New Beginnings

As this is a new year, and I have been advised that because of the name of this blog, I am blocked from some people's computers due to the, um, alternate meaning of Ponygirl, I have decided to take a step sideways and start a new blog.

Please be advised that henceforth, I will be travelling about the Blogiverse as Ponita from http://ponitaslife.blogspot.com. Ponygirl has now been retired out to pasture.

Please check out the new blog and if I am on your blogroll, a change of address is required. Thanks so much!

Ice Fog and Sundogs

From Wikipedia:

Ice fog is any kind of fog where the droplets have frozen into extremely tiny crystals of ice in midair. Generally this requires temperatures at or below −35 °C (−30 °F), making it common only in and near the Arctic and Antarctic regions. It is most often seen in urban areas where it is created by the freezing of water vapor present in automobile exhaust and combustion -products from heating and power generation. Urban ice fog can become extremely dense and will persist day and night until the temperature rises.

Here in Winterpeg, we have experienced ice fog from all the cars during severe cold weather when there is no air movement. Now, we like it when there is no wind, but it does create rather adverse driving conditions when you can't see the car in front of you and the road is polished to pure glass by the spinning of tires as people try to get moving once the light turns green. The exhaust from the cars just hangs in the air, obscuring your vision and creating plenty of work for the local body shops.

From Wikipedia:

A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, for "beside the sun") is a common bright circular spot on a solar halo. It is an atmospheric optical phenomenon primarily associated with the reflection or refraction of sunlight by small ice crystals making up cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. Often, two sun dogs can be seen (one on each side of the sun) simultaneously.

Sundogs cause us Winterpeggers to cringe. When we see those, we know that is is f*cking cold outside! They only seem to occur when the temps are well below -20C. They are quite beautiful, though, especially when they are rainbow coloured like they were today.... it was -33 when I was driving to work just before 11:00 a.m. The sundogs were large on either side of the sun, quite colourful, with a rather elongated (up and down)shape.

From Wikipedia:

Radiation frost (also called hoar frost or hoarfrost) refers to the white ice crystals, loosely deposited on the ground or exposed objects, that form on cold clear nights when radiation losses into the open skies cause objects to become colder than the surrounding air.

I love hoar frost! It dresses up all the trees and fences, and anything else left sitting outside in the winter. When the sun shines on it, it glitters like diamonds in the light, giving the world the look of being coated heavily in fairy dust.

I could, however, totally live without the temperatures that drop below -15. I love four seasons, and I do enjoy the snow.... but when it is colder than a witch's t*t, it really makes me wonder how we puny humans survive this crap.

Isn't it spring yet?

KANGAROO

Captive Camera

Christmas Day afternoon/evening was spent at my niece's house, with family gathering to visit, have a wonderful potluck dinner and exchange a few small gifts.

My brother-in-law and his girlfriend were in from BC, so it was great to see him again and to meet her. My nephew and his wife came from Calgary, where they had moved in September.

My youngest sister and her hubbie were there. My niece's in-laws as well. Plus the two great nieces, ages almost six and just past two. Twelve of us all together. A lovely size for a gathering.... not all the family to be sure, but those in Winnipeg at the time.

Seeing as how I had worked 14 of the 16 days prior to Christmas (up to and including Christmas Eve), I was dead dog tired by around 8:00 p.m. and toddled off home to crash. And forgot my camera on the table next to the couch. When I got home (all of a three minute drive), there was a message on my answering machine that my phone was being held captive.

WTF? I looked at the cell phone in my hand.... thinking, 'someone had a few too many pieces of fruitcake or something.' So I called and my sister answered. It wasn't my phone.... it was my camera that was being held captive. Okay... whatever.... I would come back and pick it up in the next day or two.

So I did. And then, once I got it home, I had to look at what was on it, as everyone was laughing and giggling in the background when I had called about it that day. This is what my family does on Christmas Day, in the presence of small children, with their toys:

Needless to say, I chuckled out loud when I saw these! Gotta love a family as warped as this!

The Year That Was....

Well... 2008 has been quite the year for me!

January saw me venture into online dating. There are supposed to be plenty of fish in the sea, and in February/March, I thought I had reeled in a keeper. That, however, did not pan out in my favour, so the line went back in the pond....



March was the month that my ex finally got around to giving me the $$ buy-out from our property division. This meant there were a few things I could now afford to do, number one being look for a house!



April saw me buy my very first house, owned only by me (well, me and the bank, but whatever..). It meant another move (in July) a year after the one following the demise of my marriage. But this move was exciting and uneventful (thankfully!).



