Winter wonderland, not a news story

I was in the path of the Blizzard 2012. Just typing that makes me laugh my butt off!!! Blizzard 2012 my foot!

First, it was a blizzard. It snowed like mad and we ended up with a foot of snow in less than 12 hours, right here in the capital of Civilization. That's a lot of snow really quickly. I'm not questioning the validness of calling it a Blizzard. I'm more tickled of how it's perceived by the media or by people outside of the state.

I recall storms on the East coast like this, just snow storms, and CNN and other news channels talk about it for days, practically, building it up, creating a logo and some heavy bassed, tragic music or something. Those of us in the Midwest must be made of sturdier stock because while we had closings of businesses and roads, large parts of the state were under a 'state of emergency' our Blizzard of 2012 was over and done with before CNN crews could get here let alone label us "SNOW DISASTER 2012" or some such other nonsense.

We as Midwesterners stay inside, and when given the all clear, we scoop snow, slap some plows on the front of trucks, haul out the salt and do our thing. Our city buses ran 30 minutes last and lot of businesses closed but for the most part, we were still functional. We didn't have to roll up the sidewalks and have a city wide panic. It was snow and a lot of it, not the Apocalypse.

Oh it was all over our statewide news and I did see footage of our city on CNN at the top of the hour so we rated some mention but not round the clock coverage, which is fine with me.

Though it's better than how snow is covered in the Wild West. I don't think anyone even acknowledges snow in the Wild West. We'd get a few feet, every few days, and I don't think it was even mentioned on our local news, other than in the traditional weather forecast.

It's all about perspective, I'm sure. If a foot of snow and gusting 60 mph winds happen in Boston or NYC it's NEWS but here in the Midwest... feh, we'll mention it and move on.

And that cracks me up. I'm always in need of a good giggle!

Maggie


If you'd like to read about my new dog, a greyhound, go here!

I wish.......

I'm really sick of the 90 and 100 degree temps here....

Mags

This weather sucks

Sunny, cloudy, snow, rain, thunderstorms complete with lightening, wind, 58 degrees, 21 degrees... this is all the weather I've experienced. Today. Since I got up this morning at 5:20am, being awakened by lightening and rolling thunder, it's been a weather roller coaster. And frankly, I am so sick of this.

I wish it would either get cold and stay that way, or stay warm. This up and down crap sucks. And I have no idea how to dress each day. One day I leave in trousers with a turtleneck and a jacket and by the afternoon I'm sweaty and can wear short sleeves. Or I leave in the morning, like today, in a tank with a matching cardigan, trousers, and heels and it's storming- NOT the snow sort- and 59 degrees- and I was wearing a raincoat. Then when I leave work it's spitting snow and about 29 degrees. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!

I throw my hands in the air and bellow a barbaric yowl!

It's this weather that causes people to get colds. And to be crabby.

And who can set an inside temperature? Heat high or low? 68 is good in the morning and we're freezing in the afternoon so have to turn it up to 72 (not at home, Daddy-O! it's still 60 in the house just because I'm pissy and angry with Mac) and by the time it gets warm, it's time to go home. My feet have been cold for 11 days.

And if it can thunderstorm and then snow in the same day... well, anyone who doesn't believe in global warming can kiss my ass!

And as I type this blog post, it's snowing and blowing. And all the rain is icy so the roads are slick. I think the only thing good about this is a possible snow day or a 2 hour delay tomorrow.

Really, that even pisses me off. I lived in the Wild West and we didn't have snow days. First, I could know my car would be cleared off, as well as my drive way because my students made sure that happened. The road crews started in as soon as the first flake flew. I could wear practical, warm clothes to work like jeans and boots and be comfortable all day long- no cold feet. We didn't have this "wait for the phone call" moment every morning, and there was no making up the days in June and bitching about the DOE and moving graduation day.

Okay so the weather is making me cranky. (Actually Mac being an asshole is making me cranky and I'm taking it out on the weather.) I live in the Midwest and winter is winter and it needs to act like it, damn it!

