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!