|
|
Post by stepper on Jan 22, 2012 9:45:59 GMT -6
The average temps for late January would be about 43 low and 65 high, plus or minus a degree or two. They're guessing a decent rain storm is coming late Tuesday and that will bring the temps back down because it's coming will a cool front.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mini Mia on Jan 22, 2012 18:25:09 GMT -6
Personally, I like warm winters. What I hate is the abundance of ticks, fleas, and other annoying pests that don't get zapped out from the really cold temps.
|
|
|
|
Post by Phalon on Jan 23, 2012 7:39:29 GMT -6
We got our rain last night, along with thunder and lighting...very, very unusual for winter here. It seemed like I'd just start to drift off to sleep, and then Boom! or Crack! - I'd be jolted back awake. It went on for hours...or so it seemed. This morning it definitely feels like I missed hours of sleep.
|
|
|
|
Post by Siren on Jan 23, 2012 8:43:03 GMT -6
Sorry about your interrupted sleep, Gams. But oh, how we would love to have rain! We live in fear that last year's record-setting drought will repeat itself. It was so damaging, horrible, and demoralizing, I don't know how we would cope if it did. Here's a snapshot from yesterday's travels:  Tremendous winds, and so much dust, you could feel it in your eyes and on your lips. My car's dash was covered in it, too. I hope we all don't get colds from it. |
|
|
|
Post by stepper on Jan 23, 2012 18:21:17 GMT -6
And there was a tornado outbreak in Alabama.
|
|
|
|
Post by Phalon on Jan 25, 2012 7:59:08 GMT -6
I can almost feel the dust on my face, and the grit in my mouth just by looking at that photo, Siren. I read that system brought tremendous winds to nearly the whole eastern half of the country. We lost power a few times Monday evening - the longest stretch being only about 20 minutes. Nothing to speak of in the way of damage here; nothing like the devastation that those poor tornado victims in Alabama are suffering.
I would not have thought to use the word "demoralizing" to describe the effects of drought. So very true though....and so sad that it is true.
|
|
|
|
Post by stepper on Jan 25, 2012 19:06:36 GMT -6
She's right - going day after day with excessive heat and dry, seeing trees die off, yards turning to brown chaff, does get depressing and demoralizing. We're off to a better start this year. We're still well behind what we need, but it rained here last night. We could have done without the tornado of course. The January average here is 1.5" and last night we got four. We're already ahead for the year.  |
|
|
|
Post by stepper on Jan 25, 2012 19:19:00 GMT -6
The roses are confused. I took this yesterday. They should be hibernating, not blooming.  |
|
|
|
Post by Siren on Jan 25, 2012 22:04:01 GMT -6
Gams, I'm glad to hear that you had no storm damage to speak of. These are weird weather times, for sure.
That's a lovely photo, Step, but very, very odd. Thanks for posting. Poor little roses.
I'm so glad to hear that you got rain!! We did, too!! Got about 1.5 inches in the last 24 hours. Four? You got four?? Wow, that is great!
Yes, Step, depressing - the drought was that, too. It really took a toll on people. And part of the legacy of it is, we will be seeing its affects for years to come, even if rainfall is normal this year. Our local extension agent said that even some trees that seemed to make it through will die within the next few years as a direct result of the drought. A cheerful thought, eh?
But let's not think of that now. Let's just enjoy the rain. Blessed rain!
|
|
|
|
Post by stepper on Jan 28, 2012 11:53:59 GMT -6
In about three weeks it's time to cut back the roses so they'll bloom in the spring - except it's already spring here. I'm not saying it won't get cold again - last year there was an ice storm in February - but we're having very spring like temperatures here.
|
|
|
|
Post by Phalon on Jan 29, 2012 9:49:01 GMT -6
Not so spring-like here anymore. Yesterday evening Hubs and I had planned to go to one of the orchard/wineries. It sounded like a fun event - a bonfire at dusk, wine-tasting, and chili. All free, (except for their hard-apple cider, which I happen to love). It snowed yesterday, and that would make the bonfire all the more inviting. But the wind blew all day, and by evening had kicked up to tremendous gusts. I can stand the cold, I love the snow, and I enjoy a good bonfire. But biting wind - pfft!
Instead we had drinks and appetizers at a local restaurant with some friends, and were home by eight.
