Tag Archives: Snow Day

Slow Day Before The Snow Day

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It’s nine degrees here on the ridge this morning. I slept late because I was awake a few times in the night, running water to make sure it didn’t freeze.

The birds are now fed. The backyard is still snow covered in places and I was especially conscious of the sound my shoes made with each step. Crunch, crunch, crunch as I swung my metal pail full of seed.

There’s a pan on the stove, cooking up a modified concoction of something I saw on Instagram this morning. A guy I follow who has given me some good recipes in the past showed something that uses up a product from my freezer as well as a couple of pantry items that have been sitting here too long. If it works well, then I have a new recipe for the future. If it doesn’t, well, we have to learn somehow.

I like these mornings of gentle productivity. No rush or stress. No one making demands other than Scout wanted his breakfast. My phone hasn’t buzzed once this morning.

The last I checked, we are squarely in the ten to twelve inches range for snow plus some ice. Of course, that still depends on which meteorologist you listen to but that’s enough to keep me cozied up inside this weekend. Books and a puzzle await me.

For now, the sun shines but it feels like the calm before the storm.

Wherever you are today, I hope you are warm, fed, and safe from the very real dangers this world may throw your way.

Snowy Day

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Snow came fast and heavy yesterday, prompting me to cancel plans and stay home. I made a pot of tomato soup and watched the birds attack the backyard feeders. Renee Zellweger’s depiction of writer Beatrix Potter played while I idly flipped through a magazine.

This was my first day in I’m not sure how long when I wasn’t required to carry on a conversation, go places, or even use my brain for much.

All my internal batteries have been badly drained lately. There’s been no time to recharge and I’ve been venturing into treacherous waters as my nervous system is lit up like Times Square most of the time.

So, yesterday was absolute, immeasurable, and pure bliss. Was I sad for my cancelled plans? Yes. Was I happy to do what I was doing? Also yes.

This morning dawned cold. After breakfast I ventured out into ankle deep snow to check the bird feeders and snap a few pictures. It was gray then but the afternoon has since transformed into a gorgeous blue sky day. After my walk, I came in for a hot shower with peppermint scented soap and promptly curled up with a book and cup of hot chocolate.

I write to you from a soft perch on the couch where I can see the Christmas tree indoors as well as the snowy day outside.

Classic Christmas music plays in the background while Scout luxuriates in a patch of sunlight.

This is what I needed and I am grateful for two slow days in a row.

Make no mistake, there are a million things that need my attention. I brought home a work proofreading project. Gifts need wrapped and Christmas cards need attention. My house needs a good scrub and I need to pay a couple of bills. I have got to make a list of last minute gifts, stocking stuffers and a plan for baking and cooking.

Things need done and a little planning goes a long way toward simplifying life later.

For now though, I’m going to continue relaxing and simply enjoy being. I hope you will do the same.

Serious Bird Watching

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Yesterday was a busy one for Scout. As Mother Nature dumped several inches of snow on our ridgetop home, birds of all kind flocked to our feeders. I worked in my home office, natural light filling the space and setting the stage for a calm day.

But it was not to be.

Scout enthusiastically worked a rotation that involved bird watching in the office window, bird watching from his perch near the back door where he can see two feeders, AND sitting on top of anything I was working on.

He particularly detests the sound of pen to paper so I was reprimanded any time I tried jotting down some notes. Eventually he had to be removed from the office which resulted in him crying woefully to be let back in until he was a jerk again and got put out once more.

Of course, I didn’t take pictures of the bad part. I just want to remember how excited he was to see so many birds today. His wide eyed wonder at the world afresh with snow always makes me happy as well.

It was a good day.

Not So Snowy Winter Days

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If you’ve ever watched the Charlie Brown Christmas special you may remember that Charlie Brown lives in a small town that’s blanketed in snow where there are often flurries coming down for the children to catch on their tongues.

This is where I wish to live. 

Not in a world with three feet of snow preventing you from opening the front door and not in this southern Ohio nightmare we call winter where a handful of flakes cause people to whine that winter is terrible. 

