February 27, 2012



Looking at our house from
the driveway on Sunday



Mountains on Monday

 


















When I finally made it outside on Monday, I discovered that the rabbit, whose tracks we had seen first thing in the morning, had come down from the south ridge.  He hopped into the dog pen and wood shed, completely checking it all out.  Then he went around the battery shed and down to the house.  At some point he also checked out under JB's Jeep.  It made me giggle to see all his tracks!

Over the weekend I had also sorted out a large box of cards and letters that go back about 20 years.  Yes, I keep most everything like that.  Let's make than "kept", because I got rid of at least 1/3 of everything and organized it.  Then on Monday by 11:00 am I had posted my blog, eaten a leisurely breakfast, washed the dishes, hung the laundry, baked a blueberry coffee cake, finished several crossword puzzles and started a new book.  Spring must be in the air. . .

JB was busy too.  At 7:30 he and the dogs walked up to the solar panels so he could clean them.  Then after breakfast he used the snow blower to clean all the paths.  After lunch, he and Jesse drove MAX down to groom the road.  Everything seemed just fine until I saw him coming back up the road with one of the tracks sitting on the back of MAX.  He got all the way down the road and almost back home when the left from wheel started having problems and he lost the track.  Doesn't look like the axle is broken, just the broken studs on the extender like what happened in December.  There was a lot of snow in the forecast for Tuesday evening and into Wednesday so we figured we better get it fixed as soon as possible.  It was 10 degrees when we got up on Tuesday so I thought it would be way too cold to be working outside.  However, by noon it had warmed up to 18 so out we went (and that was actually our high for the day).  JB didn't really need me to help much, so I got three loads of firewood and walked down to the north ridge with the dogs.  After replacing the missing/broken bolts, I helped get the other two wheels off of the left side.  The extenders were fine on them, so JB just tightened the lugs.  We then put the front and back wheels back on, and plan to put the track back on today.

As JB was finishing up, I finally got up the nerve to use the sled as it was intended, even though MAX wasn't fixed, just in case JB had to take me to the hospital. . .  The snow was perfect for it.  All I can say is, "Woo Hoo!!"  At first I didn't think there was any way to steer the sled.  I sat with my legs extended straight in front of me and quickly learned that to steer I simply leaned in the opposite direction I wanted to go.  What a rush!!  The dogs thought it was great fun to chase me, but neither one would get on the sled with me.  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

This morning we have 14 degrees, blue skies and 5" of new snow.  And again JB trudged up to the south ridge to clear off the solar panels as soon as he got up at 7:00.  The mountains are phenomenal.  Their white peaks blazing in the early sun.  The thick covering of last night's snow softening their lines.

On JB's drive down the road on Monday, he saw large cougar tracks on our road for more than a mile coming towards our place.  At the hairpin turn that leads up to our driveway, the cat went straight instead of up to Rose Camp.  At least we know he is in the area again, so just maybe this week we will catch him on the game cam.

The February 20 issue of Time magazine is fascinating.  There's an intriguing article entitled "Friends with Benefits" that is about animal friendships and has some amazing photographs by Simen Johan.  The notation on the first photo is - "Fantasy friends: the photographic, digital and sculptural art of Simen Johan depicts the idea of enduring animal companions."  Simply wonderful!  There are also head shots of the actors nominated for Oscars.  They are black and white with no air brushing, which gives them so much more character. 

Thought for the day: Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined.  Henry David Thoreau