January started cold and snowy and ended cold and snowy, but in between … a mixed bag:
Tranquility
The weather has been gray and dreary and a very un-January-like above freezing kind of mish-mash. Because of the snow depth, there is still snow-slush to snowshoe on. Auggie is able to walk on top of the mess. Bear is dealing with a mix of breaking through slush and the firmness of my snowshoe paths.
Blech.
It is what it is and the forecast is for 20’s overnight and upper 30’s-40’s F daytime, i.e. continued slushiness.
The good news … actually, the GREAT news!! is that the only thing we have to complain about is the weather – small potatoes!!!
And today, mid-afternoon…Bear and I made a quick run to Bigfork for a few items that the House Summers required. And we were rewarded with clear roads as well as some unexpectedly beautiful vistas, particularly across Flathead Lake.
The best views were in spots of travel with no safe place to stop and take a photo. We ended up in the parking lot of the Flathead Lake Brewery, formerly a bowling alley. The brewery-pub is very nice and has a primo spot overlooking the lake. I’ve enjoyed a glass with a friend on the deck … last summer. Today, it was a park and shoot affair.
It was beautiful.
And in the midst of gray and dreary, there was stunning light.
In the woods: sun and snow
This morning we were under a low, gray inversion.
But, by afternoon – Sunshine!
In the woods: Sun and Snow
Enjoying the snow
We’ve had very nice snow on the ground for three weeks…AND it has stayed below freezing. I snowshoe around the woods 2 or 3 times a day. Auggie and Bear come along – Bear ventures off to see who else has walked through the woods. Auggie stays mostly with me on my snowshoe path.
And sometimes we just enjoy Beardog point: Bear, Auggie, me and the chairs.
It is the perfect amount and the perfect temperature for enjoying the snow.
This ‘n that
I spent a good part of the holiday weeks away from the computer. I had plans to do this ‘n that and work a bit, but mostly I enjoyed the snow, my new snowshoes, some new recipes and a lot of just resting.
It was wonderful.
Auggie did a lot of resting also. I guess my reading lamp was too bright :) …
And he enjoyed the snowshoe paths. Bear is stage right putting his nose into every single deer track.
Time-out for a chore and an RV maintenance note. I let Wild Thing go too long between starts in the cold and had to jump her. She’s all charged up now – we’ll go for a run sometime when it warms up a bit. It has not been super-cold (below zero), but it has been below 20 the last week and supposed to stay that way. Perfect temp for keeping the snow nice!
I saw Smitten Kitchen’s recipe for Tarte Soleil and made my own miniature version with my whole wheat brioche.
And yesterday, for Sunday: the last day before back to work … miniature apple cinnamon rolls.
On with 2016 – Happy New Year to all!