Last weekend

I think I'll go to the beach.

I love living on the lake.

rewrite

so... Saturday's snow story via facebook:


Lisa: I so need a cabana boy who knows how to handle a shovel as well as a corkscrew...( that is NOT an euphemism.) I can hear my knees screaming already....(NOT an euphemism). 
Off I go... oh heck.... (Not an euphemism). I hate snow.

Me: you need a good blower. (NOT a euphemism)

Lisa:  a good blower is always impressive and highly appreciated. One gets all stirred up one hears that low growl in anticipation of what may come. ( NOT a euphemism)

Me: My neighbour is very old and hasn't kept his blower lubricated. I had to do all the work by hand this morning to finish with his sons. (NOT a euphemism)

Random: Personally, I think I'd like the euphemisms!

Dug

I feel like I should be writing a post about this week's storm.
I spent most of Saturday morning digging myself out... Sure, my next door neighbour has a snow blower, but I've yet to see him use it this year- John (my neighbour) is in his 80's. The neighbour on the other side of him and myself take turns digging John out usually... his wife toddles to the door in her nightie and chides us for doing it every time "oh, you! You don't need to do that, we have a snow blower".  In the three years I've lived in this house, I think I've only seen her dressed a handful of times. She's even come to my door in her nightie.

Anyway, I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that this would be the storm where I'd really appreciate the use of a snow blower... but the likelihood it wasn't going to start was high.

So I started to dig. I dug out the neighbour on the other side of my house... the crazy neighbour... she watched me through her window, then when I was done yelled at me for doing it, and muttered something really rude about my other neighbour always doing it and "I like to shovel my own snow!"

I didn't bother to do her blocked driveway.

I moved onto my own driveway blockage.

Still no sign of John or his snowblower.

I started to dig out my car. John's sons show up in their trucks and park in front of my snow pile... this makes it very hard to dig... One of the sons says "don't bother with the end of your driveway, we're going to fire up Dad's snowblower, we'll clear it our for you". Very nice of him to offer.. but if all 3 of John's sons have shown up to "fire up" the snowblower.... there's something wrong with the snowblower... and I do have to be able to get to work. Actually, I have to be able to get to work and not smell of sweat from frantically shoveling out at the last minute, so I need to be done with enough time to shower. So I start to dig.

The snow is up past the wheel wells of the trucks. But the sun hasn't been out long, so it's not wet, just packed from the plow... totally doable.

Slow and steady, I feel fine as the pile in the drive gets smaller, and the mountains in front of the house grow. Twice I have to shovel the top of the snow piles in the yard to keep the tops low enough so I can still sling more snow on to them.

But... it's all done.
John's snowblower didn't start.
I went snowshoeing.

Funnier version of this boring story tomorrow.

Tiny snowflakes

In honour of the tiny snowflakes today, and in effort to reach 200 posts by the end of the year (it's only cheating a little bit)... tiny tidbit posts all day long!

Someone asked me the other day for an update on the online dating stories... No great stories to share at this point... but I did get a "hi whats your cup size" message yesterday.
I really wish I had a witty reply for that one.

mudsville

I know, climate change has it in for us everywhere this winter.

I'm one of those strange ones who loves the fluffy white stuff. I love the way it makes everything look so clean, so smoothed out. I love the reflection of light, the magnification of bright... I love the crisp smell, or the damp air. I love the feeling of true cold under my feet, the hollow crunch of snow that doesn't give- or the way it mashes together as the air warms, the feeling and the visual of the slush parting around my boots.

The chickens won't leave the coop if there's snow on the ground... they're... chicken.

Meanwhile, I haven't even bothered to replace these yet...

I bought new bindings to replace the homemade ones... I found a place that would order them in for me (saving me the shipping). And I didn't even need a rivet gun. I just haven't bothered to put them on.

icey

I don't drive often.
I last used my car on Saturday night.


And now?
I can't find my keys. I know I had them at work with me on Monday morning and that they were in my coat pocket at least until I finished shoveling the driveway (again).

And... tonight when I did need my car, my car was frozen to the ground.
Yup, that's right- the mild weather on Monday made a puddle of slush around my tires... and the minus 10 to minus 20 celcius of the past two days locked some of my tires to the ground.

Thankfully, I own a shovel,
and I know how to rock my car out of a space... it took me a good 10 minutes, but I got out.
(The neighbourhood smelled like burning for awhile there)

walking on water.

as promised, a few shots from the other day....










Photo credits: Rae

up and down the dunes

I went snow shoeing for the first time in years today,

and now my muscles and ligaments are trying to get along.

