Blizzard Snow Looking Out Window. Photo by Sharon.
Blizzard Snow Looking Out Window at Sculpture. Photo By Sharon.
Blizzard Snow on Cone Flowers. Photo by Sharon.
I hope you enjoy these photos. My wish was to put enough time between the actual storm and the photos to let the hardship that so many experienced to fade.
For my part, since I am found at home most of the time, I enjoyed the storm. Let me add, however, it did stir not so old memories of my commuting when I worked.
First the drive on icy and drift covered streets to the train station. Then, more likely than not, slip and fall on the outside train platform. Too early to be shoveled. Then wait for a train. Probably delayed because it runs from an electrical wire that will ice up and come down. Once on the train, hoping the heat works. Arriving at destination station, if all goes right, at least an hour late. Then walking through the underground tunnel to get to the other side of the street. For semi-claustrophobics this is not an easy task. And, for the final act, walking from the station to the office building door, holding onto a rope the city so kindly provided to keep from blowing and sliding in the wrong direction.
So, I am aware of storm hazzards. In fact, I did do some preparation for the storm: collected candles and matches, charged cell phone and ipod, bought extra food, made sure more blankets were available and called daughter to make sure she was also "ready."
Then, get under the covers and watch tv until the electricity goes out. Fortunately, for us, the electricity did not go out. And, we woke up to the beauty left behind as the blizzard headed eastward.
Yes, that is rain. Rain in winter. Near Chicago. Only one day after a huge snow storm. In fact, you can see the last of a remaining pile of plowed snow. And, guess what? It snowed again two days later.
The cycle of life.
For about two years now I have, on occasion, fallen out of bed. This is a bad thing because I have had difficulty in getting back into bed. I've talked about this topic before. Like the time I was visiting my mom and fell between the wall and the bed.
So far, knock on wood, I haven't had any injuries of any significance. And, I hadn't had a fall for several months, leading me to think it wasn't going to happen again.
HA!
So, a couple of weeks ago, it did happen again. I had one of my very animated dreams. I was trying to show someone how big the fish in the lake were. I stretched my arms out. You know, like a fisherman does. It was when I couldn't stretch them any further that I fell.
And, this time I knocked my face, cheek and chin, along with my upper arm into my nightstand. Not serious, but hurt none-the-less. Luckily, after remembering some helpful tricks a physical therapist gave me, I was able to get back into bed without too much difficulty.
Unfortunately, this fall was the last straw for the Chief. He worries about me enough and he had had enough of this falling business. Now we had discussed various ways to stop me from falling out of bed before. But, this time he wasn't kidding around. The words "bed rail" kept coming up again and again. Out of his mouth, mind you, not mine.
"No, no, no" came out of mine. I searched for alternative solutions. I'm rather good at problem solving (LOL).
We could take away the bed frame and be closer to the floor. Uh, no 'cause I wouldn't be able to get down or up.
We could buy a King size bed (we have a Queen). Sounded good until I saw how much they cost, plus all the new linens, etc., etc.
We could put a room divider between the bed and nightstand. Tried it, I couldn't reach the light or anything else.
Then, all of a sudden, the chief spoke "HOSPITAL BED"! I'm not kidding. "Hospital Bed." Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
It was at that point my mind quickly went to a compromise. A new tactic I learned from our POTUS.
Bed Rails.
Of course I put many qualifications on what it could look like, how big it was, and could I handle it without calling the Warden. After searching the internet for a few days, I finally settled on one that was black. Quite fashionable, I thought, as opposed to the hospital "stainless steel" most were. It was adjustable in length, so I could get out of bed without taking it off. And, it could be folded down when not in use. No shipping costs. Returnable to store. Done deal.
After the bed rail arrived the Chief put it together. Wrong at first. But pretty good for not reading the instructions prior to assembling. I kid. We fooled around with where exactly it should be placed and once set, went to bed.
I have to be honest. It was the best night's sleep I'd had in a long time.
There may be more than two or ten bunnies down that bunny hole. But, since I have only seen one at a time, that one is all I know for sure. So careful, so concentrated on its surroundings. And, such big eyes. Hiding in the winter brush until it feels safe enough to be in the open. How brave. Or, maybe not.
The bunny needs to eat. So I wish it good luck in finding food quickly and returning home safely.
If, by any chance, you have not read "The Velveteen Rabbit" I encourage you to do so. I'm especially fond of the passage on what it takes to become real. The first time I read it was the first time I had become real... after my divorce.
