“As her fate, she accepted the world of ice, shining, shimmering, dead; she resigned herself to the triumph of glaciers and the death of the world.”
I will spare you a weather update. Just check any of reports from the last few weeks with one or two sunny exceptions, and you’ll know the sort of day we’re stuck with yet again.
Yesterday I needed to retrieve the Peace Corps flag from where I had left it leaning against the front fence because I’m using it at an event. Mounds of snow measured in feet were between me and the flag, but I was dauntless. I started slowly and gingerly walking on the crusted, hard snow top, and it was holding until all of a sudden one of my legs was swallowed up to the hip. I was right beside the fence. I only knew this because I could see the tips of the pickets. I stood there a minute planning. I couldn’t lift my leg out. I had nothing to hold on to so I couldn’t brace myself. My other leg was free but not upright but rather in a sort of kneeling stance to compensate for the height distance between it and the leg buried so deeply. I then got an idea having nothing to do with flares or screams for help. I used the tops of the pickets to pull myself across the snow top. I was mostly lying down. I was also getting soaked. Finally, though, I freed my leg and could stand upright again. I grabbed the flag, crossed the frozen snow tops and made it back to the path with no more mishaps.
My successful return has made me brave enough to try to get to the bird feeders off the deck. I’ll cross the frozen tundra carrying my ice pick and the rest of my gear. I’m also bringing a Sherpa.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: cloudy and cold, crossing the tundra, crusted snow top, dragging myself along, flares and screams, hard, icy snow tops, one leg swallowed by snow, Sherba
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
February 26, 2015 at 11:15 am
And carry your phone with you… just in case!
February 26, 2015 at 11:23 am
im6,
I will!! Luckily there were no stairs.
February 26, 2015 at 12:33 pm
100″ up I heard, more than impressive.
The Terrier and I ventured in to her run early this morning and over the walls four deer were impressed either by her over powering presence or my nuclear powered flash light and scattered immediately. We marched in triumphant to announce the success to Mrs MDH.
So we shall escape the claustrophobic boundaries of February and approach March with a renewed sense of Spring.
February 26, 2015 at 1:23 pm
Muy Dear Hedley,
This winter has now moved into the second most snowy, only 7 inches from the top. It is snowing now.
When I saw it was snowing, I let loose with all my favorite 4 letter words.
February 26, 2015 at 1:26 pm
I am watching the guys play in Florence on ESPN3 with a Spanish commentary. Its ok, I know whats going on
February 26, 2015 at 2:22 pm
MDH,
I wouldn’t know enough of what is going uneven if it was in English.
February 26, 2015 at 1:04 pm
Thanks for the laugh 🙂 I’m glad Yoiu made it back to the house again. I’ve done something similar and decided the best thing I could do was to just lay down on the snow and try to roll myself to better grounds 🙂
I’m almost embarrased by telling You that it has been really warm here and the sun has been shining almost all day. I’ll try to remember this winter next time we’ll get tyhe snowy and cold one.
Have a great day!
Christer.
February 26, 2015 at 1:24 pm
Christer,
You would have really been laughing if you had seen me. I did almost the same thing but didn’t roll, pulled myself along.
It is snowing right now. I am crazed!
February 26, 2015 at 1:27 pm
Survive! (No music yet, shall we send the air rescue?)
and
Congratulations! You proved 3 German sayings today.
To get the cow off the ice (Escape a risky situation).
Only the hard will come into the garden (Only the strong survive).
If the donkey gets boisterous it will go onto ice (It makes people reckless).
February 26, 2015 at 2:12 pm
Birgit,
The snow got me out to shop before posting the music.
I love these German sayings and they describe perfectly my snow escapade.
February 26, 2015 at 3:08 pm
Hi Kat,
Having made the mistake of climbing a mountain in late winter, I have acquired a deep distrust of snow crust. Just when you think it’s going to hold, FOOF! and you’re up to one hip in it.
Glad you were able to extricate yourself and the flag. Victory is yours!
I’m not even trying for the bird feeders. They are a distance from the house because I don’t want the spawns getting ideas that they are welcomed back in the attic. Instead I am throwing the bird seed on the snow mounds next to the driveway. The hawks patrol over head and there’s very little cover now because of the amount of snow. I figure the crevasses in the snow mountains and the presence of the jeep will give the little birds some place to hide.not
It’s cold but too bad. It was snowing but gave it up. 🙂
Enjoy the day and be careful out there on the ice pack.
February 26, 2015 at 3:22 pm
Hi Caryn,
I wanted to raise the flag on a hill as a sign of my triumph over the elements but I was already as high as I could get.
The spawn comes and jumps from the deck. I’d have to put a wire around the feeders to keep it away and that will be a spring project.
The snow has stopped! It is really cold though. I am in for the rest of the day.
Have a great evening!
February 26, 2015 at 11:00 pm
You have been secretly transported to Greenland or Antartica by a mysterious force. Maybe the global warming pundits have it right and a new ice age has begun. 🙂 Next winter buy a pair of snow shoes, and you will never have to use them as long as they are taking up valuable space in your closet or basement :-). Do people ski Cape Cod this winter. Don’t give up next week it’s March and hopefully the snow will begin to taper off.
February 26, 2015 at 11:15 pm
Bob,
I can believe that. My world is covered in snow. I used to cross country ski at the state park, but that’s about it here. There are no hills for any downhill skiing.
Spring here is always late. It will be mid April before we see much warmth. The ocean holds the cold and keeps spring from arriving. ,
I agree-maybe snow will slow down in March, but I remember snow days in late March.
February 28, 2015 at 11:28 pm
Although it has been 25 years or more since I read Anna Kavan, I just knew when I saw that quote that it was hers. You do post the most amazing things! Didn’t you used to give the sources of your photos and quotes? Why did you stop? (Not complaining–I’m a great looker-upper.)
March 1, 2015 at 9:56 am
dogma,
I never gave the sources of the photos but I did and still do cite the sources for the quotes. Check the comment under the photos for the author of each quote.