Blizzards and Blossoms

Got snow?

After a break from snow during much of January, we received more than 18 inches of snowfall in the last 12 days. The recent snowfall lead to a surge of snow days and other cancellations and although the local school schedule has absolutely no effect on my life, last week's schedule ended up a bit topsy-turvy as I tried to time my trips into town between major snow events. It may not have been the week I originally imagined, but I did get some major dental work wrapped up and met deadlines for two freelance articles, so we're just going to mark it down as a good week.

I thought I'd catch you up on the photo roll. There was a full moon on Valentine's Day and Andy and I snowmobiled over to a neighboring lake to see if I could get any decent shoots with my little point and shoot. Although I won't be giving up my day job any time soon to pursue photography, I'm pleased with the results and think they give you a good idea of just how bright the moonlight was.

Earlier on Valentine's Day I made a batch of these: cream puffs from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. You know how you get those ideas that worm into your brain and just won't let go? At Christmastime, a jar of chocolate sauce arrived in a gift basket and the jar label suggested you use the sauce on ice cream, cake, fruit, and profiteroles. Profiteroles! Since New Year's, I've been haunted by the idea of cream puffs and I finally decided Valentine's Day sound like a good time to throw roughly a dozen eggs into a dessert that disappears in the blink of an eye. Also, I resisted the temptation to make the filling out of instant vanilla pudding and Cool Whip (don't knock it 'til you've tried it) and instead followed Julia Child's recipe for Creme St. Honore. It was worth the extra effort.
 

 

Blizzard-y conditions kept us off the lake most of the week, but we sneaked in a few minutes of ice fishing before sundown on Thursday as the large snowstorm rolled in from the west. Speaking of Thursday - who watched the U.S./Canada women's gold medal hockey game? My heart and nerves are still exhausted. Ladies, ladies let us not rest upon our laurels once a 2-0 lead is secured or liefer Canada will bet us 3-2 in overtime. Moral of the story: the U.S. women have not won an Olympics since I was twelve. Cammi Granato and Karyn Bye, wherefore art thou?!

The snow that was predicted for Thursday didn't arrive until late that night. While the forecasters were a bit off on the timing, they were right about the quantity: lots.

To help break free of this monotone environment, I actually purchased flowers this week on a whim. They even smell nice.

The amaryllis is blooming too, so we have lots of dramatic flowers in the house at the moment.

If snow's got you down, remember: "Snow and adolescence are the only problems that disappear if you ignore them long enough." -Earl Wilson

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Wordless Wednesday: Cabin Fever?

I'd say there's no explanation, but perhaps the fact that we're rapidly approaching the shortest day of the year is explanation enough.

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Leprechauns and Mysterious Moving Flowerpots, oh my!

The other day, on the way to the mailbox, I swore I heard a leprechaun.

A steady tip, tip, tap, tapping noise came from the base of nearby tree not too far off in the roadside woods. We’re a ways away from rainbow season so I thought I was really in luck. There might just be a pot of gold tucked away in the undergrowth.

For those who might not realize, leprechauns aren’t actually in the sugar-coated, marshmallow-studded breakfast cereal business. They’re cobblers by nature. When I heard that tapping noise, I assumed it was a leprechaun working away on the sole of a shoe or a shoelace rivet. (Random trivia: leprechauns only make single shoes, never a pair.) The thing about leprechauns is, they’re not very generous. You’ve got to sneak up on them, maybe grab them by the coattails, and trick them into telling you where they’ve hidden their gold.

I bent down stealthily and peered into the shadowy woods. Nothing. Then I spied a big ol’ pileated woodpecker, tapping away at the base of a balsam tree. So close, yet so far.

Spring must be coming because it seems the sprites and faeries have been burrowing out of their deep winter hiding places lately.

On Monday morning, I noticed a peculiar object out on the lake near the shore. It looked just like an overturned flower pot. There were tracks behind the object, as though it had walked out to its resting spot. But that’s just crazy, I thought.

Two hours later, I glanced out the window and did a double take. The object, which was now clearly a flowerpot, had taken a right turn in its progress across the lake. It literally looked as though the pot had either a mind of its own or a small inhabitant. I could just imagine a little mouse, or maybe even a gnome, holding the flowerpot over its head and heading off into the great yonder, setting its overhead shelter down whenever it needed a nap.

Andy pointed at the path behind the flowerpot. The path was constructed of small circles overlapping big circles in a chain pattern.

“You can clearly see that the wind flipped the flowerpot over itself across the snow there,” he said.

True.

But it was so much more exciting to think of little magical creatures run about on their tippy-toes on top of the snow, getting into who knows what sort of shenanigans.

Does this sound like cabin fever? Anyone? Anyone? Have you noticed any peculiar goings-on in your neck of the woods?  

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