Spring Snow

Monday, March 27, 2017

The ground had been bare, the garden looked as though things were starting to grow. All of us were dreaming of a warm and happy Spring.

Then it snowed two feet.
Yes indeed, we may have had a false start to Spring here in Juneau Alaska. And just when I was starting to think that we would have a snow-free Easter, we wake up to find a deep (and I mean deep) layer of snow blocking our door.

Quinn, however, wasn't complaining too much.
Greta loved the snow as well, but she found it quite difficult to traverse the high dunes. Quinn and I ran all around the back yard, making roads for her to run around in.


Can you spot Greta in the photo below? Poor thing, the more we played the more tired she became (after all, hopping through snow that's taller than you are is very draining!).


I can hardly remember a time when it snowed so much. Back when I was in high school we got two snow days off in a row for a little over a foot of snow, but two feet? My goodness! This day will certainly be a day to remember for years to come.













When the deep snow drifts of the yard were adequately plowed through, all of us ran down the driveway and out onto our little sleepy street, where our neighbors were riding around on their four-wheelers having a grand-ole-time. We made our way down to our favorite trail and headed out onto the flats (where, because of the changing tides, there wouldn't be as much snow for Greta to worry about).
Lets play again! Can you spot Greta in the photo below?
There may have been quite a bit of snow on the flats as well...so back on up to the house we went!




















Time to start some avalanches with some swinging!

The falling snow was so beautiful. I loved running around and getting artistic camera shots. Quinn was a willing model for me, and he even offered to get some shots of me as well!

















(Mom's barn square that we made her for a birthday, her giant Sitka Rose bush in front.)
Having fun in the snow is all well and good but soon there was work to be done: snowplowing. Dad wouldn't be home for quite a while and we would need to drive the cars at some point...but boy were they buried deep!

"Are you sure there's a car under there?"

Oh dear! Quinn had his work cut out for him! He got out the snowblower and set to work, with myself disappearing to talk with mom and watch Quinn from the warmth of the main house.




I have such an awesome husband! He cleared the driveway in almost no time at all and soon we were peeling off our wet clothes and shoes and all snuggled up and warm back inside the Barn. Thankfully, it wouldn't be till the next day that we would have to brave the roads and make our way to work. 
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So tell me, what's the weather like where you are? It's still snowing off and on here in Juneau with our signature scattered rain showers (making quite the soggy mess outside). Has Spring come to your part of the world yet? I think we have a bit longer to wait here...

...but if it stays this pretty, I'm not sure I mind all that much.

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A Welcome Visit

Monday, March 6, 2017

 Last week we had quiet the wonderful surprise, Abigail and her friend and roommate Emma, came back home for a visit!

Abigail has been going to school since September at Montana Wilderness School of the Bible, a tiny Christian university out in the mountains of Montana. She's loving it there, but we have missed her so much! Her friend Emma had never been to Alaska, and they had fun romping around Juneau.

The last night they were here, Mom and Dad organized a farewell dinner for them both, complete with Quinn's favorite: stuffing! I had just gotten off work, and everyone else had just gotten back from a full day of skiing up on the windswept mountain tops. We were all pretty tired, but the smell of food drew everyone into the kitchen - which meant you got roped in to helping!




















Quinn wouldn't give me a proper smile with his little sister right next to him, oh well. And doesn't Emma just look fabulous stirring that gravy? That's the face she gave me when I told her so, haha!

Outside, the sun was sending out it's last rays over the cold snow and frosted evergreens. The thermometer on the porch read 10 degrees, making me thankful for the warm home and beds we would later snuggle into.

Around the table Abigail set out Mom's very best dishes with oil lamps setting a warm glow of light. Dad was busy cutting the roast chicken, which sparked Greta's interest. I had taken her with me to work for the first time, and she was just as tired as those who had gone skiing. The clients at work had played with her for eight hours straight! She loved every second of it, I'm sure.


Dinner, as I'm sure you can imagine, was wonderful. It was so nice to have everyone together again - why - it felt almost like Christmas!

Quinn had been gone all week in Sitka (he has been traveling there every-other week for work), so the home-cooked meal was a treat for him. And Emma had us rolling in our seats with laughter at her funny stories.

Abigail told us all the goings-on at school and told us how excited she was to get back and see all her friends again. I'm sure it will be a sad day come May, when she will say goodbye and graduate (but how she and I talked about all our plans for this summer! There will be something to look forward to!).

As dinner finished Mom got up and started icing a special treat: a homemade angel food cake with puff candy frosting! We had all been eyeing the cake, beautifully set under glass on one of the ovens as dinner was still being prepared, and everyone had made a promise to themselves to leave room for a nice slice.

Dad got a bit too excited and offered to help mom...




















I can't really blame him, that cake looked amazing! It looked even more beautiful with pieces of chocolate covered puff candy sprinkled over it, and carefully set on the table (right next to me! Wahoo!).
Mom cut the cake and I heaped sugar-covered strawberries on the plates and passed them around the table. It was divine! I hope we don't have to wait too long before she makes it again...
The rest of the evening was spent in laughter around the table, talking and catching up. In the back of our minds we knew Abigail and Emma would soon be sleepily getting on an early morning flight to go all the way back to their school in the mountains, but for the moment we concentrated on the love we had for them, and how that love would span all the miles from Alaska to Montana. 
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