Early December

_LME9439-Pano-smThe sky above Lake Windermere. Pleiades directly above Taurus. The lights of Windermere and Fairmont. A satellite streaks at the top of the frame.

The snow still hasn’t started to fly in earnest. It’s coming, it always does. Meanwhile, I’m still getting used to the cold. My toque goes on in the morning and doesn’t come off until bed. Lisa even wore hers through the weekend. She looks cute in a toque.

_LME9441.segComet 46P/Wirtanen can be seen in the leading photo. This is it enlarged. It looks like a green smudge. Throughout December it will rise in the eastern sky towards Pleiades. 

Our house can be chilly. We believe in putting on a sweater before turning up the heat. The woodpile is holding up. It has some good wood in it. Fir, tamarack, pine and even juniper. It’s good to mix it up. If you are cold and need it warm quick, pine is the way to go. If you want it slow and hot, fir. If you are going to bed and want some embers in the morning, then tamarack. If you are staying up, maybe you’ve had some wine or smoke, juniper will set the mood with it’s wonderful smell and light.

Every know and again I’ll get a few blocks of spruce. It’s light put hard to split due to it’s twisted grain. If it freezes hard in November the trees crack like gunshots. When splitting, it is not uncommon to come across a worm, pale white, as big as a finger, hiding in the wood. It always crosses my mind maybe someday I’ll be happy to come across this protein.

Speaking of protein. I made mincemeat on the weekend. Currents, raisins, apple, brown sugar, sherry, suet, orange and lemon peel and every spice in the cabinet. I think those old-timers knew how to cook.

Lisa makes wonderful pastry and has promised me tarts.

Winter is looking better all the time.

10 thoughts on “Early December”

  1. Jim R

    Nice shot of the sky and 46P. I went out last evening and had no luck spotting it. I did get a good view of the ISS going from NW –> SE directly overhead. It started at the bottom of this frame from the iPad 2.

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    2. underswansea

      Good shots Jim. It has to be pretty clear to the see the comet. The camera may see it before we can. Keep your eye out for Geminids the next couple of nights. Take care.

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  2. mountaincoward

    Amazing photos – I’ll have a look out for the comet (if we can see it here?).

    And also amazing how well you know your burning woods! What’s the difference between pine and fir though? we class them as the same here… I found 3 worms in one log when I was sawing up – I was horrified as I hate the damned things! I’d also hate to saw one in half or put one on the fire too…

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    1. underswansea

      Also keep your eye out for Geminid Meteors the next night or two. Pine and Fir look similar but are very different and the wood burns differently. Regarding those worms that hide in the wood. They can make a nice crackling sound when the wood is burned. 🙂 Take care. Bob

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