Snow!!

Snow!!! temps zero

Snow!!!

Did I mention what happened today? We're having Snow!!! And now just a flake or two. We've had about a foot of heavy wet stuff. Very, very beautiful. But when it starts staying on the roads it's quite dangerous, especially since most people have removed their winter tires. We haven't. Couldn't get an appointment with the garage until next Tuesday. Seemed nuts to be driving on winter tires into May. Until today. Now we look brilliant.

The main problem for us, though, is what the heavy snow does to the trees and bushes and flowers. Poor tulips, bowed to the ground. But it's the bushes and trees that are the most worrisome. After feeding trudy she and I went outside with a big broom, and swept the honeysuckle and lilacs and apple trees.

Very satisfying - and fun. they bounced right back into place once the snow dropped off their branches.

The other problem, related to trees and heavy snow, is that they bend over onto the hydro wires (electrical lines I guess they're called elsewhere) - causing power outages. We poured a tubful of water, in case there's an outage.

Michael and I went to breakfast this morning, then to Knowlton to visit Lucy and Danny at the bookstore and sign some books. then over to the community radio station - CIDI. I told them I'd take a tape machine and record our trip to Washington for Malice Domestic and the Agatha Awards - to give people an idea what it feels like from the inside. But we had to pop by to pick up the machine and learn how to use it.

Nice day yesterday too...but with writing like a maniac trying to finish the book before heading to Washington Thursday I barely looked up. So didn't have time to blog. Then we had a dinner party last night. Actually, it was a fundraiser to raise money for sports facilities for kids here. 300 people at the chalet of the ski hill, Mont Sutton. Ironic it should start to snow while there. Our friend Wilder arranged for a table. Lots of fun. But to be honest I was so tired and distracted I'm not sure I was the best companion. And the music was so loud it was almost impossible to hear.

But I'm glad we went...and we met a bunch of people we've never met before.

We have a neighborhood watch meeting tonight, in Sutton. Through the snow, but our friends and neighbors Guy and Nicole are organizing it - so we really should go. Besides, there'll be Surete du Quebec officers there - and I have some questions.

I don't actually think I'll be finished the book tomorrow - but I'm close. We'll see. Perhaps I'll get as far as I can and just write, The End.

Hope you're enjoying the day!

Watching Out

sunny, warm, gorgeous! temps 16

Wow - fabulous day! Walking around the pond with Trudy it smelled both musky and sweet. The ice is going out of the pond. Wonderful for us to wander the edge, looking into the water. Trying to find the fish. They won't be out for a while, but fun to look.

Trudy, clever girl, decided to take stink-dom to a whole other level. it wasn't enough to smell like a skunk, today she decided to roll in skunk poop. covered in it. Now she smells of skunk and poop. Love is not just blind, it had no sense of smell. Lucky for her.

Our neighbors Guy and Nicole dropped by last night. They're starting up Neighborhood Watch. We joined. But we're not worried. We have a dog who smells of skunk and poop and a family of skunks under the front porch. If we invited robbers in they'd decline.

We had breakfast this morning with Philip and Danny to discuss the upcoming Knowlton Literary Festival, this summer in July. If you can come it will be huge fun. I'll be doing something I almost never do. I'll be giving a workshop on mystery writing. It's free. I'll be giving you more info as it gets closer...but if you're interested you can get in touch with Danny and Lucy at Brome Lake Books.

On the way home we stopped by to see Markus. He is wonderful. Calm, gentle. He kisses carrots off our hands. Even Michael fed him some carrots. We are beyond relieved, and thrilled. And kinda amazed that anyone would not want him.

Gorgeous day - wonderful weekend ahead.