Snowdrifts and Snowmen

N3 turned three on Friday but he insists he is five. Since no one can see the harm in his thinking this, they are just letting him continue at that age.
His mom made him a snowman birthday cake at his request.

No doubt, it reminds him of the hills of snow outside.

No More Dancing with Danger

The magnetic knife holder was originally under one part of the overhead cabinets, but the handles extended past the edge. I would routinely catch one of the knives as I was reaching for the oil or another item on the shelf above.

Since I wasn't keen on poking a hole in the counter, or worse, me, The Geek moved the block to a different section of cabinets.

Now there is nothing sticking out to catch.

Whew!

Acid Snow?

I'm not sure what is in this heavy wet snow, but under every tree, bush, and plant there is brownish-yellow stain. It is very strange.

See? Not Pretty!

This is what Portage Avenue looked like this morning around 0830 and +1C. Messy, messy.

I'm not looking forward to the return of freezing temperatures.

This Won't be Pretty

Its 0 degrees, we have about 5 cm of new snow on the ground - the heavy wet kind that we don't usually have; it feels like it is raining right now, and Colorado is supposedly sending us a storm. This could be messy!

The Log Driver's Waltz

Kate McGarrigle's death was mentioned in the paper today and they mentioned this song. Does anyone else remember it?

Proper Hinge Installation

The Geek and Dad frequently debate the correct way to install a hinge. Dad says the Geek does not use nearly enough nails.
Judging by the rust and the lichen, these are obviously some of my Dad's earlier works. I will have to find more examples of how his craft has evolved.

These hinges give idea of the type of people who originally settled in places away from 'civilization' and ease. They had to learn to improvise and make things work. You can always tell who is going to survive; it's the people who can buckle down and get things done.

The Real Amid the Fake

I saw white fuzzy stuff on the holly this morning and was worried it was going mouldy.

But the white things are blossoms!

(And the magnification feature certainly shows the dust and water spots on the leaves.)

Ice Fishing

We went to visit Mom & Dad this weekend.
Dad wanted to go ice fishing to test out his gear before he takes the grandkids.

We went to their neighbours, Ren and Lars, who fish commercially. This was their catch for the day.
We didn't catch anything tho' we had a few nibbles.


We stayed close to shore where the ice is at least three feet, a fact that made me fell much more secure.It was a wonderfully warm day for January, reaching +5C, but the wind was raw.

The Manicure Station

The Geek was getting tired of her manicure scissors leaping off the shelf and nearly poking holes in the floor (or her feet) so she made this rack for all the nail implements.

I am So Ready for Spring

Even tho' we have only had any real snow for about three weeks and we had a long and lovely fall, I want spring NOW!

I have been trying to think spring-like thoughts. I bought these flower seeds -last week -to help things along but the snow has not been taking the hint. (~sigh~)

If TInkerbell were a Bank Robber

The wanted poster would probably look like this.

The Geek took this picture with her cellphone after her run to the gym this morning.

Promoting a Safe Olympics

Maybe I'm just cynical.......but does anyone else think they look like a bunch of condoms?

Book Review #2: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

As a former 11 year- old wanna-be detective, I really enjoyed the escapades of 11 year-old Flavia. Of course, Flavia is much smarter than I was at that age, or than I am now, for that matter. Her dealings with her elder sisters, if I am totally honest, are spot-on and her thinking processes are hilarious.
Set in 1950, there is still that magical innocence that seemed to blossom in the post-War period.
Flavia gets about on her late mother's bicycle and covers a wide area in her sleuthing.
I was sorry the book ended and cannot wait until the next book is published in March!

The Pantry has a Door

The Geek and N2 installed it today.

Book Review# 1:The Guernsey Literary &PPP Society

The full title, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, was much to long to fit in the title line. Written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrow, the book chronicles the lives of several people on the Channel Island of Guernsey after World War 2.
The main character, Juliet receives a letter from one of the founding members of the the Society, and, through a series of letters to him, and her friends, the story unwinds.
I found this a very light, entertaining read, and one of those book that acts like comfort food by being read again and again.