Frost Time 2025

Last night's Cold Moon

 
Winter has found us here. We're a little colder than normal and there is snow on the ground.

A scene along our daily walk

We were able to harvest some "free lettuce" from the garden in mid-November. Now we'll depend on our frozen greens and the fresh sprouts which I grow.

Our final harvest

I've begun threshing out beans. I hope to be finished close to the end of December. Time will tell.

Threshing Aduki beans

Our Thanksgiving Day was low key. We both had colds and kept things simple. We did enjoy playing one of our favorite games: Anagrams. That evening we watched Miracle on 34th Street.

Thanksgiving game - I whooped him!

We did have a visitor (of sorts) on Thanksgiving; a Piliated Woodpecker dined on bugs in our nectarine tree.

 A hungry guest

We took another real vacation in November. We took a very special trip.

On our way - Syracuse airport

We flew to Oregon to visit family, some of which we met for the first time. It was a very enjoyable visit. Everyone was very welcoming and accommodating of our quirks. 

In addition to great family dinners and visiting, we made a special trip into California to see the coastal Redwoods.

First trail we walked

We walked with family members through a couple of different sections of the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

TALL trees!

The huge trees were almost unbelievable! Coastal Redwoods are even taller than Sequoias.

That's a downed trunk on my left

It was difficult to capture their immensity in a photo. You had to experience it, and I'm glad we did.

Second trail we walked

 

We also saw Bigleaf Maples. These leaves measured 10-12" across!

Bigleaf Maple leaf

It was sad to see entire mountain sides of dead trees, a result of the wildfires of a couple of years ago.

In other places, we saw Ponderosa Pines, Oregon White Oaks, and watched Acorn Woodpeckers going about their business of fitting acorns into holes they had excavated in tree trunks. A real treat for eastern birders!

Now that we're back home, we're in our winter pattern of living. Each of us do small, odd tasks during the day and relax in the evening.

I have raveled one of Bob's sweaters. To make the yarn reusable, you form it into skeins, which you soak and hang to dry.

Hanging to dry

Once dry, you wind it into balls for easier use.

Use a swift for winding

Bob's been doing some digital "housekeeping" tasks, little home repairs and tending to the social needs of our porch cat.

Essential work

Although he no longer works at Cornell, he's still an essential worker, in the cat's opinion.

Quiet evenings

Our evenings have primarily been spent reading. Sometimes I knit and Bob reads, either to himself or aloud so we both can enjoy a book. There's a fire if it's chilly. Usually a cup of tea, and perhaps a little treat. This will be our pattern for the next couple of months.

We hope you will all take some time to rest your bodies and your minds. In architecture, there is a quote, "Less is More". I believe this principle applies to more than architectural design.

Till next time, 

Kathleen and Bob

Royal command - warm me up!