Category: Front Porch Musings

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Christmas Tradition

Karl and I have a Christmas Tradition. Early afternoon on Christmas Day we go for a long walk. I always hope that I can be on snowshoes and this Christmas I was. The deep snow from November had melted, then froze and earlier this week was topped with two fresh inches. It was perfect. We circumnavigated the property and the state land…in no hurry. The freezing fog had fed the hoar frost so the woods appeared like a frozen swamp – icy tendrils hanging off branches and moss.

Although the fog made the 24F temperature seem colder, we were both warm on our return so ended with some time on the front porch.

I sipped on fizzy apple cider and sat enjoying the quiet.

As Karl and I sat and watched, the sun came out, the fog lifted, the trees sparkled.

Christmas Tradition.

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The color of fog

Another day of patchy freezing fog, patchy sunshine – and close to sunset a try at alpenglow.

These are the same photo – the first is a crop of the middle section of the second to show the color and the mountain.

When we get freezing fog, but not a complete inversion – and at this time of year with the sun at its lowest angle – the light and color is extraordinary.

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Recovery Day

It is recovery day here at the little house in the woods.

Bob has been doing wonderfully on the insulin regime for his diabetes! Input and output returned to normal and his usual partly obnoxious self returned :)!

Yesterday, he was scheduled for a “glucose curve” check. The idea is to monitor his blood glucose level shortly after an insulin shot and then through the day. A specific type of curve as well as levels is desired to ensure that the correct dose has been established.

Karl and I accompanied Bob in the Jeep to Whitefish with an 8:00 a.m. scheduled arrival time. We departed at 7:15….

How do mothers do this every, single day??? How do they get themselves dressed for work, a child or children dressed, everyone fed and out the door to school or day care???? They have my admiration!

So…35 mile drive in the dark and freezing fog to Whitefish. Not my favorite thing, but as we approached Kalispell – the halfway mark – the fog lifted and it was clear…well clearish. Blue sky overhead, the still nearly full, but waning moon on its descent, the Whitefish range lit in a ghostly way by the rising sun. It was a look I’d never seen and made the push out the door worthwhile…for me…

Bob rides out of his carrier, in the back of the Jeep, typically on Karl’s tail. I can’t blame him. Karl’s fluffy tail is no doubt warm and comforting. And by this time, Bob probably has an idea of our destination. Jeep rides are not usually for Bob’s enjoyment.

Fast forward to the retrieval… Karl and I arrived back at the clinic at 5:30 p.m. – dark and foggy again! – to pick up Mr. Bob. Bob’s day was not a good one. He didn’t like his accomodations, didn’t like being poked for blood, peed on the tech – AND his glucose level was off the charts – probably due to stress so the eval was useless. Based on my report of all at home, it was decided to leave the dosage as is and I will attempt to do the curve from home with a glucometer…heh…

The tech (yep, the one he peed on) could not get close to him to get him in his carrier for check out and called me to the back. Bob hissed at me, but I spoke to him, wrapped him in a towell and took him to a quiet exam room where he entered his carrier willingly and once in the car and loosed, proceeded to move to his spot on Karl’s tail for the trip home.

We all passed a restful night but yesterday took its toll.

Today, for all of us, recovery day.

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The agony of defeat

That is the snowthrower in that trailer. It is going off to Big John’s.

The auger stopped augering on Thanksgiving Eve. I had a spare auger belt. The directions didn’t look bad and I have tools, can read, have done plenty of repairing/servicing of stuff. But, in recent years, Big John’s has been my go to place for home equipment as they pick up, service and deliver for a price so low it is hard to understand how they are making any money. But…it was Thanksgiving and snowing and forecast to snow more and I had all I needed so I began.

My first hurdle was getting the new belt on. I finally realized that at 15F, a rubber belt was going to have less give than normal and maybe warming it up would help. Also, it was getting dark. The belt spent the night in the house.

Friday, I got the belt on. I fired up the thrower. It started marching out of the garage on its own. I didn’t try the auger.

I have a work deadline to meet. I already had a couple of hours in the thrower. Discretion…valor, etc. – I made the call to Big John’s. Adding to the agony, I had to include a note about working on it. The good news is that it may be the source of amusement to whoever draws my thrower to work on. Laughter is good for the soul!

Meantime, the temperature rose above freezing. Three – four more inches of heavy wet snow has fallen. The snow and needles have come down off the trees in shuddering avalanches – sometimes on the roof of the house sounding a bit like the entire tree came with. It is a mess. It does this every year!…a VERY cold spell, a foot of snow and then a warm up.

Now, it is forecast to get cold again and more snow on top of slush that will freeze. Somehow it works out and looks beautiful again but at the moment not so much.

Although some long days this week on this project push, it has been a very good week. Hope yours has been as well – Happy Friday!