Category: The Seasons

I was up early this morning as Wednesday is Weight Watcher Day. I looked outside and I could see the snow falling thickly to the ground.

I took the dogs to the door and one by one pushed them out the door and into snow, which was deep enough so that it reached their bellies! They quickly did their business and then ran back in, shaking off the cold wet snow!

I called the Weight Watchers 800 number to check and see if my meeting was canceled and it was not. Rats! This meant that I had to drive 10 miles down hill to the next town to the meeting.

I made my breakfast sandwich to take a long, grabbed some coffee and off I went.

Oh, it was so pretty! The trees were covered in lacy, wispy, white snow. Unfortunately, so were the roads!

I took the Jeep, and put it in 4-wheel drive and off I went. The roads were tricky. I drove by a car that had slid off the road, I watched people sliding around. I felt happy that I had my Jeep and the 4-wheel drive!

I did well at Weight Watchers, in fact I lost another pound. I need 6 weeks at goal and then I will go onto Lifetime.

After class I drove back home and felt relieved to get here. Another storm is predicted for Friday. A big one! Oh yes, I think winter has finally arrived in the mountains!

I drove home today from Mel’s house. Most of the early ride, was uneventful. However, as I neared Vermont and southern New Hampshire I saw ICE, and lots of it.

At first I thought it was just incredibly beautiful. All lacy and crystallized against the bright blue sky!

But then as I drove further north I began to see that this was no innocent light ice storm. No, this was quite honestly an ICE Disaster!

The Public Works Department was out trying to clear the roads. Until they can do their work, I’m afraid that pictures like this,

will be quite common. In fact I have heard that many areas in our state will not get their electricity back until mid-week.

I stopped to get groceries and happily found that our grocery store had power and I was able to stock up on food for Hubby and me and for the dogs as well. I ran into the meat manager that I have known for many years and he told me that several of their sister stores are closed due because they don’t have electricity and that the perishable foods were being moved to the remaining stores that have power.

Coming home I was greeted by 4 very happy doggies and one extremely happy husband!

We cooked Lobster for dinner (I truly know how to make Hubby even happier to see me!) and we have cuddled close together as the temperatures are really plummeting tonight.

It is very good to be back home though, despite the ICE!

Friday was a wild day. While Mel and I went shopping here, in New Hampshire everything was closed due to a horrific ice storm. Poor Hubby was stuck home clearing the driveway, and running the generator to have electricity to heat the house and run a coffee maker!

Mel and I had a great time. We found many wonderful items and although I have not finished my Christmas shopping, I have certainly made a dent in it.

Saturday I will be driving home. I’m a tad nervous about it because of the ice storm. You see, when I said it was a serious storm, I wasn’t kidding. Roads are closed due to downed trees, everything is covered in ice and Friday night a cold front is set to move through and freeze everything again.

I’m pretty sure that Hubby will be happy to have me back home. Four dogs, plus an ice storm is a lot for any one person to handle!

Also today is my best friend, Gail’s birthday. She is my oldest friend. I wish her the best of birthdays, and many many more!!!

Oh, Gentle Readers, Friday was an amazing day! I still break into big smiles when I recall how I spent the morning.

We headed up to Waterville Valley early. I’d made my breakfast the night before, carefully planning out my points, as well as the protein level. (If you are interested I had a raisin bread peanut-butter and jelly sandwich, a banana and coffee.) With a thermos of coffee in hand, Hubby and I hit the road.

We arrived at Waterville and there were only a few cars in the parking lot. Could this really be true?

We headed into the lodge, got into our ski gear and got the first run up the mountain. There was almost no one there!!!

My kind of skiing!

The conditions were perfect for me. Well groomed, corduroy snow, with a nice firm surface. I felt so good. We chose trail after trail, and I found myself going down from top to bottom ( 1600 ft.) without stopping. We did 7 runs (11,200 ft.).

I did fall. Which made me say to Hubby, “Well, glad I got that out of the way!” and I dusted myself off and got up and skied the rest of the way.

I found out a few things along the way.

1.) It’s easier to ski when you are lighter.

2.) Yes, my arm does bend that far up when I fall on it.

3.) And my thumb does in fact go all the way to my wrist when pushed.

4.) I can ski from the tippy top of the mountain to the very bottom without dying.

and lastly,

5.) A hot bath is a great luxury after a good day of skiing.

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Several people wrote and asked about the ornaments that I have been putting up and placing around my house. So I made a short montage of a few of my favorite ones.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ever have one of those days where you get up feeling good and then the day goes along and you feel good all day, with a spring in your step?

That was the day on Thursday. I had so much to do, but I felt good and happy and was able to get everything done, licky split!

In the afternoon I even cleared the shelves and the mantle and set out Christmas themed items. Then I put white candles (electric) in every window. It looks so peaceful and bright.

I got my favorite Christmas decoration out too. It is a village scene with two ice skaters on a revolving ice rink. Amanda gave it to me a couple of years ago and both Hubby and I agreed today that it is our favorite Christmas decoration. Thanks again, Mandy!!!

