Got Your Head In The Clouds...?

That might be a good place for it!

You know, something as simple as knowing how the weather is depicted in the clouds above us can make you seem like an expert...especially to the kids!

It also can save you a lot of grief as far as getting caught out in unexpected bad weather. There are a lot of old wives tales, animal signs, suggestions from the old timers, even reactions of certain plants that can give you a hint of what's in store, weather-wise. Reading the cloud formations is just one of them.

Who knows? Maybe this little bit of information can someday help in an emergency situation...you just never know!

The higher the clouds, the finer the weather. If you spot wispy, thin clouds up where jet airplanes fly, expect a spell of pleasant weather.

When clouds appear like towers, the Earth is refreshed by frequent showers. When you spy large, cauliflower-like clouds that look like castles in the sky, there is probably lots of "dynamic" weather going on inside. Innocent clouds look like billowy cotton, with no "towers".

Smorgasbord of clouds? Expect rain or snow. If you have what amounts to a hodgepodge of all different types of clouds before you, weather is arriving from all different directions. That chaotic sky usually signals rain or snow.

Ring around the moon? Rain real soon. A ring around the moon usually indicates an advancing warm front, which means precipitation. Under those conditions, high, thin clouds get lower and thicker as they pass over the moon. Ice crystals are reflected by the moon's light, causing a halo to appear.

Rain foretold, long last. Short notice, soon will pass. If you find yourself toting an umbrella around for days "just in case," rain will stick around for several hours when it finally comes. The gray overcast dominating the horizon means a large area is affected. Conversely, if you get caught in a surprise shower, it's likely to be short-lived.

Once again, I have to thank the Farmer's Almanac for this information A very handy book to have on hand, if you want to know! Heck, you can even read it on line! Just follow the link above and explore the wealth of information available.

That's it for me for today! I just wanted to share this little bit of information with you, just in case. See, I'm always looking out for you! That's just the kind of guy I am...

Now, my friends, let's get some coffee and sit outside for a bit! We can study the clouds and discuss what the weather is going to do!

Something You May Be Able To Use...!

I wanted to share this list with you because we are always looking for natural ways to accomplish daily task.

Some of these might already be known to you, some of them may not. Either way, I hope they can be of some use. OK? OK!

WARNING: Never mix cleaning products containing bleach and ammonia as dangerous fumes will result.


OVEN CLEANER
2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
2 teaspoons borax
1/4 cup ammonia
1-1/2 cups warm water

Mix the ingredients together, apply to oven spills, and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Scrub with an abrasive nylon-backed sponge and rinse well.
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GENERAL-PURPOSE CLEANER
1 teaspoon borax
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
2 cups hot water
Combine all the ingredients. If you don't have washing soda (generally found in the laundry section of supermarkets), use 1 teaspoon baking soda instead. For a more pleasant smell, use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Be sure to label the bottle accordingly.

Polishing Cloths
You can make your own polish-impregnated cloths to dust furniture. Pour some furniture polish into a large glass jar and shake it until the sides are coated. Pour the remainder of the polish back into the polish container. Place terry or other absorbent cloths in the jar and cover tightly. Leave overnight or until the cloths have absorbed all the polish. Store the cloths in the jar.

