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“Dear beautiful Spring weather, I miss you. Was it something I said?”

It was quite a shock when I looked out the back door last night and saw branches from the pine tree hanging over the deck and scraping against the house and door. The snow was heavy and wet, and though there was a forty mile an hour wind, the branches barely moved loaded down as they were with piles of snow. I got worried about the huge branches near the door and went out with my broom and started whacking the closest branches with the metal part of the broom. The snow was knocked off the branches onto my head and down the neck of my sweatshirt. Of course it was. The branches were right over my head. I have no idea why that shocked me. It was inevitable. As I was whacking, I nearly fell a couple of times because the snow on the deck was so slippery. I did the best I could and then went inside. Twenty minutes later I looked and the branches were again drooping on the deck so out I went with the broom and whacked the branches yet again, and I got wet, again. I was Sisyphus with snow and a broom instead of a rock.

We got about 8″ of heavy, icy snow. I walked across what used to be a lawn to get my papers though walking doesn’t quite describe the trek. Plodding and tiring do as the snow had drifted and was just a bit below my knees. I had to slam the snow top with my feet to make a path. On the way backΒ I walked in the same steps I had made and thought of Danny in the maze in The Shining doing it to hide from his crazed father. When I got into the house, I couldn’t see. The sun on the snow is so bright I was blinded for a bit. I called Skip and warned him about the branch resting on my deck. He didn’t sound enthused.

Only half of my street is plowed, that would be the other half, the one not near my house.

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37 Comments on ““Dear beautiful Spring weather, I miss you. Was it something I said?””

  1. Hedley's avatar Hedley Says:

    February 16, 2014 at 12:18 pm

    The robins fill my trees, feasting on berries, some even sit in the safety and shelter of the front porch. They watch me as I clear snow from the paths and driveways. We wait together patiently for spring.

  2. flyboybob's avatar flyboybob Says:

    February 16, 2014 at 12:26 pm

    Besides the snow being a huge pain in the rear, it’s also a huge hazard to roofs, structures and power lines. The lack of electrical power due to downed power lines disables the heat in most homes which then puts the plumbing and people’s health at risk. Of course the downed power lines present an electrocution problem and the heavy snow accumulation also can exceed the structural limit of the roof or the whole house. The only people who moved to places like Minnesota came from Norway, Denmark or Sweden. People who have ice water running through their veins. Who else would think It’s nice to sit all day and shiver in a little wooden hut on a frozen lake fishing in February. “Hey Sven, it’s not cold yet, it hasn’t reached minus forty degrees”. “Ollie, when it gets there it won’t matter if it’s Celsius or Fahrenheit, because it’s the same number.”
    “Then Sven it will start to feel cold out their on the lake.”

    So much for the beautiful snowfall and the, sic, fun of winter sports. Why do so many northern retirees move to Florida, Arizona or South Texas for at least the winter months? We call them ‘snowbirds’. The answer dear Brutus is in the snow πŸ™‚

    Spring training is right around the corner, thank goodness.

    • katry's avatar katry Says:

      February 16, 2014 at 12:40 pm

      Bob,
      My roof is so angled that the snow doesn’t stay long, and the sun quickly melts whatever is there. A flat roof needs to be cleared.

      This is the sort of snow which downs wires, but it hasn’t happened for the most part. Only 600 people were without power for a short time last night.

      We also call them snowbirds. I have only one friend who leaves for the winter and goes to Florida. The rest of us hunker down and are made of sterner stuff.

      Pitchers and catchers are there as of yesterday. Many position players went early as well. There were films of spring training on the news. I smiled!!

  3. Christer.'s avatar olof1 Says:

    February 16, 2014 at 1:49 pm

    Yes of course it did πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ I think it’s some kind of law of the nature πŸ™‚ No matter where You would have been standing it woud have hit You. As You know no snow here and I hope it’ll stay that way even if we still have plenty of winter left here.

    I was thinking I should buy The Shining and read it again. Last time all those years ago I had nightmares for weeks πŸ™‚ It’s strange but I can read or see the most horrific things that has happened in real and never get worried or get nightmares from it. But when it comes to things like space mosnters (Alien) or beings like in Stephen Kings books it sort of eats its way into my brain and stays there for a long time πŸ™‚

    I hope Your weather calms down a lot now and that spring soon will come!

    Have a great day!
    Christer.

    • katry's avatar katry Says:

      February 16, 2014 at 2:01 pm

      Christer,
      That is just my luck, but I did position myself under the branches as it was the only spot I could get at to clear the branches.

      I did that-reread The Shining a while back so I’d be familiar before I read the new one. I seem to be able to recognize that what I see or read isn’t real so no nightmares.

      Check out the pictures of the new storm!

      I’m so sick of winter!!

      Have a great evening!!

