The snowy forest at night
Even though this long winter continues to snow and blow and freeze and fuss, I still think an icy snowfall sparkles beautifully.
This morning, captured under the glow of our deck light, heavy wet snow dressed the woods in grandeur yet again.
The woods before dawn illuminated by our deck light
After many mostly photography-less weeks, I reached for the Canon Rebel and lost myself attempting to capture this view, and that view, and how about this one?
Forest early in the morning on a snowy day
The pre-dawn photos of the woods came out kind of cool, didn’t they?
Good morning, deck. Good morning, ladder leading to roof for roof-shoveling convenience.
Ladder to heaven (tied down in case of blizzard winds)
Last weekend Barry insisted upon a handful of photos. He wanted to send them to his parents, showing them the depth of our endless winter. Or maybe he pondered publishing them in a column for the local newspaper where works as editor.
They’ve not been downloaded until this morning. I was looking at them, remember how very frozen we felt as we filled the wood room, when…
Last weekend–time to shovel four feet of snow off wood pile and carry wood into house.
Do you know how hard it is to shovel snow over your head?
…the power went out.
The computer screen shivered and photos disappeared.
The wood stove blower ceased.
Lights blinked off.
The heavy wet snow crashed some power line somewhere. Forget any more computer time.
The other wood pile is inaccessible due to shoveled snow from the roof.
For two hours I putzed around the house.
Inside view of wood room
Read a book.
Oak leaves covered with snow
Stared out the window.
Single oak leaf
Stretched into yoga positions.
Made up the bed.
Sipped tea.
Another view of the buried wood pile
Next year’s wood. Cutting, splitting, hauling, stacking start in spring.
It proved a quite delightful electricity-less morning.
White pine
My attention stayed in the present moment without grasping toward email or blog or township work.
Trees bent over from the weight of snow and ice
That’s when I decided.
Snowy furry tree
For sure.
Looking down our road toward the ice-covered Huron Bay
It’s time for another blogging break.
Another hiatus away from the computer.
Looking up at snow art
My last extended blogging break happened way back in August.
Our Little Shed in the Big Woods
It’s time to relax and take some time off this computer, which gives so many gifts of friendship and creativity–yet sometimes keeps me glued in mindless preoccupation and compulsion, as well.
Our Little House in the Big Woods
I won’t be reading blogs on this break. We’ll see you after a few more snowstorms, perhaps.
Turning you off, Computer. Desktop background courtesy of my friend Melinda in the mountains of California–isn’t that a cool photo of a stone white buffalo covered with snow?
Enjoy the rest of your winter–may it not outstay its welcome this year.
From our Little House in the Big Woods in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Love, Kathy
Lake Superior Spirit 
Enjoy your break, you will be missed…Hopefully this brutally cold, long winter will relinquish its grasp on all of us. Hurry, Spring!!!
My blogging has been neglected — full load of life and work at this stage, and the blog will still be there down the road. This storm dumped a beautiful layer, though, didn’t it? We got a new foot of fluffy white. Hope at the end of the work day, with some sunlight still out, I might have the chance to head down to the Lake to grab some photos. … then perhaps a quick blog post to follow this weekend (that you can catch up on after your break!) Enjoy the things in life that truly replenish the soul!
Kathy, I’ve been taking a lot more off-screen time this winter. Screen-free mornings and evenings! Two or three whole days in a row! It’s great! On the other hand, while I have enjoyed the peace and quiet of power outages in winters past, I can’t say I’m really, uh, in the mood for it this year. Wind is whipping, and I am praying: Please don’t let the power go out! If it does, we’ll deal with it, of course, but I feel quite capable of staying offline (though not at this moment, obviously) with the power ON. 🙂
Enjoy your break, unless Barry decides that since you have more free time that you can do more shoveling. 😉
Darn. I love the beauty of your pictures here, and I love the way you describe your life in the winter woods. I hate that you’re taking a break (and on my post, I didn’t realize you meant I had helped you decide to take a BLOG break). Shoot. You are one of the most focused, centered women I know. Please don’t stay away too long.
Gosh Kathy, I never tire of seeing your beautiful pictures, especially the ones of your northwoods. Our trees are heavy with snow and ice now too but we only received about 8″ of the heavy wet snow yesterday/last night. We did get a thick layer of ice under that new snow so that is making the roads and sidewalks, etc. even more treacherous. I’m so grateful that school was cancelled again.
Enjoy your break from the online world….I will miss you. Thanks again for sharing the wonderful glimpse into a northwoods winter! ♥
Lovely pictures, thoughts, and actions, sweet friend…
Beautiful pictures, so glad that cameras don’t need the electricity. Only issue is all that snow eventually breaks tree limbs and that is not the best, but still pretty. Enjoyed your post, as usual.
Batteries run low and need to be charged, we do too. Enjoy your respite. Will welcome your return when you are rejuvenated.
we all need a break–enjoy yours–I have been taking one–though not intended
Lovely photos – enjoy your break!
I always miss you when you take a blogging break. Enjoy. (although I am secretly hoping you will pop back for one more blog post before you disappear – you were thinking about doing my photo hunt this month weren’t you???)
