Sunday, March 17, 2024

First Signs Of Spring...

Our first bluebird appeared the day before the storm. A sure sign that spring is near. I thought that I heard him two days before, but I didn't lay eyes on him until the day before. He was a bit disheveled after his long journey. I have not seen him since and was unable to get a picture of him. 

The cattle rancher had to plow a large area on the side of a large hill, so he could drop hay for his cows that are about to calf. It is amazing how square he made it. It is almost as if he put up a fence. The cows do not venture out of the square. I guess they know where their bread is buttered. 




All the snow has dropped off the roof now. It is stacked high against the house on both sides. It is also hard as a rock from melting and refreezing. It was too dangerous to try and moved it when it was still falling from the roof. I guess it will stay until it melts. It won't take long with the warm temperatures that we are experiencing. Mud will take its place soon enough. 





We successfully maneuvered down the driveway with the front bumper pushing the snow all the way. A delivery was postponed due to the snow. It never made it to the front range. They would have had to traverse two counties that have declared state of emergencies. I will not order anything else until this mess has improved. We will also place cones at the end of the driveway to keep delivery vehicles out and keep the damage to the driveway to a minimum once the snow starts to melt.

This is just part of life here in the high Rockies. It takes a lot of planning and forethought to keep things running smoothly. It also takes fortitude to live a remote off grid lifestyle. It is not for everyone. 

Mrs. Smith

  

Friday, March 15, 2024

Update...

The main snow event is over. We did not get the additional six inches. We probably have an additional inch this morning. Our road was plowed late yesterday. Our driveway is a different story. We will bust down it this afternoon. We have a little more snow moving in this evening. Nothing major. 

The depth is just below my knees. The drifts are a different story. We did not get the high winds that were forecasted. We will venture out to the end of the driveway, the barn and the chicken coop later today. I am still recovering, so we won't be doing much snow removal. We will only deal with the most pressing issues.

Mrs. Smith


I dug out the generator.

We will have to deal with the snow against the house soon.

The heavy snow is sliding off the roof. Bang! Bang! I just heard it again. It is loud.


Thursday, March 14, 2024

Walloped!

 



It's started!

The canoe was my point of reference.





This is the other end of the canoe.



These are all the pictures I was able to take, because I was in my robe and slippers. I will venture out after I have a cup of tea and get dressed. We are supposed to get up to six more inches of snow. We have lost one whole array of solar panels under the snow. That will have to be delt with soon. 


Mrs. Smith


Tuesday, March 12, 2024

It's Getting Real - Winter Storm Warning

We could get upwards of 17 inches of snow or more. They have not posted how much we could get Thursday night. We went to town today to run some errands about 40 miles away and they are supposed to get 30 plus inches. 

We also picked up our mail. I was waiting for a package that arrived earlier than expected, so we won't have to venture out during the heavier snowfall. I'm pretty sure that we will have a blizzard warning soon due to 40 mph winds that will be accompanying this storm. 

The back-up generator is in place and ready to go. I will move the chicken feeders inside the coop tomorrow. Poor things just had a couple days of a snow free yard. It was so nice that I let them out for the day. It will probably melt fast and cause an extreme mud situation on top of the deep mud that we already have. Argh! 

I hope to take some awesome pictures. We haven't seen snow like this since the first time we visited here in February 2008. It did not stop snowing that winter. People were snowed in for a month or more. The plows worked 24/7. We snowshoed and snowmobiled into our property. It was a sight to behold. A lot of people moved as soon as the roads opened up. They could not take the solitude. It was feet of snow, not a mere 17 inches. There has been a drought here ever since. 

Mrs. Smith

  • Wednesday

    Wednesday: Snow showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Some thunder is also possible.  Cloudy, with a high near 39. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east northeast in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 16 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

    Chance Snow
    Showers then
    Snow Showers
    Likely

    High: 39 °F

  • Wednesday
    Night

    Wednesday Night: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Some thunder is also possible.  Low around 20. North northeast wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.

