It finally stopped snowing this morning. The temperature has been in the mid-20’s (F) – the perfect range for a lot of snow. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 16-18 inches fell, leaving slightly over a foot compressed on the ground at my house. The mountain tops and sky to the east stayed gray.
But to the west and south were patches of blue and some sunshine.
Snowy walk.
It’s been snowing.
And snowing.
Not heavily, just constantly.
Changing everything.
Even Karl takes on a different look. And it is so very quiet.
Ok, maybe not everything changes.
The Ice House may become another series like “The Road Home” and our loop walk…a spot that is photogenic, story-telling in a unique way and so different in all the seasons and varied light. (See The Ice House for more info)
Today, there was a bleakness to the landscape and this particular capture. But…Karl and I were there because the super-cold has broken…it was 25F. And with no wind, it felt nearly balmy in comparison to the past week.
The Ice House, Somers, MT.
I love to cook and I love to cook Thanksgiving dinner, but this year decided to do things differently. Work and Karl and typical weather (which we GOT!) all made me decide some time ago that this year’s holiday celebrations would be celebrated at home – the three of us.
I recently read something on the order of there are people who get energy from being around others and people who get energy from solitude. I definitely fall in the solitude camp and find it exhausting to do much of the “people” thing. I know…it explains a lot :)!!
So, this year, the fambly Summers Thanksgiving Day will not only be intimate but I also decided to depart from the usual turkey dinner.
We are not departing from a cozy fire in the woodstove, though – Bob would never allow that to happen!
On top of the TV is my Thanksgiving bread on the rise – it is Broa, a Portuguese corn bread according to the recipe. Not southern cake-like cornbread, it is a crusty – chewy bread made with some cornmeal. And I’m adding the recipe’s Thanksgiving variation which includes dried cranberries and orange zest. I think it will go perfectly with the pumpkin stew that will be simmering on the stove this afternoon. A green salad and some fizzy apple cider will round out my dinner with Nantucket Cranberry Pie for dessert.
There will be leftovers, just like the usual turkey dinner, as I find it impossible, no matter what my intention, to make a small pot of soup or stew…
A large gift box of the Meyer Lemons arrived last week and some of them will join the cranberries to become cranberry-lemon marmalade. Meyer Lemons are a hybrid lemon-mandarin orange (might be something else from the orange family) cross – slightly sweeter than a regular lemon, thinner skinned and rounder. And fresh off the tree – beautifully fragrant…a wonderful gift!
A little snowthrower maintenance is also on the “menu” – rats! My own fault as I decided to do some cleanup in the dark, hit a few rocks and the auger belt broke. Also, it needs an oil change. I’d have it picked up and serviced except it is snowing…
..kind of constantly and supposed to keep going and another storm so will see if I can get all in working order today.
Karl in his closet looking concerned that I am in there as well AND pointing the camera at him. It is the last weekend of hunting season and the guns were on the loud side this morning. Both he and Bob will join me at the table when the food is ready. No one misses a meal at this house!
Seriously, Thanksgiving – I have so much to be thankful for – Karl and Bob, this warm and comfortable house, good food to fix and enjoy, good work, friends and family – all is good and well.
Happy Thanksgiving from Karl, Bob and I to all.
***EDIT*** And I’m thankful for my neighbors, Mike and Nancy. And I’m REALLY thankful for their backhoe :)! I had just hit Publish for this post when Mike and their backhoe headed up my driveway…takes the pressure off the snowthrower repair.
“Aren’t you ready yet????”
Karl’s impatience is usually justified as it often takes me 3 or 4 back in the house trips to be satisfied that I am attired appropriately for the conditions. Today, however, I only went back once to exchange gloves for mittens – that hardly counts ;)!
The temperature had risen to 14 by 10:30 a.m. but dropped back to 11 by the time we departed – me on snowshoes, Karl on 4 feet – at noon-thirty.
A good time was had by all, even if I was seriously out of breath at this point. Part of that is due to the photo taking. I enlisted a handy stump for a quick try at an action shot. We are a little fuzzy but some of that is snow being blown off tree branches. We ARE both looking in the general direction of the camera – hurrah!
The house …smoke from the chimney…hot coffee and back to work.
Four inches of fine, powdery snow fell overnight. I shovelled the walk when Karl and I walked down the driveway in the dark. It is still snowing, but it is only 10F. The snow is so fine and light, it is hard to shovel as it wants to fall off the shovel before I’m ready.
Bob stood on the front porch and looked like he might be having second thoughts about going further, but after some thought he proceeded on his morning rounds as usual.
It is cold enough for the bear dog to use his pillow-bed but not yet cold enough to require the nose be covered with the tail.
It appears NOAA nailed the forecast. It is calm here in the mountain wind shadow but the town weather shows winds from the northeast at 20 mph, gusting to 38 and a wind chill of -10F.
Snowshoes are ready for our lunchtime walk. Maybe it will warm up to 15 by then.