Thursday, November 25, 2010

A wee bit chilly out there

Yesterday morning was a wee bit chilly.


I get up before the rest of the family, while it's still dark.  I often light this little oil lamp for beauty.


Dawn starts to light up the far hills.  Notice the nearly-full moon.  Of course, I took this shot through a window.  You don't think I want to be outside, do you?


But of course, the poor beasties are outside, and they need to be fed.  So I suited up and got them some food.  The neighbor's horses were in high spirits in the cold air.


Here's our stovepipe.  Notice how the snow is melted just around it (meaning a bit of escaping heat) but not on the rest of the roof.  This means our house is pretty tight as far as heat escaping.  Of course our upstairs isn't heated, so that may have something to do with it...


Rising sun on the snow.


I don't think the cattle are so amused by this weather.  We're feeding them extra until the cold snap breaks.  It's very unusual to have this much snow and this much cold so early in the season.



Back inside to defrost.  Here I am, folding laundry and packing tankards for shipment at the same time.  Um, this is called multi-tasking.


It was a good day to huddle by the woodstove.  Here's Older Daughter and our friend GG (who arrived safe and sound on Tuesday evening) reading before the fire.

In fact, Older Daughter huddled so close she singed the quilt she was wrapped in.


It was a day for baking Thanksgiving bounty.  Two blueberry pies...


...and a cheesecake.


Oops.


Results of the day: one cheesecake, two pies, and a whole lot of homemade Irish cream.  Pity the latter won't be ready to sample until next week.  We give much of this out to friends and neighbors as Christmas gifts.

14 comments:

  1. Dang - that is cold! Glad I live in Alaska!
    It's in the 30's and raining/snowing.
    Heh!

    Steve Davis
    Anchorage, Alaska

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  2. yum, care to share your recipe for Irish cream ?We love to drink it( at least I do) !
    I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving. We will celebrate tomorrow as my son is in the hospital and we are hoping that he gets sprung later thursday afternoon.

    Tina

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  3. Tina, if you click on the hyperlink for the Irish cream on the post, it will take you to the blog post I did last year detailing how I make it. I also give the recipe. Let me tell you, this stuff is GOOD. Far far better than the store-bought kind. It's a once-a-year treat for us (and our non-Mormon friends, LOL).

    - Patrice

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  4. Thanks for the link to the recipe. I will have to try it. We like Irish Cream in our coffee, but a little glass would be a nice treat too! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

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  5. Oops, I'm sorry Tina - I also meant to send good wishes for your son. I'm sorry he's been in the hospital.

    -Patrice

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  6. Beautiful pictures but where is Matilda? She is my favotite, she's beautiful! Happy Thanksgiving from Oklahoma! BK

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  7. Your environment and the loving, warm home you have created for your family, the care you take of your animals---it brings tears to my eyes. The best part is to see that you know you are blessed.

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  8. Happy Thankgiving to you and your family!
    You are truly blessed with so very much to be thankful for
    ~Clare

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  9. I've made your Irish Cream....it was beautiful! Gave bottles of it to friends and family last christmas and they'll probably get more of it this year too.
    Thanks for the great recipe :)
    Amanda

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  10. The winter pictures are pretty to look at for someone who does not have to work in it. To me it is just a terrible reminder of what I have got to do for the next few months. It is still snow free here after a brutal winter last year. Cold is easy to take. Throw in snow and it becomes miserable. It is enough to make you want to singlehandedly eat an entire cheesecake when you get home.

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  11. That singed quilt will become a treasured heirloom, and YOU, Grandma, will delight in telling your grandchildren the story of how their Mommy singed it one cooooold winter night when she was "just about your age," as they sit in rapt attention, wrapped in that very quilt, while their Mom sits listening, and pretending to be embarrassed, while curled up in her hubby's arms.

    Bill Smith

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  12. Aw, what a sweet visual Bill.

    And thanks for working on that photo (wink).

    - Patrice

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  13. Good stuff, guys.

    After nearly two feet of snow and near zero temps in recent days, we had some afternoon sun and it reached a balmy forty degrees today. YAAY. Lots of melt, but still lots of snow on the ground as well.
    That concludes today's report from tropical Alaska....the north facing shores of the strait of juan de fuca. lol

    A.McSp

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  14. We just made our first batch of Irish Cream! Yummy!! Our friends will be getting this for Christmas! Definitely! Thank you!
    K, in OK

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