Winter

We are getting ready to "hunker down" for the coldest weather in this region since 1990 - the year we left Portland to move to sunny Sarasota, Fl. I remember it well - we left just in front of the storm and our friends kept us updated on just how bad the weather was. Snow is predicted, so we'll see. Right now it's raining again. We're learning a lot of "new" concepts since moving here - like the best way to grow moss (rice water and cheesecloth), the importance of well maintenance (yearly clean out - ouch!) and sump pumps, and the frequency of changed/botched plans due to power outages (5 in the past 2 1/2 months) - oh and the blessedness of generators! I have learned also that not ALL plants live year long - and to ask questions like, Is this an annual plant? Does it prefer dry or wet soil (I haven't watered a plant outside since moving here)? How much sun does it need:)? Can it make it through the winter freeze?
And then there's the change in perspective. We used to say, "Oh, it's just a Category 2" - and now we say, "Oh, it's only down to 35 degrees". In spite of what you might think, we are still enjoying it here (ask me again at the end of winter).
It is nice that we can take the dogs with us without having to worry about them overheating in the vehicle. But SOMETIMES they get tired of waiting......HOW long did they say it would take them?


Maybe if I look out the window I can see them quicker.




It has been 24 hours since I wrote the first part of this blog - and look what we woke up to today!


Well, it isn't much, but it still qualifies as snow!! We won't be driving on our mountain roads with the steep downhill grade today.



That's about all for today. Darlene, this one's for you: