Outdoor Adventures with Gary Lee - Vol. 343
That block buster storm that started in the northwest came across the country with record rains in the northwest to start 14 to 15 inches causing flooding and mud slides. Then as it moved eastward high winds even a tornado in Illinois. Then snow in feet as it went through Minnesota and Michigan with high winds blowing around causing white outs on the highways. Just to the south of the cold there was ice coating the roads and power lines causing power outages. Eastward it came with diving rain as seen in the football game in Buffalo which the Bills lost by just a fraction in the last seconds as the coach went for the win rather than tie and lost by a point. Those rains came through New York, snow to the upper part of the state, rains, and ice throughout the rest of the state. Some places got over an inch of ice, and we got well over three inches of rain on top of the two feet of snow we had here in Inlet. That made streams of water run everywhere and knock the snowpack down about a foot. I moved water here at Eight Acre Wood to keep it from all running into the pond as it did a year ago.
Then the temperature bottomed out at zero last night stopping the water in its tracks and freezing everything in ice again. The cross-country skiing was about perfect on Sunday and now with all the wind you need to be aware that there may be trees in the trails and several wet spots where the water ran and still maybe running. With these colder temperatures if you get your skies into the water and then hit the snow it will freeze on those skies, bringing you to a sudden stop. Be sure to carry a scraper or you will be just walking on those skies rather than gliding, not fun.
After the fruit cake making group of family and friends left I got to make deliveries to those who like fruit cake. I must admit the fruit cakes came out delicious as we followed the recipe to a T. I also had some extras that have been eaten here mixed with several other Christmas breads others have shared with me. Lots of cookies have come and gone during the last couple of weeks. Many have recipes that they have done for several years, others have tried new ones, and I have enjoyed them all. One thing that Karen always enjoyed making for special occasions and dinners with friends was rum cake. That is one thing I haven’t mastered yet, but I might give it a try. My friend Diane Bowes made one for Christmas dinner which I missed, but she brought me leftovers and a piece of rum cake with the topping and they were all great. The cake was just special thanks to Diane.
Lots of special dates right at the end of this month, the twenty-seventh was our anniversary it would have been number 62, my sister Patti and her husband Ed also got married on that date and celebrated their 50th this year. I remember their wedding well as we traveled from here to Plattsburg to be a part of their wedding on very icy roads, what a trip. The twenty-eighth was my mother’s birthday, and she would have been 104 had she lived to this day. My granddaughter Rachel and her husband Chris celebrate their second anniversary on the thirtieth, with many more to follow.
Another new bird at the feeder today who is on the way south a Brown Headed Cowbird female. She better catch the next south wind flow and go with it.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year and may there be more peace on this earth but that’s another story. See ya.
Photo above: Red Bellied Woodpecker
