Snow, Part III

This photo makes one have second thoughts about venturing out on the icy roads in Clackamas County.

The unfortunate driver spent the night in his crunched truck with his Lab puppy. Both were rescued and the driver is being treated for frostbite and injuries from the crash. The location of the accident was on one of the primary roads that I take to the barn, very close to the road where I turn off on my "barnward" journey. YIKES!

Amazing how a split second can give one 20/20 hindsight. I should have left the car in the driveway, I should have made sure the safety was on, I should have picked up the longe line [ :-P ], etc.

Although there are sections of bare street in out neighborhood, the two egresses (which are on a slope up to the busy street) are ICE. Our remaining car has front wheel drive, but no studded tires. So even if we managed to make it through the neighborhood, I doubt we could exit. I've observed some of our neighbors coming and going and I don't know why they aren't sliding, since they're traveling on ice. Kristie Yamaguchi could do axels out there! There has been some melting today, but water and ice are slicker than s---- (nasal discharge)! And I noted with interest that a few of our neighbors have elected to leave their SUVs parked during this weather. So our little Civic is hunkered under a coating of snow in the driveway. Been-there-done-that when it comes to contacting the insurance agent, dealing with the body shop, etc.

I have a great pair of "tire chains" for shoes that allow me to trek the area with some semblance of security. I put them on a pair of waterproof/insulated Ariat paddock boots that I wear when walking Indy. I LOVE my "Yaktraks!"

Indy is still enjoying the weather. He eats snow and bites at the ice. This afternoon he picked up a chunk of ice and was playing with it! If the ice hadn't been a suspicious shade of gray, I would have let him continue. I later found a smaller, cleaner piece of ice that I kicked his way. He ate it, and then tried to bite ice from the street that was frozen solid to tire ruts. What a character!

So we're staying home and preparing for the next winter storm arriving tomorrow.

Snow, Part II

Took this photo yesterday at the Xerox Campus during my afternoon walk with Indy. It has a sort of abstract look. The snow doesn't remain piled up like that on a tree limb for long, so I couldn't resist.

The car is happily parked in the driveway. One of the advantages of being retired -- no workplace demands our presence, and we're not burning up vacation time waiting for the thaw.

My ventures outside with Indy give me a chance to scout out driving conditions in the area. Seems most of the streets in our neighborhood and the one adjacent are ice. Yesterday's compacted snow froze overnight and remains frozen. The main road has two clear ruts per lane (except for the sections in the shade) for easier travel. The trick is getting to it.

I must say, I don't feel very confident about risking our safety and our only remaining car when I observe a teenage boy driving a Jeep Cherokee on ice while fiddling with the stereo instead of watching the street.

We discovered that Indy loves to chew ice cubes. Our new refrigerator has a water and ice dispenser in the door and whenever we add ice to a glass, Indy comes running for a cube to crunch. So he is LOVING the snow. The world is one giant ice cube!

Found out my friend Emily is already home from college! And here I thought she'd be in the middle of finals and papers this week between snowball fights on campus.

LEGACY: A TALE OF PENNLEAH

Great writing weather!

I completed another scene today. Aisley and her traveling companions were jumped by bandits. Eldwyn, the weathered clan warrior, suggests a game of chance to regain their horses and gear as well as safe passage. He knows the bandits will cheat, but Aisley (with her Ability to cast glamours) is his secret weapon. Can she pull it off?

SNOW!

Snow is a big deal in the temperate Pacific Northwest west of the Cascade Range. So we get excited, stressed and whatever else when we're visited by a significant snowfall.

The above picture was taken on the Xerox campus around 3:30 pm today. The picture below of Indy was taken at the beginning of our walk.



Note the absence of falling snow. Within 5-10 minutes we went from gentle, occasional snowflake to sideways snow flurry.

This is my favorite photo of the day taken right after the shot of Indy:



Brrrr.

