S_06_#5

We have hit the end of January already.

So far . . . another atmospheric river moved through the Pacific Northwest. Any snow we got last week is now mostly gone.

We had a surprise visitor this week.

Frequently we see deer, birds, chipmunks and cats moving through our outdoor spaces. To our amazement we saw a fox scoping things out, then scampering away. So cool.

With inclement weather the majority of our time this week was spent on kitchen projects.

We’ve been perfecting our pizza dough and sauce and we’re finally getting around to processing all those pounds of fruit and berries we froze last summer.

We usually put off canning during the heat of summer and schedule most projects during the colder months.

This has become a standard winter activity, especially when the weather isn’t conducive to excursions.

Added to this year’s preserving, we are trying small batches of fruit juice and syrups. These are delicious poured over a scoop of yogurt or ice cream. They are also great for refreshing spritzer drinks and used to sweeten sauces.

Ft Rock … an amazing geological structure

We did manage an afternoon jaunt to Fort Rock , , , mostly just to get out of the house. We had a great walk and managed to view some soaring hawks. It was so quiet and we had the road to ourselves. Heaven!

Spent a couple of days trying to recover drone footage that mysteriously disappeared from the camera card.

Gave up . . . so you get JQ’s fun stroll footage. The cloud cover offered excellent backgrounds.

In all it was a great day jammed into the middle of a good week.

So, now we have to wait and see what the weather brings next week. At this point it seems the outlook could be anything.

This week it snowed.

And it wasn’t the skiff and gone variety we experienced all December.

In fact, it was a blizzard-closing passes and white-out conditions on the roads kind of snow..

In the midst of this, we made a trip to the dentist, necessary, though the drive was nearly as painful as the appointment.

Before the recent snows, right up to New Year’s Day, we enjoyed mild, if a bit rainy weather.

There was a trip to the Crooked River and our traditional New Year’s toast.

The past few weeks have been busy with a smattering of projects. We made thumbprint cookies with our homemade jam.

Tried a new ramen soup recipe . . . it was easy and very tasty.

We broke in a new fondue pot with a cheese fondue. Then enjoyed an oil fondue. We’ve yet to try the chocolate version.

Exhibit features images and video of wolves in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem and on Ellesmere Island in the high Canadian Arctic.

We also took in a National Geographic Photo exhibit at the High Desert Museum.

Documenting current as well as historic views on Yellowstone National Park and Yukon wolf packs.

NatGeo Images by R. Donovan. This was a favorite.

Excellent images and fascinating information.

We get passes from our library and try to get over to the museum a couple of time a year . . . this was one of the best exhibits in a while.

First the sidewalk needs clearing . . . then you can go for a walk

The snows continue throughout the second week in January and we’ve accumulated about 3 feet on the ground (2 feet within the last 24 hours) and more is on the way.

We actually enjoy having four seasons. This snow is less than years past and I don’t mind the daily task of clearing snow.

It’s better than constant rain.