Ho, Ho, Ho

This is week eight of my weather photo journal. It rained all afternoon yesterday, turning to snow after dinner. That's a "wecipe" as Alexia calls is - a wecipe for disastew. Had I still been working, I would have gotten off at 8:15 and then driven home on the snow over ice. Retirement came so suddenly that I am still relishing that reality. It's like getting a present - again, or something - can't quite explain it.
The snow on ice made our plants look like flocked Christmas trees. It was 22 when I took these pictures but I just couldn't resist, though I really should have put on a jacket. I just get excited, grab my camera and race outdoors.
Actually, I don't race since I'm more worried about falling on the ice than getting cold. I pretty much tip-toe, kinda like Elmer Fudd -waskely wabbits. After all, I can warm up by the woodstove. I grew up in San Diego where it's never winter and I've never gotten over the awe of four seasons and snow. I still love it!
I had a date in town and I love my Subaru, Eleanor. She is the best snow car anyone could ask for. I padded my travel time, drove the 20 miles at 40 mph on a complete sheet of ice - don't touch the brakes! I don't know what happened. It's a school day but the road wasn't groomed. I keep thinking I should take Eleanor to the carwash for a bath, and then it snows and she's a complete mess again.

My date was with Lauren, a high school art teacher, who wants to teach her students how to take fleece and turn it into yarn. She has a lot of Merino that another teacher gave her from his sheep. I'm unclear on why he has sheep or any of that part of the story. She didn't even know what breed it is, but it is gorgeous unwashed Merino. (I was slightly jealous.) She wanted to buy drop spindles for her 36 students but had read about CD drop spindles online. Someone I know has done this. Amy?? I explained that she needs a dowel, two washers and a cup hook. This is the spindle she came up with and I just had to share it. She is so earnest, duct tape, #2 pencil and all. She struggled to spin on it in anticipation of our date today. This is her first spinning experience. Her students totally love her, and however this turned out, it's going to be great.

We worked with a Schacht spindle she bought online, with a nice weight and balance. She wanted to know if her students could use the one she made. No. We have a date to meet up again in January - after she's had a chance to practice.
This is Mitch, a ho-ho-ho kinda guy. We knitted at Allison's today. Melissa asked me to show her how to drop spindle so I brought my Greensleeves Fox spindle for her which fits into a Pringle can, and she had some fiber. She completely took to it - sorry. I forgot to pull out my camera. What a day - infecting two people with drop spindling. I love it and was so excited that I got to share. My love of spindling is a birthday gift from Amy that apparently keeps on giving. One of the wonderful ladies bought a skein on my handspun - talk about a confidence builder! And then tonight as I pulled out of the canyon into our valley, I saw a shooting star. I'll take it.