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Snowbound!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Welcome to my new bloghome!

Thanks for all the great feedback on the blog redesign. I'm cackling, thinking of all of you loading this page for the first time, no warning, just boom! New look! That's how we do things around here. No fanfare until the fanfare. If you missed the prior post explaining what has happened here, scroll down--I put up a little howdy-doo Thursday morning.

It keeps snowing and snowing and snowing here. I looked out this morning on our seemingly permanent foot-and-a-half of snow, with more drifting down. Considered the fact that the kids have been out of school almost a week. And thought that this is kind of like being in a hospital. You look out and think, man, I'd love to go for a long walk in the sunshine!

but no. You have to stay in your room, and there is no more sunshine. You can't have sunshine, and you can't have a walk. Egad--just getting around to all nine bird feeders in this crusty, powdery, slushy/slompy stuff makes me huff like a steam engine. It is decidedly un-fun to walk outside. It isn't actually walking--it's more like controlled staggering.

Chet Baker has taken to peeing in the snow right on the front porch, or right on the back deck, less than three feet from the door. He minces out and unloads and then expects to come right back inside. The next time he does it I'm going to smack that little black rumpus of his. I shovel out pee alleys; he'd darned well better use them. I don't know when he last pooped. Not my problem. It is not yours to tell the world about my elimination situation, Mether. A Boston terrier has no fur on his underside, and he must be excused all manner of rule infractions when the snow is so deep that it hits his most tenderest bits when he tries to walk in it. You try going out naked on all fours and see how you like it.


Chet hates the snow. I mean, he's happy to romp for oh say three minutes and then he's on the front porch bouncing up and down like a kangaroo needing in NOW. NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW. As I write he's clawing all the blankets on my bed into a huge Jedd-like pile and circling five times before flopping into them.

He is a dog of comfort. I would like to discover his secret for staying sane without putting miles of trail under his boots. I would like to bottle it and drink two quarts of it. I'm trying the sleep cure, and it does help to konk out with a book on my chest at 8:30. Just get this winter over with. My God, the woodcocks are due this week. I hope they stay in Alabama.

Back to our regularly scheduled program:

Bill of the Birds is good at talking girls into things. However he is good at talking men into things, too.

This is the Testosterone Express. David, Sherm, and Bill in a never-to-be-repeated lineup on the Green Menace. Zane wisely decides to race alongside.



Look OUUUUT BELOW!!! It's the BeefSkid! Oh, the manly grunts of pain that emanated from the Express as it hit the bumps.

Unfortunately there are no photos of the Estrogen Sled, which bore me, Margaret, Mary Jane and Beth in one epic ride. Wouldn't you know we went into the groundhog burrow. ow ow ow.

Phoebe and Liam ready for a run.

Daddy gives them a mighty shove.


And they trudge back up the slope. Sledding is great exercise; you have to climb that awful hill each time you want another ride. And hooting and hollering and laughing your head off is the ultimate cure for cabin fever.

Girlfriends in the snow: me, Mary Jane and Margaret. Mmm.

Phoebe takes a breather. Her groovy hat-scarf from Taos is a snow-caked liability now, offering weight and wetness without much warmth.

Liam readies some snowballs. There are always snowballs, especially with Daddy around.


Dusk falls on the pasture.

The kids are exhausted. So are the adults. And we've been down and up the slopes half as many times as they have.


There are roses in the snow. You have to kiss those cold lips to bring them magically back to life.

We go to say goodbye to Abby and Veronica

who watch and wonder
the snow collecting on their backs.

Veronica snorts and shakes her heavy little head

and turns to get a little warm comfort in the gathering dark. She's a little old for it, but Veronica has nothing better to do.

We head for home to do the same, but ours is spaghetti and firelight.

18 comments:

Love the new look, and love the snow fun!

It seems every time I move I forget about this blog for a while and then re-discover it with joy... I work now at an outdoor education center east of Dayton so we got the same snowstorm, and the woods are incredibly beautiful. The schools that were supposed to come this week cancelled on account of the weather so we've had a leisurely week to walk the trails and contemplate winter. Lovely!

I feel like I have found a new blog to read...and a good time was had by all here.

WOOOOO what a surprise! I love it! The rotating pictures and story links are ingenious.
-Lenka

Ye Gawds I love this blog design [runs off to link to the "Cats Belong Indoors" post].

Laughed out loud at Chet's baleful look from the green blanket. Caught my breath at the dusk pictures. Stealing "girlfriends." Thanks again.

WOW! Love the new look Julie... it's so... YOU!

Your puppeh and mine are polar opposites in every way imaginable. Our Emmett LOVES the snow and happily plunks right down in it. He's built for it though, having husky in him and all. Love the bovine pics, especially little Veronica, with that big cow lick front and center on her face.

Fabulous design! I am very happy to read about Chet's aversion to snow and his elimination shenanigans. It helps me understand that my Boston, Sam Addams isn't abnormal.

Thanks for the laughs!

I remember loving the snow because it always seemed that after the storm the sky was an amazing blue, and everything sparkled for as far as you could see. For some reason, this season (both east and west coast) the cloudiness lingers and everything is rendered in black, gray, and white. Chet has it right. Snuggle up under the covers and wait it out.

It looks as though everyone had such a good time! Now, I'm going to go click on all your "new stuff"!! ~karen

I have discovered "Click on Me" Chet Baker. So I keep clicking and reading more stories - perfect passtime for the snowbound with snow fever.

I nearly strangled myself laughing over "Chet has a Babeh" and then part 2 - when Chet Baker no longer has a Babeh.

Oh, Angela--if you want to waste some serious time, just type Chet Baker in the blog search box...
Chet's babeh is blind!

Julie, the new look is great, being a Leslie's all week, I hadn't been on to check out any blogs, I hope to have time today to come back and really look around and see what all I can find on here. Great!!!!!!!!! Jeanne

Julie - now I am truly doomed but in a good way. I read "Chet Rolled" and that one nearly did me in.

Thank you so much - love the whole blog and new look!

We got 2' of snow the week before Christmas. Last weekend a blizzard dumped another 2' and then Tues night was the beginning of another storm that brought yet another foot. It might snow tonight and they are talking about snow on Tues thru Wed - during which talks the accumulation prediction goes up every time I hear the news. And this is little ol' Delaware who hardly EVER gets snow.

Julie,
I am definitely NOT a dog person. But Chet Baker (and your photos of him) have completely won me over.

BTW, love your blog. I live in NE Ohio and discovered you through your WONDERFUL book Letters From Eden. Thanks for sharing your life and art with us.

Erica

what a fun day you all had! I think my parents still have that huge wooden toboggan hanging their garage that held 5 kids for that terrifying ride down a snowy hill.
This post brought back some fond memories for me Julie.

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