Saturday, March 14, 2009, 07:30
A Repair Job Ahead
I should have known that it would happen on Friday the Thirteenth.
The other day when I walked across the yard, I noticed that our rock table seemed to be leaning a little bit. The large slab of sandstone rock was balanced on three smaller rocks. The smallest of the rocks also happened to be the softest of the sandstone rocks.
The rock table has been in the backyard for more than 10 years. The large slab of sandstone had slid down the embankment across the road from our house when the township was doing some road work. It was just too good to pass up with a slab of rocking that close. We hauled the rock into the yard and set it up on the three other rocks -- using the tractor, of course -- before we got Pixie. And our little Shetland Sheepdog turned 10 in December.
Actually, it was BECAUSE of the rock table that I did not lose our little puppy the first night we had her. She was eight weeks old, and I took her out in the yard for potties. It was the end of January, and there was a lot of deep snow. She could run on top, and I could not. It was cold out, too -- below zero cold. And of course, she took off exploring. It was when I fell over the rock table, nearly covered with snow, and laid there and contemplated just giving up, when Pixie came to see what had happened. I grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, and all was well.
In the time the rock table has been there, we have sat on it to watch the seasons change, to watch sunsets, to see the cliff swallows overhead, to watch the points of light in the sky when fireworks are all around on the Fourth of July, to watch deer in the hayfield, to watch the barn swallows on their last flights at night, to look at the stars, to see the planets, to listen to Tom turkeys gobbling, to hear the owls hooting in the woods, to watch storms approach, to watch kittens playing in the barn door, to pet Pixie and Charlie. When our Springer, Charlie, was alive, it was one of his favorite things if we sat on the rock table because he knew would get pets and attention and treats.
Well, sometime during the day on Friday, the smallest of the sandstone rocks disintegrated. When we were out in the yard with Pixie Friday evening after we had fed the horses, Randy noticed it. And sure enough, the rock table was titled at an odd angle.
When the weather warms up and the ground dries up, we shall have to see about picking up the rock with the tractor bucket and sliding another rock underneath so the rock table will be level. Then we can sit on it again to watch the stars and the swallows and the sunsets. But of course, none of it will be the same without our Charlie. . .
LeAnn R. Ralph
Thursday, March 12, 2009, 14:52
Below Zero . . . Again
Tuesday morning I had developed what turned out to be a false sense of security. The temperature was right around 32 degrees and most of the snow had melted, except in the woods.
It seemed to me that perhaps spring might not be all that far away.
For most of the day Tuesday, a light mist fell.
Tuesday evening the wind kicked up to 30 to 40 mph out of the west/northwest and the light mist turned to snow driven by the wind.
All together, the snow did not amount to much. Just a dusting really.
But Wednesday morning, the temperature was right at zero degrees Fahrenheit. And the wind was still howling out of the west/northwest. Even though the temperature rose to 10 degrees Tuesday afternoon, the strong wind created a below zero windchill.
Thursday morning, the temperature was two degrees below zero, although, thankfully, the strong wind had finally died down.
The air temperature Wednesday morning and Thursday morning meant that it has been zero or below zero 34 times so far this winter.
That's one thing I have noticed about this time of year -- it is easy to get your hopes up that when the weather warms a little bit, spring might be close at hand.
It also is just as easy, I have noticed, for your hopes to get dashed and stomped right into the ground when an Arctic front moves through.
Since it is already near the middle of March, I do know one thing for certain: the frigid weather will not be around forever.
I hope.
LeAnn R. Ralph
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