02/09/2020 February

As I was outside yesterday with the boys I couldn't help but notice how nice it was. Yes, it was cold and windy. Really cold. But the sun was reflecting on the snow and the sky was clear and blue and you can just feel Spring in the air. I really like February. I was thinking it may not be my favorite month, as I like flowers in the gardens in the Spring, but it is a month I really enjoy.

In February you can feel the days are getting longer. When I was a surgical resident I learned how to cross country ski in February and that is when I first appreciate the true beauty of the month.  I remember the fields were open and snow covered and the sky was huge, clear and blue. Cold yes, but if you bundle up enough, it doesn't matter. It was simply beautiful.

So this morning we again spent some time outside in the sunshine, even though it is below freezing. I like watching the boys run and play in the snow, the squirrels are getting frisky and we have many, many birds at the feeders. My pair of bluebirds are still here feeding at the suet feeders. Shorty never ceases to amaze - my Yapese dog loves the cold weather. He likes to keep and eye on all activity outdoors. But he missed the deer crossing at the fence the other night. Saw my friend Bucky Deerburgher crossing into my yard, so I stopped the car to let him cross the road and just watch him run through the woods. So graceful, so beauty, so much a rodent with antlers. Hope he doesn't eat too many of my plants and shrubs.

Yes, I heard the news this morning. Three winter storms coming up this week alone. You say - let's hear what you have to say about February at the end of the week. But when it snows in February I shovel only the width of pathways and driveway as necessary. After all, March is coming soon and the snow will melt! No need to over shovel!

Blue skies and sunshine and a little snow in the backyard woods.









Gunnarr and Fionnegan in their new sweaters.

 

Shorty. Found him a tribal sweater, thought it worked for a dog from village in Yap!



 


Happiness is a journey. May you all find happiness in your lives in all that you do.

Until next time................

01.30.19 Beautiful snowfall

We awoke this morning to a beautiful light and fluffy snowfall. We had several inches of powdery snow that was a lot of fun for the boys to run and play. It was also easy to shovel and I managed to do the entire long driveway, 2 decks and a sidewalk in the early  morning hours. Later the sky was a beautiful blue without a cloud. As it is now close to February I will admit that February is a favorite month of mine - the days are getting appreciably longer and the skies are so blue that it makes it easy to forget that it is really cold outside! And true to form, one can have a lot of peace and quiet while shoveling. I have no idea what is happening with the plow truck. He did not arrive until the entire drive was shoveled (by me!) and I left for work. All that was left to do was plow in front of the mailboxes, which I decided not to do as it was really heavy from the trucks plowing the snow from the road. Oh well. I can always use the exercise!

On an earlier blog I mentioned I heard a loud cracking noise that I thought sounded as if a pipe burst or a tree fell near the house. Well well well. On Sunday as I was cleaning up a bit more near the house, the ice dam melted away from an outdoor pipe - it had burst during the first bitter cold snap. The noise we heard was indeed a bursting pipe. Now that it had warmed up a bit, the ice melted away from the pipe and it was dripping. The shut off valve was involved in the cracked so I opened it to relieve the pressure and was greeted with a nice cold shower. The plumber was out yesterday morning to replace the pipes and check on other shut off valves. All we have to do is get through another bitter freeze tonight!

Beautiful blue winter skies with snow on the ground. Sometimes I don't think it gets much nicer than this. This is my back yard. This is when 20 degrees F feels warm.

Here is the cracked pipe - a relatively thick connector that had been there for 25 years without a problem during a bitter cold snap! Since it had been cold again these past two days, what water was left in the pipe froze and there were no more leaks.

Here are my three helpers with their individual interpretation of the commands Sit and Stay. Since we also had water in the basement from the recent thaw I did not want wet and dirty paws tracking up the house. Interesting enough, none of them came down the stairs after me. Good boys!



Fionnegan and Gunnarr are ready for any winter weather. They love running in the snow, chasing squirrels, or as I like to say, protecting the bird feeders for the birds.



Shorty, my Yapese dog, really enjoys the cold wintry weather. I have to coax him back into the house. He really seems to enjoy rolling in the snow and he makes the tracks for the other two.




We just came back from a walk, hence he is wearing his harness. Look at his snow covered nose!



At the end of a busy day a nice nap is in order in the kitchen.

As we are experiencing another Arctic freeze, we will need to make sure we have water and can locate the flashlights. And we need to check on the heat and keep the taps open a bit to keep them from freezing during the night. We also need to make sure the line from the oil tank to the house does not freeze so I always like to double check that the warmer is still working.  A few chores to do before we call it a night. Please stay warm and bundle up and stay safe. 

Until next time...….