Walking on ice cubes?

What a week for careful walking! The blizzards of Christmas and early January left a lot of snow on sidewalks and side streets. Several lots never cleared their sidewalks; it is almost impossible to do so now. So walking to work already meant being more attentive than usual.

Then came several days of freezing fog followed by freezing drizzle. For two days everything was covered with close to a half inch of ice. Thank goodness for Yaktrax! However, my Yaktrax were showing wear, so after John did a bit of repair work, I ordered a new pair. (Is that order enough to ward off the winter gods and mean no more snow and ice?) Every step was now deliberate.

Then yesterday afternoon the temperature rose and the ice began dropping off the branches. The sidewalks were covered with ice cubes! Really. They were even the same size. Amazingly, those ice cubes made the walking much easier. The crunching sound was fun, too.

So now what? It rained last night and the temperature has stayed at 35 Fahrenheit so there are puddles - and still icy spots. More snow is predicted. Sigh. I am really looking forward to clear pavement so I can stride out not worrying about every step.

Snow - again!

As I write this, the wind continues to blow the snow into huge drifts as the temperature drops. It is now -8 and headed lower. The college closed the campus yesterday about noon and remained closed today. In 20 years I've never seen it close down like this but the students don't come until next week, so it is easier to do.



This third big storm of the season started with a beautiful, fluffy snow due to the cold temperatures. Then came the wind. It is always amazing how it can blow for hours (days?) without blowing itself out. With all the snow on the ground from the three big storms and several minor snowfalls, drifting is a problem. About noon today the snowplows were taken off the highways. Now that is serious.



I didn't venture outside at all today. So I have only two photos taken from inside. A couple of should haves... should have taken a picture of the cleared sidewalk Tuesday afternoon. Pavement was even visible in places with snow 18+ inches high on either side. Today there isn't even a hint of where the sidewalk should be in front of the house. Should have taken these photos BEFORE sunset... and checked the auto setting before snapping!




The drift on our front porch is the prettiest. There are three nice big rose bushes just beyond the railing.




This is the house across the street, undeniably the nicest looking house in the neighborhood. The owner is a real detail person so it always looks great. Notice the amount of snow on the right side and then note the bare spot at the left edge. Our sidewalk SHOULD be in the foreground.



This is the back yard. Just this side of the bird feeder there is hardly any snow. The black 'spots' on the shed doors are at least three feet above ground level. Good thing we put the snow shovels and blower in the garage, though the drifts there are several feet high too.



If this weather pattern continues, it could be a tough semester. Probably half of my students usually commute, so there will be lots of missed classes. Since my students need to be in class in order to prepare for their field experiences, it could be interesting. I have to continue to teach those who are in class, but those who miss might not be ready for their practicum sessions. They can't be penalized for not driving on icy, snowy roads. What a dilemma. Is it too much to hope for a quiet rest of the winter?

Gromit's Florida Adventure

As you can see by the colors on this fire hydrant, I took another trip with Marilyn and John. After flying back from Oregon into the remnants of a Christmas blizzard, we spent two days at the Super 8 motel near the Omaha airport waiting for the roads to clear. Then after just two nights at home, we flew to Melrose, Florida to spend some time with John's dad.


Florida, you say? Sunshine and warmth? Think again! Not this year. It was mostly sunny but COLD. Several nights were in the 20s with daytime highs barely reaching the low 40s. BRR. With no central heating, all house occupants were grateful for the wood stove, the propane room size heater, and electric blankets. We did bundle up in every layer we brought for walks - note that all I had was a fleece vest besides my fur! For several walks I traveled in John's pocket.




It was actually hard to find a good spot to take my picture with Florida flora. The light was always tricky but this photo is okay.




This plant was in the yard of a nearby house. Since Marilyn is just about 5' tall, you can see that the leaves are really big! After night temperatures in the high 20s those big leaves just wilted. Just because something is big doesn't prevent it from being wimpy!



Can you believe that Marilyn and John wanted my to meet an alligator? This is more 'up close and personal' than I wanted - until I discovered it wasn't alive! It was stone. Whew!


Have you ever taken a picture of a picture? John did! This is a painting of the Florida house back when it wasn't totally surrounded by trees and bushes. It is virtually impossible to get a photo of the house now! The front of the house is facing left.


We flew back to Omaha and then drove home on January 6 under clear, sunny skies. Oh, did I forget to mention that the temperature was about +5? Still, that was better than what happened the next day - ANOTHER blizzard. That's three major storms since early December. GRR.