Just to keep me on the right path I've become real again several times. You have read about some of those times here and probably will again.
My New Year wish for you all:
May you have a twinkle in your eye, a warm heart, some change in your pocket, and only a nodding acquaintance with your physician.
Winter: Nine Mourning Doves on Patio Fence 2010. Photo by Sharon.
Winter: Two House Finch Sitting On Patio Fence 2010. Photo by Sharon.
Winter: Grackle In Crab Apple Tree 2010. Photo by Sharon.
"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn." - Henry David Thoreau.
It was a beautiful beginning to our winter, that snow storm. But, never-the-less, it was the tidings of a cold and lonely season til spring. And, then we filled the bird feeders in the late afternoon on a sunless day.
The next day was like Christmas. Coming into the office, sipping my morning coffee...looking at my empty patio: no flowers, no birds, no activity to my eye.
I turned my eyes to my computer, thinking of spring. And I looked up again. What was this? A Mourning Dove? Two Mourning Doves? Grackles out the other window eating the crab apples. Sitting on the patio fence two House Finches with their reddish tummies.
I was awestruck! The final count on the Mourning Doves was nine. They are always in twos. I couldn't find the tenth but it had to be there somewhere.
There was not the usual scuffling for places at the feeders. Taking turns at the feeder, the waiting line was puffed out to several unrecognizable balls of feathers.
I must have taken 30 photos. Some didn't make the cut. The birds stayed longer than they normally do in the summer. It must feel good to have food nearby while sitting on the fence in the sun, with feathers puffed.
And, they came back later in the day. All of them. And, the next day and the next.
They must know how much they are welcomed here and how much joy they bring... all for a few seeds.
Cone Flowers in Winter Snow 2010. Photo by Sharon.
The pictures you're viewing were taken yesterday. The day after my blog showing a patch of snow on a roof. I love waking up to this beauty. Especially since it was unexpected...at least for me. If I had looked at the weather radar map and seen the huge blueish monster heading our way I might have guessed. But, I didn't.
So, here we really do have our first snow storm of 2010. The pictures are before any plowing or much traffic, car or dog. No yellow snow here. No ratty dismal dirty grays. Just fluffy dazzeling white beauty.
If you were to go back to my blog beginnings and look at the photographs I took from my windows, you'd see the glorious passing of this year's season.
Enjoy.
Bird Feeders in Winter Snow 2010. Photo by Sharon.
Blue Glass Globe in Winter Snow 2010. Photo by Sharon.
Are you afraid of something? I mean like a phobia of a specific thing? Do you remember how you found out you were afraid? One horrible winter day, when I was in my very early teens, I had an experience I will never forget.
My girlfriend and I decided to take a walk from the older side of town to a new addition that was being built. In between the two locations was a vast wild field. A small creek flowed through the meadow, although we did not know it at the time. "Cuz this was an adventure!"
There was about six inches of snow over the ground, blown away in some parts, with high drifts in others. Even so, do you think we wore boots? Ha! Never on your tintype. As we walked along, our feet would sometimes break through a crust of ice between the snow and the ground, and our shoes would get wet from the melting ice beneath. The walking was hard work and it would take a bit of time to get to our destination.
About three-quarters of the way we finally came upon the creek. Now that I think of it, it was probably a drainage ditch rather than a creek. But, creek sounds better for the story. It was about 20 feet across with an immediate drop to about four feet below. The water was frozen.
We would never have dared to walk across it, knowing that the ice would probably break. But, we were in luck. There was a huge cement pipe coming out of the ground, going across the ditch, and entering the ground on the other side. It was a huge pipe, maybe four to five feet in diameter, making it easy peasy to cross. Aha, a bridge!!!
My friend went first. Not slowly, but carefully, as I watched. Okeedookee, my turn. I took a few steps and got out almost to the middle when I looked down. I don't know what happened to me, but I couldn't move any further. My friend yelled at me to "come on." But, I was frozen in place. "I can't!" I yelled back.
And, I couldn't. Standing there, my two feet secured themselves on the cement pipe, my arms out to my side like a circus tight rope walker. Nope, those feet weren't about to go anywhere. I think I was in a state of mortal fear. "Walk!" she said. "I can't move!" I answered.
And, there we were. But, where was superman when I needed him. "Go baaaack!" she said. "I can't move!" I answered. I couldn't even move my head. I was like one of those wax figures in Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
Time stood still.
I was frantically thinking I had to do something. But, what? I finally decided to lower myself down on the pipe so I would be straddling it, rather than standing. "Good, crawl over to me!" she said. "No, I can't!"
