Monday, November 6, 2017

A Cozy Weekend - First Snow


Hello, Dear Friends, our beautiful autumn leaves 
were sugar frosted over the weekend - the 
earliest snowfall in over 40 years. 




This was the view before......


And after. 

From technicolor to black and white! 


It wasn't a major storm, just a dusting of snow from
cold air out of Canada, mixed with moisture
off the Pacific ocean. 


Fat flakes floating down. 


Snow makes everything magical. 

Except the roads! 

Luckily we didn't have to drive, 
but if we did, we were ready with studded 
snow tires installed on my 4 wheel drive truck. 

There is no way to drive up our steep road 
without them in the winter. 

Trust me, I've had to walk up that road, 
 and it is not a fun experience. 
Once, many years ago,
 I drove down to drop the kids at the school-bus
as it started to snow,
but I couldn't drive back up.

It was eerily quiet, the way it gets when there is 
 snowfall, and I was totally alone, 
as this was before there were neighbors.....

I started walking up the slippery road,
and was about half-way up,
when I heard something very large come
crashing through the forest towards me. 

My heart nearly stopped, and I could not run, 
as there was no time and the road was much
too slippery. 

So I braced myself, and just when I thought 
this might be my very last moment, 
I heard a very loud, 'Moooooooo'! 

It was a friendly steer! 
He popped his head out of the trees
and I realized there was a barbed wire fence 
that I never noticed before, holding him back. 

I could have kissed him, 
I was so relieved, as I live with 
cougars, bears and massive bull elk. 

He followed my progress up the steep road
from his side of the fence, and I gave him 
a good scratch once I got to the top, 
but made a vow to get proper traction tires 
as soon as possible :)


But we had no place we needed to be 
except home, on this weekend of our first snow, 
so we made ourselves as cozy as we could. 


I baked  Pumpkin-Banana Bread

(I made it with half whole-wheat flour this time, 
and it tastes just as moist and delicious)



And made a Broccoli-Cheese Soup
while Ramblin' Man kept the wood-box 
full and the fire glowing. 

(click on the links to get the recipes)


In between, I sat by the fire and crocheted 
while Ramblin' Man read the Sunday paper. 


A little something for a special little someone. 

I have a few of these to make and will share 
them when I am done. 

My feather pillow is hand-embroidered linen 
and is the perfect, soft back-rest :)



Nature is beautiful, but can make life 
difficult and I feel so bad for the little birds
living in the elements. 

This little Anna's hummingbird is a year-round 
resident here in Washington State, surprisingly, 
I know, but I have done some research after 
my first time seeing them come to empty feeders 
in winter-time. 

So I  keep the feeders full and worry all winter, 
but they seem hardy and unaffected. 
I even bought a heated feeder for sub-freezing temperatures, 
but thankfully we have rather mild winters
despite the occasional snowfalls. 

They also survive on sap (and the insects that are attracted to it)
 that flows from the holes
drilled by our Red-Breasted Sapsucker. 

Red-breasted sapsucker
These are the most common sapsuckers in
Western Washington State, and I have photographed 
them in my apple trees, eating the pulp, too. 


I also changed out the bedding
 from blue summer flowers
to cozy, plaid flannel. 

My old girl, Maggie camps out here 
during the day on her blankie. 

She is 18 years old, and does a lot of 
complaining these days. 
She mostly eats and sleeps and  
goes outside only occasionally to sit 
in the sunshine on the deck now and again. 


Here she is in younger days on the deck rail
where she tried in vain to hunt the hummingbirds. 

I am trying to keep her comfortable and loved 
until she decides to cross over 
the rainbow bridge to meet up with her friends. 
It hurts my heart. 


Speaking of cats - this happy-ending story 
was in our local newspaper the other day. 

It's a story of Captain, the 12 year old tabby
from Washington State, who was adopted from 
a cat rescue facility run by this woman, Laura Carlson. 

He had been adopted 4 years before by a woman 
who, in September, was moving with him in tow, 
 to Alabama. 

When they stopped at a hotel on Sept. 8th, in Butte, Montana, 
Captain, who is declawed, and strictly a house-cat, escaped. 
After trying in vain to find him, the woman moved 
on, but sent a text message to Laura that he was missing. 

