75: Real snow

(Snowy creek scene.)

Did I call that last dusting of snow “real snow?”  Because I was wrong.  Last night and today have brought on the real stuff.  It’s been snowing like crazy.  It’s amazing how fast it accumulates.

(The sun tries to make an appearance, then gives up.)

I may regret the expenditure of energy from this morning’s walk.  I intended to go out for the required 30 minutes and come right back in.  I forgot that it takes time to make your way through the snow.  I had to shovel the porch first.  Then make a walkway to the barn.  It’s best to do this so the snow doesn’t get tamped down where it will freeze and become ice later on.

(Looking at the barn from the front porch.)

The porch isn’t really a porch, as you can see.  More like a few slabs of concrete with a roof over it.  Making this area into a lovely porch is on our to-do list of home improvement projects.

(Real snow on the pumpkin.)

I ended up outside for over an hour, trudging through some pretty good sized drifts (some almost 2 feet high).  I think we’ve gotten about 10-12 inches of snow so far, but it’s hard to tell with the wind swirling it around, leaving some areas piled high and others practically bare.

(Prayer flags in the snow.)

I wasn’t able to capture the shots I really wanted.  The wind was blowing in the wrong direction.  I would have ended up with a lens full of snow.

(Today’s view of the pond.)

It was a lovely walk and I enjoyed every peaceful moment of it.  I might have stayed out longer but I thought it best not to overdo it.

Today is all about clear liquids.  No food for me.  Just clear liquids.  I had some green tea, a glass of apple juice, and cup of broth for breakfast.  I made up some Jello (something I meant to do last night) and plopped the bowl into the snow just outside the door.  In case you ever need to know this, putting a bowl of gelatin into a pile of snow will cause it to gel quickly.  In about an hour.  It’s better than the quick-gel method.

Lunch was a bowl of pineapple Jello, a cup of broth, and some more apple juice.  I am tempted by the food in the fridge every time I open it, but the consequences of eating (the possibility of having to do this over again if the right results are not achieved this time around) are good incentive to stay on track.

I had planned to make this into a kind of spa day.  There are people (celebrities even) who pay big bucks for a day of fasting and colon cleansing.  So I got to thinking I might take it easy today.  Do some gentle yoga.  Soak in the disco tub for a little while.  Give myself a mani-pedi and a facial.

(Today’s moment of sunshine:  I wouldn’t mind being here right now.  Grand Lake, Colorad0, August 2010.)

But as soon as I was out of bed my mind started running this seemingly endless loop of all the things I need to do over the next few weeks.  For someone who isn’t going to be eating solid foods today, I sure do have a lot on my plate.  It occurred to me that since tomorrow is going to be a do-nothing (except go to the doc) day, maybe I ought to be doing lots of things today.

(Snow squiggles and loops on the pond.)

I decided to get the loop out of my head and down on paper.  A to-do list.  Having started with that, I see it’s true.  There is a lot to be done.  The next step was to prioritize.  There is still a lot to be done but at least I know where to start.  I also know where I need to start cutting back in order to create more time for the things on the to-do list as well as find some time here and there for myself.

The end result is that one of the things I need to cut back on is (you guessed it) my computer time.  That means a little less time over the next few weeks visiting other blogs and (hopefully) shorter blog posts from me for a while.  I will try to keep up by reading and spending less time commenting.  At least that way I’ll know what all my blog friends are up to.

Well, I’d better go.  I started the real prep for tomorrow’s Birthday Fun at noon (as instructed).  I’ll be downing more stuff at 3pm and then again between 4pm and 6pm.

I have a feeling it is going to be a LONG night.  Heh.