Blast of Winter

Just when I had decided winter is done and I didn't really get any snow days...Mother Nature had other ideas.

Started as rain

The current blast started off as a thunderstorm.  Yes, I did say thunderstorm.  We got rain, rain, rain on Sunday after having a warm sunny Saturday.  There were even flood warnings locally for little Mill Creek.

Then, the ice pellets started falling.  At first there was just a little dusting of sleet.  Then, we noticed the trees started getting a coating of ice.

All the branches got a glassy-looking coating.

It was really pretty but I have seen this before and it wasn't such a good feeling.  I remember having lost electrical power and trees splitting and falling and such awfulness as that.

So, when I looked out and saw the fence wires getting icy, I didn't think this was such a good idea.  I dared not think about getting a snow day to stay home from school because the last time we had a prediction of a big dumping of winter weather, we got a big pffft.

bad cell phone picture that still shows iciness

Yet, sometime after dinner, we got the call that there would be no school on Monday.  I cheered!  I made a cup of hot chocolate.  I curled up in front of the fire with my fuzzy coverlet with the TV blasting.  Before I slipped into the bed, though, I made sure everything was plugged in to be fully charged.  I wanted to be sure I could connect to the outside world in case of a power failure.

that wire is not so bulky when there isn't a coat of ice on it

The next morning...long before the sun came up...I was peering out the windows to see what traffic was like out in front of our house - after all, it is a state highway.  Even though we live on a straight-away, there was a car wreck near the end of the driveway.  The cars which were out there - only a couple or three when usually there is a steady stream of one-after-the-other each morning - were creeping along.  Two or three other vehicles were pulled off on the side of the road - or had slid off over there.  Not a pretty sight.

After a bit of discussion, Mike realized he should keep himself in for the morning, too.  I think the argument discussion conversation might have raised a few eyebrows but the mention of having to spend money to repair a damaged truck when we had just had transmission work might have done the most persuasion.

even a blurry cell shot shows the thickness of ice

So, we spent the day inside in the warm watching TV and marveling at the silliness of folks posting on FaceBook queries about the curvy, hilly roads around here.  It was so bad that my favorite sister-in-law's business finally told folks not to risk coming in at about mid-morning.  Mike learned that one of the cardboard manufacturing businesses that his warehouse provides storage for closed down shortly after lunch.  He got calls from truck-drivers who made a brief start but wound up turning round and giving up.  My brother-in-law reported sliding right out on the straight-away in front of our house and turning round himself.  So, even if the SIL hadn't had the call from work, she would have missed the day since he was her transportation.

icy back deck

Our back deck was icy like this even up till lunchtime today - Tuesday.  So, the sunny south didn't turn out to be so warm after all on this early March week.  The furthest distance from the threshold of the door was my quick toe balance to take the photo above.

coated

Even today the furniture has had ice clinging to it until well after noon.  The ice has been pretty all glittering and sparkly.  Since we maintained electrical power, I can admire the beauty to its fullest.

sparkles of ice

Even now, after the dripping has begun and the grass of the yard is showing its face, there is still lots of ice on those tree branches.

snow over ice

Toby wouldn't go out in the rain on Sunday but as you can see, he has ventured out into the snow a couple or three times.  Once, he came back in covered in white fluffy snow and was not too happy about it.  A quick rub-down with a towel and he was back to normal but still wanted to curl up away from the window.  It did seem to amaze him when the biggest flakes were falling, he just sat and peered out through the window as if he was amazed by it.

wintry view

I think I am over it.  I am ready for the green-ness of spring and Easter bunnies and the like.  It has been a wonderful couple of days since I could just sit inside and look out the window at the sparkling beauty of it.  But I am ready for even this to move on and welcome in spring.

the remains

The above picture shows what remains as of one o'clock this afternoon.  Where Toby's and Mike's footprints trekked across the deck there is a bit of the wood peeking through at this point as well.  Maybe it will continue to melt through the afternoon and we will be back in full swing tomorrow eagerly awaiting the green grass and warm sunshine of spring!