Thought for the Day - 1/20/2025

If all the snowstorms were 4" of fluffy snow, I wouldn't mind.

If visits from the polar vortex (the frigid air reaching us from the Arctic) only meant day temps in the 20s and nighttime temps in the teens, I wouldn't mind (sorry, Florida).

Yeah - welcome back to Upstate New York winter reality.  More snow coming, not necessarily 4" and not likely always fluffy.  Temperatures in the teens during the day and single digits above and below zero at night until the end of the week.  Hope to have running water from all taps and a car that wants to start in the morning for the next few days.

Can't wait to hear what that woodchuck down in Pennsylvania has to predict on February 2.

Countdown to Spring - Snowmelt, Baby, Snowmelt

We had snow again early on Friday.  I didn't whine or complain.  Why?  After several days of not getting out of the 20s during the day and being in the teens and even single digits a couple of times at night, we were graced this last week with 40s, 50s, and even one day when it hit 60.  The snow we had on Friday managed to total 3", but it was immediately compressed and then gone thanks to rain and above freezing temperatures.  I happily shoveled a half-inch of slush off my deck and walkway just to speed the process of making it go away.

As I looked outside today, the area around trees and bushes is down to bare ground for a circumference of anywhere from 1 to 3 feet.  There's life in that there plant-life!  Looking closer, the actual snow depth in general, save for where it was shoveled to from the previous snowstorms, is only about 2-3".  With our temperatures forecast again to be in the 40s and 50s for the first week of March, we might be down to mostly bare ground by the end of the week.  My apologies to any snow lovers, but I am very much looking forward to that, and may have to do a Snoopy dance when it happens.  Yeah, I may be 63, overweight and have arthritis, but I can still manage to look that silly.  Spring fever will do that.

Only 20 days until spring.

Countdown to Spring - Well, It Had to Happen

Today, I shall not discuss snow and snow shoveling.  I think I've clearly established that I'm tired of the precipitation type and the action required to remove it from places where I walk.  Tomorrow, we're supposed to have a little more, as in 1-3" of snow mixed in with rain.  I can deal with it because after that, temperatures will be in the 40's all week.  Let the snowmelt BEGIN!

Did I say I wasn't going to discuss snow?  I digressed.  It's hard not to.  It's still February, after all.

But, I am here to talk about spring fever, which I have and it's right on time, and how I deal with it.  I have need of green and not just the green of my houseplants.  I need new green, new growth, that which can only come from starting seeds.  Some might say that it's too early for it.  I say they're wrong.  January is too early.  I started tomatoes one time in January and had fruit developing in March.  Much as I love home-grown tomatoes because the flavor usually runs circles around store-bought, my early crop was a little boring, or what I refer to as cardboardy, and I vowed never to let my spring fever control my gardener ways like that again.

Late February is still a little early to be starting veggies.  But herbs, now that's a different story.  If all you want is green, starting herbs now is the way to go.  It's all leaves, all green, all shiny and new, and it does a spring fevered heart good to see them pop through the surface of the soil and make their way into the world.

So, I headed toward my local produce store, where they always have their seed display out by January 1st each year.  They also have a greenhouse, where I'll go when I need a serious "fix" of exposure to flowers, herbs and developing vegetable plants.  I wandered up and down the rows of seeds, looking at the pictures on the packets and knowing damn well my plants were never going to look that good.  I had specific plans on herb seed starting - sage, rosemary, and thyme (no, silly – parsley is started later in the season).  Last year, I started sage, thyme and oregano, but I only got the oregano to winter over inside and it's gotten seriously scraggly looking - not enough sunlight, mostly.  But by the time the seeds get growing, there will be light aplenty.  So I plunked down my green paper (money) for five packets of spring fever remedy and headed home.

What I forgot in my glee of buying those seeds was the soil to start them.  Yeah, Lauren, something to grow them in.  Duh!  It's okay, I can wait two days to go get that.  Why not go tomorrow?  Because it's going to snow – again.

Only 27 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - I Take it Back (Sort of)

Okay, I am officially over February, over winter, over shoveling, etc. etc., etc.  After our 18" of dry fluffy snow, we had another 5" of slightly heavier snow last week.  We're expecting another 3-8" of snow tomorrow into Tuesday, with the possibility of ice on top of it all, followed on Thursday by snow and possibly freezing rain, with rain on Friday to make a lovely mess of it all.

