How Are the Pets Doing?

Our furry friends have adapted well to being snowbound. Annie loves the snow and will go out and run, roll, and doesn't seem to be bothered with getting cold. Can you tell what this is? We did not decide to attach cotton balls to Annie's fur. All of Annie's "feathers" turned into tiny snow balls when the cold snow and her fur collided. When she pranced in she looked like she was wearing a pom pom sweater!
Shelby is another story." Do I have to go outside?" she asks. Her breed is used to that hot Australian outback so she stays inside and lays by the fire if she has a choice.
I shared in recent post how our cats love the greenhouse. Here is another shot of Kit hiding among the Christmas cactus. Annie leaves Shelby inside and heads back out into the snow! I hope you are enjoying your New Year's Day and are warm and cozy wherever you are!

New Year's Eve Winter Road Trip

After enjoying a beautiful drive around the lake today I decided to put the photo images all together with music. Enjoy an afternoon road trip in my scenic corner of the world.

Sibling Assignment #87: A Perfect Day

I gave the assignment this week. "Describe a perfect day. " I will link my siblings' posts when they are done.

My perfect day would be a Saturday in the spring. It would be perfect to pick one of those days when the gardens are just coming alive and it is warm enough to be outside.I would start my day with enjoying the Meyers Falls Market blend coffee made by our local coffee roasters. Toast with orange marmalade would be on the side.This favorite wall hanging of mine reminds me of that need for a spot. It hangs on the door of my home office which is where I would then continue with my perfect day. The view of the front gardens is perfect as I take time to appreciate the world around me. I will light a orange ginger aromatherapy candle for energy. The rest of my morning ritual of reading my daily verses, checking news and online activity on my laptop will take place as I appreciate the sounds of Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copeland and The Four Seasons by Vivaldi. Packing up a picnic, cameras, music, and the dogs the rest of the day would be spent on a road trip with JEJ. In the spring of the year it is nice to catch the world beginning to turn green. I also love sky pictures.Upon returning home we'll grab our favorite beverages, build a fire in the gazebo and sit and enjoy the sounds of the birds and the crackling fire. To really make it a perfect day I would have stopped for a Gourmet Vegetarian pizza at Papa Murphy's so I won't have to cook dinner!

Downloading pictures will be my first task after moving back into the house. That will be the time to reflect on the peaceful day. It will be time to write my blog and check in on other blogs. Finally, it is time to grab a book on the nightstand and settle in for some reading before bed. As I lull off to sleep I count my blessings and smile remembering a perfect day.Now I am off to create another perfect day in the snow and sunshine. Happy New Year!

Photo Images of Snowbound 2008

We had a bit of a reprieve today as the wind stopped blowing and the snow let up. I kept taking pictures as we walked around our place, drove along the county road, and managed a trip "to town." There is not much else to do outside! While JEJ has been very busy removing snow from roofs, the trellis wasn't a top priority. It makes for a unique picture. At the Kettle Falls bridge Lake Roosevelt looked as gray and cold as the sky. A field along the highway shows deep snow and a house that was being built. That project may be put on hold.This is the snow pile in the parking lot at Safeway in Colville. Yes, the traffic lights are about the same height. At the Clock Square in Colville the group of statues look like they are wearing while ski masks. The rest of the square got buried under a pile of snow. The bird feeders are still wearing snow caps back at home.JEJ decided to do some finishing touches to the driveway after our friend came and plowed. More snow is predicted tomorrow. Somebody asked me if this is usual. This snow has broken all records in our area for snow in December. No, this much all at once is not normal.

A Cure for Cabin Fever: A Morning in The Greenhouse

As another four inches of snow fell today I surrounded myself with memories of summer as I deadheaded, replanted, restored, and rejuvenated the plants in the greenhouse.
Bundling up in fleece I kept warm and content with a thermos cup of coffee , soft music playing in my ears, and the smell of dirt and scented geraniums enveloping me.
Considering the cold temperatures the plants have done fairly well. A few tender plants on the floor close to a window got some frost damage, but many have continued to bloom.

The cats love to visit me in the greenhouse and while working I kept finding them peeking out from behind plants and pots.It is hard to take in how much snow has fallen. This is the doorway of the greenhouse with Annie standing on top of the snow bank. Some of this has come off the roof, but this is deep snow.
Through the greenhouse window I observed JEJ heading off with a ladder to do more snow removal on the outbuildings as Annie runs ahead. We have about three feet of snow around out place.
I marveled at the icicles through the light of the window.

As I turned this pot back from the window I was pleasantly surprised at the lovely blossoms. This healthy scented geranium will provide great starts as we begin propagating in a few weeks.

Here Comes The Sun

Finally, after at least ten days of gray skies, the sun peaked out this afternoon. There is nothing like sunlight to illuminate a beautiful winter landscape. It gives us hope that the snow may taper off in the next week. It also helps in melting the icicles. It is much more fun to be out snapping pictures when there is a place to walk! As long as snow looks pretty I don't mind it. When it gets sloppy, slushy, gray and dirty is when I want to hibernate!