Life in the Bristolwood

Yeah, today was a notable day for some goofy photos!

I will leave you with a couple good ones I took yesterday.

Michelle called hysterically from upstairs the other morning. 

Mom! Come quickly! There are bugs in my bed….bedbugs!

Oh come now.  We live in a clean house and are clean people.  I calmly mounted the stairs….

Yes, I had an idea she was talking about something like this.  This was the morning we had awakened to the “big” snow.  Michelle thought the boys needed some warm shelter so she basically buried them in her bed!  Angus, ham that he is, loved the attention,  while Murphy immediately squirmed out from under the blankets.  If he could speak ,  I am sure he would have been muttering something under his breath about his “sissy-pants” brother….

Yes, as I said, Angus *is* a ham!

The photos above were meant to be included in the previous entry, but my Dell laptop keeps telling me that all my SD cards are write-protected and cannot be copied nor deleted!  I managed to get the photo of the boys with the tent when my little netbook I was using died because the battery had run too low.  I was too tired to fiddle around any more last night, so I just went to bed and then when I plugged in the netbook, just uploaded the post this morning! So, here are some photos taken the past couple of days. 

Yesterday, when I awakened, I suddenly felt this strange feeling.  As I looked outside, the trees looked as though they were closing in on me and I realize it was claustrophobia I was feeling!  Much of the snow has dropped from the trees, but they still have clumps in them that remind me of cotton!

We’ve had a lot going on the past few days with lots of shoveling involved!  I was taking photos but not even looking at them!

Angus, feeling a bit benevolent, allowed his photo to be taken with Murphy. Of course,  Angus is front and center….

Sooo…..conversation this morning.

Me: Wow! There’s a lotta snow out there!

Mark:  Nah, the snow is drifted, but it doesn’t *look* like there is much.  Just drifts here and there.

Ah, famous last words….

What Mark did *not* see was the snow the Scottie boys and I encountered early this morning before the sun came up. We three hopped down the steps only to witness snow that far exceeded the height of a wee-legged Scottie Dog!  I tried to push the snow aside with my boots, but it was so deep and heavy,  I could barely move it!  Seeing the frustration in my companions, I more or less “forced” them under the front porch where there was little snow on the ground!

As Mark and the kids did some things they needed to do,  I took a few photos of visitors to the suet feeder out back. The birds have been visiting with greater frequency the past few days.

This little Titmouse patiently awaited his turn atop the railing…..

And look at the lovely pose he struck just for the camera!

When Mark was nearly done with his chores, I went outside and shoveled off the back deck and part of the ramp.  I convinced Ben to finish the job and we had it cleared just as Mark was ready to wheel out the door.

I teased Mark the other day that the wheelchair ramp looks like a luge course.  Now that we have shoveled, it looks even more so!

Michelle took Murphy out to the front of the garage where she was about to shovel. She set him down and he more or less paddled his way through the snow to me.  He wasn’t the least bit impressed by this massive-to-him snowfall!

Both the truck and the Explorer are relatively high vehicles with a generous ground clearance. You can see that the snow in front of the garage was pretty deep!

Michelle and I worked at shoveling out the front of the garage as well as around the perimeter of the vehicles.  We always hand shovel these areas as Mark cannot get in tight enough with the plow.

The snowstorm last night involved snow that fell very finely.  Were it not for the fierce wind, we probably would have had a much deeper snowfall.  What did fall was not like the light, fluffy snow we had previously experienced this year, but heavy, wet snow.  As Michelle and I worked,  huge snowflakes began to fall.

Before Mark could plow with the ATV, he needed a bit of help to remount the two rear tires on the ATV.  He had removed them because when we had the inspection of the truck done yesterday,  he also had those two tires reseated on the rims as they were having some trouble losing air.

When Mark pulled forward to begin pushing the snow,  I couldn’t believe the snow was almost the same height as the ATV!

That ATV is worth its weight in gold.  It did indeed push through that enormous blockade and handily removed the snow from the driveway!

I tried to take the Scotties in the house, but Angus the Brave would not budge.  He wanted to linger outside, watching Mark plow the driveway.  Poor little fellow….he looked like a frozen Teddy Bear as he observed from the porch!

Murphy, on the other hand, bounded into the house with gleeful abandon as soon as the door was opened.  And still, Angus watched over Mark….

Michelle and I continued to work our way through that nasty pile of snow in front of the garage.

Mark worked on the driveway for a good two hours.  There was so much snow; this was a snowfall more like the “old-fashioned” ones we remember.

