Monday, February 23, 2009

Ice Crystals...




Snow is defined as "precipitation in the form of small white ice crystals formed directly from the water vapor of the air at a temperature of less than 32°F."


Lately, I've been appreciating the different kinds of snow.... in Ohio, snow is usually the icy, heavy variety that's accompanied by strong winds.


Up North snow has been different. Most often it's fluffy, cotton-candy stuff consisting of large clumps that drift down noiselessly onto the white blanket laying on the ground. When the winds kick up, it changes into tiny little snowflakes that quickly skitter around into drifts along the road. These pin-dots of snow fill the air, and seem too tiny to be able to accumulate much..... then, before you know it, inches have fallen and roads become slippery.


Here are some snow tips:
- The fluffiest snow usually occurs around 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Ten inches of fresh snow can contain as little as 0.10 inches of water and as much as 4 inches of water, depending on crystal structure, wind speed, temperature, and other factors.
- A single snowstorm can drop 40 million tons of snow, carrying the energy equivalent to 120 atom bombs.
- The Guinness Book of Records lists the largest snowflake at 15 inches across, a record held in Keogh, Montana, USA, since 1887.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

A GOOD Hair Day....




Ok, K.- this one's for you. :)


This is what it looks like when all the hair follicles are cooperating....

It's 'Up North', NOT 'Far North'....







I stand corrected.


When I first learned I'd be transplanted from Ohio Buckeyeland to upper regions of Michigan, I told people I was moving Far North. It was far north to me- a seven hour drive seemed pretty far!


I've since learned it's Up North country, and the Far North is wa-a-a-y north in Canada, with tundra, ice flows, and the Eskimo/Inuit.


Interestingly, the largest collection of Far North Inuit art is Up North here at the Dennos Museum in Traverse City.


Go figure.....

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

SnowWalker




When it comes to snow sports, I'm a virgin. I've never been on a snowmobile, I've tried skiing and cross country skiing once in my life (when I was a teenager), and I've never used snow shoes. Heck, it's been 15-20 years since I even went sledding!


So... I heard through the grapevine that my brother was howling with laughter when he heard we were going to try snowshoeing. Besides the fact I'm more than a bit klutzy, he knew my experience with the winter sports.


Imagine my surprise to find out I liked it! It was actually a lot of fun. The new snowshoes are lightweight and easy to use. It's good exercise, and relaxing (as long as you're not climbing up and down mountains....).


Dan took the mountain climbing option seriously a few days later- using the old-fashioned variety of snowshoes. These were built by my father many years ago. They are a little trickier- Dan only fell twice!

"There's No Place Like Home"




Dan and I are ready to nest into a new home. It's been about 2 years since we've had a place where we can fuss and fiddle and keep things the way we want- first, we had to rearrange our old home to get it ready for sale, then wait for it to sell, then move to a rental that we knew would be temporary (so we kept a lot unpacked), then move to our current rental (that I desperately hoped would be a permanent fix), and finally, will move into the right place- our new home. I'm tapping my heels together, and looking forward to the day we can empty all the boxes!


Here's a couple photos of the place we'll call home- Dan's got a separate garage for his woodworking 'stuff', we'll actually have a garage for our cars, and we'll have Nature around us..... heaven!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Squirrel Wars


Besides the gray and red squirrels I was used to in Ohio, there's a new cousin in town- the black squirrel. I was delighted to meet these little critters when I arrived. With the mounds of white snow everywhere, their dense black bodies are easy to spot.


In the woods out back of the house we're staying in, there is a black/gray squirrel-fest going on. It's fun to watch the many squirrel buddies scampering furiously from tree to tree and across the snow. Dan threw some cracked corn out back a couple of weeks ago, and once the squirrels discovered the treasure, we've had a party every mid morning.


There will be anywhere from 6-14 squirrels dancing, prancing, and shooing each other away from 'their' territory of the golden morsels. They take it all in good stride, and seem to be pretty agreeable about sharing a turn of being King of the Corn.


The other morning, while in our upstairs bathroom getting ready for the day, we saw this this little neb-nose above peering in at us- cheeky little guy!

Friday, February 13, 2009

A Bad Hair Day....


February always seems to be the month of 'dead hair' for me. I'm not sure why- the cold, perhaps less moisture in the air.... whatever the reason, I can expect a period of dull, lifeless, flat hair that refuses to cooperate.

This last week was no exception. And on top of that, I had the onerous chore of finding a hairdresser in my new locale. After trusting my locks to Suzanne for the past 11 years, it was time to start over Up North style.

I think I got lucky, and met Risha (pronounced Ri-shay) at the Signature Salon in Traverse city.

Risha gave me a spiffy cut that smoothed out the annoying edges and (hopefully) will take advantage of my natural curl when it decides to come back.

No more 'Feb-head' for this lady.... :)

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Cracker Barrel AND Culture- Whoo Hoo!


Many people that know me well know I love Cracker Barrel restaurants. The last many years while living in Columbus, I wasn't near a Cracker Barrel, and would often plan trips to their vicinity with a stop to eat and enjoy their good food and atmosphere. My husband kiddingly called this my 'Cracker Barrel fix.'

Well, I was elated to find out that there is a Cracker Barrel in Traverse City. Yahoo! Last week, I visited the local eatery and enjoyed my new breakfast favorite- the Eggs in the Basket, eggs cooked on the griddle in the center of sourdough bread, and their yummy hash brown casserole.

I then went to visit the Dennos Museum center- yep, an art museum in Traverse City. They have a permanent exhibit of Inuit Indian art (over a 1000 pieces total in their collection, which they rotate), and several other exhibits, including ancient bronze art from the Mongolian and Asian grasslands (many created around 3000-5000 B.C.).

It was a very good day...... :)

"Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore..."


You know you're in a new place when:


1. snow can crawl up the side of a house :)
2. everyone wears boots (designer shoes? Faa geddabout it!)
3. many of the squirrels running up and down the trees are pitch black, not gray
4. snowmobiles run down your street at night
5. gangs of wild turkeys can stop traffic on the roads
6. you see ads for ‘roof cleaners’ to remove the snow from your roof.....