Flocks Of Trumpeter Swans On A Gray Lake

Happy Birthday to our Daughter, Jill

Trumpeter Swans

Sleeping in on Saturday, as I got up at 7:20, a few snow flakes falling, a lake mirroring the coast, a view reminding me of a Brady Civil War photograph, all grays and whites.  It's 28º, three or four, even up to six inches cover our yard, our cars, the roofs of Woodlawn.

Swan and Bufflehead Couples

Up Close and Personal

Yesterday we finally got the snow the forecasters have been predicting and its been snowing on and off for at least twenty four hours if not longer.  Even today they are suggesting we might get 1-3 inches depending on the area.  According to our local paper, there were lots of accidents on Thursday night because of the snow, the roads icing so when I drove to yoga, I took my time though the roads seemed taken care of by the road crews.  They are usually up early and do a great job on RT. 394. When I arrived at yoga, I found I was the only in class, so I had my own personal yoga teacher for the morning.  It was great because I could ask questions, get personal attention, and make sure I was doing certain positions correctly.  This is usually a well attended class but I guess the snowy roads kept people away.  Too bad for them, good for me.  I felt guilty having Courtney stay for just one student but she did not seem to mind.  After class, it was snowing quite hard, making it difficult to see, the roads slippery.  Nevertheless I stopped for a coffee at Ryders' Cup, and made sure to take my time driving home.  By the time I got to Woodlawn, the heavy snow had stopped, typical for the day, an on and off snow or white out.

One of the Many Faces of Long Point - 12:30

Long Point at 10:30 a.m.

I had a quick lunch because I was taking my car in to Jamestown as I needed to have the brakes bled, the brake oil changed and the noise in the left front of the car checked.  Fortunately, they were able to bleed the brakes despite the corrosion, saving me quite a bit of money but found I needed a front right tie bar, costing me money.  Zeus gives and he takes away.  To fill the time as I waited, I sloshed my way through un-shoveled side walks, past car dealers, to Tops.  I did some shopping, found three different kinds of cookies from Goya (two from Spain, the other from Brazil), the kind we like with our tea.  Exciting.  I bought a coffee, Tim Horton's of course, walked back through the snow to the dealer and my car was ready.  I dropped a couple hundred dollars but I feel more secure about our drive to Chicago, then Kansas City next week.

In the Kitchen With Wendy and Charlie 

I was home by 3:30, in time to read and take a quick nap, before showering because we were going to Charlie and Wendy Heinz's for dinner at 6:00.   Jane and Jerry Grice were there as well, good friends of ours (Jerry built both our house and the Heinz's).  It was a nice evening to be inside, cosy in their living room with a nice fire.  Dinner was great, a lasagna, with salad and rolls, apple pie a la mode for dessert.  Wendy and Charlie are great hosts, warm and welcoming, interesting, fun to talk with.  And we have known Jerry and Jane for years, so it was like old home week, catching up on the world of construction and real estate since Jane is President of the local real estate agents.  We stayed at the table until 9:30,  sipping our wine and talking, then said our goodbyes and drove home in more snow flurries.  It was a nice way to spend a Friday night.

Jane and Jerry