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Monday, March 10, 2014

How are you today?

No real post from me, except I wanted to know how you are today, and how is the weather where you live?

We've had a good share of rain here, with street flooding, mudslides and train track wash-outs. Much of our area is hilly, so if you live at the top or the bottom of a hill, your home is at risk during periods of heavy rainfall.

What about your area? Are you in part of the world where the spring thaw has hit, ans hit hard, putting rivers and streams at risk for flooding? Is the sun shining brightly and bringing cheer to this hard-to-get-going Monday (first work day of Daylight Savings Time). Or does it still feel like winter where you are? How are you today?

Have a great day!

25 comments:

  1. Good morning!

    Well, here in Southern Ohio things are starting to look up a little. We are used to mild winters and have had one of the worst winters in 20+ years.

    Our last snow storm was exactly one week ago...1/2 inch of ice followed by 6 inches of snow. Then we had single digit temps until last Wednesday.

    Finally we began to thaw late last week. We actually had a high of 57 degrees F on Saturday! My husband and I washed the road salt off of our vehicles and just soaked up the sun and warmer weather.

    Our yard is now brown grass and not white for the first time since early December. It's also a sloppy, muddy mess...but we'll take it. :)

    So, things are finally looking up. Our temps are supposed to be near 60 today and tomorrow. There is a chance of 1/2 inch of snow on Wednesday morning, but with a high near 40, I doubt it will last long.

    I'm prone to feeling depressed during the winter, and this one has been hard for me. I'm ready for spring! After my husband and I washed our vehicles on Saturday, we just sat on our front porch. I was day dreaming about warm sun, green grass, blossoms on my apple, peach and pear trees, my lilac bushes and humming birds flitting about and briefly stopping at my feeder. It will seem like heaven on earth. :)

    Angie

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    1. Hi Angie,
      I totally understand winter affecting moods! By mid-January, I'm ready for spring!
      It does sound like the weather has turned a corner for your area. The tree blossoms are just around the corner. And your grass will surely green up before month's end. So much promise in spring, isn't there?!
      Have a great day!

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  2. Good morning, Lili!

    I'm feeling quite chipper today, and I bet most of us in West Michigan feel the same as we have sunshine and blue skies and the temps are going to be above 40! We still have a lot of snow left on the ground (and by a lot ... I mean A LOT) but our gradual warming trend is actually best as heavy rains and warm temperatures would definitely cause flooding. Most of the ice is off our driveway and hopefully the snow piles by the side of the driveway will continue to diminish (I've spent my fair share of time shoveling off our snowbanks so I could see to safely back out of our driveway).

    So interesting to hear how everyone's seasons are different. Hopefully you and all your readers will have an event-less spring. We are supposed to have another bitterly cold night later this week (3 degrees)--the everlasting cold has been the different factor in our winter this year. We are used to a lot of snow but usually there are moderating trends so we get rid of some of it. Oh well, it will make spring and summer all the more appreciated.

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    1. Hi Kris,
      I had never even thought of that! But you have to shovel off the tops of the piles of snow, just to see what's coming down the street. Can you tell I've never lived where the snow really piles up?! I lived in Salt Lake City for a few years. But even though it snowed there, it never seemed like a whole lot of snow.

      Kris, did you ever read The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder? Whenever I heard weather reports from your area or from the East Coast, I thought of that book, and how it must have seemed that winter would never end. I think in that book, the storms didn't come to an end until May. There's that to be thankful for, spring coming in March instead of May!

      Hope your day is off to a great start!

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    2. On a normal winter I don't have to shovel snow from my piles of snow, but this winter was anything but normal. The sides of the driveway accumulate the snow we have shoveled off from the driveway, plus my husband has to snow-rake the roof (to prevent damage to the roof) which adds to our snow piles. The biggest one is in front of my picture window and it's been huge. You literally were within easy jumping distance of the roof if you stood on top of it. As I mentioned before, typically we have a few mid-winter warmups which helps to diminish the piles of snow, but that wasn't true this year. We are at 130 inches for the season so far. The most I've ever experienced is 148 inches and that's a whole lotta snow! Another aspect of winter weather which you may not have experienced is "pothole season". As the pavement warms up, potholes are created and currently, driving down our road is a very bumpy experience.

