It's been years since I played that game on the playgroud

But wasn't it called "Red light, Green light" and not "White light, Green light"?OK, I am guessing it is safe now!

We are dug out!

A fair bit of snow fell on The Homestead overnight.

Dad had the sidewalks scraped down to the surface at sunset yesterday and there was just a little more than 12" on them this morning. It was enough to make Jake wonder where he should go.

Any decent winterscape shots meant even the snowshoes needed to be dug out.

And it was well worth the effort

I did get a few more bird shots this morning, but they needed to wait for feed to be scattered.

Waiting for the sun to come up over the horizon

Just enough cloud cover for a dream like quality to everything

Jake really wanted his morning ride and was put out that he had to wait till this afternoon before the truck left the driveway.

About 1 PM we are dug out.

It helps to plan strategy with the neighbor up the hill. John just got a snow blower this year. They used to have a plow service but I think he's always been envious of Dad's snow blower.

A few times up and down the long lane and the driveway is open for business. He really loves this stuff - day or night! I am glad he has the snow blower and is more mobile this year. I know the snow blower helps stabilize him as he walks but when your dad has had 3 knee and 2 hip surgeries (and still has an original hip) there is a tendency to be concerned.
The road was plowed by the time we got to the end of the driveBut there wasn't a car in sight.
Dad is a big believer in keeping the snow from your drive out of the road.
Opening up the end of the driveway

By late morning, he had made it out to the place where he feeds the deer each afternoon.

Which is where he experienced his first mishap of the day - and ran out of gas.

Messing up the walkway I scraped down so carefully on the way to the shed.Which is where he experienced his 2nd mishap of the day with the snow blower. Let's just say it is a good thing he was done snow blowing and I am glad he had his hands on the snow blower when it happened. So, let's move along because there really is nothing else to see here and go look at the pretty birds that showed up earlier in the soft morning light.

A female cardinal

A male cardinal

Yesterday, I tried and tried to get pictures of the near half dozen cardinals in the backyard and instead found blue birds hamming for the camera. Today, blue jays got skittish and flew off as soon as I slid out the door, but the cardinals were around these are the best of the pictures I could get standing as still as a post on the porch without getting frozen myself.

I am snow very happy!

I absolutely love the snow! Love it! And I know this puts me in radically thin company this time of year. About 10 minutes after the first snowflake showed up in late November, people started complaining about the snow and wishing winter away. Granted, some friends of mine here in NJ were a little more even minded and enjoyed the post-Christmas blizzard since it didn't disrupt school or too many travel plans. Here in the Northeast, we take snow with a grain of salt - we know it is going to happen - so we have salt trucks and snow plows ready for the onslaught. But as the weekly snow storms this January have dumped on average 4-8" (depending upon where you live in NJ) many people I know have grown down-right snow weary and winter fatigued. My friend Tracey has even put Old Man Winter on notice and she plans to drop him like a hot potato and throw him over for Hot Mr. Summer - but with no luck. Because - cue the music for a bass solo -

you know Ol' Man Winter,
That old man winter,
He let's it snow in winter,
But not in the summer,
He just keeps snowing,
He just keeps snowing along!

Well, today's winter storm was something of a 'surprise!' here in NJ. Even though we've been hearing about it for close on for a week or so, weather models over the weekend predicted a wintry mess of rain and sleet. Presently it is doing that outside right now. Yesterday, nearly every weather model out there forecast that the precip would be light this morning and pick up its intensity this afternoon. And that just didn't happen. It started snowing before dawn and the morning rush hour was awful. Plows and spreaders were scrambling because they trusted the weather prognosticators. But as my brother says to his summer lifeguarding staff wondering about thunderstorms headed for the pool he manages, "You can't predict the future, only rely on the past to guide your guesses". But no one guessed that there would be 4" of snow on the ground by 8:30 this morning. So I don't blame Tracey or a former pastor of mine who is ready to take a snow shovel to the person he finds out has been praying for snow. I do try and keep a low profile about how much I enjoy this kind of weather by not constantly advertising how much I enjoy weather like this - and Mike, I promise, it really wasn't me saying those prayers!Some snow haters might think I like the snow so much because I don't have to deal with the hardships or downside of a winter storm. But I've had my share of terrifying and life changing moments in snow storms. Once my car was nearly totaled in a single vehicle car accident during the Blizzard of '96 (and I remain forever grateful to my cousin Steve for rescuing me and my car!) I also experienced a memorable 8 hours driving my car with frozen windshield fluid through Kentucky and West Virginia in a steady snow. The whole drive, my friend Kulli, an international student from Estonia, calmly read a book in the passenger seat next to me would occasionally look up and say "It really isn't bad yet, is it?" to which I would reply "It'll be your turn to clean the windshield at the next rest stop" where we would both get out, grab handfuls of the cleanest slush we could find and wash the front windshield of the sand, salt and grit thrown up from the tractor trailers crawling alongside us on the interstate. And I have the tragic memory seared into my brain forever of seeing my neighbor on Second Street in Dunellen fallen over in the middle of the sidewalk with a shovel in his hand and then helping to keep his new widow warm and dry in the open garage door while the police waited on the coroner's office office to show up. Even after all these years, my brother can tell by the sound of the phone that I've called to tell him to be very careful for all the snow clean-up he does for his house, his mother-in-law's and our aunt.

