Countdown to Spring - The Final Entry

Well, much as I don't think the snow got the memo, it is officially Spring.  It came in at 6:29 AM EDT.  I stood at my front door staring out at the developing light of dawn on the horizon and wished the world a happy spring as the seasons changed.

While parts of the country won't see the green grass, flower beds and gardens for a while yet, rest assured, they're all still under there just biding their time.  Of course, if you're impatient like me, you'll go dig 'em out.

So once more, this countdown series comes to an end.  I'd like to thank those who follow this blog, if only during this time.  I hope it made you smile, even if you thought it was silly.

Now, get out there, Folks, and enjoy this season.  Defy winter's defiance in leaving if it's persistent.  The reawakening of life has begun again, including within ourselves.  Don't waste it.

Spring has sprung.

Countdown to Spring - The Last Day of Winter (Sort of)

For those who have read this inane series before, you know I normally take a walk on the final day of winter and report on all the signs of spring that I can.  However, despite the beautiful weather outside just made for that purpose, I'm not up to it today.  Probably all that damned shoveling.

The snow pack has decreased, but it's going to be a a while before brown and green replace white for the ground color here in uptstate New York.  But, spring is still letting us know it's on its way in the form of buds on trees and birds singing to claim their place, among other little hints.

We'll have chilly temperatures and even some single digits at night on Wednesday, but after that, well, it could very well be the real thing.

You know ...

Only 1 day until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - You Can't Keep a Good Crocus Down

My covering the patches of crocus and snowdrops paid off.  Yesterday, I came home to both having flowers in fully recovered bloom.  The deep purples and yellows of the crocus were especially nice.  The sunny day and temperatures in the upper 40s also extended the area of non-snow around each patch by a little bit.  I haven't really noticed a decrease in the snow depth yet, but it's likely happening.

Never did get around to shoveling that last bit of snow from the side yard walkway to the road yesterday.  I needed a break from that activity.

Only 2 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - The End is in Sight

Well, the end of winter, to be sure.  But what I'm really talking about is the end of my shoveling out from our one and only nor'easter two days ago.

I watched another musher come into Nome from the Iditarod race (by the way, it was about 3 AM and -14°F in Nome at the time), then got dressed and headed out.  I figured I was going to get maybe another 15 feet cleared before ending it.  Nope, I got about 30 feet of walkway cleared in a fairly short time.  I got to the thick crusty stuff left by the plow and decided to stop.  That was about 8 feet from the road.  Some would continue, but I was good with it.  I am a 59-year-old fat and slightly physically deconditioned old broad and I have no desire to visit the emergency room due to a shoveling expedition that isn't critical for today.

However, before I called it quits, I decided it was time to remove the bin I put over the snowdrops and let them catch some rays.  I started to shovel toward the flower patch, but my hands were cold and I really was getting tired, so I walked through the snow to the green bin (about 15 feet), then shoveled around it, roughly shoveled back out to the walkway, then came back and took the lid off the snowdrops.  They didn't look too bad.  I came back in the house for a few minutes after that to let my fingers warm up and catch my breath, then went back outside and took the lid off the crocuses as well.  They looked a bit bedraggled, but still alive and kicking.  In both cases, covering them created an area of ground to be warmed sooner rather than later, promoting melting.  It’s that much less white and also helping to decrease the snow pack a little faster.  

My jeans are presently hanging in the bathroom, my shoes back up against the radiator.  I'm snuggy inside and having my second cup of coffee, having accomplished more than I expected I was going to this morning.  I may or may not finish when I get home this evening from the road inward – we’ll see how I feel.  

Gotta say, though, it was beautiful out there – blue, almost cloudless sky, temperature around freezing.  The wind was still kicking a bit, but it felt good as I was shoveling.  Birds are singing territorial songs now, and as I looked around, I saw buds on trees and bushes getting ready to come out of their dormancy.  So, much as it might not look it a lot right now, the end of this winter solstice season is in sight, and it can't come soon enough.

Only 4 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - The Day After and Still Digging Out.

