Recipe for a Flaky Crust

Temperatures have dropped back into the normal range for this time of year. I checked the airport website a few minutes ago...

Temperature -36 F (-38 C)
Windchill -56 F (-49 C)

That's about right for December. It's definitely nippy.

Our little heat wave last week was immediately followed by several days of fog. Many of you probably already know (or can guess) that fog does some serious shape-shifting when the mercury begins to drop, but not before wrapping itself around every conceivable surface it can find.

Recipe for a Flaky Crust?

1 part temperature (extremely cold works best) + 2 parts Heavy Fog

Mix thoroughly and allow to set.

This produces a very flaky crust that will keep for weeks and weeks.

However, avoid exposure to wind!

And, if you can't avoid it, watch your head!



It's difficult to see in photographs, but some of these lines have about three to five inches of frost surrounding them. That's a six to ten inch diameter!



Fences add an elegant variation to the recipe, don't you think?






The snow (still) piled up on the railing of my porch has acquired a layer of frosty feathers.



I guess that's it for now. Stay warm out there!

Every Duck Has His Day

Remember No Spring Chicken? Back in March, I expressed some concern that the playground duck (alias Duck-o-Meter) might meet with a gruesome end come snow removal time. Not only was the duck buried up to its bill in snow, but a fairly large drift had built up around it making it difficult, if not downright impossible, to see.

A few afternoons ago, I was escorting some students out of the school when one of those enormous snow-wrangling loaders rolled onto the playground gathering up bucket after bucket of the slushy white stuff. I realized that this was going to be the moment of truth, so I rushed inside to get the camera.





I have to say, I was impressed with the operator's skill. By the time I returned with the camera, he had already made short work of the drift that had once stretched across most of the playground. It was surprising to see such an enormous machine move so fluidly, almost gracefully, in and around the play equipment without disturbing anything.



As you may have guessed, I have good news. At the end of the day, the duck was still standing...or sitting...or whatever it is that one might do when one's mid-section is attached to a stumpy metal pole.



The lone sentinel has survived to face yet another season of sunlight...



...another season of fearlessly keeping watch without rest or complaint.



And the snow...well...it went into storage, of course.

No Spring Chicken

It’s a precarious existence, standing guard all alone, but the playground duck has endured yet another Arctic winter while remaining relatively intact. His head, if not his shoulders, is still well above the snow, though he is sporting a few extra scuff marks on his skin of chipping paint. It’s a sad reality that harsh elements are only part of the challenge he faces each winter. The drifts that build up around him have proven to be an irresistible sort of obstacle course for snow machine riders looking for an airborne thrill. Skidoo tracks are clear evidence that poor ducky has been ploughed over on more than one occasion. Thankfully, he is flexible and still appears to be attached to his base, but I’m skeptical about his fate as snow removal season draws near. If skidoo riders are oblivious to his plight, I’m not sure that snow pushers will be any different. So I’m paying tribute to my little friend while he’s still firmly planted. He has served faithfully (if unconsciously) as a visible weather indicator for the last six months. Hopefully, he’ll make it through break-up without a break-up of his own!