Snowy Days

It has been some very busy times here, I haven't really had much time to look outside and rest. Till today, I decided to take some photos outside so you can see what it is looking like now, we have had some snowy, snowy days lately.

The temps are starting to hold steady around -10 now, colder in the nights and half the days, but still warms up to 0 degrees some days in afternoon, before the darkness sets in around 4:30.

I have a little temp widget on these pages that seems pretty accurate most of the time. But sometimes it's been colder here then what is recorded on the temps. That's always the way it is, it will be -20 here, yet down the road 15 miles it will be -5 .
I have no idea why! So we shall see how it does this winter, if it can handle the really cold temps.

Teal Green Frozen River Waters

Photo by K Fields

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and plans are being made for a family get together. Our family really does have so much to be thankful for that we all live nearby and can gather easily, and in where we live.

It is a beautiful place, full of wonder and... yes... challenges that are rarely found anywhere else, but that is what keeps it interesting and fun

Black Spruce Layered With Snow

Photo by K Fields

I love standing outside at -30 and -40 below to watch the beautiful Northern Lights, to see the ice crystals hanging in mid air surrounding us with tiny sparkles in the air,seeing our breath freeze in puffs of steam.The air is crisp and clear.

It is fascinating looking at the designs of ice on the windows from the frosty cold. Snowflakes the size of my palm coming down covering everything in light fluffy new fresh white snow, sometimes with a small breeze that cause the flakes to swirl and float.

The Black Spruce trees which can ordinarily look sickly, because they are tall and spindly, somehow seem transformed during the winter months by the heavysnow build-up on the branches, and each bough sweeps downward covered with snow,the white snow contrasted against the dark spruce needles can take your breath away at the sheer beauty.

Photos cannot even do the winter scenes justice, but I am hoping you get an idea of what it looks like.

When we open the door of our house and freezing cold air blows in and turns into a ice fog from the cold air hitting the warm air inside. At ten in the morning it is dark outside so when I open the door and turn on the outside lights, the whole area including the air just sparkles everywhere from the layered snow on the ground to the very air you breathe, I have always found this winter phenomena stunningly beautiful when that happens.

Todays Temp

Photo by K Fields

Another wonder of wonders is whenever we get a new fresh 6-8 inch layer of snow how quiet everything gets, even when we talk it sounds muffled, yet we can hear the muffled sound of a neighbor a couple of miles down the road shoveling snow.

The sound of our boots crunching as we walk in the deep snow, the feel of some icy cold snow getting inside our boots and hitting our bare ankle skin. The snowflakes landing on our faces with little cold tingles, clinging to our eyelashes and hair.

Frozen Waterfall Water Has a Tint of Blue

Photo by K Fields

Winter season sometime is my favorite time of the year. I have been impatiently waiting for the temps to really drop down into the -30's so that I can take the grandkids outside and throw hot water into the air, and watch it instantly freeze and fall to the ground tinkling like shattered glass.

We can't build snowmen or throw snowballs because it is so cold the snow won't stick together, it is like fine white sparkle sand, so we have to be inventive and throwing hot boiling water is one way.

Layers of Snow Outline Tree Branches

Photo by K Fields

Grabbing a big tire inter tube tire and finding the nearest hill to slide down is another thing fun thing to do, we lay in the middle with our legs and arms draped over the tire and slide down a steep snowy hill, it is so much fun, and we rarely get hurt, because the inner tube bounces off any trees... or people... we may run into.

Wood Stove at the Grocery Store