Happy February!

Whooooos in the night, the swish of downhill skiing, and the golden silence of reading a mystery with bootleggers and bon vivants.

Miss Beasley is fresh from the groomer with her longer-than-usual coat. She’s prepared for the winter despite our much-warmer-than-usual February weather. We received a nice dump of snow last month, though. I realize people in some parts of the country and the world have struggled with heavy snowfall this winter and are ready for it to be over. But here in the high desert, it has mostly fallen in the mountains… making for lovely skiing.

We are fortunate to have a lovely family-run ski resort about 30 minutes out of Santa Fe, Ski Santa Fe . And have I mentioned that I, like my protagonist Cleo Cooper, love to ski? I’m not an expert, just a good, solid, medium-skier. But that doesn’t mean I don’t picture myself flying down those Italian Alps during these Olympics. LOL!

When I’m not daydreaming, however, the sport entices me out of my warm, cozy house to go play in nature for a couple of hours. Sure, riding the lift is cold, but the tranquility of drifting through treetops calms my soul as much as gliding down those slopes exhilarates me.

What I’m reading…

I’m a huge fan of Julie Mulhern, I’ve read all of her Poppy Fields and Country Club murder series. So it was with delight that I discovered she started a new one. Murder in Manhattan is set in 1920s New York. The protagonist, Freddie, short for Winifred, is a fun-loving, rebellious writer who isn’t afraid to get her hem dirty. Bootleggers, murderers, and clothing designers drive the plot with lots of twists and turns. Mulhern deftly included facts, tidbits, and famous persons of the decade, so that I was immersed in the setting and time period. Historical mysteries are not usually my first choice in selecting a new book. But I’ll follow Julie Mulhern down just about any path she wants to take me. And I’m so glad I did, what a fun read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did if you give it a try.

And I have recently fallen in love with…

Owls.

This isn’t really news, but I had a super cool experience recently. I love the sounds of birds. We have all heard the old joke that city people go to the country and can’t sleep for all the bird/ animal sounds, but I love them. The other morning, my husband and I were awoken very early by a relatively loud, repetitive noise. We were wondering if it was an owl or an animal emitting a distress call. I fumbled in the dark for my phone and opened the Merlin App. And sure enough, it identified a Great Horned Owl. And soon another joined it. I was amazed how loud they sang and for how long it lasted… at least 15 minutes. Eventually, it quieted again, and we got back to sleep, but since then, I drift off every night listening for those owls to return.

It sounded like this and this. Aren’t they gorgeous? What do you think they were celebrating?

To wrap this up, I want to wish everyone a Happy Galentine’s Day as well as Valentine’s Day!

Don’t know what Galentine’s Day is? Check it out here!

And as always… any recommendations I make are because I like an item/place/event. I receive no compensation beyond enjoying spreading the good news:)

Ciao for now, my friends.