Crystal snow, animal tracks, online classes, and bluebird days

Gorgeous weather continues - our area style. Only a few inches of snow the last few days, which was just enough to cause me to use the BIG snowblower on the driveway since Mark was out of town. All went fine. I gotta say, big powerful machine. Hasn't been put to a real test yet - lets wait for one of the big snows...

My tracks only

Now about that mountain lion. He came back, After I had been so blase about it all, taking a whistle and pepper spray just to humor people. And this time he had popped in and out of my tracks a couple times. You're welcome. Anyway, I nearly decided not to go back out, but then reason prevailed. They are nocturnal and don't like to be around humans - soooo, I'm out doing my thing until I'm not.

I've been asked how in the world do I manage with the crackly dry air and sub zero temps - as in my skin. It's definitely a challenge but for those you who might be dropping into the arctic soon, here are
some tips:
Face:Vitamin C serum (that's year round - collagen builder) plus Olay total effects 7 in one
Hands: I use Burt's Bees beeswax almond milk  heavy duty cream - no other cream comes close
Feet: I have a tendency to develop chilbains in cold dry weather so use tea tree oil (a natural antiseptic) and L'Occitane foot care cream
And the rest of the body Amlactin cream - found this years ago wouldn't be without it.
Lot of stuff right? I'm thinking many years ago this area's winters battered the people including their skin. What did they use?

Keeping busy in these winter months. My first online class started this week, Magna Carta and its legacy. and hoping its enthralling. If not I will disappear like the wind - that's part of the benefit of free and online... And my watercolor painting is keeping me hopping. I'm doing a series of cows of many colors. Kinda think I've been affected by my surroundings.

Mark has made it back from his business trip and happily there is an almost 3 week break for him. Let's see what fun stuff we can find to do. And we may have company coming soon. Time's already moving along at a speedy pace. Half of January gone already.

Winter, winter, winter. We know there are people fishing at this time of year. Looks way too cold to me...