Waiting on the Storm

[Jani]

The next big winter storm will start dumping snow in my area on the East coast of the US after midnight.  This is the third storm in two weeks.  The first one wasn't too bad with about 8 inches of snowfall.  The second one left over a foot of wet snow and I lost power for two days.  This one is predicted to be just snow without the rainy mix but will be heavy with 12 to 18 inches expected to fall.  

 

I had an electrolysis appointment but its been moved out a day.  I have fuel for the generator if needed again and diesel for the skid steer bucket loader.  It tends to make short work of cleanup rather than using the snow blower.  So I'm going to hunker down and ride the storm out.  Cue REO Speedwagon....

 

Jani

[Rachael]

Stay safe in the storm. I do not like snow much but it’s better than ice. 

[BrandiBri]

I second that. You seem to be getting all the snow that we here in the Midwest use to get.  Be safe and keep warm.

 

Hugs,

Brandi 

[tracy_j]

Just don't send it over here lol. You sound like you are better prepared than we would be Jani. Keep safe!

 

Tracy

 

[Charlize]

The storm is passing us now but seems to be a lot smaller than the last one which dumped 16" of very wet heavy snow here and took power for a second time.  Thank heavens for a wood stove and a front end loader to clear around the farm.  We had one small structure collapse with the last snow but fortunately no goats were trapped or hurt.  There will be a lot of fence work repairing the damage of falling branches and trees once this clears.

The good news is that i'm bottling syrup and have orders for 8 cases already.  Soon it will be green grass, bare legs and a skirt!

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Timber Wolf]

This has been the strangest winter I can remember ever around here in Michigan. We had small snows of 5" or less, but not one single storm all winter. I consider a storm to need to dump at least 6" of snow to even be worthy of being called a storm, and that is a small one.

 

When I was a kid, the snow would drift over the roof of our neighbor's garage. The drifts would be so high that my sister and I would sled down them. My mom took home movies of us sliding down a snow drift on our sleds and our dog Oliver (Ollie) chasing us down. Ahh, the good ol' days of youth!

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

[Jani]

I recall winters like that too.  I think we would have to travel further north to experience that again.  

 

I was thinking winter's back was broken, but March came in like a lion and will go out like a different lion!  (with apologies to SNL)  Looking further out there is another storm in the forecast.  Oh my!  I need to put the sandals away and keep the boots by the door.  

 

Jani

[tracy_j]

I remember when I was little walking out in the snow every winter, and finding the water butt with so thick ice I couldn't break it. Not as extreme as some places, but it has really got warmer in recent times. Just wet and miserable now rather than cold and crisp. I don't know about March going out like a lamb, as the saying goes, but do remember the first time I ever went out dressed in a short skirt with warmer weather clothes. It was to the seaside only a few years ago, and that was in the last week of March. The weather was beautiful!

 

Tracy

[Jani]

I lost power for a couple hours.  Other than that it was uneventful.  A lot of snow to move.  More is predicted next week, oh my! 

[MaryEllen]

These extreme storms and cold we've been having is a direct result of global warming.

[Jani]

Yes I agree.  But due to the variation of weather we actually experience I think it should have been called Climate Change from the onset.  Naysayers latched onto "warming" and ignored all else.   

 

Jani

[Petra Jane]

I'm with Tracy_j, please, please, pleeeessseee keep it over there.

[Jani]

I would NEVER wish this on someone who wasn't used to it!  I felt badly when I read of the snow you recently had.  It does get old but at least I have equipment to handle it.  

 

Jani

[Charlize]

I feel the same way about the fact that our climate is in a definite flux caused by human activity.  In fact feel is the wrong word as it has nothing to do with guesswork but is based on science.  I've heard some very difficult predictions and am glad we have the farm and machinery to handle things.  As a young person i could shovel all day but now it's hard enough to get to the barn to get the tractor and begin to due chores.  We are set up to heat with wood and have solar electric and hot water but despite that without a battery backup it doesn't work during an outage so we won't hurt anyone who may be working on the wires.  A battery backup may well be next if the cost comes down a bit.  

Glad your power held out Jani.  I love your bob cat loader.  

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[MaryEllen]

18 hours ago, Jani said:

Yes I agree.  But due to the variation of weather we actually experience I think it should have been called Climate Change from the onset.  Naysayers latched onto "warming" and ignored all else.   

 

Jani

 

I think it would have been better called climate change too. This past winter has been more like it was when I was growing up in northern Maine. The earth goes through warming and cooling cycles naturally but I don't doubt that mankind is contributing to the climate change happening right now whichever way it's going.

 

MaryEllen