Celebrate, Television, Winter

The Return of Snow-Gauge Clif

75 Comments

Well, it happened. The weather gods decided to play one of their little tricks on us, and on Saturday a storm blow into the state. Where we live in central Maine, we got mostly snow, about ten inches, and we kept our power the whole time. The coast was not as lucky. From New Hampshire to mid-coast Maine, they got freezing rain, enough of it to knock down trees and power lines.  At its worst, after the storm, 184,000 Central Maine Power (CMP) customers were without power, and today, Monday, 80,000 still don’t have it. (CMP has 675,000 customers.)

However, as the saying goes, it’s an ill wind that blows no good, and so it is in Winthrop. Ten inches of snow means the return of Snow-Gauge Clif.

How long will it take for this snow to melt? I’m guessing it won’t be long. Rain is in the forecast as are temps in the 50s. Will Snow-Gauge Clif return next week? Stay tuned!

During the storm, from the bathroom window, I snapped a picture of this pretty fellow, a cardinal. The cardinal is not as clear as I would like him to be, but nonetheless I thought the red against the snow was pretty.

Last Tuesday, March 19, was our forty-seventh wedding anniversary. Holy cats, Clif and I have been together for a long time. Because Tuesday was a work day for Clif (he does book design), Me (I write books), and our daughter Dee (she does web work),in the evening we had a simple celebration of nuts and drinks as well as veggie sausages and dairy-free ice cream. The goblets were given to us by a good friend on our first wedding anniversary, and we bring them out every year for a celebratory drink.

On Friday, before the storm, we took the afternoon off and had a fried day. Both Clif and I love fried food, and we are lucky enough to have a digestive system that easily handles this kind of food. (I know from previous comments that not all my blogging friends can eat fried food.)

However, this capacity for fried food has its downside. Without vigilance, we could eat way more fried food than we should.  However, I am happy to report that we do use restraint and only have fried food a few times a year.

Here was our line-up for Friday: fried onions (Clif), fried mushrooms (me, although I shared a few), and fries (both of us). And a whoopie pie to share for dessert.

The food was very, very tasty and served piping hot. So cheer to us! In another three years we will have been together for fifty years. Yikes, that’s a long time.

**************************************************************************

Watching

The Gentlemen, television series, 2024
Created by Guy Ritchie
Available on Netflix

Along with having an enthusiasm for fried food, I am also keen on quirky crime dramas. The Gentlemen definitely qualifies as a quirky crime drama, and Guy Ritche’s fingerprints are all over it. Clif and I were so caught up with the story and the acting that we blew through four episodes on Saturday morning while it snowed outside.

Eddie (Theo James), an aristocrat, is called home to the family estate where his father is dying. After his father’s death, Eddie learns, much to his surprise, that he has inherited the estate. He is a second son, and always thought his elder brother Freddie would be the one to get the estate. Neither Freddie nor Eddie is pleased with this turn of events, but the will is clear. Eddie gets the estate.

Eddie also receives another surprise. For some years, his father has been renting out a barn to a weed enterprise run by the delightfully deadpan Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario), who is about the same age as Eddie. Eddie wants the weed business to move; Susie does not.

To complicate matters, they both have brothers who have a knack for getting in trouble. Naturally, complications ensue as do murder and mayhem. James and Scodelario have a wonderful chemistry. Are they attracted to each other? Are they out to get each other? Or maybe both? This tension gives the show a nice energy.

The supporting cast is equally delightful, with each character, no matter how brief the performance, being distinct and memorable.

I’ve read that season two of The Gentlemen might be in the works.

Fingers crossed.

 

75 thoughts on “The Return of Snow-Gauge Clif”

  1. Wow! The weather is crazy! Who thought you’d be having snow after last week! The wildlife must be confused.

    Congratualtions on your 47th Wedding anniversary!.

    You are lucky on fried food. I only have to look at deep fried fish and chips and my digestive systems says: You eat that, Pip, and I gonna make you suffer!

  2. Damn that snow…just when we thought Clif was retired for the season! Happy Anniversary, it looks like a good feast was enjoyed, and how nice to have the goblets from your first year.

    PS – We’ll finish The Gentlemen shortly, great fun!

