Wednesday–went to my Open Studio class, and wasn’t particularly well-prepared, so suffered the consequences. Our instructor was in an odd humor, suggested an exercise for me to do using wash techniques and gouache, then seemed to think I hadn’t accomplished anything, even though I did finish the exercise. Oh well. His problem. He’s working for me, not the other way around. I did realize I am not, and have never been, based on past experience with watercolor, a fan of washes. They can be like weak coffee–why do it if it isn’t going to have any substance. Yes, I realize there is a place for them, but I’m ready now to move on to more opaque application of the lovely gouache colors. Maybe I can make use of the snowy days to dabble. I stayed in the rest of the afternoon–it was really cold, and continued to be rather a low energy day for me. The predicted snow started here just before 5 PM, very lightly. We watched the Syracuse vs Pitt game at 7–hoping Pitt would win at home in “the Zoo,” but they lost at the last second with an amazing Syracuse 3 point shot practically from half court. When I headed for bed around 10, there was maybe an inch of snow.
So this morning (Thursday), I got up around 7 and checked out the window to see we had received at least 10-12 inches of beautiful, powdery snow, heaped up like whipped cream on everything. It was still snowing steadily and in that same very fine way. It was 19 degrees. Stephen went out early to clear a path on the driveway and the farm lane with the tractor, and I took the dogs and went out, too. I stayed in the tracks where the tractor had been because the snow is deeper than the tops of my boots. The dogs had a great time, capering around in the snow and running up and down the driveway in the cleared part. Buster finally made a hollow in the snow and laid down in it–I think he got tired!
I’m just back from taking the dogs out again. Earlier, when we went out while it was still snowing, they got really covered in snow and were pretty wet when we came in, requiring much drying with towels, which they *love.* This time it wasn’t snowing, and they were much drier. We’re expecting more snow this afternoon, with the winter storm watch in effect until 9 PM, and it is supposed to be wetter than the earlier batch, so I am hoping we don’t lose our power, and thus our heat and light. At least there is a generator on the well pump, so we won’t lose water (cold water, that is). Our own generator will run lights and small appliances, but not the furnace. So we’re making sure our phones stay fully charged, and my laptop battery stays full.
Stephen also fed all the animals this morning–they were quite eager, as they are now having to dig through about 16 inches of snow to find grass!
...now where was I? 