March 21, 2014 Cookies & Ice Cream!

The north edge of the storm over us.

A bloom on the south ridge!

Wednesday 3/19.  It tried snowing at about 10:00 am but wasn't too successful, and during our walk at 10:30 am, the sun broke through the clouds.

Dinga spends most of her days outside now, if it isn't windy, rolling in or eating what is left of the snow; barking at critters real or imagined; or lying on her bed on the porch.  If Jesse isn't outside, he is in lying by the fire or sleeping on our bed.  Since JB has been gone, he sleeps on our bed most of the night.  That's nice, but he snores almost as loud and JB, and when he dreams, his kicking really jostles the bed.

Found a tiny cricket in the bathtub.  Now there's a sure sign of Spring.

I started the fifth book in the Jason Bourne series.  Did the laundry and dishes.  Checked the cistern, but it still does not need any water.  It's been that way for more than a week now.

Snow began falling again about 1:00 pm.  The sun was shining from the south, but the wind was blowing in a wall of snow from the west.  The worst of it never arrived though.  We seemed to always just be on the edge of the storm, so just sporadic snow and lots of wind.  Our high for the day was 37.

I don't mind the wind so much in the late Winter and early Spring as at once it both helps to melt the snow and dry the mud.

Thursday 3/20.  18 and clear this morning.  A trace of snow fell during the night.  Just enough to turn the bare ground white again, or at least until the sun hits it.  But clouds started skooting across the sky late in the morning and every little one that passed over us tried dropping a few snow flakes, as if shaking off their dandruff.

I took advantage of the sun and vacuumed right after we got back from our morning walk.  I'd meant to do that yesterday, but didn't get motivated until it was too late and the clouds had moved in.

About 1:30 pm it began snowing in earnest, very tiny flakes.  Again today we are right on the edge of the storm that is playing havoc on the mountain passes.  This shower only lasted about a half an hour, but it continued to snow in fits and spurts throughout the afternoon.  Sometimes flakes, sometimes tiny balls of sleet.  Out high for the day was only 29.

This evening I could see the thick, new coat of snow on the mountains, the clouds obviously having spent most of their load before reaching us.

Larry and Elsie drove/slid up to visit bringing gifts of cookies and ice cream!  How very, very lovely.  We had a good visit, and before they were out of sight, I was enjoying the ice cream. . .

Friday 3/21.  It is 17 and clear out there this morning, and the dogs are out chasing some poor critter.

Okay, JJ.  Are you telling me that the snow melt sinks down through the snow and ice to run off the bottom because of gravity?  Or it melts from the bottom because of gravity?  I can see the snow on top of the ice disappearing, but I can't believe the melt from it is sinking down through the solid ice.  We are talking about snow on a slope here.  If it were strictly gravity, seems to me that the top melt would run off the top because gravity would pull it in the direction of the slope, not down to the ground at an impossible angle. . .  Help me out here.

Thought for the day: Life needs to be taken by the lapel and told, "I'm with you, kid. Lets go!  Maya Angelou