Finally...Winter!

Monday night we received around 10 inches of new snow at our house.

We had just returned home after 8 days downstate. 

We knew the storm was coming so we left on time Monday morning. 

Above, Lake Huron is showing its dark side.

The fresh snow made everything look so pretty.

I am finally unpacked and ready to get back into blogging!

The dogs seemed to enjoy the white fluffy stuff.

Just a little snooze in the snow...

...or a snooze on the plowed driveway.

This photo is so serene.

Do you see the tree on the left that went down in our backyard during the wind storm up here the Wednesday before Christmas Eve? Our power went out until Friday evening. 

We are so blessed to have the neighbors we do!!

How about a few Christmas pictures? Our family Christmas at our son's house...

Canines crashing on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning...Gus is looking festive isn't he?

(I had a hard time getting him to sit still! He was excited about the stocking stuffers!) 

Santa brought him reindeer antlers!

Those of you who follow me on Facebook already saw my homemade birthday card, but my mom and a few others are not on Facebook, so I'm sharing this again.

After I went to bed the night before my birthday, my husband and oldest son decided to make me a Birthday card out of glitter. 

What do you think, mom? :)

The Weather Outside is Frightful...

This "pond" forms in our front yard after a hard rain and after what seems like 14 long days of December rain. No, that's not a true calculation but it sure feels like it has been raining every day this December. In truth we may have had 2 or 3 days of a little bit of sunshine.

Our driveway is fit for mud loving swine.

Our road is totally unwalkable even with my Muck boots on.

(My spell check says unwalkable isn't a word. I disagree,)

See the rain drops falling down?

Seems another "pond" is forming by my gardens.

Even the dogs don't want to go out. I'm not even sure if that's Ike or Bear. The other dog is in the barn by Steve.

This is our backyard. It has a natural creek of sorts that travels through. But we don't usually see the water.

I think I will close the blinds, crank up the Christmas music, sing Let It Snow at the top of my lungs and start on my Christmas baking.

Speaking of crank, we talked to a friend (he wasn't cranky) last night who has lived up here all his life and he says he's never seen this much rain in the Upper Peninsula in December. He runs a business and he says it has certainly played a large part on the disposition of his customers. 

Joy to the World...

Oh Yooper Tree...

The last time Riley and Lindsey were here, they decided they wanted to bring home to Chicago a real Yooper tree for their Christmas tree.

We took a ride to our property and scouted for the perfect one and found it!

Steve and Riley here discussing how they are going to go about this...

Steve had grabbed an old sheet and rope from the garage before we left on our quest for the best.

So while the guys tied the tree to the roof of Riley's Jeep, Lindsey and Gus played frisbee while I took pictures. (Aren't I always?)

Then I took a family photo before they trekked the 7 hour trip back home. Hey, Gus, look this way...

And here it is all trimmed! 

I hope your Holiday trimming, shopping, and baking are coming along nicely for all of you out there. I don't need snow to understand the reason for the season, however, for those of us (like me) who live in an area that usually has snow around the holidays, it just seems to be a part of the season and makes my heart sing.

But I'm not complaining about this gorgeous weather we've been having in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It's 43 degrees right now and the sun is shining and the dogs just raced past the window in their haste to chase a red squirrel.

I almost thought twice about hanging the sheets on the line today. I said to myself, whaaat, it's December 7.

So I threw them into the dryer.

Hunting Update 2015

Day one of firearm deer hunting season. This is the view from my blind.

One week later this was my view.

How many deer did I see? None. We only have them on our game cameras at night.

Deer Camp looks similar to last years with just a little less snow.

My blind.

Steve's blind. He saw a few doe during the daylight hours. No bucks.

Our little trapper's cabin. Poor thing needs some work done. I wish I could have a conversation with this cabin. Oh the stories it could tell...

The snow is very tranquil and serene. I can't say I was really ready for it, but now with the Christmas music playing and all the Christmas commercials on TV, I'd say it fits right in.

But I'll take those blue skies over gray skies any day.

We moved home from camp, but we aren't finished hunting. I wanted to get a few things done around the house before Thanksgiving gets here and our kids come up for the weekend. I can't wait for that!

I want to give a shout out to Gary Bennett - Happy Belated Birthday! I wanted to send wishes on Facebook, however our phone reception/internet at deer camp isn't that great.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Have a blessed day!

Love,

Debi

Around the House...

Everyone and everything seems to be getting ready for something:

• cold weather 
• winter
• hunting
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

Or putting something away:

• shorts
• outdoor furniture
• canned goods to the cellar or cupboard
• sunflower seeds

Or taking something out:

• blankets
• bird feeders (the bear should be hibernating soon)
• heavy coats
• hot cocoa
• sunflower seeds

Yep, everyone and everything seem to be busy with something - that transition of seasons: 

• seasons of the equinox and the solstices
• seasons of life
• seasons of abundance and seasons of lack

I'm sure no one told 'ole Mr. Downy Woodpecker or Chippy that they better get out there and stock up and harvest the seeds from Debi's sunflowers.

They just know.

And the sky never ceases to amaze me!

Stay tuned...a hunting update will be posted soon.

Firearm Deer Hunting Season 2015

And yet another season falls upon us.

Firearm Deer Hunting Season!

We have been busy getting things ready for next week. Sunday is the first day of the firearm deer hunting season. It will last for two weeks here in Michigan. 

This week we swept out our blinds (those mice find sneaky ways to be squatters in our blinds during off season), tested our heaters (I had a problem one year - the mice built a nest in my heater and it started on fire - You can read more about that mishap HERE), and went through our hunting clothes and all the bells and whistles that go along with the sport. Tomorrow we'll go out for supplies and such essentials like batteries for camp, and sight in our guns. Oh yeah, I still need my license, too.

Whew, lots of preparations, but so worth it. Really worth it if one of us harvests a deer!

Oh, and I have some baking to do.

Now I'm getting that butterfly feeling - will I get everything done in time? Have everything we need? Enough food? See a buck? Why am I writing this post when I have so much to do?

Steve has already informed me I may not take as much "stuff" to camp as I did last year.

Gotcha.

This year I'll leave behind all those throw pillows and doilies.

You may have seen these pics on Instagram but I'll share again. Here are a few photos I took of the sky this past weekend back in the woods by our blinds.

I was hoping to get a shot of a rainbow but no success.

And on November 6, this little grandpuppy of ours turned one!

He is the wallpaper on my phone and I smile every time. 

He is so spoiled loved.

Happy Birthday Gus! See you in a few weeks!!

And good luck to all you hunters out there! Stay safe!