YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT...

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... especially when there's a foot and a half of snow out there, more coming, and there are five mountain passes between here and the Coast, which is where I was hoping to be going to spend the first of the New Year at a poetry retreat on Bowen Island. Alas, it is not to be. News of snow is hardly unexpected to anyone in the country this year, and here in the Koots we have our share.

Drive into the yard and you might see this; the -teen temperatures assisted greatly in the making of ice candles, which Ted did with gusto this year.



Cheralynne made the beautiful wreath which was one of very few seasonal accoutrements to be found around our place this year. Because I thought I was going to be going away in the next couple of days I didn't bother lugging the fake tree up...you just have to put it back, and the five-year old was away for Christmas. Hung up the paper cards. Took them down Boxing Day.



Yep, there's the kitchen. New range. Tool-toys are the best.



Once inside, you might find Dudley doing this:



or this:



or this:



Christmas Day, 2008. As it snowed all day the 24th, there was some snow to be moved. Here is one of the last photos of JD, Ted's trusty (mostly) John Deere, doing what it won't do now because something important got broken.



And this is what Ted looked like when he came in after snowblowing.



We then drove to Nelson, marveling at how, if there's going to be a nasty day for driving, you can be sure Ted and Linda will be out driving in it.







We picked up my aunt. I think her hands say everything that needs to be said about driving conditions.



Earlier in December we welcomed Enid Jupiter Nancy Gaudin to the family. She's my cousin's daughter's baby.





The "Nancy" is for Aunt Nancy, 98, seen here on the left, with my mom.



Nancy looking at a picture of her namesake and great-great grandneice.



There was the usual overabundance of food.





Yeah. So. Winter. Ice dams on the roof. Lousy roads. Might as well den in. Light the fire. Pretend to sew.



Or pretend to not like the cat.



Gaze out through the icicles.



Light some candles.



Make soup.



I wish everyone of you a safe, happy, healthy, prosperous, thoughtful New Year.

Thanks for reading.

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