How we feel after the holiday

I think this captures it pretty well.

North Country still on ice

Good Morning
So far we have escaped any power loss however, the report is the worst has yet to come which is an additional 1/2 inch of ice. Who knows what'll happen. I have grown tired of waiting so this morning I made another batch of moosemunch and Lynn made fabulous white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Hey ya gotta have sweets in a storm, lol. And of course I took some pics a few minutes ago.

North Country on ice

So, you may have noticed that I have already posted twice today. The reason is that we are expecting a major ice event and I more than likely won't have the opportunity to space them out the way I would have liked.
We are looking at over an inch of ice accumulation over the next 24 hours. With that of course, comes major power outages. Lynn and I have been doing what we can to prepare. Stock up the wood in the house, got groceries, make sure all oil lamps are filled, fill a bunch of receptacles with water for drinking. Fill tub for flushing. The last time this area saw major ice most were without power for a week or more so it will be interesting. I guess we will learn what it was like on Little House of the Prairie or The Waltons. As long as we and our animals are safe, we are all good. Hope your holidays are safe and splendid!!

O Tannenbaum

We love Christmas trees! There is just something very calming and mesmerizing about them. We put ours up early this year given the short span between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And we put up two trees. One in the dining room and one in the living room.

This tradition started years ago. Lynn and I did not exactly see eye to eye on the decorating of the tree. I love colored lights and a mish-mash of ornaments. Lynn, being a more organized( nice way of saying anal retentive) person, prefers while lights and an overall theme to a tree. Of course I won the battle given my overwhelming exuberance over all things Christmas. (Or it could have been a major tantrum, doesn't matter) And my opinion is that Christmas is the time to be tacky in your taste if you are ever going to.

One weekend Lynn was particularly exhausted and stressed out. It could be that she had been working non-stop for weeks without a day off. This was back when she worked full-time and went to law school at night. (We call that the Dark Period). I felt bad for her so I ran out to buy a small tree, white lights(although against my better judgment) and a slew of matching ornaments. I insisted that she take a break and help decorate the Lynn tree. She complied and the rest is history.

This year, I surprised Lynn by making one of her favorite treats, Harry and David's Moosemunch. I searched for a recipe and found this: Homemade Moosemunch recipe. I elected to add chopped pecans during the baking process and drizzled both melted semi-sweet and milk chocolate. I have to admit it turned out pretty darn well. Lynn was thrilled. So we put on Sara McLachlan's Christmas album, poured ourselves a glass of port, and  munched on the wonderful mix of salty and sweet while we decorated this year. A great time was had!!


Dining Room

Living room

Be crafty

And not in a plotting, sinister way. This year Lynn and I decided to make some of the gifts we were giving. We haven't really pursued that in the past so we decided it was time. I searched Pinterest(which is simply amazing) for ideas and came across this: Snowmen. How incredibly clever! Now in order to get the particulars on how to make them(again, Lynn and I are novices) I was able to find this helpful youtube video. How to make hot chocolate snowmen.

So I gathered all of the materials:
1. wide- mouth 8 oz. mason jars. Hard to find locally so I took to the internet
2. Starlight mints
3. Miniature marshmallows
4. Hot chocolate mix(we used Tim Hortons as it is a favorite locally)
5. Black felt
6. Black and orange paint
7. glue gun
8. Scissors
9. decorative ribbon

The first thing we did was to fill the jars. Mints for the bottom jars, hot chocolate mix for middle, and marshmallows for the top. Next step was the hat. The hat is made up of three parts: The top, rim, and band. We used the inside lid of the mason jar as a template for the top, a bowl to cut out the brim,  and eyeballed the length for the strip that is glued to the outer rim of the mason jar lid. I suggest watching the video link I provided to understand better. Plus, I really don't feel like explaining it all out, lol.
Once the hats were done we painted the faces and buttons. This next part is not is not detailed in the video so it warrants a mention. When dried, we glued the jars together. We took the bottom jar(mints)and placed glue on top of the inside lid of the mason jar and immediately set the next jar on top. The glue dries very quickly so make sure you are lined up before connecting the jars. Repeat with other jar. The final touches were to add the ribbon for a scarf and we placed a candy cane as a walking aid for our little snow person, lol. And voila!

Aren't they damn cute?All in all we had fun doing them and it was great giving a gift that we made. Although given our lack of experience, there were several attempts at the felt cutting, and there may have been a glue-burning incident.(Lynn will be fine, she's a strong one) Those things really heat up so be careful!!

Old Man Winter needs a calendar app

Don't you hate it when guests arrive early? Like, say by a month? Technically, winter does not begin until December 21. And yet our first snow fall was the day before Thanksgiving. Our high for the other day was 3 degrees and the low was -22.(yeh, I know, that is just plain wrong) We have had some sort of snow fall for the last 5 days straight. I ask you, does that not constitute winter?

