What A Difference 10 Days Can Make!

Finally!  We can now actually park at the house!! 

It is an awesome thing....NOT to have to carry 1 laptop case, 4 bags of groceries, the sack that has my 'real' shoes in it, not to mention the bulk size toilet tissue bundle, my 'everything I just might need today' shoulder bag, and the Starbucks coffee that I stopped to get just to give me enough spizz to get down the 1/4 of a mile drive covered in snow and ice!  On FOOT!

So being able to park at the house...that's a big thing!

Recently, we had a 'warming trend'....more like a tropical blast actually....but it did the trick.  It melted 20ish inches of snow - quickly!!

So I thought I'd give you an idea of what 10 days can do. 

Out the dining room window.....before....

....and 10 days later.....



Out of the other dining room window....

.....and then 10 days later you can actually see the pond....even with the ice still covering it.

The drive right out front also had quite a change.

From this beautiful winter wonderland ~

....to.....well, normal!

Probably the most important thing that 10 days can do is provide the weary travelers a better way to get to their vehicles.

From the brave bunch headed out in the morning on foot down the drive, down the hill, around 3 curves, 1/4 of a mile to the gate....



.....to being able to DRIVE up to the house!!  Through the gate, down the 1/4 of a mile drive, around 3 curves, up the hill...to the house!

Now all we have to do is figure out what to do with all this MUD!   

Love to all,
Carla

My Favorite Time of Year

Here in A-Ville, we are currently in my favorite time of year.  No, it's not because of the snow.  It's not because of winter, or warm and cozy, or wonderful warm fireplaces, or hot spiced tea...  None of those things, while I love them, make this my favorite time of year.

These two things make it my favorite time of year.

Son #1   and

Son #2.

You see, right now we are experiencing what Son #2 calls 'Magic Month', and what Son #1 calls 'The Month from H E Double Hockey Sticks'!!  For 5 weeks every year, my two sons are the same age. 

No, they are not twins,
Yes, it seemed as though they were,
Yes, it's a long story,
and No, I'm not going to tell it to you.

Trust me on this.

Even though those two sweet faces have differing opinions on what to call this period we find ourselves in....  I love it.    I remember it all.   From realizing each of them was coming, to the color coded bottles in the fridge, and the color coded hangers in the closets....to watching them learn to read, write, play instruments, play with their friends, to laser tag, airsoft, computers....... and I couldn't be prouder of the men they have become.

But there are two more that are the same age as well.

Cousin #1  and

and Cousin #2.

Something very special happened to my mama about 22 years ago.....she was blessed with four grandchildren in one year...and I did two of them!!    (Son #1, Cousin #1, Son #2, Cousin #2)  

And in nine days, we start year 23!!  

I just love this time of year....

Love to all,
Carla

The Solution

We have a unique problem here in A-Ville. 

No...I do not mean the men-in-my-life's literal NEED for terrifying movies!  Although, it could almost be catagorized as .....well....I digress.

The unique problem we have here in A-Ville is one of the things we most love.  We live down a rather long gravel road that provides us with seclusion...and we love that...until we have weather.  Snow, for the most part.  Rain isn't a whole lot of fun either, but snow is a bear!     (See post below...The Parking Lot)

What it has meant for us is that we've had to become creative in our solving this problem.  We've talked to people who have farms...and an 8 foot wide snow blower..    GREAT idea, but I haven't seen any 8 foot wide snow blowers at Home Depot.   The other solutions have been to get out there and shovel it.  Yeah....all 1/4 of a mile of it!  Uh....yeah....NO!   So, we have come up with a solution with a little help from our Texas friend...Bradley R.   Leave it up to a west Texas boy who know how take down 'stuff'!! 

A flame thrower!

Yeah....you heard it right.  A flame thrower....and man it does throw flame....and melt snow and ice.  

It also makes this loud rather scary noise like a jet engine about to take off!  

Even in the dark....pretty impressive!

The next thing we're going to check out is how well it cooks a steak!  

Love to all, and stay warm!

Carla



The Attack Cat

We have a cat.  

I know, I know....if you had told me a year ago we would have a cat, I would have said "There's no way under God's heaven, in the world, absolutely no way ever that we will have a cat!"  

There are perfectly good reasons I feel this way....
#1.   I'm allergic to cats!   and
#2.   I'm allergic to cats!!

And yet, we have a cat.

She adopted us.   One summer afternoon, she showed up all bones and scraggly....and the kids felt so bad for her that they gave her a bit to eat..and drink....for about 2 weeks straight!   Now what cat do you know that is leaving that!   So KeeKee is our cat.  My only request was that she 'work' for her keep!  

We live in the country.  On 38 acres.  When it starts to get really cold there are little varmits from the outside that like to come inside...and KeeKee likes it when they do.   She's an attack cat!

She's proven herself on more than one occasion....   Such an attack cat!

Three days ago I walked into our bedroom and saw this....

She was watching a little varmit....and I thought "What amazing eye sight cats must have to see that little varmit that far away"   (our bedroom windows are on the second floor)

Then I looked.

Yeah.....she's an attack cat with an attitude!!

You go KeeKee!!!

Love to all,

Carla

The Parking Lot

I love snow.   I admit it. 

I was raised in the plains of Texas where there were oil wells everywhere you looked, or golden wheat fields...and cows....but rarely snow.

Let me say that again...RARELY snow. 

When we received any type of winter percipitation, it was in the form of ice...and a 1/4 of an inch of ice can take out an 18-wheeler... 

So as a result, I love snow.  Large fluffy flakes, slowly floating down...settling softly...   almost sounds like a poem...  A week ago, we had a major snowfall here in the middle of the country.  In fact, out here in A-Ville we received more snow that the city did....we got 7 inches of snow in one afternoon.  

Beautiful snow.   Wonderful soft snow.

Needless to say, I was in heaven.

Until, three days later when reality set in.

You see, out here in A-Ville, the drive up to our house is, #1. a 1/4 of a mile long gravel road,  and #2... uphill!

This is what happens 3 days after the heavenly snow...

Isn't it beautiful.   From entering the drive you can feel the quiet....

all you see are the little prints of animals that have crossed the deep snow...

What a lovely drive...

On either side of the drive you see a winter wonderland...    the pond...

The fields...untouched....

Then you go around the first curve, and it happens...

aahhhhh....drat!   Please tell me those are NOT fishtail marks in the snow...

DANG!   This is not looking good....

Oh.  Dear.   So, you do the only thing you can do....

You put it in gear...and rev up the engine, because you know what's coming!

THE HILL!  And then you do the only thing you can do...

Pull up, put it in park, get out, and start walking!

Thus...the parking lot.

....and you head straight uphill.

Did I mention that it snows entirely too much, here in the middle of the country!

Love to all,

Carla

A New Thing

There seems to be a feeling of 'new' in A-Ville....   New hopes, new dreams, new realities, new possibilities.  I like new.  It can provide us with that new surge of enthusiasm, a new insight into life, or a new purse, and that ALWAYS helps. 

This New Year, we did a wonderful, fun thing with our boys and one of their ladies.  We went back to our favorite ski mountain, Crested Butte, and stayed for a week.  The weather was beautiful, the accomodations were amazing, and the company was wonderful. 

What a great view to wake up to each morning.

Don't they look excited!  First morning and they're ready to go....

At this point no one has bruises, everyone is warm, and everyone can breathe!! 

I love this picture of my men.  They had a great time trying to out-do each other on the black slopes!

And the conversations on the lifts.... they all enjoyed.

Even Grandma had a terrific time. 

And I even got to take my new purse!

Love to all,

Carla