it's the most wonderful time of the year

i've been meaning to post several more festive photos, but there was something amiss with blogger and i couldn't until now. so although christmas and new years have passed and the snow is now depressing dirty-gray (and you can see everywhere the dogs have been, if you know what i mean), it's still quite cold, blustery and oh-so-hot toddy-worthy here! cheers!






when it first started to snow we thought it was fun and creative to make "snow chutes;" after a while we just scraped and shoveled and tried not to swear like a sailor. only the canines continue to find pure, pure joy in it...













sort of an old fashioned photo, in honor of the most snow we can remember in years...



























i'd like to come in now, please!






















shimmery christmas ribbon with foothills behind
























i like christmas treats, too!


















i just can't get enough of that cold white stuff!




















all this playing in the snow is hard work!

more wintery wonder

southerly twilight view...

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

really it is. and usually it isn't. most decembers it is mild (average temp of about 45F or so here) and rainy, if anything. we cheer ourselves if it's blustery and freezy-rainy (it's sooo cold; let's have a hot toddy!). but this year? shoveling snow--lots of it. closing off parts of the house that are just too darned cold to try to heat. sleeping by the fire. staying home because it's too treacherous to drive. calling each other on the phone: "how much do you have? we have four inches more; that makes 16 in all...did you lose power last night?" buying a propane stove in case we need to cook by the side of the house, the outside.

come now, we plead. this is western washington! but it's true. very snowy and cold.

it continues. and we're loving it.

only seven more reindeer needed...

it's wet, but not exactly like rain...

on the warm side of the glass...

this plant will never be the same...