Sunday: between Part 1 and Part 2 of another round of Winter

We started Sunday very relaxed!

While Auggie was napping, I sipped my coffee and formulated the day’s plan:

  • Morning walk and a bit of walk-path maintenance
  • I had a bit of cleanup to do with shovel and snow thrower
  • If weather holding, make a quick run to hardware and grocery
  • Stock firewood on the porch
  • Laundry, vacuum, i.e. chores that require electricity
  • Make sure I have food easily prepared on the woodstove
  • In between the above, clear as much of the roof as I can

    • We walked and tromped down a few paths, I ran the thrower to clean up driveway edges and the front walk and then off to the store 30 minutes before the blizzard warning started.

    I wasn’t the only one at the store. Between the Super Bowl and the forecast monster storm, it was a madhouse in the grocery!

    I persevered and came home with all I wanted.

    Yes, that is a raindrop!

    Ominous clouds low over the mountains…

    But at home…

    Rain and above freezing temperatures (36F) turning everything less than beautiful!

    I proceeded with my list.

    It kept raining.

    I didn’t go up on the roof, but did some additional clearing with my roof rake from the ground. Sean, my wood worker person called to say he could get here to help with the roof on Wednesday. I think that will be fine. Much as it would have been nice to clear it, it will likely take the snow but it WILL need to be cleared before next weekend’s forecast warm up.

    Still raining and actually the roof is draining nicely down the cleared edges – no water building up behind ice dams – yea!

    NOAA had originally said this storm would start with rain changing to snow. Then they said it was too cold in the valley and that it would likely stay cold and we’d get all snow. Then they put the Blizzard warning on. By 2:00 they removed the blizzard warning and reading between the lines it looks like the heaviest snowfall might occur north of me.

    Bear and I are just back from our “before bedtime” walk. We walked in the rain.

    Another round of Winter: part 1

    We’ve had a couple of forecast winter storms that didn’t happen.

    But earlier this week, the NOAA sounded very certain of a Friday through Monday double threat:

    My supplies were stocked up so no last minute run to town…

    … and the snow started a bit earlier than forecast. Typically weather events are late. But, not only did the snow start early, it was only 11F and it was coming down like it meant it.

    We woke up to 9 inches of new snow and it was still snowing.

    I did some test runs with the snow thrower. The snow was so light and fluffy that it threw fine, but still a lot of snow which required going very slow. I cleared the walk and about 10 feet in front of the garage and motorhome …in an hour. Typically, I can clear most of the driveway in an hour, the walk in 15 minutes and in front of the motorhome in another 20.

    I multiplied and added extra rest breaks and knew I would be fortunate if I could clear by end of the day. Plus, I needed to clear the roof vents and “rake” the roof edges where ice dams were forming. And walks with Bear!

    I called (actually emailed) for reinforcements…

    Thank you neighbor Mike! Mike and the mighty backhoe cleared the driveway.

    I managed the roof and enough snowshoe trails to let us walk in the woods.

    Auggie was in and out and finally had to spend some time removing ice balls from between his toes.

    I’m writing this at 7:20 p.m. and both Bear and Auggie have gone to bed! I am about to follow – no kidding! Working outside in the cold and snow … I am beat.

    Plus we need to rest up for part 2 starting tomorrow afternoon…

    YIKES!

    Dog biscuits, Ciabatta and a movie

    Not “dinner and a movie” :)

    Even though the sun was shining, it was cold and snowy and we had bouts of freezing fog. I dislike going out and about when the roads are difficult and typically keep the pantry, frig, freezer and supply closet extra full so that I am not required to go out if conditions are bad.

    But this week my inventory control failed me and a very full work schedule and “OH NO!” … the dog biscuit situation was dire!

    These biscuits take me about 10 minutes to get in the oven … far less time than a round trip to the grocery. And Bear loves them!

    On to Ciabatta.