I am tired of shoveling.  Last night, I dug out to and around the car.  I removed most of the snow from the car, which looked like massive snowdrift.  I dug through the snowplow-created ridge at the road at one spot.  That was partly a psychological need.  It was like breaking through a barrier back to normalcy.  I even dug from the road to one of the cat doors, not that furry feline beasts wanted to go outside.  I also started down toward the basement door and quit for the night once I got there.  My fingers were cold, my feet were cold, and I was just plain pooped.

This morning, I dug out to the road enough to get the car out this morning, dug to grass and ground to the kitchen cat door, then cut down into the side yard a bit more.    Showered, breakfast, then went to work.  The roads were intermittently crappy.  One of the streets I have to travel is actually a hill with a moderately steep incline.  Going up wasn’t bad, as it was clear to pavement.   Going down was still snow-covered.  I got in about 15 minutes late, but I was in good company as just about everybody else was late as well.  

Heading home, the roads were better, but that hill I came up looked exactly the same as when I went to work.  I drove down the still snow-covered side, but the driver behind me pulled over onto the cleared side to drive down to almost the bottom before pulling back into the proper lane.  Markedly illegal, potentially dangerous if someone pulled out from a side street, but better driving conditions.  I don’t have the chutzpah to try that because I’m inevitably the one who gets caught.

When I got home, I drove up like I was going to pull in, but rolled back only enough to get an idea of the minimum I had to shovel to park in my spot.  I parked, then shoveled more than enough to get the car off the road.  I also cleared the stairs into the side yard more, the area in front of the fuel tank, then started to work down the sidewalk toward the road.  I got maybe about three yards into that when I called it quits for the day.  I wasn’t as winded this time, but my muscles were still screaming and I was still tired afterward.  I need to crash now.  Shower can wait until morning, probably after I tackle some more shoveling.  

The rest of the walkway will likely not get done tomorrow.  It's probably going to take into the weekend before I get through the side yard to the road.  I am so happy that they delivered the heating fuel Monday night.

Did I mention we got about 18" of snow, with drifts up to three feet?  Ewwww.

Only 5 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - When it Sounds Like a Train

Our little nor'easter started around 2 this morning.  The ground was covered with about an inch of snow at 3 when I woke.  There was no wind at that point.  I went outside and allowed the plastic "curtain" to fall across the south side of the porch.  The plan was for it to minimize the amount of snow clearing I'd have to do to just get out my front door.  Yeah, well ...

I can't get an exact measurement because of the blowing and drifting that's now going on, but eyeballing it based on known heights of things and how much they're covered, I'm going to go out on the proverbial limb and say it's more than a foot of snow so far.  We've got at least another eight hours of storm time to go, too.  Wheeeee (not).

Then, there's that wind.  They forecasted a constant 10 mph wind and they weren't exaggerating.  It periodically picks up and blows at 20 and sometimes as high as 40 mph.  When that happens, it sounds a lot like when the train passes through about an eighth-mile from where I live.  It's that loud and sustained.

As far as my porch, well, the plastic sort of works.  It keeps snow from blowing in from the south.  There is also a barrier on the north side of the porch as well. Under normal snowy conditions, that would do the job and there would be minimal accumulation on my roof-covered porch.  But, this is a classic coastal storm, with the wind coming in from the north and east, so there is snow piling up against the front door.  I've been sweeping and shoveling the porch and first step almost hourly.  Interesting, the north side of that first step is bare, as is the back of my car which is parked close to the porch.  The hood of my car, on the other hand, is lost in a more than two-feet thick snow drift.

The snowplows have been through twice so far since this started.  I haven't even tried to deal with the ridge they left, but I can tell you it was about three feet high and about two feet in depth last time I looked.  I can only imagine what it's going to look like on the final plow-through at the end of the storm.  Yeah, there's my cardiac workout sorted for maybe tonight, but probably tomorrow morning.

