Sorry about the "mashed clams", Rosemary, but I copied that recipe straight off the web...I don't even like clamato juice. Woudn't have known how to make one myself. But, give me a "Good Ole' fashioned plain Caesar", anytime.
Lynn that first photo you posted is exceptional. Should be in a magazine somewhere.
Beauty of Winter
Lynn, thank you for sharing a slice of your life, and with such lovely pictures. You must put in a very long day!
Lovely photos, Lynn! Are the shavings 'sawdust'? Ah, here I've been drinking bloody caesars for years and didn't know it! I think a bloody mary with clamato is called a Clam Digger in the U.S. At any rate, when we make bloody marys, I always use clamato. They are our Sunday brunch drink around here. I've never rimmed the glass with celery salt, but otherwise, its the same.
no weez not sawdust they are actual wood shavings. some people do bed on sawdust but shavings are more plentiful here from the planing mills and i prefer them
Oh, yes, for bedding the shavings would be great. I used to run a small circle saw mill with my 2nd husband, and we used sawdust to spread on icy areas. Others came to get it for small livestock bedding. Ceeads, who lives down the road from me, uses saw dust in her chicken pens, adding new layers until she finally scoops it all out and adds it to her compost pile. She has great compost.
go figure - 10 days ago it was - 40 and today was a frost free day in lovely alberta
where else but on the prairies!
Isn't it a wonderful treat!!!!!! Ü Won't last for long but oooooooooooooooh how we are treasuring it! :D
Appreciation of a warm winter day! ;)
Sunset
Can't say it has my fav colors but I did admire it.
Wonderful pics, Lilypon!
Thanks Weezin........how is winter way up there now?
Nice pictures Pam. The last one reminds me of a watercolour painting.
Thats what I thought too......DH has taken a number of good ones lately. :)
Ya, that's a beauty!
we'll assume the first one is not your self portrait and an entry in the pics for ru thread ???
last one should be painted by somebody - it's fabulous
and not your favourite colors - i thought all gardeners like the color of mud/dirt
LOL...it's the shades of grey that I'm not very fond of Lynn. Also tend to like dirt when it's warm, moist and a more lively looking brown. That pic reminds me of Sinclair Ross' Lamp at Noon....very bleak.
edited to say nope not me yet.
This message was edited Jan 28, 2005 10:28 PM
Hi everyone; I just settled in to finally read this thread from top to bottom, and I want to thank all of you for your fabulous, evocative pictures (and recipes;-) ! This has been a real treat.
Lynn, is your land just north of the city? It looks to me like it's near the base, where I worked for several years. I really love those dark, early morning winter photos; thanks for posting them.
I wholeheartedly echo Rosemary's sentiments. Yes, there is an underlying threat of exposure in all of our lives in winter.... but in spite of that, I find it the snow and cold (even at -40!) invigorating, exciting, peaceful and beautiful all at once. Thanks for standing up for it so well, Rosemary!
~Shannon
thanks, Shannon---of course I was referring to the *ideal* winter! Not rain, or blizzards (unless you can watch without being out in it). I agree with your thoughts about the cold, since unless you're out on the coast, that cold is so dry that we don't really feel it as such. I'm colder in Vancouver at zero than I am here at -20.
Plus, the sun's shining much more often, which makes a big difference to my spirits, at least. I find that the winters here in the Ottawa area are a combination of grey, dreary slush/freezing rain, and bright, sunny cold temps. Leaning more toward the former, unfortunately IMHO.
Here's an entertaining column, on the connection between weather and happiness:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_omalley/20050128.html
Am attaching a couple of pictures taken in Geneva--Nature at work!--and one of human hands at work, a snow sculpture "somewhere". It's wonderful. If anyone knows where it was done, I'd be interested.
...and here are the boats--I assume, on Lake Geneva
And the snow sculpture...I want one in MY meadow!
WOW!! I love seeing pictures like that! Did you know that one country that usually puts on an incredible display of ice sculptures (Russia I think....but could be wrong) wasn't cold enough this year?!?
Shannon, thanks for the article by O'Malley (please don't take offence, Pattishell!)--gave me a good chuckle. Hmmm, sultry sex in July? that's a long way off. What about cranking up the wood heater in January?
I saw a program on Cable the other day about a yearly constructed Ice Hotel in Northern Europe. I was fascinated by the techniques used, and the lovely ice sculptures and use of lights within the ice. I looked it up on the web:
Here is the page for Ice Hotel Sweden: http://www.scantours.com/ice_hotel.htm
Here is the Canadian Ice Hotel page: http://www.icehotel-canada.com/en/index.en.php
Here is the Ice Hotel Fairbanks Alaska: http://www.chenahotsprings.com/icehotel.html
Here's the Googles Search Page: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Ice+Hotel
I really enjoyed that article Shannon.......lot of truth to be found in it! ;)
Weeze those links are fantastic! Ü
I saw in the paper the other day that Whistler, just outside of Vancouver is planning on an ice hotel.
I've got to go check out those links.
thanks but no thanks...no way would you catch me sleeping on an ice bed! And eating a fancy meal wearing outdoor clothes? Guess I'm a wimp, lots of people are paying lots of money for the experience. Pretty clever, though.
I believe the documentary was about the one in Sweden. The guests are brought in by dog sled. They are served drinks in 'glasses' made of ice. They sleep in warm bags on cold ice beds, and the suites are each uniquely appointed. Artists are contracted to 'decorate' each suite. However, the bathrooms are in a heated out-building!
Wooden 'forms' are used to make the arches and supports, much like you would with concrete. Temperature is critical, and expertise is required to handle the snow properly. The support pillars were solid ice with fiber optics inside so that they glowed. I guess it fits the old saying, "A nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there."... or perhaps just visit on television!
rosemary - remember we've seen pictures of those abs! no one is going to call you a wimp. it's just that everyone has their individual preferences. For instance, i like camping just fine as long as there is a hot shower and a five star dining room involved.
edited to ask is that really a sculpture in the last photo? i could swear it was a real horse that just didn't wake up during the ice storm!
This message was edited Jan 31, 2005 5:25 PM
Yes, I wondered too! So life-like, in such a natural setting. In trying to locate the source, I came across other sites with ice/snow horses that weren't, presumably, frozen in place!. None as lovely as this one though, or that weren't in a city.
Lordy, I'll never live down that picture. Protruding ribs have been my nemesis--big ribcage, regardless of fat layers!
Because of our advanced years we now camp in style--rent a float plane to fly us in to a base camp. Not carrying your gear on your back means you can have comfortable beds, tent and chairs, solar shower, wines and gourmet food. Discovered that it's cheaper than paying for gas for a road trip! And we get to out-of-the-way places with no other people. Bliss.
Sounds wonderful, Rosemary.