It's still snowing. Big, soft flakes. Everything is covered and muffled in that peaceful stillness that only snow can bring. My coffee and I went out (with some spirit-dogs in tandem) to walk in the magic and quiet. It's still dark outside. I've been watching the snow fall since around 4 a.m. Actually, I went out to track a raccoon. I noticed around 6 am that there were raccoon tracks right under the front window and on the path to the little pond and then off across the moon lawn to...? So I hadn't heard from school yet whether yes or no snow day so I put on my boots and made coffee to find out where the raccoon had come from and where she went. I tracked her around the corner and through several backyards (by where she came out on the sidewalk, etc--I was NOT moseying into my neighbors' backyards!) Then, I just continued the walking and listening. I love to sing to myself in teh snow. Warm cup of coffee is a wonderful to take on an early walk in the snow. I met a couple of other neighbors who were thinking about going in to work. I also found my next door neighbor out and asked him if he had found where the raccoon went to. I had managed to follow the tracks to a large shore pine that is next to their front door. He said that she had hung there for a while and then the family (there are three) had headed through their backyard. The very large pine lodgepole pine that grew in their backyard split and blew down in the big windstorm and so it is now gone. I am missing it and the birds and crows that used to roost there. There once was even a heron. The raccoons will need to find another home. Apparently they have garbage day figured out in Ballard and plan accordingly. It was the coolest thing to find those raccoon tracks around the front and side this morning. I am also glad that Fiona and Sadie never tangled with the raccoons or possums or rats that live around here.
I have been having fun with my friend. Louise, for the past four days. She flew up from southern CA and we have enjoyed a weekend. It included two super and very cold walks out at Shilshole down to the wetlands area. We spent a day downtown. Louise loves to shop. I mean LOVES to shop. I like to watch people shop and vicariously through L-, enjoyed th experience. SHe managed to do serious damage. I discovered some fun stores like Restoration Hardware and Brookestone. Ann Taylor was nice and a few others. I think the fashions now are stupid and it makes me sad that it was a beautiful day outside with lightly falling snow all day and the mall was packed. And the phones and other technology people have. We enjoyed a fine dinner at her favorite Seattle restaurant, the Metropolitan Grill. It was the best cheesecake I've ever had. Not too many veggie choices, but they made a lovely plate of fettucini for me. We went to a movie and stayed over at the Fairmont Olympic. It was fun to work out on machines that have a television right on the machine! I watched the history channel and then some cooking show with these two Irish guys making food for a kids party. They also had to add goodies for the gown-up kids in the form of Guinness floats. That made me laugh. We had a spa day at Habitude and a lovely dinner at Anthony's. Then we spent all day yesterday hoofing it around her old haunts in West Seattle. I have never explored around there like that. We ate at the venerable Spuds on Alki. Then we enjoyed an incredibly long walk along Alki with the mountains on three sides of us and families out with their kids and dogs. There is alot of history in West Seattle. I want to go back and explore the Loghouse museum which used to be a carriage house for an old estate copmpletely surrounded with trees. There are some pieces of the estate still intact. Then there is Schmitz park with old growth and an environmental learning center. The best was another long walk on the snow and among the trees along the bluff at Lincoln Park. I see myself logging some serious tree and walk time there in the future. This lovely weekend was her husband's Christmas present to her. I learned the city does not allow dogs near play areas which bummed me out. I understand it but it still bummed me out. How am I supposed to walk my child and dog at Shilshole and then if we want to play on the slide, what are we aupposed to do? I refuse to tie my dog to a pole and go play. That would be like tying my kid to a pole so the dog could swim. Sigh, it's just like not being allowed to bring your dog to watch soccer games now. That was a no-brainer for me. In fact, I used to do it all the time with Fiona and Sadie when I first moved back to Seattle and was still going to students' soccer games to be supportive. I just always worked a lovely walk in there, too. I'll figure it out. There will just have to other family time with dogs for all of us! And at PIne Lake we can play soccer, go to the "beach" and hang out together. Same at Fair Isle.
I am happy to be back here at Fair Isle, blogging by candlelight, and watching the snow come down. I will use this lovely day to finish thank you notes and complete writing assessments. "...walking in a winter wonderland...."