A major snow storm rolled in this afternoon and we went from zero to lots in short order. It is beautiful enough to keep the blinds open and the porch light on. We have had snow already this season but this right here is the real start of winter.
The window has freckles.
I was watching the snow and reading a good book. A perfect night.
Happy reading on this cold winter night.
Wholy! The snow melts fast around here when it warms up and the sun shines hot. It has been in the minus teens celcius the last week or more and today it’s 6 above. It’s awesome.
So happy to see shingles and decking starting to show.
I haven’t been out much but when I went last, the snow banks on the side of the roads were difficult to see over. They will be shrinking fast.
Spring is not far off and we couldn’t be happier.
Haven’t looked for books yet today but will in a bit.
My thoughts exactly!!
Another day with no new books. I did search a little but … it was a decidedly unfruitful experience. We won’t lose heart though because the drought will not last forever. It never does, and I’m grateful. I begin to experience withdrawal symptoms if it lasts too long.
Must share. I love the shadows on the snow when the sun shines so brilliantly, What a change over stormy yesterday. The snow still clings to the house, around the windows.
A good portion of the big mound on the deck is from the snow sliding off the roof. In my early years here I would shovel it off the deck onto the lawn, that idea didn’t last too long. It’s been years.
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Yesterday, I mentioned I was currently reading book one of a four book collection. Well, I finished that and have moved on to book two. I think I’m past the halfway point by now. I’m liking it, although there are parts of it that remind me of book 1. Same lady, different name and circumstances, sort of. It is still worth reading.
Dakota Brides Boxed Set: Books 1-4
ABANDONED BRIDE Elin Hanson has traveled across the ocean as a mail-order bride. When she arrives in the Dakota Territory, she finds the man she has planned to marry has abandoned her–and left her to care for his young son.
Sam Andrews has his hands full running his ranch. The last thing he needs is a woman and little boy getting in his way. When Elin’s groom-to-be comes home, she must make the choice: settle for a loveless marriage? Or hold out for love?
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Maybe tomorrow will be the day with a boatload of new books.
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Happy reading…
with the neglected windfall I know most of you have already. Most likely sitting on your night stand.
Just like me. Although mine are not sitting on a night stand.
That’s the beauty of an e-reader. There is no towering stack to make me feel guilty.
There is just a cute slim book, making me feel good.
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Tomorrow I will tell you about book three in this book collection.
The weather outside was frightful. Just ask the morning commuters and the day’s delivery drivers trying to get around, they will tell you. Closed highways, gridlock with stuck vehicles. The radio talk shows had audience participation in spades.
Looking at this I’m overjoyed to be home.
It has been a quiet day when it comes to books and blog post ideas. No books and not many ideas, at least nothing I’m allowed to talk about. Today was a busy work day and that’s where my mind was. Tomorrow will be busy too and I couldn’t be happier.
I have been fascinated by the snow, though, and tried to capture a few interesting pictures. I’m not so sure about the interesting part, but there is definitely snow.
I’m sure no one remembers but my Christmas tree was in front of the left window. I took it down on the weekend. I figured November 2020 to January 2022 was long enough. I’m going to miss it and it’s privacy function but, on the plus side everything is so much brighter with it gone. I’m thinking maybe a multi level plant stand would be good in it’s place. I seem to be accumulating plants after years of having none.
Well, that’s it for now.
The dishes are done, the blog post is written, I can read for a while before lights out.
I’ve just started a collection that has been on my list since September 2020. It was lost in the shuffle, crowded out with new books coming in so fast. I’m enjoying this read like I have with other books from this author in the past.
Dakota Brides Boxed Set: Books 1-4
Four brides long for love and find it in unconventional ways. Read this collection of heartwarming historical romances from an award-winning author with more than one million books sold.
TEMPORARY BRIDE Lena Stevens has lost everything. Everything except her son. When her neighbor Anker proposes a marriage of convenience, she has no choice but to accept, but makes him vow to annul it come spring. Anker has longed for a wife–but not like this. A forced marriage with an end date. Can what started as a pretense turn into something more?
Happy Reading, y’all
Happy New Year everyone! On this bright and beautiful, very crisp sunny day.
My kids kept up the tradition by presenting me with a new puzzle on Christmas. It had me very excited, for a while there I thought I might have to resort to digging out an old one this New Years Eve.
With the glorious blue sky out the window in front of me today it will be fun working on it.
On top of that, knowing it’s -32C feels like -41C is like a gift. It’s a great excuse to feel happy about staying in without changing out of my cozy pajamas and heavy bathrobe. Not that I need an excuse or anything, now that I’m old enough to do whatever I want. 🙂
Wishing you all the very best in the year ahead.
I don’t know about you but I love looking at mountains. I like travelling through them even better but pictures are good in the meantime.
So many great videos were just waiting to be discovered after the massive flooding the province of British Columbia, Canada survived several weeks ago and I couldn’t be happier.
BC is covered with both high and low mountain ranges. Today’s discovered videos were shot in high heavily treed areas. The flood damage is great and it’s taking heavy equipment to deal with the cleanup. It’s fascinating, catching a glimpse of the action.