Rae and I walked down to the beach and pretended we were explorers from another land- the land did seem alien to us- the addition of french accents and poor grammar completed the scene. I hadn't been down to the beach in about a month... seriously, who lives just a few blocks from the beach and doesn't go everyday? I need to change that- except for the cold. The cold has been the best reason EVER to avoid going.

The ice has been churning up against the shore, building. Creating false cliffs out in the water... well beyond the actual shore. There's a miniature ice burg locked in the corner of the breakwater to the harbour- the groans and sighs of the water heaving in and out of it's cracks sound haunted. A few times I stopped just to listen. Silence. Water birds. Slushy sloppy ice further out, the waves carrying it, mixing it.

We walked the dunes on the beach, climbed up on the breakwater, skirted the harbour. Chased some birds, wrote love letters to hobbits in the snow, and forged a trail to the bakery for warm bread and cookies.

Can we just revisit that comment about the bad french accents?
Photos to follow... eventually.

I turned the heat back up in the hot tub this morning before we set out.
Best thought ever.

bright white

The snow is blinding today.
After a week of clouds, the sun glares off of every surface.
It's painful and beautiful.
Minus 22 degrees Celsius ... wind warning of -40.
*shudder*

Last night I was headed to Hugh's Room to attend the 9th annual Lightfoot Tribute concert...
I haven't been to one since... the 4th? Maybe it was the 3rd?
Either way, I was really really looking forward to it- An evening of great music, then time spent with some of my favourite people... A night in the city.

By the time I left my house yesterday, it has been snowing softly for about an hour... just an inch of snow sat on the ground, I gave the driveway and sidewalks a quick swipe, then set off across town to the highway... By the time I got on the onramp though, I'd decided it wasn't worth it. The storm had picked up.... I'm no stranger to snowstorm driving. I'm willing to push through a little blizzard to get where I'm going... but as I pushed through the drift of snow on the on ramp, and struggled with the poorest of poor visability... I knew my day to turn around had come.
The 401 was down to a single lane- the others covered in snow... and I went through an actual snowbank to get off the highway when I reached the Port Town.

The family home is still there*, so I pulled up to the house to make some calls to let people know the change of plans. (I called from my cell in the driveway) In the time it took to make two quick calls and send two text messages, I had to get back out of the car and wipe the snow off.

Joy in the evening? Yup, After I turned back: Had a great dinner with friends, read a sweet little book, visited with an old friend while shoveling, felt pretty (as I got myself all sassed up for the show).


*I may have snuck in the house and discovered a lonely Kala low G solid body Tenor, which I may or may not have rescued .... Don't worry dad, I'll return it when you get home in May.

Fallin' fallin' fallin'

Three days ago we were hit by some snow.
The plow didn't bother to do our street till yesterday... which.. made it kinda slippery, and difficult to plow at all.

Last night we had a pretty great snow fall, so good that people were going door to door offering to shovel! In the past hour, the plow has driven up and down the street 6 times.

I'm headed to the cottage with the girls for the weekend (and JellyDog- the buns have a friend checking in on them) Technology free weekend, here I come!
(Unless I buy that new phone to replace the one I lost last month...)

to clarify...

I feel like today is as good a day as any to bring up my feelings about the cold. Mostly because I'm sitting in the basement at work shivering a little- waiting for the kettle to boil so I can fill my hotwater bottle.

I like the cold.

Please read that line again.

Note that it doesn't say "I like to be cold" or even "I like being cold".

I like the cold.
I like it because of what it forces. It forces me to take measures to become warm, to stay warm.
Sweaters, Scarves, Mittens... they make me smile.*
Hotwater bottles, like a warm hug wrapped in a felted sweater**
Slippers, blankets, toques***
Blankets, duvets, cuddling, spoons.
I like the cold.




*honestly... scarves? It like you've suddenly been given permission to carry a personal sized security blanket with you out in public!
**oh, maybe it's just my hotwater bottle wrapped in a felted sweater?
***sometimes I wear my toque in the hot tub.

How to do Christmas.

hike


Skate

huddle

(pond campfire provided by the Sheffrats)

SUNday everyday

I'm in florida.
it's not covered in snow.
I have a sunburn.

Flash-back to home:: a busy weekend, filled with much loved people, and a weather forecast that still read "1-3 cm" after nearly 6 inches had fallen.

