Jack Frost visited us during the night and gifted us with a magical winter morning wonderland.

It was what I believe to be a hoar frost.  Infomory.com gives this explanation of hoar frost:  "The deposit of ice crystals that form on vegetation or other objects that are commonly mistaken to look like snow, hoar frost has many different names, each of which depends on where the hoar frost is formed. Air hoar is those that form on object surfaces. Examples of these are tree branches and stems of plants. Surface hoar looks like ice crystal ferns that are found on already frozen surfaces. They are caused by avalanches. Crevasse hoar are those that are located in glacier-like crevasses wherein water vapor forms even when there are calm weather conditions. Depth hoar is made up of cup-shaped crystals formed inside dry snow.

This kind of frost also forms around artificial environments such as industrial cold-storage facilities. Rooms that are not insulated against the cold or other areas where humidity and moisture enters and freezes instantly also form hoar frost.

The term hoar frost is believed to have come from a German word that means graying and old. The term expresses the white color of frost that is similar to the color of an old man’s beard.
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The popularity of hoar frost increased due to its distinct appeal. Ragged and yet mysterious, hoar frost reminds people who take a closer look of a lacy ice crystal. The minute detail and intricacy of the design of the hoar frost makes it a very popular subject for contemporary artists. Hoar frost, when seen, most of the time gives off the feeling that one is in a winter wonderland."

If and when snow is to come to the San Francisco Bay Area, it will most likely come in the month of February.  These pictures are from one of those snowy mornings when the tops of the coastal mountains were dusted with snow during the night.

There is so much beauty to be found in Wisconsin.  It is easy to take this beauty for granted when we live in it on a day to to day basis.  All we have to do is stop and open our eyes and pay attention.  Yesterday while I was driving to the grocery store I suddenly stopped and paid attention to this river that I had driven past many times.  Here is a little bit of history about this river:  "The Straight River flows through the Straight River Tunnel Channel, a well-preserved glacial tunnel flanked by the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. This tunnel channel was formed between 15,000-18,000 years ago, near the end of the most recent Ice Age. During this time, melt water from deep beneath the layer of ice on the glacier's surface was forced under extreme pressure towards the glacier's margin. The Straight River Tunnel Channel is considered to be the finest example of this rare glacial phenomenon in Wisconsin."  ~ Wikipedia 1.29.2020

It's been 18 days since my last post in this part of my blog.  Winter is still with us here in the Northwoods.  Again today I gaze out the window at a world of white snow, gray sky and leafless trees.  Wild canaries hungrily feed at the bird feeder which I always keep full for them.  Squirrels dash everywhere thru the yard of snow looking for treasured acorns they buries last fall.  Lastly, I sit here with a mug of coffee at hand...it is growing cold right now and that is ok.

On a day such as this it easy to imagine a warm summer morning filled with birdsong...yet at the same time it is hard to grasp that memory...that feeling.  Yet I know that eventually winter will give away to spring and summer will soon follow.

​That is enough for me today.  Truly it is enough.

As I sit here gazing out the window...cup of coffee in hand...at a winterscape, I find myself pondering two things:  winter and how quickly the time has flown.  I've now owned this house wince 2015, and I've actually lived in this house (my forever home) since 2017.  Here in the Northwoods winter is a reality that has to be dealt with this time of the year.  It is beautiful in its bleakness.  It's also good to have a good furnace that keeps the home warm and comfortable. 

Spring is a distant season now in January...but it will soon be here.  Thank you Universe for all of the prosperity in my life...for life itself, for love, for friends and family...and for the wee cottage in the woods.

Yesterday's "adventure" was a drive to Copper Falls State Park which is about two or so hours from Frederic. It has always been one of my favorite parks for it encompasses three waterfalls and at least one lake. The drive to and from there is through the Chequamegon National Forest...and along the drive I encountered three flocks of wild turkeys crossing the road. I stopped for each and every one of them so they could cross the road safely. I also saw a female elk crossing the highway (stopped for her too)...and realized as I drove through 30+ mile of "elk crossing" warnings, that elk have finally been re-established in this part of the country. Lastly attached is a picture of Copper Falls from today. It was a good day...

On a recent early summer day I arrived home.  In the morning I'd been out and about having breakfast with a dear friend, did some book shopping.  Then I drove home.  Upon pulling into the driveway this feeling of having arrived home washed over me.  Since moving into this house three years ago it was the first time that this feeling of pleasure and comfort were mine to enjoy.

An old quote declares "home is where the heart resides."  Yes this is true.  However, Melody Beattie says it even better:  "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend."

Over the years I've been blessed with many homes.  My parent's home where I grew up, college dorms (well, kind of home), apartments, condos, and townhouses.  Each place I've enjoyed and cherished.  However, when I purchased this house and then moved into it...I had the hardest time accepting it as home.  Yet here I am knowing that finally...I've arrived home.  

Already these rooms have been filled with love and laughter and memorable events.  All of these things make a house a home  And for that I am eternally grateful.

Thank you Universe!

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This is not posted under my recipe sections for it is not so much a recipe as a celebration of the start of summer.  And even though the calendar says summer does not start until June 20/21, here in the Northwoods it is at hand.  BTW, my pasta salad is nothing more than a box of any pasta I might find in the cupboard and a lot of creativity.  In this case it was elbow macaroni, tuna, celery, sliced olives, and mixed vegetables tossed with a sweet Italian salad dressing.

Oh...and while preparing the pasta salad...I had a bloody Mary.  My bloody Mary is nothing more than vodka, Clamato...and garnish (in this case spear of pickled asparagus and sliced bread & butter pickles).

The pasta salad and the bloody Mary were both enjoyed.  Trust me.  And that is how I welcomed summer to the wee cottage in the woods.