      I have read all of the Laura Ingalls books several times, including the Long Winter. It absolutely felt like that this winter and I could see how isolating that would be "back in the day"--we are blessed to have snowplows and road salt these days! And weather reports so you know when to venture out and stock up and when to huddle up and stay in. We aren't done with winter yet but it is loosening its grip on us and that's such a mental relief. But there are fun aspects to snowy winters that you may not get to experience--sledding, snowshoeing, ice fishing--ok, only my husband and son enjoy that one--there are pluses and minuses no matter where you live so I try really hard to concentrate on the good and minimize the parts I don't like so well.

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    3. This reminds me of the year I spent in Norway. What really made it stand out for me was the mailbox - which was out at the street. When I first got there I remember that I could barely reach the thing, even standing on my tippy toes - and I'm not short - I'm 5'8". I thought that some total idiot must have hung it. BUT, by the middle of winter there was soooo much snow, that it was barely 2 feet above the "ground."

      In Norway, they never really shoveled the snow... well, except for the snow on the roof, and the driveway so you could get the car in the garage. But they had these big scoops that you'd push along rather than actually shoveling. On the streets they would just pack the snow down. But there were a few sidewalks that had some sort of a melting system - warm water running through pipes under the concrete. By the end of winter those sidewalks were more like tunnels!

      It didn't get nearly as cold as it does here - probably because I was outside of Trondheim where the temperatures are moderated by ocean currents. But it also never got above freezing, so every flake that fell was there until the spring melt in May.

      Oy! It makes me grateful for Denver's sunny climate!

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    4. Kris,
      we typically get one snowfall big enough that kids can go sledding, for one day. And that's it.
      So potholes have their own season! We have our share of potholes around here, but I think it mainly because they just go un-repaired year after year. You're right, their are both good and bad aspects living anywhere in this world. Living in the tropics sounds very appealing, but then you have to worry about typhoons, isolation, and high prices on everything.

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    5. Cat, I laughed out loud when I read about your experience with the mailboxes in Norway. Yeah, I would have thought the exact same thing, "what idiot put in THIS mailbox?!" There are just enough occasions in life where someone does something incredibly dumb to make you think someone just put in the mailbox "wrong".

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  3. Definitely moving towards spring at my end of the world. Bright sunny days, and warming temperatures bring hopes that all the snow will finally melt. Still can't see the raised beds in my garden yet, but I know they're there.
    But, then again, we've had snowstorms in May, hail in June and snow or hail in August. Gardening is interesting challenge, to say the least.

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    1. Hi Jayne,
      You know what I thought when I read your comment, "now she's one optimistic lady", knowing where you live, and just what your weather can be like! But even though snow can still hang around, it does feel different, though, doesn't it, with longer days, and higher sun? Spring will be here soon enough. Time passes that quickly.

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  4. Hi Lili,
    I've been enjoying your blog for awhile, but never commented until now.
    Here in southwestern Virginia it is a beautiful sunny day, with a very strong breeze. It is a little after noon, and our temperature is 62 degrees, with an expected high of 69. Tomorrow they say we will see 71! But then we get rain on Wednesday, and a projected high of only 38 on Thursday. March is a temperamental month!
    Jo Ann

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    1. Hi Jo Ann,
      A warm welcome to you! It sounds beautiful today where you are! Enjoy it while you can. I did see the national weather forecast for later this week. Here's hoping the cold spell later this week is short-lived.
      I'm glad you commented! It's always nice to "meet" someone who reads here.

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  5. Still Winter in CT. High of 55 the other day, but now back to below average temps, with light snow showers. My yard remains covered with mountains of snow. Been a rough Winter, to be sure. Lots of birds are back, so I know Sping IS coming.

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    1. Hi Carol,
      I heard birds the other day for the first this year, too! That's a hopeful sign. I also heard the frogs croaking at a neighbors pond the other night while driving home.
      You have been badly hit with the weather this year. I hope the storm expected later this week isn't as bad as the forecasters are saying right now. Stay warm!

