Milder temperatures today and no snow, what do ya know.
I’m not a skier but the ski arias will do good this weekend, and that is good for our economy.
A little VT history, one of our ski arias is named for an historic trail over the Green Mountains called Smugglers Notch. During the time of Jefferson’s embargo on England and her territories smugglers would use this trail through the mountains to get goods into Canada. Of course a profit was had.
I didn’t know about Smugglers’ Notch history…thanks dkram!
It’s 70 outside here this morning, with a high of 81 predicted. It looks like almost perfect weather for tomorrow’s A1A marathon & half marathon on the state road that runs alongside the beach through Ft. Lauderdale and points north. I say “almost,” as a tad cooler would be even better. Here in So. Fla. we don’t ski…we run (and walk). :-) Although I do have to say that there are many ski clubs in the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area and I traveled to Mt. Snow in Vermont and then to Mont-Tremblant in Canada with one of the clubs (many, many years ago).
Here in So. Fla. I live just 2 mi. from the Atlantic Ocean…so smuggling goes on, even today (drugs/people). The popular Miami Vice tv show was a dramatized reality show of how things were in the 80s heydays of the “cocaine cowboys,” and googling the “Cap’s Place” restaurant gives a glimpse back into the days of Prohibition and the “rum-runners.” With the relatively recent long-term embargoes on goods to Haiti and Cuba, there are no doubt also stories of the smuggling of goods in the other direction, with Florida as the point of disembarkation to those islands.
I hope everyone has a nice Presidents’ Day weekend. :-)
I do love the history. I have read several books on the history of Las Vegas. Everything from how the Mormons first set up camp here to how the mob ran the city and changed it forever from a sleepy little oasis to the entertainment mecca it is today. A tidbit from the mob days: The mobs knew that open violence here would keep the tourist crowds away. They declared a truce within the Las Vegas valley so that the gamblers wouldn’t get spooked. That’s why Bugsy Siegel was killed in Hollywood. As long as he was here he was safe, but he made the mistake of visiting his girlfriend in CA. Sure there were still killings and there are purportedly sections of open desert that are virtual graveyards, but it was done covertly rather than gunning someone down in the street. A man like Bugsy was too prominent a person to just disappear, so they waited until he was out of state.
Today is the quilting ministry at church. After that, who knows. Michael and I were going to go out to dinner, but he’s come down with another cold and has gone to bed for the weekend. He’s one of those lucky people who can sleep during the day.
It’s raining, it’s pouring….. and expected to do so all day. The forecast is for 60, so it’s not a real cold storm.
Well, since we have so much history being reported, I have a bit of info about the Lewis & Clark expedition. Just about 5 miles east of our house is the closest point of the Missouri River. They have a small kiosk with some stories. It seems that their entourage had to pick up their canoes and gear and hike around the many waterfalls to wherever they were going. (In this case, to the headwaters of the Missouri). They stepped on so many small cacti that their feet were constantly inflamed. The moccasins they wore had no protection for them. The cactus tore right through them. Oh, these were Prickly Pear cacti. We have them all over our area. And, because of our climate, they don’t grow too big, and sometimes are quite low to the ground. But when they bloom, they are magnificent!
Rita, I have a couple of cacti in my yard. They are beautiful when they bloom. No prickly pear, though. There used to be a prickly pear “farm” along the I15 in Ontario, huge plants, all in orderly rows. I was never sure exactly what they were being farmed for, possibly for the “pears” left behind by the blooms?
The rain seems to be over. We have a few clouds left, and the forecast is for 58. It was warmer yesterday in spite of the rain and wind.
Off to church today. After that, who knows. Probably the last 5 episodes of NYPD: Blue. I do remember how it ends, but I don’t remember how they got there. I will say that the final season was nowhere near up to the standard of the first 11. I can see why it went off the air.
Funny, Jan, I was just mentioning to Jack the other day that the last season of so many series is just not as exciting as the first few. It seems all the story lines have been hashed to death. We went through the old Mary Tyler Moore series, and the last season was not good either. Funny thing, we watched the final episode the night before she passed away. What a beautiful life she led.
Glad your rain has stopped. Awful strong, wasn’t it.
Dkram about 7 years ago
Good morning Vagabonds
Milder temperatures today and no snow, what do ya know.
I’m not a skier but the ski arias will do good this weekend, and that is good for our economy.
A little VT history, one of our ski arias is named for an historic trail over the Green Mountains called Smugglers Notch. During the time of Jefferson’s embargo on England and her territories smugglers would use this trail through the mountains to get goods into Canada. Of course a profit was had.
OK, I got to get going, enjoy your weekend.
ttfn
florchi about 7 years ago
Good morning, Vagabond Villagers!
