A Winter Picnic

My goodness. It's been too long!

Dear readers, I have missed you so much! As I'm sure you can imagine, its been very very busy here at Blueberry Barn. My job has taken up quite a bit of my time, and the long dark days of winter have made it impossible for Quinn and I to take photos for blog posts. Quinn has also been quite busy: just before the start of December he started a new job at FedEx (and what a time to start a job there, with all the Christmas packages on their way!).

Now that the holidays are over and done with, and the light is slowly starting to creep back into our lives (ever so slowly), I hope to find time to write again. Starting here, with this little post:


This winter has been quite a bit more snowy than we've had in past years, making it perfect for sledding, skiing (Quinn's favorite), and winter picnics...

This particular morning we had woken up to see a fresh blanket of snow; a glittering sheet of sparkles covering everything from the roof to the dainty tree branches.

Quinn went out to the wood shed (told by some to be enchanted with fairies!) and chopped a nice big bucket of kindling. Meanwhile inside, Greta and I packed a nice picnic of soup and bread and soon we were off.

And now a silly story: One of Greta's favorite things in life is to ride in the car, a far cry from my family's dog Kiska (a white Samoyed) who despises cars with a passion. Not long ago on a walk, we happened upon a mother and her daughter getting out of their car as we passed their driveway. Well oh-my-goodness. As soon as Greta saw the cute little girl hop out of her seat, no amount of yelling and calling from Quinn and I could persuade her to stop (for she loves 'little people' just as much - if not more - than car rides).

As Greta got lots of pats and kisses from this little girl, she decided that her company was much more exciting then ours...and she jumped RIGHT IN to the car! The little girl's mother came around the corner and said "My, she must really love car rides!"

How utterly embarrassing Greta! Quinn and I offered many apologies as we grabbed our naughty puppy and scurried away.

Thankfully, nothing so terrible as that happened upon this day, and the long drive 'out the road' passed by quickly with the snowy mountains speeding by. Soon we embarked on a long trail to the Boy Scout beach, where many months prior we had soaked up some sun.

No sun could be seen in the sky that day. Instead, a world of black and white met our eyes. A world of quiet snowfall, of elegant flurries and flakes, all around us.

Quinn set right to work in making a fire under the cover of three big spruce trees. Under their branches we were protected from the still-falling snow, a perfect spot to lay out our thick winter blanket.











It wouldn't be long before hot soup would be boiling by the fire, and bowls and spoons pulled out from the backpack.

How amazing it was to sit in the silence of the snow, yet to hear such sounds as the fire crackling, the waves of the sea, and the calls of an eagle far overhead. 

I was soon lost in the beauty that surrounded us, until I realized..."My goodness! My toes are freezing!!!!" Thankfully an easy fix, as the fire still burned nice and hot. Greta was also excited to warm our cold fingers and faces!

"Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."
Psalm 51:7

For desert we munched on a chocolate orange leftover from a Christmas stocking (they're my favorite Christmas treat!). And soon the sky grew a dark gray, signaling us that it was time to hike back to the warmth of the car. 

But not before a family photo!

Look at Greta, isn't she just darling? From her cute little face you would think that she could do no wrong, like hopping into another family's car. Oh dear...

I don't know if there's snow or cold temperatures in your part of the world, dear reader, but if there are maybe you should think about doing a winter picnic! Quinn, Greta and I truly enjoyed ours! As long as you have a warm blanket and some nice warm food you're set! Make sure to send me pictures of your adventures if you go out and enjoy the cold some wintry afternoon - good bye for now!