We were all thrilled with the mechanical advantage offered by the ATV! The only assistance Mark requires is a hand changing the blade direction on the plow from time to time.

As  soon as we finished clearing out the front of the garage, Michelle went inside the house to warm up.  I stayed outside a while longer, then as Mark was finishing  up, I shoveled the close to two inches of fluffy stuff that fell as we were working outside.

Ben helped Mark get things put away and then they came into the house.  Or, so I thought.

Mark kept hollering for me to grab a camera.

I raced to see what it was causing such a ruckus, only to find the boy like this…

Yup, that is how deep the snow is behind the house.  The disgusted look is because Ben claims he hates the snow.

We got everything secured and settled in to an afternoon of watching Team USA beat Team Finland in hockey.  One more game to go and we are assured at least a silver medal! Of course, we are so excited because our favorite team (the Buffalo Sabres) is represented in the form of TeamUSA’s winning goalie, Ryan Miller! What excitement!

The snow stopped falling, for the time being, and we were treated to another beautiful Bristolwood sunset.

We are told that the system that blessed us with this round of snowfall has stalled out and will now remain with us the next few days, causing flurries on and off.

During the winter months is fresh snow that has been untouched.  I love it when the sun hits it just so and makes it sparkle like a field of diamonds!

We have had some pretty wild winds here and there and the snow is now nicely “burnished” with a crusty topping!  This afternoon when I took the Scotties outside,  Angus picked up the scent of a squirrel as he walked along the driveway.  Since the Scots are on sixteen foot long flex-leads,  they can romp out fairly far.

Angus suddenly decided to hop over the snow mounded up on the side of the driveway and sniff his way to the rodent. Over he went, only to find that the weight of his body made the crusty snow on top cave and give way to the soft snow underneath.  I cannot decide if he was embarrassed at his antics or if he truly did not care,  but on he scurried, sinking all the way up to his little Scottie shoulders! What a sight!

All the while, Murphy was….well, being Murphy.  He was not the least bit aware of Angus’s behavior.  But then, suddenly he caught the scent and off he went!  As if the proverbial lightbulb went off,  Murphy realized he didn’t like the crusty snow jutting into his body, so he made a mad dash back towards the driveway,  crashing his long face as he plummeted downward! Just like a little child, he looked up at me as if to say Save me!

Ah, the life of two Scots….

I often wonder if they are as fond of the winter months as I am!

We were off to an early start today.  It is Ben’s birthday, but we had lots of running around to accomplish.

While Mark headed off with Michelle  to drop her off, Ben and I headed to Kost Tire where I was to get new tires, an inspection,  an oil change, and an alignment on the Explorer.  I had forgotten to mention that Mark got the window all fixed this past weekend.  He had to replace a part called the regulator.   When I saw the door hanging open and parts sitting all over the garage,  my heart nearly sank, but I have seen Mark take things apart before and I knew all would end well! And so it did!

Before leaving the house, I wanted to get a photo of the little congregation of Goldfinches outside the bedroom window….

That photo is a funky color and that is okay because I took it well before the day had broken this morning and there was a fine snow falling.

After dropping the Explorer off for its work,  Ben and I climbed into the truck and we began making our way to Mark’s mom’s house.  We made a few stops along the way.  An interesting thing happened along the way, though….the blower fan on the truck quit working! Meaning, we spent the rest of the time in the truck freezing!  Although the temperature outside was right at the freezing mark,  it got so cold in the truck!  Time for another repair job!

We made it to “Grandma Cookie’s” house.  Yes, that is what Mark calls his mom and in so doing,  he nearly causes Angus to go ballistic!  Angus adores Grandma Cookie, after all!

While we chatted with Mark’s mom,  Ben tried to teach Murphy how to exercise on the treadmill….

Yup, as long as I held a carrot treat in front of Murphy’s nose, he would stride along on the treadmill for several steps! It was pretty funny!

Now, Scotties are known for their Braveheart disposition.  I would say on a scale of 1-10, my boys rate about 1.5 in the Braveheart category!  Particularly Angus who hightails it whenever he hears any device that makes a vibrating noise! Thus, the treadmill caused him to panic, so he jumped up on Grandma Cookie’s chair and watched a Western on television instead!

And just for Angus’s good name, he did dutifully bark those wild horses when they got out of control and began running!

Here is a natural ice sculpture outside my mother-in-law’s house…

We visited for a few hours, then it was time to go.  Back we went into the cold pickup truck.  We went to Henrietta, where Ben and Mark went into the Guitar Center to look at “stuff”.  Mark ordered Ben a bass guitar for his birthday but it will arrive tomorrow.  Bummer for Ben, but he was okay with it.  Ben has been having so much fun learning guitar and he wanted to learn bass as well so Mark figured we should let him learn as long as he is so willing.

