Thursday, December 20, 2012

Our First Measurable Snow in over 300 Days!

By the time the snow was showing last night, it was dark, but I could see the snow was quite lovely. It wasn't so lovely for those who were trying to drive in it, though.  There were a number of accidents in our state, and one person that I know of died in one. My heart and sympathy goes out to the families having to deal with that, and damaged vehicles.

The night photos I took didn't turn out so well.  I did post a couple on Facebook.  I was excited for it to get light enough this morning to see the loveliness.  Folks in towns around us got up to 8 inches, but we got a little over 4 inches.  I am pleased, and hope it sticks around awhile, a nice blanket for the plants.

I took a number of photos from inside the house, sticking my camera out the door.





The next couple I took from inside the back door.



When Larry was getting ready to go out to shovel, I asked him if he would do the front walk soon, so Heidi and I could go out and take some photos.  He was sweet and did it first.


Heidi loves the snow once it is finished falling.


I told Heidi to go "get" Larry, when she saw him.  We sometimes run her by sending her back and forth between us.


The sky sure was a pretty blue this morning.


Can you see Heidi running back to me?  We sure had fun out there!


The common milkweed plants got pretty scrawny, but still, I don't mind their skinny stems poking through the snow.  (Run, Heidi, run!)


We're approaching the east front bed.


It sure looks different from the last post I did!


I always love the little coneflower and other seedheads with their little snow caps.


Now, we're looking west again.  I don't think I've mentioned that I quit trying to take photos without any cars in them.  I decided that seeing cars and the neighbors' houses are part of living on a corner lot.


Heidi does a good job staying out of the flower beds, including the big space of the new area in front of the house.  Maybe it's because it's so full that she doesn't know where to walk.


I love snow!  I think it is so pretty, especially soon after it has fallen.


I was thinking I should go ahead and trim or else cut back the butterfly bush.  It dies back every year anyway, and starts over from the ground.  It sure has been pushed down by the snow, as have some grasses and other tall plants.   I think the grasses will bounce back up, though, once the snow melts.  I hope it sticks around for awhile, though.


I made 15 medium sized loaves of whole wheat bread today.  When I went to turn the oven light on to see how the first batch was doing, the electricity went off to the outlet it's in, and couldn't be turned back on.  This is the third time for the problem.  It's very frustrating that appliances don't seem to be built to last like they used to be.  I am thankful that we have a convection oven in the microwave.  It sure got a workout today!

I also made a batch of whole wheat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  I rarely make cookies, but I got brave and used less brown sugar, salt and margarine.  I used a canola oil based margarine.  I suppose those with a taste for white flour and sugar wouldn't like them, but I think they are pretty good, and it's a bonus that my diabetic husband likes them.

God bless you and your families this Christmas and into the new year.  I look forward to having some days off.  I want to get some cooking and cleaning done around here.  Oh, and I am excited that after tomorrow we will start having more light each day!

17 comments:

  1. Yay for your snow! It looks so clean and fresh. Merry Christmas to you and your family! The snow has probably helped make everything feel very festive :)

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  2. Your corner garden looks lovely blanketed in snow. And Heidi sure looks like she's having a blast.

    You've been industrious, 15 loaves of bread and a batch of cookies too.

    Have a wonderful Christmas and a great 2013.

    FlowerLady

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  3. Lucky you! All we got was a lot of wind and a little slush. Last winter I did not cut back my butterfly bush and it limped along, sprouting leaves during warm spells, until spring when it fully recovered.

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  4. Hi Sue. You did get a big snow. It is so pretty to look at on everything. It is snowing sideways here this morning with all of the winds. I am not liking it. LOL! Have a wonderful Christmas.

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  5. Everything looks so lovely with a coating of white! We got only a light dusting of snow here, but we sure did get the winds yesterday. Heidi looks like she's having a great time out there. Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year, Sue!

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  6. Looks lovely! Here it starts out white and beautiful but turns grimy over time. We were supposed to get some real snow but the storm missed us. It is pretty cold, though.

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  7. It always nice to have fresh snow (well almost always). Your corner looks cozy .. and Heidi sure gets her workout! Have a very blessed Christmas and New Year.

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  8. Snow! So good for the garden. Looks good.
    Merry Christmas!

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  9. We had an inch or so of snow here -- the winter before last!!! The snow looks wonderful in your photos Sue, but I'm sorry to hear about the accidents it caused. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.

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  10. Wow, your photos make it look like more than four inches of snow. And your garden looks so pretty with the powdered-sugar coating! We got about 15 inches from the storm. Great moisture for the plants, but not fun to shovel. Our snowblower broke down, so we had to clear it the old-fashioned way. Yuck!

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  11. Snow always looks so pretty and clean when it first falls. Everything in the garden turns into gentle mounds like a quilt over pillows. I like the way it it adds white highlights to the lines of your metal fence, and white arches to your shrubs.

    Heidi looks like she is having such fun playing in the snow. It's a good workout to trudge through the unshovelled snow.

    You've been extra busy baking. It must have taken a while to finish them up in the microwave. I bake with whole wheat flower, too, and your palate gets used to less and less sugar and fat in home baking. Warm treats from the oven are delicious.

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  12. Ahhh, the first big snow. So beautiful. So cold here though. Merry Christmas!

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  13. I find baking tedious even when the appliances are working just fine!
    Your winter garden is just beautiful. This morning I looked out and saw many deer prints in the snow, some right under our bedroom window...I'm guessing they are still hoping to find our hostas buried there!

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  14. Sue, the snow pictures are beautiful! We didn't get a single flake after predictions of 1-5".

    You have bested my bread making record....good for you. I have been making white...DH's favorite and also the grands favorite so I gave in. At least I used unbleached flour.

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  15. Well, I guess it wouldn't be Nebraska without snow, right? It sure looks gorgeous. And Heidi is such a sweetie. Kudos to Larry for his hard work. And you, 15 loaves of bread is a lot! I hope your appliance woes get straightened out. And I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

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  16. Wow, you really got dumped on! We had a big storm today, and everything was closed. I think it was more snow today than we got all winter last year.

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  17. Hello and Happy New Year!! I am new to blogging and have been searching for other blogs that are interesting to me. Your's really stood out! I really like all your pictures and especially Heidi. She was really having a good time. We have six dogs that help me garden. Your house is so cute and the neighborhood looks so cozy. I look forward to following your blog and hope you check mine out too!

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I welcome comments and questions from anyone, including those who do it anonymously. Some people find my posts by doing searches, and I like hearing from them. I guess spammers won't even read this message, but I will delete spam as soon as I see it.