Tuesday, December 08, 2009, 15:40
Winter Storm
When I checked the Internet weather Tuesday morning, I was surprised to see the entire state was pink.
Pink indicates a winter storm warning.
It's good thing we've got the Internet for weather and news. We are unable to get any network stations because of the new and improved digital television. As the ads were always telling me before they switched over, "digital television is so superior you don't believe the difference." Oh, yes, indeed. It's superior. It's so superior we can't even get network television anymore. Suits me fine. Nothing but junk on it anyway and advertisements trying to sell people things they neither want nor need. I can ignore the ads on the Internet if I choose. And I choose to do that all the time.
Anyway, the entire state of Wisconsin is under a winter storm warning. The forecast is predicting up to a foot of snow and winds 20 to 30 mph and after that below zero temperatures. (My favorite when it's below zero. I can hardly wait.)
The snow would be good, though. It would start to help build up the groundwater in the spring when it melts, seeing as we've been in a drought so long. It has been more than 10 years since we have had a foot of snow at one time. It has been several years since we have had enough measurable snow to go snowshoeing. That's not saying much when there's not been enough snow on the ground to take the snowshoes out.
It's a good thing I've got new tires. And that Randy put the box of "weight" (barn lime bags in a Rubbermaid container) in the back of my truck Tuesday morning.
Let it snow!
LeAnn R. Ralph
Saturday, December 05, 2009, 06:35
Snow and Much Colder
It would appear that the Indian Summer weather we've been having is gone now.
Tuesday evening the wind kicked up out of the north, and it has been getting steadily colder since then.
Friday the wind blew all day and the temperature was only in the low 20s. Snow flurries and snow squalls fell most of the day so that by Friday evening, we had a cover of about an inch of dry snow.
Friday morning, for the first time this fall, I had to bring the horse buckets into the basement to let them thaw out and gave the horses fresh buckets with some warm water to keep them from freezing up right away before they could drink. That's definitely a sign of winter. . .
I can hardly believe it has been a week since I posted a blog entry. I'm not sure where the week went to.
Friday I had the opportunity to interview Santa Claus for the newspaper. The local Kiwanis always sponsors a visit from Santa Claus, and it was interesting to talk to the person who plays Santa. He loves the job -- loves the wide-eyed wonder and the innocence and the simply faith of the children who believe in Santa.
He also talked about the two most common reactions. Either the kids run toward him and fling themselves upon him and hug him and say, "I love you, Santa." Or else they run screaming and crying in the opposite direction and it takes quite a lot of coaxing to get them close enough to get a picture with Santa.
It would seem to me that Santa must have the patience of a saint. . .
LeAnn R. Ralph