We left and went back to Canandaigua so I could pick up the Explorer.  Mark dropped me off and he and Ben picked Michelle up at school.  I had a few minutes before meeting them at a restaurant for dinner, so I took the Explorer for a spin up the road.  Oh my! I had been driving on “slicks” so long,  I forgot that tires actually “bite” the snow!

We met up for dinner, then came home.  The fire in the woodstove had gone out and I quickly rebuilt a fire!  Now, I am finally warm for the first time today! Ah, it does feel good.  No more freezing toes!

I think Ben enjoyed his birthday and although the day was long, we had fun too!

Happy Birthday, Ben!

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!

Wouldn’t it be nice to curl up into a ball on a soft little bed and sleep the day away?  No bills to worry you. No appointments to keep….Your only concern is when the next round of kibble will hit the bowl!  Ah, the life of a dog!

Today’s weather was miserable.  No, it wasn’t a blizzard or even a snowstorm. Instead, we were pelted by hours and hours of rain.  Yes, I can hear my Scottish readers chuckling.  Chuckle if you must,  but this is the northeastern part of the US, where we have traditionally enjoyed winter sports and fun *with* snow!  Rain?  Ugh!

I shan’t persue the murmurings caused by this ugly weather, as it is no use to grumble.  I will tell you, however,  I have not acquired a wet suit for my camera, so there was no opportunity for photos today.  It really was *that* wet,  so much so that I would not remove my camera from its cozy little nest in the camera bag!

And so….I will share two photos I took yesterday. (I have already shown these on Facebook)

Yesterday, as we did the gift unwrapping around the Christmas tree, the two Scotties were roused to come join us.  Now, these Scotties are as different as night and day.  Angus is just downright intense, while Murphy….well, he is just happy to “be”! I must make note here,  though, perhaps some of Angus’s anxious behavior can be attributed directly to Mark.  After all, every year, the Scotties get a little something. And, every year,  Mark teases Angus to rip the paper from the package!

Mark wanted to have Angus open a box of “cookies” I bought for the boys, but I pleaded with him to wait until we were nearly done.  Mark decided to wait.  But did Angus “get it”?  Well…..

Angus randomly sat upright, begging as we opened presents!  He figured if he looked really cute, someone would take pity on his soul and open up the treats and pass them out.  Yes, he figured correctly, as Mark just had to open the box so Angus and Murphy could have some goodies.  And yes, Angus performs, and Murphy reaps the bennies!!!

After all, Murphy just wants to look cute so everyone will give *him* some goodies!

Okay, so this might not exactly be a self-explanatory photo….

When we arrived home from our shopping trip,  Angus was thrilled to be home with his family.  His little doggie bed somehow wound up in the laundry basket.  Well,  although that basket stands a good twice his height, Angus thinks nothing of making like an aardvark and hopping straight into the air and landing inside the basket.  Once he was inside, he propped his head up on the side….exposing his “gooshie” (as Michelle calls his nose!).

I’m not sure what Scottie visions involve, but perhaps a good squirrel chasing…certainly not sugarplums!

Merry Christmas!  *** I hope you will take the time to peruse my previous post as well!***

Yes, I am afraid Angus just does not want to cooperate with me!!!  Well, not really. It is just that there is so much going on around here,  I have not had the time (or energy) to photograph the little fellow.

The kids had a friend over yesterday and they went sledding for awhile, ate, then went down to Naples for a concert.  I was so pooped after running around!  I was also trying to watch a Sabres game between taking two runs to Naples, so it was really crazy! Thankfully, the Sabres won. Yay!

Here are a few photos for your perusal, taken throughout last week.  I am seriously loving the Nikon D-90 and would recommend it to anyone looking into buying a great D-SLR. 

The weather today was quite frightful….it wasn’t cold or blustery, but rather warm and springlike, complete with rain! Somehow, cold rain feels much more chilling than snow this time of the year.  Mark needed to do a little repair on the ATV before finally plowing the driveway.  By the time he got out there,  he was plowing the wettest slush!  Hopefully, it will remain warm enough tomorrow to finish melting all the slush from the driveway so it is clear before we get another Arctic blast midweek.

Tomorrow looks like another active day.  The kids have an early morning dental cleaning and in the afternoon, we are expected at Mark’s mom’s house.  Didn’t I mention that wintry weather was a time for *hibernation*?  Well, perhaps after Christmas?