Winter is Almost A Third Done

Winter blew into 42N country during the first week of December with lasting snow coverage and extreme cold. January has been no different. We await the vernal equinox.

The snowy farm (above) was photographed on St. Steven's Day last month. The property overlooks the Cedar River. This week while the river produces ice jams the City of Cedar Rapids is considering ways to manage the flows. Know that.

Drying For A Smoke*

Last October's West Virginia's tobacco crop dries for the January markets. While on a journey to Virginia we stopped off at a roadside yard sale and had a chance to see the drying crop. The caretaker seen in this photo gave us the still moist plant to show others in middle America. Wrapped in a Hy-Vee plastic grocery bag the plant traveled the rest of the trip to the east coast then back to corn fields of the prairie. The final cure has taken place and is now ready for chopping and smoking. By the way our caretaker suffers from emphysema. Know that.

*1965 Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health. 1969 Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined That Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health. 1981 Warning: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide. Smoking by Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, and Low Birth Weight. Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health. Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, and May Complicate Pregnancy.