Update on artichokes and the weather

A couple of house-cleaning updates:

Friday's post on artichokes: When Clint and I started eating the artichokes, I was certain this was going to be a failed experiment. I knew that my cousin Adam liked artichokes (also mentioned in the comments), but I wasn't sure what the big deal was. They seemed like a lot of work for not much payout, much like my sister-in-law Jennifer said, and that was even with the lemon butter sauce. As Clint and I got closer to the center of the artichokes, the pieces got meatier and more flavorful. And, I must say, by the time we split the first artichoke heart, I was sold. Maybe it is just the novelty of a new vegetable. At any rate, I am pleased with the experiment and will eat artichokes again. Actually, they seem like a great treat to eat while watching television; something to munch on with the added bonus that no one is watching you eat them.

Yesterday's post on the weather: I took my picture of the snow too soon; after that first post, the snow kept coming and sticking until the whole backyard was blanketed with several inches of snow. Huge, wet flakes fell for several hours, often coming down so hard it was difficult to see across the backyard to the fence. We lost power for a few hours, and I realized that all of our camping gear was the second garage, which has no access without electricity. Which isn't a big deal, except most of our flashlights are with the camping gear. When the power came back on, Clint and I got into the garage, fixed the door so we could get back in, and brought the lanterns inside the house. Of course, after all that, we didn't loose power again. We also tried to play in the snow in the backyard, but ran into some technical difficulties and ended mostly getting cold and wet. Thankfully, the power was back on when we came inside, so we enjoyed some hot chocolate (Clint) and hot cider (Sarah) and started making dinner.

This morning, most of the backyard was still covered in snow, although the driveway and the roads were clear. Even now, after a day of sun and 45 degrees, there are large patches of snow in the front and backyards. The snow was beautiful (Clint and I were both sad to be without a camera), and a happy reminder of winter.