From This, To This





We have finally had snow. It comes and it goes, but at least it's snow. It was snowing really hard in this picture.

After the heavy snowfall, we had this. It was really pretty. We had about 10" of fine, powdery snow on top of a sheet of ice from the last snow then rain. The weather can't seem to make up it's mind. Hmm snow, rain, snow, I wonder what I'll do today?





Well, it's rained again and this is what our front yard looks like. A nice sheet of ice with standing water on it. Needless to say, I'm not supposed to go outside.

This is the backyard. You can still see the ruts where the UPS driver thought he'd drive. The ice is surrounding the house and id continues down the driveway. I'm sure the driveway is a real mess, but since I'm not going out until this weekend, I can only imagine from past winters. Our backyard slants some, but I kept tilting the camera for the backyard shot. I guess that happens as you hang out the door. We have more rain and snow in the forecast this week. I really feel sorry for poor Jake. He hates icky feet and there is just no way for him to avoid all this mess.



Oh Look! It's Snowing Again

    Yup. It's snowing again. After I took these pictures, I thought I really should find something else to take pictures of. The problem is, is, it's kind of hard to take other pictures if you're not allowed out of the house and this is what I see from the front and back doors.
   The snow was the really fine powdery stuff at first, but it is changing to the bigger, wetter flakes. In my snow viewing from the safety of being in the house, I have decided a lot of the snow coming down looks like feathers. Sometimes it looks like a huge pillow fight is going on and all the feather pillows have torn apart.
   Chip likes to sit on the ottoman or a chair arm and look out the window at the snow. I think he is

getting cabin fever. He freezes if he's out for any length of time.
   Yesterday, the turkeys came around for more bread. They stayed for 6 hours. They drove the dogs crazy. They were huddled up under the eves by the back windows. They've never been that comfortable here before. It must be the homemade bread. I do know that you're not suppose to feed the wildlife, but I'm not the only one, which is no excuse. I doubt they'll be around today.
   I have a nice sky light in the middle of the kitchen and all this snow makes it pretty dark in there. Sunday, I noticed the kitchen was really bright for a change since all the snow had melted off of it. It was

nice.
   After today's snow, we are suppose to have many days of rain and even a heat wave in the low 40's. Hopefully, the sheet of ice that's under the snow will have a chance to melt before this all starts again.
   Who knows? Maybe mud season will come early this year. I really don't like mud season.

Poor Snowy Trees

   We've had 18 inches of snow so far, and are supposed to get another 7, or so, during the next couple of days. The snow is higher than Chip is tall, even though it has packed down and melted to 16 inches.
   The trees are very heavy with snow. I think they look sad, all droopy. Every once in a while, you see the snow slip from a branch and the snow fly off.
   It's happened. I knew it would. Tim is tired of clearing the 450 feet long driveway. He does say, though, if he didn't have to keep clearing, he wouldn't mind the snow. With the snow blower, he gets covered in snow flying out the thrower part.
   I'm not allowed out, but I did have my outing to Walmart yesterday to buy a few groceries and the all important dog food. Walmart wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but maybe that's because we waited until Sunday to go.

It was afternoon when this dark picture was taken.

   Next week I leave for my trip to sunny CA. I checked the temperatures for Riverside, and they will be in the 60's and 70's with lows in the 40's. I should check Kingman AZ, too, since I will be going there for a day.

   I'm not really looking forward to all the security at the airport, but I am curious to see if all the metal in my leg will set anything off. There is also my biggest fear in life, getting lost. Since I will be bringing, and using, my cane, Amy said I needed assistance, so they should see I don't get lost. I have a little more than an hour layover in Seattle to people watch. Now, if only Michaela cooperates.

   I wonder how much snow we will have when I get back? Since I just look at all the pretty snow from out large picture windows, I don't mind it. I've got a great view from my rocking chair, as I sit here and crochet, watch TV and generally waste time on the computer. I also have a great view from where my spinning wheels are in front of another large picture window an the other side of the house. Chip also thinks its a good view, since he spends a lot of time sitting on my spinning chair, looking at the world. 