Story-book snow this morning - big, fluffy flakes falling gently. Until the wind makes its presence known. Then it changes from a story-book look, to a bitter blizzard in an instant. It's been switching back and forth between the two as if someone's changing channels on the television and can't make up his mind what to watch!
|
|
|
|
Post by stepper on Jan 29, 2012 12:29:12 GMT -6
hard-apple cider, which I happen to love). ... But biting wind - pfft! Story-book snow this morning - big, fluffy flakes falling gently. Until the wind makes its presence known. Then it changes from a story-book look, to a bitter blizzard in an instant. It's been switching back and forth ... Hard Apple Cider..sounds like a fun drink when you're cold - and writing. I have to agree about the cold wind - it seems cold and windy goes through nearly everything. Speaking of writing, that snow you're having sounds like a great opportunity to look out the kitchen window and come up with something for the blog! And if you need inspiration, try some warm hard apple cider! With a touch of cinnamon! |
|
|
|
Post by Phalon on Jan 31, 2012 5:40:02 GMT -6
Looking at the snow out the kitchen window didn't last long....just long enough for me to get a short ski in yesterday morning. The temperatures rose throughout the day, and now there's just a trace of snow left.
That seems to be the trend these last few weeks - snow on the weekend, bare ground during the week. January is always our snowiest month - and this January was no different, but if that's the snowiest we're going to get, it's pathetic. Currently we're nearly 70 inches below normal. We need that snow cover; it's winter's insulating blanket for what grows around here.
|
|
|
|
Post by quettalee on Jan 31, 2012 11:20:47 GMT -6
Wow, 70 inches below! That's unbelievable. And you really don't think about the environmental implications of NOT having all that snow. Interesting. But if the temps are not as low does it still have the same harmful effects? affects? I think effects.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mini Mia on Jan 31, 2012 17:25:14 GMT -6
Ummm. Guess what I hear when I go outside? Makes me want to bring up the Spring Thread. Makes me want to believe Winter is over. Is gonna tick me off when the temps drop again. Although the part of me that doesn't want ticks, fleas, and other nasty insects is hoping for a bit more cold before Spring finally gets here.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mini Mia on Jan 31, 2012 17:28:46 GMT -6
Ooh. And to think in 2009 I had no lights because of the ice storm.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mini Mia on Jan 31, 2012 23:33:04 GMT -6
When I was on the phone with Mom later, I told her my house was like an oven, and the heat wasn't even kicking on, and I was going to put on summer clothes ... she told me that the weatherman predicts there won't be any snow in February, and that the weather will be nice, warmer than usual.
The fleas and ticks are no doubt doing a 'no snow' dance. Maybe the singing frogs will eat them up and spare us the infestation. Guess I can enjoy their singing now. But there's still March & April. I've seen snow on the ground in April before, and that could be what's in store for us this year too. 
|
|
|
|
Post by Phalon on Feb 1, 2012 7:52:08 GMT -6
Effects, yep; I'm sure of it. Something can affect the effects, but not effect the affects...that's the way I remember which to use anyway; "affect" rarely can be used with "the" in front of it.
What I'm not sure of is the effects the lack of snow will have. Even though our temperatures are higher than normal, we still are getting well below freezing. Monday morning, for example, when I went skiing, the thermometer read 21 degrees. By the end of the day we were up in the 40s. Continuous freeze and thaw cycles, especially to the root zone of plants, can be extremely damaging. Coupled with the wind off the Lake, which rarely quits and sucks every bit of moisture out of branches, winter-kill is often a big problem. At least with the snow cover the roots are kept insulated. This area is known as being the "fruit-belt" of the state - apples, cherries, blueberries, even peaches - are big exports, and the farmers are starting to seriously worry about the lack of snow and warm temperatures.
Yesterday was warmer; I think somewhere in the fifties. It was so nice, I walked all my errands, and wouldn't have needed a coat except for the wind. That Willow Smith preteenie-bopper song from a year or so ago kept running through my head. "I whip my hair back and forth, I whip my hair back and forth..." I could barely get a brush through it when I got home. What a sight I must have looked at the post office, the quick-mart (not a C*m-n-Go), and the movie rental place. Almost as scary-looking as when I first wake up in the morning....scarier looking than Xena's hair in "In Sickness and in Hell".
No singing frogs here yet, Joxie....although I let a fly into the house yesterday when I came in. Grrrrr... The stupid thing hovered around the ceiling in the kitchen all day, driving both me and cats crazy. I'd get a chair so I could reach to swat the d@mn thing, and of course, it'd move just out of my reach.
At least it didn't laugh out loud at me like Xena's lice laughed at her.
Dang, I loved the episode.
|
|
|
|
Post by Scrappy Amazon on Feb 1, 2012 11:47:09 GMT -6
A mutual friend and I were discussing the weather issues yesterday. She called it Juneuary.
It was 75 here yesterday. Bluck.
|
|
|
|
Post by stepper on Feb 1, 2012 18:20:38 GMT -6
I came home to blooming flowers in the pots.
Ditto on the frogs. I wonder if the severe drought last year hurt the population.
