if you were to write it.

This was a scene encountered this morning about 10 AM near a downtown school....the sign on the car says BUS ZONE...$50 TICKET.

From my page a day calendar.....
Although they have both run in sled dog races (as have many other breeds, including Poodles!), the Alaskan Malamute and the Siberian Husky were originally bred for different work. The larger-boned Malamute pulled sleds loaded with heavy supplies, while the lighter Husky transported people at a faster clip.

KIKKO (ALASKAN MALAMUTE).—ALYSON WONG, ALAMEDA, CA

The following email exchange occurred before our writing group met Saturday....

Dec 5, 2009 12:12:03 PM,  F wrote:
Is anybody planning to go to writing group tonight?  Does the weather make you want to stay home like it does me?

Dec 5, 2009 12:01:02 PM, I wrote:
And you will never guess my topic....SNOW!

Saturday, December 05, 2009 12:44 PM

Dec 5, 2009 12:56:42 PM,  J wrote:

Dec 5, 2009 03:50:30 PM,  S wrote:
Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I have snow tires, which helps. But I haven't moved my car since 4:30 yesterday so it's still only a guess.

Is snow just snow?

Not for the meteorologist, who has various ways to describe the white stuff. Inuit supposedly have over 100 words to describe snow, but the linguists have confirmed 27.

As we write this evening in our writer’s circle, the city in fact the majority of the province has been involved as the meteorologists put it “ severe winter storm warning” as far as I am concerned it just means snow and more snow, coming down, blowing side ways, drifting filling in my driveway, sidewalks, porches and railings. Spots melt around the blue and white Christmas lights and coating the white wire deer, bent eating the wrapped bunch of herbs, more realistic in the dusting of snow than the barren decoration I set out two weeks ago.

Snowed and snow drifts that fill and invade those spaces of neighbourhood sidewalks, urban freeways and back lanes and that we continually battle with shovels, snow shovels, plows, snow plows and blowers, snow blowers, all made devices to battle and conquer the simple white snow flurry. Why the battle and why cannot we slow down and allow ourselves to be snowed in and enjoy the silence and muffling of the world around us. Walking crunch, crunch the sound of boots on freshly fallen snow either a pleasure or spine tingle like the chalk scraped on the blackboard; snow laden branches of spruce and real dripping icicles, not the tinsel with which we laden our Christmas trees and black capped chickadees foraging beneath; clumps of snow white against the dark of the still running creek in the ravine; ice pans circular crystalline slowly coagulating into o larger masses, the precursors to the still frozen North Saskatchewan river:

When I work in Nunavut we have “ snow days": a blizzard, a white out, snow blowing sideways, basically if one can not see the school or hamlet office across the street or uptown across the gully in Gjoa Haven, a snow day is declared and government offices and school are closed everyone locally “knows” that the snow is drifting but it has to be officially declared by four govt departments before closure. My Inuit friends will tell me how a blizzard is coming, the temperatures rising from minus 30oC to a balmy 10- 15 oC below and in the warmth there is a lull, a calm in which large flakes scatter through the night and almost Christmas like in March.

Slow down walk, ski, run, hibernate, that white stuff whatever we call it can be a blessing if we let it be!

  Most of Alberta today has been caught in its first early December snow storm in which roads were a mess, travel slow or hazardous..... so walking much safer for chores to both the credit union and posting mail.  This city view from Mill creek ravine is fairly typical. The dogs of course loved it and pulled me all the way until we hit the leash free area. Sniffing trees and running on paths were great adventures.  Fluffy snow on spruce and grasses made interesting patterns . Walking in ravine with dogs noted some x-c ski tracks

Step 10 - Mix the pie contents

This is continuing from my previous post same recipe source but interspersed with my photos....the first time baking experiment has been fun and tasty and took one pie to the church Advent potluck last night.

All the hard work is behind you! Here's where it gets really easy. If you start with a fresh 8" pie pumpkin, you will get about 3 cups of cooked, mashed pumpkin. The right amount of ingredients for this is as follows:

• 1 cup sugar - or 1 cup Splenda, or 3/4 cup honey (honey may make a heavier pie, though)
• 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• one half teaspoon ground ginger
• one half teaspoon salt (optional, I don't use any)
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups pumpkin glop (ok... "sieved, cooked pumpkin")
• 1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated milk (I use the nonfat version) (note for those in France: evaporated milk in France is called "lait concentre'"; "lait evapore'" is powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional) (metric: 20 grams)

Mix well using a hand blender or mixer.

Note: You may substitute 2 tablespoons of "pumpkin pie spice" instead of the cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger.  But I think you get better results with the separate spices.

Note: The vast majority of people tell me this is the best pumpkin pie they've ever had. It's light and fluffy - however... if you want a heavy, more dense pie, use 3 eggs instead of 4 and 1 can of evaporated milk instead of 1.5)

Step 11 - Pour into the pie crust

I like a deep, full pie, so I fill it right up to about one quarter to one half inch from the very top.

Don't be surprised if the mixture is very runny!  It may start as a soupy liquid, but it will firm up nicely in the oven! Note: the pie crust is brown because I used whole wheat flour! Tastes the same, but is healthier.

TIP: What do you do if you end up with more filling than will fit in your pie crust(s)?  Easy!  Of course, you can make another, smaller pie crust and fill a small pie pan... or just grease any baking dish, of a size that the extra filling will fill to a depth of about 2 inches (see the photo at right), and pour the extra filling in.. then bake it.  It will be a crustless pumpkin pie that kids especially love!

TIP: You may want to cover the exposed edges of the crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent them from burning!

Bonnie's note: I used my favorite Granny's no fail pie crust with Tender flake

lard and lemon juice and used cookie cut outs to decorate the tops

Step 12 - Bake the pie

Bake at 425 F (210 C ) for the first 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 F  ( 175 C ) and bake another 45 to 60 minutes.

PUMPKIN CHEESE CAKE.....same source for recipe easy pumpkin cheesecake

A graham cracker crust, two layers and extra tin foil in the oven to prevent spills. The blender worked well for mixing and don't forget to cool and refrigerate before serving.