More fun indoors

Maybe this is why I enjoy this time of the year. It isn't so much the big holiday or the Christmas Spirit, but more or less the fact that I can drag things around the house and do Still Life photos without having to explain the why of it.

I really like the lights and would love to keep those happy white lights glowing throughout the winter this year. I wonder. Can I make the Christmas Chair into a ... just lighted chair for comfort and warmth on cold winter nights?

Why not? A bit of cheery light to stare at while the cold winds whistle outside?

The unicorns like it. The Teddy Bear's are waiting their turn to play on it.

Meanwhile, while waiting for the other half to wake up, I imagined some 'scenes' just for fun and brain work. Experimenting with all white was really quite fun.

I do love the Enesco ornaments. Here are two of my favorite ones.

The unicorn is this year's addition. They are almost too beautiful to be left on the Christmas chair/tree. They get lost. I'm like a kid. I like to handle them and set them down so I can admire them on their own.

Strange right?

Heavy edit and shot

for High Key.

And of course. Something fun and odd.

These figures don't generally mix ...

but imagine my surprise when they all seemed as if they were getting along....

...

and then I finally got outside for a hike...

but that is for another time....

Snow Day, Snow Play

Justine came down with his tractor and cleared the driveway and the little turn around. He said his wife and kids were going skiing.
I thanked him and ran inside to change my clothes and grab my dad's old skies.

I did a very quick change and re-dressed from doing chores into a face hoody thingy, goggles, knit gloves, and snow pants!

I got up to the ridge and put on my father's old skies and took off across the crop field. I caught up to Lauren and the kids out in the wide open.
By the way, Dad's skies were awesome. I literally felt like I was flying. I guess I can't help but smile knowing that I am using his skies. Feels like he is with me in a way.

I suggested we go up towards the woods where we could get out of the wicked winds that had Sno-nadoes whipping up all around us.
Lauren agreed and then stopped for a moment.

"I have an Up-day Gift for you!" she said reaching down inside of her coat.
I smiled at that. Up-Day was giving someone a gift for reason other than making them feel 'Up'.
She handed me a package of extra long socks that had little wiener dogs on them! The package had three sets of socks. The socks will go up to my knees and are thin enough to wear under a pair of my wooly socks.

We played for a while and then headed back to our places.

I can say that my neighbor's kids are no strangers to outdoor activities. They take cross country ski lessons in the winter and do indoor soccer.

I did some indoor crafts yesterday. I experimented with polymer clay. I've never worked with the stuff before, but decided to have some fun. I watched some tutorials on making a fairy house and little mini mushrooms and thought I'd try it with the air dry stuff before actually making the home made material I'd seen being used in the videos.

These can be painted after they dry.
I tried making a fairy house which used things I had around the house.

Don't laugh:
Peanut butter jar
Foil
craft sticks

So. Overnight the tiny 'mushrooms' I made have dried out nicely. The lady in the video I watched had said that air dry clay would crack as it dried if used on the project she was doing.

Um. Yep, she was right. This morning I have a cracked up gnome looking house.

I don't see it as a failure as I can let it dry and then fill in the cracks....or I can leave the cracks and paint it so it looks cracked and gnarly!

The materials for making a air dry paper mache clay with household items is pretty neat. It involves toilet paper, oil, glue, and patching plaster. Who knew?
I can see making that and trying it on one of these wicked awful cold and blustery days.

Then again.  I would probably have to take a walk to the creek to see what has frozen over also.

Oh. One last thing. I was feeling so crafty the other day I bought some felt pieces. When we were kids we made clothes for our trolls out of felt.

I made LIL Bear a jacket, hat, and scarf. After all, LIL Bear needs to be protected in this cold weather too!

One must bundle up properly while walking your dog!

Winter Thoughts

I've always said I've loved winter.
This week I am changing my mind.

Here is Charlie with his 'walking' rope going up the driveway after our last snow storm. My wonderful neighbor plowed us out again, and that night the winds blew portions of the lower driveway in. I shoveled part of it because I figured it wouldn't be a big deal.
Boy was that stuff packed in!

Let's face it. This one person with a little shovel wasn't going to clear it. I could use the skidsteer but I am a bit leery of it now. Machines and I don't like each other much.

So the neighbor said he'd come down and clean this up before he and his family left on their week long vacation.

I was all smiles about that until I just looked at the forecast for the next few days.
3-5 inches of snow and wintery mix on Sunday? Then additional 'stuff' on Monday eve through Tuesday. Um.
Rich has a PT appointment on Tuesday. It looks like the additional 'stuff' could be significant.

Plan A.
Plow with the skidsteer like crazy and make that appointment.
Plan B.
Don't go crazy and reschedule.

Plan C.
Call around and see if I can get someone to plow for me.
I like plan C.
I think I will mix up plan C with plan B.


Truthfully, I could probably get out with the big ol' Truck in most weather, but I prefer not to drive the truck. The 'Ru can handle most things.
But it is the driveway hill that strikes fear in my heart.

I guess I will just have to wait and see what comes at us this week.
My freezer is full and we have plenty of food and milk...well, I could use some more coffee.
Must always have coffee.
Right?

If I get stuck at home I can work on the calendar I was supposed to make for us. And one for the neighbor ... a small gift for all of their help.

I can practice some still life.

In fact. Things won't be that much different than they normally are.

Except ... well.
Except I will miss my neighbors dreadfully.

But I will be doing some chores each day. Feeding the goats and chickens. Checking on the snakes, rabbits, and the Madagascar Hissing Beetles.
Basil is staying with neighbor's mom.

I guess if the weather gets nasty I won't stress out. I'll reschedule the PT appointment and carry on as I always do.

Instead I will find ways to enjoy the winter weather.
The temperatures will be just about perfect for hiking and exploring, at least there will not be a Polar Vortex this week!

Wild Flowers and Still Life

A quick walk in the woods with Mr. Morris the other day during a brief hour or so of sunshine revealed another change in the woods.

Gone were the Virginia Pinks ~ they had faded into the forest floor. The black berry bushes were leafed out and hidden among them were wild columbine. I stood still and simply looked around carefully. Wild columbines were everywhere dotting the forest floor.

Morris and I moved along at a quick pace. At one point Morris went off somewhere by himself. He normally doesn't do that, but now with the greenery in the forest much taller, I have a hard time keeping an eye on him.

The little Stinker!

I found the May Flowers blossoming. It is no mean trick to get down under those leaves and get a shot though.

Yesterday was more of the cold wet monsoon season. So after morning chores I came in and dried out. Then I set some things up in The Creative Room and thought I'd try a bit of Still Life.
I hadn't done any of that in a long while.

I experimented with a speedlight as if was so dark anyway that I'd have to add light one way or another.

I then decided to move to the kitchen and wake up my husband. He'd been resting after a rather few very busy days.

His work gloves caught my eye.

Particularly the ... tag that says "Genuine".

Today is lined up to be busy also despite the rain that is to come off and on.

The farrier is coming to trim donkeys. As soon as it is warm enough again, all donks are getting baths and haircuts. It has been a wicked winter and a mucky spring.