My Crazy Hobby: Beer can collecting

I'm off on another road trip that will take me away from "Around the Rock" for a few days. I'll be travelling to Fredericksburg, VA for a.......Beer Can Show. Yep, you read that correctly. People still do that. It was huge back in the 70s and 80s, but really tapered off. However, there are still some hard core collectors that hung on and still enjoy buying, selling and trading cans. I'll be gone for the weekend and will be hanging out with over 600 other can junkies at a dumpy Ramada Inn that rolls out the dirty carpet for us. But it's a great time and we have the run of the place. My specialty is older Ohio cans. Sorry, I don't need your Billy Beer, Mash or JR beer cans....those are worthless and have not interest or value. So again, thanks for checking out my blog and I'll be back at it on Monday, February 15th.

We Survived !!

Well, looks like Danbury Township survived the latest bout with Old Man Winter. I would be surprised if we actually got 10 inches of snow, might be more like 8. The bulk of the snow fell between 7am tuesday and noon today, as things really tapered off. The best part of all is so far, we haven't gotten the high winds that were originally forecasted. Of course, they could still kick up and blow this fluffy stuff around, as it looks like the snow will be hanging around for awhile. I hope you enjoy the few pics I took around our home and at Shrock's Marina. As far as I know, we had no downed trees or powerlines and no power outages in the area. The roads are in pretty good shape as I write this.

Deer Population Report

Spotted this deer herd on my way home from work today. You are looking at a field on the east side of Englebeck road, just north of the old railroad tracks. This is a common gathering point for the deer. It's a cut corn or bean field and evidently, they are still able to find some morsels for nourishment. In all, there was upwards of 20 deer milling about, but I spooked some of them. Others were just around the corner of field, out of camera range. I'm amazed at the number of deer you can spot in this area. I'm amazed that we don't have more car vs. deer accidents, but am surely thankful for that. I never seem to get bored spotting deer.

The Calm Before the Storm

I'm sure tomorrow and wednesday mornings will look much different in our backyard, but for the moment, this winter day got off to a beautiful start. You can see that there is a low fog hanging across the fields, like a comforter to keep the ground and her creatures warm. But to no avail, as the temps were as cold as zero around our area today. Most structures, natural or man-made, had a coating of heavy frost and ice crystals. With an impending storm on the way, we had no choice just to savor today's beauty and hunker down for what awaits us in the coming days. It's amazing how you can take for granted where you live, getting bored with the same old scenery. Then, you wake up to a scene such as this and you are provided with a completely different outlook.

Nature's Artistry

Such a magical morning we woke up to today. The air was still and cold. The sun was just breaking over the horizon. The setting was so eerie with the silence of the morning. You can hear a pin drop on these mornings when such a chill is in the air and the wind is nonexistent. I walked out on our back deck to shoot these pics as the temps hovered in the low single digits. But the cold wasn't a factor with the beauty of the morning.

Mother Nature squeezed every last bit of moisture out of the air to form these ice crystals. So fragile, yet so dramatic. Not enough moisture, too much wind or not cold enough and her efforts go unnoticed. But on this particular morning, she has outdone herself.

Sum Sum Summertime !

As a major winter storm is bearing down on us, preparing to drop 6 to 12 inches of snow, if not more, my thoughts turn to more pleasant memories. Boating, fishing and enjoying 70 degree plus temps. I can't wait to enjoy my new hobby of perch fishing again. I did it quite a bit as a kid, but got away from it as an adult. Since we love eating perch so much, I decided to get back into it. Maria loves to fish as well, so it makes for a nice activity we can do together. A good friend of mine at the marina, Buc and my Dad got out a few times together too. I always thought fishermen were crazy. They are still crazy, but why not join the craziness? It's fun, relaxing and puts food on the table.

Check back often for updates. I have more pics to post later.

Snowmobile Adventure

I wish to bid you all a fond farewell as I embark on my annual adventure to the Great White North. Indian River, MI is my destination, where I shall meet up with my group of sledding friends. I've been riding with these characters for almost 25 years, doesn't seem possible. Included in that group is my Dad, who will be 68 this year. Still going strong and loving snowmobiling as much as ever. Upon my return, I will resume my "bloggin operations" and continue to bring you news and views from Danbury Township. I sure do appreciate the kind words about the blog. Please continue to spread the word to your friends and family. I will see you all again on Saturday, Feb.6th.