Countdown to Spring - Forsythia?

Yes, forsythia, although not in my yard yet.  However, I've seen it in bloom in other locations.  It doesn't help that it was in the 60s again today and likely will be tomorrow until the next cold front passes through.  Hoping to not have a repeat of Saturday's wild weather tomorrow.

Maybe with the beginning of March, winter will be reminded that there's still time for it to return before getting kicked out until December.  Time will tell.

Only 20 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - The Lost Weekend

No, no, not that kind of lost weekend.  It was a weekend lost due to lack ability to blog for this series.  Okay, yeah, boring.  But, so was my weekend without electricity.

It started Saturday afternoon.  As I watched the cold front approach from the west, I knew the weather was going to change abruptly and then be back to normal.  Even the National Weather Service only had us in a Severe Thunderstorm Watch area.  Nothing too bad to worry about, right?

It was breezy most of the afternoon, but it was still unseasonably warm in the mid-60s and nice.  It started to cloud up around 5 and around 6:30, it started to rain.  Nothing major, a light rain.  Surprisingly light, given the radar views of what was coming.

Within five minutes, the light rain turned into a deluge and was accompanied by winds that likely hit at least 70 miles per hour, if I remember my Beaufort scale indicators correctly.  The wind didn't last long, but between it, the rain, and the frequent lightning, the power went out within two minutes of the storm hitting.  No electricity between 6:30 PM Saturday and 12:30 this afternoon.  Ye-hah.

I was fortunate in that I had a kerosene heater to keep at least one room warm, although the rest of the house went a little ice-boxy as the temperatures dropped off into the 30s outside and low 40s inside (yes, I checked).  I was also fortunate in that I had a small generator, something I had bought just before Tropical Storm Irene hit the area a few years ago.  As a result of my little power-maker, my fridge stayed cold, although it likely would have anyway given the indoor conditions.  I also had a light, radio, cell phone charger and I even made coffee on Sunday morning.  The generator wasn't too happy with the coffeemaker's extra load, so on Monday, I made coffee by heating water on the kerosene heater and pouring it through the coffee in the filter – not bad.

I even had use of my laptop.  What I didn't have was internet access.  Network was down and my cell phone is so old, it can't pass the SSL protocols anymore.   I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss internet access, but I didn't go into withdrawal like I know some do.  I probably would have been in worse shape if I didn't have the laptop available, though.  Okay, so it's a lower level of tech addiction – sue me.  However, I didn't run the generator 24/7, so even the laptop wasn't available all the time.  I didn't feel like reading.  I didn't feel like writing, either.  I didn't feel doing much of anything beyond staring at the walls and checking with the power company's recorded message of when the power might be coming back on.  Self-induced boredom – it ain't pretty.

When the power finally came back on, I wasn't here.  The power company, after telling us the power would be restored at noon today, changed their message to inform those in the affected area that power wouldn't be restored until 6 PM.  ARGH!  While I knew I had enough kerosene to continue heating, I knew I didn't have enough gasoline for the generator, so I headed out to buy more gas.  While I was out in the great wide world, I met a fellow resident of the area who said that the power came back on about ten minutes ago, about the time I was pulling out of the driveway.  So, I came home, re-plugged in the stuff which had been connected to the generator, turned off the kerosene heater, and then did what I really needed to do – TAKE A SHOWER!  After that, I headed for work for the last three hours of the workday and then returned home.

So, that's the story of my lost weekend due to the passage of a cold front through the area.  Rather not have a repeat performance of the event anytime soon, thank you.  The temperatures are now down in the 30s and 40s again, normal for this time of year.  The crocuses and snowdrops managed to survive and were open to the warmth of the sun today like normal, although we've already established that it's not normal for them to be blooming here this time of year.  But life in general has returned to late winter normalcy.  Mixed feelings about that.

Only 21 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - But Wait, There's More

As we await the passage of a cold front which, after a lot of wind, a dowsing of rain and possibly even some thunder, temperatures will be returning to average for this time of year.  There goes that heating bill savings time.

