I Love To Go A Gardening
Growing Our Life in Northern Michigan
Winter Magic
Yesterday JJ chauffeured me around to complete various errands. It was snowing quite hard and the roads were snow-covered and slippery at times. Our first stop was to the hospital in a nearby town to pick up my new eye glasses. I think it’s cool and very convenient that my eye doctor is located within the hospital. So is my primary care physician, which means that if I ever need medical tests, I can get them done in one place. This is different from downstate, where my doctor, various lab tests, and every other medical specialty were all in different places and several miles apart. Anyway….it’s nice to have new glasses that don’t have any scratches on them.
After we picked up my glasses, we went to the post office in the small town nearest us. The post office was closed for lunch so we went to the grocery store, which has a gas station. While JJ got gas in the Buggy, I went into the store and bought supplies for holiday treats. Then we drove back to the post office where I sent a couple of things and also got the package they were holding for me.
This morning’s sunrise was magical. The sky was a pale pink that darkened into orange as the sun rose. Snow fell softly, making me feel as if I was in a snow globe. The trees were all covered with snow and sometimes the sun touched them with light. It was breathtaking. While I drank my morning coffee, I enjoyed watching the birds visit the feeder. I love all the birds that come to the feeder, but it’s a special thrill to see the pileated woodpeckers because they are so huge. We have several in the area and they are frequent visitors, often staying for 30 minutes or more eating the suet. Later in the afternoon I saw a couple of turkeys cross the driveway and wander into the forest. Our Enchanted Forest was especially beautiful today.
After JJ left for school this morning, I prepared myself to go out and snowblow the driveway. The temperatures fell to 10 degrees overnight but had risen to 17 degrees by the time I went outside. Last time I snowblowed the driveway I got very cold so this time in addition to my coat and hat, I pulled my jeans over some sweatpants to keep my legs warm, I wore my heavy carhart socks and warm boots, and I wore two gloves on each hand, one inside the other. Except for my hands aching a little when I first went outside, I remained very warm. The Enchanted Forest was so beautiful this morning that I didn’t mind snowblowing–but I never mind snowblowing.
I was almost finished clearing the driveway when I noticed the snowblower blades weren’t spinning. Sometimes the blades pick up rocks in the driveway and it ruins the pins so they have to be replaced. I’m hoping that’s the problem because it is easy to fix. We could have at least 6 inches of snow by the end of Friday so I need the snowblower!
After I finished snowblowing, I sat down in my chair for a little bit to rest and get warm. Then I went into the kitchen and made a traditional holiday treat that I grew up with, which we have always called “Nuttily Noodilies.” The recipe is very simple and very yummy:
12 oz bag chocolate chips
12 oz bag butterscotch chips
6 oz Chow Mein noodles
Peanuts or cashews
Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips together in a double boiler. Mix in chow mein noodles and nuts. Spoon onto waxed paper. Cool until hardened. Enjoy!
I made a double batch so we have some to share with others. I also made homemade pizza for supper. This weekend I hope to make some hard candy.
Several times this afternoon deer came up to the house to eat from bird feeders. At one point there was quite a group here, but one deer chased off some of the others before I could count them. They had a bit of a fight. My chair is next to the living room window, but I was working in the kitchen almost every time they arrived so I had to be very sneaky to get in a position where I could take photos and videos of them. I was able to get take several videos of them, although I missed capturing the fight.
In this next video, the deer came right up to the window. She saw me sitting in my chair and took a closer look. I thought she was pretty funny.
There is so much to enjoy during the winter months.
I Love To Go A Gardening 
Love the season thru your eyes, very beautiful and peaceful. Keep enjoying and say hi to the guys TJ.
Linda
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We all send our love to you and Bob. ❤
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