Most places were closed today, including both my employers.  Will they be closed again tomorrow?  Hard to say, but given the snowfall amounts so far, I wouldn't be surprised.  I also sort of hope so, as I don't think I'm going to feel much like working after I get done shoveling.

Just think – in a month, this will likely be just a memory, and all the spring colors will be here and flourishing like it never happened.  However, come March 20th, we'll still be looking at whitened ground and snow pushed up into mountains to make way for cars and people and asking ourselves, "This is Spring?"

Only 6 more days until then.

Countdown to Spring - Priorities

Well, it's official.  I'm off from work on Tuesday.  Almost all the school districts in my area have closed in anticipation of our snowstorm tomorrow.  That wasn't a surprise.  What was a bit of a pleasant shock was the county executive closing county offices and ordering all non-emergency staff to stay home, with other local government offices following suit.  This is a rare decision, to be sure.  But, then, this storm event is worth the caution.

This is a classic nor'easter, creating blizzard conditions, snow totals of at least – AT LEAST – 12 inches, and winds 10-20 mph with gusts as high as 40 as the storm makes its way up the eastern seaboard.  Usually when these storms occur, northern and western parts of New York get spared significant snowfall.  Not this time.  They may not get the 12+ totals, but they'll still come close to having one foot of snow on the ground when it's all said and done.  Even places that don't normally see significant snow at all – Washington, DC, for example – will be digging out with the rest of us on Wednesday.  Yup, it's a biggie.

I'm as prepared as I'm going to be for this.  My kerosene heater and little generator are ready.  I put the plastic on the south side of my porch again.  It got blown off by the power killer cold front that passed through two Saturdays ago.  I put it back up to minimize the amount of shoveling I'd have to do of my porch just to open the front door.

I have adequate food, water, flashlights and batteries.  I also have chocolate, popcorn and videos.  Priorities.

I've covered as much of the patches of crocus and snowdrops as I could with containers weighted down just in case a gust of wind works to remove them.  I realize they've managed to survive torrential rain, high winds, single digit temperatures and deer invasion without help from me.  But a foot of snow is a bit much to endure and I'm not just talking the flowers survival, either.  I'm sure I'm going to need to see something other than white ground out there in the days ahead.

Again, priorities.

See y'all on the other side of this end-of-winter beastie.

Only 7 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Oh Dear

While there is still some disagreement on how much and how long, the weather services are starting to converge on the 8-12" range of snowfall for my area.  It's 8-12" more than I was looking for at this time in March, but there you are.

Hard to say whether schools will close Monday night or actually wait until the morning to decide.  But, unless this storm takes a serious jog off its predicted path and heads out to sea instead of up the coast, I'm 99.9% certain I'm having Tuesday off from work.  I don't get paid, unfortunately, but I also don't have to venture out into crappy weather, either.

Only 8 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - A Late Winter Ritual

It's been an uneventful, chilly, windy day.  We're still waiting for the Tuesday weather forecast to firm up into something which screams "Day Off from Work" for me (I work for a school district part-time).

Aside from keeping warm and listening to the boiler going through the dollars of fuel oil I put in just last Wednesday, it's been quiet.  So, I will take this opportunity to do what so many others are doing as well, namely reminding those who must suffer through observe Daylight Savings Time to turn their clocks ahead one hour so that on Sunday, you will have lost an hour of sleep, you will wake to the sun not necessarily being up yet and the sun being in your eyes for an extra hour at the end of the day.  I'm not a fan of DST and didn't like it when they moved it earlier and made it last longer.  Frankly, I don't really see how it benefits our 24/7 civilization anymore.  I've been told that even in this day, it's still more energy efficient with it than without it.  However, I have yet to see the stats to back that up.

Anyway, I've done my duty and reminded.  I've also turned ahead all the clocks in my life that need that manual move except my car's.  If you normally have a leisurely Sunday, carry on in doing so and ignore the clock for the one hour that says its 7 AM when you know darn well it's still 6.  I know I will.

