Although it took forever to arrive, the Blizzard of 2009 finally arrived last night and transformed our area into a Winter Wonderland . . .

Nature’s tree ornaments . . .

The Mermaid by the pool is a bit chilly . . .

With the temps predicted to stay as cold as they are, we’re guaranteed to have a White Christmas!

Hope you’re having fun wherever you are and perhaps you’re playing in the snow, too!

To see who else is strolling this Sunday, stroll on over to the Quiet Country House.

Today’s “Nor’easter” totally changed the face of things around here.  What a difference a day makes!

Yesterday, ducks swimming in the pond . . .

Today, same ducks, different surroundings . . .

Yesterday . . .

Today . . .

Yesterday, tapping trees . . .

Today, the grove of maple trees in the snow . . .

Inside . . .

Outside . . .

Happy Winter!

It’s official: another snow day from school!  It’s 5 am and it’s snowing, blowing, drifting, with about 6-8 inches on the ground so far.  Hard to tell because it’s drifting.  I’ll have the check the actual amount when I step outside, but the whole world is a beautiful blanket of white.  What a difference a day makes!

UPDATE AT NOON:

We have at least 10 inches of snow and it’s still snowing!  It’s windy, frigid, and drifting, and I’m enjoying catching up on work inside.

Nate just plowed us out with the John Deere . . .

Happy Snow Day!!!

Happy first day of March, as we hear we’re due for another “Noreaster,” that promises to dump up to a foot of snow on us by tommorow night!  What can we do but say, bring it on!

You know the old adage for March . . . it comes in a like a lion!

Here are the projected snowfalls.  Could they be right?

What’s it like in your parts on this first day of March?

With a healthy amount of snow currently on the ground (and a very unhealthy amount of ice), and another “BIG” storm predicted for Monday night, I’m thinking spring!

I just couldn’t resist picking up this tulip bulbs at the grocery store the other day.  The bulbs are submerged in water and they promise to bloom “within two weeks.”  They’ve already grown an impressive 10-12 inches and I look forward to some crimson/yellow-tipped blooms soon!  They certainly add a dash of green to our kitchen.

What are YOU doing to “think spring?”

It’s beginning to feel like the North Pole around here lately—and I love it! 

Eddie, our Old English Sheepdog, loves this weather, with the wind in his hair and cooler, “sheepdog” temps.  It’s been bitterly cold lately with sub-freezing temps, but it warmed up to just about freezing today to drop a bit more snow on us.

The thickening white blanket in the apple orchard is beautiful, but the mermaid standing guard over the frozen pool seems to be saying she’s had enough already!

All this snow certainly has provided lots of opportunities for playing for both little–and big–kids!

What’s it like in your neck of the woods?  Are you up to your elbows in snow or are you yearning for some of the white stuff?

After some decent snow last night, it was a morning of plowing out around the farm today.

My younger son used the John Deere with bucket to make quick work of the snow removal.

The “frozen custard” window at the farm’s creamery is desolate this time of year!

The waterwheel and animal pen are blanketed in white . . .

so the animals have moved into their warmer, winter quarters . . .

Soon, we’ll be firing up the evaporator in the Sugar House to transform the sweet sap from  maple trees into sticky, delicious maple syrup.

No apple picking today . . .

The icy pond is hidden under the winter whiteness.

All in all, a super day for a stroll!

To see who else is strolling on this wintery day, visit the Quiet Country House.

What a glorious day for ushering out 2008!  As the snow swirls around us, I’ve just started a fire in our wood furnace as one of our sons was so nice to bring home a couple bucket loads of dry wood before the first precipitation of the day.  I made a trip to the grocery store yesterday and have a quiet New Year’s Eve celebration planned at home for tonight.  Hot coffee at my side, I’m just about to e-mail off an article that I promised to an educational journal before the year’s end and I have the day ahead of me . . . for a nice walk in the snow, a chance to perhaps get those New Year’s cards addressed and a bunch of “thank yous” written. . . as well as to get a bit of laundry done, some homemade soup going on the stove, perhaps catch up on some e-mail and schoolwork and a moment to think about New Year’s resolutions.  What a glorious day!

I’m hunkering down for a big snow and hope for lots to play in, especially for the boys with their new and old “snowmachines.”

Hope your New Year’s Eve is glorious, too!

As promised, I’m posting some pix of our favorite Snowball Cookies.  As the snow/ice/rain/sleet swirled around outside this weekend, transforming us into a true winter wonderland (or a terrible, slippery/slidy mess–depending on how you look at it!) I finally popped a batch in the oven.

Trouble is, in a few moments, there were . . .

GONE!!!!

Fortunately, I did take my own advice and tripled the batch, so I have more dough in the fridge.  My 3 guys decided they like them best warm and when there were looking for some more last night, I popped another batch in the oven and they were again devoured at breakneck speed.  Problem is, at this rate, there will be NONE for Christmas!  But, they’re enjoying them now!  Hope you do, too!

OK, I just couldn’t resist trying out a new banner, that’s very Christmas-y, on this weekend after Thanksgiving, right before the first of December!

It was a tad ridiculous when I saw Christmas items in the stores before Halloween–and I was rather surprised when I saw the spruce on the green all lit up when leaving school one night–but now I’m ready for it.  I almost couldn’t wait to rip off the autumnal brown/orange/sienna tablecloth on the diningroom table, complete with cornucopia as soon as Thanksgiving dinner was served–OK, actually the next day–so I could garnish with some crimson and greens!

How cute is this little Charlie Brown Christmas tree?  Just couldn’t resist . . .

Just seeing the very first, few flakes of snow early this morning (which quickly dissolved into hail, then rain) helped put me in the mood!

I already had the white candles in the windows for Thanksgiving and a few white lights on the palm tree inside, but now I’m aching for a family viewing of Christmas Vacation or even Christmas with the Kranks.  My daughter has already warmed me to lose the holiday vest!  (Maybe it’s just the luxury of having had a few days home before I jump headfirst into school responsibilities and activities tomorrow and forget that it’s even December!)

What are you doing to change gears from autumn to winter?  Do you have some favorite traditions that your family likes to share as you usher in this magical season?  Please share . . .