Saturday morning we woke to a winter wonderland. Eight inches of wet snow can damage small bushes and snap weak branches on trees. The small Arbor Vitae bush out front with lights on it looked like it was pulled apart by a child.
The first big snow is beautiful.
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| Hyde Mill in Winter. 12/13/2020 dwm photo |
Just east of the unincorporated community of Hyde the mill and the dam that provides its power stand ready to rekindle memories if not grind grain.
It was sunny when we left home, but clouds moved in as we drove through snowclad hills of the Driftless Region in southwest Wisconsin. It was a beautiful drive.
Looking at the mill surrounded by a white back drop and cloudy skies - it felt like an old black and white movie come to life. The absence of sunshine makes winter shots starker than sunny days with a blue canvas.
Yet there is more life in the quiet. In an upcoming blog I'll share a few more of the shots from last Sunday.
The Green Bay Packers played an efficient game in Detroit, getting the win over the Lions in a game too close for comfort at times. The win clinched the NFC North Division title combined with Minnesota's loss. New Orleans also lost which puts the Pack at the top of the conference with three games to play.
Word also came on Sunday that Wisconsin's "bonus" B1G football game will be against the University of Minnesota December 19. It's the most played rivalry in Division 1 college football. The Golden Gophers won the first game November 15, 1890 by a score of 63 - 0. The Badgers hold a slim lead in the series, 61 - 60 - 8. After three straight losses, UW needs a victory to end their strange season.
Monday morning on my run I saw a falling star. I happened to look toward the north as I passed St. Andrew's Catholic Church when I saw a brilliant white light streak across a small section of the sky drawing a line that disappeared as fast as it appeared. That was cool.
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| One of the homes we saw while looking at the lights. 12/14/20 dwm photo |
That evening after supper we hopped in the car to look at Christmas lights. Snow is the key ingredient in creating the best light displays.
The snow creates a shimmer and life as it magnifies and compliments the light.
We usually save the big light trip for Christmas Eve after church. This year it seems like a perfect way to celebrate and socially distance.
Thursday I worked in the Village Store at Oakwood.
Because of the coronavirus - the store has been closed or restricted to delivery only. This week it re-opened for two hours each day. I was asked to run it for a couple hours.
There is only one visitor in the store at one time (it's small). If others are waiting, there are chairs six feet apart down the hallway. It was steady, with 14 visitors during my two hours behind the register.
It brought back memories of working at Tait's IGA in Des Moines, Iowa during my junior in of college. This may be hard to believe, but my time as a cashier pre-dated scanners. Each item was entered by hand. In addition to the price, the cashier had to select the department each item came from (produce, dairy, meat, etc.) and do it quickly and accurately.
The machine tracked how long it took to check people out, so price-checks were worrisome if someone had to find out the price of floor wax.
It wasn't tiring, but standing in one place for 6 to 8 hours was tough. I had a stack of 8 carpets to stand on, they helped a little. If business was slow we were asked to restock shelves around our register.
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| The tree on top of the Tower Apts at Oakwood Village. 12/14/20 dwm photo |
The week ended with a chilly start as temperatures dropped 10 degrees from the relatively "balmy" 21 the day before. It proved the decision to add sweatpants to the morning run to be wise.
Last night we finished our binge-watch of "The Queen's Gambit" on Netflix. It's an interesting story, but not a family-friendly one. The 7 episode limited series follows a chess prodigy who rises from a troubled beginning to the top of the world.
We also watched the last episode of "The Mandalorian" on Disney+. If you loved the Star Wars films, I bet you'll enjoy it. So far there are two 8-episode seasons.
Less than a week until Christmas - do you have your shopping done?
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