Posts from the ‘Front Porch Musings’ category

Winter Storm

Thursday, the day I took the “moon over the mountain” photos, it looked like this midday:

Yesterday started beautifully clear with the setting, nearly full moon shining into the sunroom in the early morning. By 10:00, heavy clouds and freezing fog had moved in.

My friends at NOAA issued a Blizzard Warning from 5 p.m. last evening until 11 p.m. this evening – forecasting 3-7 inches of snow for Kalispell area, high winds causing drifting snow and whiteouts, and gradually dropping temperatures. Sunday’s overnight low is to be in the -20’s.

While often the snow part of these monster storm forecasts fizzles, they typically do not miss on wind and temperature. I had a morning appointment and stopped for a few last minute things at Costco. I wasn’t the only one making sure I had everything I needed and wanted – the place was packed! I overheard several employees rushing in ahead of me and saying that they had been called in on their day off.

At home, I got things in order for a cold, windy, snowy couple of days…

An auxillary heater for the fresh water bay of the motorhome. The furnace has ducts to the water bays so they get heat, but the arctic temps make it prudent to provide some extra help. The water bays are insulated but still, it is not a house. I don’t winterize it, although if they drop the forecast temps much more, I may reconsider. I keep rv antifreeze (potable) and it takes about 15 minutes to do. I’ve overnighted to -18 but it consumes a lot of propane to keep it warm enough to not freeze.

The snow thrower has fresh oil and gas. I started it up and ran it a bit. It is ready for action if needed.

But….this morning…woke to just a bit over 2 inches of snow. It is very windy and the temperature has been going steadily down all night and continues in that direction. It is now 12 at 9 a.m.. NOAA has regrouped on the amount of snow as well as the amount of wind and now showing partially clearing skies which WILL send the temperatures even lower. The driving in the valley is probably tough with wind and blowing snow – even a couple of inches blowing around is difficult. But, at my house, it looks like the “story” will be the cold, not the snow.

Know when to fold ’em

“As the situation worsened, the facts changed…. And I will never apologize for changing an approach or strategy when the facts change”
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson

“And I will never apologize for changing an approach or strategy when the facts change”… Me either!

Comments are open! And thank you to those that have commented and those that emailed to thank me for opening comments.

I’m in a better place in head and heart these days. Looking forward to winter, which is December 21 Mother Nature! …and we would like a white Christmas so step on it! – please… Oh… weather is not the topic… Well, I did some internal housekeeping – read some of my own posts – if you’re gonna talk the talk, gotta walk the walk – and found my happy place which I wasn’t even aware I’d misplaced.

I will continue to post as often as I have something I want to share – writing or photos or both – that tell a story in my life or something that has inspired or motivated me. I’ll be happy to hear from you either in comments or by email.

Facts changed. approach changed. No apologies. Good lesson for life.

And now, because a post with no photos is generally not done here, gratuituous photos of Bob and Karl – my favorite topic:

Routine

Routine rules in my house. Much as I’d like to believe that I am spontaneous, the truth is that I, Karl and Bob go through the day in a fairly established pattern. And I don’t get tired of it or bored. I look forward to all of the parts of the day that follow our little schedule.

First thing on getting up is to fill Bob’s food bowl. He paces back and forth across the table where his bowl sits, meowing and sometimes yowling if I’m taking too long between bed and food. I am a quiet person – no tv, rarely music – prefering the sounds of the outside or the crackling fire inside… I get the cat his food!

Karl waits until sometime after he has heard me turn me on the coffee maker – I have a grinder combo machine – it whirrs into action sounding like it is tearing itself apart and then settles to gurgling through its cycle. I hear Karl getting up, a morning shake and then he ambles in for a greeting, rub and treat. We all retire to the sunroom for a bit of quiet time.

Bob’s turn again as he now wants to go outside. He is smart about this. He makes the commotion – scratches at the glass of the door, rolls on his back meowing piteously, but then waits on the front porch for Karl to do his perimeter patrol. Karl takes a path about 50 yards away from the house – all the way around – sniffing, watching, an occasional woof of warning that it is his yard – then he settles in front of the house, on watch, waiting for me. Bob takes his cue and goes out to attend to his rounds.

