Thursday, April 12, 2007, 04:06
Winter Wonderland
"Since when did we move to northern Alaska?" Randy asked.
"Either that or Siberia," I said.
It was about 6 p.m. on Wednesday, and we were taking the dogs for a walk around the hayfield. Snow was pelting us, driven by a stiff north/northeast wind, and the ground was covered in white.
The snow started Tuesday evening, and by Wednesday morning, the ground was completely covered with a couple of inches of heavy, wet snow. The snow continued all day Wednesday, although the temperature warmed up enough that it did not accumulate more on the ground.
"You wouldn't think it was April 11, would you," Randy said as we continued walking along the hayfield Wednesday evening.
"Especially not by the way I'm dressed," he added.
Randy was wearing insulated coveralls, a jacket, stocking cap, boots and gloves.
I was wearing two layers of fleece jacket, a stocking cap, gloves and boots, too.
The snow was heavy enough and wet enough that it stuck to the trees. Charlie had snow sticking to his feet. As we walked along the hayfield, he accumulated big snowballs on his paws.
Our Shetland Sheepdog, Pixie, was with us, too. Pixie doesn't seem to have as much trouble with snowballs accumulating on her feet.
"Okay," I said. "That's enough. I'm wimping out. Let's go in the house."
Because I was busy with newspaper work all day, Charlie and Pixie had not gotten much for walks, but under the circumstances, in the middle of an April blizzard, I really didn't feel like being outside for much longer.
"Good idea," Randy said.
"I never should have said anything about getting 'more April' this year because it was nice for a little while back in March," I said as we turned toward the house.
"Well," Randy said. "Look at this way. You're getting more March."
"Maybe so," I said, "but I wanted more April."
I kind of figured that we weren't done with winter yet when we got those 80-degree days back in March.I just didn't think we would get this *much* winter back again.
LeAnn R. Ralph
Wednesday, April 11, 2007, 02:44
Make Up Your Mind!
This afternoon, I finally got a chance to go out and pitch some horse manure over the fence onto the pile that we will eventually haul out into the hayfield.
I know what you're thinking -- it's not exactly what you would choose to do on a spring afternoon. Well, not me, either, necessarily. But it's one of those things that has to get done sooner or later. And it *was* an opportunity to be outside for a while.
As I began pitching manure over the fence in Kajun's pasture, it dawned on me.
The wind was out of the south!
For days, the wind has been blowing out of the north/northwest. A cold, biting wind that seemed far more like winter than like spring.
But this afternoon, with watery sunshine out of a somewhat overcast sky, the wind was out of the south!
I walked a ways down the fence to pitch more manure over onto the pile. When I turned around -- it hit me.
Literally.
Chaff and bits of dust were blown right back into my face from the forkful of dry horse manure I had thrown over the fence.
From a wind that was now out of the north.
"Huh?" I said. "I could have sworn the wind was just out of the south. But now it's out of the north."
A few minutes later when I walked over to Isabelle's pasture to check her water bucket, the wind was blowing out of the east. As I came around Isabelle's shelter, the wind was blowing in my face.
"That's weird," I said. "First it's south, then it's north, now it's east."
A little while later, when I came back around the shelter from tying up Isabelle's bucket of fresh water (so she wouldn't tip it over), the wind was blowing in my face again.
From the north.
When I took the dogs for a little walk down the hayfield, the wind was blowing against my right side.
From the south again.
And when I turned around, the wind was now blowing in my face again from the east.
Every once in a while, I notice wind conditions like that -- where the wind will switch from south to north to east to north to south to east to north. It happens maybe two or three times a year. Usually not within the course of a few minutes, however. It usually takes place over the course of a day.
I'm not exactly sure what is going on with high and low pressure systems when the wind switches like that. But I do know one thing -- it means we are in for a weather change.
The forecast says it is supposed to snow tonight. I can't say that's necessarily a huge weather change, though. It has seemed more like winter for more than a week now with temperatures in the single digits at night and only highs in the 20s during the day. With a stiff wind out of the north. And when it's winter, that's what you get is snow. Of course, it *is* April. Except I don't think the weather seems to realize that yet.
Don't Bother Me
Rural Route 2 Reader Donna writes: Hi LeAnn, Enjoyed your story and it is so true. The only thing I feel is that it isn't that parents don't want to bother their KIDS, I think it is that the PARENTS, don't want to be bothered!!!!
Rural Route 2 Reader Deanna writes: Amen, LeAnn. I totally agree. Good reporting. I hope lots of parents read your article.
Interestingly enough, many of the people I interviewed were on public radio this evening, talking about the problem with underage drinking.
LeAnn R. Ralph