Category: The Seasons

Yes, it’s snowing again. I am not sure how much, but I suspect it’s close to 8-10 inches. The dackels were not amused! They are forecasting another few inches before it stops. And to top it all off, it is supposed to snow again tomorrow!

I was notified by UPS that my package is delayed due to weather and a natural disaster. Then I heard that a huge UPS tractor/trailer truck slid off the Turnpike here in New Hampshire! I bet my package is on that truck!

Oh yeah, it’s pretty, but I am so over winter! I sure wish that the snow would stop and then melt, and the sun would come out and the temperatures return to a descent 68-78 degrees!

Meanwhile, Brrrrrrrr!

Right now, The Lakes Region of New Hampshire is under about 3 inches of hard, thick, ice. It’s the kind of ice that prevents one from driving easily up ones driveway, or even from walking across the patio. Why even the poor dogs are having trouble. Lili went running out this morning and went to turn to go around the corner and her body kept going straight.

Greta went out, and the poor old girl kept slipping and falling. I just know that tonight she will be one very sore old lady.

Arnie and Anneliese seem to do a little better, as I have allowed their nails to grow out a bit just for this reason. Still they do not like this at all.

I watched the morning news with full attention, trying to ascertain when we might have a melt off. Unfortunately it does not look like any time soon.

Yesterday, it was amazingly beautiful, as the ice fell and turned our trees into ice castles. Today, well, not so much.

Still I like to remain positive, so what can I say about the “Ice Age” of the New Hampshire winter? Well should my freezer break down, I have plenty of room on my screened in porch to place my ice cream!

Ten below zero (Fahrenheit) again today. I can recall a time like this, where the temperatures didn’t go above freezing (32 F) for a very long time. But this whole below Zero thing, is a new dimension, and lets face it, harder to take.

Each morning I jump out of bed and immediately dress in my long underwear. Also known as my base layer of clothing. Then comes the heavy winter jeans and a heavy LL Bean turtleneck. Then I add heavy winter socks and a wonderful winter jacket my sister gave me for Christmas.

It’s funny about this jacket because when I opened the box I thought that it would be too heavy for me to wear in all my hot-flash  wonder. This is not the case. It is simply the best cold weather companion jacket.

Now, I have faux fur lined Merrell shoes and a blanket and a couple of dackels by my side. And I try to stay warm, and not let the cold get me down

Stay warm, folks & have a great day!

Well, it happened. This past week my beloved Toads went into hibernation for the winter. We’d had a few cold, cold mornings, and with the shorter days, it signals the time when the Toads hibernate.

American toads require a semi-permanent freshwater pond or pool with shallow water in which to breed, to gather their water suppliers in times of drought or as a routine, and for their early development. They also require dense patches of vegetation, for cover and hunting grounds. Given these two things and a supply of insects for food, American toads can live almost everywhere, ranging from forests to flat grassland.

Adult toads are mostly nocturnal, although juveniles are often abroad by day. When it rains, these toads will become active and can be observed eating robustly, worms and insects leaving their burrows and walking in front of an opportunist toad. These toads are ‘creatures of habit’ once they have a certain area they prefer to live within an acre of wooded forest with water in proximity for soaking, a home with cool ledges and window wells; they commonly seek cover in burrows, under boardwalks, flat stones, boards, logs, wood piles, or other cover. Our stone walls are perfect, and our creek as well.

When cold weather comes, these toads dig backwards and bury themselves in the dirt of their summer homes, or they may choose another site in which to hibernate. Their diet includes crickets, meal worms, earthworms, ants, spiders, slugs, centipedes, moths, and other small invertebrates. Some of these toads have been known to live over 30 years.

One of my Toads, I swear, has been living here for at least 5 years. And this year when I would talk to him, he would move his body toward my voice. He never tried to leap away in fear.

But now all three Toads have disappeared. Gone to bed for the winter. I will really miss them! Until next summer!

I woke early today, when it was still very dark. The dogs delighted in an early outing, and as I went back in my bedroom and pulled up the shade, I was amazed to see the beautiful moon over the frozen lake.

It was still high in the sky, but cast a silvery glaze to the frozen objects below. Have you ever gotten a Christmas card with silver glitter sprinkled all over it? Well, that is sort of what it looks like here, this morning.

The dogs did not stay out very long. It was a mere 5 degrees when we got up! They all hurried back inside and then proceeded to curl up in their beds.

Me? I grabbed my coffee, my warm robe and heating pad, and curled up on my chair with Lili.

A rather nice start to a new day!

Tomorrow is a bigday. I get my spine checked out and if all goes well, I will be able to drive short distances again.

I had a little achy-ness over the weekend, so I spent a lot of time just resting my neck.

I watched Mandy and Matt work to create a Christmas wonderland for their kids.

There is snow on the ground this morning, making things look more and more like Christmas .

Sure is beautiful out there!

It seemed that when we  arrived back on Monday night, we took a vegetable and fruit inventory. I will only say that we had far more cucumbers, green beans and tomatoes than I knew what to do with.

First thing on Tuesday morning I started peeling, scooping out the seeds, and cubing, 6 quarts of cucumbers  and then chopping the onions, green and red peppers and then set things up to sit overnight so that on Wednesday I could finish the Moon Glow Pickles and can them. Trust me, 6 quarts of cucumbers is a heck of a lot of them!!!

I also hand sliced 16 cups of cucumbers, and four onions to make Bread & Butter pickles. Those had to sit for just a few hours, before being finished and canned that day!

I prepared the green beans, blanched them and got them prepared for freezing. It still amazed me how many beans we had this year!

Wednesday I prepared 12 pounds of tomatoes  and made them into juice. I also sauteed, 2 pounds of hamburger, 2 pounds of sweet Italian sausage, chopped onions, peppers, carrots, celery, and garlic, for the sauce. Then I set that to slowly simmer until the Spaghetti Sauce was all done. Some I left out for our dinner, but I froze 6 full meals of spaghetti Sauce for this winter.

Hubby came in on Wednesday with a basket of peaches. Four pounds of peaches. Our entire crop this year. He wanted me to make my Heavenly Peach Jam. So on Wednesday I got everything prepared, and then set that aside overnight to mellow and we canned it on Thursday.

Meanwhile, I did 5 loads of our laundry from the Savannah trip and packed my suit case for Cape Cod and my Reunion with my much loved and missed Classmates.

Somehow I got all the canning done, the suitcases packed, the car loaded and I was up at 5:30 AM on Friday and out the door at 6:30 AM! Whew!

As I drove down route 93 heading south, I realized how much I had accomplished! And I was proud that I actually got it done.

When I arrived at my hometown, Falmouth, Massachusetts, I was overcome with love for the place where I grew up, the people who shaped my life, and the beauty of the beaches.

Yesterday Hubby and I finished planting the garden. I thought we were done earlier, but Hubs insisted we plant a few more plants, so off we went to Agway, to pick up some pickling cukes, Ichiban eggplants, broccoli (a first for me) and two more tomato plants.

You can see my crazy Owl. That darn head is like Linda Blair in the Exorcist!

By lunchtime, it was all done, and we came in to quench our thirst and have our sandwiches. It felt so good to sit down!

I’d decided to make up for my transgressions at Savannah’s birthday party, and eat totally lean and low calorie yesterday. So I looked up a nice Cod fish recipe, and then made the mushroom risotto and carrots for dinner. It came out quite well.

By 9:30, I was falling asleep in my chair, so off I went to bed with the dackels, waking briefly at 11:00 when Hubby came in.

Have a blessed Memorial Day!