Bad news

My snowman's eyes, mouth, and one of his potatoes buttons lie scattered on the ground. I decided perhaps I should bring the stocking hat inside; he'd never miss it at this point. Unfortunately, it's frozen tight to his head. It's a good thing that's our spare hat.

Notice the underlined text? I don't want it underlined, but this is what happens when I delete a picture while making an entry, then put words where the picture was. I'm sure none of you have troubles like this.

My main problem is hard-down laziness, because what I should do is start over from scratch; that's way too much trouble, and turns something fun into a job.

For my next project, I've been eyeing this mountain of snow Cliff has piled up next to the old garage. If I can persuade him to coat the outside with water for me, I'm thinking of turning it into a snow cave. The temperatures are supposed to stay really low through the weekend, so it should last awhile if I get it done. I figure as long as I'm doing things like this, I won't be worrying about mundane things like housework.

When's the last time you made a snowman?

Yesterday after Cliff left for work, I took Sadie out to the pasture for a walk, which is no easy task with snow on the ground. I didn't walk all of our usual paths, but I got plenty of exercise.

The temperatures were right at, and even perhaps a little above, freezing. I noticed when I tossed Sadie's stick that the snow clung to it... much to her displeasure. The snow which was so dry when it fell was now a wet snow. I made a snowball just to make certain.

"I wonder if any local kids are making snowmen," I said to myself (or Sadie, or God... I'm never sure quite who I'm talking to at times like this). "Wouldn't it be funny if there was a snowman beside the driveway when Cliff comes home from work in the middle of the night?"

Back at the house, I started rolling the big ball of snow that everybody makes for the lower part of a snow person. I don't recall that being such hard work! I had to sit down in a lawn chair and catch my breath a couple of times. Before I was done, I could hardly move the thing, it was so heavy.

Sadie didn't have a clue what I was doing, but she had fun running around me while I labored at my task.

I had to become creative to add the details to my snow person: the nose, of course, is part of a carrot. But I didn't have any coal or buttons for eyes and coat buttons. I thought about looking in Cliff's shop, but that would have meant I'd have to go in the house and get the key. No thanks.

So I cut those huge eyes out of a scrub pad that was lying on the garage floor, and I used little potatoes for the (very crookedly placed) buttons. The arms are pieces of dried-out Okra plants.

Now I'm sure you've seen better snowmen before; but have you ever seen one made by an old lady, all by herself?

I'll bet it gave Cliff a big laugh.

Below is another of those Sadie videos that I took during our walk. You'll hear my heavy breathing as I talk to her because walking in the snow will make you breathe like that; and you can see how the wet snow was clinging to the stick. I'm sure her barking irritates other folks, but dogs are like children: Your own are adorable, everybody else's are brats.