Winter is kind of like those bullies who just push themselves to the front row of a concert. Nothing gentle about the first arctic snap. It finally snowed here. It has been a wacky few months in western Montana what with the general warmness and lack of precipitation. It makes even those with the slight itch to ski nervous. And then there are those, like my husband, who purt near seize when it’s December and so little (like no) snow has fallen.
Skiing is my man’s religion. So, last Saturday morning, he woke in all a flutter at 4am to drive to the Bridgers where they got 15 inches last Tuesday and dude, it’s dumping today, says Joey and Dan.
4am pile o epic ski weekend
I miss the snow in Missoula. When I was a kid, it snowed all the time. There were feet on the valley floor all winter. And, now, we are lucky to have four inches stick for a week. My dad used to hike and ski Sentinel when he was in high school. I wondered out loud to my dad if my memory was inaccurate, as kid memories can be…did it feel like a few feet of snow because I was only a few feet high? Nope. It used to snow a lot and it stuck around brightening those otherwise dreary iverted months.
This year was especially painful because it hadn’t snowed at all until last Friday. All excited to get out in it (love to run, walk or generally wander in snow), bug, Alice and I set out early morning. It was 25 degrees when we left and 20 when we got home and the wind was blinding and lifesucking. I barely made it from the car to a friend’s house that night. It was 4 degrees. And by Sunday it was -5, -29 with the wind. burrrr.
I jumped from bed Sunday morning and immediately thought cold chickens! Actually, I first thought, I desperately wish someone would bring me coffee in bed and then cold chickens! I layered all up in down and wool and made the take-your-breathe-away trek to the coop. And, the girls were just gossiping and prancing about.
I was skeptical when told my hens would be OK in the Montana winter with a draft-free coop. Turns out, yup. Fine.
So, I took advantage of a day with my animals and kid and no reason to leave the house. Making bread (even though I mistakenly added 1 teaspoon of sugar instead of salt and the loaf resembles a brick), sewing presents, folding warm laundry, dancing with Alice to christmas music (bug finds this hilarious to no end) and performing one of my most favorite challenges: making a delicious dinner out of nothing…or, at least nothing obviously dinneresque. Stay warm out there.
front door knob. yes, it is that effing cold. And, yes, we don’t lock it because we don’t have a key.
14 Comments
We’ve had snow here in Ohio since 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. We’re having January weather in November, down into the single digits at night.
Our dog always enjoyed playing in the snow. She get so excited when she sees the first snow fall.
I LOVE double blog days! That’s all I have time to say because I am off to catch my flight to Missoula! See you in 4 hours!!!!!!
xo, Mom
Your photos of Alice slay me. So fun. We are having strange weather here in Oregon. Snow, ice, very low temperatures. It is sure to bring a big dent to the zonal denial gardening here, but I’m thinking it will kill some bad bugs this cold. I am worried about a hummingbird I saw feeding on a fuschia though. I put out food and it froze within an hour or so. Snow, to me is a strange and cumbersome thing. I’m a product of Southern California. I need to find some beauty in it, like your front door knob!
Yo, that is cold. Like crazy cold. I am relieved that your girls are not frozen solid, I would owe you three hens. I have been trying to rig up, er, chicken toys for our ladies because evidently Fowl Winter Boredom is a common thing that can sometimes lead to picking and we have had some feather loss that we can’t figure out. So: cabbage on a stick. Rig up cabbage (or something else kind of harder to eat) to hang just within their reach. Good times for all.
Keep warm out there!
xo
H
We just returned last night to Missoula from AZ and 59 (which my inlaws this is terrible) is looking really great to me right now. Why do we live hear again? Oh yeah, great people and those great summers. Keep warm.
We’re freezing our asses off here, too. Our generator quit in the middle of the night, so no power. Thankfully the sun is shining today and Rubin the generator man came and saved us, so I could fire up the computer and see what’s cookin’ on your blogs.
I got a cold in the middle of the night, too.
I love winter, though. I don’t care how cold it gets. And we do have snow which is a bonus.
xoxoxo J
HOLY! That is cold. Frozen doorknob cold. That is like a whole new kind of cold for me.
It’s been in the 40s here for the past few days (and raining) and MAN I have been a whining bitch.
Although, it would be so fun to go run in the snow again. I liked that.
How cold was it in Red Lodge? So cold that Betty canceled her visit with Tiger. Now THAT is cold.
I spent the day ripping up linolium and tile from the kitchen floor. I had to turn down the heat from 64 to 58 I was sweating so much, XXOOX
I wonder if your viewers know that the knob is on the inside of the house not the outside.
We have been debating whether to keep our chickens in our garage or in an outdoor coop. After seeing the weather there, I think it is safe to put them outside.
Thanks for the great pics!
Cute pics of your girls.
I can’t believe I might be moving to Maine. How am I going to handle real winters? Also, don’t put on the internet that you don’t lock your door!! ๐ love you!
do your words just flow out of you all poetic like?
’cause my “damn it’s cold post” just sounded like a bitch fest compared with your glowing account of the weather.
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