At work, snow just makes things a little crazier. The guys are constantly clearing snow, buying salt, spreading salt, clearing snow... I field calls from our branches about snow removal, the contractor's work, and pleas for yet more salt. When I leave in the morning, it's still pretty dark. And snowing. When I get home it's pretty dark. And snowing.
There's not a lot of time for doing anything, really, except going to work and coming home. I leave around 7am and get home between 6 and 7pm. Dinner, mail, some time to talk to Larry, some time online or on the phone, some reading time, a little cleaning maybe or sorting and putting away, and before I know it, it's time for bed. Such are our wintry January days.
Larry manages to stay busy. When it wasn't too cold, he worked on organizing the outbuildings and tools. Now that the cold has really set in, he's been working inside, cleaning the house from top to bottom. When spring comes, the spring cleaning will be all done. With the gas heat, a lot of his work has been simplified--he still brings in wood for the fireplace because we just like a fire in the evenings, but he doesn't have to deal with the large amounts needed for the woodstove anymore. We still have the stove, and he's got a lot of wood cut, but all the hauling in and cleaning up associated with wood heat is no more.
The seed catalogs have arrived but I have yet to crack their covers. I am working instead on finishing the final report for last year's Stories at the River's Edge grant, and expect to mail it tomorrow. As soon as it's in the mail, my friend Donna and I will begin work on this year's grant proposal--we've already started, actually. With a January 31 deadline, there's not much lag time between finishing one and starting another.
And the forecast for the coming week? Check this out, from the National Weather Service's website:
Tonight: Snow. Low around 19. West wind between 10 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Wednesday: Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 28. West wind between 13 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Wednesday Night: A chance of snow showers, mainly before 5am. Cloudy, with a low around 20. Northwest wind between 8 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday: A slight chance of snow showers before 9am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 26. West wind between 7 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday Night: A chance of snow showers, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 12. Calm wind becoming southwest between 5 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday: A chance of snow showers, mainly before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 27. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17.
Saturday: A chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high near 36. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 23. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday Night: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 22. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
M.L.King Day: A chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high near 35. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Monday Night: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday: Rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 41. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Yep, snow on snow on snow. Basically, I think we can say it's going to snow. And it looks like another week of puttering around, getting more sleep and drinking more tea than usual, and hoping that maybe just one day it will actually snow enough to keep me home.
Wow, Sue this has been one crazy winter hasn't it. Someone left the deep freeze door open here in Florida it's colder than a well digger's hiney! Supposed to be in low 20's here for the next few nights. My gas bill this month is gonna be through the roof. Stay warm and be safe driving.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear about all the endless snow! I'm not a snow fan anyway but it really is a drag when it doesn't go away. All the magic is lost.
ReplyDeleteWe had snow here on Sunday, not as much as in your neck of the woods, but even this much is annoying.
Jai
As a kid in the Rockies, we had a LOT of snow, but it was fun, just like playing in the rain. But once I had Grew Up and had Things-To-Do, weather became a nuisance. I liked it better then. Wonder if I can un-grow-up...
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, steeleweed. I actually don't mind the snow, and never get tired of its beauty, but going to work takes the fun out of it because there's no time to just enjoy it, except on the weekends.
ReplyDeleteSnow is wonderful if you live in the country, have a well stocked pantry and freezer and don't actually have to go anywhere in a car. What I hate in towns and suburbs is the awful brown/grey mess that comes in the wake of the gritters and the traffic, that is really depressing looking. Stay safe as you drive to and from work.
ReplyDeleteThat's what is so ironic, Rowan. we do have a stocked pantry, root cellar and freezer, plenty of wood for the cozy fireplace, and even water and kerosene stockpiled in case the electricity goes off. But I still have to get out and drive. Next year, God willing, it will be a different story and I'll be snug by the fire, reading some of the hundreds of books I own but have not yet had time to read :)
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