Spring Is On The Way!

Today was an interesting day for me. I woke to bright sunshine, no clouds in the sky and despite it remaining cool, this sparkling day reminded me that Spring is on its the way.

20190310_065849

When I was outside with the dogs, I could hear birds singing, which means that some of them have returned from their winter in the South.

Oh yes, we still have snow in the yard. About a foot or so in most places, and yet 2-4 feet where the snow was pushed into snowbanks.

Our Lake is still frozen, but the news reported that Fish & Game wants all the Bob Houses off the lakes by this weekend. There are many places around the area, where they have had ice outs and open water.

But real Spring is right around the corner and I can hardly wait!

It’s Mud Season!

We have many seasons here in New Hampshire. We just entered another one. I guess you could call it Pre-Spring or Mud Season.

mud-1080x675

We still have two feet of snow in our yard, but there are places where melting snow and streams have caused the dreaded mud puddles!

And Miss Lili, all 80 pounds of fluffy whiteness, went out and rolled and frolicked in it today. She came back to the house after being out in the yard with Jack and she was COVERED!

What’s a doggy Mama to do?

Well, I went down to our basement where we have a hose and a floor drain in our garage, and I hosed down the dog! She dislikes this so much, but somehow today, she knew she had messed up and didn’t fuss too much. OMG!

Bath

When Will Winter End?

Monday dawned icy cold with snow flurries. Winter, yes! Am I tired of it? Yes. But so it goes.

I had nowhere to go on Monday, so I happily sipped my hot coffee, read my book and enjoyed sitting in my new chair.

Jack went out to test the driveway with the Highlander and while out he went and got the mail.

But the wind blew, the snow fell and outside it remained generally yucky!

Jan 22 010

As I considered what to make for dinner tonight I ran through what we had for leftovers and came up with a meal plan. Leftover ribs for Jack and some roast beef for me. Easy peasy!

Maribeth

 

The Seasons

Monday was another day of snow here in New Hampshire. I was thinking about this, as I was grumbling about it and then I remembered that I really do love the four seasons, and yes, that includes the snow.

20190215_103528

I took this of Anneliese this morning.

I guess that New Englanders like to complain. We complain about the cold and snow in the winter. We complain about the mud and rain in the Spring. You will find me complaining about the heat and humidity in the Summer, and let’s see…do I complain about the Autumn?

IMG_0673 (2)

I took this picture of our Lake Waukewan. It’s one of the best I’ve taken with my cell phone.

Actually, I don’t really complain about Autumn. I like Autumn. Cooler temperatures, clear, sunny skies, and the gorgeous leaves changing colors to all sorts of beautiful reds, gold, oranges, and corals. Yes, Autumn is perfect!

I often need to remind myself that I do like Spring when flowers bloom and grass turns green again. There is so much to celebrate about Springtime, but with a White German Shepherd who enjoys playing in the mud puddles, I admit to complaining a little too much about that.

And Summer? Well, folks, it is nice to run around wearing a lot less clothing and enjoying the longer days of sunlight. So a high temperature of 95+ should just be the price you pay, right? (Thank goodness for Air Conditioning!)

Well enough about the change of Seasons and the Weather. Let’s just say I love all four Seasons, or at least having them, and in some small way, I enjoy gabbing about it too!

149450591_8d7a17c7cd_o

More Snow!

I woke on Wednesday to snow. It was forecast and expected, but really, it’s February and I am so over winter. Especially this year! That darn Rodent, Punxatawney Phil said we’d have an early Spring. I’m holing him to it, or a trip to Pennsylvania is in order!

Our plowman arrived before sunup and began clearing the drive. The only problem here is that there is no place for the snow now. We literally have too much!

20190213_062915

Lili went out and even she has seen enough snow. She stood there looking at the wet stuff, wondering what happened. Yesterday things had finally gotten to the point of being dry and clear.

20190213_095225Anneliese went out, only to discover that it started to snow again. She made it through the snow in order to find a place to do her business, and then waded back to the house!

20190213_100117Jack went out to clean up the edges of things. He was out there for a while. And the drive and doggy run area were clear when he finished.

20190213_153033Dinner was easy and now we are digesting before dessert. Strawberry Shortcakes! Yum! We’re both tired and I think an early bedtime is coming for us tonight!

149450591_8d7a17c7cd_o

Winter

A few days ago I was in Florida, with Palm Trees and green grass. Oh yes, and one heck of a tropical rainstorm! It was a welcome back sort of weather time for me, as I lived just over the bridge from Candy’s sister, Mary.

Now I am home. There is nearly four feet of snow in my back yard, paths for the dachshunds and Lili to use, and temperatures that start below zero almost every day.

P2170015 (3)

Welcome home indeed!

But it is good to be home. After driving that crazy Chevy rental car, (a terrible piece of trash) I am driving my nice sturdy Highlander.  The roads are not congested, (although snow covered in spots) and my life has returned to the same quiet pace that I  thrive in.

I cooked my first meal at home last night. A lovely rotisserie chicken, roasted potatoes, and a Greek salad. Quite good and I know Jack was thrilled.

Super Bowl Sunday finds me making Chicken Stew and salads for dinner. Nice warm food for yet another cold day.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Snow & Power Outages!

From our local TV Station:

“MEREDITH, N.H. —Power is being restored to tens of thousands of New Hampshire customers after heavy, wet snow and freezing rain fell Wednesday morning.

Several inches (10+) of dense snow fell in the Lakes Region, weighing down trees and branches, and bringing down power lines, resulting in nearly 20,000 outages.”

Here is a map of my little area in New Hampshire. The Red Arrow is pointing to my neighborhood, where no one has power!
map

They released a statement saying if there was no power by 10 PM tonight then we wouldn’t be restored until Thursday! ***Groan***

Thursday I am supposed to bring the dackels in to get their stitches out. Please keep the roads clear and get my power back on!