If Mother Nature is trying to try my patience, it's working.  I know we've been fortunate in that, except for the 15" snowstorm in December, we didn't have anything until February.  I didn't have to sweep or shovel, didn't have to throw de-icer down until this month.  However, it seems to be making up for lost time in terms of the frequency and amounts we're getting and predicted to get, not to mention we're getting into the messier winter weather as the slightly warmer temperatures start to creep in.  I know, it's a seasonal process and one we go through, for better or worse, every year.  I understand it.  It doesn't mean I have to like it.

However, as I look out the window at bushes and trees, I see evidence of their awakening from their winter slumber in the form of leaf buds.  I also hear some of the birds doing some territorial singing as well.  Granted that they're year-round residents and will have to re-stake their claims once the migrating birds return.  But these little reminders of warmer, greener days to come are most welcome and will keep me going as I pitch said forecasted snow off my deck over the upcoming week.

Only 34 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - A Late Start

For those who still read my blog, you know I normally start this series on Groundhog's Day.  I did watch Punxsutawney Phil on 2/2, but was kind of busy shoveling out from the 18" of snow that fell on 2/1.  By the way, just because it's a light and fluffy snow doesn't make it any easier to clear off a second floor deck and walkway.  I am fortunate in that my neighbors came over to help clear the ridge of snow left by the plow and the area around my car, bless them.  I'm getting too old to be dealing with this stuff, yet love New York too much to consider relocating.

So, the groundhog did see his shadow on February 2, which means six more weeks of winter.  Was I surprised?  Not in the least.  Despite not wanting to deal in cold temperatures, snow, sleet and freezing rain, I know it's part of the process toward a normal spring.  The lack of normalcy of this past year due to the pandemic has given me an appreciation for normal seasonal weather and transitions.

Still, as I look out on falling snow again, which will be happening every other day for the next week, it makes me wonder about warmer climes and snow-free places, if only for a short while.

Only 41 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Okay, So I'm Late

I normally watch Punxsutawney Phil on live feed getting dragged out what is likely not his den on Groundhog's Day to predict what the next 45 or so days will bring with regard to weather.  I was a little late trying to get on the official website  on February 2nd and therefore didn't get to watch live as Phil predicted an early spring.

I have on more than one occasion called Phil a "stupid woodchuck".  I'll do it when he predicts a continuation of winter-like conditions and has been right, and also when he's predicted early spring-like conditions and been wrong.  There's just no making me happy in February when all I want are warmer temperatures and nothing coming out of the sky that's frozen or freezes on contact with my deck, walkway, car, roads – well, you get the idea.  By this time, I'm tired of shoveling snow – even more so with the bum shoulder I'm nursing that really doesn't like the action of lift the snow/chuck the snow out of the way.  I'm tired of having to bundle up to go to my car and scrape the frost off and/or sit there with it to let it warm up before heading to work.  I've gotten tired of cats that won't even venture outside until the temperature's above freezing (they have a cat door - there is no excuse).  I am tired of houseplants that shed in the winter, get luxurious when put outside in warm weather, then return to shedding within a week of being inside.  I like it when Mother Nature waters them and I don't have to, too.  I wistfully peruse seed catalogs, thinking about how beautiful all of it will look on the deck and balcony of my apartment, knowing full well that you can't really grow much of anything on a deck under a tree canopy that only allows full sunlight for maybe two hours a day and a balcony that can't handle a full blown sun-loving garden.

Yes, indeed, by February, my spring fever is more than apparent.  So when Phil predicts an early spring and it doesn't happen, I want to call for his removal as a meteorological prognosticator.  But except for a few days of chilliness and a day or so of mixed precipitation that disappeared within a day each time, Phil has been on the money this year.  Temperatures in the 40s and 50s, rain instead of snow.  I can take it.  Yes, I know there's a downside to having early warm temperatures, including early and increased insect populations, an increase in allergies, etc.  But this year, I just don't care. 

So, I sincerely hope it stays nice right up until spring and beyond.  Let Punxsutawney Phil be right in his prediction right up until March 19th and beyond.  After all, I hear woodchuck stew is kind of fatty and gamey.

Only 25 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Yet, Still, But Not Really

It's sometimes been a little hard to remember we're almost at the end of April.  We've had below freezing temperatures for most of this month's nights.  We've had snow, sleet and freezing rain multiple times. Granted, it doesn't stay around long and, as I type this, there is no evidence of that crappy stuff to be seen. 

