Lots of Snow

"Send pictures", many of you have said both on FB and in emails. So here you are ~ the latest from our snowshoe this morning. As you can see it took a while getting to our trail but once there, it was a good hike.

Dean digging steps on the hill from the deck so we can get to a trail.

He was standing when I focused the shot. Ah well. 

Oso waiting "patiently" for me to put on my snowshoes. He never does understand why the family two-leggers take so long to get on the trail. All he has to do is walk out the back door. 

Me next to the chimney of the Swedish fireplace that we sometimes use on the deck in the summer. My guess is it stands 8 to 10 feet high. There's a Lot of snow out there!

A Little Light

Yesterday it snowed all day and once the sun was up (a phenomenon known only because the weather folks said it was), the light never changed. It stayed the same dull light all day while the snow came and came. My friend Dave Pierce helped me with the word I needed: it was disconcerting to look out and have nothing change, not the light, not the snow. 

It snowed all night and is still snowing this morning. However . . . a few minutes ago, the light changed. It got lighter. The snow is still falling, the wind is still blowing. And it is just a little lighter. That does so much for attitude and possibilities. We have turned off the dining room lights because just a little lighter made the room ok. Lighter becomes a wee bit of hope in the middle of a storm. There’s a sermon in there somewhere. 

Burt's Bees

As you know I live at altitude where the atmosphere is dry. That means dry skin, dry nasal passages and dry cuticles. The first two I have handled. The third drives me crazy as the skin around my nails cracks and hurts and I'm always having to put bandaids on them. Until about two months ago. Then Dean commented as he was anointing his hands with Burt's Bees Hand Salve after a day in the shop around saw dust, "maybe you should try this on your fingers."

I did and Hurray!! I put a little around my nails both morning and night and voila! the skin has quit cracking, my nails seem to be stronger, and I have reduced the use of band aids. This week I have even used it on an ice cut on my knuckle (the ice in our freezer is very sharp) and a small burn on the top of my hand from the fireplace. Both started healing immediately upon first application.

This is the only product of theirs I am presently using and I am sure if the others are as helpful as the hand salve, they are worth having around. I'm very pleased.