Not that I’m complaining. I saw the oil man with his truck out front the other day but my house didn’t need any – guess he was there for the neighbor. More money in my pocket, at least for now. Probably spend it on electricity for the air conditioning this coming summer anyway.

Seems like last year by this time we’d already had a big snowfall and some mighty frigid weather. But yesterday I saw daffodil stems poking their heads up in the flower bed in the front yard and the japonica in the back yard is already showing some color.

So I’m not complaining, although like most area residents I like to see at least one good snowfall each winter. Sort of makes the season, don’t you think?

I mean, if it’s not going to snow, why have winter at all? Let’s be like southern California and just have pleasant weather all the time.

But if the weather is not seasonal, the political activity certainly is, with both boards back at work in the county, dealing with that demon they all must work with – money. Maybe the mild weather will help them out too with fuel costs but as of the other day, the school board was dealing with about a half a million buck gap between proposed expenditures and projected revenues. The board of supervisors is scheduled to hold a day long budget workshop this Thursday to hear presentations from the various departments on their fiscal needs. It’s for sure there will be more asked for than there is to give out.

Ah, economics, the dismal science.

On the local political scene, we had a lively discussion with the new chair of the Goochland Democratic Committee last week. It was refreshing indeed to talk to a Democrat who wasn’t afraid of the label. Although local history and perhaps the demographics may be daunting, the new party chief seems likely to add to the discussion, having already broached the near taboo idea of perhaps at least considering a teensy-weensy increase in property tax rates to add a wee bit to the county coffers.

I mean it really is okay to talk about stuff, even if you decide later you don’t need to do it, right? At least all the alternatives ought to be open for discussion.

Meanwhile on the national scene the GOP seems bent on helping Democrats win the presidential race a second time in a row, as they tear down their only credible nominee with a chance to defeat the incumbent. What is it that makes folks say such destructive things when they know in a few months they’ll have to coalesce around the nominee, unless they have a true political death wish?

Then there’s the General Assembly, with the split Senate and the Lt. Governor breaking ties for the GOP, it should provide ample drama. But we’ll wait awhile on that one.