We have a couple of Cardinals that live between our house and our neighbors. Their nest is in a tree on the edge of our driveway, but our neighbors have tasty snacks and our shrubs are concord grapes and even in the winter provide the birds nibbles and a place to rest. Mrs. Cardinal is a bit shy, but Mr. Cardinal loves to strut his stuff and I see him an awful lot. They really are beautiful birds!
Life is full of surprises, and this winter, in New England, certainly has been one surprise after another! It’s been snowing since the middle of the night and we have probably 5-6 inches with about 10 expected tomorrow. Schools are closed, visibility is not so good and it seems winter has us in it’s firm grip.
I like snow. You know the first snow fall of the season, but this is getting to be ridiculous! I saw a post on Facebook that read “It’s like living in a snow-globe, and some jerk keeps picking it up and shaking it!”
Lili loves it. She leaps through it like a deer, ad I swear I can see a smile on her face. The dackels, however, go out, find a spot quickly and run back in! I can’t say I blame them. If I was in their position, I might go on strike completely!
It’s not supposed to end until Monday night or Tuesday morning, and even then, we may have some snow showers.
Ah yes, winter in New England! Gotta love it!
In honor of the most recent snow storm in New England, I think they called it “JUNO” I am posting these photos from my past.
Here I am with my sister standing in front of a huge mound of snow at the Stop & Shop Plaza. I think I was just six or seven years old.
This was our German Shepherd, Lorelei (Siren of the Rhine). She was trying really hard to make it through the snow.
Many people think you can move to Cape Cod and somehow it is like retiring to Florida. Not really. Cape Cod can get just as much, if not more snow than New Hampshire. It’s just the summers there, can be Heaven!
Yep! The snow is falling! I woke in the night and it still had not started in my part of New Hampshire. However, in southern New Hampshire, where my daughter lives, it is crazy, and they are getting dumped on.
We are all set with food, for both man and beast. So we can sit back, watch movies all day, and enjoy the falling snow.
Mandy and Matt, on the other hand, will need to start to dig out fairly soon. They may even need to do it twice.
Blizzards are wild and crazy things!
Oh boy!
I woke up this morning and the weatherman is forecasting a huge snow storm for Monday night, Tuesday and into Wednesday! What is huge? 2 feet of snow! Add to that high winds. All this means, it will be one giant mess!
I’m going to encourage Hubby to call our friend, and snowplow driver to cover us on this storm. Hubby is just getting over the flu and certainly doesn’t need a relapse of it.
On Monday I go in for my six month check up with my doctor, and I will stock up on a few things, in the event we get snowed in for a few days. You know, bread, milk, eggs, and yogurt!
We also need to stock up on gasoline in the event we lose power and need to use the generator. I don’t usually go crazy when a bad storm is forecast, as the weather people tend to go overboard with their hype. However, it appears that everyone from the local weather people, to the national weather channels are saying the same thing. So, to be on the safe side, I’m stocking up.
Today I accomplished a few things. Yay for me, right? Well, I wish I had done more, but my old back started aching and well, that’s all I could do.
Still, I managed three meals for Hubby and me, feeding and walking the dogs, vacuuming, and changing sheets. Whew! I guess I did get a lot more than I thought done!
Greta
Oh yes, and I watched the New England Patriots play the Baltimore Ravens.What an exciting game! I usually don’t get super into football (my favorite sport to watch is tennis), but I do love football playoff time! The Patriots won 35-31!
Arnie
It’s still freezing cold up here. I’m at the point where I think spring and warmer temperatures may never come!
Anneliese
Now we will get our soft blankies and watch reruns on the TV. I know it will be an early bedtime for me!
Lili
You would not have believed our driveway on Monday morning! I think I have mentioned that our driveway is about 500 feet going up hill to the street, right? Well today, that 500 feet was all black ice!
Usually I would not care, but Hubby was going to the VA doctors and had to leave the house at 9 AM. He actually left a little early, and it took him quite a while to make it up that driveway. In fact, after he left I called my sander-man and arranged for him to come and sand and salt the driveway.
He was amazed at the number of calls that he had gotten to come and rescue people. The weather over the weekend really made a mess of the roads.
I broke out my ice walkers so when I walked the dogs I wouldn’t slip. Those ice treads were one of the best things I have ever gotten myself at LL Bean!
Looking out in my back yard the hill is all frozen ice on top of the 6 inches of snow! It’s pretty, but scary too.
Back in my youth I would have grabbed a cookie sheet or whatever sliding object I could and sledded down something like that. Unfortunately as you age you realize that bones break and it’s not so easy to get them healed up after menopause!
I woke up on Sunday and looked out of the window. I could see the snow had piled up on one of the cars and it looked like 6 or so inches.
I stopped, still in my pajamas, and put on my winter boots. After all, Lili hates to wait while I do this, once she sees me first thing in the morning!
I grabbed my parka, hat and gloves and Lili met me at the door. We took one step out the door and our feet crunched through the icy layer on top of the snow.
Lili was kind of freaking out, as she had never experienced this kind of weather event. I had to stomp around the back yard, until enough of the snow/ice mixture was broken up, so she could do her business.
Everything was an icy/snowy/watery mess! I was trying to let Hubby sleep, but he somehow knew he needed to get up and have breakfast so he could break out his old Gravely snow blower/lawn mower. I swear to God, that thing is older than I am, although he says it is not. Still….
He spent nearly all day working on the driveway, and stairs, as well as the area for the dackels to do their business. Lili may not like it, but she can certainly handle 6 inches of snow!
So the day has been full of sloppiness, wetness and work. The best part…watching the dogs deal with and play in the snow! So much fun!
Last night I finished addressing, writing and stamping our Christmas cards. We’re late this year because of our vacation. What a good reason. After last years, rather disaster filled year, I told Hubby that this year we were going to keep it light.
Actually, we’ve had a good year. Mostly. I mean, there was some sadness, with the loss of dear Fritz, but also much happiness with wonderful trips and my daughter buying the home of her dreams.
And the continued wonder and happiness of sweet Savannah Rose! What a lucky Oma I am!
My dearest friend Carol, here in New Hampshire, is out of the hospital. Thankfully, they were able to treat her quickly and saved her life. It’s been touch and go for a week.
My dear Uschi, in Germany will go home tomorrow. She has been in the hospital since I was on my trip in November, after falling and injuring her back. It was very serious, but she will come home on Tuesday.
So the people in my life that have been having trouble, will soon be better. That gives me what I wanted the very most for Christmas!
So Sunday was the day I had decided to break down the garden. Take down the stakes, roll up the fences and prepare to clean the garden so we can fertilize it before the snow falls.
I managed to get what I wanted done today, in between the raindrops, and the wind, dressed in a warm jacket and my winter hat and gloves, I took Greta out with me and did my work.
Greta is so much fun to be in the yard with. She is old enough to know the rules, and she loves to go out and hang around with you. If I call, she is right there.
In fact, at one point, I called and called and I couldn’t seem to find her, when I felt something on my leg. I looked down and there she was! I think she was probably laughing at me!
When we were done I came in and felt quite tired. So Greta and I curled up on my chair and I fell asleep with her in my lap. (I’m sure the other dogs were jealous!)
As the sun is setting tonight the clouds are an orange/pink color. The trees are nearly stripped of their leaves, and the train has ceased their leaf peeping schedule for another year.
It never ceases to amaze me, how fast time goes.