Finally feels like winter

Another week has passed and we finally saw some snow. This means one thing to me. Cross country skiing!! Alas, we still have to work and clean house and buy groceries. I try not to let that stuff get in my way too much.  As I've told most of you, my job is pretty cool, and the work load is similar to what I did when I was teaching.  On the other hand, I have a lot less control about how I use my time after school hours and am often at the school until 8 or 9.  Honestly, the work is usually somewhere between fine and fun, but it does take a toll on me to be away from Sarah, the dogs, and my home.

We had teacher appreciation night last week at one of the girls basketball games.  It was really cool and lots of teachers showed up for the game.  We all wore red to show our support for the team.

The action was intense.

We had a house guest last weekend.  That's Carli in the background.  I love her.  She is such a dog.  Sarah nailed it when she said that Carli reminded her of the dog from Up!  She wanted to go for lots of walks and was a good natured pest about it.  So that's what we did.  Jonas was a little pouty about the attention she got, but he also played a little with her and benefited from her walk demands, so it was really a win win.

Walking the gingers... for like the third time in one day.

Margaret was kind enough to get us our first children's book.  It's got cardboard pages and is scratch and sniff!  I'm sure the kid is going to love it.  I like it alright, but it sure makes me thirsty!  Notice Carli in the background crashed out on Eva's queen bed.  It was quite a spectacle to watch everyone vie for nap space.

SNOW!  This is how I like it.  No tracks.  No people.

After I went skiing, and had to keep stopping to cross logs, I went home, got Carli (because she was at the door polishing the floor with her tail), and headed back out to do some trail maintenance.  My shadow was pretty cool with the axe slung over my shoulder.

Undercut champion.

Nathan gave me this awesome horse skull a long time ago and it sat in my shop.  It didn't look bad sitting on my desk, but I always wanted to figure out a way to hang it up.  Since Sarah got me a bandsaw for christmas, mitered joints have become a lot easier, so I slapped this frame together real quick and made some space on the desk... which I immediately filled with something else.

And on to another project!

Night skiing.  Because that's when I get home and it beats sitting on the couch watching TV.

Morning skiing!  Because it's awesome.  Still no tracks!

Afternoon hike with Jonas.  "You didn't finish the job, dummy."  

"Well, I got tired.  The axe isn't exactly meant for this kind of work."

"Excuses, excuses.  Get up here and fix my trail."

"Ok"

Note that I only cut it wide enough to walk or ski through.  No snowmobiles!

Gobble gobble!

"Winter" break

Before Christmas, Sarah and I were super busy trying to get all of our projects done.  It was a lot of work, but we had a blast and supported each other, gave advice, and said "Wow, that looks really great!" and "Well, I wish I'd done a little better here." and things like that.  This is a shot of a rig that I set up to compensate for my poor mitering.  Always learning.

Cabins almost done in background, modern art coming together in the foreground, what a mess from the ground up!

This is Hubbard Valley.  Sarah and I have gone for many walks here, and I consider it one of the important places in our life.  Jonas and Eva seemed to remember it, though years have passed since our last hike.

My buddies.  We all enjoyed hanging out at Veneta's.  It was lovely, quiet, and calm, and the conversations and food were great.  Veneta made an amazing breakfast quiche for us with Gouda cheese and bacon in it.  Delicious.

One evening, Sarah had a hankerin' for a hamburger, so we went to check out a place called the Rail.  I was a little disappointed that it was attached to Summit Mall.  Sarah was a little disappointed that the wait was like 45 minutes.  None of us were disappointed with our dinners, and I was pretty happy with the beer.

After dinner, we went back to Veneta's, but nobody stayed up too late.

The adversaries measure each other up.

Coffee ceremony at Grandma Cressman's.  We had a lovely chat and snack with Grandma.

The peripatetic equestrian.  She didn't stop moving long enough to get a shot of her!  What a blast!

Headin' home!  I think she would have sat on the hood like a Nanny on the Cutty Sark and guided us back to port in good time.

Home.

Jonas and I are trying harder than ever to enjoy every moment.  I'm really pleased with this photo.  We've had impressive atmospheric phenomena this "winter".  Not much snow, but great fog!

After wandering around the house for a few minutes looking for AND calling for her, I found Eva happily snuggled into my clean clothes.

Veneta followed us up to New York for a second Christmas with Zhora, Jenn, and Bob, so Sarah and I got back to work on the gifts that we hadn't completed before we left.  With Sarah's input and purchases, I built Zhora a toolbox.  It was great to get to use my brand new bandsaw!  The design completely changed because I was able to do things that would have been too difficult and taken too long without the saw.  I was truly happy with the process and the outcome.

There's a wooden sheath for a saw glued into the bottom of the box and slots for screwdrivers, pencils, and the like on the side.

I used a thin piece of wood from a clementine box to make a spot to clip a tape measure on.

Here it is all done.  We also cut out a birdhouse, but didn't build it.  We gave the slabs of wood to Z and she got to build and paint the house with her mom and dad.  We had a lovely evening and dinner at Zhora's house and enjoyed opening all our gifts and sharing food and laughs and drinks!

It was a lovely break, and we felt so lucky and thrilled to get to spend it with people and animals that we love!  Thanks for all the gifts, and thanks a hundred fold for all the laughs, love, and memories.  Looking forward to seeing you all in this new year!