Another year, another winter wonderland

As a dog owner I go for a walk several times a day. 'Sumawalks. No matter how cold, wet, windy or dark. I don't much care about walking,  it's boring at times. But sometimes it's just breathtakingly beautiful.

Our closest neighbouring house that actually has someone staying there occasionally.

We walk several routes. In mornings we often walk a circular route around the  village, there's few houses by the road. Some of them are empty, void of occupants. Some of them have a large family living there. Few houses belong to widowed older ladies, women here do outlive their husbands seceral years if not decades.  It's dark both in mornings and evenings.

Young oak at my aunts front yard. It shines brightly across fields. 

There's enough snow for decent skitracks. I don't like skiing, too much trauma from school days. Always last at competitions.

Sys likes skiing. And 'Suma likes winter.

I know we're lucky n many many ways. We live in a place without lockdown, we have all this wilderness AND fields to walk. We have neighbours who can keep our roads clean and safe, I can work from home. 

A bit like '70s photo. This my home.

Coping the cold

 It's been cold few days. First we had what was left of Spanish snowstorm. We got only like 10 more centimeters of snow, but it came with harsh wind and formed tight dunes over all roads. We managed Ok, but school taxi got stuck in the snow and the driver had to dig his van free. Poor guy, but that's why they have shovels in cars.

Then my cousin (ex rally driver ) tested his four wheel drive and narrowly escaped ditch, but of  course our new postman followed his  wheeltracks and got stuck in the ditch. I love my cousin but sometimes he drives me nuts.

After snowstorm came deep freeze. A good time to defrost the freezer... no suprises there, a bit dissapointing to be honest. I would love to have found some salmon or fish eggs... but no.

We had to buy new skis and ski boots for ys, they has PE at school and because someone destroyed skating ice, no skating, only skiing. PE is everything outside because of covid. Skis and boots fit sys too, he likes to ski, and our neighbour already made skiing track base in to the fields. At 11pm, in -27C. No bad weather  only wrong clothing.

I knew cold weather was on it's way, so I made  sure I burnt enough wood in all fireplaces a day before. If the house  is warm when cold weather hits, it's much easier to keep warm. If I let house to cool down and the try to heat it with excess wood burning, I only end up with cracked chimneys. Our house is big and I can keep it warm(ish) with electric (we have under floor heating), but I'm not happy to pay all that money.

I made sure I brought two crates full of fire wood inside so I didn't had to worry if I'm too busy to get them inside when it's really cold ( still working from home). I checked kids had warm clothes ready. They have thick coats with hoods. When temperatures go down  a hood is easy way to protect head and face. Even better if it has ( fake) fur trim, it creates micro climate inside the hood and your face will not freeze.

I got frostbites on my face when I was a child  cheeks freeze easily if there's wind. So my face gets easily frostbitten even now, so I know it is important to protect kids' faces.

And cold weather came. -30C was coldest. In really really cold winters it might get down to  -37C, but it rarely happening. Once in a decade. Usually cold spells are only down to - 25C to -30C. Yes, it is cold. Sys complained hs nosehair froze inside his nostrils. Sorry but I laughed so hard...

Mrs Nostradamus made a scarf for The Doctor, I made them to my kids.

Very useful.

And yes, they are waiting taxi inside a bin shelter, it was built for that,  too. It gives protection from rain and winds, and my aunt sort her rubbish so there's no foul smells. Boys  have long johns under they trousers, and hand knitted socks.

'Suma has no problems to go out for any reason or to go just for a walk. So far so good  but my knees are freezing. The colder it gets the shorter walks we do. Now it's roughly 20 min and 2km. Pretty Boy and Big Brother have decided litter box will do until it gets warmer. Cars must be preheated. My gearbox was a but stiff, but it warmed soon enough.

Some things are on hold until it gets warmer. But it's ok, it will get warmer. In the meantime we just try not to get frostbites or hypothermia.

Mushroom and freeze

It's getting colder. Funny thing, every time it's getting 5 more degrees down, I need a new piece of clothing. And after two days, I can drop that extra occasionally. Until it gets another 5 degrees ( celsius)  colder  when I need to keep that extra layer and add another piece again.

So it's been a winter. 'Suma loves snow, and she doesn't mind getting frost beard. She's so cute, I love her shnautzer beard!

Kittens hate winter, the cold, the wet and snow. Pretty Boy and Big Brother go outside to do their deeds and rush back as fast as they can. Baby Boy has been outside once and he could't get inside fast enough!

