Sunday, February 28, 2021

Mosaic Monday #120: February Thrills and Chills

I chose to live in Northwestern Montana, so you won't catch me complaining about winter.  I certainly won't gripe in light of the struggles recently faced by folks in Texas, including some of my family.  In fact, most of the time, I celebrate the snow and the cold -- its singular beauty can take your breath away as much as the bitter wind could.  I might even argue that I want MORE winter, preferably in the form of regular snowfall and temperatures below freezing -- all the better to maintain ideal ski conditions!  Welcome to my February highlight post, chock full of wintery scenes and the comforts that await us when we come in from the cold!

On a clear day at Whitefish Mountain Resort, you are surrounded by a 360-degree view of Northwest Montana/Southern British Columbia.  It is easy to say you are on top of the world!

  


Whitefish Mountain Resort employs several snow reporters, who have the enviable job of rising extremely early to report on mountain conditions.  I was very amused by this recent creative missive from reporter Pat!




On one of our outings, we tried a new Whitefish restaurant, Jalisco Cantina.  Upscale Mexican, and so deliciosa!!!

Sometimes, the white stuff (snow) can present its challenges, such as the powder day that caused our normal 1-hour trip to the mountain to explode to 2.5 hours.  Of course, a couple of accidents on the mountain road didn't help!  But the sun was spotlighting the mountain along the way -- so beautiful!


Fresh snow coats everything, as if a baker spent the night shaking a massive can of powdered sugar.  It's a delicious, romantic winter scene, with the warmth of the house beckoning to me across the frozen tundra.  


Who doesn't like the aroma of fresh baked goods?  To enter the house and be embraced by a swirl of lemon or ginger?  #1 Son and I have been getting our baking mojo on!


Mid-month, we had a week of deep freeze temperatures.  One day of work on the mountain was cancelled due to wind chills in the minus 30 range, but absent that, we carried on.  I took this photo of the car temperature gauge on the way to the ski resort on February 13.


For the second time in three years, the pipe leading to our washer froze up.  (The last time was in October 2020, another frigid period.)  The only solution is to super warm the laundry room, and run hot water in the kitchen until the ice is displaced.  We have some ideas on how to prevent this from happening again.  
In the front of the house, we have chains that hang from our gutters; they are more attractive than a long down-spout, and, if ice does form on them, it melts faster than ice that is lodged in a down-spout.  Toward the end of the deep freeze, the ice on the chain was a sturdy column three inches in diameter.
While much of the Flathead Valley was cold and buried in snow, it wasn't the case in all regions round-about.  I gave Spousal Unit a sleigh ride/dinner date as a gift for Christmas, and scheduled it for February 14.  Unfortunately, the Cripple Creek Ranch had so little snow that it was a wagon ride instead.  But, what can be more romantic than snuggling under a blanket and riding along to the jingle-jingle of the sleigh bells?!?


With Lent underway, Head Chef has built more fish into the menu.  These fish tacos, with avocado and a creole aioli sauce, were out of this world.


And another day, a special treat - fondue!

Speaking of fish, the "Circle of Life" continues.  The golden eagle has not made an encore, but the bald eagles have been on camera every day.  I suspect that the photos represent more than one eagle, but I only have a couple of poor shots with parts of two eagles in the frame.  I just can't imagine that one eagle could eat such copious amounts - after I reached 12 fish consumed (in one case, four in less than 15 minutes), I stopped counting.   It was hard to pare down the photos, but I thought you deserved to see these!!! (you can click on them to enlarge)




I love the close-up on the beak in the next shot.


Below, check out the shadow on the ground to the right of the eagle.


In the next picture, the wind was kicking up snow all around the eagle.  The blurry effect is special to me.


And if you are tired of eagles, how about a wolf?  (Or it might be a coyote.  Hard to tell at this time of year.  Other shots in this sequence have additional shadowy figures in the background, most likely other canines - so I suspect wolves.)