That being said, I discovered my snowdrops are now up and starting to bloom, and the cream-colored crocuses are coming up along with what is now 20 purple crocuses.  Depending on how much rain we're supposed to get, I may cover the flowers until the downpour passes.  Crocuses and snowdrops do better with snow than they do with a deluge of rain.  They may be early, but I'd really like to enjoy the color for longer than the day or two they've been up.

Only 23 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Well, It's Not the First Time

Many years ago, I planted a small patch of crocuses in a small rock crevice near the front of my house.  I planted light and dark purple, white, yellow and cream colored ones.  While the majority tend to bloom around the same time, the light purple ones have their own earlier timetable, opening their petals to the sun about a week or so before the rest.

Guess what was up this morning?

As I headed out to my car to go to work this morning, I looked down into that crevice and saw five purple crocuses which were maybe about a day from coming into bloom.  When I got home from work, the total was now ten.  Ten purple little buds ready to open up because it's been warm enough these last couple of weeks to wake them and convince them that it's time.

It's not the first time it's happened.  Since I planted this patch back in the 1990s, it's happened about three times, with one time when they were all in bloom and gorgeous in January.  There were also roses in bloom near the hospital in December where I worked at the time.  That was a very topsy-turvy winter temperature season.

My little purple crocuses might be in for a surprise come Sunday, when temperatures will drop back into a more normal range.  But they won't likely be shocked to the point of dying back, either.  Crocuses are a hardy breed of bloom.

And there's hope for a normal spring start yet.  My snowdrops are still snoozing.

Only 24 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Back to Brown Ground

Well, not completely.  There are still hills of snow left by plows.  But, they were mountains previously.  Now they're back down to normal human height and will further diminish tomorrow and Saturday as well.  But for the most part, our snow is 90-95% gone locally.

We managed to break the record high temperature for this day locally by about 5°F.  It was 74°F at its best today.  Yes, yes, we all know it's wrong for New York and every other place along the eastern seaboard north of Florida, and it fed the wave of spring fever that normally starts to develop this time of year, anyway.  It's also feeding allergies, colds, etc.

I am not unaffected psychologically by this weather.  Like so many others, blue skies and warm days bring out the happy "ahhh" in all of us.  I can't help but enjoy not having to bundle up so I won't freeze going out to my car to start it in the morning, and to not hear my furnace come on is silent music to my ears.

However, I warn again, don't get used to it.  The return to normal for this time of year temperatures is coming.  It may not stick around that long, but arctic air and winter weather is still out there with our names on it.  Just because it feels like spring doesn't mean that Pennsylvania woodchuck, Punxsutawney Phil, was entirely wrong.

Only 25 days until Spring.

(Yeah, yeah, I know - I missed a day)

Countdown to Spring - Expecting to Get the Unexpected?

Today was a day that didn't get out of the low to mid 40s.  It still felt warm to me.  I didn't wear my winter jacket, although I did take it with me and I wore a wool blazer in its place for the day.  When I got back to work this afternoon, though, I heard someone remark that they expected that it was nice out and it was still cold.  It must be in the perspective.  Cold to me is below freezing (32°F/0°C) and it's not because I have an extra layer of body insulation (fat), either.

Are we starting to get jaded by this warming trend?  Are we beginning to expect these really nice temps will continue right through until Spring?  I sincerely hope not.  While it might happen, we've also had teens and single digits in March and even early April and it hasn't always been after a brutal February, either.

This past week and for what looks like the rest of this month in my area, we're going to have some very un-February temperatures – 40s, 50s, and 60s with one day maybe even hitting 70°F.  Once again, I won't get into the global warming versus normal variant debate.  I also won't get into the downside of having such nice weather showing up this early, either, at least not yet.

All I'm going to say is don't get used to it.

Only 27 more days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - The Gentle Sound of Chainsaws

For readers of this blog who I don't regularly chat with, and there are a few, I recently sold my home.  It was the family home since the late 1950s and it had become too much for me to handle both physically and financially.  The new owner is a very nice person and has been very thoughtful in his approach to assessing everything that needs to be done once I move out.

