Say it isn't S"no"w

*Warning - long post, sorry!

 Yes, it happened though I took no photos to prove it.  We had a skiff of snow on Monday overnight into Tuesday.  I was out at my daughter's and they got a lot more than we did.  The snow in the city has melted but it is still quite cold, well below normal temps.

I didn't get out to D's until Sunday. My son was feeling pretty awful on Saturday so I stuck around just in case.  About 11 p.m. I called our 811 Healthline for advice. He was in severe pain, but I didn't want to take him to the ER unless it was necessary.  After that call, I may never go see a doctor again.  First the nurse and then the doctor she referred us to, spoke with C and I for about 20 minutes or more each.  Unlike the doctor he saw on Thursday, this doc asked a lot of questions to get an idea of what was happening.  He suggested the antibiotic might not have been strong enough, but thought an anti-inflammatory like Aleve or Advil would help with the pain. He also prescribed a nasal spray that I picked up at the pharmacy the next day.  After we hung up, C took an Aleve, went to bed and slept for ten hours!  

Since then, his pain has lessened though not completely dissipated. He's sleeping better but having a tough time eating because of discomfort.  He has an appointment to see the dentist in a few days and I'm hopeful that she'll be able to determine what is going on.  Fingers crossed.

I got away just around lunch time on Saturday, and by 2 p.m. I was hugging my little guy.  As I came through the door, he told he'd missed me.  Awww, he's so darn sweet.  D and I spent some time tidying the house, while Eli played (and made a mess behind us, lol).  When bedtime came, he decided he wanted to sleep with G'ma in his big bed.  It's a single, and sleeping with a wiggling 3 year old is something I haven't done in a long time.  But he did go to sleep fairly easily and I only got kicked in the back a few times in the night...though the little stinker is a blanket hog.  Before he went to sleep, he told me "I love you being here G'ma."  He's sure good at pulling the heart strings!

He normally sleeps with his mom, and that's a battle she's not willing to fight at this point.  As a single mom myself, I didn't get her to sleep in her own bed until she was six and C was a baby.  She would go to sleep in her own bed, but sometime during the night would climb into my bed.  This started about the time she was a year old, and she'd climb over the bars of the crib, slide down, and pitter pat her way into my room.  My dad and I took her crib apart and built her a toddler bed, because I worried she'd fall and hurt herself.  On the other hand C always was an easy sleeper...still is!  

On Monday, we did some more housecleaning, before heading out for a walk in the afternoon.  It was still cool at -2C (28F), but walking in the sun felt nice.  Back at the house, we filled several bags with leaves before heading back indoors.  D has been having issues with her old stove, it was in the house when we bought it, and it's definitely past it's prime.  She and I were talking about it, and she texted a friend in town when she ran out to do some errands.  A little later I got a message that F's husband was on the way to the house to pick up the old stove as D had bought a new one that he would help pick up and deliver.  The stove is only a 24" so I moved it out, to clean behind it - surprisingly not bad at all, before D and L showed up.  Within the hour, the new stove was in place and dinner was started.  The old stove had gotten to the point, it was either off or on high heat so it was definitely time for a new one. 

Tuesday we woke up to cold and flakes of snow in the air.  I spent the morning finishing up a pair of mittens for Eli.  He was busy watching "Y" tube and eating his mom out of house and home.  Some days his appetite is incredible for such a small child.  French toast, a peanut butter wrap, and two kiwis were devoured in no time. Oh, and D kept Eli home this week again, as he had a bit of a cough.  The school would likely have called to have her pick him up anyway, and I got more time with him.  

The snow had stopped by noon, and I wasn't planning to leave until later in the afternoon. But it started coming down fairly heavily by 2 p.m. so I decided to make tracks.  The visibility was pretty poor when I left town, but got better as I travelled.  There was quite a bit of snow on the highway for about 50 kms. (30 miles) and at one point, I was in a line of vehicles following a sanding truck.  It slowed us down to 50 kpm, but it didn't appear to be doing any sanding.  Finally the driver pulled over to let us by.  Beyond that point the highway was clear all the way to the city and the snow had stopped.  There was some moisture on the pavement that got tossed up by the vehicles I met, but thankfully my windshield wiper fluid was full.  

I was tired when I got home, that first drive in snow is always a little worrisome - even with snow tires.  I spent the evening catching up with some PVR'ed programming and just relaxing.

Wednesday was a busy day, mostly catching up on a bit of housework.  I also got downstairs and cleaned out the old freezer.  There was very little left in it, and I was able to transfer it to the fridge freezer, except for a few items that had been in there far too long. I've been wanting to empty it for some time and just never got around to it.  The reason is two-fold, first I hope to someday downsize and don't expect there will be room for a deep freeze.  Second, it's an old energy inefficient appliance.  Talking to D I realized I bought it about 38 years ago, when she was just a baby.

There is a story to tell about that freezer.  I was living in Northern Saskatchewan at the time, in a small village.  The last winter we lived there, there were seventeen people living there, including D and I.  That February there was a provincial election and the nearest polling station was 50 miles away on snow covered gravel roads.  I called the provincial elections office to complain about the distance I'd have to travel with a small baby.  After some back and forth, they informed me that if I could find someone to be the Deputy returning officer, a secretary, and a place to have the polling station they would send the ballots and ballot box to me.  So I talked to my next door neighbour, who had actually been a DRO previously, I agreed to be the secretary, and offered my home as the polling station.  I can't recall the number of people who voted, but there were individuals who crossed the lake from the nearby First Nations village to vote.  I think most of them just wanted to see the baby, but I recall we had a good turn-out.  With the money I was paid for my services and the use of my home, I bought the deep freeze.  Sears Canada shipped it to me by bus and it was delivered directly to my home by a couple of my co-workers.  It's moved many times since then!

The rest of the day was spent puttering around, though I did get out later in the afternoon to push the bit of snow off the driveway.  There wasn't more than a half-inch but it wasn't melting even though the street was clear.  We're expecting more this week before the temperatures rise to more normal temperatures next week. 

Thursday was shopping day, I picked up groceries and a few craft items, another Christmas gift, and photos I had printed at Walmart.  I stopped at Peavey Mart for bird seed but they were out.  Even with the outing, I was feeling a bit of cabin fever, so although it was a bit chilly -6C (21F) and chillier still with the windchill, I headed out for a walk on Friday morning. Here are a few photos from the walk.

The creek is freezing over, with a few open areas. I was actually surprised to find the ducks still there.  Perhaps the lower water level makes it easier for them to find something to feed on.

As I turned to walk the pathway by the pond, I found some snow that hasn't yet melted. It looks pretty cold doesn't it, even with the sun?

There were several geese, a few ducks, and a mound of gulls. 

I'm thinking the water had to be pretty darn chilly. I guess they are making a stop over on their way south. Next week is supposed to be a bit nicer so perhaps they'll stay a little longer.

This is a bit fuzzy but I was trying to focus on the ice. It's pretty thick in this spot of the pond. Yikes!

Today, I'm off to get my flu shot, then to vote in the Sask. provincial election.  I'll probably stop somewhere to look for bird seed, though I don't expect I'll find the sunflower seed pieces I'm looking for.  But the container is empty and the birds and squirrel are hungry. I've started another pair of mittens for Eli that I'll finish this afternoon and perhaps a couple of crafts or two. A bit of football is probably in order too.

Take care everyone and have a good week ahead!