Snow.

Hey, it's snowing outside!
-Um, dude, it's February and Michigan, what do you expect?
Well, we're at 12" and counting.
-Erm, that's a bit much, don't you think?

Actual snow depth is hard to gauge, as it's the really fine stuff that drifts at the slightest breeze, and we've been getting some pretty stiff winds. I cleared a couple of inches off the side porch when I went out to feed the birds at 830am, cleared another couple of inches off when we got home from church, and cleared ~4inches off at 3pm. J and the kids went out to shovel just before dark (there were some 14" drifts!), and 3 hours later the driveway is pretty much drifted full. DB has no school tomorrow, and Farmington has cancelled as well, so I don't have anywhere I need to be tomorrow. SR tells me that there's a Nixie alert -- Snow Condition Yellow (traffic is moving at reduced speeds with major highways being maintained in fair condition, but local roads may become impassable) -- for the county (one of her friends gets them). I would not be surprised if there was no school on Tuesday either, as the local roads won't get plowed until tomorrow afternoon, and I suspect that they may fill right back up again.

Church today was an exercise in flexibility. Pianist out due to oral surgery a week ago plus snow, lead soprano out due to travel and snow, liturgist dealing with a family emergency in K'zoo. So we did an abbreviated service, which meant just as much singing but all at one time, at both ends of my range (the minister is a trained lyric soprano, and so has a range about an octave bigger than mine); then J and I did Let us Break Bread Together for communion. Then we all went home.

In bird news, SR and J saw a bluebird and his girl in the backyard yesterday. I was under the impression that they did not winter over, but this one didn't get the memo. Today SR and I counted 6 male cardinals and at least as many females -- the males really stand out while it's snowing. I am not looking forward to blazing a trail out to the birdfeeders in the morning.

Year Of Making, February

Feb 1 -- swatched Sierra, Piewhacket (concentrating on this one, as I need the long cable for something else, and I'd like to have it done by the weekend)
Feb 2 -- no school or rehearsal; shoveled the driveway; piewhacket (made more essential because now I need the needle for another project, as one of the tips got stepped on and broken (wood tips, so not as bad as it seems)); bamboo triangle
Feb 3 -- Piewhacket; pondered Quabbin and Sierra swatches
Feb 4 -- Piewhacket (started the bindoff!); bamboo triangle
Feb 5 -- Bound off Piewhacket & blocked -- hrm. may not have been the best pairing. I may frog this and do something else -- I think this yarn needs stockinette to appear at its best. Will photo and ponder more. Taiyo Greenjeans.
Feb 6 -- prepped and packed for onsite at Regionals tomorrow; Taiyo Greenjeans; bamboo triangle
Feb 7 -- 10 hours onsite (snack-lunch-snack-dinner for 20 kids plus five adults), 4 hours driving; Ravenclaw
Feb 8 -- Frogged Piewhacket, cast on Pogona; Bamboo triangle; Ravenclaw
Feb 9 -- rehearsal, very last bit of layout, bamboo triangle
Feb 10 -- Pogona, bamboo triangle, ravenclaw (at DB's concert)
Feb 11 -- bamboo triangle, Pogona
Feb 12 -- prep & pack for 2 days of green room/gopher hole; Ravenclaw
Feb 13 -- "den mom" for cast/crew/volunteers at State One Act festival (second breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner for 45 people); Ravenclaw
Feb 14 -- "den mom" for the second day. No knitting or sewing.
Feb 15 -- unpacked; alpaca triangle, Ravenclaw
Feb 16 -- frogged alpaca triangle (gonna do a standard rectangular scarf); Ravenclaw
Feb 17 -- alpaca scarf, bamboo stiletto, cast on Sierra cardigan (vodka gimlet), swatched Taiyo (yes, I know that's supposed to be done first, but it's a top down cardi with a picked up button band, so I don't really need to know the exact gauge until I get to the sleeve split)
Feb 18 -- Taiyo cardigan
Feb 19 -- Taiyo cardigan, Pogona, Sierra Gimlet
Feb 20 -- Alpaca scarf, Sierra Gimlet, Ravenclaw
Feb 21 -- bulky hat, taiyo greenjeans, lace scarf
Feb 22 -- Sierra Gimlet, Taiyo greenjeans
Feb 23 -- rehearsal, updated projects & stash, dug out yarn for Grey Diamonds
Feb 24 -- started a special request slouchy hat for DB - DK weight, elastic brim, stash yarn. (if this one works out I may need to find some cotton-y yarn for a summer slouch)
Feb 25 -- more slouchy hat, mostly picking up after I dropped a stitch down five rows of mesh stitch, at which point it became easier to rip back to the stockinette section and start the mesh over
Feb 26 -- worked MSBOA Festival; more slouchy hat, now frogged because the yarn won't slouch, pulled different yarns for DB to choose from
Feb 27 -- Ravenclaw, bulky hat, blue gimlet
Feb 28 -- slouchy hat with new yarn, blue gimlet

(The fine print:
A Year of Making.
make something. every day.
(I will probably count "making a mess" as making something, because sometimes that's where you start.) Also, assume family feeding takes place on a regular basis, so cooking and baking will not be listed unless it's something special.)