I got my wish

The snow started late afternoon yesterday (Friday), while the temperature was above freezing.

It continued and at a perfect temperature to mix with the icy puddles and make walking normal again.

We went from ugly to pretty and by this morning (Saturday) there was somewhere between 2 and 3 inches of new stuff.

Perfect…not so much that anything except the walk to the garage needs shoveling but enough to make walking around pleasant.

And overnight we had a visitor…

Mr. or Ms. Raccoon, but I think Mr. because of the size.

2 back feet and 1 forefoot print.

The forefoot print is about 4 inches long. Auggie has large feet but his print would barely cover the pad of this raccoon.

If it is the same raccoon that has been around since I’ve lived here, it is LARGE raccoon kind of resembling a small bear cub!

Lots of tracks through the yard, around the garage…

…and all around the house.

Sometimes, wishes come true.

A Wonderful Christmas week

When it was not sunny…

When it was gray…

A fire was roaring in the woodstove.

Gray or sunny (it has been about 50/50!!) – we were outside as much as possible!

This Friday evening, after a sunny morning through late afternoon, we enjoyed a gray evening…

…that gave in to a beautiful alpenglow.

The wonderful week actually had nothing to do with the weather, but rather the JOY of Christmas, the love in my little house with Bear and Auggie, good food, a bit of work, a few tears for those not with us, but mostly a time of happy reflection; a wonderful Christmas week!

Christmas Morning: On the Road Home

“True peace is not a balancing of opposing forces. It’s not a lovely facade which conceals conflicts and divisions.

Peace calls for daily commitment.

God is peace: let us ask him to help us to be peacemakers each day, in our life, in our families, in our cities and nations, in the whole world.”

Pope Francis, Christmas Mass 2013

A Midwinter’s night dream

4 inches of new snow.

And here comes my neighbor.

Not only does my drive get cleared…

…but the turn around…

In case of emergency…

I will be able to get Wild Thing out…

I had tears in my eyes watching today.

My driveway and turnaround is my responsibility.

But, these past years of “stuff”…

And my neighbors have been there for me.

It is overwhelming that they do this for me.

Happy and Blessed Christmas, Neighbors!

Happy Solstice all.

A Midwinter’s night dream.

No he did not go up higher…and other trivia

Several emailed me with variations on the question “Did he go higher ?”/”Did you have to get him down?”

No.

BUT.

I have retrieved (rescued! ) him from some smaller trees…before the snow and cold.

By ladder..

He has since learned… I think/hope – how to come down and to not go further up than he is ok with coming down.

We’ll see.

My ladder goes to about 20 feet.

After that it will be calling the FD or renting a “cherry picker”. Auggie and I have discussed this. I hope he listened.

Onward.

So… that thing at the end of the pointy arrow???

An External Battery Charger: 10000mAh Pocket Friendly Portable Dual USB Port External Battery Charger/Power Pack

By luck and by Amazon’s lightning deal thing, I got one and I love it and I think everyone should have one. It is a wonderful EMERGENCY charger…you know, like if you were stuck in a blizzard, or an ice storm or something like that.

Look it up.

It is a good thing!

Fruit cake.

Do those words strike fear in your heart???

Hee.

I loved fruitcake as a child. I remember being allowed to have a slice a day with a cup of tea.

AND…I liked it!

I can’t remember if it was last Christmas-time or the year before, but I tried making a fruit cake.

The candied fruit was awful.

I threw it all away.

So.

Try this recipe: Homesick Texan’s Pecan Date Fruitcake

Wonderful.

A great fruit and nut cake.

Go higher!