If only there were an escalation path for this type of thing. I could simply email, text(okay, I don't text), or call a customer service number to report the invasion of winter on my fall. I imagine I would listen to an automated routing system providing me options of buttons to push. (Always press 0 to get a live person.) I make my selection and while waiting in queue I am peppered with the "our agents are experiencing a high volume" message. Not surprising given the weather, so I stay on. Finally an agent answers. The conversation goes as follows:

Agent: "Thank you for your patience and for calling O.M.W. enterprises, how may I assist you today?"

Me:" Hello. I am calling because winter arrived a month early and we have ridiculously cold temperatures, 15 inches of snow on the ground, and more coming down. In fact, it has been snowing for 5 days. "

Agent: "I am sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you Ms. Lee. I assure you that we do everything in our power to ensure an on-time arrival of winter. There are times however, when forces beyond our control, affect the delivery process."

Me: "So what I am supposed to do with this? Just put up with the extended cold and snow fall?"

Agent:" I understand that this is frustrating for you. Unfortunately, once the process begins we are unable to reverse it."

Me: "Surely there is something you can do."

Agent: "I could check with my manager to see what options are available. I will have to place you on hold while I do so. Are you okay with that?"

Me: "Sure, why not."

And bam I am back in the hold universe. This time I am treated to a slew of messages encouraging me to sign up for their added protection package. "To learn more ask your customer care agent about the many benefits of our Blast into Winter package, or inquire about our new Jump into Spring service. With the creation of our new Alliance partnerships we are able to offer additional seasonal benefits. Or, visit our website at www.OMW.com.  Be sure to like us on Facebook."

Agent: "Ms. Lee?"

Me: "Yes."

Agent: "Thank you for waiting. I have spoken with my manager and I am happy to inform you that we can offer you an early arrival of spring. While we cannot offer the full thirty days, we can provide you with two whole weeks. Would that be something you are interested in?"

Me: "Yes, I will take it. Do I need to do anything?"

Agent: "Not a thing, I can take care of that for you now, just give me a moment to complete the ticket request. Okay, the request has been submitted. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

Me: "No, that will do, thanks.

Agent: "You are welcome Ms. Lee and thank you for calling OMW. Have a great day.

And a great day I would have, if there were a number to call.

Bitter cold

I never used to mind winter, at least not until late February when I had grown increasingly tired of shoveling out the driveway and bundling up in 20 extra lbs of clothing just to go outside and get the mail.  But dealing with snow and extreme cold when you have a handful of animals living in unheated quarters gives you a whole new perspective.

Snow and arctic air (we’re hitting a high of 1 degree today with the night plummeting to -12 degrees; unexpectedly cold for December, even up here) dramatically impacts the world of farm animals; in the case of our sheep, for instance, shrinking it from several acres of pasture to a 30’ x 24’ barn with run-in.  The hens and sheep are used to grazing and foraging for food, and suddenly access to anything remotely green or even brown has been lost.  In addition, with the intense cold comes voracious appetites as their bodies require more and more energy (i.e., food) to create the internal heat necessary to their survival.  So the sheep get extra hay and sweet feed, and the hens get extra feed as well (along with treats such as spinach, lettuce and cabbage).  Anything to keep those internal engines churning along.

Moving around becomes more difficult as well (for us, as well as the animals).  The hens dislike walking in even a ¼ inch of snow and will fly the 2 feet from their ramp into the small lean-to that sits next to their coop in the winter, where there is still a patch of greenery.  But when you add bitter cold to the mix, the brave one or two (often Chatty Cathy or Ida) stick their head out the coop door when I open it in the morning, glance around at the frozen wasteland, and then look at me and start squawking, as if this weather is all my doing.  Then it’s back into their warm coop with its ample food supply and comfy perches. For the next couple of months, this process will be repeated every morning. Everyday, they will stick their heads out of the coop hoping for some green grass and warm sun. Everyday, I will be chided for my inability to provide such simple things for them.

This is my first winter with sheep, and I admit I’m likely projecting my own fears and discomforts onto them.  No doubt I’m worrying unnecessarily.  I know they have thick, insulating wool to keep them toasty, and the local sheep farmers have told me that sheep are not phased by cold (new-born lambs, yes, but not healthy sheep).  Nonetheless, today I opted to keep them in the barn with extra hay and warm water, and an added layer of fresh straw on the floor to add more warmth.  I felt a little better thinking of them snug in the barn, contentedly chewing on hay, with dry hooves.  The reality is they probably feel unjustly imprisoned and are staging their escape as I write this.

