january 12 of 12: inside out

there's this exercise that some picture-taking friends partake in that i've always wanted to try. it's called 12 of 12 and goes like this: on the 12th of every month, you photograph and post 12 images depicting a timeline of your day or some sort of theme. since yesterday (the 12th) was a stay-at-home snow day for me, i thought i'd give it my best effort. the picture taking part was easy - it's meeting the deadline of the 12th that's giving me trouble! who knows when this thing will finally get posted?? anyway, here's mine, with the very broad theme of inside out, since much of the day was spent inside looking, and photographing, out.

.............

these are the flannel pajamas i wore all day. who wants to get dressed on a snow day? the night before, i dutifully wore these pajamas inside-out in an effort to bring on a snow day. and it worked. it's a time-tested ritual. ask any kid. or any teacher.

a surprise visitor for the day - the little girl!! preschool was cancelled, perhaps due to all those 3 & 4 year olds and their inside-out pjs. we had our boots at the door but we never made it outside because we were having too much fun inside.

i was very glad i'd had the presence of mind to fill the feeders the night before the storm. the birds were so active - and very hungry!

they were also entertaining and we kept going back to the windows all day - the little girl with the binoculars and me with the telephoto lens.

a tiny redpoll kept knocking seed out of the feeder and down to the snow, then hopping around in it to eat it. at one point he was even flicking snow around with his beak, much to the delight of the little girl.

there was an inside bird as well - big bird on sesame street! i used to watch this with the girl on snow days, too. i am always amazed at how little this show has changed over thirty-plus years. they must be doing something right on sesame street!

midday, as the snow continued, the wind began to blow. with the way this squirrel's tail was wrapped up so tightly to his body, it must have been mighty cold out there. but we were warming up inside with lunch in a lunchbox and tomato soup!

look at this great thermos technology! a straw built right into the flip-open cap, an easy way for a little one to get the milk out of the thermos without the spills the girl must have had at her age with a plastic screw-open cup holder cap! 

the storm raged all afternoon. wind blew the snow this way, then that. it was a pretty good nor'easter, the kind where you don't see a plow truck for hours because no one's out and about!

a friend emailed me a video of a comic comparing life in california with living in new england. this guy says folks in new england can only use their picnic tables a few days each summer because of all the bugs and flying things we have here. he claims many new englanders keep a picnic table only so they can see how much snow has accumulated without going outside. and earlier, i had taken this picture to send to the girl at work so she'd know what to expect when she returned. so i guess i'm guilty as charged!

the day ended, the girl navigated back home safely, and the little girl at last ventured outside and into the cold and the snow to go home. blazing a trail through the snowy walk lasted only a few feet...

before her mother obliged her by carrying her. tired legs, the little girl claimed. small wonder with snow up to those tiny hips! and the snow continued, even after they were long gone and safe at home.