Snowed In

The terrain was enveloped in the first major snowstorm of the season, causing the entire day to be thoroughly cast in sepia tones and chalky whites. And while the snow and wind were relentless, building snowdrifts upon the windows, we heeded the advice to stay in and off the roads today, allowing me sufficient time to work on some Christmas-y tasks and make my "from scratch" chicken noodle soup. A lone deer even came to settle in our back woods and hunkered down to wait out the harsh elements of the day…sustained winds ranging from 30 to 40 miles per hour and what seemed like endless snow! I was wishing I had a better camera that could capture his snowy features that I could see looking through our binoculars. He held his head to the wind as his body gradually was buried under layers of snow.

Then, later this evening, perhaps feeling a bit "cabin fever-y", Hub and I decided to venture out to see what the day had brought us in terms of white matter. Under the darkness of evening, we trekked through our woods, across parts of our property that had yet to be explored by us. While I was a bit reticent, Hub pushed onward and I declared that I must hold onto his gloved hand as I fretted about stepping upon some hibernating family of creatures. The white, snow-covered land, trees adorned with Christmas lights, and occasional truck passing by, provided just enough light for us to find our way. We ended our outdoor adventures by grabbing an old snowboard and riding it down a hilly slope in our yard, landing in precarious positions all the while getting snow up my back and in my sleeves, reminding me of the "kids" we really still are.

{above, our snow-covered deck railing at night}