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  6. Hi Lili,

    Well, here in the mile high city it definitely feels like spring. Yesterday was in the low 70's with full sunshine. Today's a bit cooler and cloudier but still nice. But tomorrow we're supposed to get another 4-6 inches of snow. But hey, that's a typical spring pattern here in the Rockies!

    I'm trying... really, REALLY hard to turn over a new leaf in the getting out of bed at a decent hour department. I've been up since 10, which is really 9, which is a record for me. I was doin' great for the first 30 minutes, and then the nausea hit. Sigh. But I'm not giving up... I SOOOO want to have mornings in my life again!

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    1. Hi Cat,
      Oh how lovely! I hope you got out in the beautiful weather yesterday! A nice day for a bike ride, perhaps?

      Kudos to you for making the effort to become a morning person! It's definitely not something you can change overnight.

      I am not a morning person, but kind of have to be for the time being. I know once I have the opportunity to sleep late again, I will be. With the time change over the weekend, it was soooo hard to get going this morning. I decided not to push it and do tax work today. I did other needed stuff, but just things that didn't require a lot of brain activity. I'll get back to taxes, bill paying and other "thinking" work tomorrow.

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  7. Beautiful day today in the Mid Atlantic with temperatures in the 50's with no rain. We expect more of the same tomorrow before big rains on Wednesday.

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    1. Hi live and learn,
      I hope you went out today to look around your property. Perhaps you found a crocus or daffodil peeking through the ground? Spring seems to be a mixed bag of weather, doesn't it?

      We had part clouds this morning, then sun, and now dark clouds again.

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  8. We're doing well. Thank you for asking!

    Three days of temps between 60 and 70 for us and I've enjoyed airing the house out. I've seen a few daffodils and even the dandelions are starting to grow.

    I'm sad to say we're expecting to be back down to 39 degrees by Thursday...but I'll take the pleasant days while we've got them and not complain.

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    1. Hi Shara,
      That sounds so lovely, to be airing the house out. Not quite that warm here, yet. But I am hopeful for days like that here in just a few weeks.

      Hopefully the cold snap later this week will only last a couple of days.

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  9. Hi Lili,
    I'm commenting from bonny Scotland, where it's a decidedly chilly, wet, windy March. Temp sitting around 10C. Was quite bright today for a wee change, which despite the low temp made it feel spring-like. Some of the postings have Temps which I would class as Summery never mind Spring!
    I'm about to start a new job which is indoors so I expect the weather will improve once I'm locked inside! I'm nervous about it, there's a lot of training to do. Thankfully despite grim weather I don't feel low when there's no sunshine (just as well, there rarely is). How are you feeling?

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    1. Hi Marion,
      My husband and I honeymooned in Scotland. What I remember most was the cold wind (we were in Scotland in March)!
      Best of luck on your new job! You'll do great on the training.

      Me? Besides being foggy-headed from the change to daylight savings time, doing okay. Working on taxes, and almost done, and getting ready to plant the garden. Spring is almost here.

      I was just looking up when Scotland changes their clocks for DST. It looks like you don't make the change until the end of this month. In the USA, we changed this past weekend. I feel like my head is stuffed with cotton for about 5 days after changing our clocks for DST.

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    3. Oh I hate feeing foggy headed which I associate with having an odd lie-in until about 9am. Just doesn't feel worth it.
      Oh my goodness! Honeymoon in Scotland in March! Brrrrr! You must have been chilled to the bone.
      Thankyou for your kind thoughts on the new job, will need to avoid foggy head for that!
      DST is the last Saturday in March. Nice to see a longer day. Been pitch dark at 4.30pm until now.
      Which part of Scotland did you visit? I'm in Ayrshire, about 40minutes from Glasgow where my eldest is at University.

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    4. We went to Edinburgh. It was lovely, and we had good weather (sun, no rain), but it was cold and windy. We ducked inside every opportunity we found. We did tour a beautiful botanical garden on one of the milder days. And I remember crocus in the public lawns. So it wasn't wintry, at least!

      My great grandfather was from Glasgow. He came to the US as a boy. I've seen photos of Glasgow but not visited. It's on my list of places to see.

      Delete

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