The Emergency Weather Report

I recently signed up for Emergency Emails from the National Weather Service. Since we have had so many violent storms, I'm really getting paranoid. I'm unplugging and replugging everyday, since the last two storms took down our TV Cable Box, Six trees and all our cordless telephones. It's been threatening to let go for an hour now, so I plugged back in. But that may change at any moment. That last clap of thunder sounded mighty close.What wonderful and weird times we are living in!

A White (Day After) Christmas

It's the day after Christmas and we're receiving our first big snowstorm of the season here on the East coast. It's a good opportunity to just relax, recharge and and stay warm inside. I've been going through my reading list here on Blogger and perusing some of my friends' holiday posts. Wow, I am so lucky to have found such a productive and creative bunch to follow! It's especially nice to see what others have written and to feel that holiday connection. There are so many words and images to inspire and sooth my spirit here. Meanwhile, the wind whirls big drifts of the white stuff all around the house. I watch the clock, keep an eye on the build up and wonder how much shoveling I'll have to do to get back to the barn for the dinner time and nightly feedings. Looks like I'd better sign off soon while there's still some daylight and go find my knee high winter boots! For those of you experiencing wintery weather, enjoy it. For those of you with warmer weather, appreciate it!

"To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring." ~ George Santayana

"The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches." ~ e.e. cummings

"A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but just look what they can do when they stick together!" ~ Author Unknown

"Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while." ~ Kin Hubbard

I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas!

Our probability of a white Christmas just increased from 10% yesterday to 50 - 75% today. We are expected to get dumped on tonight, all day tomorrow and into Sunday morning. Woo Hoo! Can't wait! Here's a shot from this past March taken here on our property. Will you be waking up to a winter wonderland this Christmas too?

Winter came down to our home one night
Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
And we, we were children once again.
~Bill Morgan, Jr.

TREES ~ "en plein air"

Today was an interesting day weather-wise. We went through half a dozen different conditions at least. Misty fog at 6am, then clearing to beautiful crisp 70's by 8. Clouding over by noon with a deluge at 2. Then clearing, cloudy, sprinkles and brilliant sun here again at five pm. It feels like three days rolled into one! I went out sketching "en plein air" ("in the open air") today. Three different spots and three different weather conditions! Fortunately I was in the studio during the downpour. This is a picture of a tree up the road from me. It's one of my favorites! See my gesture sketch on Sketching Everyday.