Greetings and salutations, everyone; yes, once again it is I, your popular host, Mani the purebred border collie, here to bring you up to date on all the exciting happenings around here. You may remember me from such posts as “Mist, Drizzle, And Ice”, among so many, many others.
Here I am in a characteristic pose.
I have this idea that I don’t need to tell anyone that it snowed again.
The guy I live with is very happy with the snow, which is kind of weird, if you ask me, because ordinarily he would be very put out by the snow and cold weather, complaining about how it’s affecting the autumn-flowering snowdrops and some other bulbs, but he explained that after last year, and all the extreme fire danger warnings, snow is infinitely preferable to dry weather and the apparently futile hope that we might return to typical autumns featuring rain and drizzle.
He did have to shovel the snow, which he said was good exercise.
Yesterday, it looked like this, to the southwest.
And like this, to the east.
I went on my walks, as usual. It wasn’t very cold at the time.
But there wasn’t any gardening, unless you count filling the bird feeders.
The guy I live with spent some time cleaning the “depression glass” on the shelves that divide the living room from the kitchen. His wife tore out the hideous divider that was there, and built the shelves; the glass was something she bought at antique stores.
He said it’s much nicer to have sparkling glass at this time of year, instead of dusty stuff that looks pretty forlorn. (That’s her picture, there, too; I’ve pointed this out before, I know.) And there are a few porcelain animal figurines, too.
The next cleaning project is a fairly daunting one.
You can see how dirty the glass is. The last time, the guy I live with piled pillows on the kitchen table and then unbolted the glass from the metal fixture. He’s afraid of breaking it; it was something his wife found in a lamp store in Boulder and really wanted it. It’s very heavy.
There was an orb weaver spider living in the lamp this summer, weaving the usual intricate webs every day.
And then there’s holiday stuff. The guy I live with left me alone yesterday, to go out with his friend, and bought some candles (tapers), which are our main holiday decoration. They went to a special store to get candles that didn’t smell like petroleum products.
Today, he baked a couple of loaves of Moravian coffee cake, to give to his neighbors.
And that’s really all I have for today.
I’ll leave you with a picture of me, all lit up, on my walk this evening, when it was 19 degrees F (-7.2C). We’re both pretty tough and the cold didn’t bother us. I had to wear my boots, though.
Until next time, then.
the miserable gardener 
Snow looks . . . cold, and like something that I would not want to step on.
It is cold, but it’s also water on the ground.
Well, that is how water is stored in California, as snow in the Sierra Nevada.
Same here. We just like having snow on the ground when there’s a lot of wind.
(In other words the guy I live with has changed his mind about snow lying on the ground.)
Do you sometimes take him outside to let him frolic in it, or is that merely a canine indulgence?
The guy I live with doesn’t frolic at all. Arthritis, he says.
So you must frolic for two?
That must be it.
The sudden and dramatic change from hot and dry to cold and snow-covered is quite alien to my experience here in Ireland where mist, drizzle, light rain, heavy rain, torrential rain are the normal progression over the autumn into winter months. Wet, wet, wet!
I can see that. The guy I live with said that back in the last century autumns here used to be less dry. I mean still dry, but not as dry as the last few years.
The snow is a huge relief. We’re supposed to maybe get high winds at the end of this week, but there will be snow on the ground, still, hopefully.
Yikes, very cold! You have that impressive fur to keep you warm; you person must have some serious add on warmth! The snow is pretty – we are having drenching rains this morning that are predicted to continue for a while. Maybe I will be inspired by example to do some cleaning indoors.
Ceci
It doesn’t feel all that cold to me; I had to wear my boots last night on my walk, but not this morning.
The forecast for this weekend calls for rain, which the guy I live with says is totally absurd. Maybe some snow on Friday, too.
It certainly was ‘crisp’ in our NW Denver neighborhood yesterday and the 3-4 inches of fluffy white stuff was most welcome and easily dispatched by shovel. This morning is just flat doggone cold, Mani (only 11ºF) when we went outside. Brrrrr. But we’re looking forward to a good walk once it warms above 30ºF today. Bring on the Mile High sunshine, we say!
Your fur-pals,
Norman & Elsa 🐾
After the fires last December, we’re certainly not complaining about having snow on the ground. That was a sort of freak event, but still, you know.
My walk this morning was pretty nice. Well it wasn’t exactly this morning, because someone slept in…
Mew mew mew Mani youss’ got snow!!! HURRAH!!! It does look lovelee as due out inn THE snow!
Wee keep gettin rain now an want snow….pawss crossed tempss drop tonite an sum more snow fallss….
Mistur Guy yore lgass shelf iss so purrty….an so was yore wife…..wee are sorry shee iss inn Purr Land (Heaven to Hu’manss)
An that lite iss furry uneek an wee can see why you are so furry carefull with it!
An yore tape-purrss are lovelee Guy….wee like no stinky candelss two 😉
Furinallee Mani yore SO-O stylin inn yore lit Collar an fab bootiess!! Efurry Poochie wishess they were a Well Dressed Poochie like you 😉
***nose bopss*** BellaDharma an ((hugss)) BellaSita Mum
Thanks. I should have called it “Depression glass”, with a capital D, because it was made during the Great Depression. Collectible stuff, I guess.
Cleaning the lamp glass is going to be a project, for sure.
All the dogs are jealous of my boots and collar. I make a fuss when the guy I live with puts my boots on, but then I can walk in the snow without having to stop every minute to have my paws cleaned out. It’s only a certain type of snow at a certain temperature that creates ice between my paw pads.
It never rains here in the winter.
BellaSita wundered if this was Deepression glass as she used to collect items from that era two!
Guy wee know you can cleen THE lamp; just og slowlee an bee carefull…this comin from mee!! Mew mew mew…
Of coarse all THE Poochiess are jelluss Mani! Yore hansum an suave’ an stylin!!
Wee nevurr used to have rain here butt weather keepss changgin efurry yeer!
FISHSTICKSS to that! 😉
The guy I live with decided just to scrub the lamp without taking it apart, but he hasn’t done that yet.
It’s been pretty windy for the last twenty-four hours or so, and most of the snow is gone, but the ground is still damp.
I see you got your collar working again Mani. Makes you look very festive against the snow. It is very cold here (-4F/-20C) so I have spending my time indoors cleaning and putting away tender bulbs into storage. Just have a few dahlias left. I kind of like the winter downtime to recharge spending a lot of time reading gardening books and making (optimistic) plans for the coming season. Just time to enjoy the quieter time of year.
I think most gardeners who live in cold-winter climates spend the winter reading about gardening and making plans for the next year. Not so much of that is done here, any more. Except for ordering bulbs.
The guy I live with bought me a new collar, because he said the batteries were shifting around in the holder deal, or whatever; it keps flickering on and off. The new one has a rechargeable battery that plugs into something called a “USB port”.
Still soundss like a dauntin task fore you Guy!
An Mani wee have had sum hih windy here two….it sorta comess an goes!
An wee reeleeved yore ground iss still damp 😉
It is, and he might not clean the lamp glass after all.
Cuud yore Guy use a Swiffer on a stick brush thingy Mani?
It just needs a brush lathered with Sal Suds, according to the guy I live with. Or Sprayway glass cleaner, and a brush.