Look Who's Still Hanging Around

Really?  A robin in the tree down by the creek?  Actually, there were three robins.  I heard them last weekend when Bike man and I were out monitoring the creek for road salt, and today, all three robins flew into a tree right above me.  Can't imagine how they will manage in the extreme subzero temperatures over the next four day, but they obviously never flew south!  Hang in there my bird friends, you'll be back to eating worms in five months.

Is this weird, but I'm intrigued by the angle of the sun at this time of the year.  The shadows in the woods at mid-day are amazing and I could hang out in the woods for hours just looking at the shadows.  

Spent a couple hours out this morning checking the creeks. Bike man had to use his hand chisel to break through the ice.  With the cold temperatures, the ice is getting thicker and it's harder to find flowing water.  Actually, it was a nice day romping through the woods.  Beginning tomorrow, we won't be getting out of the house very much.

The Warnings Are Posted

For several days now, the Midwest has had subzero wind chill warnings predicted for Sunday night through Tuesday.  Yes, it's really coming this way my friends.  The coldest air temps since the mid-1990's.  Our high temperature predicted for Monday January 6th, minus 10 degrees with a 20-30 mph wind, which will bring the wind chill around 40-60 below zero!  And what is the predicted high temperature for Anchorage Alaska on Monday?  How about 34 degrees.......what????  Alaska is looking pretty fine right now!

The school closings for Wisconsin are starting to be posted tonight, and the entire state of Minnesota is already closed for Monday since Sunday night's low temperature is forecasted  for around -23-25 degrees.  We'll get through this, we always do.  Thank heavens for reading materials....books are a life-saver when it's nasty outside.

So Talented

I'm always amazed at people who have the ability to build or craft things.  Jill & Mike, my neighbors, recently updated their basement to include a bar and flat screen TV....they built the bar themselves out of barn wood.   I stopped over to Jill & Mike's today to toast in the New Year.  I even brought dog treats for Bosco!  Despite the single digit temperatures today, Jill and I still went out running early in the afternoon,  The outdoor air?   Felt wonderful......7 degrees. 

Happy New Year's Eve

All the kids are ready for an exciting New Year's Eve....well, not really.  Annabelle just wants to sleep.

Abby was playful for a few moments and now she's fast asleep.

Manny?  He could care less.  Manny just wants to sleep as well!

It's hard to tell if Aiden is excited for New Year's Eve.  He never shows much emotion and just wants to snooze in his cat bed.  I do have one secret to share.  All I have to do is shake the kitty treat bag and they all will instantly come running and meowing.  They love their treats.

I thought Bike man and I should celebrate with a delicious fresh citrus & pomegranate salad, followed by a nice homemade pasty for dinner.  Sure, we could drive down the road to the nearest Supper Club for a special evening meal, but who wants to do that when you can make a delicious healthy meal at home.

And now my special favorite part of New Year's Eve....enjoying a little champagne!

Can't forget the little snacks with our bubbly.  Thanks big Sis for the gift of nuts.  So, the big question is, will we make it till midnight?  Some years yes and some years no.  Guess it depends on the movie we want to watch.  Still trying to pick one out on Amazon Prime so we can stream it for free.  Have a wonderful evening everyone and stay warm.  It's currently -15 below zero here!  

Food, Family & Friends

Zero degrees with a 15-20 mph wind blowing this morning, so we're talking about a -20 degree windchill factor.  I know that's cold, but I just needed to get outside to exercise my heart and legs.  Instead of a road run, I opted to walk up and down our stairs down to the lake dock.  50 steps down and back up....twelve times.  My legs were wobbly by the time I finished and my eye lashes were icy!  It felt good to exercise and my torso and hands were actually sweaty.

We actually had one more family feast last night.....that's why I made the cheesecake.  Bike man's son Mike, and his wife Lynn, have an annual family dinner after Christmas so we can see the grandchildren.  Lynn is such a trooper and cooks an entire meal, complete with soup, cooked turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy stuffing, garden green bean casserole, baked dinner rolls and salads.  Lynn's dad always brings a Portuguese braised meat dish, which is so unique.  It's so nice to see Bike man's grandkids, however, some the kids couldn't be there this year. And one granddaugher (Rissa) from Minneapolis, was really sick with a viral infection.....I felt so bad for her as she could hardly speak.  

Bike man had to show off his new cozy to the family last night, which was actually a special deal from Woot.com!

Spent the rest of the night out in the Man Cave (garage) with the men!  Friends Todd and Rob came over to help us celebrate the night.  Spending time with family is so fun at this time of the year whether you're in the kitchen, garage, family room or down on the lake ice......it's all good.  Now it's back to work to finish out my 2013 budget year.  I'm actually looking forward to 2014.  For some reason the odd numbered years are never good for me.