I want to live in a place with a few inches of snow on the ground from Christmas through at least February. I want to see all the ugliness of everyone’s outside junk and boringness buried beneath snow that sparkles on a sunny day and that absorbs sound on a still night. 

This is my fantasy. 

There’s speculation that Charlie Brown lived in Charles Schultz’s Minnesota hometown. That state is well known for harsh winters and snow so heavy it could collapse the roof of your home. I don’t want to spend all my free time preparing to shovel snow, actually shoveling snow and then recovering from shoveling snow before going out to do it again but, by golly, a little snow would be nice.

We finally had some flurries here yesterday that had everyone in a tizzy on Friday. It was just a dusting and never anything measurable. The biggest threat to life, limb and electricity was the high wind that could easily thrust thousands into the darkness with the upset of a single tree. 

We had planned a hike but the wind was harsh and Scout was feeling poorly. So, instead, I stayed in. I showered and dressed so as to not be caught with dirty hair if the power went out. I  did a few chores and cleaned up some messes Scout made in the night. I sat on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate, lamenting how I abandoned the all or nothing philosophies of the Whole 30 on day eight – not for lack of willpower but for lack of any practical way to make it work last week. I turned down a couple of invitations to go do things and opted for a book and blanket on the loveseat where I could enjoy the stormy clouds of a winter afternoon. 

I read from a John Irving book and looked up quotes by A.A. Milne, the man who gave us Winnie the Pooh, Rabbit and Piglet too. I contemplated which character I would be before deciding I have characteristics of them all. Perhaps that’s what makes them popular. Every character is relatable in some way. Classical piano music played softly from a favorite Youtube channel and the prospects of a delicious taco salad to end the day kept me looking forward to supper with my fella. 

Snow flurries outside my window created the atmosphere of a snow globe. 

Luckily for me, I had nowhere to go and nothing to do once I got there and the day was perfect. The only thing lacking was the measurable snowfall that I fear might never come this winter. Those Charlie Brown kids had no idea how lucky they were to have so much snow to play in and enjoy. 

This is a long weekend for many of us in the States. Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and banks are closed so I hope to maintain my streak of staying in and cozy until Tuesday morning when the real world comes banging on my door again. Here’s hoping you have this time off as well and are warm and cozy.

Snow Day Tradition

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Any time we have a measurable snowfall I like to bundle up and tromp around outside to look for animal tracks and breathe the cool winter air.

Everything feels so pure and clean, fresh and invigorating. I awoke to eight inches yesterday and we got a little more later in the day. This was our first measurable snowfall this year so I was thrilled to finally take my first walk of the season.

I always drag around my camera or sometimes just my phone to capture photos during my walk. Of course, I tend to make the same pictures every time but try to look at it with fresh eyes.

These images all came from my iPhone yesterday. Here’s one more.

Enjoy your Tuesday, friends. Stay warm and be careful if you’re out. If the sidewalks are bad remember to walk like a penguin to stay upright!

Mt. Olive Covered Bridge

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Just a few miles down the road from my home sits one of my community’s four remaining covered bridges.

Mt. Olive Covered Bridge dates to 1875 but it has been closed to motor vehicle traffic for many years. The county engineer actually rerouted the road around it, preserving the historic structure for pedestrians to enjoy.

People pass by this bridge every day but probably don’t know some interesting things about it.

First of all, the bridge is located on Mt. Olive Road which is just a township road today but was once a major artery for travelers from Marietta to Chillicothe.

Also, it was designed and built by a local engineer named George Washington Pilcher who was considered one of the best in the region. He famously contributed to the construction of Manasseh Cutler Hall on the Ohio University campus.

At the time of construction, the area around this bridge was owned by a family named Grandstaff so some called it by that name for many years. When I ran the county visitors center I would occasionally encounter someone who called it the Grandstaff Bridge and it always made me smile.

Age and vandals had taken their toll by the early 2000s when the county received a grant to have it restored. As part of the project, the natural wood bridge was painted this very pretty green – a suggestion of my mother’s.

One more picture- this is my favorite image of the day.