Cool. I kind-of figured it wasn't weather or geography-related.

The things you do for love...

amom: I have also found it easier to remain grounded living out here on the prairie than it was when I lived in the middle of psychedelic central. (No Cal)

However, I DO enjoy crazy winter weather and I always have.

lw

We're getting a little ice storm out here on our corner of the prairie today. Woke up at about 6 am, looked outside and all was shiny-white. (Ice on snow) All schools are closed. The missus is working from home and I'm on my way out the door to pick up a few provisions. We have most everything I need to make up a batch of Tom Ka Gai soup: curry paste, kaffir lime leaves, galanga, onion, straw mushrooms, coconut milk and lemon grass. But we have no chicken. hahaha!

Meanwhile I can hear the ice pellets hitting the window and see the build up accumulating on handrails, sidewalks and vehicles in the driveway. Come to think of it, busting INTO the truck might be the most difficult part of the adventure to follow. The few cars I see on the street appear to be moving about ok. (The city puts down a substance to melt ice.) So if I manage to make it over the new skating rink to my truck, manage to bust through the ice to open the door and actually navigate the untreated parking lot leading to the untended side street, I'll prolly make it to Grand Ave and all that name entails.

Wish me luck on this, my first adventure of the unexpected vacation day.....

lw

I didn't know you could eat Thai soup in ice storms. Being from south-east Asia, I thought they were incompatible!

The lack of chicken isn't a problem, though. Just remove the Gai from the name, and you're good to go.

Good luck!

amom: THis soup travels surprisingly well. We threw a Thai dinner party once and now we have friends who beg me to make it. This is one of my all time favorites that, unfortunately, gets mangled by most any local restaurant that has it on their menu. We did find one place a long time back that made kick-ass tom kah gai for a spell. Unfortunately the food changed the day he quit. Its difficult to find authentic thai food here on the prairie. Most places load their dishes with sugar for some reason. And that really turns me off.

lw

am i to assume that the trek was safe and the gai showed up to honour the soup?

Oh, yeah, sistah-j. The gai found its way home. Wading through 6" of slush was the worse part of the day. However, a little later the ice grew so thick on hand rails, etc that stepping outside for any reason was a little dangerous. No school yesterday and I'm still waiting to see about this morning. I teach in a city library for a community college. Sometimes the library closes and sometimes the community college shuts down with bad weather. Things still look shiny out there this morning. We'll see.

lw

I live in a very small town (like 1,000 people, kind of removed from any big city), and surprisingly, there's a Thai/Japanese restaurant in town that makes a surprisingly good coconut soup. I always get it when I go; makes a good appetizer for the Chicken Basil...I mean Gai Pad Kapow.

So, when is dinner? I'm getting hungry.

SO we're in the middle of the latest snow storm to cross our corner of the prairie. They say this one will stick around for a couple more days. Lots of folks I know are getting tired of this winter bidness, but I'm not one of them. I love snow on cedars.....

lw

I know we had a great time that night, el dub, and we thank you again for it.

The food was absolute deliciousness, but it was the company that really made that night so great.

In fact I am still waiting for the shrimp and mint dish recipe!

Here comes the snow. We need about another 14" of the white stuff to break the all time seasonal record that I'm pretty sure was set the year I was born. So I have mixed feelings about that record potentially falling, as I watch the small flakes come down and look for an excuse to get myself out of the house and into the elements...

Life is good on da prairie this morning. I got in about an hour of drumming while the wife was out and now its time ot run some errands. Then its off to Iowa City this afternoon to catch a wrestling dual between Iowa and Ohio St tonight. (I busted free for a day from the tax season grind by getting ahead in me work and there is no ESL classes on Friday.)

Now, its time to get out of the house and into the snow. Anyone need anything? hehe

lw

Woke up to a very white spring this morning. I'm guessing we got 3-4 inches of new powder last night. Kind of surprised me, but not really. A student from Congo asked me last week if it was done snowing for the season and I told her I couldn't give her an answer, never mind the fact that it was sunny and 50+ degrees that day.

ANyway, it was snowing sideways for a spell yesterday, straight out of the north. Special delivery from Minneapolis......

Thanks, kemp.

lw

The prairie is in full bloom right now; a pastel riot of pink and white framed by shadows on soaked branches and the first green of spring. Last night there was big thunder and lightning and this morning nature is sporting her finest scent of the season, distilled from the essence of lilac and maple during an electrical storm. Its sunny with a breeze pushing clouds north. They say more rain is to follow, so the robins are all busy making nests and babies. Lilacs in bloom mean its time to chase morel mushrooms around these parts. Wild asparagus should be out, too.

We had snow on the ground for most of the winter, which apparently kept the ground warmer than usual. I had to start mowing the lawn already last week. (That job usually doesn't start until may, when morel season is about finished.)

lw

That sounds beautiful.

No grass mowing here yet this year. Today though we planted pears (recently sprouted seeds), choke cherries (sprouted seeds), peaches (sprouted seeds), and a couple of random apple seeds that were sprouting in the fridge. We also put a Red Lake currant bush in the ground, but we bought that at a local nursery.

Snow is fun. I like the growing season too though.

Your place sounds beautiful. Any idea on how many trees you have planted in the last decade?

I'd like to get an acreage to have room to plant more trees but it won't be easy moving mrs lw to the country. If we stay in town I'd like a new garage with space for a music room to keep me occupied while the wife/neighbors enjoy their peace and quite. However, that arrangement would be a far cry from having the same set up in the country with space for more planting of trees bushes and shrubs, fruits and veggies.

lw