Given the nice weather we're presently experiencing, though, he decided that it would be a good couple of days to cut down dead trees and overgrown areas on the property.  So, the air has been filled with the brrrrrrrrrrrt of well-tuned chainsaws, with clearing of growth that won't be going green come springtime.

The difference is stark.  It looks practically naked out in the front yard, which is mostly hill, anyway.  There was a time when I would have missed having that lushness come summertime.  The last couple of years, though, not so much.

I asked the new owner to leave two things for a while yet.  One is a mulberry tree which is as old, if not older, than I am.  I watched it grow from a bush as a child to where it now towers over the street.  I don't want to be present when they take it down.  He agreed to that request, in part because it does tower over the street and no matter which way it might fall, it will take out wires.  It's likely going to have to be professionally taken down.

The other request I made was for something much smaller.  There is a bush of unknown species which grows just outside the south window of my main room. Both my mother and I used to watch it come into leaf in March.  It was a harbinger of spring, starting early because of its location and restarting its green coat about the same time my crocuses and snowdrops were in bloom.  It will likely get cut back later on.  But for the time being, I just want to enjoy it one more time.

Only 28 days until spring.

Countdown to Spring - March in February

Okay, so 62°F in New York on the 19th of February is not normal.  Whether you want to chalk it up to global warming or a normal variant that's happened in previous years going back further than somebody's been keeping weather statistics, I don't care.  It's just sunny, breezy and nice.

My furnace has a second day of only needing to come on to maintain its own temperature range rather than the whole house.  I wore a winter jacket this morning to do shopping because it was still chilly around 7 AM.  This afternoon, though, I went outside without jacket or sweater and didn't feel like I needed the extra layers.

Speaking of extra layers, there's markedly more brown and green ground showing today than even end of day yesterday.  Snow is melting very rapidly in these markedly above freezing temperatures.  I even saw leaves from my crocuses are up about an inch.  No, I don't believe they're going to bloom early.  That only happened once in all the years the crocuses have been there and it was more than 10 years ago.

This week, we're supposed to be in the 40s during the day, 20s to 30s at night,  with one or two days in the 50s again.  It's a wonderful way to just about finish out February in my book.

Only 29 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Ahhhhhhhhhh

It hit 54°F today.  For some, that's chilly for this time of year. For this New Yorker, it was bliss.  I got to wear a light sweater for the first time since early November.  I cleaned off my porch of all the debris that winter had blown onto it and rearranged things on it to look more like the time of year the weather was imitating.  This evening, I made tea and went out on the porch to have it; it was still 48°F at 7 PM and I was going to enjoy it.  Even the cats ventured outside with me.

There's one more day of temperatures in the 50s before we go back into the 40s.  Nothing wrong with 40s, either.  But 50s do more for the winter-weary soul.

Only 30 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - That Touch of Things to Come

It's not fooling me.  I know we're still in mid-February territory and the return to frigid cold and oodles of white, wet winter weather shall remain a possibility to be prepared for a while yet.

Still, we're expecting temperatures into the 50s over this Presidents' Day weekend and I am looking forward to it.  I'll get to watch as the mountains of snow that were built up by snowplows over the last two storms are slowly eroded by warm sun.  Not that they'll disappear, but I'll take any decrease in them I can get.  For two days, I won't have to bundle up to go outside, won't have to wait for the car to warm up in the morning, and won't have to listen to my furnace come on and worry about how many gallons of heating oil I'm going through.

Makes me smile to think about it.

Only 31 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Wind Chilly

I know there are going to days when the wind blows harder in the coming days ahead.  After all, March is only 13 days away.  But, it's not fair when I decide to wear a pullover sweater instead of a jacket to work because it's sunny and relatively warm at 42°F, with barely a breeze as I leave home and then it's 31°F and the wind's whipping through the parking lot like the Warner Brothers' cartoon character Taz © (the Tasmanian Devil).