The singing snowmen are out, (thanks again Mandy), my Rudolph the red-nose reindeer with the blinking nose, and my petite Christmas tree with only dackel ornaments.

Yes. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!

Friday finds us back at Waterville Valley with me attempting to ski again in a little more relaxed form. The day is forecast to be sunny, so I am hoping for a nice time on the slopes.

Tis the season of slush!

Sunday night we had the prettiest snowfall. Slow, sinking, lacy flakes of brilliant white. Ah, how seasonally beautiful it looked as I sat listening to the first Christmas Carols played in my home.

I let the dogs go out and they ran hither and yon trying to capture a luscious flake of snow in their mouths. The day was truly quite lovely.

Darkness fell and I stopped thinking too much about the pretty snow, and went to bed, where visions of sugar plums danced in my head.

By Monday morning when I woke up with four healthy, active dogs, in need of walking, the temperature had gone up and the pretty snow was now wet, sloppy and slushy. In less than 5 minutes my nice warm, dry feet were soaked and cold.

Oh yeah. Winter. I remember this!

I didn’t let this get me down. I had shopping to do and mail to pick up, so I dried my feet, put on warm socks and shoes and out I went.

Well, you know what I found? Since the snow wasn’t that deep they had not plowed the roads or shoveled the walkways and so……yep, I got my feet wet again.

Note to self: Get a pair of good winter waterproof boots!

Hubby  pushed the slush off our drive so that our 500 foot driveway (which goes downhill to our house) is clear of this stuff and we can pass up and down the drive without sliding off! (Which I have done before!)

Yes, slush and snow and cold and wet feet and icy noses.

All part of the jolliest time of the year!

It was another beautiful day here in central New Hampshire. Bright blue skies, no wind, and on the lake the water was so still it was as clear as glass. I glanced out the front windows and saw this beauty, so I grabbed my camera and headed down the hill to the beach where I could take a few pictures of the leaves reflected in the water.

It’s been a long, beautiful Autumn and I have enjoyed every day that we have had the beautiful colored leaves on our trees. I know that soon they will fall and the trees will appear as little more than skeletons against the gray skies of winter.

Until then I plan to stare, to watch, to enjoy each day. Here is a short montage featuring the pictures that I took. I hope you enjoy it.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Hubby and I took out the last of the air conditioners today from our windows. This is always significant because it means that we have finally accepted the fact that the summer is over, colder temperatures are here to stay, and we need to close up the areas in the house that would leak out precious heat.

I’ll miss the air conditioner. I love a cool bedroom, with the air circulating, and most of all I love the slight noise that the air conditioner makes. Call me a freak, but the noise fills my mind and puts me to sleep.

Usually at this time of year I have trouble sleeping. Why? You’ve got it. No noise. I wish I could find one of those white noise machines that sounds like an air conditioner. I’d be all set!

In other news, I have switched clothes from summer to winter and I have found I have far less of a wardrobe than I one had. I thought turtlenecks would fit no matter what, but an XL turtleneck is far bigger than a medium. I can hear shopping music, can’t you?

Hubby worked with some of the last of the painting he has been doing, and he has picked the last of our apples. It’s sad to see what the hail did to our lovely apples. Some we can use to make sauce, but so many will probably end up in a landfill.

The sun is setting, with the silvery cast across the lake. The sky is a pinkish blue, with those tell take signs that tell me….

Yes, it is the end of the summer.

On Saturday we got up and headed down to catch the foliage train on the Hobo Railroad! It left from Meredith, New Hampshire, and went along the Pemigewassett River. We chugged through mile after mile of beautiful bright leaves, until we reached a deer farm.

Now I have always been a sucker for a cute deer, and so I set up and kept snapping! All the pictures taken were taken while the train was going between 15 and 20 miles an hour.

I think the deer must be used to the train noise because they didn’t run off and a few came right up to the fence and smiled for us.

The train took us slowly to Plymouth, New Hampshire where we stopped at The Common Man Inn & Spa. They had a hot buffet luncheon for all those aboard the train. They served Turkey, stuffing, butternut squash, mashed potatoes, rolls and hot broccoli & apple soup, which was surprisingly good. I admit to eating what was served and I felt guilty for about 5 minutes, and then I reminded myself that it was okay and that on Sunday morning I would get back on the diet.

Then we all climbed back on the train and went up to Livermore Falls, where we took a few pictures before heading back. In Plymouth, the engine unhooked, came around on a side track and hooked up again so that it could pull us back to Meredith, instead of push us!

The ride back was pretty and we  were chatting about the colors, when I thought I saw someone I knew. I stopped the man and asked if he was in fact Wes D. and he was! I’ve known him for over 20 years, but hadn’t seen him an a few. We were talking and I asked if he had seen a mutual friend named Sally recently. He laughed and told me that she was on the other end of the train! So at the next stop we actually got to see Sally and her new husband. Hubby has known Sally since he was in college, as Sally’s late husband was his fraternity brother, and I met her just after Hubby and I married.

So here is a short montage of our trip. I hope you like it.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here is a picture of Me, with Sally and my Hubby!

As you could see, it was a beautiful day, followed by a wonderful evening with Mel, Ron, M. and Mandy at Canoe.