[OT from cottage renovations]

this weekend's snow allowed for the revival of an old tradition, that of creating a toboggan run on the back steps.  anybody can shovel snow off their steps, but to do this right one is best off piling the snow onto the steps as well as along the slope out back.  the back deck always accumulates an excess of snow that's readily available for the purpose. 

with the Wonder Boy off pursuing graduate studies in Gotham it fell to the current generation of neighbourhood children to take the first trips down; with each one the ramp get better and they went further and faster, as can be seen below:

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preparing to board

a couple of good runs

with 22 -> 24 inches of snow having fallen there was plenty left over for eating ...

... and for targets of opportunity

good news: the snow passed the taste test. 

the sled run will remain in place and available as a public nuisance convenience as long as conditions permit.  anybody who's passing by is encouraged to make use of it though you'll have to BYO sled -- it's been a few years since we've kept one around. 

[OT from cottage renovations]
[crossposted to itsinthedetails]

(click through this thumbnail for higher resolution image)

this image is actually from a couple of weeks ago but I hadn't gotten around to putting it in this space. 

pipe end with eye bolt and turnbuckle

I'm not quite sure what it was about it that caught my eye, but I found it oddly appealing.  your mileage may vary -- that's OK as it's all in the eye of the beholder. 

[OT from cottage renovations]

given how ridiculously soggy wet this year has been it really didn't come as a surprise when the temperature went down for the precipitation to have continued.  it was a very quiet day here in the Grove, most folks having the sense to stay indoors.  the only people I saw abroad had snow shovels, sleds or cross country skis. 

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

the Circle

there are some images that I haven't had the sense to get past taking, and this is one of them.  of note is that the snowcap on the porch roof has drifted up above the bottom of the upper front window; it is odd to look out through it and have the view partially obstructed by snow. 

cottage in snow. 

of course.  what else were you expecting? 

M^cCathran Hall

with no events going on in the Town Hall the snow was drifting up to its porch.  the sign in front, the flag and the brick chimney provide the only chromatic highlights in an otherwise highly subdued scene. 

1^stAvenue

another iconic image, we seem to have some severe repetition settling in here.  the large oak growing up through Mimi's porch is framed by lesser trees in the foreground; that one on the R with its leaves doesn't do much for the image but I was neither able to crop it out nor willing to remove it digitally (not that I wasn't tempted, but perhaps tomorrow will afford a chance to go back and find a better location from which to try again with this image). 

cottage row

Acorn Lane

unlikely though it may seem to those who know the setting well, this has become one of my favourite views within the Grove: looking down Acorn Lane across Chestnut Avenue and the church parking lot into the West Woods.  this is another image I've tried to capture at different times but it can be a challenge to compose -- I wanted it to be about depth as well as height so it needed more cropping to the R than I would have liked. 

if you think you've seen this before, you're right. 
crank the wayback machine to April 2006 (and scroll to the bottom of the entry). 

Grove Avenue

holiday lights shine brightly on the façade of Hutch and Linda's cottage.