  3. You were so right to stay tuned, Laurie. More snow! But I really do hope that it’s gone soon. And it sounds like you had a wonderful anniversary. Congrats to you both. 🙂

  4. Happy anniversary! Good to know that you liked The Gentleman. It’s been on my list for awhile. My husband is a big Guy Ritchie fan.

  5. Happy Anniversary, and may all the snow melt for good soon! That sounds like a good show you’re watching. I have trouble watching anything that continues because I just can’t still that long!

  6. Wow! That cardinal is so red! I knew they were but hadn’t realised just how vibrantly so. Congratulations on your anniversary, on still having the glasses from your first one ( we are obviously way clumsier😊) and fried food….yummmm!

  7. Happy, happy anniversary! I too restrain from eating fried food too often, but I do love it. I also love whoopie pies, so that was a meal I could have enjoyed. 🙂 The cardinal against the snow is truly beautiful. The birds are out in force here, and I bet they don’t like all this snow cover we got. Glad your power stayed on. Power is king. 🙂

  8. Happy anniversary! The food looks delicious. I hope real spring returns soon…I wondered if that predicted storm was going to reach you, and it sure did.

    >

  9. Happy 47th Wedding Anniversary. You’d think that Mother Nature could have come up with a better anniversary present than all that snow. Hoping all power is restored soon and that the snow melts quickly!

  11. Happy Anniversary to you and may there be many, many more to follow!
    What a sneaky March surprise, eh? I guess we are back to ‘normal’ March weather. 😉

  13. I’m watching a cardinal pair right now at my feeders. I have a feeling they may set up housekeeping nearby, since they’re regular visitors. One thing I’m sure of is that they won’t be together for 47 years! Congratulations! It sounds like you had the perfect celebration, although I did laugh a bit at Clif having to haul out his gauge again. No matter — a little more snow in March isn’t the worst thing in the world!

  14. Happy anniversary, Laurie. You have to admit that the spring snow is beautiful. You were lucky not to have gotten any of the rain or freezing rain. Our is like concrete, but it won’t last. Warm weather ahead!! 😊

    1. Many thanks! Yes, the snow is pretty. Being a lifelong Mainer, I am not bothered by snow the end of March. Better than an icestorm, that’s for sure.

  15. Happy belated anniversary, Laurie and Clif. Binging on fried food and on a drama series is a great way to celebrate a long marriage and winter storm.

    Let’s hope everybody’s power will be restored soon and that the damage to the flora and fauna wasn’t all too bad.

    1. Many thanks! Those simple celebrations were perfect for us.

      As of tonight, 20,000 customers are without power. Great improvement over yesterday, but still a lot without power.

  16. Happy anniversary, Laurie and Clif. Clif, your lay-off notice has been revoked till further notice. 😉 Ah, yes, fried food is yummy. I love onion rings and french fries the best, though I recently had battered and fried cauliflower and loved it.

    I’m glad you kept the power going through the recent storms. On the plus side, think about all the cleanup you accomplished. You’ll have that much less raking when the snow melts again.

    Thank you for recommending The Gentlemen. I’m adding it to our list. Have you watched Harrow? I’ll attach a link. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7242816/

    It’s smart and clever, and it keeps you guessing. Three seasons, all too short!

  17. Happy anniversary. It is good to see snow gauge Clif at work even if you would probably have been happier if he was idle.

    You seem to have managed to avoid a few of the worst storms this winter.

  19. Congratulations on forty-seven! I too have 47 years of marriage under my belt, but it was 21 with first husband (divorce) and 26 with second (death), so it’s not quite the same.

  20. Looks like you had a nice celebration AND got some work done on the big day, which sounds just about perfect. And a whoopie pie too, what more could anyone want? Congratulations!

  21. congratulations to you and Clif!
    47 years is a long time and we are just a year behind you as we had our 46th anniversary in January. How lucky we are!
    So sorry to see the snow storm at this time but I’m glad to read you have power.
    Best wishes, I’ll be thinking of you.

    1. Thanks so much! Congrats to you two as well
      Yes, we are lucky.

      Because we kept our power, the snow wasn’t too bad. Not uncommon to have a storm like this in Maine in March. But it did feel a little weird to go from spring to winter.

