the upper crust

The temperature has not yet risen above freezing, so the snow remains. We actually had a bit more!

Freezing fog, too.

Looked so pretty with the sunrise!

Rabbit tracks in the snow.  And...those lumps to the left of the track are from moles!  They're trying to poke through the frozen earth and snow layer because they're looking for food.  They aren't hibernating, like many other small creatures.

Lots of sun.

A lot of these photos are from the same vantage points, because, well, we just can't go hiking yet!  The (unplowed) trails have over a foot of snow, and it's been cold. We've got to wait for some melt before we venture too far.  The snow has formed a crust, which means that Pepita can be outside for short periods.  Sometimes she falls through the crust, and I'm reminded of a section of Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Long Winter:

Pa often said that he could not have managed without David. “He is such a good horse,” Pa said. “I did not know a horse could be so good and patient.” When David fell through the snow, he always stood still until Pa shoveled him out. Then quickly and patiently he hauled the sled around the hole and went on until he fell through the snow crust again. “I wish I had some oats or corn to give him,” Pa said.

I never really experienced snow crust before.  It snowed, it was wet, and it melted.  But this crust is really firm...until you fall through it.  Pepita isn't a fan.  She's still mostly indoors, until the snow melts.

Her relationship with the cats is progressing.  It's a battle to see who wins the coveted spot at the edge of the couch back.  If The Barnacle wins, Pepita respects his victory, and hangs forlornly over the armrest.

see The Barnacle on the couch back?

There is frequent cohabitation on the bed.

They mostly get along...although Pepita's no-exercise restless energy and her natural nosiness are a bad combination.  She loves to follow the cats around, her nose pressed into any available bottom.  She never snaps, barks, or growls at them, but she can be persistently annoying and sometimes get a smack to the face.  I think things will continue to calm down as she gets older.  

Calliope doesn't like having Pepita in her space (upstairs) at all...

...so they remain separated.

The weather is supposed to warm up this week, and we might lose all the snow by the weekend!  Then we'll be able to get out again.  Right now (besides work), there's mostly puzzles...

(when the cats allow it)

...and a few personal projects that I'm not ready to post yet.  Lots of reading, with MORE cat assistance (current book is The Will of the Many, which is really good so far!).

I'm not complaining, though.  I love spending time with the animals!  :)  I miss seeing what "our" outdoor animals are doing...the snow is too deep between us and the trail cams to access them.  Hopefully soon...although I'll miss the snow.  

Have a great week!

powder power

 We're in cabin fever mode!  Pups want out...

Even the cats want out!

After our fifteen inches of snow, the temperature dropped and stayed down, mostly in the single digits.  Blue skies, though!

So...much...shoveling.

The snow was really powdery, and it was windy, so as fast as Todd shoveled...it filled back in. 

 But we finally got a permanent path!

A hard crust formed after a few days, hard enough to bear the weight of our fairly chunky dog ("She's...blossoming!" the vet said after getting her most recent weight).

Prior to this hard crust, we could see lots of animal tracks, but of course no way to identify in such deep snow.

I love how glittery and smooth it is in the sun.

Pepita is anxiously awaiting her snow boots!

Plenty of down time after snow removal.

Loving these winter sunrises!

Not only has it not been even remotely warm enough for the current snow to melt, we've got more coming tomorrow!

Love it!

Have a great week!

a zest for winter

We knew it was coming, so took Pepita out for one last walk...

 Then...snow!!

Definitely the most snow that we've had since moving here.  Thankfully it's powdery, otherwise clearing it would be a nightmare!  We were able to clear a small space for Pepita, who is torn between wanting to run and not wanting to be chin-deep in snow.

A more shallow spot...

Knee deep in places!

So pretty.

I love it.

Birds, not so much?  There are so many of the at the feeders!

Cats approve.

I made homemade lemon curd and english muffins for breakfast on the day of the big storm.  I used a European recipe for the muffins that had miscalculated the amount of flour in 2.5 cups (my flour bag said 2.5 cups = 300 grams, recipe said 355 grams).  Unsure which was right, I tried 320 grams...and dough was way too sticky.  Muffins didn't hold their shape and were more "drop muffins" than the traditional shape.  They tasted great, though!  And I love a tart lemon curd with a bitter tang from the zest.  I used this recipe but reduced both the sugar and the lemon juice to 3/4 cup.  Just like the last time I made it, I struggled to get it to firm up and had to add a bit of cornstarch.  I might try another recipe next time.  

It's not supposed to be above freezing for the next 10 days, which means that we can't take Pepita for walks.  She cries when she's out in the snow for more than 5 minutes (we're ordering puppy booties this week), so she's going to be housebound for a while.

Begging for attention, like the cats!

We tried to give the outside cats just as much attention.  Before the storm, Todd filled three large outdoor containers with straw and placed one along a fenceline and two in the white animal barn.  Our big concern is food, though.  We've got a raider.

There are so many raccoons around here, and they are emptying the cat food bowls as quickly as we can fill them.

All we can do is keep the food up high (where cats can jump but raccoons might not be able to reach?), and only keep food bowls on the ground during the day (raccoons are nocturnal).  Trudging through 15" of snow and single-digit temps to pick up cat food bowls is not ideal, so we're mostly putting food up high and trusting that cats can sniff it out.  

Hopefully they're all staying warm and safe out there.  We're going to try to minimize our outdoor movements too, at least until the temps are in the teens and we've been able to clear a bit of snow.

It's hard to say "Have a great week!" when so many atrocities are happening in our country right now.  Todd and I are both heartbroken over the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.  Todd has composed some very thoughtful essays, but I'm not there yet.  Too exhausted by it.  We feel beaten down by the hate-filled, greed-driven rhetoric and actions of our current administration.  Just taking it day by day.  

So I'll say...take care of yourself, take care of those around you, and practice self-care.  Do your best and just...keep...moving...forward!