Just to be a weather geek about it, the temperature was 31°F, but with the wind chill factor figured in, it felt like about 19°F (go check the wind chill chart).  I could have gotten a kite up in that stuff and I'm terrible at kite launching.


I realize it's my own fault for not checking the forecast and at least bringing the jacket as I left home, but dang.  I was incredibly appreciative that the heater is working in my car again.

Brr, Baby.

Only 32 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - *Heavy Sigh*

While the forecast is for the precipitation to end by no later than 8 PM this evening, it was forecast to be rain.  Guess what we're getting?  Hint - it ain't rain.  But, it's not completely snow, either.  It's rain (not freezing) and very wet snow combined, occasionally traveling back and forth between the two.  It's been in the 40s for a good part of the day, so whatever is coming down as snow is melting on contact with surfaces which had no snow on them.  For now, anyway.

I know we've had snow events back to back to back before.  But, my tolerance for them is a little thin this year, perhaps in part because we really haven't had much in the way of snow until this late in the season.  That and I'd like a break from shoveling that extends out more than a day.

Oh, did I mention my roof leaks?

Where's my heating pad?

Only 33 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Solar Heating

I ended up having to shovel again yesterday because we did get a bit more after I shoveled at the (mostly) end of our snowstorm on Sunday.  I wasn't fully recovered from moving snow from point A to out-of-the-way Point B and, quite frankly, I was mentally tired of it, anyway.  I did something of a lazy job of clearing pathways.  I didn't completely clear away the snow because I knew that if I gave the sun and the above-freezing temperatures a chance, I wouldn't have to.  Mother Nature can clear away snow so much more efficiently than we can.

Today, my parking space out to the road down to bare ground and my flagstone pavers and steps were completely clean and dry.  It may take longer, but it's less physically demanding on muscles which have had enough already.

Oh, and that snowman I said I was going to make on Monday?  Nope, didn't happen.  Maybe next snowstorm, preferably next winter season.

Only 34 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring – Snowball Time

Although we're still getting a flurry or two, our latest storm has pretty much moved north and east of my area.  While we only got 5-6" this time, it was a heavier snow than the storm on Friday.  Shoveling was more of a workout and, while most of it's done, I didn't finish this time.  I still need to move the snow that's in front of the car and out to the road.  It's not really that much, but I just couldn't make myself move it after the plow had gone through.  It'll still be there tomorrow, although perhaps in need of some chunking as it solidifies in the below freezing temperatures tonight.

However, even though I was tired and just wanted to finish, I took the time to really, really test the pack-ability of those little flakes and made myself some frozen ammo.  Just one snowball that got thrown harmlessly at a tree.  I noticed my aim hasn't improved over the years.  I was never great in a snowball fight.  But, they also serve who stand there and make snowballs for someone else to throw.

When I get done with my shoveling chores tomorrow, I may have to make a snowman. Never good at those, either.  But sometimes, you just have to find the winter fun.

Only 36 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - What, Again?

Just when I'm starting to become less achy from shoveling Thursday's storm, here comes another one for Sunday.

Now, depending on which forecast you read, we're getting either 3-6 inches of snow or 5-10, both with a possible glaze of freezing rain and sleet in the mix. Personally, I like my forecast of 1-2 inches of snow with no ice. Mind you, my weather prediction isn't based on maps or studying weather patterns or even a gut instinct.

Just pure wishful thinking.

Only 37 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring – The Next Day Snow Shoveling Blues

The final total from our snowstorm was 9-10".  That's just an estimate.  I didn't feel like getting out the ruler and measuring.  Besides, there was so much blowing and drifting of the snow – it was snowing almost horizontally a few times – I would have been hard-pressed to find a true snow depth.  The top of the car I drive is probably the closest to it, but I just wanted to get the snow moved, not get nerdy.