Laura got to work organizing search parties via Facebook, 
having volunteers set up wildlife cameras
 and traps in the nearby woods, 
and sending out press releases, but although there were
multiple sightings, no-one could catch him. 

Finally, with a big snowstorm in the forecast in mid-October
and being on his own for 40 days, Laura herself flew
the 600 miles to Montana to look for him. 

On the last day, when she was tired and discouraged, she 
spotted a cat at the corner of the hotel and with two volunteers,
they finally cornered and caught him. 

Laura said he was weak and a bag of bones, but Captain hasn't 
used up all of his nine lives yet, and is now living 
out his life with Laura, eating what he likes, and sleeping on pillows. 

xoxo


I woke up to this frosty scene, but the snow is 
melting and we are expecting normal daytime temperatures 
in the 50's for the rest of the week. 


A brief glimpse of winter, soon to come. 


Kai dozes in the morning sunshine. 


While Whitey Bear eats snow. 

Sweet companions to share my world. 

xoxo

I hope that you had some lovely moments 
this weekend, dear Friends. 
Thank you for your sweet visits. 
xoxo

"Remember that everyone you meet is 
afraid of something, loves something 
and has lost something. 

- H. Jackson Brown Jr., writer -

xoxo

Saying prayers for the loved ones lost 
to senseless acts of violence this week 
in New York and Texas. 
Especially the children. 
And the children left behind. 

May the Angels always be with them.  

xoxo

41 comments:

  1. OMGoodness- what a wonderful post. Studded snow tires are illegal in our state but we needed them in PA to navigate the mountain roads. We do have 4 wheel drive though (thank goodness).

    That is a really heart-warming story about the cat and the search for him. What a wonderful woman to fly out there and find him herself.

    Your sweet kitty, Maggie, is beautiful and has attained a wonderful long life-I am sure thanks to your care of her.

    Looks like you had a nice cozy weekend. We drove 7 hours Sat and 7 hours Sunday for a birthday party- Down one day-home the next--through heavy rain and fog but NO SNOW. Please feel free to keep all the snow there for yourself. lol xo Diana

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  2. Beautiful pictures of nature.. yes you are right inside home it is cozy and warm.. but outside specially the little creatures suffered a lot in snow.. :(

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  3. Dearest Karen,
    Oh my, early snow indeed and what a transformation that is.
    So hard for driving uphill on a slippery road... dangerous.
    Glad you managed to get home at that time.
    It is still very balmy warm here in Georgia. Would be great biking weather but we have not yet dared to; considering Pieter's condition.
    Sending you hugs,
    Mariette

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  4. Karen, what beautiful snowy moments! And I can think of nothing nicer than staying home, homemade bread, and a warm delicious soup shared with those you love! Our weather was quite cold but today it was warm. I think the temperatures will settle down soon. xo

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  5. I am always amazed how snow transforms a landscape. We have had early snows this year, too. I have a feeling it will be a snowy winter.
    Your home looks so cozy and cteative! You have given your pets such a good home and life...I know it is hard to see them age...xoxo.

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  6. Staying at home because of snow can be very cozy, especially when you have good food, handwork to do, and pretty scenes to view out the window. It's such an early arrival to winter.
    Our temperatures are still cold, but it's supposed to rain the rest of the week, not snow.
    Enjoy the week!

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  7. What wonderful stories you share here! I loved the bovine tale of your trek up the hill. And what a matchless kitty story! Your snow pictures are enchanting. Your cooking, baking, and handwork seem straight out of a storybook. Really, I think your lifestyle is wonderfully rare, and truly inspiring. I know there is a price to pay, but you do such a good job of sharing the priceless benefits.

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  8. Hi Karen oh I love your moose story and I am glad it was only a moose behind a wire fence. Wow I really love where you live and your beautiful Cottage,the snow looks so pretty xx

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  9. What a beautiful post and the stunning snow pictures. So glad that it was a steer and not a bear.

    Sounds like you had a nice restful weekend - those are great.

    Have a beautiful week.

    Mary

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  10. Dear Karen - SNOW! Oh my word! Well - we had several really major storms blow through - tons and tons and tons of rain......which, if it were just a tad colder would've been snow, too - lots of it. Glad it held off, I am not ready yet for that pretty white fluffy stuff!

