The retreating snow has left a flatten, matted bed of leaves on the forest floor. Click on the image for a larger view.
Category Archives: Life at Home
Mud Season, Part 1
We have had a very warm winter. We usually have a snow pack of a foot or so at this time of year. But we are in mud season, a transitional season between winter and spring. The land is either still frozen or waterlogged and so the run off from the melting snow or rain creates vernal streams and pools. The water can be surprisingly clear. But the landscape looks forlorn, like a dog after a bath. Click on the image for a larger view.
Stained Glass
The trees against the mid-winter sky. Click on the image for a larger view.
A Year in Color, 2015
First Snow, 2016
Yesterday, the ground was brown with the dried grass and fallen leaves of winter—unusually warm weather and strong rains had eliminated the snow pack from the last storm. This morning, that ground is covered with 20 cm or 8 in. of snow. How trees have adapted to the climate is fascinating: deciduous trees drop their leaves so not to be damaged by the weight of the snow and hibernate until they create new foliage in the spring; conifers have branches that bend down with the the load, allowing them to keep their foliage year long. Click on the image for a larger view.
Chocolate Surprise
This is a recipe for black bean fudge. It has a soft and smooth texture and a light flavor. It is gluten free and really healthy. The original recipe came from the BlendTec site, but Naomi modified it into something a little healthier and with a little more spice:
3 cups of cooked black beans
4 tsp vanilla extract
3 dried pitted dates
3 dried figs
2/3 cup coconut oil
1 cup of unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup of honey
1/4 to 1/5 tsp of chili powder
Nuts are an optional ingredient. Mixed all the ingredients in a blender. Pour the mixture into a 8 x 8 inch baking pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cut into one inch cubes. You can freeze what you can’t eat. Click on the image for a bigger bite.
New Years Day in Maine
New years day is a rather quiet affair in Maine. Naomi and I spent a peaceful day at home and took a small trip out to Bailey Island at sunset. Click on the image for a larger view.
Winter Returns
It snowed all day Tuesday. This is the first significant snow we have had this winter. Up until now, we have had a very mild season with warm temperatures breaking records for the holiday. Looking out our front door tonight gives a very different impression. Will will have to dig out Wednesday. Click on the image for a larger view.
Christmas Night, Christmas Lights
Just before midnight on Christmas, Naomi and I went out on the deck to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather. The moon was full and, with high-altitude clouds, encircled in a ring of light. Beyond the moon was a field of stars. (Orion can be at four O’clock.) Click on the image for a larger view.
