The neighbor and his wife stopped over in early afternoon, to drop off some Christmas presents, and to pick up some Christmas presents.
It was pretty much an even trade; about four cubic feet of presents for them from me, and about four cubic feet of presents for me from them.
They also wanted to be sure I was all hunkered down for the snow; that I had enough provisions to last me until tomorrow (Thursday) evening, when the neighbor and some other people can finally plough their way through to this place. I have plenty of provisions.
And most importantly, the cats have plenty of chow and cat-litter.
I said it was fine; I wanted to be alone today anyway.
"You know, I wonder," the neighbor's wife commented, "December must be a very sad month for you, so many anniversaries."
I replied yeah, sure, there's some of those--we seem to die when the ground's covered with snow (other than my mother, who died during the height of summer so long ago), and there's four such anniversaries this month, but there's only one, really, that still pains.
(http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t374/primitiveland/c01963.jpg)
Some older gentleman came over here shortly after noon, to drop off Christmas presents from the property caretaker and his wife. He's a drinking pal of the caretaker at the VFW Club in town, but although I've known his face for eight years now, I don't know his name.
I was told his name when we first met, but I didn't grasp it, and was too embarrassed to admit it.
It looks as if the caretaker and his wife bought franksolich some clothes, although I haven't opened any of the packages yet. The clothes I buy, I buy at the thrift stores (excepting underwear, of course), because I'm really rough on clothes, as if an 8-year-old boy. When given clothes as gifts, I treat them as gingerly as if they were the Bayeux Tapestry or the Shroud of Turin.
I'll find out later this week, what's behind the wrapping-paper.
The older gentleman and I talked about the weather. There's still a couple of inches of snow on the ground, but no ice. Temperatures all this week are supposed to be only single digits, plus and minus; no precipitation, no wind, in the forecast.
This is the guy with whom I've had many arguments.....about the exact same subject, every time.
He's of the old school, and thinks that in cases of bitterly cold weather, one's supposed to let a motor vehicle warm up. He thinks I'm ruining cars and trucks (I have a car, but more frequently use one of two newer sedans or one of three newer pick-up trucks owned by other people but left here), because thirty seconds after the ignitions's turned on, I take off.
In my defense, however, I don't take off at full speed. I got two miles to go to reach the highway on this road:
(http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/Eferrari/road.jpg)
and so until I reach the highway, I let the motor run at its own speed, which usually for a couple of minutes is 10-15 mph.
It's a never-ending argument.