Life in the Bristolwood

Our family is so happy to have the Jotul stove back up and working!  With temperatures plummeting well below the freezing mark,  the stove is providing a source of constant warmth!  We have a propane-fired boiler that we had been using this year, but we have noiced that the woodstove seems to heat all the nooks and crannies in the house….the boiler was nice, but the woodstove is better! I told Mark the stove is kind of like a warm blanket covering all the areas in the house!

After we picked the kids up from our adventure last night,  we stopped by Home Depot.  Mark wanted to have a couple of bags of rock salt on hand “just in case” and I wasn’t too keen on lifting fifty pound bags into the back of the pickup.  Ben had no problem, though.  When we went into the store,  I was drawn over to the Christmas clearance.  I found a great artificial wreath there. 

I like this particular wreath because it looks like it is made from several different types of greens.  It also has real pinecones worked into it,  but the best part of the whole deal was the price…it cost only $6.24.  Th only downside was that there were three of this particular wreath.  Had there been four,  I would have grabbed them for the four windows on the front of the house.  Ah well, we do have one now for the front door.   It does need a bow, but I also bought some red plaid ribbon at another store in clearance a few days ago.  I will make the bow….next year!

When I took the Scotties out this morning, the winds were breathtaking….literally!  I couldn’t believe the cold “nip” in the air!  We only got about six inches of snow….far less than the traditional “snowbelts”.   We did make sure the birdfeeder was replenished as the birds would be needing seed in this weather! The birds then provided us with some entertainment.

I tried to get a good photo of a Cardinal that came close to the house just before dusk.  The falling snow and dim lighting made it so hard to focus!  I finally got a photo that at least shows the fellow’s pretty red feathers!

It seems we are in wintry weather pattern over the next couple of weeks, according to the meteorologists.

But not like you would think!

The kids wanted to go shopping today, so after helping Mark in the garage this morning, we got some blankets, activities, and the Scotties, and headed northward to Victor. The kids agreed to meet some of their friends,  so they told us to pick them up in about four hours. 

Mark drove around the parking lot looking for the “perfect” spot….The winds howled today and our moerate temperatures dropped to nearly startlingly cold.  We won’t discuss wind chill because I am sure it was mighty cold out there!  Mark wondered how we would survive in the truck,  but I told him not to fear. After all, we packed some blankets! He did find the perfect spot, too.  In a parking lot that isn’t really used much, there was a mountain of snow at the edge of a steep grade.  With the pile in front of us and the hill protecting us on two sides, we were parked in a small cove!

Mark sat in the front seat with Angus and I hopped into the back to keep Murphy company.  I had brought along my little netbook and some knitting, so I was all set to get comfortable!  The Scotties each had his own little bed so we were all getting settled in quite comfortably, thank you!

Of course, Angus had to check out the scenery before he could relax…

The snow fell continuously the entire time we were waiting, but the winds quickly dispersed it before it could light! At times, the snow was literally coming down horizontally…

And we remained safe, warm and dry in our cozy space.

I got out the netbook and played awhile, visiting Scotland….(hi Bill!)

And Syracuse….(hi Terri!)

And I visited some more blogs. 

Mark put a movie on his laptop and we watched that.   We really do live at an incredible time, technologically.

The time seemed to fly by as we enjoyed our little living room on wheels.  Soon, I could see the security lights shining in through the ice-frosted windows.

I did go into BJ’s for a little while to pick up a few items and I also got Mark a Subway sub for dinner.  How thoughtful of Subway to make it so convenient to grab something to eat!

The clock soon said seven and we were off to the mall to pick up the shoppers.

The drive home was hairy at times with blowing, drifting snow all over the road.  As Mark put the truck into four-wheel drive,  Michelle and I marvelled at the sound of snow crunching under the tires as we made our way home.  We have not heard that sound in a long time!

 All in all,  I think Mark and the Scotties would agree….what a lovely little diversion this was!