I've been fighting a cold, trying to be well before my trip down. But Saturday night my voice started to go. I've never really lost my voice before, so I thought the 2 octave drop was funny. By Sunday morning... I'd lost most control of my vocal chords. What a crazy thing! couldn't hum, could just barely squeak out a conversation. It was like random honking. But I could whisper, and by the time I jumped on the plane Sunday night, I had this sexy low voice (unless I tried to be heard... then it was a honk-squeak) and whisper going on. I didn't bother to try to make conversation with anyone around me.
Not even really on the plane- except when the guy beside me was looking for the place to plug in his headphones. And I had to repeat myself three times for him to understand me.
The only person I spoke to was our airline steward. This adorable red.
Only problem.
My voice.
The poor guy must have thought I was coming on to him, talking in my husky whisper. Ten minutes into the flight he started calling me sweetheart and winking at me each time he passed.
Aw, adorable red, thanks.

wait... is that all it takes?

stuffs

We have SNOW.

Because it was the first snowfall of the season, most surfaces aren't already coated in a frosting of salt. Instead, there's quite a bit of ice around. 

And it's COLD.

I'd warmed up my car in the morning a little by driving from job 1 to home, then off to job 2. But I'd trudged thru the snow, and my shoes were wet. They've got pretty deep grooves in them, so they hold a lot of moisture. 

I got out of my car, and was standing beside a vehicle waiting for the person to get out, when I noticed... my shoes were frozen to the ground!!!!

Not frozen like "I'm stuck here till spring" but more like "my shoes are in bubble gum".

I hate cold.

Monday Bunday (or) recap of recovery sunday

I stayed inside all day Sunday. I was iced into place.
The boys and I took the day to be a day of recovery from life.
It worked out well. Warm socks, PJs, a sweater and a blanket, I didn't need much more.

Fynn, when not flying around the house at top speed, could be found sleeping under the futon... Pontouf however, knew the unspoken rule of "move only if you have too". He moved from one comfy spot to another, waking only for grapes.
shesh.

or maybe I have your address wrong?

Dear December,

I guess you didn't get my last letter? The one where I asked you nicely to hold off for awhile? Or maybe I just didn't explain myself clearly.

See, December, I'm not that interested in you this year (YET).
Oh, I love your blankets of snow, your frosty designs on my window. I even love the crispy feeling in my nostrils when I breathe you in. But... could you hold off just a little while longer?

There are some people saying we're in for the coldest winter in 15 years, that the temperatures are going to be like when I was growing up... if that's the case-GREAT! I'd love to relive that... but, your drifting snow.... um, could that wait for another two or three days? I'd like to get out and finish my shopping... and, well, I hate to admit it, but I've left my "storm closure" list at work. If you're going to blow in anyway, please wait till I've got a copy at home.
please?
I'll celebrate Decemberween if you do!
pretty please?

much love and hopefulness,
L.Bo

let it snow let it snow let it snow

Growing up I had a love hate relationship with snow, errr... rather with snow days.
Snow-I liked. You could make all sorts of cool things with it. Forts, snowmen, snowballs, toilets. A guy in grade six made a life sized toilet out of snow one year, I spent the next three winters at home trying to recreate it.... to no avail. Then one year my cousin showed me what you could do with food colouring in a spray bottle.... We built a giant rat and made it look like it was decapitated and bleeding all over the lawn... then went and "shot" all the snowmen in her neighbourhood.
It was more the "SNOW DAY" that I wasn't the biggest fan of...
My parents owned and ran a local business. Because of this, snow days didn't happen in our house- instead, we'd get a ride to school with mom. No matter the weather. This left my sister and I and the 12-15 students within walking distance stuck at school.
Here's where the love-hate kicked in, my nerdly-art side loved it. I always volunteered to clean the art cupboard on snow days. Teachers didn't actually teach anything to the 12-15 kids in the school, we watched movies, caught up on reading, listened to music, and changed the display boards. The hate came in- in the act of having to get dressed, in having to go when no one else was there, in having to make small talk with the teachers. That... I did not love.

Once in high school, I started to get snow days. Bussed into another town, if the weather was bad, I'd sit beside the radio in the morning chanting my bus number under my breath (come on 387, come on 387!) praying to hear that Milford had cancelled his route... But Milly was a tough old coot, and the cancels were few and far between.

Fast forward to working life... I've held a job now since graduation that doesn't allow for snow days. The entire town might be in lock-down in a blizzard, but a group home still needs staffing.

This morning I woke to the tiny ping of ice pellets hitting the windows... windows coated in ice, looking out at trees coated in ice. And I sighed.
Until I remembered something.... I work in an office now.

ring ring riiiiiiing

me:: uh... hello?
boss:: good morning, just calling to let you know we're not opening the office today, please activate your calling list.
me:: uh.... (then with more enthusiasm than I should have...... to my boss)
All RIIIIIGHT!