Alberta Clipper is here...

Last evening

just before we had our

Christmas dinner

Bruce was out feeding the critters - -

My mom said it looked like a painting...

So I took a picture

Today we are having snow storms

on and off with high winds and snow -

No complaints here

bring on the snow!!

LOVE IT!!!

Why its good to have Artisan Friends

Their gifts are

ALH

Awesome, Local and Handmade

Thank you Steve and Julie!!

http://www.stephenkostyshyn.com/

Season Scenes

A White Christmas
City Sidewalks

Dressed in Holiday Style

Streaks in Season

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Old Farmer's Advice:
Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.
Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.
Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
You cannot unsay a cruel word.
Every path has a few puddles.
When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
Don 't judge folks by their relatives.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Live a good, honorable life..
Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.
Don 't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with,
watches you from the mirror every mornin'.
Always drink upstream from the herd.
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.
If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.. Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.

and it snows

The snow falls gently all around

rest deep my love

I will protect

you'll hear not a sound...

Leaning tree

...late December back in 63...

Dining Room Transformation

Great Birthday Phone call....

Hey would you like the

Windys to play

at your house tonight!!Egg Nog - - Delishiousness by Jeremy

Jeremy singing to his momma on her day!

Birthday Cake

Christmas Cake

by Katie

Thank you all for a wonderful day - -

Scenery on Snowshoes

Down in the valley
Postcard perfect

Our home...

Across the tundra...

Come on LETS GO....

Today Blaze and I treked our way

thru white landscape

Its incredible the beauty

one can see

feeling...

not cold

but rather

the touch of the masters hand

For the love of

Winter...
the season where people
try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer,
when they complained about the heat Every mile is two in the winter...

winter...must be cold for those with no warm memories

A Winter Eden

by Robert Frost
A winter garden in an alder swamp

,Where conies now come out to sun and romp,

As near a paradise as it can be

And not melt snow or start a dormant tree.

It lifts existence on a plane of snow

One level higher than the earth below,

One level nearer heaven overhead,

And last year's berries shining scarlet red.

It lifts a gaunt luxuriating beast

Where he can stretch and hold his highest feat

On some wild apple tree's young tender bark,

What well may prove the year's high girdle mark.

So near to paradise all pairing ends:

Here loveless birds now flock as winter friends,

Content with bud-inspecting.

They presume

To say which buds are leaf and which are bloom.

A feather-hammer gives a double knock.

This Eden day is done at two o'clock.

An hour of winter day might seem too short

To make it worth life's while to wake and sport.

Ode to Sugar Loaf (our local ski area that is closed)

A Day on the Slopes of Sugar Loaf

Twas blustery, bitter and cold
To dress warmly we needn’t be told
So we put on our long johns, ski pants etc…
Our hats and gloves we couldn’t forget.
We grabbed our jackets, skis, boots and poles
The excitement increasing as we soon reached out goal….

We jumped out of the car - - the anticipation was great
Each wondering which hill would soon be their fate.
We skied and skied to our hearts content
Racing down hill with our knees slightly bent.

In the warming hut we feared we would freeze
Till Don, the great woodsman, cut down some trees.

They noticed Debs skis they were so short
Surely she couldn’t be into this sport.
They chanted “The Wall” as they skied swiftly past
I sensed they had no fear of a cast.
We got to the top, Charlotte and I…
Its just to scary was our silent cry

Don E. got a visit from “Charlie Horse…”
He claimed the full tuck was the culprit of course!

All evening they chanted “The Wall”
Don’t they know we don’t like to fall!

They did the “Awful” with such speed
It was a pacemaker I feared I’d need!
Then Dennis decided like and eagle to soar
Caught his tip on a mogul… he hurts to the core.

Soon the day ended we packed up our stuff.
We knew the ride home was going to be tough
All muscles were sore and noses were red
We just couldn’t wait to be home in bed.
But popcorn waited at Boone’s Winter Inn
So we filled up our tummies before we tucked in

Our dreams were full of snow-covered hills
As we turned up the blankets to keep off the chills

DLW – December 1989

White Winters Day

Sunshine after a snow storm makes

for some wonderful inspiration

to put on the shoes and hit the snow

View of our friends farm across the valley
View of our farm from out back
my winter eliptical

Sunset over snow laden trees

White Waves of flakes

Blaze loves the snow as much as I do

Snowscapes

Days like these make it hard for me to ever

imagine living somewhere without the seasonsSnowmobile Trails in the making today

Sometimes you just have to be the first to break trail

To all of you who would rather enjoy the beauty

from a warmer place!

WestsWinteryAcres

After 4 days of constant snow....
Winter Wonderland

Roof Peak

Berry White

Belly Draggin Deep