Happy New Year!

We were just outside (10:30p) shooting off a few fireworks. Fret not, family; there are still a few left for July 4th. :)

Took zero pictures today, because I was either working inside or outside. Both photos in this post were taken yesterday, during a brief appearance by the sun just before sunset.

Our two cords of wood are now completely split, and the only stuff left to do are the rounds I ferried across the river; they're still down by the dock.

New Year's Eve was always a struggle for me, because a) I don't drink; b) I don't stay up late; c) I'm not a party person. Oh, and d) I'm not a social person. I've made it to midnight many times, including for the fake millenium celebration in 2000. I was in Kent Washington, and walked over to a small park where people were (illegally) shooting fireworks. I guess I was curious to see if the power would go out, America would collapse, etc.

Tonight is more casual, and but for neighbors' fireworks, I may be asleep by midnight.

I remember staying up in Spokane, watching Dick Clark, then going outside with those spinny noisemakers and little quasi-kazoo horns.

Last picture for the year, taken yesterday from the riverbank. Peace, blessings, and good fortune to everyone in the new year. -Bob

Let it Snow, and Snow, and Snow

Bob here, with a few shots and thoughts from today. It's snowed almost continuously for two days, maybe ten new inches. Also in that time, there's been a group (herdette) of six whitetail deer around, including this cute little fella. A genuinely nice surprise today was Monique realizing one of them is Mutt, the uni-antlered young buck we saw so much of in autumn. Good to see he made it through hunting season, and good to see him hanging out with some cute females.

Christmas was relaxing, unstressful, peaceful, and fun. It was so quiet -- no logging trucks -- and so beautiful with snow and critters about. I didn't overdo on food, except maybe popcorn; the last three nights we've watched each part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (extend-o version).

Monique's building a jigsaw puzzle, one of her favorite things to do here at the "Cabin," and perfect for this time of year. Yesterday after chopping some wood, I took the kind of catnap where when you wake up, you're exhausted the rest of the day.

Today at lunch we drove up Bear Creek Road for a hike. We walked for over an hour, and combined to take a couple hundred photos. There were deer tracks, old cross-country ski tracks, and older ATV tracks, but no other footprints we saw. The smallest, thinnest tree branches had inches of snow perched on them. The slightest breeze, of which there very few, sent snow cascading down through the trees.

You always hear the hum of trucks in the valley from Bear Creek, but it was so lovely up there, snowing lightly, and as I said, we didn't see or really hear anyone else. A big doe sprang across the road, but I had no chance for a picture. If a couple more inches falls, it'll be time to break out the snowshoes!!

Making our way back to the truck, you can see Monique found a big ol' pothole in the road. But she didn't panic, and my old lifeguard skills (and a large pine branch) got her out safe and sound.

Kidding!

We got home, cranked up the wood stove, hung the wet bits to dry, and thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon: turkeys and deer stopped by for bird seed, snow fell, we both got good work done, and another grand day here slipped into evening. I don't want to take the Christmas lights down until there's no snow. It's soooo cool out there!

Merry Christmas

Several snowflakes per minute are falling as our music server randomly serves up Amy Grant, Vince Guaraldi, "Christmas Cocktails," Chanticleer, and about 90 other artists. Some songs are downright scary, obviously made because, as an "artist," you have to have a Christmas CD. Others are supremely beautiful. Our newest favorite CD is "Have Yourself A Prairie Christmas" by our dear friends Edd and Theresa. Tremendously gifted people, them.

Yesterday before Monique's niece Sarah came over, we went for a river walk. It was very quiet and peaceful, and it started snowing. Later, with cookies and ornaments made and wrapped, we took Sarah home and had a blast at their party. Kids, lots of presents and lots of good food!

Expectations are fickle critters, especially around Christmas, music, and church. Admittedly mine were not high as we drove to Bethany Lutheran church in Bigfork for their candlelight service (after fifteen years at Immanuel in Seattle with Joan Lundquist as music director, and Kevin's sermons at Advent in Mill creek, I'm spoiled). Last night I was very pleasantly surprised with the sermon and the music, both supplied by pastor Joe Strandjord.

Last Christmas Eve at Immanuel we heard a sermon I can only call dreck. Being at Advent Lutheran for the 11p service felt like taking a shower, and completely underscored, reinforced, and exemplified our reasons for leaving Immanuel.

After the service we came home, opened a present each, and watched the 1951 "A Christmas Carol" with Alistair Sim. In places it veers wildly from the book, but Mr. Sim's Scrooge is my favorite movie version. Overall, and without doubt, Strawberry Theatre Workshop's Fellow Passengers is now on top of my list. I hope they do it again sometime!

It's now snowing for real, Harry Connick Jr. is on, the Jell-O is setting, the turkey is being prepped, and munchies and goodies abound.

Merry Christmas!

Moonrise and Cancer

A cord of wood is 128 cubic feet (3.6 cubic metres). The first time I bought firewood here, a guy showed up in his little pickup with a huge load of wood. He assured me it was a "fat" cord, meaning over the standard. By the time I got it stacked and could take a rough measure, I realized it was, at most, half a cord. Rrrrrg

We have some of that left, but hopes for a real winter prompted me to call another guy and, and today he delivered it. A cord of wood is 128 cubic feet (3.6 cubic metres) or, to a layman like myself, a big-ass pile of wood.

I like splitting wood, and so asked for it un-split. Maybe woulda been better to ask for a little un-split, 'cause we have about 40 "rounds" that weigh at least 50 pounds each.