  23. Welcome back Clif! And Happy Anniversary to you both. We all need treats to eat sometimes – just not too often. I hope your weather settles and you don’t lose power. I don’t have netflix which is a shame – that series looks good.

  24. 47 years! Wow. You must have been a child bride 😉

    We enjoyed The Gentlemen too. Did you need subtitles for some of the stronger London accents? I often need them for some American accents.

    1. I was very young. Nineteen. Yikes. But somehow we bumbled through and raised two wonderful daughters.

      We don’t use subtitles for the London accents, but I will admit that I am tempted at times.

      Which American accents give you a hard time?

      1. I can’t think which ones offhand but, next time I hear one I’ll let you know. I’m from London originally but there are plenty of other British accents I’m tempted to use subtitles for.

    1. Yes, our robins are confused, too. They were pecking under the bird feeder for droppings. After lunch, Clif is going to go out and scatter some seed for them and the other birds who feed from the ground.

  26. I was thinking about you the other day when I heard you’d get snow. We got rain and flood advisories here. Your anniversary sounds perfect. I hope the book selling went well, too. As for The Gentlemen, I loved the movie (as well as that other Ritchie one Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), but have not heard of a tv series! Ugh, and I gave up Netflix a couple months ago because…no new shows…and not watching….

    1. Our anniversary was simple and fun. Kind of like us. 😉 The book selling is going well. Thanks for asking. I, too, loved Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. The Gentlemen will be coming to us as a DVD courtesy of our interlibrary loan system. Can’t wait to see it.

  27. The winter weather does seem to be playing tricks on us, which is all the more reason to indulge in something tasty like fried food or whatever else tickles your tastebuds. Enjoy, Laurie!

  28. Happy Anniversary! I like your tradition of getting out the goblets for each anniversary. I just attended a wedding this past weekend and they had a table full of goblets, all mix and match types that the couple had been collecting from various thrift stores and yard sales just for the occasion. Each guest picked one and drank from it then we got to take it home as a souvenir. I thought that was fun. I’d love to see your books and your husband’s designs.

    1. Thanks for stopping by. If you click on the “Of Time and Magic” book button on the left-hand side, it will take you to our website, and you can see what we’re doing. What a fabulous idea for a wedding! Wish I had known about this for my daughter’s wedding. But I bet this has to be planned well in advance to get enough goblets for everyone. Still,such a sweet remembrance.

      1. I thought it was a great idea, too. Thanks for sharing where to find your website. I’m sorry if it was clearly easy to find, but I read most all of the blogs I follow on the Jetpack app and it is only focused on the post. I’ll definitely go look using the desktop.

  30. See? I told you not to be too quick to encourage Clif to put away his snow gauge!! March weather is full of surprises — in fact, we’re supposed to be quite a way below freezing tonight (and here, our trees have already started blossoming). Congrats on the anniversary! Are you planning a big party for your 50th??

    1. You were certainly right. Fortunately the snow gauge, aka a yardstick, is always within easy reach

      No big party planned for our 50th, but we will come up with something fun. We are big believers in celebrating early and celebrating often. 😉

  31. Happy Anniversary to you both! Both happy and sorry to see Clif in his snow-gauge persona – I hope the clear-up afterwards isn’t too messy. I’m also pleased you managed to keep your power all through the storm.

  32. Happy 47th anniversary to you and Clif Laurie, and what a lovely way to celebrate 🧡 So glad you kept the power during the snow storm and lovely to see snow-gauge Clif reappear too 😊

  33. Sounds like it was a wonderful anniversary and love the fried food platter!!!🙂 As crazy as this weather has been, I’m afraid we could still get snow on and off in April. I miss that nice few weeks of spring we had during winter. I’m enjoying the tv series and glad to hear there might be a season 2!🙂

  34. Happy 47th, Laurie and Clif! And many more to come!

    Looks like you got some snow alright. I am glad you were able to keep your power on, but also feel for all those without it in this crazy weather.

  35. Hi Laurie, The snow looks wonderful but am I imagining that seeing the Cardinal (Red Robin)? heralds the onset of Spring?

    I thought I read that somewhere but I can’t rely on my memory like I used to do.

    And who doesn’t like a big fry up? Congratulations on your anniversary!

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