Maybe it is because I respect the snow and the potential harm it holds that allows me to love it as much as I do. In several ways, snow is kind of like the ocean: a terrible force able to snuff out life without a moment's notice and yet a tranquil entity that invites you to drink it in and contemplate its vast peaceful beauty. Life slows down in a snowstorm. I think of it as Mother Nature's way of telling us to take a break from the routine of life. So many of us schedule vacations for the summer, but Old Man Winter gets to decide for us that it is time to take stock, hunker down, snuggle up for a bit and ride out the storm. Of course, it is hectic and puts us on edge as we race to the grocery store to stock up on milk, bread and eggs. There's no doubt in my mind that there are more of us (me included) buying these stapes to have them 'just in cases' than those who are of thinking about making French toast as a delightful way to enjoy the storm. There's also a mess to clean up but as we (please be careful and safe out there!) shovel clear our walkways and driveways, there's a new fresh blanket covering the earth, protecting it from winter's harshest furies and renewing the ground for spring.

I've said before on this blog that I love each of the four seasons in their own turn. And as true as that is, I freely admit to have a very soft spot for Old Man Winter having lived in the South for many years and not experiencing my annual dose of snow. One of my favorite Bible verses (and I've blogged about it here ) is Ecclesiastes 3:1, "To everything there is a season, a time to every purpose under heaven" and this morning, my reading of Proverbs 26:1 added a timely twist on Ecclesiastes; "Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool". That speaks to me today, reminding me there's a rhythm to life and the seasons we pass through. Each season does something special in its turn. My parents raised two kids to enjoy winter sports as much as summer swimming and I see my brother instilling that in my niece and nephew. As much as each season threatens peril there is good to be had as well - an opportunity to let go and let God work within us in this season now so we will be ready for the next as it comes in its own turn. Because if there is one thing we do know; one day ol' man winter won't be snowing, he'll just be rolling along.

Because this fence line looks so good in the snow,
I couldn't limit myself to just one picture.

Can you call a rainbow in January

a snowbow? Just wondering. Even if it is still a rainbow,
(because technically there was a passing rain shower)
it was pretty neat to see one with snow on the ground.

No fair!

I got whammied with a virus that has visited the whole rest of my family during the New Year. That meant I was sticking close to the Homestead and not venturing out further than the porch to take pictures of the Nordic Expedition into the woods beyond the pond. That's ok, since I had gone the other night in deeper snow with snow shoes and then last night with my niece and Jake the dog, I didn't miss much with sunlight guiding the way.

Using the grassy trail before things get dicey on the snow!

I felt so lousy I wasn't interested in getting a better shot than this. I also missed out on sledding today but will live to see another day!

Snow tubing Sunday!

It's a three day weekend, there is snow on the ground....need you have wondered what my niece and nephew are up to? Of course, snow tubing on a sunny winter Sunday afternoon!

Sarah getting ready at the top!

Luke loves this hill!

There are a half dozen moguls on the one run which makes for lots of fun going down. Hay bales at the bottom of the hill keeps everyone safe.

The hill is steep enough for speed and small enough that lots of runs can be made.

I'll have a movie of all the action prepared and up on my new blog site in a few weeks!

Snacks are always a good thing.

A little nourishment can keep a kid going and going and going! Auntie enjoyed herself on a tube designed for water rafting until a patch of hay ripped it open. Then I was forced to use the flimsy plastic sled on several runs. Let me tell you, after going down on a cushy tube, the little skimmers are bone jarring in comparison. I'll be looking real close at some end of season sales in a few weeks, let me tell you!

In my opinion

This would make a great Christmas card. If I actually sent Christmas cards, I'd consider using this shot. But normally I send Thanksgiving cards.....what do you think the chances are I could get a turkey to wobble his gobbler and pose for me?

I love snow!