So Much for the Return of the Barn Schedule

We're getting a blast of winter weather that began today with a drop in the freezing level, high winds, and rain. it was so nasty when I went to the barn today I just ran a brush over Phantom and put him in his stall. I just didn't have the heart to put him back outside in the wind and rain.

Of course, after I left there was a break in the weather. ARGH! Guess I overreacted in the midst of the cruddy storm cell.

The meteorologists are warning us about the arrival of Arctic temperatures and they are pretty much uniform in predicting snow on the valley floor on Sunday. And a chance of snow flurries later in the week. Get this, low temperatures the first part of next week in the TEENs. Not so uncommon east of the Cascades. Very unusual in the valley.

I am a WUSS. I stay home in the snow and ice. I don't ride in the cold. If the roads clear, I will go check on my fuzzy guy, give him a carrot/apple treat, and book on home.

Fluffy Phantom is wrapped up in his medium weight blanket (with two turnout sheets and a fleece cooler available as emergency backups). The barn crew is prepared for the weather with a slew of buckets should (when?!) the automatic waterers can't take the cold. The little barn is snug when closed up and full of horses at night. The horses will get their usual turnouts as long as the ground isn't dangerously slick.

So just when my riding schedule resumes, the weather puts a crimp in it. Ah well. Mother Nature has a sense of humor.

Barn Schedule

(2003 photo file)

After being sidelined for a couple of months with my broken wrist, it is sooo nice to return to my usual barn schedule. I've been gradually increasing my time in the saddle as I feel more solid. Both Phantom and I are still battling the pudge factor after eight weeks off. The Wranglers and schooling chaps are still a bit snug on me, and no way can I tighten Phantom's girth that last hole.

But we're coming along. Cantering only briefly, and just beginning sitting trot work. Phantom is a pretty good guy in spite of my position issues. He gives me beach-ball round and connected moments when I get situated correctly.

Owner Susan has been easing the boys onto their winter turnouts. The girls remain on the huge front pasture all year 'round, but the boys are rotated. The winter turnouts are closer to the barns...yah! Makes for shorter treks during our juicy weather.

The meteorologists are predicting a cold spell for the Pacific Northwest...that arctic front affecting the midwest is heading our way. So I put Phantom in his "warm jammies" today. Switched his turnout sheet for his midweight blanket and neck cover. I even found the connectors for the hood after they'd been packed away all summer and fall! Pat on the back for me.

Indy was a very happy puppy today He got to play with Abby!! I don't think we've seen Boarder Kim and cocker Abby since I rearranged my wrist. Abby was sporting a new blanket...very barn dog chic. We let the pair run loose, since there were no horses in the barns. They had a blast, racing through the barn, cutting cookies outside, zipping into the arena, and back outside to flop in the middle of a puddle. ARGH! Two panting, muddy, thoroughly happy dogs!

Legacy: A Tale of Pennleah

Well, I got Aisley and her two clansmen traveling companions across the scary bridge over the mountain river gorge. One villain took a nasty fall...yeah, into the ravine. But not to worry, another nasty guy awaits.

I continue to scribe by hand. This weekend I managed a couple of chunks of time to work on the story, so that was great.

I'm reading the final book in Cornelia Funke's trilogy: "Inkdeath" ("Inkheart" and "Inkspell" are the first two books). Inspiring and discouraging. Her books are so rich and imaginative that I wonder why I even try. I could never write like that. On the other hand, we write OUR books, not someone else's. And when I've put a draft out for first readers, they seem to think I have a good imagination.

So I'll keep at it.

I'm finding my first drafts are more like a detailed outline. I go from scene to scene with "this happens" and "then this happens." Instead of peeling an onion, I need to ADD layers. Things like sensory detail, revealing character, etc.

And, by handwriting my first draft, the writing seems to be more ME. Not censored through the keyboard. I've done too much business writing directlty on the computer.

CHRISTMAS CARDS

Yay! I've got my cards printed and in hand. With envelopes...that fit!

