It's a sunsled

A few years ago, during a visit back east to the Delaware beaches, Grammy gave Miki an inflatible little boat that she uses as a mini swimming pool here in the summer. Yesterday, as the snow was still falling and again on one of our walks, I began to ponder our winter sled options. A tarp would work, but, hmm...How about a shovel? Fine, if we had one. And so it went. We were just about to borrow the neighbor's when I remembered that little plastic boat.

It's been great, an absolute godsend when I want to cover some distance and Miki just can't keep up.

Yesterday evening around 5pm, totally dark, we went out to test it. I put a headlamp on Miki and pulled her around the streets and down a hill a few times. Great fun, but unfortunately, no pictures.

Anyway, here's the sun & snow sled and a tired-looking Miki.

It's Snowtime!

What's that saying about your 'heart on your sleeve'? Does it apply to hands?

Snowed in

More photos from the morning the blizzard cleared. (See next post/below for the story).

A Morning Survey

It's December 22nd, exactly 9 days after the first snow began falling and the 10th consecutive day I've had the woodstove burning. The snow this morning was just letting up, about 30 hours later than when it began, when I took these photos.

The 3 of us sat down around 8am to a great cinnamon buns and scrambled eggs breakfast with tea. Did I say that they were homemade, fresh-out-of-the-oven-warm cinnabon buns? Well they were.

While mama was getting Sam bundled up for the family foray, "Neige" Miki and I jumped outside to have a tromp around and survey the wonder. We "cut" a path around the perimeter and played with Rope a bit. I was caught up in photos, trying to capture the beauty and the sheer staggering amount of snow we have! Long, thin icicles poke down from the roof line on both sides of the house and inside the house, when you peer out a window, it looks like were stealing glances out the entrance to our paleolithic ice cave! Ericka, however, is more fond of the "little cabin in the woods" euphemism. That fits too.

Cold Cathedral

Turning out of our drive, one quickly ascends a small knoll in what at first seems like a minor bump, until you crest and see the other side: a long, steep downhill drop to the road below. The trees lining this "corridor" are massive and tall, all of them either Douglas Fir or Cedar. I'd guess that they stand about 90-150 feet above the road. The height of the trees, coupled with the thick density and the steep hilldside, really give this short stretch of road a grand, cathedral-like feel. A cold winter morning with fresh snow really accentuates the stillness and sounds, although muffled, carry with clarity and surprise.

Today, around 10:30am, the branches sagged and hung heavy with freshly "loaded" snow bombs. We quickly shuffled thru, nervously scanning upwards for any disturbance that might send a truck load of snow down on our heads and always listening for that dreaded crack of a breaking branch.

Here we are (more or less) in the clear. We did the round-trip unscathed, by the way.

Thank the tree spirit for that one, Miki.

Gingerbread Cookies

After a satisfying plate of pasta with sausage & eggplant marinara, E & Miki jumped up to crank out a dozen gingerbread cookies. Miki is getting very fond of cooking (jeez, I wonder why?) and it's obvious from these photos that she enjoys it.

Great cookies, by the way, and munched along with a cup of strong black tea, is what got me thru this long evening of posting.

Here's to homemade cookies during the holidays!

LET IT SNOW!

I was raking leaves at home yesterday afternoon (Saturday) around 3pm when, as we used to say in Vermont, it began "spitting snow". Very fine at first, almost like a mist. 2 hours later the spit had turned to big fat flakes and they were sticking. A great sign. After dinner, around 7pm, I flipped on the outdoor floodlight to take inventory. About 5 cm. had accumulated and it showed no signs of weakening.

I was up the following morning a bit before 6am and went downstairs to stoke the woodstove. Once again, I hit the floodlight: Holy spindrift! A white Christmas! I love snow and every time it brings back so many memories associated with growing up in northern New England: trees laden white, quiet forests, cutting trails, making temporary "furniture" and of course, snow days! Now that she's almost three, this time around I was so excited to share it with Miki.

A bit before 8am Miki woke up. We had a quick and delicious breakfast (see Blueberry Soda Bread, below), wiggled into our polypro and fleece, suited up and jumped out the door.

I don't know if it's because I feel (on some level) that I'm getting older and more appreciative of the "smaller details" or just that I miss terribly living in a consistently snowy environment, but the scenery and atmosphere outside my door this morning was breathtaking. 'Giddy' would be an apt description for our mood and it was contagious.

We spent about 2 hours outside wallowing in the stuff before I could convince Miki that she needed to take a break. Trying to tell an-almost 3-year old that the snow wasn't going anywhere, we can come right back outside later, is an absolute waste of energy.

The fresh air and exertion later put all 3 girls into a deep, 2-hour nap.

The snow finally stopped, around 1pm. 16 inches in 21 hours.

Nuthin' but Powder

MC Miki, Jam Sam & Dub Mama

I can almost hear the drum and bass in the background...

In the deep

Here's Miki, swimming against the tide....

Beautiful powder snow...ohh, the magical days of snowboarding, for the love of all that is deep and fluffy, will they ever return?!

Warming Hut

I finally managed to wrest Miki from the great white outdoors after our morning romping about and we went in to warm up, have lunch and lounge by the fire.

Blueberry Soda Bread

Before going to bed lastnight, E threw together the dry ingredients for a Blueberry Buttermilk Soda Bread. If I had known what awaited come morning, I probably wouldn't have slept.

We both woke up at 6am to some serious snowfall already in progress. Snow has always been a prime motivator in our lives so we eagerly crept downstairs, excited for 3 reasons: the girls were still sleeping, the snow was beckoning and the blueberry soda bread!

Breakfast was an absolute joy. Warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven bread, sharp cheddar cheese, strong black tea and hard boiled eggs.

Comet

Christmas is coming and Miki can't wait either! Lastnight we all read a 'goodnight' story in Miki's bed and Mama got a few photos.

Sammy Sunshine

In looking thru these most recent posts, I just realized how few photos of Sam I've uploaded. So, not to be outdone by her older sister, here you go.

Sasquatch

Last Sunday we went to a U-Cut Christmas Tree Farm up in the foothills, about 30 mintues west of our house. It's a great drive that follows the valley and canyons formed by the Nanaimo River. Surprisingly the weather was fantastic, warm in the sun but chilly in the shade. We had fun poking around for the "best" tree and let Miki choose which one we'd bring home this year.

It was a very busy weekend with heavy traffic and with only 1 road in or out of the Farm, cars were backed-up for at least 20 minutes. Lucky for us Ericka loves a picnic so when we realized we weren't getting out quickly, I dropped the tailgate and she pulled out a big thermos of hot cider!

It was nice to just sit out under a blue sky surrounded by thousands of trees sipping a hot drink.