Getting Colder Again Here In Maine.

We had a few nice days, sunny and in the 40sF which was good to melt some of the ice that has covered our ground.  The 2 days was not enough to melt it all and the waterfall on the river is still frozen water though its shrunk a bit.  Now its getting colder again.
Today it was in the low 20sF but with a wind that made it feel in the single digits.  I know, I felt it when I took out the dog for her walks.  Brrrrr, I had to put on my heavy winter parka once again.  I feel like the Pillsbury Dough Boy when I wear it.  Its heavy but warm.
Its weather like this when I wish I could just let Penny out the back door (as I did in my previous lodgings) and not have to get dressed against a cold walk.   But she's worth it, four times a day including early morning and then a late short walk at nite when it gets mighty bitter out there.
I know we haven't seen the last of winter.  February is always our worst one for snow storms so I foresee many white days ahead.
Have a nice day.

Here's what one of our usual snow storms produces here in Maine, and if you look closely you can see my dear Penny's golden head at bottom right walking the shoveled pathway.

My Andrulis Farmer's Cheese Arrived Today!

I am so happy today.  My order of Farmer's Cheese from Michigan, from Andrulis Cheese, came today with its 6 packages of cheese.  The minimum I could buy online was 6 and the weights differ depending on the size of the package.
This is a solid form of cheese that looks like a block of cottage cheese.

I chose regular shipping since the lady explained to me that they packed them well in insulation and Ice-Brix.  Shipped on Monday and received today, Thursday by UPS.

Here are my six packages.  All slightly different in weight.
The cost is six something per pound and one has to purchase six minimum.  That won't matter to me since I love this cheese and will enjoy eating it every day.  But I also have friends that love this cheese as well and will share it among them.
The shipping is costly, but still, it comes to less per pound that when I bought it at the local grocery chain that carried it until a few months ago.  They charged $12.99 a pound for this cheese.  After shipping costs, this cheese costs eleven and change per pound.
One can have it shipped in 2-day shipments, but taking 3 days works out fine for me.  It would cost more to receive it the 2nd day.

As you can tell from this photo, the cheese is pretty solid and pure white.  I sprinkle it with a bit of salt before I serve it and I admit to loving this so much, I eat it as is without anything to go with it except some liquid to drink.
In my youth, my grandmother used to buy a large oval Farmer's cheese which was not as solid and she would sit it on a sunny windowsill for a few hours each day, then back into the refrigerator overnite.  She did this for several days til there was a crust on the outside of the cheese.  It tasted fabulous.
I, sad to say, never got the precise workings of this method so I don't prepare it like my Gram.  I wish I had learned the art, but its too long, too late now.
Still, this brand makes a more solid cheese and it is very much to my liking.  It brings back Lithuanian memories of my youth, even though I was born in America.
I plan to sit now and nibble a bit.
Have a nice day.

How To Stay Safe on Icy Days

I sanded the pathway after the icy evening but by morning it had iced over again.  Lucky for me I was wearing my ice cleats on my ankle boots.

I have purchased a few of these items but I have to say here, these are the best.  I bought them from eiher L.L.Bean or Vermont Country Store many years ago when I had to walk a few blocks to catch a bus in the city.  They have been my safest item for winter.
I have cheaper ones, and some that are just a band of sharp points across a strap that goes over the toe of one's boots.  They, I have to admit, were useless when I took a tumble by the dumpster last year.   True, it was black ice, but still they did not grip the ice at all and I came down hard on my pillowed backside, and my hands, which were red from the fall.  Hey, there's something to be said for having extra fat during the winter.  No lasting injuries thank goodness.
So I went hunting for my other ice cleats and found them.  Since I have been wearing them on my ankle boots this winter, no problems nor near misses.  They are truly safe, safe, safe.  No slips or skids or near falls.
If you do not own a pair, I say buy yourself a sturdy set today.  Be sure they are strong rubber and have sturdy, strong points on the bottom.  If you pay good money for them (I think these were around $16 way back when), you want something that will last for years. A three dollar pair are just not safe enough.
Have a nice.....and safe.....day.

Just An Update.....

Nothing exciting happening to me and mine.
Weather has been a bit warmer lately which is good, but then we got more snow and then the ice.  Luckily I have ice cleats to put on my boots when I take out my dog for her walk.  I feel so safe wearing them.
No sewing being done, no special cooking, and no action around here.
I ordered some of my favorite Farmer's Cheese online from a farm in Michigan (Andrulis) and it should arrive tomorrow.  I can't find it at the local grocery chain where I used to get it.  Maybe they don't carry it any longer.  Anyway, I found the dairy online and even with special shipping and packing, its cheaper to buy online by about a dollar a pound.  The mark-up at the grocery store is about 50%.
I really love their cheese and was missing it so I'm glad I found their dairy online.

I hope everyone stays safe and warm in this winter weather with its freezing days and nights and its icy rain and snow.  Keep safe.

A Late Christmas Gift Arrived!

Yes, its still Christmas at my house evidently.  I rec'd a box with Christmas cookies, small brownies, and chocolate.

Isn't this Santa adorable.  He's 3 boxes, one atop the other, each filled with goodies.  I love him.  And the goodies don't hurt either.   Well, I stand corrected, they DO hurt, the waistline.  But going down they sure are good.  I will have to pack him away gently and take him out again next year filled with goodies I make myself and serve to visitors.

As for weather, it sure warmed up today.  It hit the high 40sF and the snow is melting, but it is also making wet spots that could easily turn to ice if it gets really cold later tonite.  Tomorrow they tell us we'll reach the 50s.   It'll be great to get some of the ice patches melted away completely before the cold returns next week.

Have a good evening friends.  Hugs, S

Snowstorm Grayson Dumped 15" on us Jan. 4, 2018

Its the first snowstorm of the year and its a biggy.  I measured in 4 different level areas to get a good measurement and I came up with 15" of the white stuff.  Luckily it was light in weight so there were minimal power outages, and those mostly in the south along the coast where rising tides and a full moon brought strong waves washing over the roadways.

Our garden pathway snow-blowed this morning.

Part of the gardens themselves, home to our sky high Pampas grasses, now mostly buried.

The view of the winding river covered with ice floes, with even the reservoir in the foreground partially iced over.

Toward the left you can see what looks like stair steps where the water falls are mostly frozen solid except for a small stream that still flows freely.  The bridge between our two towns spans more ice-covered river.

Snow, snow, snow everywhere.

This weekend we will be visited by another Arctic cold front giving us 20 below zero temps in the evenings.  Right now it is 10 above with the afternoon being a bit overcast.  Our temps next week will be heat waves in the 20s and even reaching 35 on Tuesday, they tell us.

For me, its a good time to stay indoors.  I have plenty of food in my larder, sweets leftover from Christmas, and goodies that still tempt me even after the New Year, which I will NOT waste.  I even have Italian Wine Cookies planned to bake this weekend.

Have a nice weekend.