Cold Mountain

The mornings have been in the low 20s, the days in the high 30s. Days of the "dreaded" inversion are on the doorstep. Soon, this will become the disappearing mountain, as the clear air is eaten up with the smog and fog. Until that happens I am enjoying the sun, even through the filter of inversion, it still warms the skin and feels good on my face. I'm absorbing vitamin D as much as possible! 

Thank you the comments and links about the amaryllis and cactus. After reading through all the information I've come to the conclusion the problem with the cactus is light. I will start covering it at 9:00pm to give it total darkness until morning. The place it sits is cool enough through the night and light enough during the day, but lights are always on around it. We'll see if that works! Thank you for your help!!

Pastel Sky

A hint of inversion is settling over the valley, as warm is above captures cold air near the ground. The sunset colors were soft as daylight hours slipped from the sky. Thus, December begins.

November 19 - One More Sky

That was it. One storm, a foot of snow in the mountains and about an inch of rain in the valley. Then, poof, the sky was clear and the storm gone. Yesterday was cold, but the sun warmed the air and with a warm coat, a scarf wrapped round my neck and mitts on my figures, I was able to take a walk in the sun.

I walked our new trail, even had a few surprises along the way. The trail is on a 6' rise which puts above the fence line of most houses. A person walking by can easily see into yards that abut the trail.  It's a little disconcerting to come around a corner and see a couple sitting in a hot tub on their deck, steaming in the cold air. One does not wish to be a peeping Tom, but the yards are small and there are times you just can't help but see. When I passed by on my return, I was happy to see they had a privacy curtain around their space. They may well need it at all times. The canal and trail have always been there, but it wasn't well known and only, infrequently, use by people in the neighborhood. As word spreads, the trail will become better known and use will increase. I know I'll be walking it often. 

November 18 - A Week of Sky

November 5th

November, the month when evening light disappears rather quickly, as turned out to bring us some of the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises. Everyday the sky has been brilliant, the days warm and not very winter-like.  

Monday afternoon, about 4:00, Smith and I were in the garden (it was 60+!)n. The clouds had played with formations all day long and just before sunset they put on a show. 

This is what happened an hour later when the sun hit the clouds and lit them from below. The trees have lost all their leaves and their bones are bare unto the sky. What a sight the clouds and sun create together as they color the sky.

Tuesday's sky was clear, nearly cloudless, although the air was a bit chillier. I walked the trails of Wheeler Farm and thought how nice it will be when I can walk our new pathway and enter the farm from the back side. The trail from our trailhead will be a bout a mile walk to this vantage point.  

Wednesday's temperatures were back into the 60s and I walked over to the garden where Smith was spending his day off. How can you argue with a day this exceptional in the middle of November? This photo was taken from the far southwest corner of the garden. The clouds were forewarning of a storm.

And then it was Thursday, a day that was about as blustery as one you've ever seen, although it started with an amazing sunrise. High winds one day mean a storm is coming in the next. I could hardly walk along the new trail, as gusts kept buffeting me and stopping forward progress. The dirt field just beyond the horses where the new development will be.  *sob*

November 11 - At the Park

Thursday, my day of no obligations or plans, turned out to be gloriously warm, with clear blue skies and gentle breezes, the kind of day that one must take advantage of this time of year. After my much deserved manicure, I decided to head to the park, walk the trails and enjoy the rays of sun. I checked the Free Little Library and found all the books I'd left behind were gone and many new books had been added. Hurray! for readers everywhere. 

November 4 - Numinously Cerulean

One day last week I walked out my back door into a day that was incredibly beautiful. I saw my neighbor and inquired as to how he was doing and he looked at the sky and said "numinously cerulean!" (He's always coming up with creative word combinations to let me know his state of mind). I turned and looked over my shoulder into what was one of the most amazing cloud and sun duets I had ever seen. I think he was right on the money with his word gumbo. Thank you, JD! 

Saturday Sky - Hello!

Today I am grateful for friends who check to see what I'm up to when I haven't posted for awhile and who remind me I have a voice. 

I am very grateful for the long, warm autumn we experienced, however, quickly it ended with the northern winds bringing in the cold and snow of winter. It was 73 degrees one day and within 36 hours the high for the day was 36. I am grateful for my ability to make something warm with woolen fibers. We hope for more snow because we are in great need. 

