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Our backyard visitors occasionally drop by our kitchen porch because it’s covered… and it offers a sheltered respite from the winter wind.
They also leave their calling cards.
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Bird tracks.
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Mammal tracks.
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And look!
Godzilla dropped by as well…
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They say the third time’s a charm, but after two different rammings by passing vehicles that damaged our mailbox and forced my husband to make repairs to the box and the post…. the town snow plow finished the job by completely obliterating our mailbox and sending it sailing into the void on Christmas Eve.
Here’s a picture of the husband valiantly searching for it next to the empty post…
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We had no idea where it was, or how far away it travelled. Which meant another replacement.
This isn’t a fun project even in nice weather, but in deep snow, 7 degree temperatures and a brisk wind?
It’s hellish.
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Especially when you didn’t realize the mounting hardware and post adapter required weren’t included until you started the job.
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Temporary solution?
Bungee cords.
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The day after Christmas my DIY husband decided he could mount the box without the post adapter it needed.
I disagreed vehemently but was ignored…. and out came the sawzall. After removing the offending rear part? He came inside when he realized he’d broken the door off.
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This stupid mailbox cost $100… but the door was only held on by a tiny bit of glue on the little hinge strip seen above.
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We tried every glue we had in the house but nothing held… and since my husband cut a piece of the metal off the back, it’s not like we could return the box to the store.
Solution?
Screw it.
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Literally and figuratively.
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Then file down the pointy screws so the mailman doesn’t slash his wrist open when he delivers mail.
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It’s not pretty, but it works.
Until the next big snow storm.
🥴
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Christmas was quiet here at Casa River…
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But it was also gloriously white.
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And may I just give a shout out to whoever invented snow blowers…
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Best winter device, ever.
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Yardstick deployment #2.
🤣
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And while the husband was out blowing snow?
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I was enjoying a good book, a cup of tea and the annual homemade rosemary shortbread gift from our neighbor. Delicious!
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After clearing the driveway, the husband ran out of creamer so we drove to the grocery store.
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It was a beautiful ride…
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Until we cruised around a corner and clipped a hanging power line.
Smack! Right on my side of the windshield of the husband’s new car.
Thankfully, it… and we … and the car…were okay. But I called the power company to report the danger.
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They got right on it, as we saw on our way home.
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Winter driving is beautiful, but it can be hazardous too.
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These winter pictures popped up on my Facebook memories recently and I thought it would be fun to share.
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Backyard deer on their path. They don’t stray very far from it once it’s cut.
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That’s my husband shoveling out our neighbor who thought she could make it down her driveway in her car before plowing.
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She couldn’t.
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And here’s my husband a year later pushing his snowblower next door….
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To help dig out her husband’s plow truck.
My husband is a good neighbor to have.
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This is Mr. White, a beautiful boy who is no longer with us. He always wanted to go outside in the winter…
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But didn’t really like it once he got there.
❤️
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Are you tired of winter snow photos? If so, you have my permission to depart the pattern now…. because that’s all there is today.
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No adult beverages on the deck last week I’m afraid.
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The above is a rare deer track free shot of the backyard. Taken early in the morning, it didn’t last.
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The wind has been killer this season. The above is a shot of my husband shoveling the driveway when it was 6 degrees with 53 mph gusts.
Yours truly stayed inside.
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Driveway clearing after a storm is the Maine equivalent of the office water cooler. Everyone crawls out of their snowbound homes and chats.
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And if you’re lucky, your neighbor cracks through the ice crusted snow your snowblower won’t with his tractor plow.
😊
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After 3 years of virtually no snow, this winter is keeping our shovels busy.
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Strolling out to the man cave for an adult beverage requires some effort.
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The bird bath is disappearing.
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And the shrub hats are growing.
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As is the hump on the patio table.
❄️😊❄️
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Sunrise on snow.
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It’s hard to beat.
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💕
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More snow makes for pretty pictures I like to share with all my snowless southern and western friends.
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The shrubbery wear hats.
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And the edge of the driveway hump grows.
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Critter paths are clearly visible.
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And we have no idea who was romping on our deck. Those faded middle tracks are my husband’s, but clearly others followed suit.
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A path to the man cave must be shoveled.
It’s where the beer lives…
😊
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We’ve been having a number of small snow storms lately, 2-3 inches at a time, and thanks to some cold temperatures…
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It finally looks like winter in ye old state of Maine.
I enjoy the change of seasons and while winter can be challenging, it can be beautiful as well.
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Especially when our backyard visitors show up for a nosh.
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We usually see them in the evening, but the other morning these two showed up for breakfast.
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My husband was out front shoveling the driveway…
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And the minute they spotted him?
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Nothing but fluffy white butts.
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😊
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We woke up yesterday morning to snow.
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The forecast called for 6-8 inches but we barely got 4.
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Maine winters aren’t what they used to be, but the birds still need to be fed.
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There really wasn’t enough white stuff to blow, but men do love their noisy toys.
After the chores were done, we headed out to the man cave for a game.
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And even with horrible letters like these, I was victorious.
By late morning?
It was time to start drinking.
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And after listening to that inaugural speech?
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I might keep drinking until 2029.
😒
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River's world..... 