There is clear evidence that spring has arrived out there.  Grass is greening up.  Leaves are starting to unfold on trees and bushes.  That pussy willow I mentioned in the earlier posts has gone to pollen.  Daffodils, hyacinth, forsythia, etc. are all out there and in various stages of bloom.  Most, if not all, of the migrating birds have returned.  The robins that I wasn't seeing arrived about a week after my last post and I've been seeing them in droves.

Days and nights are (slowly, very slowly) warming up, and the need to crank the heat up inside has faded to the point where I don't fear looking at the electricity bill anymore.  People are starting to shed their winter apparel for lighter articles of clothing.  Kids now regularly play outside, and it's wonderful to see the park not far from me in use again.  Also not far from me is a marina, and boats are being brought in by car or being unwrapped and taken out of storage, and they'll all soon be hitting the water.  It won't matter that it's still at best in the 40s, 50s and 60s.  They'll be out there like the rest of the spring arrivals, defying the elements and enjoying the moment.

This winter has been like the houseguest that doesn't know when to leave.  While it's not unheard of to still have this kind of chillier and more than a bit snowier/icier than usual kind of weather in April in New York, the winter solstice has worn out its welcome and needs to disappear until December like a good little season now.  I'm going to put away my snow shovel and my ice melt as a symbolic gesture and general hint.  Hopefully, Mother Nature will agree it's time for spring to be in control and not make me haul them out again until after December 21st.

Happy Earth Day, everyone.  Go out and honor and respect the planet 24/7/365.

Countdown to Spring–The Last Day of Winter

Well, no, it wasn’t my intent to miss my self-imposed deadline of Wednesday last week.  But, stuff happens.  This is better, though.  Traditionally, I’ve taken a walk on the last day of winter and blogged about it in this series before.  Now, that tradition has been continued, with the last entry of the series tomorrow.

The snow is just about gone in my area.  Threatened significant accumulation locally from the Nor’easter last week never happened.  At best, my area got an inch.  There are other areas throughout the Northeast, though, that will still be seeing snow on the ground not just tomorrow, but into April.  They truly have my sympathy.  The warmer temperatures that are coming even before the end of this month will help make it all go away and become a memory fast enough.

Okay, so not to rub it in (much) to those who are still hip-deep in the white stuff, I was out on my snow-free and dry deck Sunday in my bare feet.  I figured it was going to be cold, but I wasn’t going to be out there that long, so it wouldn’t be so bad.  I have to say, the deck was actually warm and pleasant under foot.  Although the air temperature was only in the mid-30s, the angle of the sun is now high enough that its rays more directly hit the deck.  It felt great.  I can’t wait for that to happen on a regular basis.

On my other walks, I wasn’t seeing much in the way of spring flowers trying to even send out their leaves.  The only ones I was seeing were planted near houses, where escaping heat coupled with reflected sun’s warmth were bringing them up faster.   But today, I finally saw something I’d been waiting for.  There’s a patch of daffodils that somehow got started between a utility pole and a grate over a rainwater runoff.  They’ve been there for years.  They, too, have been slow to show signs of life.  But finally, I got to see them.  They’re only about an inch high and barely noticeable peaking out from under the leaf litter of autumn, but there they were, those yellow (soon to be green) shoots.  About time, guys.

All the trees and bushes have buds on them, even the ones that won’t be sending out leaves for a while yet.  The maples have been especially noticeable, as they’ve been sending up that sap that the syrup makers covet for a while.  The sap has been feeding tips of branches which have been showing signs of waking for weeks.  The heck with the maple syrup, much as I love it.  Just show me some unfurling leaves!

So many of the migrating bird species are back now, although I still haven’t seen any other robins than the one I mentioned in an earlier post.  People keep telling me they’re out there.  I’m usually about two weeks behind everybody else in my first (live) robin sighting, but even today, looking for them in the places I always see them in the spring  – nothing.  In their place, however, were lots of other birds singing out their territory claims and even a few making nests.  Yup, more than one bird with fluff or twigs in their beak heading for those places they’ve designated home to their spring-borne families.  Now, there’s a sign of renewal if ever there was one.

As I returned from my walk, I looked out the door to my little balcony and saw the last vestige of snow from the igloo I created to keep my perishables from spoiling during our 12-hour power outage during Nor’easter #2.  It’s just a football-sized patch of snow now that will likely be gone by the weekend, assuming I don’t take a shovel to it. 

