COVID messed with our Christmas plans

/ Roadtirementvintage / 69 Comments

A lovely spread on our snack table

We were planning on spending time with family in Columbus, Ohio this Christmas season. One of our sons and his family and our daughter and her family from Seattle were getting together in Ohio. Sher and I and our son who lives with us were planning on going to Ohio for a Christmas celebration.

That pesky COVID-19 put an absolute damper on those plans. Our Ohio family started feeling bad, and yes, the at home tests showed positive. Our Seattle daughter and her family had traveled from Columbus to our son-in-law’s family in Cleveland, and you guessed it, they started showing signs of infection. They had a real struggle finding testing sites or at home kits. Finally they got tested, and yes, they were positive. None of our family is having real bad symptoms, fortunately nothing requiring hospitalizations, and all are reporting feeling better.

This damned COVID is spreading fast everywhere, and we did not want to take the chance to travel, so at this point in time we are staying put in Indiana. Maj is in the age and health very high risk category. No need to take any chances. We were going out to eat for Christmas Eve dinner, but have scratched that now. Sher was able to put together a wonderful shopping order for a Christmas day meal. Ham with all the trimmings will delight and fill us on the 25th.

Have safe Christmas and New Years celebrations, folks. 

A shade of red in that squirrel’s tail

/ Roadtirementvintage / 46 Comments

The gray squirrels we always see

We see lots of gray squirrels in our area of Indiana. Within the past week we have seen several squirrels that have a noticeable reddish color to their tails and along the center of their backs. Their coats are not red like the red squirrels we saw at our son’s house in Austin when we visited a couple of weeks ago.

Note the red color of the tail

These are not red squirrels. Reds and grays are two different species, and are incompatible for cross breeding. Reds have much more red coloring all over their bodies. These grays have gotten some reddish tints in their tails and their backs. Anybody seen these kinds of colorations in your area’s populations?

Some folks like squirrels. Others think they are just “tree rats”. I’ve heard it said that squirrels are nothing more than rats with a good Public Relations Department…

A frosty gallery

/ Roadtirementvintage / 22 Comments

This morning we woke to a very heavy frost. These pictures were captured at 10 o’clock, with the ambient temperature still at 28 F.

Frost covered sage

Rose leaf edges attracted the frost

Another leaf edge with heavy frost

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A heavy frost should not be a surprise: Winter Solstice is three days away!

Going to see Beef and Boards “Shear Madness” to start the 2022 season

/ Roadtirementvintage / 9 Comments

Tony (Daniel Klingler) plops shaving cream on Nick (Jeff Stockberger) as he prepares to give the undercover cop a shave in Shear Madness

From a Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre press release dated December, 2021: “Shear Madness is back by popular demand to kick off Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s 2022 Season! Opening just a bit early, on Dec. 28, this play will have the audiences rolling in the aisles as they help detangle the clues of a murder mystery in a not-so-typical hair salon.”

This hilarious production features madcap improvisation blended with the clues that reveal the person responsible for the murder of the old lady upstairs in the salon. The audience gets to spot clues, interrogate suspects, and solve the mystery. No two shows end the same, leading to repeat customers who enjoy the madcap mayhem. Set in Indianapolis, the play features many funny references to the local area.

Shear Madness has won tons of awards, including “Best Comedy of the Year” multiple times, and has been inducted into the Comedy Hall of Fame, the first stage play to be so honored. It will run through February 5. Tickets range from $58 to $70 and include Chef Odell Ward’s famous dinner buffet. For tickets visit Beef and Boards or call the box office at 317-872-9664.

Sher and I have not been to B&B since October 2019. We can’t wait to get back to our favorite theater!

Special event to support Texas craft breweries

/ Roadtirementvintage / 13 Comments

Yesterday Sher and I went with our son to the Austin Beerworks to enjoy local beers, some great food, and at the same time we supported Small Business Saturday. Sponsored by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, this event featured 80 small Texas breweries and retailers all over the state celebrating this year’s theme: “Here’s to Gettin’ Back Out There”.

The running can is the ABW logo, on the back of the jacket.

All over the state Texas Craft Brewers Guild encouraged patronizing these small businesses. Each location had really nice beer glasses for purchase. According to the Guild website “$1+ of every glass supports the association of craft brewers advancing the industry through advocacy and education.” We had a fun afternoon at the ABW taproom. And as the picture shows we supported the event by adding glasses to our collection, Maj got a nice jacket, and of course some beers to go. We always enjoy a win-win.