I didn’t know about Smugglers’ Notch history…thanks dkram!
It’s 70 outside here this morning, with a high of 81 predicted. It looks like almost perfect weather for tomorrow’s A1A marathon & half marathon on the state road that runs alongside the beach through Ft. Lauderdale and points north. I say “almost,” as a tad cooler would be even better. Here in So. Fla. we don’t ski…we run (and walk). :-) Although I do have to say that there are many ski clubs in the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area and I traveled to Mt. Snow in Vermont and then to Mont-Tremblant in Canada with one of the clubs (many, many years ago).
Here in So. Fla. I live just 2 mi. from the Atlantic Ocean…so smuggling goes on, even today (drugs/people). The popular Miami Vice tv show was a dramatized reality show of how things were in the 80s heydays of the “cocaine cowboys,” and googling the “Cap’s Place” restaurant gives a glimpse back into the days of Prohibition and the “rum-runners.” With the relatively recent long-term embargoes on goods to Haiti and Cuba, there are no doubt also stories of the smuggling of goods in the other direction, with Florida as the point of disembarkation to those islands.I hope everyone has a nice Presidents’ Day weekend. :-)
MontanaLady about 7 years ago
Good morning, Vagabonds,
Wow! A lot of great history for so early in the morning! Thank you both for your input. I love the “true” spin only a local can give us!
Cleaning lady will be here in an hour. Gotta run. Talk to y’all later.
JanLC about 7 years ago
Good morning, Vagabonds.
I do love the history. I have read several books on the history of Las Vegas. Everything from how the Mormons first set up camp here to how the mob ran the city and changed it forever from a sleepy little oasis to the entertainment mecca it is today. A tidbit from the mob days: The mobs knew that open violence here would keep the tourist crowds away. They declared a truce within the Las Vegas valley so that the gamblers wouldn’t get spooked. That’s why Bugsy Siegel was killed in Hollywood. As long as he was here he was safe, but he made the mistake of visiting his girlfriend in CA. Sure there were still killings and there are purportedly sections of open desert that are virtual graveyards, but it was done covertly rather than gunning someone down in the street. A man like Bugsy was too prominent a person to just disappear, so they waited until he was out of state.
Today is the quilting ministry at church. After that, who knows. Michael and I were going to go out to dinner, but he’s come down with another cold and has gone to bed for the weekend. He’s one of those lucky people who can sleep during the day.
It’s raining, it’s pouring….. and expected to do so all day. The forecast is for 60, so it’s not a real cold storm.
Everyone have a blessed day.
florchi about 7 years ago
@ JanC – Wow! Bugsy Siegel and a quilting ministry in a single post! I love it.
Dkram about 7 years ago
Hello Vagabonds
A fair day in the NEK mostly cloudy, maybe scattered snow showers (funny, they used to call them squalls.) (0.o)
Quiet day on hand, you to I hope.
ttfn
MontanaLady about 7 years ago
Good morning, Everybody,
Well, since we have so much history being reported, I have a bit of info about the Lewis & Clark expedition. Just about 5 miles east of our house is the closest point of the Missouri River. They have a small kiosk with some stories. It seems that their entourage had to pick up their canoes and gear and hike around the many waterfalls to wherever they were going. (In this case, to the headwaters of the Missouri). They stepped on so many small cacti that their feet were constantly inflamed. The moccasins they wore had no protection for them. The cactus tore right through them. Oh, these were Prickly Pear cacti. We have them all over our area. And, because of our climate, they don’t grow too big, and sometimes are quite low to the ground. But when they bloom, they are magnificent!
JanLC about 7 years ago
Good morning, Vagabonds.
Rita, I have a couple of cacti in my yard. They are beautiful when they bloom. No prickly pear, though. There used to be a prickly pear “farm” along the I15 in Ontario, huge plants, all in orderly rows. I was never sure exactly what they were being farmed for, possibly for the “pears” left behind by the blooms?
The rain seems to be over. We have a few clouds left, and the forecast is for 58. It was warmer yesterday in spite of the rain and wind.
Off to church today. After that, who knows. Probably the last 5 episodes of NYPD: Blue. I do remember how it ends, but I don’t remember how they got there. I will say that the final season was nowhere near up to the standard of the first 11. I can see why it went off the air.
Everyone have a blessed day.
MontanaLady about 7 years ago
Funny, Jan, I was just mentioning to Jack the other day that the last season of so many series is just not as exciting as the first few. It seems all the story lines have been hashed to death. We went through the old Mary Tyler Moore series, and the last season was not good either. Funny thing, we watched the final episode the night before she passed away. What a beautiful life she led.
Glad your rain has stopped. Awful strong, wasn’t it.