I got a darning mushroom as a Christmas present. I like it a lot, so much easier than using a bottle or a jar...

Can't do darning without proper snacks.

I just don't know how to take photos with my hand holding the phone...

I'm not trying to make pretty patches, I just want holes gone. So far I've got six pair back to daily use. It means I don't have to knit another pair for a while...

Winter

 

We have winter. I'm trying to learn to use my phone as a camera. After all I went on a week long course for audiovisual  presentation this autunm, so I should practise.

 Sys built a snowman on the other day, now we have frost so no more rolling snowballs. Today wasn't snowing anymore, so a short breather from all shoveling. 

Today is os birthday. He is 21 now, he asked for some money for his steam account, a cake and deer stew. Hb transferred the money, and I baked a cake and cooked his favourite dinner. 

A bit pricey for a simple meal: reindeer is the most expensive meat I agree to buy. We don't have reindeers here, too south. I made reindeer stew once for him when he was a toddler, and ever since he asks for it every now and then. For the price of 25-40€/kg I just can't cook reindeer very often, if I can find it at all. I know many people think I've stolen from Santa's herd, but if we have this once a year, I don't think it's a worst of my sins.

Few more days off, and then back to the office. This time I'm really going in to my office, I still need to sort and pack one shelf full of books.  Friday is my last day ever in my own office. From monday I'll have only my laptop, a keyboard and a mouse and every time when I'm in the office, I just have to find an empty working station... not looking forward to that.

A New Year

It's a bit daring thought to wish everyone a happy new year. Never know what universe has hidden is her depths for us Earthlings.

We had peaceful Christmas, everyone was so happy about that. Today I finally took down the plastic from my polytunnel. Last chance, it started snowing while I was folding it, and it's been snowing ever since. Not yet 10cm of snow,  this is slow and light accumulation of snowflakes size of gingerbread cookies.

Just remembered I was suppose to take few herb pots inside, they're waiting just outside the front door!

'Suma hates fireworks. Ys absolutely loves fireworks. It's a tricky situation, but this new year we only got few and I was inside with older boys and 'Suma while ys, hb and d were firing rockets. 'Suma went hiding into the sauna during the day when bombing begun- we can hear them from nearby village and town. In the evening she just went hiding behind os and sys when we looked through windows to see all  fireworks. Hb bought "silent" fireworks that made much less noise.

Peaceful Christmas

 It's been a while. I got a new phone and a laptop, and it took more than reasonable time to get them working - at least my phone is now ringing and singing, unlike  some of my co-workers', their phones don't work as phones yet. Great.

Baby Girl is no longer Baby Girl. She's Baby Brother and just as lovely and squiiiishable as ever. We named her as Purr because she was purring so loudly. Luckily Purr is a perfectly good name for a baby boy kitten, too 🤣

He's getting along with his bigger brother, they are not yet sleeping in one pile,  but at the same bed anyway. I think Big Brother is a bit happier now.

Right after New Year my office will be moving.  I have been 20 yesrs worth of documents and notes and library worth of professional literature. It's kind of sad and nostalgia, I've been working on this old government office building ( built in 1840s) and our new office is just finished! No more individual rooms, welcome open plan office... I'll continue working from home at least 'til June.

We are not on lockdown, but recommendation to not to meet other people during holidays is still on. And with this new variant it's better to be extra careful. My parents announced early on November them will not be at home during Christmas. So we have been able to celebrate as we like, peacefully and with plenty of good food. I visited graveyard and lit 170hour candle for my sons' grave, it will be burning there  long so I don't worry they have a dark holidays.

The tree has been tied to the ceiling, so I don't have to worry about it falling when kittens and puppy stary chasing each other. 

Getting darker

Thank you of your kind words. Smart Girl is gone, we haven't found her. Baby Brother is still miserable,  but at least he is now eating. Another cat from out village has gone missing. 

I have waited and waited to get something happier to write. We're had few covid-tests, negative, some children have been home schooling again and now we have wear masks about everywhere outside home inside- if you are outside masks are not mandatory. I've been working long hours, days and weeks, and somehow I feel I'm actually getting there.

Today, after a long wait and one long trip from which we came back empty handed, we finally got out new girl. She has a name, but I don't know if she is that, maybe she's something else. Time will tell.

Meet out Baby

A poor photo, but I don't want to scare her with flash. It's been really dark days, maybe it's getting brighter when it starts snowing.