When Bob returns – to his food bowl for second breakfast – Karl and I head down the driveway. Karl jumps up when he sees me with “walking” implements – pepper spray and now in the dark, a flashlight. He seems so excited. His excitement is what got me thinking about our routine this morning. He jumps up like we are going on the grand adventure every morning when I come out for that first walk. We walk together down the driveway and then he takes a left across the front of the property. He spends some time in the corner in a stand of trees and then heads along the east border of the property in the direction of the house. I walk back along the driveway, keeping an eye on his neon blue lighted collar through the trees as it progresses northward. We both take our time – he doing what dogs do and me just watching, listening, feeling the breeze or the quiet or looking at the sky.

It is the same, yet different, every day. It is beautiful – I love it also – I walk down the driveway and back (350 yards round trip), in the dark, as my dog walks part of the property border. It takes all of 15 minutes – nothing compared to our daytime walks. It seems extraordinary how enjoyable this is every day in all kinds of weather. The routine is the same, but the subtle nuances of sky, trees, wind and even smells – they are always unique.

It is the same with the moon, the mountains and the lake. I walk the same paths, see the same views, but the feel, the time, the view – the enjoyment of the everyday beauty and simple routine is different everyday.

… and then there is Bob…

… his routine when Karl and I are enjoying an early morning walk? – Bob takes advantage of an unmade bed like nobody’s business!

*Moon photos are from last evening (12/2/08) – waxing crescent moon.

Carpe diem!

Carpe diem! – usually translated “Sieze the day” and that’s good for my purposes today.

My mother emailed me on seeing yesterday’s post of my Christmas things and asked me where was the skiing mother rabbit?

I had forgotten her! I usually have her out all winter, not just for Christmas, so she is not stored in my Christmas boxes, but on a shelf with a few treasured dishes that I rotate when the spirit moves me.

She was originally my mother’s, but given to me some time ago.

What I love is that her expression and attire says, “Heck with the housework, I’m going skiing!!!” – and no time to be wasted taking off the apron – strap on the skis and go.

Digging her out of the cupboard and seeing her again was a wonderful reminder. I don’t know the origin and can’t remember where I recently read it but it brought to mind these words which I needed to hear – AND HEED:

You can’t change yesterday. You can ruin today by worrying about tomorrow.

Carpe diem – Sieze the Day!

Through the woods and over the river

I believe I have mentioned that I do not like to drive at night. I REALLY do NOT like to drive at night – combination of being out of practice, degradation of my night/low-light vision and deer and other critters seem prone to crossing the road without looking both ways. Add to that, that on Thanksgiving night a lot of over-full, tired, possibly a bit too much to drink people… and cranky because they had to listen to crazy Uncle Whozit all afternoon – are also driving home. Well, I just didn’t want to be out there amongst them.

So, through the woods…

…and over the river….

…Karl, Bob and I went to my dear friend’s home in the Winnebago…a sleepover Thanksgiving but we took our own house!

Our parking spot above and if you look closely in front of the tractor plow, you can see Bob – he had a short outing while it was still light.

The driveway winds around a gorgeous meadow, the day was sunny and skies were beautiful.

Karl and I went for a walk around the meadow and then returned to the house to enjoy wonderful food and company.

Through the woods and over the river, in the Winnebago, with Karl and Bob, to a special place with special people – I am indeed thankful!

In everything, give thanks.

Snow or ice or frost??? – a little of all three, I believe. Karl and I dawdled on this noon time walk yesterday. The sun was warm in spite of the frosty-snowy ground. The low southern sun lit the weeds and grasses, turning them gold.

…and the yard looks more like early evening in late summer than a late fall afternoon…

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.

…or to quote Father Tim from Jan Karon’s “In His Mountain”:

In everything, give thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. May we all remember to hold close those we love and to be thankful for all that we have today.