Granny Sue's News and Reviews

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Looking Back

10°f, or -12C, fine snow falling all morning. It is not expected to warm up much today.

This winter has been one for the books for many places, hasn't it? We have certainly had more snowy days than we have had in years. Most of it has been small snowfalls, not amounting to much depth---unlike those of you in Ontario! I have seen some incredible photos of homes and vehicles literally buried in drifts. Life must just be all about getting through the days in that situation.

I wondered how our weather at this time compared to past years, so I took a quick look through my blog to see what was going on around this same date. I found that last year, we had pretty similar weather, as I had noted a temperature of 19°f.

In 2023, it looked a lot different! And was a good bit warmer, in the 40s most days.

In 2022, I didn't have a photo, but noted that it was 28° and spitting snow.

And in 2021:

I started tracking the daily temperature in 2021, so can't compare from dates before that. But 10 years ago, I took this photo on February 20th:

Brrrr! -12°C, or about 10°f. Again, not too different than today. I had to laugh this morning when a friend in Florida posted that she was planting tomatoes today. I think it will be a while before we even consider such things. Perhaps in a month I might plant lettuce and radishes, though. And there have been years where I have planted peas in February.

For today, just staying warm will be the main activity!

Monday, February 17, 2025

Odd Days

25°f, about -4°C. Clear after yesterday's snowy, blowy day. Expect a low of 12°f tonight, or -11°C.

It has been an odd couple of days. Heavy rain and wind Saturday night made a right mess outside, and I know there was quite a bit of flooding, again. Sunday the temperature dropped quickly in the morning, with snow and strong winds making it an ideal day to stay inside. Except we didn't.

Our friend Annette posted that she had hens for sale. We lost 2 hens this winter, one that just up and died as chickens sometimes will, and one that escaped and would not be caught until a hawk or a fox or some other predator ended her bid for freedom. We were down to 5 girls, laying 2 to 4 eggs a day. It was enough, but just barely; I am not accustomed to rationing egg use since we have always kept a good flock. I was finding this paucity a bit limiting.

Stopped to grab yesterday's mail. Where was his hat??

So off to Annette's we went in the snow and the blow, and came home with 3 new girls for our coop. (No worry about bird flu, as her chickens, like mine, are being kept in the coop for the winter.)

The new girls on the block. I can't remember the breed name but it doesn't matter as long as they lay brown eggs.

We came home to find the power off, which should not have surprised us, but I hadn't done my usual prep of running extra water, etc, and our phones needed to be charged. We adjusted plans though, and there was enough water to make tea, so I settled down with my book while Larry put together another of those 8-foot windmill yard ornaments that we sell from time to time. Within a couple hours the lights were back on, thanks to those amazing power company workers.

But the satellite internet did not boot back up, and neither did the cell phones. I wasn't too surprised about the internet, as lately our satellite has issues in bad weather (must call them tomorrow to see about that) but the phones? That was odd. Our signal here isn't great but it usually works okay.

I spent the evening reading while Larry watched a movie, expecting both phones and internet to be working this morning. Except they weren't. Larry went out and knocked ice and snow off the satellite, and whether that helped I don't know but within an hour or so it was working again. The cell phones, not. That took a call to tech support, and they reset something so finally we had phones again.

Now, I lived a long time up here with neither phone nor internet-- it wasn't even a thing back then. It was not that big a deal, but I was young and strong and fearless. Now I am old and not as strong and a lot more careful. It is an odd comfort to know that 9-1-1 can be dialed easily enough, but still. I was beginning to think that maybe taking out the landlines 5 years ago wasn't such a great idea. Except that it often didn't work anyway, and it usually took weeks for repairs.

Today has been bitter cold, not fit for man or beast so I have been working on inside stuff again. I made spaghetti and painted a table and priced stuff and packed ebay and did all those routine housekeeping things while Larry was outside taking care of critters and unloading the van. Then he took a well-earned nap. It was a pretty nice day, all round. Just a bit off-center, if you know what I mean.

I did finish my book, and I hated to see the end of it, really. It is the best book I have read this year. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles, was published in 2011 and was his first novel. The book reads like a love letter to New York City, but from a lover who accepts her, dirt, glamor, pathos, glitter and all. Set in the year 1938, the story follows Kate as she and her friends dive into predicament after predicament, sometimes with tragic consequences, other times with a brash but wary bravado. At the center of the story is Tinker Grey, obviously well-heeled and Ivy League...or is he? If you read and enjoyed Towles' A Gentleman in Moscow, you will be glad to read this story too.

Enough rambling for tonight!

John's post: From My Window

Stay well, friends.

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Somewhere in Ohio

46°f, about 8°C, pouring rain and very foggy as I write this at 10:25pm. It rained all day but not hard. Heavy rain is predicted to continue through the night.

So a dreary, cold, rainy day. What to do? Well, this guy had a nice old bench for sale, so we decided to use this day to pick up the bench and then see what else we could find. It has been quite a while since we've had a "junking" day, and this seemed as good a time as any.

A stop at Mineral Wells fulled our tank with gas 50 cents a galloncheaper than anywhere we would see all day. Then we picked up the bench and 4 narrow wood doors, and continued on over the Ohio River into Ohio.

Ice still clings to cliffs here and there, and we found some areas still had some unmelted snow. Most ponds were still ice-covered, although the ice seemed to be sinking and melting.

We stopped in Nelsonville, home of the famous Rocky Boots, where we visited their Goodwill (and I found this colorful new pair of Rocky clogs).

This town was bypassed by the new 4-lane Route 33, and it was sad to see how it had changed. Maybe it was just the gray day, but it seemed so...empty. Maybe we need to revisit on a sunny day.

Places seen along our way:

We bypassed Logan, Ohio, one of our favorite towns in Ohio and home of the Washboard Festival and close by to Old Man's Cave and the Hocking Hills region, which defies Ohio's reputation as flat and boring.

Next stop was a St. Vincent De Paul store in Lancaster, where I noted they had changed their name from "thrift" to "outlet". Maybe that was why the prices equaled or exceeded those of antique malls? Very few bargains there, but it was fun to browse.

Then on to Peddlers Junction, a vendor mall where you may find just about anything from potato chips to tractor batteries to new clothes to astic junk to vintage and antique items. We fared better here, finding enough to make the day worthwhile.

Last stop was The Rushcreek Pub in Bremen, Ohio, another small town that seems to be struggling.

But the pub was lively and apparently thriving, crowded with families, and we seemed to be the only non-locals in the place. Just the kind of place we like. Since we had not eaten since the morning's oatmeal, we were famished, and the big sandwiches did not disappoint. I noticed as we were leaving that the pub also serves breakfast, beginning at 3:00am. Really! I wondered if that was for late-nighters or early risers, but as this seemed to be about the only show in town, maybe it was a community service.

Then began the long 2-hour trek home in rain and fog. A good public radio show on roots musician James Black filled the time nicely though. (I often wonder what I would do without public radio. It seems to be the only sane listening space left.)

Finally back across our dark, familiar ridge, and home to our dogs, who always make us feel as if we have been away for weeks. It was nice to go and as always, nice to come home.

I will try to remember to post photos of some of our haul, but it is all still in the van tonight. Because who wants to unload in pouring rain? Not us.