Our Little Ice Age~

Watching the noon news today, the weatherman used the term Little Ice Age to describe our streak of bitterly cold weather, wind & snow.  It feels like an ice age!  This all started with sleet & a wet snow Saturday the 6th. The temperature was mild compared to what's followed.  Low 20's warming to 30 degrees in the afternoon.

1-6 In the Beginning

I don't think anyone expected this would lead to days & days of even more bitter cold. December had been deceptively mild & the long-range forecast was for a milder than average month of January.  The following day, the snow started again; cold, light & wind driven.

1-8 Another dusting~

By the 9th, another four inches added to what was already on the ground.  A frozen mix of sleet & snow that adhered to everything.  Especially cars, walkways etc. 

1-9 My day's work~

On the 10th, another inch of light power came in during the early morning & by early afternoon, sunshine!  It was beautiful - sticking the branches of the trees & creating a fairyland effect.   Our high was 24 degrees, but surprisingly - there was a tiny bit of melting.

1-10 Wonderland of white~

The 12th - the blizzard blew in. The winds were ferocious out of the north & west. The snow was so light, the wind blew it everywhere! Drifts started forming & the roads were impassable. Everything was covered again.  I'd had both driveways shoveled clear before this latest blast. I'd also set out reflector poles to mark where the drives started & stopped. As I watched from the office window, a city snowplow came down the street with blade full & deposited it all long our side of the street.  This totally blocked both driveways with a new berm over three feet high.  

1-12 No access to a plowed street now!

It was now impossible for me to get the Bronco out.  My go-to vehicle in this kind of weather.  Across the way is a wide city easement, with no driveways at all.  I sent an email to the city.  I appreciate the work the plows do to keep the roads open, but living on the corner can be a headache. 

1-13 No driveway in sight~

The wind driven snow continued for several hours, but the sun returned the following day.  With it, more of the bitter cold.  Zero degrees all night & when the wind came up, we dropped to -2.  It was a world of untracked white. I was back to shoveling & shoveling.  Just getting off the front porch & through the drift there was tough.  Next - clearing down just one side of the driveway!  The drifts got even deeper the closer to the road I shoveled.

1-14 Off the porch & on to the driveway!

No one would have known & I'd had all this completely clear just a few days ago. It didn't take me long to realize I would not be moving all that snow on my own!  I called a friend who gave me the number of the person she used to clear her driveway.  Lucky for me - he agreed to come that night. 

1-16 Drive open again~

 It was -17 all night, warming to -6 by midmorning.  Being outside for any length of time at all was miserable.  Even with two pair of gloves, my fingers went numb.

The woods~

The woods were beautiful!  Untracked by even a bunny going through.  The few deer I knew had browsed their way into the marsh area.  My poor little white pine was again eaten.  This time, about to the ground.  I'm going to have to give up on it.

1-16 Cardinal at the Feeder~

The birds are spending hours at my two feeders!  The first time I trucked my way along the west fence through the drifts, to fill the feeders, the snow was up to my knees.  I came back up the hill with my muck boots full of snow.  It's so worth it to have the entertainment from the Cabin's sliding door.  

Woodpecker, Cardinal & smaller birds on the ground~

Several times now I've had as many as six male Cardinals at one time, along with two or three females.  The Downey Woodpecker hangs from the bottom & scatters seed to the ground where the Black-Capped Chickadees & other small birds take advantage!  

1-16 South side of the Cabin~

The north side of the Cabin was swept clean by the winds that deposited all the snow on & around the Bronco!  The south side had three-foot drifts.  I now have most of this cleaned up & Finn can walk from the house to the Cabin without disappearing into a drift!  

Yesterday, Wednesday I ran into a couple of friends at the grocery.  We stood outside in the welcome sunshine talking.  We decided that 20 degrees, (the temperature yesterday) is now the new 60! :-)  Funny how your perception of cold changes after a few days in the negative digits!

1-18 Almost noon~

Today, we're back to gray & cloud cover with another storm on the horizon.  The sun does keep trying to burn through!  Even more bitter cold over the weekend with a Saturday high of 1 degree & low of -15.  By 8 a.m. our feels like could be -25... again!  I'm thankful we don't live further north!  Next week is the promise of warmer temperatures!  30's will feel like heaven!

Full on Lush!

 It was a warm day, but a beautiful one!  Hardly any wind & not too humid - surprising with all the moisture we've received.  Thursday afternoon, my friend Laura had invited me over to dig more Hosta's from her backyard.  I'd brought home three tubs full & you still couldn't tell I'd taken any.  Once home, I spent the afternoon getting them planted. 

The Walnuts are leaving out!

It had been a somewhat difficult week & by today, I was ready to get Smokey out for a ride.  I spoke to Mari Jo before leaving, but she had customers, so I hit the trail.  Looking at the creeks I crossed, it was obvious we'd had rain!  They were full of both water & silt.

Beaver dam hardly holding back the flow~

This time of year, I just ride along emersed in the greens...  Green & the blue of the sky, the predominant colors of Iowa from spring through summer.

Smokey by the Imogene 14-mile sign~

I reached the little Depot in Malvern.  A volunteer was weed spraying along the side of the building where the first picnic table is, so I went around back.  I'd just sat down & gotten out my water when she appeared around the corner.  Not wanting to inhale those fumes, I returned to the trail & decided to stop at the park.

Our new break spot~

Even with a few people pulling in to camp for the weekend, on the far side of the pond, it was nice & quiet.  The picnic tables are under cover & shady.  I think this will be our new rest spot with such a nice view.  

On the way back north~

I always enjoy the concrete mile north of Malvern.  It's so quiet after the sound of the limestone.  The Cardinal's were joined by the Oriole's today - both brilliant colors very flashy against the intense greens.  I think they wait until the last minute - before making their dash across in front of me!  :-)

Almost back to Silver City~

The last couple miles are on a slight uphill grade & always seem like the longest.  One of these days, if we get another cooler one, I'll tackle the Minneola to Silver City section.  Up what I think of as a decent hill.  Mary Jo, powers along, hardly noticing, but she's ridden a bike as long as I'd ridden horses :-)

When I entered the shop for my usual bottle of ice cold water, Mari Jo mentioned getting ready to send out a search party!  :-) I'd been on the phone with both Butch & Roxi which took longer than usual. Keeping truckers in-line keeps me busy!  :-)  I'm hopeful now, Butch will be coming home for a short break soon!