Conversations With Random People --22

Encountered a pleasant old gentleman in the middle of the aisle at our local general store.  "Nice cane," he said.  "My dad made one much like that.  Did you make yours?"

"It's a grapevine," I replied.  "Didn't have to do much but cut it and sand it."

"Dad was a section hand on the railroad forty-two years.  I worked with him several years."

(One never knows where these random encounters are going to lead.)

"I had an uncle who was a section foreman on the Santa Fe for 39 years."

"Oh.  Where was that?"

"Colorado.  Where did you work?"

"Here, on the north-south line.  Things sure have changed; everything used to be done by hand, even filling signal lamps with kerosene.  There was a cold job in the wintertime!  Say, didn't you used to be a teacher?"

"Surely was."

"Yeah, my kids went to school to you."

"Names?"

" Tammy O and Scott O.  Everyone called him Porky.  Still do.  He was born on Groundhog Day, so his grandpa called him Porky and it stuck."

"I always wondered how he got that nickname," I said.

Followed the questions about how his kids were doing now, did he have grandchildren (6, and 4 greats) and so on.  Fun way to spend a few minutes on a snowy morning.

Bedtime Chapel at St. Mattress

This was Saturday afternoon just before the total whiteout.  What you can't see in the pictures is the wind, about 70 kph.

Setting this to auto-post, going to bed, and pulling the covers over my head.  Think I may not look out in the morning.

Heavenly Father, keep us safe and warm.  Oh, Lord, hear our prayer.

Winter History in Perfect

37 years ago today this is what it looked like in this neighborhood.  This was the most intense snowstorm I have ever experienced, before or since.  The snow was driven by sixty mile winds. There was still snow on the ground in April.

I found an envelope in my desk tagged "Blizzard of 78." Inside were strips of 35mm black and white negatives. I no longer have the equipment to print negatives via wet chemical processes, and I don't know anyone in the area who does this anymore. So, onto the scanner, into a folder in the computer, and with a good deal of "messing around" with two or three programs, I managed to "develop" these images.

The first shot shows me in front of our house. The rest of the pictures were taken at my workplace shortly after the snowfall stopped. I had to walk over a mile, through drifts and all, to get to the building.

From the inside looking out.

Fiddle-dee-dee

Go, Snow!

If there were a method whereby one could date the falling of this snow, it would tell us First Week of January.   I am fairly certain of this, because that snowfall drifted a serious mound of the stuff into this spot, following which we had another four feet or so of snow over the course of the winter and lots of serious cold.  So there was no real opportunity for this patch to melt.

Now we have had two days in the sixties and another one or two in the fifties during the past ten days.  Our snow decor has been reduced to this blob on the north side of the barn.

Tuesday afternoon it was perhaps six feet wide, fourteen feet long.  Today, Wednesday, it is predicted that we will have rain.  Likely, therefore, the snow will be gone this evening!  Well, it has been a long winter, and I for one hope that this is really the end of the snow.  For this season.

Again with the Snow

The poor RV wishes it were in Texas.  Okay, perhaps that is a bit fanciful, but I wish it were in Texas with me. 

 The little tree and the grasses in the neighbor's mound.

And a closer look at the grass.

The forecast for one to two inches of snow Saturday night/Sunday morning was accurate up to the point where the two inches was reached, then it went on to pour another four inches on us. Shoveling again.  Got the walks and drives done in four sessions this time.

We have a couple of granddaughters who "love" snow, and they are "so excited" every time a new batch falls.  They are in their twenties and thirties.  We love them anyway.

I've lost count of the total snowfall so far this winter.  One gets numb after while.  I have also lost count of the number of times I have posted about snow.  You may skip it when you're bored with it.

The world's coat is white, 

new wrap around her shoulders; 

hiding grey and slush.

We may be weary; 

nevertheless we are blessed; 

warm and green will come.

More Winter Wonders

Winter Sunset

Wind Carving on Concrete

Tipton County

The wind is hootin' and howlin'.

It's Done It Again

Break

Warming now, and the temperature is above the freezing point, 34^o.  This is a pleasing development.  Pictures are included for those guys and gals who love the "beautiful snow."

Back to the house.

The coming rainfall is almost certain to create more problems.

Snow Rules

 At the front entry.  The sidewalk is at the bottom of the yardstick.

All of yesterday's effort wasted.  Better hope there is no need to get a car out.

Please, no adjectives such as "beautiful" or any of its synonyms. 

Wonderland

 Looking out the window.

Front yard.

 Birch tree.

 Apple tree.

  Catalpa trees.

Why? Why aren't we in Texas?

...freezes over

Snowfalls in Florida as yardstick for global warming.

From 1774 to 1900, there were 17 recorded instances of snow falling in Florida.

During the 20th century, there were 20 instances.

Thus far in the 21st century, there have been 12 snowfalls.

Here's the arithmetic:  

Line 1, about one snowfall every seven and one-half years.

Line 2, one every five years.

Line 3, one every year.

January 19, 1977 Miami saw its first snowfall. Snow fell as far south as Homestead.

Free snow; haul it away.

Had to put it somewhere.  Looks as though that thing has overstayed the parking limit.  Seriously.