    As for your sweet furry friends, so so huggable.

    And all the things you've made, and baked, and have done to make the change over cosy and awesome? Well done, ma'am. Hugs!

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  11. Υour slice of paradise!Enjoy the most you can!

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  12. A truly amazing blogpost, the pictures are fairylike with that early snow and your stories so cozy and exciting especially the one of the moose. You really live in a kind of paradise far from the madding crowd, cherish the wonderful days.
    Regards, Janneke

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  13. Dear Karen, love your cozy home and your landscapes, I travel with you every time you publish something.

    Marina from the South of Spain

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  14. Looks beautiful,inside and out. So good to be able to cosy up in your lovely snug home. Great post...thank you!

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  15. A great post Karen. I always love reading about your adventures in the wild. You have some very scary tales to tell.
    Loved reading the story of Captain Cat. So glad he has found his forever home and is now enjoying some luxury after his ordeal. I don't like to hear that cats have been declawed. I couldn't imagine having my nails removed!!
    Your bed looks super cosy with the flanel plaid. We haven't had snow yet but it certainly feels sooo much colder. I'm all wrapped up reading this. I should go and light the fire.
    Have a brilliant week and stay safe and warm, hugs from us xx

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  16. Beautiful images of the snow, they would make fabulous christmas cards. x

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  17. Oh my goodness, first snow already! Your photos are always fabulous Karen. And I want to come for lunch, pumpkin bread and soup...yes please! It all looks so good.

    Love a happy ending, as in Captain's story, heartwarming. Love the photos of your beautiful furry pals too. :)

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  18. Love your photos of snow and your beautiful embroidery pillow.Have a lovely week!

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  19. This was such a lovely post to read and look at Karen, we've had a few colder days but no snow!

    I echo and share your words ...
    "Saying prayers for the loved ones lost 
    to senseless acts of violence this week 
    in New York and Texas. 
    Especially the children. 
    And the children left behind. 

    May the Angels always be with them."

    God bless

    All the best Jan

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  20. I'm glad you confirmed this has been the earliest snowfall in many years. We've only lived in Washington since 1988 so this was the earliest snow we experienced. We are getting our car equipped for our son's Colville driveway so we don't have to walk it when we visit. How nice that you could stay in nice and cozy this past weekend. I enjoyed your post. That cat is one fortunate feline! Have a good week.

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  21. I so enjoyed this lovely post, in word and photos. The story about the steer was delightful.

    A nice happy ending for Captain.

    These stories and the beauty you shared are heartwarming.

    Love & hugs to you ~ FlowerLady

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  22. Oh my gosh...what a beautiful post! First of all, I feel your pain about not being able to get up the hill without 4-wheel drive and snow-tires. We were snowed in twice in the first month & 1/2 we lived here, once for three weeks, because our four-wheel drive jeep was still in Tucson, and we still had our street tires on our car. Our driveway is literally impassable, as well as the road going out! Now we are "ready" with the jeep here, and also snow tires on the car. We'll see how it goes. :-) Your tale was frightening to read...I know you have cougars there, as we do. Glad it was just a friendly steer. Also, loved your cozy day photos of your needlework and banana pumpkin bread. Loved the cat photos too, and especially that sweet story of the lost cat that was finally found! Karen, your posts are always a joy! Your photos of the snowfall and the beautiful leaves were just wonderful! Oh, and I just found out about the Annas overwintering in the NW, and just ordered a heated feeder myself...tied a wool sock around the feeder but I bet that scared the birds to death! :-) All my best, dear friend...hope you have an awesome week!

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  23. Oh, your first snowfall, Karen. It looks wonderful. I always love seeing your snow, as I don't get to see it much where I live. It's even covering your table and chairs on your deck. The picture of the red berries with the snow is pretty. The broccoli cheese soup and pumpkin banana bread sound perfect for this cold snowy day. Oh, that hummingbird made my heart sing. Such a special little fellow. Well, I will have to come back and look at this post again. That's how much I love to see the snow.

    Enjoy your week, Karen.

    ~Sheri

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  24. Such a good ending for the lost kitty! I am glad we have had no snow and hope we will not! I am mixed on winter season as it can be a bit depressing at times.