Weather, schmeather,
Maggie

Come on it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you

I was thinking about the Wild West again together for several reason. One, the huge snow storm that's headed toward us on Thursday or Friday reminds me of weather in the Wild West. And I loved all the cold and snow there. Something about that was just perfect and didn't seem so inconveniencing. The other reason I was thinking about it was because AlaskaSam sent me some pictures of all the snow in his yard and told me about more that's coming and it seems appealing. The last reason I was thinking about the Wild West is because Daddy-O changed his desktop picture to a horse drawn sleigh in the snow.

When I lived there one of the cool things that happened was my horse drawn sleigh ride experience. There was a really OLD sled outside of town in a field and I went out there and had some pictures taken my first Christmas. I was wearing my pink boots and a pink cowboy hat. My intent was to use them as a Christmas card but I never did. Anyway, I told some of my students I did that and they saw the pictures and thought how cool they were because that was stuff they never thought about. A sled to them is typical winter transportation and didn't think I would think of it as a novelty.

With that in mind, when we had a huge snow a few weeks before Christmas, I suddenly had banging on my front door on Sunday evening. When I opened it, there were about 7 kids standing on the stoop giggling, They "caroled" and then told me there was a surprise. They stepped aside and there was a horse drawn sleigh. They were going around town with hay in flatbeds of pickup trucks and riding there and they took turns riding in the horse drawn sleigh. They were with a youth group from a local church and they were also my students. It was my turn to ride in a REAL horse drawn sleigh, not some old abandoned one outside of town. So I got dressed and the bundled me up in warm blankets and then we rode around town singing carols for about 30 minutes.

The horse clip-clopped and the owner/ driver had tied sleigh-bells to the reins and so we jingled all the way. It was exhilarating and magical. It was a complete Currier and Ives experience. They even let me sip hot chocolate out of their thermos. We laughed and giggled and sang. It was cold and the smell of crisp air, and the horse whinnied, and I couldn't have experienced anything better than that moment.

When they dropped me off, all the kids shouted "Marry Christmas" as they rode out of sight.

We haven't had any significant snow yet this year but I have hope. I'm sure I won't be going on a horse drawn sleigh ride when and if we do, but I think I'll always remember this night when the snow falls (or when it's supposed to).

One my best memories ever...
Maggie

Damn, Jack Frost!

Holy Freakin' Snow Storm, Batman!!!!

Yesterday morning when I got up it was pouring down rain, cats and dogs type of rain. It was outrageous and just buckets falling. It was about 45 degrees outside. The weather was really for shit. It was still raining at noon.

Around 1pm several of us were in the hallway during passing period and it had turned to snow. We were all laughing that it would never stick because it was so warm that morning and just too wet to stick.

Boy, were we wrong. The following pictures all happened between 4-5pm.

These three were taken on the way home, out the windshield of the car.

These are pictures I took on campus before I drove home:



And these are of my backyard:



Wind was gusting around 30 mph. Everything in the county was cancelled or closed early. We're supposed to have about 8 inches by this morning. (I have no idea how much there is because we have a 2 hour snow delay and this will post before I get out of bed!) It snowed and snowed and snowed, allegedly all night. I can usually drive home in about 15 minutes (10 minutes if I don't hit all the lights red.). Yesterday it took me about 45 minutes. Plows had not run; it involved me being on county, state and city roads- not one single plow at all. Ugh! Traffic was at a stand still. One road in town is a steep hill and the police cars were all over the place directing cars away from it as those of us at the bottom of the hill watched cars slide down it backwards. I was really happy that I left the house in my rubber muck boots because of the rain this morning because I was ankle deep in slush this afternoon. Not kidding- ankle deep! Can we say mess?????

Winter arrived here in Civilization with a vengeance. Wonder how long it will stay?

Here we snow again

Last week we were outside in sweatshirts. All the snow was melting. The sky was blue. It smelled nice. It was totally spring- like. We had the faux spring teaser for about 4 days.

Then yesterday happened.

It was raining when I woke up. Sometime in the morning I heard "ping" and "plunk" and "ting". The rain turned to ice. It was falling ice. Lovely. Not.

After the ice chorus segued into snow, it really came down. We had snow. Lots of snow. With flakes the size of George Foreman's fists.

Now everything is covered in ice with a nice layer of snow on the top. Nightmare weather.

Mac's school is on a two hour delay and Alcatraz is on a one hour delay, but we're all going to school.

