, it was offset by the trans crowd stumbling through Plus calls they've learned over and over and can't get. I don't know how many times I can show the centers part of Load the Boat to our Santa Fe trans, without me coming unglued. Is there something in the hormone treatments that draws them to square dancing, without any ability to do even an allemande left successfully?

I've been playing a LOT of my alternative patter to great success. And with the singing calls, I hear the dancers singing along or singing afterwards, which is always a good sign. Tonight's only 'theme' song was "Bradley the Brown Nose Raindeer," which is such a GOOFY song, that it had some of the dancers chuckling for a long time.

I hope this energy carries over into the Spring. I don't really have much hope that any recruiting efforts will be done for a January class, but I'll keep plugging away. We're going to start a C1 class the 2nd Monday of January.