Well, I hope your New Year started out better than ours did!
Due to 'inclement' weather, read ice-storms, in the area just north of us, we lost power for almost 5 days! 
Courtesy of a truck that hit a sagging, ice-covered power line last Friday, which than triggered 67 (!) poles to fall down like dominoes!
The sleet and ice kept coming down for 2 more days, followed by slippery muddy soil, which made for nasty repair conditions.
At one point they had 7 crews working on it!

Fortunately we had enough gas for the generator and propane for the heather to keep us warm and we even had lights and TV in the evening.
Still, it gives you a different perspective. It's amazing how life changes without electricity!



Fortunately all this happened after New Year's so we had no problems baking our traditional 'oliebollen', while sipping Martinelli's and watching the Rose-Parade:

                                          

James was Manager-on-Duty for a couple of days, so in return we got to dine in style again at the restaurant for 3 days in a row!

We enjoyed some delicious and beautiful food and of course the festive ambiance.

 

Like I mentioned, the weather has been extremely cold for the last couple of weeks, many a night has been below freezing. 
Makes for 'cool' lawn chairs:

 

                                       
 
The days warm up quite a bit, IF the sun is shining, but when it's windy (and the wind picks up at sometime almost every day) the 'chill factor' makes for some very chilly hikes!




The ducks in the pond don't seem to be bothered much by the cold, I even spotted a 'new kid in town':

It's a female Hooded Merganser, taking her Sunday morning bath:



Not a feather was left unpolished!

So pretty!

One thing you can't do without electricity? Baking! As soon as it came back on, I made sure to get something in the oven:

                      

Left over (and frozen) sugar cookie dough sprinkled with (more)(like you need more, right?) sugar and shredded coconut, and two round 'water'-breads :

Well, just listened to the weather forecast; another 'arctic' blast is coming down! 
Cross your fingers it won't include any more icy rain and trucks slamming into electric poles!

Good luck and make sure to keep warm everybody!