Flakey Mutterings

Okay, so it's not pink.  Just wanted to give one of our beautiful winter scenes from yesterday a different twist.

If you look closely, you'll maybe make out a roof top in the middle of this photo.

This was taken from Lovestead Lane.  That's the pathway between the barn and the machine shed.

It's not hard to find a pretty scene after new-fallen snow anywhere on this place, but I like this one.

That rooftop belongs to Meserve's, and those trees, planted long ago,  are some of Stan and Geneva's beauties.  I know that some on their place were planted more than 60 years ago when they were first married.

Anyway, it's a beautiful scene, and there are beautiful people living in that cozy little house next door.

Sorry to have missed their visitors over this holiday weekend, but it sped by.  Suddenly it was over.

When the post-holiday quietude came yesterday, I wasted no time enjoying the rest of the day.  Bill took Annie to the airport at mid-morning and had plans to stop at some of his shopping places.

So, I made the most of the solitude.  That included a walk down the road to Filipowski's driveway and back.  

Along my way, one lady stopped and talked.  She was checking in on a neighbor's place while they're out of town.  She also had to feed someone's cats up Rapid Lightning Creek.

"Do you go away for the winter?" she asked.  

I looked longingly at her but didn't answer.  She wasted no time letting me know that she has a business of watching after homes while people escape for warmer climates.

She mentioned other folks she knows who care for large animals and that she has a string of "fix-it types" for when disasters strike in empty homes.

Seems like that would be quite a business around these parts cuz I know a lot of people will be taking off after Christmas and not returning for two or three months.  

Others have already done so; many rely on their family members to watch their places.

In our case, Bill and I usually go as singletons so that someone familiar with all idiosyncrasies of animals and utilities can maintain a normal situation at home. 

My thoughts often jump to other places when the snow begins to fall, but I have to admit a bit of enjoyment of the white stuff thus far.

After my walk, I returned to a cozy house, made a pot of coffee, grabbed my book and sat in the living room reading for about an hour.  The only interruptions were trips to the kitchen for more coffee and to the garage for firewood.

After the eyes started crossing while my main character was enduring yet another ruthless World War II POW camp in Japan, I closed the book and bundled up for another outdoor adventure.  

This time it was with snow shoes---my first such outing of the year.  With dogs racing and bounding through deep, powdery snow, I trudged through the woods, stopping occasionally just to enjoy the scenes. 

Most of the way, I used trails forged earlier in the day by Annie.  Crossing over the fence into the God Tree pasture, I broke through deep snow and started my own pathway.  

I enjoyed every step of that trip through the woods and the fields and every minute of standing and beholding the beauty surrounding me. 

Returning to the house, I resumed an upstairs project of typing addresses for the Christmas card list.  Last year's card envelopes have been sitting on the floor next to my computer since the day in January when I "resolved" to get the list plugged in to the computer. 

So much for resolutions when life gets in the way.  Well, yesterday nothing got in the way, and I actually completed the list.  

Bill came home a little after 6, quite happy with his trip into Spokane and especially with his new pellet gun purchased at $50 off the regular price. I asked him where he was going to shoot it.

"Out in the yard," he responded. "Ya wanta go try it out?"

"No," I said, knowing that time will come soon enough.  I suggested that my sisters probably wouldn't mind having him do some target practice on their ever-multiplying barn pigeons.  

Yup, it was a flake-filled day with lots of flakey thoughts, and I enjoyed it immensely. 

Now, it's time to get ready for the next big snowfall, due in tonight. 

Happy Monday.