I realize it's just February and we could have 2 more months of this crappola but I want to take this opportunity say I'm just tired of it.

Maggie

A winter moment I experienced years ago

We just keep getting more and more and more and more snow here. Yesterday I was supposed to take Princess to a baby shower for a friend of hers in the next town over. I got stuck in the driveway. I finally tunneled out of that and slid down the hill to town. As I was getting fuel in the car I watched cars sliding down the major highway road as they attempted to go up a hill. Finally a policeman showed up and prevented traffic from going in that direction. A guy at the service station who came from there said they were stopping traffic until a plow and salt/ sand truck could get there.

Since I had some time on my hands and I didn't want to do anything productive like clean or laundry, I was looking at some old- by old I mean 4 or 5 years ago old- blog material and I found the following. I wrote this about a winter moment I had when I lived in the the Wild West. I thought it was at least apropos for the season, if nothing else.

The arctic-like wind blows across the plains, sweeping the snow into swirls like sheets dancing on a clothes line. The barren land is white as far as the eye can see in the twilight. The peaks of the gumbo hills are covered in white fluff, standing proud and tall in the distance. But the hills cannot break the impressive line of whiteness that stretches for endless miles. It's the sort of day where dawn breaks but the haze in the sky hangs low and the clouds cannot be discerned from the contrasting sky; there is not a difference between in the heavens and the earth. We are stuck in a world of white and it seems as if the sky and land know no ending nor beginning.

The snow covers the world and cocoons it from any other colors. It seems as if heaven has collapsed into the Earth. There are not trees in this field nor in the distance. Just earth, covered in the cold blanket called winter. The plains slope and gently roll, but the whiteness is overwhelming and dominates the world. The fence line is hidden under the winter sheets, as are the scrub bushes and sage brush.

The only signs of life in this apocalyptic setting are two fold: the footprints of a deer, one single set of tracks, that almost daintily dot the lonely landscape leaving a trail which suddenly ends in a small dip in the distance. The other is the wind. The silent blowing has a noise, even as it sweeps across the desolateness. Though there are no trees to whistle through, there is a steady humming in the gale forces that add to the sheer aloneness of this winter land, that is wondrous in a sad way.

As I slowly turn away, my breath in a cloudy fog around my head, I gasp mouthfuls of the freezing cold air, tasting the frozen harsh earth, enraptured by what is winter.

Maggie

Frightful Weather

Okay mother nature-- we get it already. You control the weather. We get it already! Stop with the weird weather. Either rain or snow but do one or the other, not both at the same ti,e! I?m really sick of a weather forecast that states "freezing drizzle."

When we left for school this morning there was about 2 inches on the ground that fell overnight. It snowed like mad all day alternating between freezing drizzle and snow. It was a slushy, wet, icy mess. I hate slush. I told the school secretary this morning we didn't have this much snow where I lived in the Wild West!

We've just been pounded this season with snow and then ice on top of that with rain on top and back to snow. It's been cloudy and overcast for days, weeks. I don't mind it all, really but I hate having Mac drive in this trashy weather. Thank goodness my insurance is paid up! I hate clearing off the car all the time, and frozen windshield wipers. And I just think what I really want is a dang snow day. Let's get to the heart of the matter- I want a snow day!

There's more wind, smow and ice coming our way again. And you know what? You never hear about us on the weather channel or having CNN correspondents coming to get footage and interview folks here-- because this our normal winter, I guess. Or no one cares about the Midwest. Wusses in the east coast make headlines every time the wind blows and we get three days of snow and freezing drizzle and no one says a word. Ugh!

I wish I had better snow boots. This is not me looking for an excuse to get new footwear either!!! I really need boots that are warm, water proof with good grippy bottoms and preferably that are stylish! Tall order. Maybe next year. Maybe I could appeal to Mother Nature's woman side and see how she feels about shoes?

I have no idea who ticked Mother Nature off but I wish they'd stop it already.

Maggie

Favorite tree

This is a weird post for today I realize. The weather's gotten really, really warm. All the snow melted away. It's not winter looking anymore. It's about 50 degrees out and then tomorrow it's supposed to be in the 30s and then Sunday be in the 20s. So, yest it will be colder but we don't have any snow in the forecast.