Over the years I've had trouble with empty-headed front counter workers. I bring in a drawing and state that I want to print a greeting card. So the vacuous counter worker thinks I want the drawing printed on 8-1/2 x 11 paper and folded in the middle to go into a business envelope. Sheesh! Hasn't she ever been to Hallmark?!

Then there was the time that the card was printed correctly (card stock, picture on the front of the card, blank on the inside), but the envelopes provided were the interior envelopes used for wedding invitations. No glue on the flap!!

Both my parents and I used to take our drawings to Zapp's in close-in east Portland. No explanation required, they knew exactly what we wanted. But they were bought out by one of the big companies that I used to have trouble with.

So this year I tried the Wilsonville LazerQuick. Lo and behold, they understood what I wanted, made intelligent suggestions, and produced exactly what I had in mind for a reasonable price.

What cards I have left over I use for other occasions -- thus the reason I leave them blank inside. I've tried selling some, but without much success. I'm not really that good an artist, and I print on the cheap, not via fine arts venues.

I also got smart and put our addresses on sticky label sheets this year. My mother's handwriting is deteriorating because of arthritis, which is a shame. She has beautiful writing. But this should make things easier for her. I also write the dreaded annual Christmas letter. But this saves us both from writing the same news over and over to the folks we don't see very often.

So I'll be in Christmas Card World for a few days instead of Pennleah.

Fracture Fable, continued

Had my final visit with Dr. S today. The breaks are healed and unless I have a problem, there is no need to come back. Yay! Not that Dr. S isn't a good guy; however....

I have two more appointments with Therapist Heather. With the breaks healed, I'm now doing strength-building exercises. I have a stretch band for resistance work, and yellow putty to squish. I don't know if I'll need to continue with her after the next sessions. I'll have to chat with her.

My left hand still isn't as flexible as the right, but gradually improving. Strength is getting better, at least to the level that I feel confident walking an exuberant dog and riding a contrite gelding. Heather had me use the "squeeze-o-meter" and I registered 30 with my left hand and 50 with my right. I can tell my left hand isn't up to par when I groom Phantom.

Anyway...I'm on the mend!

CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS

I'm not doing too badly this year. The best part is, I've got gift ideas for everyone on my list. The great news is, I've completed shopping for at least four folks. So far I'm having good luck locating what I want. I'm not much for shopping online anymore -- not after my account number was acquired by strangers. So I'm doing most of my shopping in person.

I actually completed the drawing for my card last weekend and it is at the printers as I write. My father, the REAL artist in the family, starting drawing pictures and cartoons for their Christmas cards that my mother had printed. Of course, everyone started expecting his personalized cards and couldn't wait to see what he'd come up with each year. So one year I drew a picture, left the inside of the card blank so the leftovers could be used later, and began my own tradition. Now everyone expects unique cards from me. I usually draw a horse or horses, but in the past I've drawn a Sheltie puppy and deer (while still working at ODFW). For Christmas I try to compose a greeting that ties in with the drawing.

The outdoor Christmas lights are "up." I toss net lights over our boxwoods and Japanese maple. I placed the white lights on the boxwoods lining the walkway for Halloween to guide the goblins to the front door. I just left them in place but didn't turn them on. Last week I added the colored net lights to the small maple at the front of the property and plugged in everything to the timers. I love the lights at Christmas and wish people would leave them up through January. It is so dark and dreary during the winter months and the lights really lift the spirits. It's fun to walk Indy and take note as more and more lights go up. Mom and I have taken strolls with the dog(s) on Christmas Eve in the past to enjoy the lights in the neighborhood -- followed by hot chocolate when we got home.

Put our tree up yesterday. We live in the Christmas Tree Capitol of the World and (true confessions) we have an artificial tree. I know, I know. Totally lacks the great smell. But you pay for the fresh tree, get needles all over the place, worry about it drying out, then pay someone to dispose of it. So we have a modest little tree that I decorate a little differently each year, and it works for us.