Well, we are packing up to head back to Flagstaff, AZ for the winter where, at 7000 feet, we can expect 100 inches of snow over the coming months. My husband, Paul, is finishing up his academic teaching career at Northern Arizona University this winter and will then be fully retired. While he was teaching last winter, I learned how to sew. As those who knew me in my youth could attest, I was way too busy “smoking in the boy’s room” back then to be bothered with learning such a mundane skill. Since then, I have become a crafter and learned that knowing your way around a sewing machine is an important skill to have in your repertoire. I think I will go back at it this winter learning to mend and embellish existing items. With help from a seasoned sewer, I made a paper pattern of a favorite dress last year so may try to make several more simple summer frocks using old linen/cotton table clothes. I love the idea of using or repurposing old fabric and clothing items for current day use. It may look easier than it turns out to be so stay tuned for the results from this experiment.
We are, once again, packing up and transporting much of the summer/fall canning to give away to family and friends at Christmas. Everyone seemed to enjoy it so we will continue doing it while we travel back and forth in Paul’s truck. Sure beats shipping it home which I did one year. With all the tomato sauce we canned, I think I will experiment with some new soups and stews this winter and Paul will enjoy coming home to a home cooked meal; especially given he is usually the cook. In closing down the house, we haven’t solved the handling of freezer items yet. Last winter the electricity went out for 5 days so we don’t want to leave much behind thru the winter. We always say we will use it before we leave but that just doesn’t happen so Paul is planning to transport much of it to Arizona. I guess if we leave a little frozen rhubarb and veggies behind it isn’t the end of the world if the electric goes out again. My main concern is keeping the inside house temperature warm so my canned goods don’t freeze. Now that would be a tragedy!
Fall clean up isn’t much fun in a snow storm which is what happened this year after returning from our fall travels in early November. Paul pulled a shoulder muscle trying to wrestle the frozen tomato plants out of the raised beds and their respective cages and I was pretty much immobile after kneeling over my perennial beds for several hours. Thank goodness for Vitamin I… Ibuprofen! I have decided I made a good decision to stop at several raised beds and only one ground level perennial bed for my gardening efforts. Now if we can just get the roses pruned we can call it quits for the season.
Beyond the recent snow dusting during fall cleanup, “coming home” has yet to include a winter storm, although we did have a small snow drift in the driveway in early December last year. Paul’s truck plowed through it just fine as we headed south for the winter. I do have fond memories of ice fishing in my youth and plan to try it again one of these years. There’s beer in it for the poor soul that volunteers to take me out on the ice. Maybe even some notoriety as I am sure a story will emerge from the adventure. My column will continue thru the winter when I plan to write about past travel adventures. I hope they provide some fun armchair travel for Review readers during the winter months here in “cold country.” With that, “Adios” for the winter and I look forward to “coming home” in the spring. 2017