On a very sombre December 4th, we turned left from the Post Office, to head in the direction of New Skete Monastery.
The monks of New Skete are Eastern Orthodox, best known for breeding German Shepherds and for obedience training of all dog breeds.
The nuns of New Skete are best known for the production of gourmet cheesecake which is reputed to be fabulous, though I have never tasted it.
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It’s nice to see streams and ponds somewhat recovered from the recent drought.
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This is one of our shorter drives, though of course any drive can be extended at short notice, should the impulse strike!
The road winds through woods, up and down gentle hills and through a copse of sycamores which as always we paused to admire.
Later, when I downloaded the images, I was astounded to realise…
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That we’d failed to notice a flock of turkeys. Black birds in a snow field – amazing!
“When I drive, I drive!” huffed Grant, who so often points things out.
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Case in point:
“Look! There’s a Red-tailed hawk!”
And as I pointed out – we were pulled over at the time.
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Perhaps it was snow blindness.
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We could hardly use it as an excuse that day, but when the sun comes out, the glare is fierce.
My glasses are photochromic and on sunny days now they darken even indoors.
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In my Long Island days, I dreaded the sight of snow as roads never seemed to get ploughed promptly or efficiently and although I never had a long driveway to shovel, I did my fair share of digging, just to get my car out.
Where I live now, the roads always appear to be kept clear though we seldom have occasion to check. Grant keeps our pathways clear and pulls snow off the roof, so he gets quite a workout. All I can contribute is boiling water for hot drinks, but I don’t hear many complaints.
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Until it melts into muddy puddles, snow serves as a great concealer of that multitude of eyesores I referred to some time back.
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It is unlikely that I shall build snowmen or ice palaces this winter. Short periods of exposure to freezing temperatures are not immediately bothersome but the cold settles into old bones rather uncomfortably.
Shame, because I enjoyed that mad caper.
Of course, I could always change my mind.
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I love it when I discover the hidden obvious in photos. It is so often a treat.
Quite frankly, I would love reading a book just with such entires! Please publish one.
Thank you, Carolyn, for the interesting post! You might not be pleased to know, but temperatures here are in double figures, and the snow is only in your pictures! I like the birds with or without the snow, and the monastery is worth visiting, especially for the cheesecake.
Joanna
Snow is scenic, and that’s it’s high point. Postcards and marketing. Nobody ever threw their back out shoveling humidity.
Boiling water for hot drinks while I look at the beautiful white (and cold) landscape … I could do that! I get cold very quickly and would rather stay inside on such snowy days. So, I understand why you would rather skip building snowmen and ice sculptures – but please don’t stop taking such beautiful photos!