Category: Life

Chez Nous

December 23, 2006 – Click on image for higher resolution version.

I took this early this morning on my way home from grocery shopping. (I wanted to avoid the madding crowds.) In a process very similar to one of solving one of those sliding tile puzzles, we managed to free the truck and Subaru with minimal digging. (This process was helped by the truck’s 4WD and the Subaru’s AWD.) Since I had neglected to unhook the trailer from the truck, we had to park it where we could instead of its normal slot. Although at times I dislike how close our house it to the road, the short driveway with its southern exposure is great when we get a lot of snow. If you look at the high resolution image, you can see trailer, truck, house, barns and even the horses standing at the gate waiting for room service.

Snowbound

Jack is entertaining himself by making Beer Bread. I am entertaining myself by watching neighbors dig out the truck that is stuck in the same place vehicles always get stuck after a major snowstorm. Each storm, at least one neighbor attempts to prove that 4WD means you shouldn’t have to wait for the county snow plow. Since I25 (about 2.5 miles away) is not yet open, I have no idea of where they were going with the truck.

Dubious Mia

Taken on December 21, 2006.

Mia did not believe that I was serious about her leaving the mudroom this morning. After several attempts to call her, in which she turned around and went back inside, I had to put a leash on her and lead her to a part of the dog run which had been scoured bare by the winds. Fortunately, Lody loves to gambol in the snow, so I didn’t have to coax her out. Then, I went back inside and watched Magic and Rags playing by the barn through the bedroom window. It would have been a lot more charming if I hadn’t been worried about elderly horses fooling around like foals in dangerous conditions.

And it is still snowing.

Blizzard

I went to the mudroom door to take a photo of the blizzard in process, and decided blizzards are not good subjects for photography. Right now I would be taking a photo of what isn’t there: views of the neighbors’ houses. I can’t see them, and at times can barely see our own outbuildings. The horses seem to feel that it is a good day to stay inside of the barn, instead of their normal snow storm behavior of huddling outside, tails to the wind, as if they had no shelter. I am sure they do this to make me crazy.

El Paso County seems to have pretty much shut down for the duration of the storm, aided by the fact that many schools were already taking winter break. Jack decided to work from home and the dogs are curled up in their beds, so all is right with my little corner of Colorado.

Wednesday, 2006-10-11 – Bushmills to Dublin via Glenariff Forest Park

Wednesday morning, we woke up to a steady rain. We were joined in the B&B’s breakfast parlor by a couple from Queensland, Australia, and spent some time comparing our experiences of Ireland. After breakfast, we packed the car and headed toward Bushmill’s Distillery. This distillery is the oldest one in Ireland, and gives hourly tours during the tourist season, and less frequent tours at other times of the year. We arrived just after a tour began, so we joined that one in the auditorium.

Continue reading Wednesday, 2006-10-11 – Bushmills to Dublin via Glenariff Forest Park

Monday, 2006-10-09 – Mayo and the trip to Antrim

We slept round the clock, waking about 8:00 am. It took me a while to figure out how to start the shower, since the process included pulling the safety cord outside of the shower stall. While Jack showered, I tried to figure out what I would need that day, so it would be accessible in the car. Between my riding gear and Jack’s golf clubs, we didn’t have a lot of room to maneuver once we loaded the luggage.

Continue reading Monday, 2006-10-09 – Mayo and the trip to Antrim