For me, it was moths when I went to work day before yesterday. They were attracted to the lights in the garage - several of them - good sized ones all flopping and fluttering around the lights. When it was time for me to leave I had Steppet turn off the lights and waited a minute for them to move over to the cycle headlight, then I slowly backed out of the garage. Like the Pied Piper of Hameln, the critters followed me out.
I liked In Sickness and in Hell too. It had several funny bits to it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Siren on Feb 1, 2012 21:59:05 GMT -6
We've seen moths, gnats, and a fly that could have worn a saddle. So crazy, seeing bugs this time of year. As Mama said, if it stays this warm for another week, lots of plants will be budding out.
My favorite moment in "In Sickness...." is something you have to look carefully for. Xena and Gabs are sitting side by side. As I recall, Xena is the center of the action, and is talking. Watch Gabrielle as she notices that one of Xena's lice has hopped over onto her. She quietly picks up the louse and puts it back on Xena.
|
|
|
|
Post by quettalee on Feb 2, 2012 17:44:04 GMT -6
Interesting. And growing up and farming and gardening in the South, I haven't ever given this a second thought.
|
|
|
|
Post by Phalon on Feb 4, 2012 8:51:42 GMT -6
Yesterday, I had coffee with a woman who is very involved with the County Extension Service. She was telling me that the office phones have been ringing with calls asking where large quantities of mulch can be found this time of year....without the snow cover, it seems people are scrambling to try to find alternatives.
Oh, and to set the recover straight....we are not 70 inches below our average snowfall (ahem...Hubs). We are 70 inches below our snowfall for this time last year; we're 40 inches below our average.
But Phil saw his shadow the other day, so maybe we'll have six more weeks of winter. Six more weeks? It almost seems like it would be the first six weeks we'd have all season!
|
|
|
|
Post by stepper on Feb 4, 2012 13:21:14 GMT -6
We've been getting rain, and I'll take six more weeks of that. There was a town near Austin where the well for the town was within a couple days of going dry - then the rains came and saved them.
I've got no complaints...winter can come back just as hard as usual next year.
|
|
|
|
Post by Phalon on Feb 5, 2012 8:55:30 GMT -6
This weekend is IceBreaker Festival. The chainsaws were buzzing, the town was packed...and the ice sculptures melted by early afternoon.
|
|
|
|
Post by stepper on Feb 5, 2012 18:14:28 GMT -6
It's a shame about the ice sculptures - those things are amazing - even more so because of how they're created.
|
|
|
|
Post by Phalon on Feb 6, 2012 8:46:14 GMT -6
I almost forgot, Stepper...the same woman I talked with who mentioned people scrambling for mulch, is also very involved with organizations that track, count populations, protect habitats, and such of the Monarch butterflies. She said they found the Monarchs are laying eggs in Texas already - one to two months too soon. When she was talking, I remembered you said you admired Monarchs and thought you might be interested.
|
|
|
|
Post by stepper on Feb 6, 2012 17:40:13 GMT -6
Wow! I haven't seen any yet but I purchased some butterfly friendly flower seeds. I'll have to get them in the ground. Thanks!
|
|
|
|
Post by Phalon on Feb 7, 2012 7:42:26 GMT -6
Great, Stepper! If you could throw in some milkweed seeds, it'd be even better. Milkweed is the only plant Monarchs lay their eggs on, because it is the single source of food for their caterpillars. It's the loss of milkweed in breeding grounds (which includes Texas) that's one of the main factors in the Monarchs' decline. I grow two different kinds of milkweed in a couple of my gardens, not only for the Monarchs, but because they are really very beautiful and fragrant. In addition, one of the neat things about growing it is that the plant doesn't have to be very big, or even in flower for it to attract Monarchs. I did a quick drill on milkweed in Texas, and found an interesting blurb on the importance of the plant in Monarch migration and breeding. Information specific to Texas appears under the heading "Native American Seed". www.xerces.org/milkweed/If you're interested, here are photos of two milkweed species native to Texas (which are different than the ones native to Michigan): plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ASASC&photoID=asasc_002_ahp.tifwww.asclepias.org/viridis.html |
|
|
|
Post by stepper on Feb 7, 2012 18:28:58 GMT -6
Thanks for the info Phalon. The plants I have are for birds and butterflies, but it doesn't include milkweed. I was thinking of a separate patch for that in the back yard where there is more sun and with the yard being fenced in there will be fewer things to bother them.
(I'm hoping of course, and we see some of the monarchs here so there's a chance of a reward for the effort.)
|
|
"There are people you meet, who move in and out of your life, like ghosts-- and after they're gone, you find that they've left a part of themselves with you.
