Well, seems I missed the main reason why I haven't blogged much...or, rather, a better detailed explanation.
Summer on the Canadian Prairies basically runs JUNE - SEPT. So, I pack as much picking, building, sorting, scouting, renovations, auto repair, etc, etc, etc as I can into those months. June/July/August also tend to have some days with extreme heat, so some outdoor activities get nixed/post-phoned on those days.
Pickers living in climates where there is less of an extreme difference in temperatures and less extreme weather changes in general, tend to be able to get more (outside) types of work done in a year than us Canadian Prairie pickers can. The temperatures here differ as much as 80 or 90 degrees centigrade from season to season. Winter temperatures may be only in the -20C (-4F) in the winter, in general, but with wind chills, snowstorms, etc, the weather can get much colder, and even dangerous, at times. I have picked in such extremely cold temps & conditions, but am now more careful (and far more aware of my mortality!) than I used to be. I'm sure I will relate some of these trips in my blog and/or in my book(s).....which I plan to work heavily on this winter.
Plus, pickers who live in the mid-states (IE: Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz of "American Pickers" fame) are within an "easy" drive to areas with warmer temperatures than their home base.
Also, some pickers have entered into, the picking profession with substantial cash available to them. Not always a good scenario for a newbie, as you can get in trouble very fast if you are not careful.
Some of these scenarios can (and do!) include (in no particular order):
- Having savings from another line of work/previous career (maybe a buyout? Stock options when you left the firm?)
- Having investments, stocks, bonds, etc that have substantial dividends
- Large inheritance of various kinds (anything that can be turned into cash...and/or cash itself!)
- Lottery jackpot winnings (yep, I have met a family who started wheeling, dealing and picking that way.)
- Family money...old or new, it all spends the same!
- Being backed by a wealthy "silent partner"
- Having had one fantastic or several good "scores" that made them big money
- Many years of working hard, as professional pickers do, combined with being lucky enough to not have had any major life calamities (personal/family health issues, divorce/relationship issues, natural disasters, unnatural disasters, etc, etc, etc) that drained their financial reserves.
And I am sure there are scenarios I have missed, and ones I likely could never have imagined.... !
Hmmmm...now where was I?
AH, yes.....SO, the "Cole's Notes" version of this blog?
Here it is:
I tend to be outside whenever the weather is good....which means far less blogging...as you noticed.