This Winter's First Snow

   I saw snow on Mt. Spokane today. Well, briefly, I saw snow on Mt. Spokane. I can usually see Mt. Spokane from our windows, but, for the most part lately, it's hiding behind low clouds and fog. We even had a few tiny snow flakes this morning, but they didn't stick. Tim stuck the snow gauge in the ground, so I'm ready. I have plenty to keep me busy, and I'm really good at wasting lots of time on the internet.We are getting rained on right now. We have had almost nonstop rain since Sunday. Tomorrow looks like the only non rainy day for awhile.
   Poor Jake doesn't like getting his feet muddy, so getting him to go out is a battle. That dog must have a huge bladder. Chip, on the other hand, tromps through every puddle he sees. Last winter, since Chip was still a puppy, we didn't let him play in the snow much. I bet he'll have a blast in it this year. Jake used to like snow, but he's turning into an old man dog. Either that, or he got smarter. Both dogs like to eat snow off of the floor, and Chip really liked eating snow outside. So much so, that he forgot why he was outside.
   I finally finished putting up all the onions and corn. I have lots of carrots and potatoes left. I need to do something with most of the carrots before Dec. Our oldest daughter is having a baby and I will be in CA for the event, if the baby cooperates. This will be my first trip anywhere all by myself.
   I made chunky cinnamon apples and some chunky apple butter using pumpkin pie spice. Both turned out really good. I still have 7 apples left. I haven't decided what to do with them yet. I used Jonagold apples. I really like them. They are a very juicy, all purpose apple.
   Today, I made a chocolate cake that uses leftover mashed potatoes. It's pretty good. I have been making cherry cobbler lately with some of the cherries I have stashed away in the freezer. I have 3 gallon bags of cherries left. I thought I only had 2. I wonder why I don't seem to be loosing a lot of weight lately?
   I finally finished crocheting my sister-in-laws hats and scarves. Now, I need to finish a baby blanket and make 1 more bootie for the upcoming granddaughter. I'm slowly making progress. I'm also going to make Michaela a crocheted bunting doll. I really don't think she'll care if they aren't all done when she's born.
   I do have another load of towels in the clothes basket waiting for me to fold them. I bet you couldn't tell I don't like to fold towels. I don't know why. They aren't hard to fold. I guess I'm waiting for the clothes dryer that fold, hangs up and puts away clothes.

'Tis The Season For....Mud?

Well, it's that time of year again. Mud season. We had an 1 1/2 -2 inches of snow Friday. It sure looked pretty. It started earlier this year than last. Now, we get rain. Snow+ rain= mud. Muddy dog and cat paw prints all over the kitchen floor since they haven't learned to wipe their feet yet. Jake, the dog, hates icky feet. Murphy, the cat, could care less about icky feet. Me, I just get to stay inside so I don't slip and break anything again this year. Oh, and I get to dry off the soggy cat and wipe Jake's feet off. At least, he has learned to stay on the rug until I'm done. Yes, I know. I wanted seasons other than brown, but mud is brown. Remember walking through the mud bare footed as a kid? Splashing in puddles? Snowball fights? Now that I am older, it's hot chocolate with lots of marsmellows, and a good book. Life is good.

Snow

We are having the first snow of the season in my snow globe world. So far, about 1/4" and melting.The National Weather Service says less than 1", which is much better than 80" in 3 weeks like last year, but that wasn't until December, either. Time will tell. After that, more rain. Just what we need; more mud. I have lots to keep me entertained when I'm housebound. This year, I've decided to lear to knit. I took knitting lessons when I was 12 and remember the knit stitch and how to cast on and bind off. I need to relearn the purl stitch. My handspun yarn will look much better knitted than crocheted. Less bulky. First, I have to finish and start another sweater for my grandsons for Christmas. One day, maybe, I'll finish all my started, but not finished, crafts. I have quite a few of them. There are reasons they haven't been finished yet. I look at them periodically, and still have no great desire to finish most them. I guess if I get really hard up for something to do, they'll be on my list somewhere.

What happens when you live in a snow globe

In the winter of 2008-2009 we had approxamtely 123 inches of snow at our house. After the first big snow that started Dec. 17, Tim finally got to try out his new snow blower. We didn't have one last year and had to pay to be plowed out. Anyway, Tim tromped up and down our 450-500 foot driveway several times clearing the snow. He did a good job of it. So good, I thought I'd go for a walk with him to take the trash out. The trash can was buried under snow, so I had the snow shovel and was using it for a walking stick. We hadn't walked very far, when I slipped on ice that Tim never, not once, slipped on. Leave it to me to do something like that. I felt my arm break when I landed with a thump. I didn't fall hard, just right. Once again, leave it to me to do something like that. I did a good job breaking it. (I believe in doing a job well done.) My left arm had to be surgically repaired and I ended up with 4 pins and 4 screws and external tension devices. At least I'm right handed. My arm is as good as it's going to get now. It looks like my hand is off to the side, but it works. Now I am not allowed out of the house when there is snow and ice in our snow globe world. I can only look out the windows and I know what it feels like to be in a snow globe looking out. It gets old really quick. In the winter of 2006, I stepped off of a 2 inch step and broke my left ankle. It took a steel plate and 10 screws to but it back together. I'm working towards becoming bionic. I'm really tired of braking bones since I've broken others besides these. Maybe this winter, I can work on my crafts to keep me out of trouble. Knowing my luck, I'll probably get tangled in my yarn and trip. Yup. I'm a klutz.