Well, we’re tunneling out of the effluence that descended Saturday and Sunday. It’s funny but the wind, which was substantial for most of the duration of the storm, meant that some areas were buried under 6 foot drifts, but other areas were bare. Very eerie looking. The kitchen window looks out over the patio roof and that roof is completely clean - as though it had been swept. On the other hand, the bedroom window (on the exact opposite end of the apartment) looks out over the front porch roof:
I expect to see skiers coming over the crest any minute now…
The sun is shining brightly now and I’m watching a steady stream of water melting off the old slate roof. Occasionally there is a whump as a quantity of snow (sometimes a large quantity of snow) slides off and hits the ground.
Bearing in mind that I’m not much of a photographer and that my camera is ancient and not designed for night photography, this is what it looked like around here on Saturday night.
Looking towards the fir tree across the street
It was actually kind of cool. Despite the cruel reputation of New England winters, we don’t get this kind of action in this particular area very often. Pretty amazing to watch - especially from a nice, warm vantage point.
Dad has mentioned, several times now, that he can’t keep his hands warm. So when I saw him Saturday, I brought my knit fingerless gloves with me for him to see and try on. The concept was a new one for him but he immediately realized one of their major virtues.
“I could play the clarinet with these on!”
He’s been playing the clarinet for more than 60 years and it is one of the very few things in his life that he loves without reservation. Cold fingers seriously get in the way here.
Amusingly, he thought I had made these for him and told me not to worry about the color (he virulently hates anything in the purple-lavender-violet family) and then laughed when I told him he couldn’t have these; these were mine! But the size, both length and width were perfect for him so I started these Saturday night:
Clarinet playing gloves
This is the Inca Alpaca and I must say it is a very sensually gratifying fiber to work with. It’s a bit thinner than I had thought, but doesn’t present any difficulties on size 5 (US) needles and is as soft and silky as can be. I know they will be warm and they won’t irritate his skin which, like mine, can be fairly sensitive to coarser materials. I think the oxblood color will be fine for him - it’s a very rich shade! I debated with myself about the cables, wondering if they would seem too girly but decided to keep them in the end (cabling every 6th row instead of every 4th) because they’re so useful in keeping the glove snugged up to the hand and wrist. A baggy glove would be a real annoyance, I should think!
A friend gave me a jar of pumpkin butter last Friday. It’s very intensely flavored with, besides the pumpkin, cloves, ginger and cinnamon. I put a teaspoon of it in my oatmeal this morning, along with a few sunflower seeds for a little crunch. Ooooh baby! Just the thing for a winter morning. I’ve spent the last couple of hours trying to talk myself out of another bowlful!
Happy Monday folks - stay warm :)
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nothing girly about that cable- and the alpaca will be nice and light and soft, as well as warm, while keeping his fingers free to help him tootle away on the clarinet- ah, you are going to be in the running for the ‘good daughter award’ for these-
i love the picture taken during the actual snowfall- that’s not something we see much of around here (well, duh, this is southeast texas!) so the ‘action shots’ are most interesting-
stay warm there- and stay happy-
Barb - Good daughter award? LOL! I used up all my good daughter points when I was a teenager.
Myria likes the snow picture too :)
Please send me some of your snow :) I LOVE your icicles. We don’t get that kind of cold this far south in England :(
Pam - Believe me, I’d send all of it to you if I could! That icicle (and all his brothers outside my kitchen window) just make me cold. Though it’s fun to watch the cats watching them drip :)
Great handwarmers - claret for the clarinet…
I should know by now not to read your blog until -after- dinner. It always makes me instantly starving. haha! Anyway, I was thinking, “geez, why can’t i have a clarinet-playing dad” but then i realized my dad has a perfect need for fingerless gloves—he’s a year round shooting enthusiast. Of course, he only needs one finger omitted (trigger finger), but I’m sure I could adapt something! Thanks for your ideas, I steal them regularly. haha!!
Robbyn,
You are a wonderful daughter indeed…. I will stop complaining about the 18 inches of snow that we received from that storm. I saw the pictures of Boston and surrounding towns. I am sure your dad will enjoy those gloves. Stay warm!!!
Karen - That’s good! I’m going to tell him that when I give him the gloves :)
Laura - Help yourself - glad to be useful :) Sorry about making you hungry…Heheh…
Maureen - 18” - in the Lakes Region? I didn’t think it would be that bad that far north! Guess the Mt. Washington is in for the season, hunh? LOL!
