Thursday, January 21, 2016

Snow!


I woke early this morning--too early to be up and about in the cold.
When I trudged into the bathroom at 6 a.m. and peered out I was surprised to see the porch roof below the window piled with snow. The yard and  lane were white and snow was sifting down in soft soundless flakes.
This is our first snow cover of the season.


I rummaged quietly in a dresser drawer for my black silk 'long johns' [Eddie Bauer!] went into the closet and chose a warm turtleneck sweater.
The kitchen was invitingly cozy, Jim having come downstairs at 4 to let Charlie-cat out and to shove more wood in the stove . 
[Charlie loves to be inside in the evening, socializing, but inevitably decides during the night that he would like to be outside, no matter the weather.]
I flicked on the porch light and discovered that Charlie, along with Nellie, would like to 'come in, please,' while Willis and the tortie sisters insisted that they needed their breakfast now 
to ward off the cold.


Two cats in, Bobby dashing out and off the porch into the snow.
He flits about, flakes glinting on his long black fur, then settles under the back bumper of the car, having a little think.
Shutting the door on the cold, I prod the fire, add several slabs of wood, open a 
new package of coffee.
Time for a hot shower before pulling on my layers of warm clothing.



By the time we have had breakfast Bobby is ready to enjoy the comforts of the house.
I pick him up and sniff the cold clean scent of snow in his fur.


The sun didn't appear today.
County offices and schools were closed due to the snow.
[After years of living in Vermont and Wyoming where winters are long and snow-laden, we feel mildly amused that a dusting of the 'white stuff' slows daily life to a crawl here in the mid-south.]
The mail is not delivered.
Walking down the lane to deliver a message to J. at the lower shop I am aware of the quiet--no sounds of traffic from the main road.
Tree branches loom stark against the pale lowering sky.



Back in the kitchen I chop onion, celery, carrot, the beginning of a pot of soup for our renter.
[The propane supplier hasn't come up with a tank of the desired size to install the gas
 for the cook stove.]
I stir up batter for cornbread to be baked in a cast iron skillet in the electric oven.
The cats clamor at my feet demanding their tea. I dish this out although they are an hour early with their request.
The kitchen fills with the homey smell of simmering vegetable soup and a pan of stewed tomatoes.
Jim has lumbered up the road with the tractor and box blade to plow our neighbor's steep driveway.
By the time he clumps through the back entry, knocking snow from his boots, I've made green salads topped with hard-boiled eggs and lemon pepper tuna.
Taking out the compost bucket I stop to admire the latest load of slab wood which J. fetched from the Amish mill yesterday.


Willis dives at the fluff of snow churned up by my boots.

He crouches and wiggles--doubtless seeing 'snow snakes' and 'hide-behinds.'


Darkness settles early on this snow-muffled grey day.
We are warm, sheltered, well-fed.
The pace of work is slow, plans easily deferring to weather.
The pantry and freezer are well-stocked.
I have books and sewing.
Jim has his TV.
Let it snow!

18 comments:

  1. Snow at last! Ours has yet to arrive.
    Here in the south of England there is a similar response. The roads seize up, schools close and everyone seems unprepared.When we lived in Yorkshire things were much more robust and life had to go on, whatever the weather.

    Enjoy the pristine early snow and having a cozy day inside with your cats and your sewing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DW; My ideas of Yorkshire were formed by reading the James Herriot stories; it seems he was always bucking up a snow-covered hill to some lonely farm.
      It is enough warmer today that our snow has become slippery.

      Delete
  2. Brrr, but oh so pretty. It's cute seeing your cats in the show. :-)

    I bet your home smelled wonderful with that cooking going on. Nice to be warm and cozy inside too.

    Have a nice Thursday and a great weekend ~ FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rainey; The smell of soup lingered pleasantly for a few hours--much nicer than stepping inside and immediately realizing that fish or cabbage had been cooked!

      Delete
  3. Same here: a few snowflakes brings everything to a standstill. When I was at school nearly everyone walked or cycled to get there and everything stayed open, now they all travel by bus and car the schools close for the day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John; Living in a rural area is still much different than being in town or [heaven forbid!] a city. In a weather crisis there is always someone in the neighborhood who has a 4 wheel drive, a tractor, whatever is needed. I think we country folk also practice 'stocking up' and don't panic if we can't get to the grocery store for several days.

      Delete
  4. Love the tracks in the snow. Too much winter for me though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janet; Today the rise in temperature of only a few degrees has turned dainty cat tracks into larger clumsy indentations in the snow. The cats have chosen to be IN most of the day.

      Delete
  5. I would love a little snow, just enough for the dogs to play in, but not to cause disruption. You describe a delightfully cosy life, riding out the bad weather. I thought of the Ingells and Pa's fiddle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kath; I remember reading 'The Long Hard Winter' to my children during a particularly cold and difficult January in Vermont. We did have wood for the stove and a well-stocked larder! No fiddle--only a piano which lived in the chilly living room.

      Delete
  6. It all sounds idyllic, but of course snow melts and creates icy patches as well. The smell of soup drifts all the way to Yorkshire, where our snow is very limited.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thelma; I could live on homemade soup with a salad and a muffin or such, but the man of the house likes his meat, potatoes and veg, so I juggle the menu.
      The after effects of the current snow may be with us for most of next week.

      Delete
  7. Keep warm. I hope that you don't get the weather threatened for the East Coast. I think your cats are like mine - a little snow for a while is fun, but they soon want to be indoors again.

    Whisperdog and I enjoyed a very frosty walk in the New Forest this week - that was enough cold for me. However, I have two well-stocked freezers and plenty of cat food and bird food in stock, so if it snows we will sit it out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jennie; I had a sense that you were DW's companion on that lovely walk!
      We are in the midst of heavy snowfall--a storm called 'Jonas'--Jim is out with the tractor pushing some of it out of the way. We are well prepared to sit this out, but have to feel sorry for those who don't have a well-stocked larder and depend on dashing into a store daily.

      Delete
  8. Your morning sounds wonderful. Waking up to new-fallen snow is always such a treat and it looks like your feline companions agree! I can just imagine being in your warm kitchen, smelling your lovely soup and listening to the fire crackling. Lovely descriptions and how nice of you to prepare a hot meal for your renter, too. Keep cozy. x Karen

    ReplyDelete
  9. Karen; Snow is so beautiful and clean before we track it up--or think about the extra work it will make.
    I could happily make soup every day in the winter just for the smell of it simmering on the stove.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Karen; Snow is so beautiful and clean before we track it up--or think about the extra work it will make.
    I could happily make soup every day in the winter just for the smell of it simmering on the stove.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a wonderful description of the day. I could actually smell the snow on your kitty's fur.

    ReplyDelete