Of a horrible wind storm~~~

My Goodness Darklings,

We have been having heavy, strong winds blowing in wrenching gusts and long blasts, Thank Goodness no rain, but it makes it very difficult for the fire fighters down south.

Yesterday, I've been watching the leaves fly and roll down the street,  and the wind chill is just horrible.  I managed to persuade Mr. Rodgers to not walk the dogs today to just keep an eye on them in the back yard.  It didn't make sense for him to catch a cold or worse before he and his wife went to see their Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren.

Today it is still cold but the wind has died down a lot, so Mr. Rodgers insisted on walking the dogs, and putting on their over coats (on all three) he went off merrily with his charges, who were happy to leave doggie messages to their doggie friends.

Mrs. Rodgers informed me that once Mr. Rodgers gets into a routine, it's hard for him to change, it gives him a certain solidity in his life, I certainly can understand that.  

Doyle and I bundled up and went out into the back garden as well as the front yard to see what Damage had been done by the winds,  some Christmas lights had come loose which Doyle quickly re-hung and anchored,  lots of leaves and smaller tree branches but I'll leave that to my Gardener, but nothing broken which was fortunate considering the strength of the winds.  Upon reflection it was a good thing I did not put up T-Rex for Christmas.

This evening we are going to see "A Christmas Carol" performed at a local community theater, and tomorrow we are going back to the Dickens Fair, it pays to be flexible.  I invited the Rodgers but they preferred an early bed-time. 

Doyle and I had been talking about the Fireplaces,   and he suggested that I convert the one in the Family Parlor to be a gas log, that way I could have a fire but not have to worry about a spare the air day,  but leave the one in the Formal Parlor as wood burning. It made sense to me, the house is huge and the central heating can only do so much, I open the vents to the unused rooms twice a week to keep any "damp" out,  and in the Winter time the heating bill can be brutal, thank goodness for the Trust account my Great Aunt set up, for the maintenance of the house.  I told Doyle I needed to look into if putting in a gas fireplace would violate the Trust,  I don't think so because I'd preserve the Surround and Mantle, I'll talk with my lawyer, but it would be worth while.

I'm also looking into seeing what novels Barnes and Noble have re-printed in their "Victorian" style to give as gifts to the children in future as well as to add to my collection.

So much to do and take care of.

Later Darklings

The Chilling Cold has arrived~~~~

Well Darklings,

The chilling cold has finally arrived, announcing the anticipation of Winter, and its attendant colds, sneezes, sniffles etc.   last night it got down to the upper 30's here in the Bay Area.

But for you Darklings that live in Really cold countries, that is nothing,  but I am not a polar bear,  and for an Elder/Elderly Goth, the cold can bring upon the aches and joint pain one really can't stand.

So now its increased heating costs, checking for spare the air days if I want a fire in the fireplace, stacking up Duraflame logs,  and least I had my fireplaces checked and cleaned,  and if we cannot burn a fire I do have candles,  one can have a lot of fun stocking up on tea lights by the bag fulls (thank you IKEA and CostCo).  

Yes Darklings, if you are lucky to have a fire place but it's a "spare the air"day then burn candles in the safety of your fireplace instead,  trust me it does put out it's own kind of warmth as well.   Now I know that there are tea lights and candles made from petroleum products and so many people recommend soy candles but they can be expensive, but if you are having a romantic get-together then by all means do use soy candles.

For those of you who want the ambiance of a fireplace but live in an apartment where having one is not possible,  check out the Victorian Trading Company,  they have electric fireplaces, with wonderful old-fashioned fireplace mantles, and you have the beauty of taking it with you when you decide to move.

And if you want to burn tea lights I also suggest that you place them in the safety of glass containers and keep them well away from anything flammable, like curtains, drapes, lampshades, or cloth mantle pieces and do not discount anything plastic either.  Plastic is just as dangerous.   And do not leave them burning unattended or over night while you are sleeping.

Candles burning  in those wonderful Gothic style candle holders from Spirit or the Fright catalogue can look so positively macabre, but again you have to remember safety.

So now with the chilly sun out lighting the sky and burning off the dampness from the night before I am going to buy my supply of both tea lights and Duraflame logs and plan on how I'm going to do spring cleaning to remove the winter dust next year.

Later Darklings