I'm missing some snow. I know that's silly but I really do miss it. And I know it's just December and it will snow again. But I could be living in NYC and dealing with the blizzard and between you and me, I would be just fine with that. I like the snow as I've said before.

So while I'm missing the snow I started thinking about winter in the Wild West. We had a TON of snow there. I mean tons. We had that much snow all the time. It never made the news when we had 27 inches.

I had a favorite tree in the Wild West. I should say it was the only tree in the Wild West; I was a "plains" girl so it was all flat, barren rolling land. There were very few deciduous trees where I lived and I would get homesick for trees. So I found the perfect tree one day, on a drive. It was about a quarter mile drive up a rancher's lane. It was about 18 miles from my house. I tracked down the rancher and got permission to visit the tree. He told me as long as I didn't let the cattle out or hit any, I could see it all I wanted.

So, here's a picture of my favorite tree in the winter.

The first snowfall

I love the first snowfall of the season. It's like magic. I love the fresh white blanket left all over the ground, making everything look clean and pristine. It's beautiful.

Falling snow also makes me feel energized. Happy. Perky. Smiley.

Yesterday we had out first "real" snowfall. Oh, we got a mere dusting earlier this week, but yesterday was the first big one, which really just amounted to about an inch but it sure was festive and pretty coming down, all those big, wet, fat flakes floating about. It was lovely.

Snow always reminds me of good childhood memories, like going sledding at our local park on a hill that, as a child I thought was HUGE, and now as an adult... well, not so much. Snow makes me want to run around in it, catching snow flakes on my tongue and making snowmen and snow angels. I want to be the first to run through a smooth surface after sitting and admiring the perfection of nature's canvass. I love waking up in the middle of the night to catch Jack Frost spreading his magic all over the country, under the cover of darkness, and going out to watch the snow fall on my hair in the silence and peace of the night. I love the quietness that comes with the snow fall, the whispering of the flakes as they fall, barely touching down.

When the sun shines on the snow and it glistens in the light, the world looks covered with diamonds.

With snow comes winter, of course and there are some things I still love about this chilly season and for some reason, the first snowfall always makes me love winter, and all that goes with it. I love my winter clothes. I love my short wool skirts, thick tights, chunky soled shoes that are cute and comfortable. I love my sweaters and turtle necks and wearing layers. I love my twill jackets, pink boots, and jeans. I want to wear my black velvet dress. I love wearing my long wool coats and all my pink scarves and stocking caps. I love the smell of wet wool.

I remember my first winter in the Wild West. It was so cold and my apartment couldn't get warm, it seemed so I had to wear a scarf and fingertipless gloves in my living room to stay warm. For some reason, it added to the magic of winter. Another night I sat in my pajamas and winter coat, drinking cocoa and peppermint schnapps on my front stoop at 2 am watching the snow swirl around me, dancing flakes, twirling flakes, coating me like sugar. Deer walked through my yard, sensing my presence and watching me wary eyes. I just sat and enjoyed the hauntingness, magic, of the moment.

I like that during the winter when snow is on the ground that the darkness isn't really dark. Even in the dead of night the moon lights up the snow, or the night just doesn't seem as dark.

The smell of the cold air is invigorating. I like the way it fills my lungs and smells like clean.

Snow on Christmas makes the day perfect. Snow around this time of year makes me want to shop for gifts, decorate, sing carols, and bake. Daddy-O installed in a fireplace, which makes the season perfect. I like the first snow so much I'll admit to liking the shoveling of the white stuff, but I like running the snowblower even more!.

Snow fall. The first of the season. Perfection.

Maggie the Snow Queen

Bummer...

It's just a snow delay... it did snow a little through the night and the wind died down so the plows worked overtime. Mac is even going and his school is in the middle of a field. It must not be too bad.

But I guess the upside is that I'm not going to school in the dark. And the day is 2 hours shorter.

Guess I better get dressed.

A snow day... sorta!

So, last night the weather forecast was that we would get anywhere from 3-6 inches of snow, with gusting winds. This is what I went to bed thinking was going to happen.