    Ciabatta is Italian for slipper and the bread is called Ciabatta because of its shape – kind of flat and square-ish. It has a reputation for being difficult because the dough is extra moist and cannot be kneaded by hand or easily shaped. It has more moisture than the “no knead”, high moisture artisanal doughs. Most recipes call for mixing with a stand mixer. I don’t have a stand mixer. The short story is that I adapted a sourdough recipe with a bit of mixing with my hand mixer and then used the long rise, stretch and fold method that I use for sourdough.

    That is the dough before “shaping” … a blob. But folding it with a bench knife let me know that it was full of good gas for an airy bread.

    Cutting and folding for rolls…

    Success! As you can see, the “shapes” are not consistent. The extra large roll I “shaped” in a mini loaf pan to bake as a test. The others I folded and cut with a baker’s bench knife. They still spread haphazardly before springing up in the oven.

    When I lifted the rolls off the baking stone, I was amazed at how light they were. And that is just right. Ciabatta should have a crispy crust and a very light and airy crumb.

    Fresh off my success with Ciabatta, I received an email from the company that makes the movie software I purchased last week. The email noted the release of a movie app for iPhone and Android Phone. I got the app and played a bit…

    ***This has music. I think it is a bit loud so you might want to turn down your volume before you start the play.

    So. Much. Fun.

    Video: Morning snowshoe walk

    A video! I took this – video at the end – earlier this week before we had a bit of a melt. As noted previously, video is not my favorite thing … I don’t do it well and struggle with editing … primarily because I haven’t spent time to learn. But also because I tend to like the subtle story telling of still photos.

    However, some of the action stuff is fun – particularly Auggie, who is often like a “speeding bullet” and also very vocal … about everything!

    The people I know, who do some video and might assist, all use iMovie on Apple operating systems. My only Apple device is my phone. I intended to use some of my Christmas holiday break to work through some tutorials and negotiate a bit of the video editing learning curve but kept putting it off and mission NOT accomplished

    But, this morning, I did a search for “iMovie for Windows” and found a product that is supposed to be close-ish as in ease of use and powerful features.

    Yea!

    A promise of 30 minutes. A fun looking interface. I was all in.

    I watched a quick tutorial and added my video. And then … AND THEN … it didn’t need editing! I was thinking that there were points where I turned or stumbled or talked baby talk that I wanted to edit out, but it turned out that I was ok with the entire thing. Maybe that is a good first try. The software does seem easy to use. I have some other videos that I KNOW need editing so I’ll take a whack at them.

    But meanwhile…nearly 5 minutes of Bear, Auggie and I tromping through the snowy woods. I don’t want to oversell this – it is a simple walk :) !!

    One of the stars after we “wrapped” filming…

    … just hanging out!

    And the other star … lying low.

    Brothers in the snow

    It got up to 16F at my house today. But a low cloud deck and a dewpoint of 7F made for it feeling much colder!

    But the snow is perfection!!! And I have tromped down wonderful trails through the woods: circles and loops and straightaways for running. We have been enjoying as much as possible.

    The extended forecast is dismal: above freezing temperatures for Wed-Friday next week and rain … RAIN!!! I dearly hope the forecast is wrong and that it stays below freezing. The perfect snow and the trails and the good walking on the driveway … it has been a good run compared to prior years but I do NOT want it to turn into an ice bowl!

    So.

    This weekend and until … we will all enjoy every moment in this beautiful snow.

    Alpenglow

    Alpenglow happens when the rays of the setting or rising sun bend around the curvature of the earth and light up the mountains in the opposite direction: sunset lights mountains to the east, sunrise lights mountains to the west.

    I went down the road close to sunset which was also supposed to be close to moonrise … a full moon rising. With the arctic front, came clear skies and I hoped there might be an alpenglow rising full moon.

    The moon was late. Probably not the moon’s fault. I’m using a new moon phase app and this was my first try at matching its time for moonrise to actuality.

    All was not lost as the alpenglow was beautiful.

    West and Northwest, there was a pink glow on the mountains.

    Even more north towards Big Mountain: you can see some of the ski trails about mid-photo.

    The last bit of pink alpenglow above the road home.