Only 9 more days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - A Taste of Things to Come (Maybe)

It started snowing just before sunrise this morning and overstayed its welcome by continuing until around 1 PM.  Depending on where you lived, you either got 1-2" or 4-6", so I guess all the weather forecast services were right in a way.
We got 2-3" locally, but the roads stayed fairly clear.  It got sunny, windy, and chillier after it finally stopped.  So begins our descent back into colder weather.
And then ...

Ah, yes.  Something we haven't seen in a while.  The potential for a significant mid-March nor'easter this coming Tuesday.  Once again, depending on the weather service, the forecasts run between 4-6" and 8-12" or more of snowfall.  It all depends on how the storm develops and tracks, they say, and they'll know more once we get to Sunday and/or Monday.  Like a free lunch, there's no such thing as a really accurate weather forecast more than 24 hours ahead.

Yesterday, I saw my first robin of the season.  Happily bob-bob-bobbin' along in search of food, he had bare ground to work with yesterday.  He's going to be hard-pressed to find any of that for a while.

Only 10 more days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Waiting for Winter to Return

It's presently in the upper 40s, but the cold front is heading toward us as I type this.  We'll drop into the 30s tonight, then 20s tomorrow, 10s tomorrow night, with a repeat of 20s and 10s through Sunday.  It'll be in the 30s during the day after that, but the warmer weather that we've come to know and sort of appreciate won't be back until late next week.

Then, let's talk snow.  The weather forecasting services can't seem to come to an agreement as to how much we're supposed to get.  I mentioned that yesterday.  However, the snow range is now up to 3-6" instead of 2-4" at its high end.  Still not bad, but we're not done.  Next Tuesday is a snow event of unknown amounts.  It could be an inch, it could be 6-10".

I knew there was a reason I didn't put the snow shovel away.  Or my winter coat.  Or gloves.  Or etc.

Only 11 more days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Repeat Performance

Just when we thought last weekend was it for the chilly weather, along comes this weekend with the promise of similarly brisk 10s and 20s, with the added bonus of a little snow on Friday.  Depending on which forecast you follow, we're expecting a trace to 1", 1-3" or 2-4" of snow.

How about none?  None is good, too.

Some of the crocuses and snowdrops managed to survive both the cold snap and the deer dinnertime, and the ones that hadn't even come up yet are also making an appearance.  I guess some of them knew February was way too early to be putting on their spring show.  I also have a a crop crocuses which generally show up about a month after the first group.  Should be interesting to see when they emerge in what's been a oddly warm season.  Stay tuned.

Only 12 more days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring – The Short Blooming Season

The good news – we didn't get down into the single digits Saturday into Sunday as predicted, although we did manage to get down into the low 10s just before sunrise on Sunday and Monday.

The bad news – most of the snowdrops didn't survive the transition from balmy warmth to frigid chill.  Hard to say on the crocuses yet.  I'll know better tomorrow.  However, I think their demise had less to do with the weather and more to do with deer wanting a colorful salad last night.  I was hard-pressed to find any crocus buds this morning and there had been plenty ready to pop open Sunday before the temperature took its second nosedive.  Ah, well, critters gotta eat.  Thank goodness they don't like daffodils.

Only 14 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Fuel Consumption

Heating fuel has been delivered.  It's been a little under a month since the last delivery and I've gone through about 100 gallons.  To some that may seem like a lot.  But, believe me, it's wonderfully less than normal for this house.  The cost of heating for a season has sometimes outdone property taxes for the #1 spot on the budget crunch list over the years.  The topsy-turvy warm temperatures have been a blessing with regard to the heating bill this season.  While I needed the help the of HEAP again this year, and I am incredibly grateful for that assist, I was also able to pay my own way for half my needs as well.

