Yes, it finally snowed! It is not "normal" for the snow to be this late, but I must say, it is fashionable. Snow makes it substantially brighter, so I am much happier as of late. I did begin to remember, however, that walking in snow is like walking in sand. Much tougher!
I had thought I was far from the winds of Kansas, but I was recently proved wrong. We've had a bit of a "breezy" start to our wintry weather, and due to the prevalence of the Spruce Bark Beetle, Spruce trees have met with a decidedly definitive end. The trees are extremely tall and have very slender builds. They didn't stand a chance against the gusts off the sea. This scene was repeated more often than my legs preferred, as I was required to step over or try to find a path around many more fallen trees than usual. How can I tell which trees were newly fallen? If you look above, the tree that broke has very light wood. If it has been down very long at all, the wood grays and dulls. It's bright and golden if it is fresh, though fairly rotten (how's that for an oxymoron?!).
I often find the Alaskan woods quite unique with mosses hanging from trees with snow clinging to it. It seems a contrast in nature. Not so! We haven't had
that much snow, unfortunately, as the grass is still able to withstand it's weight.
Those Kansas gusts did more than just inconvenience my walking path. Besides the couple of trees that had apparently fallen in the roads and pushed aside by earlier motorists, we discovered we had a tree that was pulled out and leaning towards our neighbors. Fortunately, we (O.K., just Pat) went over and promptly removed the tree from their property and stacked the remaining pieces and burned the slash in our fire-pit. We were thankful that this was the only tree that fell, and it did no damage to us or the neighbors.
Today was the first day I ventured out onto the pond. I've stepped out on it before, but was cautious as I could see very clearly the floor of the pond from the ice. I know in my head that it is frozen solid, and clear ice is the best quality, but it was just too unnerving to walk across. It now has a couple inches of snow covering it, so it seemed much safer! I did check a few places along the way, just to make sure of the ice thickness and found this fascinating flaw an inch or two below me. I was actually looking for frozen, suspended lily pads, but this was also interesting. Below is the view of our place from across our little Walden. (A fascinating side note: we discovered today that our home was the original homestead on the entire lake. I felt a bit proud of our little house!)
And finally, the sun began to set (at about 3:00, here) and throw it's colors across the sky and snow. It was captivating in person, much less so in a photograph. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of snowshoes (story on that later!), and about three more feet of snow!
Small Crosses: 7 3/4" x 5": $10.00
In an effort to try to help raise money for my sister, Pat is selling these handmade items. Why does my sister need money? She and her husband are bringing home their youngest son from Ethiopia. This process has been and continues to be an expensive endeavor. God has provided in amazing ways, and if you would like to participate in His provision, please let us know. Pat is taking custom orders, at least as much as is feasible! The items are listed with their prices, and the shipping will be extra if you live outside the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. Keep watching, as there will be new items added in the future!
Large Layered Cross: 18"x11": $40.00
All profits will go to this family who are awaiting their newest arrival!