Well, the weather folks were half right and half wrong. When I got up this morning at 6:30 am, it had only been snowing for about a half hour (according to everyone I talked to when I got to school, that was the time it started...) . We had what I would call a "dusting" of snow and it was certainly not blowing. I heard the snow plow pass lots of times and there was no school delay nor cancellation.

It has snowed all day long. If snow could be described as coming down in "sheets" like rain, then this would be such. It hasn't been some little flurries either; it has been a hard driving, pounding snow with no stopping. By 2pm today, we have about 6 inches of snow on the ground. AND IT'S STILL COMING DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!! The wind hasn't started blowing... yet.

As a matter of fact, it snowed so hard and accumulated so quickly that all the school systems in my county dismissed 2 hours early!

Who knows what tomorrow may bring? If it keeps snowing like this, we will probably have a snow day. If the wind starts in, the county kids will for sure be canceled and anything could happen in the city school systems. So, today I got to come home 2 hours early, which was pretty awesome.

According to our Doppler radar over my area (via the Weather Channel online, thank you very much technology!), it should taper off later this evening, but then start snowing and blowing again though the night to add another inch by morning, having a total accumulation of 6-8 inches in some areas. Then the wind is supposed to blow, up to 30 mph gusts. Then it's supposed to snow another 1-3 inches tomorrow afternoon. HEL-LO WINTER! Yikes!

These pictures were taken from the front porch at about 2pm today. You see all that snow? Only about half an inch was there this morning, to start out with! Holy White Stuff, Batman!

The tree in the front yard.

The neighbor's house and tree across the street. I used this as a "brown" background so you could see the snow coming down!

The again covered front sidewalk about ten minutes after Daddy-O and I scooped it clean! (See the pile of snow atop the lamp post?)

Thinkin' a blizzard,
Maggie

Shiver me timbers, it's bloody cold!

I've had enough of the snow already. Please quit. I've begged and tried to bargain with Mr. Jack Frost but he's having nothing to do with me and my pleas; my wailing and groveling is falling on deaf ears as the snow continues to just float around us all, completely unassuming in its dropping, that I hate it and that I'm plotting its dreadful end. I wish I could set a million hairdryers on the snow and melt those fiendish little flakes into nothing but puddles! Bwahahahahaha!

Okay, it snowed so much yesterday that I didn't get to leave to see a movie. Mac and I were already to see Nine. (I have no idea how I convinced him to see it. I've heard rumor that someone is topless, and I don't mean Day-Lewis and since Mac is 16 years old and does love boobies... anyway, there has to be a logical explanation for a kid his age to want to see a musical!) We were going to the next town over but never left Civilization after watching several cars slide right off the slick streets in front of us. Drat! As Mac said, "This weather blows." Indeed it does!

And the weather forecast says we're supposed to have more snow over the next three days. Again, I am unimpressed. I'm cold. I've been cold since I drove home in that damnable blizzard last Christmas holiday!

I even went so far as to look at the price of plane tickets to see my blogger friend P who lives in Florida. For $300 I could go, leaving Wednesday, and stay for a week. I'm afraid it would be so warm, I wouldn't want to leave in a week, whether SHE wanted me to or not.

Anyway, providing Jack Frost takes an ounce of pity on me, I plan to pick up Curley later today to do some fabric and yarn shopping, have a spot of lunch, and take in a movie. We shall see how the day progresses, I would guess.

blast this cold,
Maggie "shivering" Mae

I am so sick of this weather!

I never thought I would utter the words "I'm sick of snow" but I am! It's really cold today. I'm tired of the biting cold and the snow.

And I think Civilization may be civilization but they do a poor job of taking care of roads and sidewalks. Parking lots are a mess.

And I was looking at the weather in the Wild West today and it's about 50 degrees- and here it's a high of 13 with wind.

I also can't seem to wear the right clothes. I go in a store, classroom, a restaurant or movie theater and I'm either roasting or freezing. There's no inside continuity.

I want a tropical vacation, like a cruise. Wouldn't that be nice? I wonder if I could convince AmericaninIreland Sam that he would like to meet in the Caribbean rather than London? Did you see the snowfall there???? This weather is abhorrent. I realize I'm complaining but I'm just tired of being cold cold cold all the damn time.

Freezing my butt off,
Maggie