IN THE FREEZER

Yep we are in the freezer and still not out.
I just read in today's paper that Saturday AM it was minus -7 degrees here in Eugene and on Sunday morning it was minus -10 degree's. We are talking minus here folks!
Today we will gradually start to warm somewhat. What does that mean?
Quite an experience for us valley folks. Now if I was still in central Oregon it would make sense. I remember the olden days back in the 60's and through the 70's when I lived south of Bend in La pine. The winters there were horrendous, it was expected. In the winter of 1972 we had -42 degree's below zero. Yes you read that right. I remember stepping out on the deck to retrieve some wood for the fireplace and my breath froze in the air, just turned to ice crystals. The winters in Bend were no picnic either. I lived there from the early 80's to the mid 90's and then again 1998-2000. Slipping and sliding on streets, slipping on the ice while fetching the morning paper. Not going anywhere until vehicles were scrapped and warmed and the driveways and berms from the snowplows were shoveled away. All of it gets old fast as those winters on that side of the mountain are long.
So in retrospect we have it easy here in the western valleys. But the thing of it is that no one knows how to drive here when we get snow on the ground. There were over three hundred accidents on Friday. Three hundred! It is not safe out there as there are folks on the roadways that do not know what they are doing, why don't they stay home is my question?


I put out a few Christmas decorations yesterday afternoon. I took away the Thanksgiving tablescape and exchanged it for my simple Christmas table decor. An old Christmas story book I have had since I was young, my old dolly, Mom's oil lamp and lots of candles and a small lace scarf made by my Grandmother Sarah on my Mother's side. Items that mean something to me.
I took down the little orange lights that surrounded the nook table and put up our racer lights and hung our Happy Holiday sign in the middle top of the window. As the days go by I will add more touches.
We will not put up a tree if we go away for Christmas. 

I will go now and start my daily chores........and then what? Who knows what the day will bring.
Oh the photo at top is a shot of Timothy Lake near Mt. Hood. It was taken by my son while on a snowmobile outing.