Hmm, I might have to do that tomorrow.  Sort of a ritual to end the winter season.  It’s been a long one – can you tell?

Only 1 day until Spring.

Countdown to Spring–Roarin’ All the Way

There’s a saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.  March doesn’t always live up to that saying to its fullest potential, but this year, well …
In last week’s post, I remarked that Punxsutawney Phil was wrong in the prediction of there being six more weeks of winter.  With all the warm weather and quickly disappearing snow we were having, I couldn’t help but make the remark.  Never taunt the ground hog.

On March 2, after a day of 50-degree weather, but mostly cloudy skies and strangely increasing winds, we had a classic Nor’easter storm develop.  We were fortunate in that we had only a little bit of very soggy snow mixed in with rain.  North and west of the Mid-Hudson Valley, though, got slammed with 2-3 feet of snow.  The ski resorts were thrilled, I’m sure.  The rest of us, not so much.  Power outages were rampant with the high winds taking down branches and trees across power lines.  We were fortunate in that we only lost power for one hour.  As I type this, there are people who are just getting their power back on from last week’s storm and a few that still don’t have it.

Today brings another Nor’easter, only this time, my area won’t get off as easy in terms of the precipitation.  There was disagreement among the forecasting groups about last week’s storm as to what type of precipitation we were going to get.  Not this time.  Although they were differing slightly on the totals, they were all saying snow.  We presently have about 6” of very, very heavy snow.  Yes, this is the snow we used to make snowballs and snowmen out of when I was younger – solid, packable stuff.  You don’t want to shovel it, but you do want to play with it.  I’ll be doing the former tomorrow, taking my time with it clearing my deck and walkway.  I’m a fat, 60+ woman who doesn’t want to end up a winter statistic because she did too much too fast with this hefty, crappy white stuff, aka “heart attack” snow.

But on a positive note, in my walks of yesterday and today, I saw the red ends of tree branches that weren’t there last week.  Those trees are just itching to send out leaves.  I saw crocus, daffodil and snowdrop leaves coming up through grass and debris, all signs of flowers to follow in the not too distant future.  The pussy willow I pass everyday is just about in full furriness.  Well, today, those fuzzies are a little soggy, but they’ll recover.  I’m seeing more and more migrating birds return, although I haven’t seen any other robins than the one I mentioned last time.  Maybe they headed south again to places where the ground isn’t white.  With the migrators, there are more spring songs being heard, songs which will still be heard tomorrow as my area starts to shovel out from what we all hope is the last reminder of this winter season. 

The lion that brought in March will soon be tamed, and the happy playful lamb that signals March’s end will be here soon enough.

Only 13 days until spring.

Countdown to Spring – This is More Like It

After a week of staring at the walls and ceiling of my apartment and feeling like a barking seal with an energy crisis living at the equator (translation – coughing, fatigue and fever), I am finally past it and am looking forward to the next few days or gorgeous and, may I add, warm weather.  Warm, as in 60s, possibly even 70.  Yeah, I know, I know, it’s too early, it’s not going to last.  Whatever.  It beats -7°F, doesn’t it?

Our little clipper storm Saturday into Sunday which was supposed to bring 1-3” of snow brought us about 4” locally.  It wasn’t supposed to start until 9 PM, but by 7 PM when I looked out, we already had an inch of snow on the ground, dashing my hopes of a dusting that I could easily sweep away.  Sunday morning, out came the shovel and in about three trips, I had cleared my deck and walkway and then my parking space out to the road.  I didn’t do a great job because it was already sunny and above freezing.  Let solar heating be your friend.  It was, too.  By the end of the day, all shoveled areas were down to bare ground.

It’s been in the 40s during the day the last few days and most of the snow is gone.  Yesterday, it was in the 60s.  It hadn’t melted all the way yet, but it was an 9:1 mix of bare ground to snow instead of 50:50.  By the end of today, well, I won’t even care if it’s not gone.  I’m just going to enjoy those warm southwest breezes.

I did manage a little walking at the end of flu/flu-like things.  Looking up at trees, I am seeing more and more buds at the tips of all the branches.  The pussy willow I walk by to go to the post office is really starting to come to life, with catkins (really, that's what they're called) now starting to peek out from just about every branch.  I have a running permission from the owner to clip a few branches every year.  That'll be coming up soon.