So, I found my car, then dug out to the road, walked down and dug a path into my side yard to the heating fuel tank, then back up to the front door and in. Even though it was a fairly light snow, it was tiring work.  I did a quick check online on how much snow weighs, and it's about 15 pounds per cubic foot, give or take a pound depending on whether it's light and fluffy or wet and packable. So, doing the math (I can be nerdy post-shoveling), I was moving 10-15 pounds of regular snow with every shovelful I threw.  I say regular snow because the plowed ridge of dirt-laden snow at the edge of the road likely weighed more.  Still, not that much.  But, it's shifting that amount of weight over and over and over again. One of these times, I might remember to keep count of how many times my shovel digs and throws that white stuff, but I doubt it.

My muscles started to ache about an hour later and I woke to soreness this morning, soreness that will likely last into the weekend.

There was a time earlier in my life when I didn't mind this activity so much. Actually enjoyed it.  But as I approach 60, I'm not such a good sport about it anymore.  Oh, to be able to afford to hire someone for this task.

Only 38 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring – Brown Ground to White

Well, our nor-easter has arrived and they didn’t lie about the snowfall rates, although I think they might actually have underestimated a bit. When I went out around 5 AM, it was a dry snow and there was, at best, an inch on the ground. It’s now just after 7 AM as I type this and there is now 4-5” of snow.  It’s not as light and fluffy, either, although I wouldn’t call it classically packable yet.

I used a pushbroom to clear the way to and around my car at first.  It’s a choice I prefer over the snow shovel.  Can’t use that now.  Regardless of when this storm ends, it’s a shoveling thing from here on.

Oh, how I miss that dull brown ground view from my window right now.

Only 39 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring – The Snowy Threat Begins

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for my area starting at midnight and going into the evening on Thursday.  Not that I think it’s going to be here that long.  It’s likely going to be snowed and done by early afternoon.  6-12”, depending on location and how the storm tracks, and at its supposed to be at its worst during the morning commute hours. 

Of course, there’s always the possibility it’ll track too far south and we won’t see a single flake.  I know, dream on.

Skiers and school kids rejoice!  The rest of us  …

Only 40 days until Spring

Countdown to Spring – A Brief Respite

Our morning of freezing precipitation didn’t get all that ugly.  Yes, we did have some, but not enough to make roads bad or schools close (they did delay a few hours, though). 

 

It’s supposed to warm into the 40s today and, even nicer, into the 50s tomorrow.  My heating bill will love it.  But then … yes, winter’s back on Thursday, with a little snow and a 20-degree drop in temperatures from the day before.  The 20s and 30s during the day and the teens during the night and for at least a week.

 

Yeah, I know, it could be much worse.  Let’s hope it doesn’t go there.

 

Only 41 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - They're Scarin' Me

I was starting my coffee at 5:30 this morning and heard what I thought was one of the local garbage trucks making its way up the street.  I looked out the window and saw that it was one of the town's snowplows coming up the hill, turning around and heading back down.  We didn't have any precipitation last night.  The roads were dry and the temperature had stayed above freezing.  So, why were they making the rounds?

Tomorrow, we're under a winter weather advisory for expected snow, sleet and freezing rain in the morning.  It's supposed to turn to all rain by late morning, although the last time that was supposed to happen, we got about 2" of pure sleet, no snow or rain involved. No fun to drive on and even less fun to shovel (it's like 6" of wet snow in my book).

It should all be gone by Wednesday, as it's supposed to be in the 50s that day. But, the fact that they're coming around the day before to look for trouble spots in the sort of wee hours of the morning makes me wonder and I shouldn't wonder. Guess I'll be keeping an eye on the forecast - eww.

Only 42 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring –The Beginning

For those who read this blog on any kind of regular basis, you know that I’ve done a countdown to spring in past years.  I usually start it on Groundhog’s Day.  I’m late this year – sue me.