I ended up butt walking, more or less, backwards to the beginning of the pipe and was able to crawl onto the ground. I could breathe once more.
I had been terrified, helpless and cold. I couldn't feel my feet anymore. My face was covered with frozen tears. I needed my mommy.
My parents weren't home that day. Fortunately, the minister of my church lived close by. We stopped there. I told my sad story through more tears. Telling him that my feet were frozen and I feared frostbite. He and his wife took care of me very tenderly and seriously. Just the right combination for dealing with a young teenager: I felt loved and I was being taken seriously.
So, that's my story about discovering I was afraid of heights. Well, not exactly heights. Just anything above ground level. Even today, if I am going down or up stairs, I suffer from vertigo. And, don't even ask me about driving in the mountains!
My regret is, I never had an opportunity to tell Alfred Hitchcock my story. I think it would have made a good movie.
Oh, and what brought all this to mind is a video that my dear Roger Ebert had on his blog. Hold on and enjoy.
These are the baby birdies new to us this summer. They are the ones who line up on the fence waiting their turn at the feeder. They recently discovered the fun of bathing together. Lots of splishes and splashes.
I watch them with a smile on my face. They are just so "into it." And, I'm so pleased that I was able to get their photos to share with you.
They never come here in singles. Always, all of them. I think there is a total of seven. They have definitely found their home, and will be rewarded with food and water throughout the winter.
What starts out as a fun thing to do turns into a responsibility. When we provide food and water in the spring, summer and fall, we create a haven for the birds. They generally don't stray too far from a sure thing. And, so, we must continue to feed and water them in the winter. It was our summer promise.
A person takes care of an animal or other being: A promise lurks in the mist.
About three years ago we (the Chief) planted some tall prairie grass native to Illinois. The photo is proof enough to me why we don't cut it back for winter. The only time I can see it from my window is when the wind is blowing. I love it.
And I love that the change of weather here provides me with many interesting views of the same things.
I believe that I have suffered a bit from a little dyslexia. Not so much with numbers or letters, but words. Hmmm, now that I think of it perhaps it's not dyslexia but rather malapropisms or spoonerisms. At any rate they can be funny at times, or in the wrong situation, humiliating.
At a very young age I saw my first July 4th display in Chicago. I was told we would be seeing/hearing "fire crackers." My mom tells me that after the show I said "I don't like fire cookies." Then a few years later I was talking about the actor who played Sherlock Holmes way back when - Rasil Bathroom. And on it goes.
Yesterday we had a weather alert that I have seldom seen. Chief was out and about and I wanted to warn him about the alert and hazardous driving conditions. "Hi honey. Just wanted to let you know that there's an alert out for wheezing frogs."
He said "WHAT? I CAN"T HEAR YOU!" I said "WHEEZING FROGS!" Only this time I heard what I said and tried to say it correctly without success. So I laughed and just said "drive carefully."
Well, by now you've guessed that the weather alert was for Freezing Fog. And that is what the picture is all about. Not snow. Not ice. Not Frost. But Wheezing Frogs. I'm sure they're there if you look closely.
The photos above show the result of an ice storm that passed through during the night. While beautiful, ice storms can reek havoc. Our electricity went out for about six hours during the night due to the weight of ice on lines. Not exactly havoc for us. But the repairmen who were up all night in ice trying to fix it might have a different perspective. Thank you to all the repairmen who work through havoc while we snuggle under our comforter and awake to beauty.
When Bob and I were still working and we'd pass someone doing some god awful job, Bob would say "I wouldn't want THAT job!" I had to agree with him. Bob's underlying unsaid statement was "And I wouldn't want MY job either!" Retirement couldn't have come fast enough.
I decided to take these pictures today because the snow has finally begun here. Just in time for the holidays. It's a very gentle snow and if one didn't know better, one might be moved to say "Winter? What's the big deal?" Don't believe me? Just cast your eyes on the thermometer.
If you look closely at the red globes you will see quite clearly an image of our home. For some reason Bob decided this year to decorate in celebration of the Winter Solstice. It has been years since we decorated for anything. Wait, I take that back, we do, every spring, decorate our outside with flowers of various colors (as you have seen in pictures previously posted).
He did this quite on his own with much surprise to me. At first I worried about him, which is my nature, but then I decided to just enjoy them and his enjoyment in the doing.
Hoping your holiday of choice is also enjoyment filled. It's the little things.
