It is snowin’ and blowin’ out there today! The wind is literally roaring around the house, 60 km/hr gusts announce themselves with great enthusiasm. I am taking the “you can’t see me” approach to this storm. You know, when you cover your eyes and say to the other person, “you can’t see me!” Yeah, right, lol!
Attila is out there. I am in here, beside the toasty warm masonry heater, with electricity service and everything! I am warmer than he is, he is fitter than I am.
The power will leave suddenly again during this storm, which is to last until Thursday. I made sure I got into the shower early this morning, while we have electricity, which means the water pump and the hot water tank are working. If the power goes, the water supply goes, and showers just have to wait until normal services are restored. I saved the water from my shower, so if the power goes I have a tub of water handy, with which to manually flush the toilet. It is the little things.
I have my Kobo charged and ready for a power failure, and I am keeping the laptop plugged in to that the batteries stay at 100% at all times. The laundry is done. The dinners are cooked.
When the weather gets like this I like to imagine how it could be a pleasant thing. IF our country house was in a place where family and/or friends were within walking distance, this kind of weather would merely make for an interesting walk. Dropping in for a coffee and a chin wag could happen, even on a day like this. In fact, it might even provide a sense of accomplishment, managing to get around and visit with people even though the storm rages. Our country house isn’t in this kind of a place. IF we lived within walking distance of shops, one could bundle up and head out with a sleigh, to say, buy a bag of milk, or pick up one’s mail. Our country house isn’t within walking distance of any kind of service. The ideal is very different than the reality.
Attila came home for lunch. He brought the car one car length into the driveway, he didn’t want to get stuck! He will park on the road when he comes home, and the snow blower will come out. The owner of the business where he works is considering shutting down for the rest of the day, the storm is so bad. Attila said that he only saw two other vehicles on the road when he came home for lunch. I hope he gets home without issue, or I will be toting wood from the wood shed!
The 60 km/hr winds are cooling the house, the interior temperature is beginning to drop this afternoon. An evening fire will be most welcome.
Worldly Distractions
Weather
SNOW SQUALL WARNING IN EFFECT
-9C
Date: 5:33 AM EST Tuesday 18 November 2014
Condition: Light Snow
Pressure: 99.9 kPa
Visibility: 10 km
Temperature: -8.6°C
Dewpoint: -11.3°C
Humidity: 81%
Wind: SW 41 gust 59 km/h
Wind Chill: -17
Quote
“Feelings are like toes! They have to breathe free or they’ll stink to high heaven!”
Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata
I was just watching the news from Buffalo, NY, and one side of that city has 48 inches of snow today and the other side had 3 inches.
And to make matters worse, the world is running out of chocolate! There is a chocolate supply shortage!
I’m sorry, but with climate changing like it is, and no chocolate left in the world, what is Life for anymore? Really… I ask you???
Bex, we must be psychically connected today!!!
To make myself feel better this afternoon, while watching the great white barrage, I ate a chocolate bar, the whole thing, never hesitated, scarfed it down like there was no tomorrow!!!!
Chocolate is an essential tool for survival! Whatever will we do!
Still storming here. Attila’s work closed early so people could get home before dark.
But, still have electricity!!!!
I looked at your video, Maggie, and thought you must be taking it in the lee of your house. Over here the snow has been whipping by at break-neck pace, the trees bent low, and you can’t even see a quarter of a mile away. I was going to run and take a video but I just looked up and it’s already dark outside. 🙁
I saw that article about chocolate – but it did say that there are 2 new species of cacao plants that are capable of producing something like 7 times the amount of chocolate currently produced on a plant, plus they’re resistant to the fungus that is threatening the plants. I’m betting that it won’t be long before the entire world is populated with these mega-producing chocolate plants.
The video is taken between gusts, the gusts are 60-70 km/hr, and the wind between gusts is relatively tame, but still generates a significant wind chill. I took other videos during the gusts, but they were large files and would not upload, so I gave up on them. We are in a low spot, near the water, the winds hit the tops of the trees full on, but we have a bit of shelter as our house is on the leeward side of a rocky ridge. The snow tends to drop here, 🙁
Too bad you didn’t get the video Teri! It would have been interesting, storms are so much more intrusive in populated areas.
Chocolate, boy I would miss chocolate!
Blizzard! Storming through Thursday. That seems so far away right now. This kind of living makes one very aware of resources and just how far they can go. Glad you still have heat etc.
I like the visual of walking to see friends and family during the storm or after. There is something calming about that. I guess because normal, everyday movement comes to a halt, it’s much quieter and no one is in a hurry to get anywhere.
Nora, for a number of years I lived in downtown Toronto, my favourite place to be on planet earth. I walked everywhere, all the time. Storms were pleasant, because I could bundle up and head out into the wildness of it, and land somewhere warm and welcoming. I’ve never before or after my time there, lived in a place as rich with connectivity. It is a distant memory now, as I sit in the bush looking out into the endless white arms of the trees.
We are warm and cozy here, with our without electricity, which is a good thing since we are so far from everyone we know and care about.
We had a dusting of snow and the temperatures have not risen above freezing. My home has 4 zones with heat pumps so we are entirely at the mercy of electricity. We rarely lose power because of the weather and if it shuts down, it’s usually for a short period.
You sound sad, Maggie. Missing your connections and beloved Toronto. *hug*
Honestly, I’m not so sure you could really walk to another’s home in these conditions, though. The white outs that can come up can be bad enough that you could lose your way 5 feet from your own door. I remember reading journals about people who would tie a rope between their home and their barn so they could tend the animals and without that rope they surely would have lost their way on that very short journey.
I felt that way about certain time periods too. Santa Barbara in the 90’s and upstate, NY in the 80’s. Loved upstate! It’s interesting how I never thought it would change. Two prime time periods. Really a blessing. I have not had anything remotely close to that is a very long time.
Good to know your property is well serviced for hydro Reenie, aren’t heat pumps wonderful! We had a heat pump installed by Lares at the little house in the city and it has been keeping the house warm so far this fall. As you say, it is completely at the mercy of electricity, and like your situation, the area seldom loses power.
I hear you Teri, about the white outs and getting lost in the storm! That would certainly be an issue here at the country house! What I found in downtown Toronto was that I was never more than 20 feet from a heated building, there was no wilderness or open spaces to get lost in. The other aspect of downtown is that there are lights everywhere!
Nora, forever is so much shorter than we think! We do have our memories though, and then, one never knows what is just around the corner, surprises can show up in the blink of an eye! It is wonderful though, that I have something to miss! Goodness, how dreary it would be not to have had those wonderful times!
I remember a line from “Grumpy Old Men” that has stuck with me. Jack Lemmon is talking to (his son in the movie, I forget who now) and he says something along the lines of “Make good memories because that is all we can take with us”.
Good one Nora!