  4. Birgit's avatar Birgit Says:

    February 16, 2014 at 2:24 pm

    Spring is coming!
    Yes, this part of the world, unfortunately not yet your part of the world. Keep up the hope!
    We went on a long walk today, again looking for photo subjects for the local art project. No photo luck, but it was nice to see the sun and partly blue sky again. Quite warm and no rain at all.
    BTW, the motto of the art project is “This is not Detroit”. Sorry, Hedley πŸ˜‰

    • katry's avatar katry Says:

      February 16, 2014 at 2:56 pm

      Birgit,
      With all the ice and snow, I can’t wrap my head around the idea that spring is coming. Another snow storm is!

      The sun was just so bright today on the snow. Too bad it wasn’t warm. My neighbors and I both de-iced steps after Skip plowed and shoveled. Gracie’s steps are now clear and safe.

      Poor Hedley!

      • Hedley's avatar Hedley Says:

        February 16, 2014 at 3:23 pm

        It’s ok, Birgit I hope that you have many beautiful photos of Bochum, which perhaps you can share ?
        Our city faces many challenges associated with decades of urban decay. We know it and understand the public image.
        Sometime please checkout Rochester Hills Michigan our lovely community where my family has made its home for the last 34 years.

      • Birgit's avatar Birgit Says:

        February 16, 2014 at 4:37 pm

        Hedley, a more suitable theme for the art project and the city would be “Hope dies last”, which certainly applies to Detroit too.
        For this project they look for photos that shows the positive future of this town. I looked through my 100.000 digital photos (since 2006) and I found none.
        I’ve already checked out Rochester Hills when you mentioned your local Christmas wonderland some time ago. Must be a nice place to live!

      • katry's avatar katry Says:

        February 16, 2014 at 5:51 pm

        MDH,
        Your community is lovely. The houses are magnificent and I love the downtown.

  5. Apple Pie & Napalm's avatar peacelovegreatcountrymusic Says:

    February 16, 2014 at 2:47 pm

    25 yesterday, 41 today, 65 mid week. Fingers crossed nice weather is here to stay. Sun is out today and I’m cleaning windows!

    • katry's avatar katry Says:

      February 16, 2014 at 3:02 pm

      plgcm,
      The sun is out here too but it is in low 30’s. By Thursday we should be in the 40’s which will feel balmy. This is still too early to think of spring. We don’t get it most years until May. The cold ocean keeps way the warm air.

  6. Caryn's avatar Caryn Says:

    February 16, 2014 at 5:50 pm

    Hi Kat,
    Got up early to chop an opening in the ice barrier across the walkway to the front door so that the Peapod guy could get my groceries in without too much trouble. He was grateful. I am sore.
    Plow guy came this afternoon to remove the ice dam across the driveway and shove the little bit of snow left in drive out of the way.
    I think we only got 4 inches or so but there must have been some rain in that mix because it’s heavy, wet, frozen stuff.

    My snow inevitability is that my hat always falls down over my eyes while I’m shoveling. It irritates me intensely.

    It was sunny and windy here but not too bad temperature-wise as long as I stayed out of the wind. Rocky and I managed a short walk but we sat on the front steps a couple of times and got some sun.

    I hope your branch stays off the deck and the snow load melts away quickly.

    Enjoy the evening.

    • katry's avatar katry Says:

      February 16, 2014 at 6:05 pm

      Hi Caryn,
      I’m glad you got your groceries though even the getting up early sounds like a trial, but I suppose any sacrifice is worth a full larder.

      We got no rain but our snow too was wet and heavy. Now it is icy and my guys had trouble shoveling and getting the bottom ice up.

      I watched the process with Gracie out the front door. Last night my attempts to clear the branches was enough.

      We got no sun. I think it was too cold and certainly was too snowy.

      My guy moved a few of the branches so if I duck my head I can make it to the bird feeders off the deck.

      Have a great evening too!!

  7. Coleen Burnett's avatar Coleen Burnett Says:

    February 16, 2014 at 7:10 pm

    Glad you are ok…spring is coming, though at this point I will believe it when I see it!

    Waving from a snowbank,

    Coleen

  8. Jay Bird's avatar Jay Bird Says:

    February 16, 2014 at 7:14 pm

    Kat – Power is everything. Thank God you’ve been spared. I lived for a week with no electricity during the infamous “Ice Storm of the Century” 15 years ago up on the Canadian border. No fun.

    With two feet of snow here in Albany, my vocabulary is expanding! “Plowguy” is now one word! Like, “Ay, when’s your plowguy coming?” or, “My plowguy has been here four times.”

    • katry's avatar katry Says:

      February 16, 2014 at 7:43 pm

      Jay Bird,
      I know exactly what you mean A couple of years ago I went nearly a week without electricity. My house got down to 37˚, and we all, the dog, two cats and I froze. I was going to take them and go in the car for the heat when the electricity finally came on. We were the last to get it.

      I love it when my plowguy comes. Today he even plowed the half of the street the town didn’t, got my car out, pushed the branches off most of the deck rail and plowed out my mailbox across the street. It was a banner day for Skip, my plowguy!


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