A Wicked Cold Trip and Quite a Few Holidays

Yeah, it looks all magical but don't let that fool you!  I'm just trying to find a way to enjoy the endless white blobs tumbling from the sky...
And speaking of fools, guess who was crazy enough to brave the dangerous low temperatures and outlandishly high winds to drive to New York state and take a train into New York City on Sunday? Artists will do anything to open their mouths in public and yap about their work! I was a-feared that Bob (mostly the sensible one) would say "Ix-Nay" to our plans to go to NYC, but he was game and I adore him for so supportive. We (obviously) made it there and back so there must be some truth to the rumor that God protects fools, drunk and artists.
Lookee here:

This wasn't even the worst! It was 8 below one morning but my camera battery went dead and I couldn't find the extra battery and charger (plugged into the bedroom wall, behind a painting). I debated drawing a picture of the negative reading, but thought no one would believe it- sort of an "artist's rendering". But there you have it! Evidence! (as if we needed any).
The gallery talk was great. I had asked Ellen (artist/friend/gallerist) to not ask me to speak first, so I could gauge what the other artists said and how they said it. I needn't have worried as we went alphabetically (I'm always last) and I quickly realized that we were all on the same page and we all sounded very erudite and like we knew what we were doing. It was fun and well worth risking frostbite and death through exposure. (Don't ask about the walk back from the train to the truck...)

Maybe because the day before was Valentine's Day and Bob and I were warm and fueled by love and delicious food, but it was a really great weekend. We then celebrated Mardi Gras/ Fat Tuesday a day early as more awful weather was planned for Tuesday. It didn't really happen but is any one out there sorry we didn't get another foot of snow?

AntiSnow Dance

This is what it has come down to- me against the snow! I know in California they are praying for rain and snow to alleviate their serious drought conditions. But here? I'm dancing my hooves off in an effort to appease the SnoGods (if there are any) and make it stop already. I've heard up to 18 inches in Litchfield County! Nothing to do but bake cookies, vacuum the stairs, work in my studio, take antibiotics and watch the old bump drain. (It is diminished.) The only thing that has improved is the temperature, hovering around the balmy mid-twenties,
Bob has secured the biggest pile of wood ever, indoors.

I share his desire to not have to go out later when there is another foot of snow to bring in the evening's wood. Especially as this white disaster is going to turn to freezing rain and rain later, and then back to snow. Nothing is made better by a coating of ice, especially not my mood. So that's it for now; I'm off to perform round three of my snow cessation dance.

The Whiteness of the Whale of a Snow Storm

Yuk yuk yuk! Bet you thought I'd put up a couple of pictures of snow, like everyone else? That's further down the page! For now, you have to be content with a peculiar computer drawing I did during the blizzard.
Our friend Nemo did not disappoint. We had a good (bad?) two feet of snow, but we hear Trumbull and points south had almost 40 inches... that's a whole lot of snow. Bob and I spent most of the day shoveling, an endeavour that I suppose almost everyone we know enjoyed today. The driveway is still virgin driftiness.
No, I take that back. We were finally plowed and then it became clear that the snowplow man was reneging on his agreed price; 50 shades of extortion. He took our check and then got loads more money from our neighbors- we were supposed to be splitting the cost. Needless to say, many phone calls have flown back and forth and we have yet to resolve this satisfactorily! I'm sympathetic that there is a lot of snow (A LOT OF SNOW) but you can't just change an agreed upon price. The perfidy of plowmen!
Here are some requisite photos. I know; they're redundant as we ALL have too much snow.

Or then there's this stunning shot of the truck:

I'm certain this does nothing to improve our humor. We also shoveled the path all the way down to Bob's studio. That's no mean feat as his studio is way past the barn. No pictures of that! We did manage to emerge from our crystalline squalor and go to the supermarket and secure things like milk and eggs. People were parked rather randomly in the parking lot; a scene of snow-induced psychosis. We are very tired now!

October Nor'Easter and Plenty of It

Here we are in October, all ready for that first now of the season... Not! I'm certain I'm not alone in lamenting the apparent passing of this year's Halloween. So much for tricks vs. treats!

I know, I know; it LOOOKS beautiful but you can have it! Thnak goodness the snow saw fit to go and melt away. The last few days have been almost balmy: in the seventies and nice.

The newly finished chimney is emitting a fine dribble of smoke. We cooked and heated water for washing dishes and stayed warm. Bob just finished installing the woodstove in his studio so we feel somewhat prepared (hahahahahahaha) for winter.