Winter is far from over in these parts, but the days in its grip are waning.  The other day, as we left the house for work on the mountain, I realized we didn't need to turn on the porch light.  The mornings are lighter and even now, as I wrap up this post on Saturday night at 6 pm, the sun is still hovering, casting alpenglow on the hills.   Goodbye to February's chills and thrills!

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time). 
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog. 
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back. 
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by. 
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully. 
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 


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Click here to enter

Sunday, February 21, 2021

Mosaic Monday #119: Feeding Tummies and Souls

I have been thinking about food lately.  Food plays many roles in our lives, beside the obvious contribution to nutrition (hopefully) and energy.  Entertainment.  A reason to gather.  A creative outlet.  Comfort.  The term "comfort food" has been traced back at least to 1966, when the Palm Beach Post used it in a story: "Adults, when under severe emotional stress, turn to what could be called "comfort food" - food associated with the security of childhood, like mother's poached egg or famous chicken soup."   

In October, my sisters moved our Mom from her independent cottage to an assisted living facility closer to my oldest sister.  In the process, I inherited three of Mom's cookbooks, which #1 Daughter transported to me when she came to visit for Christmas.   It would be an understatement to characterize them as well-loved!  The pages are sprinkled with splashes, evidence of cooking in years gone by!


The non-descript orange binder is the greatest treasure of them all.  The vast majority of the contents were painstakingly typed on a typewriter.  Notes in Mom's distinctive spiky handwriting pop up in margins, on post-it notes and on random sheets inserted throughout the sections, sections such as Bread, Cake, Candy, Cookies, Dressing, etc.   It is at once a snap-shot of the 1950's housewife, a record of family recipes, and a chronicle of family gatherings and the associated menu.  Who knew she kept these details?  In the midst of raising 7 children, when did she have time for this? 


Mom is 92, and it would take a lifetime to execute all these recipes, so I began by asking her about cakes.  Why cakes?  Birthday cakes feature prominently in early family photos.  February, April, May and October just for the first four!  So, I asked Mom about her favorite cake ... maybe I should not have been surprised to hear it was NOT any variety of layer cake, but rather the Saucy Applecake!


Where to go next?  Mom says her preferred cookies were the Famous Oatmeal Cookies, a recipe from her Great Aunt Anna.  I look forward to carrying on this fine family tradition, and you can expect to see them in a future post!  

Who would have guessed that this little orange binder could feed my tummy, my heart AND my soul?  Already I feel closer to Mom, despite the 1,900 miles that separate us.  Sometimes our phone conversations have been as dry as a crouton, a by-product of the life of a 92-year-old constrained by the pandemic.  Now, the cookbook presents a ready source of conversation topics.  

I flip the pages slowly, so many of them sending me into a dreamy reverie of times gone by.  Her famous Cranberry Salad recipe, a staple at our Thanksgiving table.  A recipe for zucchini bread, a frequent summer treat to deplete the overabundance of Dad's garden.  Punch recipes recall the graduation ceremonies of my older siblings, when I barely reached to their knees.  It seems rosy from here, some 60 years later, and yet I am sure there were challenging times for Mom, managing a household with nine souls under her care (yes, including Dad).  One of my sisters found this poem (author unknown) during the move process.  


My life is but a weaving     
Between my Lord and me

I cannot choose the colors    He weaveth steadily


Oftimes he weaveth sorrow     And I, in foolish pride

Forget He sees the upper        And I the underside


Not 'til the loom is silent        And the shuttle cease to fly

Shall God unroll the canvas    And reveal the reasons why


The dark threads may be needful   

In the skillful weaver's hands

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned  

During this time of Lent, I am reflecting on her self-sacrifice and her love.  While my memories may lean to the physical, such as the food she prepared for us, I know she worked hard to look after our spiritual needs as well.   Thanks, Mom, for feeding us -- tummies, hearts and souls.

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time). 
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog. 
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back. 
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by. 
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully. 
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Mosaic Monday #118: Another Revolution Around the Sun

Hello, my dear readers.  I am grateful to report that this week I have celebrated another revolution around the sun.  No, no need to know how many that makes!!!  (And those of who you do know, no need to share my secret in the comments!!!)