So, here we are again, early into the month of February and at about the midpoint of the winter season.  So far, it hasn’t been too bad.  We’re a little light on the precipitation, but that’s not hurting my feelings.  I’ve come to a point in my life where shoveling multiple inches of that cold, wet, white stuff can be a hazard on multiple levels.  I like being able to just lean back and not worry about it and this season has mostly allowed me to do that.  Still, good snow melt equals good growing in the spring and summer, as well as reduced fire risk from overly dry conditions.  So, maybe a few more occasions of snow or rain, but not the stuff in between (sleet and freezing rain) ‘cause nobody wants to deal with that.

Then, there are the temperatures.  Yes, it’s still chilly, but it’s not been brutal – so far.  February is known for the coldest temperatures of winter in my area.  They may still happen, although the long range forecasts are saying otherwise.  I’ve never been a fan of weather that’s in the single numbers and teens during the day, so if it doesn’t happen at all this season, it won’t hurt my feelings.  It’s also kinder to my (and everyone else’s) heating budget, thank you.

In case you don’t follow Groundhog’s Day tradition, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on February 2.  This means six more weeks of winter.  Not every groundhog polled for shadow sighting agreed.  Ms. G. in Massachusettts agreed with Phil.  However, Gen. Beauregard Lee in Georgia disagreed with his Pennsylvania counterpart, as did Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia and Fred la Marmotte in Quebec, although I think those Canadian woodchucks were blinded by the same wishful thinking that I have.  Early spring would work for me and more than a few others.

Only 43 days until Spring.

Old Words

I received an e-mail today informing me that I was not chosen for a position that I was seeking.  Classic boilerplate rejection notice.  I didn’t mind – I’m accustomed to them.

A short time after that came a second e-mail from someone who was part of the group making the decision about who to hire for the position, a man brave enough to actually say why I wasn’t hired.  This is discouraged nowadays, of course.  People get insulted, upset, more discouraged than they already were, show up on your doorstep with an AK-47, etc.  Not my style.  I’m more inclined to learn where my weaknesses are from it and how I can improve myself.  In this case, however, I’m just not quite that inclined.

The first reason for my not being hired was that I wasn’t local to them.  The job, while not across country, was out of state and a three-hour drive from where I am now.  I said in my remote interview with them that I was more than willing to relocate and I was looking for a fresh start and a new challenge.  Problem was, they wanted someone to start immediately upon selection and that just wasn’t going to happen with someone who’s lived in the same place for, well, decades.  This reason for not being chosen I completely understood. 

They were very impressed with my ability to proofread/edit material.  I was told that, while I had no formal training – I guess those two online courses that I aced meant nothing – I had an excellent grasp of how to “smooth the edges and polish written material that wouldn’t offend the writer and make the material that much more readable across our general audience.”  I would dearly love to be able to put that comment somewhere in my LinkedIn resume and have this guy as a reference.  But, he who wrote it wasn’t supposed to be telling me anything from the decision-making  process. 

Which brings me to Reason #2.  While they loved my ability to edit, they didn’t like my ability to write.  It was too “old” and “nerdy.”  Now, I’ve run into both blunt and subtle forms of ageism in my job searching lately, and while such a reason seems like it fits into this inappropriate and illegal category, it’s actually something one can adapt to and learn from.  In this day in age, a good writer should be a wordsmithing chameleon, able to communicate in the language of audiences across many different types of readers. 

But, doesn’t writing that’s steered down the middle of a general audience do just that, or am I assuming too much of my writing style?

By the way, I am a nerd and I’m damn proud of it.

The one suggestion he made for improvement was to learn more about all the social media platforms, an admittedly weak area for me.  No, he didn’t suggest changing the way I write.  He liked it.  But then, he’s old and nerdy, too.

And so, I move on to the next job opportunity.  Although this position would have been a dream come true for me, it is perhaps for the best that I didn’t get it, being an old lady and all.  I guess the fresh start and new challenge outlook gets reserved for another time, place and job.  Until then, I am reminded of the words of Shakespeare:

This above all, to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
(Hamlet, Act I, Scene 3)

and Rick Nelson:

But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well.
You see, you can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself.
(Refrain from “Garden Party”)

Farewell.