“Thou art all ice. Thy kindness freezes.”
This morning was a small triumph of sorts. I went outside to get my yesterday’s mail from across the street and today’s papers from the driveway. As soon as I stepped on the road my shoe slipped a bit. The whole road was black ice from yesterday’s rain and last night’s freezing temperature. I took the chance anyway despite my history and shuffled over to get the mail. The small steps I was taking reminded me of when I was first learning to ice skate, when I walked in skates instead of gliding on the ice. Next stop was the driveway for the papers then I managed to return to the house without falling, slipping or tripping. That is a diary entry!
Snow is coming starting tomorrow night. This time it is a real storm with a potential of several inches so we are under a blizzard warning which includes heavy winds, the possibility of downed power lines from the wet snow and white out conditions giving zero visibility. This storm has been late in coming as the winter has been a snow bust thus far. We have had probably an inch in total. The predictions, still iffy as to the amount, have been as high as 20 inches here and 29 or more off-Cape.
I’ll fill the bird and the suet feeders tomorrow so my birds will have food. Yesterday I noticed the red spawn has a girlfriend or a boyfriend. Either way they have been chasing each other in what I think might be a pre-mating ritual. They go around and around on the tree trunks and this morning chased each other across the top of the fence. That’s all I need, baby spawns of Satan. I have to figure out how to attach the wire to keep them off the feeders. I am devoid of charity for red spawns, and they better not be expecting a baby shower from me!.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: black ice, ice skates, mail and newspapers, mating rituals, red spawns, several inches of snow, small steps, Snow
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
January 25, 2015 at 2:13 pm
Congratulations to not falling 🙂
I can’t remember the firsdt time I stood on skates, I think I started when I was around two or three years old. I became rather good at it but would fall and break my legs if I tried today 🙂
We’ll have rain tomorrow, always fun to have when the ground still is very cold. Do they make skates for cars? 🙂 We’ll get cold weather son again and with it some snow they say. I don’t trust ant weather sites any longer so it might just as well be sunshine instead 🙂
Too early for squirrel courtship here but a few were running around in the fallen trees today. They are just too shy here so I rarely see them. Here it’s the magpies that gives problems. I do like them, they are smart and funny but they scare away all other birds so I scare away them as often as I can 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
January 25, 2015 at 2:24 pm
Thanks, Christer
If you had seen that sheet of ice, you’d wonder, as I did, how I managed to avoid falling.
They have skis for cars or rather cars with skis. I figure we are definitely getting snow. It is only how much they seem to differ. We had enough rain the last two days.
I wish mine were shy. Right now one is at the feeder and the birds aren’t. I love my birds. This is the second time I’ve seen them chasing each other.
Have a great evening!
January 25, 2015 at 2:57 pm
We’ve had snow this weekend 🙂 About 3 inches but it’s nearly gone now. So far we haven’t had much snow this winter so it’s still appreciated. It was a funny coincidence that we recorded White Christmas when the snow fell. Singing and recording Christmas songs for three long days for our chorus Christmas CD, I’m very glad that you didn’t post any Christmas songs.
Baby squirrels are so cute 😉 Stay safe and electrified!
January 25, 2015 at 3:26 pm
Birgit,
My dusting is gone too probably to make room for all those inches of snow.
I did look through my Christmas folder for snow tunes but didn’t find any I wanted to post.
I have never seen a really little squirrel baby but I did see a young one Gracie caught. I grabbed it and out it up the trunk of a tree. It yapped and chirped at me-ungrateful beast.
January 25, 2015 at 3:13 pm
Yuk, blizzard conditions. When I was in Toronto in November they got a couple of inches of snow which came during rush hour. It took me an hour to drive just a few miles to my hotel. Buffalo NY, which is on the other side of Lake Ontario got hit with seven feet of lake effect snow. Location is everything and only ice storms are worse. Every location on Earth is a compromise. Florida winters are tropical, but they occasionally get hurricanes. Hawaii and California have much the same weather year round but they get volcanic eruptions on the islands and earthquakes along the West Coast.
In North Texas we are at the southern end of Tornado alley.
I’ll trade the snow any day for a slight risk of severe weather in the Spring or some volcanic ash for a constant warm temperatures.
January 25, 2015 at 3:33 pm
Bob,
It is the price we pay for gorgeous summers and falls.I’m happy to pay given how lovely it is here almost to Thanksgiving. We also don’t have over the top heat in the summer which is one reason I’d not want to live in Texas.
I wouldn’t call Florida winters tropical. There are no sultry, warm days with lots of humidity, and many times they have to use heaters on the citrus. Hurricanes are not a winter event in Florida. They come usually in the summer and fall as we too get them though not lately.
I would just pick the Hawaiian island with no volcanoes. They do have the volcano national park, and I’d visit that.
I guess snow is a far more common event. We just accept it as a part of winter here. The rest of the year makes up for it though the summers do get humid.
January 25, 2015 at 5:58 pm
Hi Kat,
Congratulations on the no slip trip to the mail box and driveway. I do remember learning to skate that way, too. Shuffle, shuffle. 🙂
I spent a lot of time outside today. The sunrise was very pretty on the new snow so I had to photograph it. Then I decided to practice with my new snowblower. I’ve never used one and figured small snow was a good place to start. It was fine.
They are predicting 2 feet or more for my area. The grocery store was crazy with every checkout line full up. I’m stocked up on the essentials and await the snow.
Enjoy the evening.
January 25, 2015 at 9:16 pm
Hi Caryn,
Thank you-I felt that was a major accomplishment.
I too shopped but I hit the store when it was completely quiet. We are all set. I am hoping to have electricity and heat the whole time.
Stay safe and keep warm!
January 25, 2015 at 7:34 pm
Kat it looks like both of us are in for 1-2 feet of snow. Check the oil lamps and candles, spare water bottles and buckets. There may be damaging winds as well. Batten down the hatches and stay safe!
January 25, 2015 at 9:14 pm
Mark,
My lanterns are all set, but I have town water so I’m fine there. I worry about the electricity!
You stay safe and warm.
Kat
January 25, 2015 at 10:17 pm
So glad you stayed upright today. I was watching the news of ‘Milk & Bread mania’ up East. Unbelievable! I will keep you in my thoughts ( as always) especially in the coming days. Perhaps this might work for the spawn. The commentary is especially amusing. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/squirrel-thwarted-climbing-bird-feeder-due-vaseline-pole-article-1.1910422
January 25, 2015 at 10:20 pm
splendid,
I wish I could use this, but my feeders are on branches reachable by the spawn jumping off the deck. I was thinking of adding wire to the jump off point so he’ll not be able to reach the feeder. The other choice is to frame the feeders with the wire so the birds can get it but not the spawn.
I am not looking forward to all that snow!