Posts by Liz

It’s snowing!

During our Winter Weather Advisory of the last two days, it has been snowing lightly most of the time.

The big event was (and IS) forecast to be tonight through late Tuesday. The snowfall amounts keep increasing. Currently, NOAA is saying something like 12-24 inches between now and Tuesday.

Emergency Travel only.

It is cold, but not super cold at mid teens and wind is thankfully calm.

Late yesterday afternoon as I was coming in with Bear and Auggie, I noticed that the bathroom vent on the roof was close to being covered so I went up to give it some room. The snow on the roof didn’t look that bad from the ground, but when I got up there…oh…about a foot of snow.

Rats.

I stood there … on the roof … with my shovel and tried to convince myself it could wait until today. But the forecast and it was snowing and I was up there WITH the shovel… I finally said “Just do it!” and I did.

The roof trusses are fine, even though a bit flat. It is the porch roof that worries me as far as snow load and so I typically clear a path from the bath vent to the porch and then clear the porch roof.

The snow was mostly light and I am pushing it slightly downhill so it was not bad given the depth. It was still a workout, but I was glad I had not let it get deeper.

This morning, another 4 inches from overnight. I shoveled some paths for us. Auggie likes the little side paths so he can hide from Bear.

The chairs were decorated nicely.

Inside, I got out the “crinkly tunnel” toy to help with Auggie’s cabin fever.

He goes out, but not for long and then gets the crazies in the house.

The tunnel has not held his attention long in the past, but today he played in it several times.

Yep, another 4 inches with the big dump still to come, so I cleared the roof again…

And also got out the mini-tractor big red snow thrower and did the drive and turnaround.

It looks good now, but I’m guessing I’ll get to do it again…probably twice. I am NOT complaining, though! I am anxious to snowshoe and snow is necessary for that fun. At the moment, I’m getting enough exercise clearing snow, but hopefully later in the week, things will calm and the snowshoes (and me) will get a workout.

It’s snowing!

Winter gets it’s groove on

Our White Christmas was a kind of wimpy White Christmas.

Post Christmas, we did have a nice snow event.

January 1…a bit of sun..

January 2…a bit of snow…

Here we go Winter 2015.

Winter Weather Advisory.

Winter Storm Watch.

Winter gets it’s groove on!

New Year’s Eve (early) moon

It was very early New Year’s Eve at 4:30 p.m.

But with sunset at 4:53 and the sun at a low southern arc… it was perfect light to catch the waxing Gibbous in the still blue and dusky sky with the fading sun’s rays lighting the snow on the trees.

New Year’s Eve (early) moon.

New Year’s Eve 2014

I am very much “bah, humbug” about New Year’s Eve. I think it is silly.

I might be in the minority.

Anyway.

It is still cold.

BUT – the sun is shining!

It might not be clear, but Auggie’s face is expressing dissatisfaction at the difference between how it looks and how it is.

It is cold, despite how it looks!

Oh, well.

Onward.

We did all go out now and again…VERY briefly, though.

Mid-afternoon, it was 12F and Bear did enjoy some time on Beardog Point.

Meanwhile…black-eyed peas are on the simmer for New Year’s Day.

And my New Year’s Eve entertainment…some Tony Hillerman books made into TV episodes…south western mysteries to watch.

Wishing all a safe and Happy New Year’s Eve.

Montana in the cold

It was -3F when I got up this morning just after 5:00 a.m. By 8:00, it was -8 … almost -9F before it started warming up.

Thankfully, the wind had calmed and I’m guessing the plows worked through the night because the road report looked a great deal better this morning than last night.

Shortly before 10:00 a.m., figuring the “go to work” folks were mostly AT work, Bear and I headed to town for a few grocery items. We stopped at the dump on the way. This particular dump is situated a bit south of the southern end of Flathead Lake.

The sun and the mist rising from the lake made for some beautiful scenes:

As I was sitting and looking and taking photos, I was reminded of a January day in 2003 when I took photos with my very first digital camera: A Canon Digital Elph. It was 4F and I took several photos of the house and property I owned at the time and then used Canon’s “stich” software to make them a panorama photo. I use this panorama as a header on my work website ( www.beardogco.com ). I still love the result and remember with absolute clarity, snowshoeing up to the spot to take the photos, with Karl alongside. It is a good memory.

Montana in the cold.