This weather is making me grumpy!

I don't know how much longer I can STAND it!

 The weather has been so snowy and cold for so long it's making me grumpy.

Take yesterday for example. I just wanted to get the garbage to the curb!

It was -18°C and windy. It had snowed and blown all night.

The driveway was filled in with snow AGAIN.

I did manage to get the garbage to the curb, but first I had to FIND the garbage box that was completely covered in snow.  The roads were unplowed AGAIN.

(Another snow day for the kids - I'm OK with that as I love it when everyone is home.)

Took the dog as she is getting restless too and needs exercise as much as I do.

Started our regular walk around the perimeter of the yard, the snow is so thick we are walking on about 3 feet of compacted snow. Three days in a row a tree branch has pulled the toque right off my head! The snow drifts are so big that I almost lost the dog in several of them.

One good thing - my gardens are covered in a thick layer of snow!

We had to call today for another heating oil delivery. And our firewood supply is going down rapidly.

Everything takes more effort lately. Getting dressed to go outside, de-icing the car, taking out the trash, going shopping, getting drinking water from the town tap, and even hauling in firewood.

While this is more like the winters I remember from my childhood, we have been spoiled with mild winters for the past few years and I am not happy with real winters return.

50 days until spring, and boy an I ready!

Wicked weather

 The weather just hasn't been giving us a break this year.

We have been spoiled the past 2 winters, with scant snowfall and milder temperatures.

This winter, we have had snow on the ground since mid November.

A very cold December, a white Christmas, and COLD air.

2 days ago, a surprise snowfall left us with 15cm of fresh snow.

 And then another 20 cm of snow.

 Then, the temperature plunged and winds blew.

Environment Canada issued a wind chill warning and a severe cold alert. followed by a blizzard warning. The -19°c felt more like -40°C.

For 2 days the wind blew, and the snow flew.

School buses were cancelled, highways shut down.

When it was all over, the driveway looked like this:

 It took 2 people, a snowblower, a snow plow and a shovel 2 hours to dig the driveway out!

Oh the joys of country living!

I think I am ready for spring now

:)

Welcome 2014!

A new year is like a fresh beginning.

A time to put the past behind you and start fresh.

I find myself a little superstitious at the years end.

I always make sure to pay all the bills before the year ends, and make sure everything starts fresh - this includes laundry, dishes and cleaning. I spent the first few days of January doing just that.

Washing away traces of 2013.

And I faced a fear I had.

 I was a very good skater in my younger years, but have only skated a few times a year since having kids. I always figured it was like riding a bike and it was something you never forgot how to do.

But last year, while skating with Little Country Girl, I fell and hit my head on the ice, requiring a trip to the ER and 5 staples to close the wound. She was traumatized by the ordeal and told me I wasn't allowed to skate any more unless we were at an arena.

 I really was not OK with that, but Mother Nature didn't build us a skating rink on the lawn this year the way she usually did. Maybe that was a sign? Looking at my old skates this fall I noticed that the stitches were coming out of the boot, the blades were loose and they were too tight.  I bought these long before I had kids, probably purchased 25 years ago, so I decided it was time for a pair of new skates.

Little Country Girl and I took advantage of a free skate at our arena last week.

She almost looked as nervous as I was when I stepped onto the ice with those new skates on.

I felt a little shaky at first - these felt so different than my old skates!

After a few laps, things were looking good... no falls, and I was getting my skating legs back.

I had forgotten that new skates needed 'breaking in' and my feet were sore after an hour.

But Little Country Girl was OK with that, she said her feet hurt too.

(She skates 3 days a week - I know her feet didn't hurt)

I've been wearing my skates around the house hoping to break them in a little quicker.

Now that I faced my fear of skating, I really want to go skating again.

Weatherman calls for a mild and rainy weekend, followed by a cold spell.

Maybe Mother Nature will give us a skating rink after all?