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  25. A little taste of Winter but the cozy fire and the good food make it more enjoyable. The scene out your window is beautiful. I wouldn't mind spending a few quiet days like that. It's the best time to curl up and crochet.
    xx Beca

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  26. Love the kitties-naturally.

    Oh boy...my all time favorite soup!! I can taste it now. You have drooling. I favor tbe color of autumn in the before/after shots. And the sniw covered bush with the berries (christmasy!)

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  27. Amazing on the find of the cat....amazing! SNOW.....wow. I am hoping we have a good one this yr in TN....been too long. Loving your pics, love your deck and love your home. Glad you were able to stay home and not get out and about in it.

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  28. Oh how I envy your view - every time I see it! The first snow feels always so thrilling, but it gives a lot of work too. We got it, but all has now melted away - until the next time :) Wishing you a happy week!

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  29. So beautiful on your side of the mountains. Snow here too and a very very short Autumn...darn. I love seeing you both nestled in for winter...doing all the right things. Surprised that you still get hummingbirds there this time of year. Mine left early this year, now I see why.

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  30. Greetings Beatrice, the snow was lovely and you are right it is always so quiet. Seems like this year might have snow quite a bit. Love all your pictures and narratives. Our hummingbirds reminded me to refill the feeder by buzzing by my head.

    Hugs Diane

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  31. A first snow seems early and It would bother me not to get up the hill. I'd crab my pants is I saw a cougar and run which would be the worse thing to do. I love your photos of your needlework and banana pumpkin bread and that ever so lovely pillow. Our cat died last January and she was 18 we finally put her down because she became so weak she would fall in to her water bowl. We miss her so. Beautiful photos as usual and what a view...what view.

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  32. you live in paradise, minus the hill!! beautiful captures of the weather, that type of snowfall is my favorite. the foods you cooked seem like the perfect companions when one is snowed in!!

    what an awesome snap of the sap-sucker, i don't think i have ever seen one. and i worry about my birds too!!!

    unbelievable story about the lost cat, i think i reminder reading about that or maybe hearing the story on the news!! what a happy ending!!!

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  33. Oh wow, 40 years that is a long time, sad to see all the Autumn color gone but the snow does have it's own beauty. Glad you are ready just in case so you won't be caught anywhere. Look forward to seeing your finished crochet project, and the pillow stitching is very pretty!
    Little Maggie is so sweet on your bed, yes it is sad to see our dear furbabies getting older and not being able to do what they once did.
    That story about the cat is just amazing that she was able to find the cat after all that time and that she went so far to try and find it.

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  34. Twelve years in Wyoming got me over the joy of snow--but it makes for stunning photos. it seems that your weekend had everything lined up for a cozy spell--the scent of fresh baking, homemade soup, the change to flannel sheets. These little chunks of time out are a blessing.

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  35. There's something about the first snow (I remember from KS and Chicago) that changes things. I love your photos and the story of the runaway kitty. Keep warm!

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  36. Nice photos and words on this post! I've noticed hummingbirds flying here in the a.m. I don't have a feeder out for them but they must be enjoying the trees! Maybe I will get a feeder out but then bring it in when it gets freezing temps, correct? We have a resident squirrel Megan's dubbed Rizzo as he reminds her of Rizzo the rat from the Muppets. He's quite the character and will come down the tree part way, stop, look at her and "talk"! Chilly here but no snow! What a story of your uphill climb. Not something to forget for sure! Glad you stay safe on your "mtn"! Take care!

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  37. Hi Karen, thanks so much for the visit and for congratulating me on my 5 year blog anniversary!
    I can't get over how beautiful it is where you live. The snow looks pretty but you do need go tires in order to drive! Thanks for sharing this sweet post.
    Stay warm and enjoy the weekend.
    Julie

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  38. Snow so early completely amazes me as it rarely snows where I live. One of my cat is very old as well and he spends most of his time snoring.

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  39. Oh, how cold it looks there. Your snapshots of your lovely, warm and cozy home are beautiful, Karen. I don't know if I would like to be on a snow-covered road with the possibility of some of those animals nearby. You do live in a winter wonderland.

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  40. Oh my your dusting of snow was quite a bit more then the little dusting we had here in town this week. - Brrr....It sure did change your pretty fall colors. - Enjoyed your post very much.

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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