Here's another method for making polishing cloths. Add 1/4 cup polish (such as lemon oil) to 2 cups hot water. Mix well. Soak dust cloths in the mixture, then let them dry before using. Save the mixture in a glass jar. When the cloths become soiled, wash them, re-treat them, and use again.
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EASY SCRUB
3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup borax
dishwashing liquid
Combine the baking soda and borax. Mix in enough dishwashing liquid to make a smooth paste. If you prefer a pleasant smell, add 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice to the paste.
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JEWELRY CLEANER
1/4 cup ammonia
1/4 cup dishwashing liquid
3/4 cup water
Mix all the ingredients well, then soak your jewelry in the solution for a few minutes. Clean around the stones and designs with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Buff dry. (Caution: Don't use this with gold-plated jewelry; with soft stones such as pearls, opals, or jade; or with costume jewelry, because it could ruin the plastics or loosen the glue.)
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HEAVY-DUTY DISINFECTANT CLEANER
1/4 cup powdered laundry detergent
1 tablespoon borax
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup pine oil, or pine-based cleaner
Slowly stir the detergent and borax into the water to dissolve. Add the pine oil (available at hardware stores and supermarkets) and mix well. For bathroom cleaning, use the mixture full strength. In the kitchen, dilute it with water.
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WOOD FLOOR POLISH
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil Mix the ingredients well, rub on the floor, and buff with a clean, dry cloth.
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RUG CLEANER
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
1 cup lukewarm water
Combine the ingredients. Use a spray bottle to apply the solution over a large area, or use the solution to spot-clean nongreasy stains. (Don't use laundry detergent or dishwasher detergent in place of dishwashing liquid, as they may contain additives that can affect the rug's color.)
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TOILET CLEANER
1 cup borax
1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice
Combine the ingredients to make a paste. Apply it to the inside of the toilet bowl, let sit for 1 to 2 hours, and scrub.
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MILDEW REMOVER
1 tablespoon powdered laundry detergent
1 quart chlorine bleach
2 quarts water
Combine all the ingredients in a pail. Wearing rubber gloves, wash off the mildew.
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FLOOR WAX REMOVER
1 cup laundry detergent
3/4 cup ammonia
1 gallon warm water
Mix all the ingredients together and apply to a small area of the floor. Let the solution sit long enough for it to loosen the old wax, at least 5 to 10 minutes. Mop up the old wax (or scrape it up, if there's a lot of it, using a squeegee and a dustpan). Rinse thoroughly with 1 cup vinegar in 1 gallon water and let dry before applying a new finish.
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FURNITURE POLISH
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 tablespoon boiled linseed oil
1 tablespoon turpentine
Combine the ingredients in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until blended. Dampen a cloth with cold water and wring it out until it's as dry as you can get it. Saturate the cloth with the mixture and apply sparingly to a small area at a time. Let dry for about 30 minutes, then polish with a soft cloth. Note that this mixture gets gummy as it sits, so make just enough for one day's work.
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GLASS CLEANER
2 tablespoons ammonia
1/2 cup alcohol
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
a few drops blue food coloring
water
Combine the ammonia, alcohol, dishwashing liquid, and food coloring, then add enough water to make 1 quart. If you prefer a nonammoniated cleaner, substitute 3 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice for the ammonia.
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CARPET FRESHENER
1 cup crushed dried herbs (such as rosemary, southernwood, or lavender)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
Combine all the ingredients in a large jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to blend. Sprinkle some of the mixture on your carpet, let it sit for an hour or so, and then vacuum it up. It will give the room a pleasant smell and neutralize carpet odors.

Excerpted from Clean & Simple by Christine Halvorson and Kenneth M. Sheldon. Copyright 1999 by Yankee Publishing, Inc. From "The Old Farmer's Almanac Home Library" series published by Time-Life Books; call 800-277-8844, or check your local bookstore.

You Just have to love the Almanac... I know I do!

Now, let's get some coffee, go outside, and hope for some cooler weather today! OK,my friend?

More Wisdom From The "Farmer's Almanac"...

I know I should come up with something other than another bit of wisdom from the Almanac, but it is just so timely I couldn't help it.

This is some very good information and I hope you can use it.

April — Promise of Spring

April comes from the Latin word aperio, meaning “to open or bud,” because plants begin to grow this month.

Spring festivals around the world, from Easter and Passover to Arbor Day, celebrate the season’s renewal of life.

Weather in the Northern Hemisphere can be capricious—an optimist’s dream and a poet’s inspiration.

Mark this month by baking a rhubarb pie, planting peas and potatoes, and tossing the first green leaves of dandelions into a salad.

Naturalist Hal Borland wrote, “April is a promise that May is bound to keep.” With that in mind, plant shade trees now to please posterity and dwarf fruit trees, lilac bushes, and roses to please yourself.

Teach a child to fish; adopt a kitten; volunteer at your community soup kitchen; fly a kite; learn to throw a curveball. It’s April, after all!

Now, what do you say to a fresh cup of coffee, my friend ?

Countdown To The New Year...!

A little bit of amusement for ya from the pages of the Farmers Almanac...

Among the various superstitions surrounding the advent of the New Year is the nearly mandatory practice of noisemaking at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Now looked upon as mere revelry, it once was considered protection against evil spirits, who would be scared off by all of the noise.

Whistling, however, is strictly taboo; to whistle is to converse with the devil or invite him in. Sailors, actors and actresses, and miners are particularly cognizant of the ill luck associated with whistling. On board ship, whistling is thought to raise a storm. In the theatre, it is believed to close the show prematurely. For miners, it is a sign of alarm.

A whistling girl and a crowing hen,

Always come to no good end.

Now let's start this day off right with some fresh, hot coffee. OK, my friend?