More than snow, I am in need of the positive energies of friends, of community, of beauty, and the joy daily life can bring. I am grateful that many of my dearest blog friends have been posting daily. I am grateful for their voices, for their guidance, their calls to action, and for their strong sense of community. I am grateful you are here and grateful for your friendship. 

Hello, friends. 

Generosity

Our Christmas of 2015 was filled with all that's good. We spent with friends who are generous, talented, and who throw great party. Our dear friends Monica and Steve had a crowd over for a Christmas Day feast. Monica not only cooked dinner for a large group, but she also made cookies and treats for everyone to take home (YES, me included!). She is a friend who goes above and beyond. Sadly, I left my camera at home, so you only get a small representation of the treats she made.

 
Just as everyone dreams, snow fell Christmas Day covering the ground giving us a picturesque (if not treacherous) day. That night, just as we were leaving to head home, we saw the full moon. It was lovely night cap to our wonderful day.  The day after Christmas, Boxing Day apparently, was picture perfect, with the blue sky making the cold nearly bearable. Smith had the day off which meant we could meet friends for lunch. This time of year is all about sharing time with friends and family and, with our family so far away we feel grateful for our friends. 

Our fun didn't stop there, as we were invited to have dinner at now-blogfree-Susan's. Cheryl and Larry were there and, once again, we had a really great time. Susan talked us into doing a Yankee Swap, but Cheryl and I were unsure. Holy cow, we had way more fun than expected, with Cheryl bringing the most sought after gift, a unicorn head!  Smith opened it first but Susan's DH thought it too good to pass up and he took possession. (Maybe you had to be there.)  Life is tough when you're a Mets fan, just sayin'.

A week or so ago our power was out for a few hours and I mentioned how I'd spent the evening wrapped in fleece reading by flashlight. Susan was incredulous that I hadn't wrap up in the warmth of something wooly. She generously gave me her latest project, a huge and beautiful Nuvem. I feel so fortunate to have a warm, cozy, BIG blanket of a wrap whenever the cold starts to creep into my bones.

I have been knitting! And, to do my own bit of paying it forward, I started a pair of gift mitts using Gale Zucker's new pattern Trip Mitts. They're quick knitting and have a fun, rustic, and very charming look. Did I mention how much fun I'm having knitting them?  They're just what you need when a little instant gratification is in order. I'm ending my year by knitting this pair and starting 2016 with another gift pair (just to even things out).

How are you beginning your knitting year? Something fun, something adventurous, something for yourself?

Have a very Happy New Year, friends!

 

Anticipation

Hopefully, by the time this posts, the ground around us will be white with snow, with even more coming down in the mountains.  We have felt the anticipation all weekend of this coming snow event and, as I type this, I watch the clouds roll in hoping the "red sky at night" means waking to the "delight" of snow.  

Hopefully, the time I spent sewing this weekend means the Alabama Chanin bag it will soon be finished. The sides, the handle pieces, and one corner of the front/back remain to be outlined with red thread. The pocket is stitched onto the lining and the  lining is ready to sewing into place. I'm anticipating using this little pretty! 

I had anticipated reaching my reading challenge of 65 books and, as it turned out, I was able to complete the challenge this weekend. Yay me!  Reading and listening to 200 page (or shorter) books helped me reach my goal. One must be strategic.  

Many of us (and I know many of you) have been anticipating the next installment of the Serial podcast. Well, it's here! This is going to be an interesting listen. I am a podcast fan and I listen to a wide variety of genres. Music, spoken word, stories, and mediation, I'm always looking for something new and interesting.  Do you have a favorite podcast? 

Smith and I have anticipated the last day of Chanukah just so we could light all the candles of (almost) all the menorahs at one time. Now that's a way to get the light to return! 

Saturday Sky

Snow lightly fell, barely covering the mountains, then left us with little hope of more to come. Maybe Monday and Tuesday. We do not hold our collective breaths. Winter eludes this valley of ours, and even more disconcertingly, our mountains. The good part of this too warm winter is the time we can be out of doors without much bundling up. Time to get this Saturday on the move!