It also meant buying new livingroom furniture, new washer and dryer and painting the livingroom (the first in a very long list of anticipated home renos that will take me years to complete... only to start all over again as the first renos will then be outdated.... *sigh*).



May saw my horse go to my best friend for a couple of months' further education, as I could foot the bill for that for a while. He's such a fun horse to ride and tries so very hard when you are teaching him something new. Thunder had fun and I know my friend did too! This is what she does for a living, but she really has fun with the horses she knows well.



June saw the addition of Pips (aka That Damn Cat) to the family. BB, the old kitty codger in the house, took her appearance in stride with nary a whisker out of place. Zoë was so relaxed about it, it was silly. Pips, on the other hand, was the one hissing and growling for weeks on end every time she saw BB. She absolutely loves the dog, however, and snuggles up to Zoë whenever possible. The dog tolerates her with an air of resigned mild interest.

June also saw another fish pulled from the sea... but that one turned out to be of little interest... didn't have the strength and spunk to make it game enough for me....

July was the month my divorce went through. That is one chapter of my life I am glad is closed....



September, the fridge that came with my house (a relic from the 80's, I swear! it was Harvest Gold.... ugh) decided to become incontinent and piddled on the kitchen floor with great regularity. It did, however, continue to keep things cold and frozen where they should be cold and frozen. However, it was not long before I grew tired of having a towel living on my kitchen floor to catch the effluent. So a brand new fridge found its way into my kitchen (and onto my credit card...) and the old one lived on the deck until carted away to wherever old, leaky fridges go.

At the end of September came another catch of potential interest from the fish pond. This One seemed quite game although very Busy. But I was patient and we slowly seemed to be moving along. And I was pleased.

There have been a few bites throughout the year, on the line I have cast into that pond over and over again. Most are only that - the barest nibble. At times, when I take a look at what has grabbed onto the hook, I have to cut it loose and try again.... and make sure my toes aren't near the edge... there's sharks in them thar waters!

In October, finally... I underwent surgery to remove my gallbladder. It had been plaguing me with belly aches and hot air for several years, defying diagnosis until finally viewed via MRI - twice. The offending organ was removed via a little hole just above my belly button. I am toying with the idea of a belly button piercing to hide that thing - makes me look like I have two!

Just six days after my surgery, That Damn Cat began her escapades which resulted in a huge vet bill for emergency xrays, surgery, drugs, etc. She needs to learn to be more discretionary about what she consumes. And to not have a totally hissy fit when confined to an entire bedroom, attempting escape through the heating ducts.... That became a costly, messy affair that had me at my wit's end until she was safely extracted from said duct in the basement. Totally unscathed... just very tired. Damn cat....

November, there were spiders in the snow (I kid you not... really) and general evolutions in the goings on with the Busy One. As the month progressed, he began to draw away....

Early December... the Busy One decides he doesn't have the time or energy for a relationship but still wants to be friends... yeah... riiiight.... and the line snapped, with that fish plunging back into the sea, never to be heard from again.

Then, out of the blue, from another pond, comes a tiny nibble.... an interesting nibble.... one that continues to nibble as I wriggle the line.... hmmmmm.

Just before Christmas, as I am working extra shifts, trading shifts and ending up with a schedule that sees me working 14 shifts in 16 days (five on, one off, three on, one off, six on)... the week before Christmas, I take my truck in for winter servicing, an oil change, and could you please adjust my parking brake as it doesn't hold worth a damn anymore?

Well... was I in for a rude surprise! The rear differential was leaking - blown seal - into the brakes. So guess what.... I had a huge bill just before Christmas... one that I certainly did not need. But the truck works just fine now....

Christmas Day I was so tired I couldn't get out the door until 4:00 p.m. to go to my niece's house for dinner and gift exchanging. Had a great time, as always, but was totally fried and left for home around 8:00 p.m. Such a party pooper! But I left my camera behind by accident... well, that will be another post soon. They had a good laugh adding to the shots already captured on it.

It is now New Year's Eve. I have spend a couple of hours chatting with my fish in that pond. I worked today and have tomorrow off. I plan on watching tv for a while tonight. Not sure if I will make it to midnight, but that is not a big deal. It is already the New Year in a good portion of the planet.

I hope all of you out there in the Blogiverse have wonderful New Years, wherever you are. May 2009 be full of the wonders of life, the joys of living and the riches that come with a heart full of love.