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!

jay display

Original Valentine's Day plan:  hiking at a national wildlife preserve...until the temperatures dropped and the cold rain set in.  Instead it was tex-mex, board games, and a relaxing evening of Everybody Loves Raymond.  Oh, and baking...a lot of baking.  

A friend's daughter was turning 21, so I made a surprise-inside cake.  First, I baked a halved vanilla cupcake recipe in a sheet pan and cut out lots of 2s and 1s...

After freezing them for a few hours, I stood them up inside a half-poured chocolate cake batter...

...and then spooned the rest of the batter on top.  Freezing the letters means that when the cake is baked, the letters/numbers will thaw instead of 'baking twice,' which would make them tough.  I don't have a photo of the inside of the cake, but each slice has a pink '21' inside!

I had a baby shower this weekend, and made a cake for that...

...and at the same time as the shower, Todd had a toy show on the north side.  I wanted to make plenty of treats for him and the friends that were helping out.  I made brownies...

(all photos taken on a rainy day in a dim kitchen, so are pretty terrible)

Blueberry bars....

...and Nutter Butters.

Oh, I also made another batch of peanut butter cookies for the baby shower.  It was a very busy couple of days!  

The cold weather was perfect for cats on laps.

It got colder, and...snow!!

The feeders drew a lot of birds...especially blue jays.

So...many...blue jays.

Even though they're 'bully birds,' I like to see them.  Besides...our other birds seem to stand up to them just fine!

Nice bit of color in a dull month, too!

Todd's made one trek out to check the trail cams in this cold weather, but we caught something interesting.  It's coyote mating season.  Are these two playing?  Fighting?  Courting?  They seem to be having fun, whatever it is!

(maximize screen to see better!)

This is my favorite part.  :)

Maybe there'll be PUPPIES in the spring!

Have a great week!  

fox stalks (a semi rhyme?)

 We've moved smoothly into colder weather.  We've had some snow flurries...

Ominously, bird and cat tracks crossing!

a rabbit on the sidewalk

tracks on the frozen pond

Birds are rapidly emptying the feeders...

...and generally trying to stay warm.

Both kittens have an observation perch.

(More concerned citizens...)

After the melt, Todd had to check a potential roof leak in the barn (it was only condensation from the HVAC with sudden increased usage).

Claudia has had a few moments of fresh air...

...but she's mostly been in the warm barn.  It's too cold outside for elderly ladies!

My birthday weather didn't top 26 degrees, but we still managed to be out and about for a few hours.  As usual, I made my own birthday cake...a healthy chocolate pumpkin brownie with cream cheese frosting.  I saved the calories for the tortilla chips with my tex-mex lunch!

We've had beautiful sunrises...

...and so much activity on the trail cams.

Bobcat!

Fox!

A coyote pair!

And so many rabbits, deer, and raccoons.  I'm glad to see them all looking pretty fat and active!

Meanwhile, when not working, I've been knitting, or frantically trying to get Christmas decorating/cards/gifts coordinated, or finishing puzzles in quiet moments.

I just started a 2,000 piece jungle scene that I absolutely love.  I'm looking forward to more of those quiet moments in the next couple of weeks...hopefully!

Have a great week!  

incautious nauseous

In the past two weeks...COLD.

Down to -10 degrees at the coldest, so cold that ice formed inside our windows where normally we'd have a bit of condensation.

Although we were prepared for up to 8 inches of snow, we only received a couple of inches, and the wind scoured the open fields to a mere dusting.

That meant a nice pile-up elsewhere, though.  Lovely sharp shelves and undulating ridges.

And my favorite...snow tracks!  Curious birds, walking...

...or briefly alighting, leaving behind a spread of wings.

Lots of rabbits with their easily-identifiable double tracks...

...and patterns.

This is something with a tail...most likely a field mouse.

Believe it or not, even our moles were active!  Moles don't hibernate, and they've absolutely decimated our side yard this past month.  Here you can see a fresh pile of soil, evidence that one has burrowed to the surface recently.  Claudia was tucked safely away in our temperature-controlled barn...too cold for cats outside!...but I hope she has some happy hunting soon.

We made sure to keep the feeders full during this cold snap, and the birds responded.  I don't think I've seen our front tree so overloaded with them before!

All puffed up to help stay warm.

Now our weather has warmed to near 60 degrees, and there are reports of spring bulbs starting to prematurely sprout.  I haven't been able to go outside and check, because I've been laid low by an attack of anxiety nausea.  

Anxiety nausea, if you don't know, is where your subconscious mind and your body decide together that there's a threat.  They react by flooding you with nausea-inducing adrenaline, leaving your rational mind behind, yelling like a pesky kid:  "Wait up, guys!!"  I've suffered from it since elementary school, miserable episodes that have lasted months at a time.  You can't reason though them.  You can't "breathe them away," as the unhelpful doctor at Urgent Care suggested.  Medicine?  Haven't found any yet. Nothing helps.  You can't eat.  You can't be move around.  You're in bed, prostrate with nausea, until things beyond your rational control decide that the threat is removed.  

Frances, trying to make me feel better in his own way

This particular attack was triggered by a recent migraine.  I haven't found a prescription that works well against them yet, so I'm anxious about developing one.  I felt a familiar pressure last week...no migraine came, but it didn't matter. The pressure alone was enough to trigger an episode of anxiety nausea.  Last night I moaned to Todd, "Tomorrow, I'll be able to say that seven days with anxiety nausea makes one (weak) week!"  Being able to joke about it means that I'm feeling better, and so does the fact that I was able to actually eat three small meals (after a week of choking down saltines).  Already this morning, I can tell that I'll be able to shower today(!!!).  This particular attack is going to be a short one, but phew!  What a week.  Still, in my weak and distracted way, I've been excited about the new year.  I have so many amazing plans and projects in my notebooks.  I want this to be a life-changing year and I'm going to work hard to make it happen.

Happy New Year!!