Maybe its because I lived in the South for a few years and missed my annual dose of winter. Or maybe it's because when we were kids, our parents would take us to Maine for a long weekend to build snow igloos and go skiing. Or maybe because I just love the fact there are four seasons to enjoy and savor throughout the year.
Regardless of why it maybe, I just think if it is going to be cold, there ought to be snow on the ground. And whether or not Mother Nature can help provide the blanket of snow, I'll make sure there is one inside for me to enjoy on a cold winter's evening.

A favorite scene

Recently, this view has become a favorite of mine. I've done several morning shots but this afternoon as I traveled home, I loved the pinkish color in the eastern sky opposite the setting sun. It obliged me to wait and go dark about 10 minutes after I snapped this frame.

Snow tracks!

The snow came as expected overnight and this morning much of New Jersey was blanketed with enough snow to justify the school closings made last night. We got almost 10" here at The Homestead and it was a beautiful sight to look out and see Mother Nature's latest blanket covering the landscape in a fluffy white comforter. At sunrise, the snowscape of The Homestead wasn't marred by a single human footprint, but there was evidence of foot traffic around the property from deer.

Yesterday, Luke and Sarah were absolutely fascinated with each set of footprints they found in the snow near the pond's edge. The rapid fire of questions like, "What kind of animal made these tracks, Auntie?" and "Auntie, do you think these are deer tracks or raccoon tracks?" gave me pause to wonder if we were there for ice skating or a nature walk. But as the photos testify, I eventually managed to get their skates onto their feet. This morning, I thought I would take a few pictures of the deer prints and email them, but along the way, the idea of a blog entry got the better of me, so today, we'll tour the Homestead and see what evidence of wildlife we can find.....

First off, just outside the backdoor, there are large bounding prints belonging to a playful animal looking for his morning playmates; the birds and the squirrels. Well, the birds and squirrels didn't get come out to play and I'm not really sure they like playing with the creature that makes these kinds of tracks in the snow as much as they like teasing this animal.

Hmmm, who could it be that makes these kinds of tracks so close to the house?It's Jake, of course!

On my way out to get a closer shot of the prints the deer left, I turned around and got a shot of Auntie tracks that had some Jake tracks weaving around them.

These intersecting lines are paths the deer made in the snow.

I guess deer don't always like to follow one another and sometimes like to make their own paths in the snow.
Getting closer to the deer trails you can see the places where their legs sunk into the snow. I guess they like to make lots of trails like Jake.

The snow is too deep to get pictures of their actual footprints.
But you can tell were they traveled!

Jake is enjoying himself as he gets out closer to where the deer were. He has got to be the loneliest dog in the world. Even if the deer had been here, they would have run away from Jake.

Can you tell which tracks belong to Auntie, which belong to Jake and which belong to the deer?

Let's see what we can find over in the driveway where Grandpop did some snowblowing.....If you think this belongs to Jake, you are right!

Hey, Grandpop's truck leaves tire prints!Anybody who has ever been to Freeport, ME will probably know these boots belong to the L.L.Bean Gumshoe Boot. This pair belongs to Grandpop!

This print belongs to Auntie's pink Muckboots she got last spring. They keep her toes warmer then the Gumshoe boots ever could and she doesn't even have to wear an extra pair of socks!
This afternoon, I wondered if I could find some rabbit tracks, but when I ventured outside, I found out all the little bunnies were burrowed down for the day. I did find some other interesting prints though.....

I found these tracks very close to the bird feeder.

And these were there, too!

(Maybe if Auntie had taken a class in ornithology - which is the word for bird identification - in college instead of dendrology - which is the word for tree identification - she would know which bird made which tracks. But she didn't so she doesn't know.)
I found these deer tracks out near the front stream, do you think they look like the tracks I saw this morning? These must be more deer tracks!
Oh, my goodness! Those are some rather strange tracks. And they are very big! Let's see if we can get a closer look.......
Well, that is a very strange track in the snow. Hmmm, what do you think could make a print that looks like that?

Oh! It's Auntie! But those aren't Muckboots making the prints this time, those are snowshoes! They let her walk on top of the snow so it is easier to walk in the snow.

But Jake isn't interested in walking in Auntie's snow shoe prints, he still likes going his own way!
Jake and Grandpop had a great time playing in the snow this afternoon. Grandpop would throw the tennis ball to Jake.....

And then Jake would find it in the snow

And then play 'keep away' once he found it. Jake likes that game even if there isn't snow on the ground!
Too bad the last grocery list didn't have "Moose Tracks" on it, ice cream would be a wonderful treat tonight!