Back to winter weekend schedule

Hey all-

Well winter is finally here. Just in time. We have a fresh 8 inches of snow on the ground. This is truly a great thing for the area we live in, as it is necessary for our survival. No really. We have a huge tourist industry here. In fact, the town I live in, Sayner is where the first snowmobile was invented. The arrival of our fresh snow has coincided with the beginning of  the annual snowmobile derby in Eagle River WI. By the way, Eagle River is listed as the snowmobile capital of the world.
While all of that sounds pretty amazing...I have never actually been to the derby. I am more of a quite sport girl...snowshoeing, ice fishing, and just last year with the help of a few great friends...I started cross country skiing. I know that without the snowmobiles our local economy would have serious survival issues.
While I take in every moment of the winter and pray for this time to go as slow as possible; I realize people look at me as though I have lost my mind. But this is the "slow" time of year where I work. I run a kitchen and house keeping department at a United Church of Christ Camp. I love it dearly; yes both the camp and my job. But everyone has to celebrate the times of their life when they have that Ahhhh moment. Well starting in late October or early November ~ through Mid- March that is my~Ahhh time. I love other seasons too. Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to find the time to soak in much of God's creations. I enjoy my 12 mile drive to work, where in the summer it is usually still dark or barely daylight. I like to get to work between 5-5:30. But the day running the kitchen passes quickly. We serve three meals a day and snacks to an average of 100  campers or more a week. Granted in the summer I have four twenty-somethings and an amazing assistant helping me...I don't have time to go outside much to soak in the beauty around me. I have come up with a small raised garden at work...where I grow some herbs, tomatoes and a few other veggies. It isn't enough to make a huge difference in what I purchase from my distributors. But it is a little sanity time...when I get to tend to it,  pulling weeds and such. Of course when I leave work, between 4-5:30 most days, its home to take care of my chickens and the standard house chores. My garden at home is all done in containers on our deck. We have found with my busy schedule and our short growing season this is the best way to do it.
We use the first of June as a guide to planting...If you're lucky. The frost warnings have passed by then. But by late August the evenings are already started to cool off enough that getting much to ripen on the vine at that point will not happen...unless you have a greenhouse. In fact, my husband who was born and raised in this area can recall that as a child they had snow on the fourth of July. Granted it was just a few flurries, but still.
So now you can maybe understand that when late fall arrives there is a bit of a twinkle in my eye...Our groups begin to come from Fri eve through Sun morning. My 6 day work week of 10+ hours a day changes to a couple long days on the weekend and a couple "normal" days in the week.

Then I have my Ahhh moments. Where you can take the time to see EVERY color in the sunrise. Every shade from the fire red to the palest shade of pink and the slight glimmer of golden yellow. You look forward to see if the colors of the sunset can out do the amazing pallet of the morning.
The first signs of winter as the frost coats the forest in diamonds....As the sun comes up it's like every diamond you can imagine is sprinkled on every tree and shrub. It's just incredible. You can't be a sissy and enjoy this though...because there is a funny thing about gorgeous sunrises and all these diamonds that are gifted to us. The colder it is; the more breath taking the view is. It seems to be the most amazing when it's 10 below or even colder!

Then you have the first snow...that cold crisp day where the biggest snow flakes float out of nowhere from the sky. Whirling and twirling to the ground. Can't you just for a moment feel like a kid again...trying to catch one on your tongue?

As winter progresses we are blessed with amazing creatures' transformations... The deer are not just deer any more. Look how they have puffed up with their winter coats. They are so well insulated that they catch the snow on their backs. Granted these particular deer are a little spoiled as they gobble the scraps from our kitchen. But what a view to have to work in...

Speaking of work I should get back to that. We (my best friend Laurie...the most amazing assistant EVER) are serving Barbecue chicken, roasted red potatoes, steamed broccoli, an incredible salad bar and Brandied pears with french vanilla ice cream. YUMM! We'll have happy campers tonight~