Colder than a...

.... well, you know the sayings! I will let you complete your own sentences.

Here's Fred staring at the porch door as I got put my boots on Friday morning.

They look cold, but aren't. I free feed hay and they have heated water along with cozy woods.

By the way. Fred is 37 according to our records. He seems to be doing much better this year than he was last year. Fiesty as all get out. He bosses the bigger ones around. Other times he goes off by himself and plays the Grumpy Ol' Mule and sleeps next to the huge oak tree.

By 9 AM my co-hikers begged off from going to the ice caves. I don't blame them, one of the kids was missing his boots. 

I was restless as this was a planned day. So I waited a bit for the sun to come up a bit higher.
Then I was on my way to do exploring.

I am known as the NUT who loves winter. And I am a Winter Geek.

I'm going to include a photo from a gazillion years ago of my father on a night he prepared to go cross country skiing. He was ALL in on winter. Imagine this, when I visited him we could ski at night for miles and miles. Our conversations were about weather, skiing, techniques, and nature.

Dang! He looks like an original Horror Film Slasher!

He studied cold weather and how to dress for it. Imagine how he would be amazed at how cold weather clothing has improved since the 1980's!

I was not the only nut out there. One older lady was skiing and there was an old gent skate skiing. His movements were rather fluid and it was a pleasure to watch him glide by.

I decided to do some off trail sight seeing. I knew I'd walk into the wind for about 1/2 mile but then I'd go into an area that was protected by woods and bluffs.

The river seemed frozen over, but I won't walk on it. I know how deep and swift it is near the bluff.

Getting the shots right were really hard and I am pretty sure I didn't do it justice.  I was shooting towards sunlight and dark rocks. 

My hands got cold. I'd put my mittens back on over my knit gloves. I did more walking and admiring more than anything else. 

Bear suggested we move into the sunlight. Bear is usually right about things.

I cut through the frozen backwater pond towards the trail and the sunlight.

The sun was very welcome.

Bear and I walked alongside the trail with the wind at our backs. The sun filled us with warmth. I crunched along and thought how fun this trail would have been to ski with my father. 

Bear agreed with me. I like Bear, he is a pleasant but stuffy fellow. He reminds me that life should be enjoyed and no matter what, a person doesn't have to be lonely if they have a friend like him.

It was cold but it was refreshing too.

Bear is a good partner. He never complains about anything. 
Not even my driving.

 

The Magic of Winter

I sometimes go on and on about how wonderful winter is and how much fun it can be.

Huh.
Well, it was fun this weekend in a wicked odd sort of way.

Saturday it was snowy and drizzly and warm, so my Kenosha friends and I went hiking. Ugh. Amanda and I broke trail with snow shoes. It was deep soft smushy snow, hard to walk in. Charlie jumped from one track to the next all the way down to the creek.

There the walking was easier as we could walk in the water or on the rocks.
We all took a break mid valley. It started to rain lightly and busting through the soft snow that was knee deep was tiring.
Amanda was cuddling Charlie while the girls discussed making a snowman.

And....

The snowman was completed!

We thought we'd try cross country skiing after dark, but the rains came hard and driven. With the deep snow we already had, it was not a good thing. The weather forecast said the heavy rain would change to snow and the winds would become wicked.

The forecasters were right. The rain did turn to snow and the winds came.

So after chores, we went out to see how the driveway looked and how the ridge looked.

Justin came down and did a bit of plowing over the slush in the lower driveway. All that rain combined with draining off the hills collected as slush and water in the lower part of our driveway. It would later freeze into a horrible mess of ruts and footprints. 
Such is winter.

The ridge view was incredible. In this shot you can see the trees are iced and frosted with snow. We didn't get much snow but what snow there was was being blown by the high winds. There is a spot where slushy water was across the road from the night's rains.

The kids had to go check out the road. They were amused at the fact that there was no traffic.

I took photos of the beautiful ice.

We discussed the sanity of my friends driving back home. They said they wanted to do some cross country skiing and then they would make the decision.

Amanda and I stayed out of the winds and watched this scene unfold...

I must say it looks like they are explorers forging their way in no man's land!
The town plow had been through and had busted up the drifts, but with those winds, the drifts came back rapidly.

Lauren and her oldest son joined us.
And the adventure was on...

We stuck close to the woods where the winds were blocked.

But even close to the woods we had snow tornadoes...

Then Lauren and the kids took off down the long slope to the Tree Tunnel.
I didn't.
I watched.
I knew how hard that trip would be coming back up the hill and against the winds....

I tried to point out the humans...

Our guests are gone.
The winds died down.

And this morning I saw this as I was making coffee.

Winter.
I love it.
I hate it.

It sure can be magical.

Last thought added....after chores.
Wicked. Driveway drifted. Subaru iced in its parking spot. Roof vent is covered buried which has never happened before.
Can't get to it.
Can't get out.
Sigh.

Night Skiing

Text: Meet me at the mailbox at 8:30?

Me: Yes! Skis?

Text: Yes skis please!

Me: Okay!

I hustled around the house, made supper and then gathered my gear together. GG gave me that funny look, as though I had two heads.

"Are you going on the ridge and skiing in that ice and blowing snow? You guys nuts?"

Me: "Ahhh yup."

At the top of the ridge is 65 acres of cropland with gentle dips and dipsy doodles of strip crop planting. We've had snow, then rain, then melt, then snow, then sleet-rain, and then freezing and tonight it was snowing and blowing hard.

As I walked up from our house I could hear the wind in the trees. It sounded like an ocean above me! 

I met up with Lauren and we headed right into the brunt of the wind and snow. We laughed behind our scarves. 

We wobbled across ice crust patches and soft gushy snow drifts and several times we both had great 'runs' of pushing and gliding. 

I went down a hill and hit a soft spot. Poof. Nearly a face plant. Lauren started laughing and lost her footing and we both lay in the snow just laughing at ourselves. 

Our skis made horrid sounds as they went over glare ice and the poles came in very handy. Balance on ice was a bit interesting especially when one ski would go straight and the other one sideways.
Corn stalks were just another added obstacle, especially while going down a grade.
Take my word for it the tall alfalfa was easier to get through than some of the stalks.

By our second round we were flying in the good places and pacing ourselves.

If we ever get on a groomed trail we might even be awesome. We both would like to ...ski or snowshoe at least two times a week [at night of course]. 

There is something wildly free and liberating about skiing at night on ice/snow in a snow squall.

I can sleep well tonight.