Alert: Tim Gunn is the guest on the Daily Show tonight.

Yeah, we'll have to see. The trash guys were actually supposed to come set the can today, but with the snowstorm I'm pretty sure it didn't happen. I don't know, though, because with the snowstorm I didn't go back to the house. I taped the money to the door, as they recommended, which cracks me up. How many places could you just tape an envelope of money to the door and have any expectation of it getting to the right people? But there it's likely no one else even drove up the road.

So I don't know what kind of can I'm getting. Here, at this house, we just put the can inside the kennel. But we don't generally have much in the way of food scraps anyway, and we'll have less once we start to compost. I dunno how to secure the compost, though. That might figure into what kind of bin I get.

We definitely have coyotes and rattlesnakes (and a nice assortment of spiders). I saw a grey wolf a couple of times, but my builder saw him too and says he thinks its domesticated. I was just glad because he didn't believe me earlier and thought it was probably a mexican wolf, but I knew it wasn't because it was much bigger. Although now that I'm wikipediaing it I think maybe I don't understand my taxonomy.

Lots of coyotes, though.

You know how dogs do that thing after they go where they go all crazy kicking the dirt around? Turns out, when their starting point for this maneuver is nearly armpit deep in a snowbank, they fall forward smack on their faces and it is hi-larious.

If we were staying in the ponderosas, we'd have bear and wildcats and javalina, too. But I think we'll loose the bigger animals because of the lack of cover. But now that I saw the elk, I dunno. Maybe I'm misunderestimating the Sitgreaves National Forest's capacity for wildlife. Ooh, and I think my neighbor is going to give me some extra birdfeeders she has. She was out there twice today refilling her (many) feeders. With the storm, the birds were out in full force taking advantage of her largesse.

Bwah, brenda! That's great. The Biscuit had a fabulous time playing in the snow today, too, although he was clearly glad it was a snow day for us and didn't mean he had to be outside all day.

Today's dinner meat on a stick

spiced chicken and grapes on skewers

[link]

outrageous

Alibelle, you could stay with us and goats for a bit.

That would be really cool in that I might ever see you again way.

In other news, I just did my taxes. That was surprisingly quick and easy. It took less than an hour. Sadly, my refund was not nearly as nice as it was last year. I only got $163 total from federal and state this year, as opposed to the $418 I received last year. At least I only had to pay $30 to file this year, as opposed to last year's $60. I realize that is still good news, in the at least I don't owe the IRS way, but still. I think deep down inside I was hoping for a miracle return of $1,000,000 (I realize this is impossible, just go with it. The heart is a lonely hope-er.). And then I would have been able to go shopping. Perhaps buy a goat, or something. Maybe a house.

Wee! It turns out the morning class instructor is having serious car trouble, and comes from far enough away that he can't make it to class tomorrow, so it's cancelled! I can sleep in late!

Man, Conan and Colbert were on Jon's show, and now Conan and Jon are on Colbert.

The other night Stewart was on Colbert playing a videotape (an actual VHS video tape) of Conan being on Stewart's old show a gazillion years ago. Hysterical. Also, next to Conan, Stewart is a wee little puppet man.