The next two days will be markedly chilly.  They're now saying temperatures may be in the single digits tonight.  There was a time when I might have worried about that, not because of a lack of fuel, but because I have an outdoor tank.  Anyone who has one who lives in a northern state (or country) understands my concern.  People say that the fuel freezes, but it doesn't.  Without anything to prevent it from happening when the temperatures are below freezing, regular old #2 heating oil as well as diesel become very thick, sometimes even waxy, and won't flow from the tank through the line to the boiler or furnace.  Many a service technician has worked the night through just restarting these mechanical beasts when this happens.  You might feel a lack of sympathy for these techs, considering the amount that's charged for an emergency call, especially in the wee hours of the morning.  But, just remember, they're coming out to help you in the same cold weather you're dealing with.  Yes, I really could see it from their point of view even when I was waiting for them to finish other calls that came in before mine.

Anyway, some folks deal with this problem by building insulated housing around the tank or by buying a warming device for the tank to keep the oil thin enough to flow.  Both of these methods of dealing with the problem have gotten mixed reviews from people who have chosen them.  Not financially practical for me. Others use kerosene or a 50/50 mix of heating fuel and kerosene during the winter months instead of regular heating oil.  This does work and I can attest to it.  But kerosene generally runs about 125% to 150% the cost of heating fuel and even a 50/50 mix of the two isn't exactly economical.

There are additives which can be added to heating fuel to prevent the gelling.  I tried several before I finally found one that, when used regularly from the beginning of the heating season, prevents clogged fuel lines from happening.  It's only been tested down to -7°F since I started using it several years ago, but it's supposed to handle even colder temperatures.  All I know is that it has come through for me every year and it is markedly less expensive than using kerosene.  The manufacturer, Power Service, even puts out a product which several service techs swear really does cut through cold temperature clogged lines and lets them sleep during the below freezing and subzero nights.  I've never had to use it, but I have it on hand just in case.  I don't normally endorse products in my blog, but this company's products really work when others have not.

Anyway, I'm ready for our two-day cold snap, which will be followed by 40s, 50s and 60s again starting Monday.  Much as it's still not normal, it's closer to the time when it will be normal   and that's all right by me.

Stay warm, everybody.

Only 16 more days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - The Brr is Back

Before the sun rises on Saturday morning, the temperatures will be down in the 10s.  That I expected.  However, I wasn't expecting SINGLE DIGITS Saturday into Sunday.  Weren't those supposed to happen in February, when we were getting 50s, 60s and even a few moments of 70s?  Weather like this weekend's forecast reminds me that winter has gotten old.

No, I didn't mean "cold".  It wasn't a typo, even though I'm always good for a few in every entry.

I really, truly, sincerely meant OLD.

Only 17 more days until Spring.  Hurry up.

Countdown to Spring - The First Windy Day of March

With the passage of the cold front and its associated storm, the winds were very noticeable today, gusting up to 20 MPH and beyond.  Nothing like last Saturday's little tree and power line dropper, though.  I'd get out one of my kites, but I haven't had the time lately to even consider kite-flying.

The temperatures sank from the really nice 62°F yesterday evening to 42°F now and, of course, tonight's temperatures are going to be more like they should be for early March in my area.  The weekend, as promised, will barely get out of the 20s during the day and is promised to be in the 10s at night.  It's not forecast to stay at that level of chill for very long, but long enough to require reluctant return to wearing a winter coat again.

Yes, I'm looking forward to the vernal equinox – can you tell?

Only 18 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Oh, Look - On the Horizon - It's WINTER (Again)

Did I say it or did I say it?  Tonight will see the temperature in my area drop from the low 60s where it is now at around 7 PM into the 40s tonight and then continue to drop during the day tomorrow.  By this weekend, 20s and 30s during the day and 10s at night will be back.  Briefly, but those chilly temps will remind us that this solstice is not over.

March is by no means a safe month.  Winter has been known to make its presence known up to the last official day of its seasonal existence and beyond. It's snowed in April and even once or twice in May here.  Frost is frequent and has ruined the plans of many an overzealous and impatient gardener even after the date regarded as safe for planting.

So enjoy those spring flowers which have prematurely bloomed.  Some of them don't do well once temps are below the freezing point.  But take joy in the fact that they're here now and there will be others to take their place soon.

Now, I wonder what my heating fuel situation is?

Only 19 days until Spring.