Snow!

I can actually say we have snow on the ground! And a lot of it! I always hated winter and snow but now, perhaps it is just the novelty of it, but I am loving it! The kids have never had real, stick to the ground snow.

There has been inch or so a few times before. Last year, and this year in November and December... once. We made the most of those little glimpses of winter. Bundling up (like snow ninjas), making soggy snowmen, coming in soaking wet and sipping hot chocolate by the fire. Walking to school was an adventure! Mr. Lovebug was a snow plow on the bridge and we caught huge snow flakes on our tongues.

This past week we had SNOW! Real, stick to the ground, play- in snow. We built a megafort, threw snowballs, ate icicles and came inside caked in snow with glowing pink cheeks.

Now it is above freezing and raining and soon our magical play thing will be gone. Gone for how long, we don't know. I'm so grateful that we had this snow week. School has been canceled for the whole week. The roads are a mess, they have no idea how to cope with snow in Washington! I can hear the ice on the roof cracking as I reminisce on our small peek at real winter.

There was a coyote in our yard (not the field). It took off when I went out there, I'm guessing it was just hungry and looking for some mice snacks....or chickens. Not on my watch, friendo!

Nature baby climbed on the hill I made after the first snow. We really weren't expecting it to continue. And then, behold mega fort! Which became a drift taller than me. The kids climbed, slid and jumped for hours.

Honey wasn't having any of it and it was hilarious. 

Today, it is raining. Everything is covered in ice from freezing rain. The trees are heavy, all you can hear whilst the wind is blowing is the ice cracking as the trees bend and break. It's loud and beautiful.

The snow will soon be gone and we'll be back to rain. Rain. Rain. More rain. The snow will be missed as I pack away our winter gear in the upcoming week. 

The maple syrup still runs thick through my veins. 

2016 goals

Can you believe it's 2016, I certainly can't! 2015 was a big year for us with really great highs and really low lows.

This year I've got goals!

• Paint every ceiling and the 3 bedrooms
• Build a fence, even if it's just cattle panels.
• Improve the garden (more on that coming up later)
• New play set for the kids, the death trap has got to go!
• Upgrade a few things in the house the dishwasher, get a few bookcases, figure out a better toy stage system, some new light fixtures for above the table and the bed rooms. 
• Stop looking like a hobo all the time. I should to start getting my hair done regularly (once a year doesn't cut it and that'll give me some knitting time), get some new jeans. Mine are bad! And just take a little bit of time for myself, I'd like to not be so tired all the time
• I'd like to knit something nice for myself, it'd been a long time since I made anything for me. I have a ton of this I'd like to make but always end up starting a project for someone else. 

I think my goals are reasonable and all very do-able. I'm keeping it simple for 2016.
What are you working towards this year?

Photo Friday

I know,  it's been a while since I did a photo Friday. Truth is I haven't really found too much that I've been interested in or had the energy to photograph. So it goes.

A few weeks ago, during the full moon in November we have a great sunset with a giant moon rising over the mountains.

This weekend we're headed up North to Santa's village. It's been a rough few weeks and I'm glad to get out of the house and have a distraction that isn't work. I know that kids will have a great time. I'm looking forward to having some Tim's and getting outside. Especially outside that isn't covered in dirt.

Can you believe that Christmas is right around the corner?

The second flood

As you may remember we had some flooding a few weeks back, the first flood was on a Friday and the Wednesday after we had more flooding. The water is now gone, just in time for another flood watch, and I've been working on the clean up. The dirt that was washed in is heavy clay. I sprayed, shoveled and swept what I could and the rest will just have to stay for now.

There is a lot of mulch from the berry fields, stuff from the compost (chicken coop bedding, vegetables), sticks and branches and even a dead bird that all needs to be cleaned up. I haven't been in the garden to pull everything that's left. There is a water line in the trees that doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

By the time I was able to get out there to take photos, that water had already started going down and had dropped by about a foot. I wasn't about to wade around in above the ankle deep flood water with my camera! I will say some of the photos are beautiful and quite dramatic. The above photos are pretty close to what I woke up to, the tire swing was partially submerged, as was the step to the deck and the boot scrubber. Below is once the sun came up.

Every time we have a flood warning or watch, this is what I'm going to expect to happen. This way there will be no surprises. Our road was closed for almost 2 days, that didn't stop vehicles from going through. On the other side of the river (which also flooded) the sheriff was pulling anyone over that dared ignore the signs.

Even though we didn't have any damage or loss it is still an incredibly stressful situation to deal with. Last year, we had only a tiny bit of flooding, no where even close to what we just had. With every potential disaster I feel better equipped to deal with the next. Now I understand why my neighbors don't worry about the river. That isn't to say that I will become complacent. Everyday is one day closer to the end of the rainy season, only 3 more months to go.

Photo Friday

Ah, fall. (ah, like a sigh of relief, not AHHH ZOMBIES).
Bring on the misty mornings, chilly nights and pumpkin everything.

Wild life around Scribs farm

We have an incredibly diverse bunch of animals we share our land with. We have seen a handful of coyotes, a giant possum and a GIANT Beaver. That's right, a beaver. In the field.
Here's just a few.

Monday motivation

Pretty spectacular sunrise, no?

This weekend we moved the chicken coop outside, I got some gardening done, unfortunately I still have 3 or 4 rows left to plant and 8 plants left to transplant. One day it will be finished.

Next week my parents are visiting, that means it's time for the company's coming clean. My house is in a pretty sad state right now. A is done with his afternoon nap and I'm a bit overwhelmed with chores stacking up. Such is life. It will be nice to have some help and keep the kids distracted while I get some much needed work done.

If I get 2 more rows of the garden planted I will be happy.

What have you got going on this week?

day trip up the mountains

Scribs and I took a trip up to the mountains for a little day-date sans-kids. Thanks Mother-In-Law for  watching them! Let me tell you, I understand why Pacific North Westerners say PNW is best. I am becoming one of them. I love it here, it is unbelievably beautiful!

Everything is covered with moss which is both magical and destructive. But lets focus on the magical part! It's like living in a fairy tale. 

There's more photos after the break, a by more I definitely mean more! 

Photos by a 3 year old.

A. asks to use my camera almost every time I have it out. I usually let him (with help). He point the camera where he wants looking through the view finder, I hold it where it puts it and he presses the button (focusing and all).

Here's what he shot the other day. I think they're pretty good!

I think that kid needs his own camera!