The dogs, on the other hand, have the best of both worlds.  They joyously bound out of the house after a fresh snow fall to play.  They romp, they roll, they chase snowballs.  But when the cold is too bitter, like today, they go out as a matter of necessity to do their biz and immediately return to the warmth of the house.  On days like today, you will find the dogs lounging in front of the fire, or sleeping contentedly on the sofa or on a bed.  Dogs have it figured out.

The Storm

5am this morning -- no sign of the driveway

The storm arrived last evening around 8pm.  I wasn't sure what I would wake up to -- often the hype about the "storm" is much worse than the actual storm.  Seems to be the case here.  Although there was a fair amount of drifting on the southern side of the house, and the dogs bounded out this morning into what looked like a foot of snow, it really has only dumped a few inches at this point.  It's still snowing and weather.com predicts another 4-6 inches throughout the day.  Snow removal is in the forecast.  Should be a fun walk out to the sheep this morning.



A Simpler Life?

Once upon a time, in my former life in Urban America, my morning consisted of waking up in my comfortable, oil-heated home, rising from bed, walking downstairs into my kitchen, grinding some Starbuck's French Roast coffee beans and turning on the coffee maker, letting the dogs outside for their morning biz, fixing myself a large cup of coffee and retreating to the living room to watch CNN until I needed to shower and get about my daily business, which pretty much consisted of work (the majority of the time) or running errands and lounging around the house.

Fast forward two years.  We have relocated to the North Country to live a "simpler" life, away from the traffic, constant working, angry, harried people and our disconnected, imbalanced life.  What does a "typical" December morning consist of now?  I wake up in the wee hours of the morning (although I've been doing that since I was in my mid-30s), roll out of bed into the rather brisk air of our bedroom (usually 59-60 degrees by early morning), stumble downstairs in the dark with 3 dogs under foot, flip on the side yard light to let any lingering creatures (rabbits, deer, porcupines) know that the 3 beasts are about to be released and, standing on the ice cold tiles of the mudroom in my now numbed, bare feet, open the sliding glass to release the hounds.  I then return to the kitchen to flip on the coffee pot, put on socks, and immediately stoop to build a fire in the wood stove.  Once the fire is crackling and popping, I let in the dogs and sit down with a cup of coffee and a book in the leather chair next to the fire.  In December, this rest period lasts until almost 7pm (although I also feed the dogs, let Louie, the ferret, run around the house for a bit, water our 2 Christmas trees, eat some breakfast, etc.).

When the grey light of dawn appears, it's time to bundle up, brave the cold, and tend to the chickens and sheep.  What had been a pleasant, rather quick round of morning chores in the spring, summer and fall, has become a bit more trying and time-consuming.  Let's not even talk about how such chores progress on mornings when snow removal factors into the mix!  In early December, the morning routine involves flipping on heat lamps, often struggling with frozen latches and gates, multiple trips to the coops to bring out fresh, warm water, and providing at least double (if not triple) the amount of chicken feed to the hens to keep their metabolism up and churning to produce the increased body heat needed to sustain them in freezing temps.  Then comes the long, long walk across the frozen tundra (i.e., the garden and orchard area in warmer days) to the sheep barn.  This either involves thigh burning struggles through feet of snow or a badly choreographed skating routine across the endless ice. 

Once I finally make it winded, and feeling every minute of my 48 years, to the sheep barn, I open the doors to my 3 lovely little balls of fleece, who regardless of the temperature, come bounding out of the barn ready for their breakfast.  But now, rather than providing some handfuls of sweet feed and sending them out into green pasture, I have to load up the manger with hay (2nd cut hay mind you; we tried feeding them 1st cut and they staged a hunger strike and insisted on "grazing" on the few blades of grass sticking up through the snow and glaring at me with accusatory eyes.  Needless to say, I conceded and they are back to eating 2nd cut hay; undoubtedly they will require Weight Watchers by the time spring rolls around), clean out the water container (which now sits on a heat pad to prevent freezing), and clean out the piles of poo in the barn, which by virtue of the early sunset and late sunrise results in the sheep being in the barn for an additional 6-7 hours per day and LOTS more poo.  Cleaning out the soiled hay and poo consists of scooping the soiled material into a very large dog poop scooper (wheel barrows do not work well in the frozen tundra), and risking my neck to slide across the ice over to the manure pile and tossing the crap into the growing pile.  Repeat process 3 to 4 times.  Then, I have to lay down a fresh layer of straw to absorb today's round of peep and poops (this hopefully prevents any respiratory ailments that can arise from the sheep being contained in a damp, ammonia filled barn).  When the sheep are happily munching away on their hay, I trudge my way back across the desolate expanse to the house. 

Am I done yet?  No.  If the morning is not too cold (i.e., anything above 20 degrees), then I have to carry, one at a time, MadeIt and Daisy 2 outside -- slipping and sliding down the icy pathway to their coop area. 

