snow and more snow

Good Monday to you. A second week of January, always a favoured month for me.

We finally got some snow on Friday that left this picturesque world for us on Saturday

as we headed out once again for the health food store in Greenwood

the highway drive worth it for the savings- some things 1/5 of the cost!

This highway sign is the 2nd exit into Kentville that must go through Coldbrook

Suddenly a huge flock of crows flew overhead- about 100 of them!

Not nearly the size of  some gatherings of thousands!!

I'm astonished that there isn't more reportage of this phenomenon that seems to happen in the fall.

I didn't know it continued in some places this late into the winter.

As the road leans further into the Annapolis Valley we see a sign for Berwick, Middleton and Bridgewater. We're headed for the Kingston exit to get to its sister town of Greenwood.

a lovely crest of pines

a slice of forest beyond the farmfield

The north mountain rises from this fertile valley, all asleep now

many of the same farmsteads I showed you last time

a bit clearer without the driving snow to interfere

the charming red buildings that house equipment, grain and/or animals

some operations substantially bigger than others

an old part of the world by North American standards

a better shot of that sweet house in Kingston that I showed you in the last post

and a few others

to show you how very quaint it can be out here

We come to the junction where we turn into Greenwood.

CFB stands for Canadian Forces Base. This one in Greenwood is Canada's largest air force base.

There is a young sophisticated energy here, especially the young wives.

And here we are, back once again at out little health food store to pick up a new batch of supplies.

I asked Wally to slow down so that I might capture this beauty spa in the low light, sorry that their Christmas lights hadn't come on yet (most folks use a timer) as it was spectacular last week.

At 6pm, the snow started. This is around 11:30 that night.

I enjoyed seeing our Christmas baubles backlit by the streetlight.

We still have some old yellow streetlights further up the road but they, strangely enough,

don't show the falling snow the way the new white light LED ones do.

Babu is waiting in the kitchen for me.

Dishes done, it's time for bed.

The next morning Babu is on the scene checking out all the excitement outside.

I didn't notice until this shot that he had some kitty litter on his nose which he often does, rooting around in his litter like a little piggy. I have to be quick to nab him so I can brush it off.

and there's Daddy, making a big arc with the snowblower,

watching the trajectory while

while Babu watches him

It isn't long before pretty Babu baby is making love eyes at me,

a piece of Muji hair stuck to his nose now

He starts to roll about

trying to engage me in some vigorous massage which he loves

We hear Wally getting closer, channelling his way through about 30cm (15 inches)

Everything is more beautiful in the snow including my neighbour's backyard (whisper) the one on the other side that I never show you as it is filled with garbage (sigh)

Life's funny that way. We enter into things thinking that they will turn out one way

and they proceed in a direction we never would have chosen.

We find ourselves resistant at first. "No, no, this isn't how I wanted it."

And then, in time, we relax, we adjust, we

change our trajectory.

That choice could be a very small action, making room for another way of looking at things, an emotional bridge between being stuck and loosening our rigidity.

Anyway, this embroidery project started as a way to express my feelings about friends. The true blue, the patchwork, the joy and the comforting, not to mention the little flowers,

they all are choices I made intuitively, realizing now their symbolism. 

We have to trust that everything will turn out all right.

kitties mid december

We got a good little snowfall on Monday, as scheduled - about 8 inches- and as is often the case, Tuesday was sparkly with higher pressure and sun.

It put us in a good mood. Babu was especially happy.

He wanted some playtime even though I caught him settling in for his after breakfast nap.

He began to roll

and twirl

and whirl

his kitty way of inviting me to play

Muji is too sober for such tomfoolery

Now here's some more English etymology (carried over from yesterday's post).

The name Tom (from Thomas) has been used for centuries to designate 'male' as in tom cat. During WW1, men on the front were known as Tommys, their guns- tommy guns.

First recorded in medieval times (1325-13750, it was considered great sport to watch the antics of insane people in asylums like Bedlam in London. The nicknames ‘Tom o’ Bedlam’ (used as the title of an old poem) and ‘Thome Fole’ were often used for male inmates who were favorites of the audience. ‘Tom Fool’ is first recorded in that same fourteenth century in reference to a Jester or a person who plays the part of a fool in various dramas. In Shakespeare's King Lear, Lear is accompanied by the Fool and Edgar (as Tom o'Bedlam) while he is going mad. 

By the seventeenth century it was used more widely to mean a buffoon. The generic sense as simply 'a foolish person', either male or female, is first recorded in the early eighteenth century.

That's English for you.

This is the view out the window above Muji, the sky a piercing brilliance.

And what's it doing today? Raining of course. That's Nova Scotia for you.

Here's a little wip (work in progress)- my little bunny embroidery

being pieced together with various old fabrics from my sister.

thanks for peeking in

I'll continue stitching now.

keeping it light

Goodbye November

Welcome dear viewers. Thank you for dropping in.

Last night as I prepared for bed, I took a peek outside and took a rare flash photo of the scene out front: the pretty snow falling. There are still a few of the old warm light streetlights around but we've got one of the cold new ones, halogen I'm guessing. You can guess what I'd prefer. Ah well- progress.

By morning, the rain was doing a good job at melting the snow away, but even a little bit of snow is a welcome sight, layering the landscape with freshness.

You can still see some of our kale in the foreground, still surprisingly tender.

Yesterday I went a little bit nuts coffee staining papers, 2 at a time in a 350F oven. The smell of roasting coffee was intoxicating.

I still have very little control over what happens. Coffee grounds, for instance, don't leave a mark.

But look what happened to this ledger paper when I faced it down on the baking paper that I lined the lasagna dishes with!

These are very thin paper doilies from the dollar store that I found even cheaper

at a second hand store. I put only a thin wash of coffee on them.

Muji slept throughout this photo shoot.

I don't know if you've noticed how rarely Babu has been making it into my posts these days.

That's because my little guy is almost always on the move - when he's awake.

He is a sweet and loving cat and wants cuddles and playtime

And here's what came of that doodle I showed you last time.

Little Miss Dolly.