Once again, greetings from far and wide have blessed me - don't we all need at least one day a year to be in the spotlight and to be spoiled?  Family, former work colleagues, former and current neighbors - each wish for a happy birthday was a little ray of sunshine, adding up to a whole lot of warmth!  And these days, salutations come in so many forms - e-cards, FaceBook comments, email, texts and even cards that come via the US Postal Service!!!


It's even better when the celebration extends either side of the day itself.  Why limit the fun to just one 24-hour period, when it can last a week or two?  Cards began arriving a week before my birthday, and my Dear Neighbor Friend showered me with gifts four days early.   She gave me enough cinnamon rolls to feed an army; a wise move given that #1 Son and Spousal Unit have access!  You might recognize the moose bar of soap - it was in my 1/24/2021 post.  So thoughtful to get it for me - she knows I ADORE moose!  The slim box with "Thank You" on the front contains printable card stock and envelopes - perfect for the card-making I love to do!  And the Nature Valley granola bars are "payback, with interest" on one that I gave her a while back.  We had a good laugh over that one!!!

Around the time of my birthday, I can also be fairly expansive in my definition of "gifts".  A couple of days before my special day, a deer began to pass through the "back yard", pausing under the birdfeeders to snack on fallen sunflower seeds.  Yep, that display is just for me!!!



I can ski for hours in cold temperatures, but when we get home, there is no substitute for a fire and a warming cocktail for me/a bourbon for Spousal Unit!

We've had quite a bit of snow lately (good news around these parts) and that "gift" meant I needed to pull out my snowshoes for the first time this winter.  The 'shoes have special meaning for me since they were one of my retirement surprises from my team four years ago.  What a joy to climb the hills, to gain a new vantage point, to see pure white snow broken only by my tracks.



My birthday began as it should, with breakfast in bed!  Later, I moved to the great room and alternated between stitching and gazing out the window.  Spousal Unit and #1 Son indulged me by joining in a snowshoeing venture around the back forty.  (In the collage below, Spousal Unit and I are standing on the ice in front of the beaver lodge.)
When we returned to the house, I stopped to fill up the birdfeeders, and asked Spousal Unit to snap some shots while I fed a few by hand.  The mountain chickadees are fearless, and the black-capped chickadees are starting to get into the game.  The nuthatches wait patiently among the aspens.  Here I am with a black-capped chickadee.

By the time I got inside, the boys had placed cards and gifts around my spot at the table, and lit the candles on my cake.  I had to puff a couple of times to get all the candles out!  Oh, that carrot cake sure hit the spot after our walk in the woods.

Not pictured below is a certificate for a massage, and a new trail cam that is on back order.  I am quite thrilled about this trail cam, which will allow me to retrieve photos remotely!  I will have so many more options for placement of the camera - watch this space for (more) exciting wildlife photos!  Oh, and we decided to call the latest addition to my moose collection "Lord Mountbatten".


We played a few rounds of Rummikub, and then we ate a home-made version of Skyline Chili, my requested birthday meal.  Can you say food coma?


I could go on and on through time, counting my many gifts, but even I have to close this birthday chapter, for now.  What better way than to come full circle to my DNF, and our cross-country skiing excursion, the day after my birthday?




***     ***     ***     ***     ***     ***     ***     ***     ***
While I have been busy celebrating another year of life, many others have not been so blessed.  As of the date of this post, 496,208 US residents have died from COVID, and the world has lost more than 2.3 million souls to the pandemic.    Closer to home, I recently became aware of the suicide of a 24-year-old man who was the brother of an Olympian from Whitefish, Montana.  Back in November, a 27-year-old woman attempted suicide by crashing her car at a high rate of speed into the train depot in Whitefish.  Unfortunately, I could go on.  According to the CDC, in 2018, suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34 in the US; there were more than 2.5 times the number of suicides as homicides.   Stay close to those you love; if you think someone is in crisis, or you need to talk to someone, in the US you can call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK(2855), 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  


Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time). 
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog. 
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back. 
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by. 
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully. 
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
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