Then, finally, 30 minutes later, I'm back into my now toasty kitchen for another quick jolt of coffee and then, if its a weekday, off to work.

Is this a simpler life?  Not feeling like it right now.  But most mornings, feeding some happy hens and sheep still seems more satisfying than sitting in traffic. 

Festive or food?

That is the question. Whether to look upon the wreaths as a holiday trimming or simply tear them apart and eat them? Three of the wreaths we made last Sunday went on to the sheep barn. We thought it would be festive right?

Um, not so much. That is not to say our three little chubbs didn't show appreciation for our decorations. In fact they took quite an interest. An epicurean interest. Hence, the wreaths, (what's left of them) have been relocated to the garden fence. Again, stupid humans.

Magnolia scores the biggest chewy ever

I wonder how long this is gonna take her to get through.

Thank you for my tree

Tis the season

Fa la la la la et al. I have to say that I really love this time of year. Always have. Thanksgiving was later this time so Lynn and I decided to decorate this week. I don't know about you but I love to be surrounded by colored lights and ornaments.

Dicken's Village

 

Oh thank you for this glass of port

 

Winters' back, back in town

We got about 6-8 inches of snow the day before Thanksgiving and maybe another inch or so since. Gonna be an interesting season. This morning we have some cool fog so I decided to snap a pic.

Here's more of winter just for the hell of it. :)

One wreath, two wreath, three wreath, four

Last weekend we braved the 14 degree weather to collect a ton of greens and accents: cedar, white pine, the elusive princess pine, pine cones, birch bark, and wild berries. See below for the materials.

Yesterday our good friends Lorna and Tim (Lorna helped with the greens acquisition last week) came over for an afternoon of wreath making. We set an aggressive goal for ourselves: 6 wreaths and a 12 ft long strand of garland. Last year we also tried our hand at making these. Our net result was one wreath that Lorna took home. Given my nature of trying to better understand a process and create a more efficient way, I took to the internet to see what could be done. I found these terrific wreath forms that had clamps on them. This would speed up the process nicely. I had high hopes.

Lynn, Lorna, and I began creating wreaths while Tim was busy painstakingly drilling holes into whole nuts and stringing florist wire through them to serve as wonderful accents. Lorna and Lynn seem to glide through the process by bunching a mix of greens that would magically look like something the Met would house. I, on the other hand, was overthinking mine and seeking symmetry and order whilst keeping a minimalist look. My wreath would be well housed on the back door of an auto body shop. I have always admired and respected those with a natural artistic talent. I have none. But lest not forget the importance of the admirer. :)

One of Lorna's creations

Lynn's masterpiece

All in all we accomplished our goal of 6 wreaths and a strand of garland. But you know what? That was not the important part at all as it turned out. It was the sharing of ideas, the laughing, the stories, the creativity (or lack thereof in my case), eating good food,(Lorna brought a great dish that I will have to share in the future) all while creating something marvelous. It was about being with good friends on a snowy afternoon. That is what really matters.

My advice to you is to gather up some friends and go make something together this season.





Some days it's great to be a human

Jim and I were sitting in the kitchen yesterday chatting when all of a sudden a loud thump sound came from the mudroom. We knew that it was more than likely a bird smacking into the sliding glass door. And unfortunately it was. A downy woodpecker was lying on the steps unconscious. Man I hate seeing that. Jim touched her to see if there was movement. Very little response, it did not look good. It is at this point that you must make an important call. Do you end their suffering or extend it in the hopes that it is just an injury? I decided that it was not yet time to blow her candle out. We moved her into a hay- filled shallow box. I decided it would be best to put her in the barn so she didn't feel so exposed to the elements. While in there she showed more sign of life. Still drowsy, still not moving well but had some moments of hope. And so I kept her in there and checked on her every hour or so while leaving the doors open. I put food out and made sure she saw it. Dusk came and it was time to close the barn. I put out some water and dipped my hand in it so she could see what it was. I put more food in the dish and closed up shop. This morning I went out to find her there looking better but still on the ground. There were signs that she had eaten so I felt relief. She was on the mend and that was a good sign. I left the doors open to allow her the opportunity to leave at any time. Here is a pic of her in the barn this morning.

Not the best shot but I wanted to keep a respectful distance in an effort not to freak her out. About 30 minutes later I was in the kitchen and again I hear a thump. Not a loud one. Of course I thought it was Crazy Jacques attacking himself again. (which he is still doing on a regular basis by the way) Another knock on the window so I felt compelled to look. And low and behold it was my new friend letting me know she was better and ready to set out on her own.

She remained there for about 5 minutes as though she wanted to make sure we saw her. Then, off she went. Good luck my friend.