The first video shows some of the cleanup. They also have footage of logging companies moving some of their heavy equipment out of the forest. The push is to get them out before they are trapped for the winter by heavy snow. The logging roads they had to use for evacuation look pretty challenging, especially with the lengthy distance it took to get out. Usually equipment like this would be transported on the back of big trucks not driven on the road.
The second video was interesting too, mainly because of the challenge. They had to find a safe way to remove a fallen tree threatening to take out their bridge, the only access to their home.
Taking down a tree can be dangerous, mainly because of the spring in them. You never know for sure how they will react to pressure. They can move in unexpected ways and cause serious damage. Think of walking through a forest with small branches springing back to whap you in the face. Now think of that on a much grander scale. Ouch! They were successful.
Anyway, I enjoyed these videos and thought you might too.
Today is a slow book day so there is nothing to report on that front.
Let me know if you liked these videos and I will share more of my favorites. It helps if I know you enjoyed them too.
If you live in snowless countries you can tell it’s a little chillier over here and the snow is beautiful.
The day is young, there could be more later.
Enjoy!
The area is south western British Columbia, Canada. They had unprecedented rainfall last week and the damage is crazy. The number of people stranded is staggering too.
I thoroughly enjoyed the helicopter ride. Maybe you will too. The first town is Abbotsford, I’ve lived there twice. East of the flooding is Chilliwack. I was born and raised there. Further east is a small town of Hope. It is the junction town between three highways. One travels east and two travel north. I’ve spent many hours driving all of them. I love the mountains. That’s what I miss the most where I live now. On the prairies of southern Manitoba province. Flat, flat, flat.
I’m happy to be living anywhere. And I have family here. I do love seeing home though, I have to say.
There is a second video of other parts of BC, I haven’t watched it yet but if it’s as good as the first one it will be well worth the watch.
Enjoy.
They will travel where there is snow on the mountains. It will be beautiful.
I hope you love this a much as I do.
Our neighborhood woke up to a winter wonderland this morning. The first serious bit of snow this winter. It’s wet and heavy, perfect for making snowballs and snow men. I wonder if snowball fights are a thing anymore? I haven’t noticed one in a long while.
Shoveling is not a lot of fun with this heavy stuff. I’m all the more grateful for a kind neighbor. He’s smart. He cleared both driveways yesterday when there wasn’t much and then again today. I have a snowblower he uses with serious snow but this time he shoveled. Must be wanting the exercise.
I’m taking a break from exercise at the moment. Vacuuming. This is a make do day. My vacuum cleaner motor went a few weeks ago and it hasn’t been replaced. I have been using a broom and mop but today I had a brilliant idea. Why not use the shop vac, it should work in a pinch. It had to be cleaned up a bit and it’s awkward but it does a reasonable job.
The other thing on my agenda was reading up on bonsai and how to do it and care for them. I like the look but have no experience. My daughter gifted me with three cuttings off of the bonsai that has gotten away on them. I think it’s going to be fun to learn.
My plant menagerie was getting a little out of hand too. The aloe plant split in about 6 different ways and was crazy. I was feeling ruthless so I tossed all but one stem which I repotted. The ruthlessness continued on with tossing entirely a neglected plant from an unused bedroom. I could have kept a cutting but the plant grows like crazy if it’s watered properly and I don’t really have a good place for it anyway. Company is coming next week so it seemed like the perfect time to say bye bye.
I just saw a snowmobile go by on the back of a pick-up truck. Guys eager to get back out there for winter sports.
I’ll leave you with a shot of my new cuttings. The vacuum is calling my name.
Happy Sunday
One of our regular authors had a brilliant thought in the middle of the hot spell. She was dreaming of snow, lots of it, enough to swim in. One thing led to another, in her mind, and she came up with book deals on her Christmas books.
Her name is Chautona Havig, and she has so much going on with this idea that I am going to quote the relevant parts of her email.
Here we go…
I set all my Christmas books either on sale or to go FREE this week.
No joke. Merry Christmas in July to me… and you. And honestly, I’m going to open up Liz Johnson’s Christmas at the Red Door Inn and read that one myself. A blizzard sounds pretty amazing right now.
So here’s the deal… or maybe I should say, here are the deals… 😉
Free books!
Each book is on sale for two days. So 31 Kisses will be free Monday and Tuesday, The Second Noel on Tuesday and Wednesday, and so forth.
This is Monday’s book
When one plus one equals thirty-one…
It happens every day.
Guy meets grandpa–and girl.
Guy knocks grandpa off ladder
Guy kisses girl to make it “all better.”
Every day.
For a month.
Just your normal, average, all-American romance…
Meet Chessie and Carson. She goes “all out” for Christmas (and every other holiday including Columbus Day, Cinco de Mayo, and Flag Day); he doesn’t own a single thing that could be considered decorative–unless you count the stickers he stuck to his dresser back when he was three.
Neither of them have ever had a serious relationship; both are opposed to frivolous expressions of affection. How on earth did they get tangled up in a “kiss-a-day-during-December” pact?
