Winter arrived last night
Well…. we’ve had a lovely, lingering, late autumn here. Yesterday Eli, his Cross Country Coach, and a few teammates ran in the Rockland (Maine) 5K “Scare Me” run. Eli’s “costume” was to wear the rugby shirt he bought in Australia this summer… it was nippy, about 39 degrees, but no wind down on the water.
![2011.10.Blog.FirstSnow000](https://www.sarahannsmith.com/weblog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2011.10.Blog_.FirstSnow000.jpg)
At the start of the Rockland 5K race...Eli is in the middle of the photo in a light blue shirt with dark under-armor shirt sleeves showing--to the left of the guy in the red shirt who won, the woman in the white shirt who was fastest female, and behind middle-school teammate J.R. ( in jade, magenta, lime and blue--like her colors!)
![2011.10.Blog.FirstSnow005](https://www.sarahannsmith.com/weblog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2011.10.Blog_.FirstSnow005.jpg)
Rockland Harbor from the Amalfi restaurant parking lot/boardwalk area. Had never been down this way before...beautiful! Looks like a nice spot for a special summer evening out.
Then my camera batteries died. Eli–WOW!–came in sixth overall, fastest kid, and turned in a 19:40. Whoooosh…that blur was our son running past! The top finishers were a tank of a guy who runs an outdoor expedition company, Coach Morse (who ran a marathon last year), a woman who works for the tank, and a guy Coach Morse has been trying to beat for years (and finally did, by mere seconds). Not bad for a 13 year old!
Then last night, when I took the dog out for before-bed walkies, snow! He took his first bites of snow, and we went to bed. This is what greeted us this morning! Before Halloween!!!!!!
![2011.10.Blog.FirstSnow004](https://www.sarahannsmith.com/weblog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2011.10.Blog_.FirstSnow004.jpg)
The beautiful maple...fortunately no broken branches, tho Eli just walked the dog and says we may have lost one of the old apple trees out back. The snow is heavy and wet. From the top of the car looks like about 6-7 inches, and still coming down.
And yes, neighbor Alex had already been up the driveway with the plow…. egads!
![2011.10.Blog.FirstSnow002](https://www.sarahannsmith.com/weblog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2011.10.Blog_.FirstSnow002.jpg)
We've been talking about moving the porch furniture into the shed for winter. Clearly, we forgot. Didn't know that an open-weave hammock (far end) could become a snow-laden sheet!
![2011.10.Blog.FirstSnow001](https://www.sarahannsmith.com/weblog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2011.10.Blog_.FirstSnow001.jpg)
And the view from the living room porch, toward the view. Over the year about half of the really old, rickety log fence (in the middle of the yard...why?) has fallen down. I'm guessing by next year it will be mostly a memory.
So it’s a perfect day to hole up in the studio. Paul fired up the woodstove (in the basement–whole house heat) for the first time, so I will be WARM. Have to make postcards for a swap and select quilts to take for teaching in NH next week/weekend. If any of you are in NH at A Quilters’ Gathering, come by and say hi! And I’m giving a lecture on Sunday!
October 30th, 2011 at 11:10 am
Sarah–Last year we had chicken wire over our garden enclosure. The first heavy snow pulled it down—like one huge blanket. I’m not surprised about your hammock.
October 30th, 2011 at 11:36 am
Sarah, you must live in the Maine Snow Belt. I didn’t get enough snow to cover the grass, which is fine with me. You aren’t that far away. Oops, looks like we’re getting a little rain or sleet now.
Betty
October 30th, 2011 at 1:10 pm
One of the nicer things about having a studio in the basement…. is it can get really cozy and you can tune the rest of the world out, when you really can’t see it.
October 30th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Oh, I don’t like winter! Although I must say, it looks beautiful. But I don’t like the cold. Some things have also a positive something: stay in home and sit behind your sewingmachine. That sounds nice!
I am glad, it is still autumn with some sun in my country.
gr. Marjolijn
October 30th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Congrats to Eli on coming in sixth. That’s awesome! It was a pretty day for the race too but I must say, I love your snow! I can understand how folks who live up there get tired of winter but I’m on the opposite side of that. I get so tired of the Texas heat! When I’m saying, “It’s too hot,” I’m not happy but when I’m saying, “It’s cold,” I’m happy! If you can, please send us some snow this winter!
D~~~~
October 30th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
I remember October snowstorms in upstate NY back in the 70’s – but none like this in recent memory. Yikes! It may be an interesting Winter for all of us! Hooray for Eli!
October 30th, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Congrats on your very fast son! My son was a cross country runner and while it’s a great sport, very hard to be a spectator for that one. He still runs and recently was the top finisher in a local um..5K maybe. Got a nice watch as the prize. Now for your first snow of the year, um.. that’s going to be a very long winter! It’s beautiful, but way too early in the season for me. That’s why I love the south and to think some of us were complaining about being cold down here, not so bad after seeing your pictures! Well, stay warm and happy stitches!
October 30th, 2011 at 10:50 pm
It was good that the day stayed sunny for the run and you son did really well. You got a lot more snow than we did, ours has melted already.
Debbie
October 31st, 2011 at 8:19 am
I wish I were in NH. I’d love to see the coast with snow. I’ve never seen a beach with snow.
A trip to portsmouth… yep… miss that place…
October 31st, 2011 at 8:30 am
Isn’t this what your place looked like when you first saw it last year? Your snow is beautiful: so glad I live in the south, especially in the winter. Have a really good day sewing.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:31 am
Wow – glad you got the snow and not here in Nebraska. We are still harvesting corn and snow like that would not be good.
October 31st, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Sarah…Some great, inspirational snow shots! Bet you’ll be moving that summer furniture inside soon! We are looking at some pretty cold nights heading this way…low 20’s…but out days are still in the low 40’s and no snow in the valleys but the mountains are beginning to look like winter has arrived at the higher elevations.
Your new place looks fantastic! and I love what you did with the studio in the earlier posts…Not too much for communicating these past few busy ears, but I follow you…read about your travels and teaching schedule and show acceptances. Thanks for keeping the blog and your web pages so interesting!
Have fun in your studio today! I am headed to mine now to work on a couple of pieces this afternoon before the trick or treaters arrive.
Peace by piece…..Kristin
October 31st, 2011 at 5:09 pm
Sarah, And here I have been complaining about fog along my California coast. Your photos are so lovely and as for Eli, MY nephew, is there no sport he doesn’t excel at ? So proud of him.
November 1st, 2011 at 8:08 am
Love the pictures. I’m so over snow. Grew up in Ludlow, VT and used to ski. Also got soooo cold all the time, that now it goes straight into my bones! Just want to be warm. Guess it’s that growing old thingy too.
Love reading about your family! The race day looks like fun!
November 1st, 2011 at 9:27 pm
oooh I’m envious of your snow – this time last year I’d already spent 2 days snow dyeing then it melted for a couple of days, came back and didn’t leave for 6 months!
Right now I’m awaiting my dyeing blank order and hoping for a couple of days of snow on the weekend so I can snow dye scarves etc for a major craft sale in 2.5 weeks…..I may have to go to the zamboni driver at the local area to get some shavings to dye with.