As I stacked this afternoon, the moon rose over the Swan range as the solstice sun threw bright pink light on the mountain. Didn't grab my camera, but I revel in knowing there will be other moonrises over the snow-covered mountains.

Got an e-mail from a dear friend today with the horrible news that she has leukemia. I don't know what to write, say, pray for, or think. We're not in the same city anymore, and don't see each other every week at church like we did for over a decade. Sometimes a good long hug says what needs said. She's got a large community of support for those hugs and love, and lots of remote support from Bigfork, Montana.

Weather of a dynamic sort

So much fun with this crazy weather. Sun, sleet, snow, rain. Last weekend we were in Hall visiting Monique's folks. First time taking the truck on a road trip, and it did great. It was good seeing her parents, too, as it had been over a year since I spent time with them.

The electric co-op was by this week to clear trees. Sad to see young and healthy trees felled because one day they'll be tall enough to interfere with power lines. Over the next few years I'll be more vigilant and make sure young 'uns growing in the ditch are transplanted someplace nice and safe.

The wind's been amazing, and giant clumps of snow crash off the roof. Oh, and the turkeys are starting to rap on the windows. We may try cardboard cutouts of foxes propped in the windows to dissuade the goofballs. And think, Franklin wanted the turkey as our national bird. At least, that's what I think I remember from 5th-grade history.

Beautiful Snow

I remember watching breathless Seattle reporters when snow fell. With an inch on the ground, they'd jam a ruler into a lawn and say, with a straight face, "You see here, already four to six inches, and there could be much more in places."

To which I say "nine". From yesterday at noon, through early this morning. Powdery, but not drifted. Nine inches.

We woke up to a glorious morning, and though clouds came through a couple times, blue sky and sunshine dominated, and it was stellar. Yesterday morning there was no snow around here. This morning there was a deep blanket of pure powder.

Between projects at work, I ran around outside like a spastic puppy. Took over 300 pictures today... with white snow in trees, clear blue sky, and a river, it's not a difficult task to take some good ones. I made tracks all over the field, sometimes following a deer path, other times going off on my own.

I remember Spokane, playing at recess at Indian Trail Elementary, throwing snowballs or frozen pinecones into fresh snow-laden trees, trying to get them to dump their snow either on us or our friends. Sledding at Holmberg Park, or on one of the small hills near our house.

Today was cold, invigorating, and completely why we moved here; very little traffic, quiet, beautiful, peaceful, wonderful. Last night while it was snowing hard, we went for a walk. Down this lane and that one, we didn't go far, but snow creates new landscapes and exciting possibilities of exploration. Our lone tree out by the road simply glows with snow on it. LED Christmas lights are beautiful and energy-efficient.

Gotta post some photos on my website... soon!

PJs, Christmas Lights, Peppermint treats and Stars

that is part of my list of things I'm grateful for tonight....(and of course I'm grateful for Bob who was smart enough to put all those things together and suggest that we go for a quick drive over to Bigfork to look at the lights while in our pjs. BEST IDEA EVER...well...ok...but it's got to be close. ;)

Bigfork has done a fine job in showing their holiday spirit with plenty of the big 'old-school' lights hanging from the trees and rafters as well as some of the newer LED lights. My favorite I think was the way they've decorated the old one lane bridge into town...garland and lights and trees with red bows....very classy!

My favorite part of the field trip however, (besides the spontaneous idea and implementation) was having the holiday lights topped by the original Christmas lights already hanging in the sky. The night is clear and dark and the fact that you can tell just how much the Earth has tilted by the new placement of the Milky Way in the night sky is truly awe inspiring.

It was a refreshing night, not only from the frosty temperature....but from the stress of the day having spent most of it at the hospital with my Sister-in-law and my niece. Nicole needed some pretty extensive dental surgery and so they had to do it at the hospital where they could put her under. The surgery took a little over an hour, but with the prep and the waiting...we were there from 9:30 until almost 2:00....Nicole did well considering that she's only three!

So needless to say this evenings jaunt was a blessing and a needed change....Bob and I enjoyed a small peppermint blizzard (thanks to Dairy Queen) and then returned to our warm cabin---which is also nicely lit with four outdoor trees covered in small LED lights and our first Christmas tree here together...it is the perfect size and the perfect fit in our lovely space. Our collection of ornaments are all out and shining nicely and if there was ever any doubt of what time of year it is....doubt no more.

Tomorrow: Karen and Terran are coming for visit so that we can watch Terran's stage debut in the Pied Piper with Missoula Children's Theater and so that we can make (and I'm sure snack on a few) Christmas cookies.

Blessed.

Settled In for the Night

I found this "stick ice feather" yesterday in the shallows of the river. Patterns in nature fascinate me. From butterfly wings to riverbank shapes, nautilus shells to fractal geometry, beauty is beauty.

A few days ago Monique saw a bald eagle swoop up right over the house; I was outside too, but on the opposite side of the house. Never saw a thing.

I try to pay attention. It focuses my mind, connects me to my imagination, and inspires me to learn about critters. We have a group of ladybugs wintering under the wood pile on the deck, and wild turkeys are visiting regularly. Monique found a beautiful spider egg sack on the underside of a stick yesterday -- it was like a pale yellow polka-dotted candy egg. I'm amazed by teeny insects and fragile-looking deer surviving sub-freezing temperatures.

This photo shows prints on a tenuous thin sheet of ice... I'm pretty sure it's from a feral cat. We've seen a couple different cats around here, but I haven't seen one in the past few weeks. Snow is nature's fingerprinter.

Tomorrow is my dad's birthday -- Happy Birthday, Pop!