Archive for the ‘Weather’ Category

Feb 07
2010

The Snow Won’t Get Me Down, Oh No…The Snow Can’t Get Me Down

There must be about two feet of snow on the ground. I just trudged outside to check on the chickens.  (They’re royally p*@@ed, by the way.) I also broadcast another 15 or so pounds of bird seed onto the snow in the back yard.  Can your ankles get frostbite in ten minutes?

I’m back inside and my heart has finally stopped pounding from the exertion. Now I’m going to go play with my houseplants and forced bulbs and sing this little ditty:  The snow won’t get me down…oh no…The snow can’t get me down.

'Lilac Wonder' in the kitchen window

Tulipa bakeri 'Lilac Wonder' in the kitchen window

'Prinses Irene' tulips in the kitchen

Tulipa 'Prinses Irene' tulips in the kitchen

'Prinses Irene' closeup

Tulipa 'Prinses Irene' closeup

Robin
There are 19 comments
Filed in: Flowers, Weather

Feb 06
2010

They’re Calling it the Storm of the Century

I’m not even sure how much snow we have, but we have a lot of snow. So far the power is on. But I don’t think the 100 lbs. of birdseed I bought in preparation for the snow is going to hold out long. The birds are arriving in droves.

See for yourself.

The birds are practically knocking on the back door asking for more bird seed.

The birds are practically knocking on the back door asking for more bird seed.

Harry ventured out to do a bit of damage control to the chicken coop. The chickens are nestled inside where it is heated and I have given them treats of kale and dried corn on the cob.

Harry ventured out to do a bit of damage control to the chicken coop. The chickens are nestled inside where it is heated and I have given them treats of kale and dried corn on the cob.

At one point there were about 25 cardinals outside in addition to all the other birds.

At one point there were about 25 cardinals outside in addition to all the other birds.

The goldfinches have lost their color for the winter.

Robin
There are 13 comments
Filed in: Chickens, Weather, Wildlife

Feb 04
2010

I Already Have Snow, Thank You

The weather guessers tell us that there’s yet another snowstorm headed our way. We’re preparing for 12 to 18 more inches of snow on top of what we already have still sitting around. Oh joy.

Snow is pretty. But it’s darned inconvenient. Even after the roads are plowed we are still stuck way back here until we can find someone to plow the road that is our driveway. And I don’t even want to talk about what happens when the power goes out. But let me just say this…Without power, we have no water.

red chair in snow

So, we do the best that we can.

The refrigerators are stocked. The wine cellar is full. We have batteries and blankets. If the power stays on we have plenty of entertainment too—books, projects, writing.

I sort of wish that I had one of those jobs that couldn’t be done from home so it could be a real holiday. Alas, my clients will still be expecting their stuff.

foo dogs in snow

What about you? Got snow?

Robin
There are 8 comments
Filed in: Weather
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Right Now at Bumblebee

March 7th, 2010

It’s official. Dawn over at Owl Hollow News won the Grocery Gardening drawing.  Congratulations, Dawn. I hope you enjoy the book.

What’s on your plate today? The weather here is sunny and at least not frigid. I’ll continue my early spring garden cleanup and also clean and repair bird houses. The bluebirds have made their return and are already checking out the real estate. What a joy to watch over my Sunday morning coffee.

Robin

March 6th, 2010

I find this one of the most anxiety-producing times of the year in the garden.

As I head outside and begin the winter cleanup, the whole summer garden thing just seems incredibly overwhelming. There’s so much to do. And I’m just one person out there. Honestly, I felt like sitting down to have a good cry about mid-afternoon. But I managed to put one foot in front of the other and actually got a good amount of tidy-up work done. Tomorrow will be more of the same.

Thank you everyone who left a comment explaining how you approach reading and leaving comments on blog posts. The cumulative input has been extremely helpful. The overall consensus is that you’ll read comments if it’s an interesting discussion. You don’t usually subscribe to comments because it clogs up your email box. And you’ll only check back to see if the author has responded if you’ve left a question. That about sums it up.

On another note, I have selected by random number generator the winner of Grocery Gardening. She’s been notified. When she responds back, I’ll announce who she is.

Thank you everyone!

Robin Ripley

February 22nd, 2010

My lawn is a wreck.

I went outside to re-fill the bird feeders—AGAIN. The parts of my lawn that don’t look like the frozen tundra resemble a swamp. With every step I take my foot sinks down at least an inch. Walking to the feeders I can see my path in the mud.

I also see that we lost one small ornamental tree by the driveway as well as one of my rose trellises, which succumbed to the weight of the snow.

Spring better hurry up and get here. I have a lot of work to do.

Robin

February 17th, 2010

Are you sick of everyone talking about the weather? I am too, but here goes…

There is so much snow on the ground, I don’t know when it’ll all melt. On top of that, much of it has iced to the extent that moving it from one place to another requires a pick ax. Walking in the back yard to fill the bird feeders is like walking on a bumpy ice rink. There are trees and bushes that need a bit of first aid to remove partially broken branches, but I don’t dare risk skating across the ice with my pruners. Not yet anyway.

Still, there is hope. Although we’re expecting snow flurries today, the weather should warm up into the forties in the next few days, providing some melting relief.

But really, all this unrelieved WHITE is getting to me!

Robin

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