Posts from the ‘Front Porch Musings’ category

The week

All is well with all of us, it was just an intense and full work week. After feeding us all, making sure we played and exercised, doing the work and sleeping … that was that for the week!

It was mostly Spring-like outside, except when it wasn’t…

This happened for about 20 minutes on Thursday.

Bear was not bothered. Auggie was out and about on his morning hunt and the snow shower did not bring him home so I guess he was not bothered either.

By yesterday (Friday) morning, things were a bit dire around the kitchen:

… almost empty granola jar…

… completely empty cracker jars! Even my backup pack of saltines was gone.

I enjoyed a relaxed day in the kitchen as it alternated between clouds, rain and sunshine.

Granola soon to fill the granola jar.

Cracker jars topped up.

I have nothing that I must do tomorrow, Sunday, and am looking forward to my day of rest.

The week.

From the south shore

I live near the north shore of Flathead Lake. Polson, Montana sits on the south shore of Flathead Lake. I had an appointment in Polson today. After, Bear and I went to a park by the lake. Despite the snow, the sun was shining and it felt warm – warm unlike Winter.

I love Winter, but the warm sun felt so good. It felt like a mini-vacation and I did not want to leave. I let Bear sniff and explore while I enjoyed the warm sun.

From the south shore.

Mid-Winter Light

We are just about half way through Winter … by the Calendar, i.e. 6 1/2 weeks from Winter Solstice and about 7 1/2 weeks until the Vernal Equinox.

There is noticeably more daylight here at 48 North Latitude: the sun’s arc a bit more northerly. This is the sweet spot of light for me with the morning and afternoon-evening light at such an angle as to be most pleasing and peaceful.

Bear and I took a before supper walk in the woods at 5:00 p.m. last evening. Just weeks ago, it would have been full dark at this time.

In addition to the beautiful light, we had four inches of fresh, powdery snow – mostly from the wee hours of Monday morning. We had freshened up our walking/snowshoe trails at lunchtime so had an easy time on this late-in-the-day walk.

Peek-a-boo snow covered mountains!

And ditto to some peachy alpenglow.

Mid-Winter Light.

Tranquility

The weather has been gray and dreary and a very un-January-like above freezing kind of mish-mash. Because of the snow depth, there is still snow-slush to snowshoe on. Auggie is able to walk on top of the mess. Bear is dealing with a mix of breaking through slush and the firmness of my snowshoe paths.

Blech.

It is what it is and the forecast is for 20’s overnight and upper 30’s-40’s F daytime, i.e. continued slushiness.

The good news … actually, the GREAT news!! is that the only thing we have to complain about is the weather – small potatoes!!!

And today, mid-afternoon…Bear and I made a quick run to Bigfork for a few items that the House Summers required. And we were rewarded with clear roads as well as some unexpectedly beautiful vistas, particularly across Flathead Lake.

The best views were in spots of travel with no safe place to stop and take a photo. We ended up in the parking lot of the Flathead Lake Brewery, formerly a bowling alley. The brewery-pub is very nice and has a primo spot overlooking the lake. I’ve enjoyed a glass with a friend on the deck … last summer. Today, it was a park and shoot affair.

It was beautiful.

And in the midst of gray and dreary, there was stunning light.