On a sad note, a critter – likely a squirrel – squeezed through the holes of the milk-crate type container that I had protecting my planter with crocuses in it, moved the leaf mulch and had a late winter snack of crocus root and sprout salad on at least half of them.  I suspect squirrel because of the debris pattern they left outside the container and yet still left the container in place.  Ladies and Gentlemen, a round of applause for Houdini the Squirrel!

Only 27 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring – Melt, Baby, Melt

So, let’s see.  As I was writing last week’s entry, the snow was just starting to come down.  When it got to about 3-4”, I went outside and shoveled my deck and walkway.  Oh, look, it’s light and fluffy.  Not too bad.  About two more inches fell, then the temperature went up and it went from light and fluffy to sogged and glazed over snow.  What had been an easy job of clearing it away turned into a cardio workout at the end of it all. 

I normally appreciate the prettiness of ice coating all the tree branches, especially at night.  But at this stage of winter, it was enjoyed for maybe five minutes, then I just wanted it to go with the snow.

Over this past weekend, a lot of that wintery precipitation disappeared with above-freezing temperatures and a whole lot of rain.  There’s still snow out there, but enough of it’s gone now that it’s about a 50:50 mix of white to greens and browns. 

The forecast for my area for today and tomorrow is near to above 50°F, followed by a return to 30s, then 40s, then 50s, then 30s again.  It’s a little uneven, temperature-wise, blamed on anything you chose to blame it on in the moment.  But with temperatures remaining above freezing during the day at least, and no forecast for any precipitation but rain showers for the next ten days, maybe all these wet, white crystalline structures hanging around will go bye-bye and we’ll head into March with bare ground.

Then, it’ll likely snow again.  That’s winter for you.

In a final note, I am on the downside of what may have been either the flu or a flu-like illness.  Sore throat, body aches, chills, fatigue, and a decent chunk of fever on top of sneezes, sniffles and barking like a seal.  Definitely not a cold.  I normally don’t get sick during the winter, but this year was an exception.  Just another reason for not liking this winter season anymore, eh?

Only 34 days until Spring

Countdown to Spring – The Weekly Version

Yes, it’s true.  Mercifully, I am going to a once a week posting on this topic.  Just in case you might have thought I was showing mercy only to the readers, it’s also a kindness for me as well.  The daily writing of things related to counting down to spring is a discipline that was always difficult and is more so this year with changes in schedule, etc.  Perhaps for 2019, I’ll go back to the daily posts from Groundhog’s Day to the actual first day of spring.  We’ll see.

Speaking of Groundhog’s Day, dear old Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on February 2nd.  Stupid woodchuck.  Doesn’t Phil realize we need the hope of an early spring this year?  I know it really hasn’t been any longer, colder, or snowier than what is considered normal for my area, but it sure felt/feels like it.

There are signs of hope that better weather days are ahead.  The daylight hours are getting longer, the sun coming a little sooner over the horizon and disappearing for the day just a bit later.  Warmer?  Well, no, not really, and we won’t even discuss that polar cold snap that quadrupled my electricity/heating bill last month.  However, if you’re a weather nerd like I am, you’ve noticed a long-range forecasting trend of warming up just a little faster than it was doing back in late December and a decent chunk of January.  It’s not staying obscenely cold for as long is what I’m saying.

Seed catalogs are arriving.  I don’t get as many as I used to because I don’t order that much anymore.  Many of the seed companies post their catalog online for the less frequent customers like myself to peruse.  But, there’s just something about that paper catalog, slowly turning pages and sighing heavily over pictures of fruits, vegetables and flowers which never, ever look that great in your garden that does a winter-weary heart good.  It also fuels my spring fever.  Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

I walk quite a bit more than I used to in years past.  As a result, I’m seeing the changes in trees and bushes that start this time of year.  There’s slow-growing evidence of life returning even now.  One of the first I noticed was the pussy willow I walk by every day to go to the post office.  I thought I was seeing things at first.  Nope – little fuzzy buds have emerged on the branches.  No, we’re not talking pussy willows coming into bloom – okay, fur – anytime in the next 2-3 weeks.  It’s just that there’s a reawakening going on and it’s pretty much on schedule.

So, whether you want to believe the ground hog/woodchuck/whistling pig/ whatever you call them or not, spring is coming and will be here on March 20th at 12:15 PM EDT.  It may not necessarily look or feel like it on the day.  Many times, it’s exactly like the winter season left behind the day before.  But, eventually, it always happens.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we have to be patient about it.

Only 41 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 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 - 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.