Single Oak Leaf is wooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnderful!!
Nooooooo! Don’t go away! But if you must, then please come back soon with more wonderful stories of the north woods and your wonderful photos. Meanwhile,you will be sorely missed.
Dear Kathy, I like the times away as much or more as the times I’m glued to the screen. All that reading, thinking, resting, watching….working I accomplish. Rejuvenate! Enjoy the snow! Dream a bit of spring. See you when you return. Stay safe and well.
All righty then. Ta-ta and all that jazz. Have a wonderful and safe hiatus. The photos are ever so beautiful. You’re a real pro getting those snow scenes.
Amazing how you note of the little things
Kind of cool?? They’re BEAUTIFUL!! I wish I could be there, and taking some macros of the individual snowflakes…..and hang out with you again and share a cup of coffee 😉
Enjoy your blogging break. I’m looking forward to your return!
Well you certainly have a pile of snow. Will miss your posts, while you take a break, but I can understand the need for one. Till you are back, enjoy the remainder of whatever winter has to throw at you. Make the best of it. Our snow piles are not near as large as yours. Take care.
Enjoy your break Kathy, I know this feeling so well, I had over a year away, and came back , if not totally refreshed , at least full of new ideas. Snow and more snow, Brrr, I feel for you, as we haven’t had any as yet, (I say as yet as our weather forecast can change , drastically) our Winter has been wet, flooding and more besides. BUT water is life , and we cannot turn off the tap, so we respond, and LIVE, take each day as it comes.
GO with the flow, is my mantra. (Oooops sounds like a reference to water again, but not meant!!) … See you after your batteries have re-charged. xPenx
You’ll be missed while you’re away and greeted with delight when you return. Love some of the snow photos. You’ve managed to capture both the light fluffiness and the weight. Don’t get buried too deep!
Enjoy your hiatus – they always seem to do you so much good 🙂 We’ll see you back sometime, perhaps in the spring when everything is fresh and renewed. Perhaps the snow will even have melted from your woodpile by then!
I thought we got lambasted, but your neck of the woods has received more snow than you can shake a stick at! ENJOY your computer respite, Kathy. I’ll look forward to your return. Until then, blessings.
The amount of snow you guys have gotten is most impressive! Thank you for sharing this wonderful collection – I love the orbs in the snowy forest at night and the white pine especially. You will be much missed, but I hope you enjoy your blogging break to the fullest!
I absolutely love these photos. I think that winter is gorgeous–and you certainly have winter in spades! Enjoy your break.
While I don’t miss the snow at all, I do enjoy seeing pictures of it (without the freezing and shoveling). You photos are lovely and capture the true beauty of winter. Alas, if only we could enjoy that beauty without the biting cold and sweaty shoveling and skidding off roads in blizzards…Glad you had an enjoyable shut-in 🙂
Kathy kathy kathy!!?? YOU have neglected to share about SNOWKITING!!! I bumped into it this morning on Kinfolk, one of their web-ok-to-see-without-subscription articles!! Have you ever seen it? DONE it?!?!
Hopefully when you return to blogging the snow has all melted…enjoy your break.
Beautiful images!
Hello Kathy. I suspected you were on another break from the computer, with not seeing you on Facebook, or any emails popping up to tell me you had posted a new blog story. I haven’t spent much time lately blogging either, but still putter around with FB and a photo a day on blipfoto. These are things that I can do in short bursts, whilst fighting with the heat and humidity of our summer.
Oh how I love your snow photos! Your pre-dawn photos are very cool. Have you seen many deer around the woods this winter? I do hope they have all survived the extreme cold.
Well, dearest Kathy, I guess I’ll just have to sit tight, along with all of your other blogging friends and await your highly anticipated return. You give so much when you are blogging, and everyone needs a break. I hope you are enjoying yours. xx
I stumbled upon your blog while googling something, I cannot remember what, and am delighted to find more photos of the Upper Peninsula in winter. (I just moved back after 13 years away so am annoyingly cheerful as I experience the magic of winter. 🙂 Enjoy your blogging break! May it be full of presence and the beauty of your little house in the North Woods.
I’ve had a nice blogging break, too, Kathy. But the first thing I did when I got back was to look to see what Kathy wrote. Just waiting for the next post….patiently. 🙂
I am also on somewhat of a break. Studying until June. Blessings to you Kathy.
And I thought that we had lots of snow. We have nothing on you!
I just found out about a remarkable person.
Yesterday I found about about a Principal that gave up her salary so that she would not have to let any of her teachers go. Yes, you heard me, she gave up her entire salary to save her staff.
She is married and has three children and decided not to be selfish. It brought tears to my eyes especially in this day and age where there are so many people struggling to make ends meet.
How can it be paid forward to her or her school? Oh did I mention that the staff doesn’t know the sacrifice that she has made? She doesn’t want them to know.
Brrrr! The pictures are beautiful.
I’ve been in hibernation myself for a bit. I hope you find rest, relaxation, and renewal on your hiatus.