As it was on Wednesday morning I went out to climb a ladder to clear our satellite dish, and when doing this got a face full of snow!

However, I cleared the snow, plugged the TV and dish into the generator, and maintained contact with the world!

This is the worst snow/power outage we have had since moving here 20 years ago. Jack insisted back then on buying the generator, and I told him it was a waste of money. Well, today I have thanked him again and again!

***Update***

At midnight I woke when the flashing yellow lights came through my window. It was the New Hampshire Electric Co-Op Linemen! I swear I could hear Glenn Campbell singing:

” I am a lineman for the county
And I drive the main road
Searchin’ in the sun for another overload
I hear you singin’ in the wire,
I can hear you through the whine
And the Wichita lineman is still on the line

I know I need a small vacation
But it don’t look like rain
And if it snows that stretch down south won’t ever stand the strain
And I need you more than want you,
And I want you for all time
And the Wichita lineman is still on the line
And I need you more than want you,
And I want you for all time
And the Wichita lineman is still on the line”
I love you Linemen. After nearly sixteen hours, the lights came back on! And I heard silence once again. I love our generator, but man, oh man, is it loud!

 

149450591_8d7a17c7cd_o

The Beauty Of The Seasons

As I was driving around today I was struck by the beauty that I don’t always see. Freshly fallen snow on the tops of mountains,  Canadian Geese as the lake edge, feeding, as they prepare to head south for the long winter. Christmas lights are going up, and decorations as well. It was just so pretty!

I went to the grocery store today and found lovely steaks, pork chops and chicken for the next few days, and I purchased some Atkins shakes for a snack during the day. They are loaded with protein and low in carbs.

I brought out our little Christmas tree and decorated it for the season. It’s now in the back window and looks rather festive. I also put up a few decorations.

20171130_162225

I used to decorate like crazy, but now with leaping Lili, I don’t dare. We’ll be down at Mandy’s for Christmas, so it is fine to have a little tree for the two of us.

I pulled out my Christmas Cards, and set them up on the kitchen table. Starting tomorrow I will be writing them out. If anyone wants to exchange cards, privately email me your address. My email is in the top right corner of the blog.

I’ve now made it through two days, and tonight it is not so bad. If I can just keep the momentum up I know I can do this!

149450591_8d7a17c7cd_o

Saturday in New Hampshire

As I write it is Saturday afternoon. I simply had to sit down and write while all the memories are fresh in my mind. It really was a wild, crazy and wonderful day!

I was up nice and early and showered and dressed and made myself a nice hot cup of coffee and breakfast. The high point here was definitely the coffee. Even though my coffee is 1/2 regular and 1/2 decaf it still warms my soul and gets me going.

As I got ready to leave the house, I lamented that it was still raining. I had to leave early to stop at Mr. A.T.M. and get some cash, and then stop over at the Hardware store and pick up the Roof Rake and Salty Paws. For those who don’t live in snowy areas, we need the roof rake to get the snow off our roof, so it doesn’t build up and cause leaks. And the Salty Paws is salt that is pet-friendly to use to melt ice. There was a good sale and Jack wanted to prepare before the first snowfall.

Then I picked up Laurie and off we went. The first stop was the Catholic Church in our town. They have one of the nicest Bazaars. I was able to purchase so many gifts for Christmas and a beautiful dried floral centerpiece.

20181110_160658

The other thing I must note is how many friends and neighbors we saw at this event. It was marvelous! There were hugs and smiles and great happiness as we drifted from room to room and stall to stall. I felt so blessed to be living in the community.

Dec 1 046

The next Bazaar was down in the next town, at the Greek Orthodox Church. I wanted to stop in, as they have all those wonderful Greek Pastries as well as a local favorite French Canadian Pork Pie!

I love going to the Greek Church because everything is made by the Greek families that go to this church and the proceeds go to their church and their community outreach programs.

We knew that there was another Catholic Church in Laconia that was having their bazaar today, and we went there next. They also had many cute things, that I was happy to purchase for Christmas.

Again, I saw so many people that I know, and hugs were exchanged. I also met the mother of one of my dearest local friends. She is quite elderly, and it made me happy to tell her what a great job she did with her family. She was very pleased. This lady, who I know is in her eighties, was just amazingly beautiful. I hope when I reach her age I can be so very lovely.

Our fourth and last bazaar was at the Belmont High School. We went there before and enjoyed it a great deal. This year we didn’t actually buy as much, but the French Club provided lunches. Different Quiches, and also my favorite French Canadian Meat Pie. It was served with salad and a roll and was so nice. The kids had gotten together and done all the baking themselves, and everything was so good.

I must also note here that all of the kids were dressed nicely. The boys in khakis and oxford shirts, the girls in dressy tops and skirts. Call me old-fashioned, but there was something in their appearance that made me have hope for the future. I know we are not supposed to judge a book by the cover, but these kids not only looked nice but followed it all up with big smiles!

As we left the High School, the sun came out! The skies were still very cloudy, but the sun gave us hope that maybe the day’s weather would improve.

Fat chance. As we drove up the hills back to our town, we could see the snow falling across the valley and up into the mountains where the ski area “Waterville Valley” are located. It was fierce and heavy, as we watched from a distance, where the sun still shone.

Then, as we reached our small town, the sky opened and the rain began to fall again, only this time much heavier and the wind accompanied it!

We have had so much rain this Autumn that our lakes are full. As I drove Laurie back to her home, we lamented that the docks were flooded and actually had cement blocks on them, to keep them from floating off.

So that was my Saturday. Fun, some sun, snow, wind, and wonderful bazaars. Some of the reasons I love this time of year.