    Heavy Snow

    Low: 20 °F

  • Thursday

    Thursday: Snow.  High near 27. Blustery, with a northeast wind 18 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

    Snow and
    Blustery

    High: 27 °F

  • Thursday
    Night

    Thursday Night: Snow likely.  Cloudy, with a low around 15. Blustery, with a northeast wind 13 to 18 mph decreasing to 7 to 12 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 70%.

    Snow Likely
    and Blustery

    Low: 15 °F

  • Friday

    Friday: A 40 percent chance of snow, mainly before noon.  Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31.

    Chance Snow

    High: 31 °F


Wednesday
Snow showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Some thunder is also possible. Cloudy, with a high near 39. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east northeast in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Wednesday Night
Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Some thunder is also possible. Low around 20. North northeast wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.
Thursday
Snow. High near 27. Blustery, with a northeast wind 18 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
Thursday Night
Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 15. Blustery, with a northeast wind 13 to 18 mph decreasing to 7 to 12 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Refrigerator Dump Pizza - Artisan Bread Recipes

I finally felt well enough to put together a loaf of Artisan bread. I also made yummy chicken pizza out of the same dough and leftovers. I have not baked bread for a month. Our meals have been very basic for over a month now. Shingles have literally taken all of my energy out of me. You can find my recipe here: Artisan Bread/Pizza Dough 



My body finally burned the sickness out with a fever a couple of nights ago. I am still not 100%. Not even close, but I have hope. My energy level is non-existent. The no-knead bread was just the ticket I needed to put bread on the table. The pain is starting to diminish. I am using a brace to help control it. I wasn't able to use the brace until the rash was almost cleared up. I am really hoping that the nerve pain leaves my body soon. 

I was not up to making up a batch of pizza sauce, so I used leftovers from the fridge to create this pizza. I used up the last of the rotisserie chicken from Sam's, homemade turkey bacon bits, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, melted butter, chopped orange bell peppers and grated cheese on the pizza. I had all the ingredients in the fridge ready to go. I stole the chopped peppers out of some leftover salad. All I had to do was use my imagination and put it together for a much-needed meal. I served it with leftover salad minus the peppers, LOL.

The pizza smelled wonderful while baking. I used a lot of minced garlic and butter. I was not hungry, but I managed to eat one slice and a bite. I skipped the salad; I had one for lunch. The pizza would have been just as good without the meat. I hope to make this again perhaps as a side for soup. 


Enjoy,

Mrs. Smith

Spring Storm, Hopefully!

We have a storm brewing out there. I hope that it doesn't track around us again like the last storm did. Fires are already burning on the front range. We have not had much snow this year and what we have had is already melted. Mud season has started early. It could be a horrific fire season if things don't turn around. 


  • Tuesday
    Night

    Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow after midnight.  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

    Mostly Cloudy
    and Breezy
    then Slight
    Chance Snow

    Low: 21 °F

  • Wednesday

    Wednesday: Snow, mainly after noon.  High near 39. West wind 6 to 13 mph becoming north northeast in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

    Chance Snow
    then Snow

    High: 39 °F

  • Wednesday
    Night

    Wednesday Night: Snow.  Low around 20. Blustery, with a northeast wind 13 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 90%.

    Snow and
    Blustery

    Low: 20 °F

  • Thursday

    Thursday: Snow likely.  Cloudy, with a high near 29. Blustery.  Chance of precipitation is 70%.

    Snow Likely
    and Blustery

    High: 29 °F

  • Thursday
    Night

    Thursday Night: A 50 percent chance of snow.  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 14. Blustery.

    Chance Snow
    and Blustery

    Low: 14 °F





Shalom,
Mrs. Smith

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Waiting for Spring...


We Live disconnected and far away from things of this world and we wouldn't have it any other way. I'm watching Out of Africa. It makes me yearn for new adventures.

When I ventured outside this morning, I was greeted by the icicles hanging off the eves of the house. 

We love our neighbors.

There are new adventures to be had once spring arrives.

It's in the winter months when we really get to experience the harsh reality of living off grid.

I wouldn't trade the brutality of winter for a bustling lifestyle. It is a sabbatical. A reset of sorts.

Until the spring melt, I will find adventure in the works of others.




Mrs. Smith





First Signs Of Spring...