“Let not your hearts be troubled” Jesus Christ (John 14 several verses)
I sat in the morning quiet to read, pray and just be…with Karl and Bob and those words: “Let not your heart be troubled” came to mind as clear as if they were spoken. And the next words: “Abide in me”.
Karl, Bob, those words…that’s all I need for this Friday.
I KNOW…we are barely half way through Winter and I am thinking Spring. It is the recent balmy temperatures …albeit, mixed up with some very cold. But then, yesterday morning, I noticed that it was light…at 7:30 a.m.!
I love Winter and snow and snowshoeing and cold but about this time of year I am ready for less of it and what I really enjoy is the back and forth nature of Montana’s transition to Spring. It is a good thing I enjoy that as we do the back and forth thing until mid-June at least…one day warm, the next a snow squall, rain, etc.
It is early February, there is still snow on the ground and a new 6 inches yesterday.
But what made me realize we were turning the corner was the light…at 7:30 a.m. At 48 North the change in where and when the sun rises and sets is fairly dramatic but in the height of Winter or Summer it seems to be stable for a bit and then it starts what feels like a rapid change…or maybe we are just ready for a change and start noticing.
For me, it is always welcome, whether it is that shortening of days in the late Summer that foretell Fall or the lengthening days in late Winter that speak of Spring.
And the wild things know…
Some of them are awake a bit more and feeding in different places…
…or familiar places.
Good stuff or editorial comment???
Either way, we are all noticing that we are turning the corner to Spring.
The weekend forecast was for a wintry mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain. Friday afternoon, it warmed and went through that cycle, but Saturday…
Oh, boy, Saturday was beautiful.
It was 40F by noon and a black dog with his full winter coat, chose shade while waiting for me.
Even the house seemed happy with the perfect amount of snow, sunshine and blue, blue sky.
And the lake…late afternoon at Wayfarer’s Park…a beautiful day.
In response to my Peace post, Margaret commented: “Beautiful white snow! Does Karl just like sitting out in it?”
He does, actually.
If you’ve ever felt a northern breed dog, you would understand completely.
Karl has an undercoat of thick gray fur that I believe rivals the most dense down comforter. His topcoat is thick and so silky that one shake sends snow or rain flying. No moisture from snow or rain penetrates the top layer. In the Summer when I try to cool him off with the hose, I have to work to get cool water through both coats and to his skin.
The dual coats of the northern breeds are reputed to be good to 40 below zero. Thankfully, we have not had to put that to the test!
Karl’s first choice, in the daytime, is to be outside. I accomodate as much as possible, but sometimes I need for him to be inside.
And sometimes, when I insist on inside and he’d rather be outside…
…he chooses a chair.
Or sometimes the sunroom rug.
Oh boy!
Bob has his spots…
This is one spot unused by everyone…
What Karl likes.
At my house…and along the road home, just a smidge over 2 inches of new snow with this last storm. It was windy and very cold compared to last week. It was 12F when I ventured out with Karl yesterday afternoon about 4:30 p.m. to see what the valley looked like. The last of the storm still hung over the mountains south of the road home as it started its march East.
My road home, unplowed. The highway looked like it had been plowed but the wind had blown snow over it and although beautiful, a trip on it was unnecessary.
I turned around, put on snowshoes and Karl and I traipsed around the state land for our afternoon walk.
A beautiful afternoon as the sun headed to bed after the storm.
***2/1/2011 Edit…Sorry, comments were off by accident – back on now :)!
Since making the Orange Chocolate Chip Muffin/Cupcakes …which I have made 2 or 3 times since the original post on 1/7…I have been on a bit of an orange/chocolate bender as far as sweet treats. I use dark chocolate 60% cocoa chips in the muffin. It is a wonderful combination with the light orange flavor of the muffins.
Enter coconut. In some combination of looking at recipe sites and nutritional/healing food sites, I got into coconut. I bought unsweetened finely shredded coconut from “Let’s do Organic”, Coconut Oil from Spectrum and Thai brand coconut milk.
This morning, in a quest for something easy and quick to have as a bit of sweet before a quick run to town to beat the forecast Winter storm…I found this Chocolate Orange Macaroon Recipe on Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen recipe site. Perfect!
I subbed my organic, unsweetened, finely shredded coconut for the typical sweetened shredded stuff, used King Arthur Flour’s White Whole Wheat flour for the Whole Wheat, backed off the sugar about 2 Tablespoons, upped the orange zest a smidge and used 60% cocoa “shavings” from a bar instead of chips. I made them bite sized and OH MY!!! – very good little bites they are!
They were in the oven lickety-split, out and cooling in time for a couple with a cuppa before Karl and I headed to town.
It is late Saturday afternoon as I write this. It is still 39F, drippy and calm. The forecast calls for a Canadian Arctic cold thing to run into this warm air and cause a ruckus resulting in snow, wind, etc.
Meanwhile, Bob was looking sweet as I walked by with the camera so he made this post with the macaroons.
Happy Weekend!