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Here are the bargain books… They won’t be on sale until Tuesday so I’ll mention them again tomorrow. Here we go again with her words …
AT THE SAME TIME…
The following books are on sale for just $0.99 starting tomorrow (#becauseKindleRules) and will be through next Thursday! SQUEE!
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May these seasonal books provide a little respite, at least the illusion of cool, on these hot days of summer.
It was predicted here as hot for today but so far it’s only in the low 20s Celsius. We have a cloud cover of smoke from nearby forest fires, maybe that’s a contributing factor to the lower temps.
Whatever it is we’ll take it.
Enjoy the deals.
Happy Reading.
This first one was my favorite. Judging by the title I was expecting a fluff kind of read but that’s not what happened. It was a thought provoking experience. All the way around it was a good time. It is still bargain priced if you are interested. The stories are all connected in someway and I love the way they’ve pulled it altogether.
Five Gold Rings (Crossroads Collection)
Amazon quote:
Christmas Mercy by Jaycee Weaver
As the web of lies that kept Rob away from Vera and their daughter unravels, the months following his return test their capacity for mercy, forgiveness, and a second chance at love.
The Seven Year Glitch by Hallee Bridgeman
Seven years earlier, Timothy left Leanne at the altar stealing years of happiness. Leanne rescues him from a rooftop in a floodplain and it is clear there is much more to the story. Can their love redeem the hurts of the past to rescue their future?
Laughing All the Way by Lesley Ann McDaniel
When Jessica’s friends put her up to “fixing” their commitment phobic co-worker, Conner, she doesn’t take them very seriously. Conner doesn’t know whether to laugh at Jessica or tell her to mind her own business.
Ghosted at the Altar by Chautona Havig
After his fiancée, Brenna, abandons Mitchell on their wedding day, she insists she loves him and still wants to marry him. As truths come to light, her little sister, Lauren, turns sleuth to solve the mystery of why Brenna ghosted Mitchell at the altar.
Five Gold Rings by Amanda Tru
When three relationship-challenged couples wish for Christmas weddings, commitment coach, Oliver, teams up with a wedding planner, TeraLyn, to help make their marriage dreams come true.
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I liked this next one too. This short read is still a bargain.
Relentless: A Raven Remington
You’ve read about her in the Worst Detective Ever mystery series. Now Raven Remington comes to life in this novella that’s written as if it’s a TV show.
An ex-CIA operative. A top-secret mission. Danger that lurks at every turn.
Raven Remington is facing her most challenging mission: protecting the man who may have killed her sister. The former spy is still trying to integrate into life as a civilian and figure out whom to trust. With each passing day, the task becomes more difficult.
Can Raven figure out who is trying to assassinate the man—the senator—she’s been tasked to protect . . . or will surprises hidden just below the surface destroy life as she knows it?
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Another great short read that is still a bargain.
Ride with Me: A clean, sweet, faith-filled, small-town romance, where life begins at forty.
Hotel magnate Henry Scott lives life in the fast lane. True to form, when his great-uncle leaves him property and a Victorian house in Chapel Cove, he takes a weekend drive, only intending to stay long enough to evaluate his new found assets. If they aren’t a viable option for the next Scott Leisure Resort, he just might consider selling to the couple who’d expressed an interest in buying the old place. After all, if not for them, he would never have known about this last part of his great-uncle’s will, sealed for almost a decade.
When her new neighbor rolls into town, Tash Thornton is less than impressed. Not only is the man presumptuous and audacious, he’s downright egotistical. His grand plans for the property adjoining her stables, tack shop, and riding school do not bode well for her business.
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The rest were excellent as well.
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Currently, I’m between reads. I’ve finished all of the newest downloads that caught my attention. I’ll take a look at some of the earlier downloads, maybe I can knock off another older one. Seems fair to me.
I like this author, I’ve been reading her for years. The only reason I have put this one off is the intensity of this genre, and the length. I love long books but… it’s 480 pages. I think I’m hooked and it is relaxed Christmas week, I can afford to spend the time.
Undetected by Dee Henderson
When asked what he does for a living . . .
Commander Mark Bishop is deliberately low-key: “I’m in the Navy.” But commanding the ballistic missile submarine USS Nevada, keeping her crew trained and alert during ninety-day submerged patrols, and being prepared to launch weapons on valid presidential orders, carries a burden of command like few other jobs in the military. Mark Bishop is a man who accepts that responsibility, and handles it well. And at a time when tensions are escalating around the Pacific Rim, the Navy is glad to have him.
Mark wants someone to come home to after sea patrols. The woman he has in mind is young, with a lovely smile, and very smart. She’s a civilian, yet she understands the U.S. Navy culture. And he has a strong sense that life with her would never be boring. But she may be too deep in her work to see the potential in a relationship with him.
Gina Gray would love to be married. She has always envisioned her life that way. A breakup she didn’t see coming, though, has her focusing all her attention on what she does best–ocean science research. She’s on the cusp of a major breakthrough, and she needs Mark Bishop’s perspective and help. Because what she told the Navy she’s figured out is only the beginning. If she’s right, submarine warfare is about to enter a new and dangerous chapter.
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Happy Reading …
on this lazy winter day. An excellent day for kicking back with a good book.
For the Love of Books 