Thursday, January 07, 2010

All the rough places are smooth....


 

Yesterday we had a blizzard with snow, sustained winds of 30 mph, and COLD!  With so much blowing snow on top of the snow we already had, all the rough places have become smooth and all of the dips and gullies are sifted over and leveled with snow.  It reminds me of the Bible verse from Isiah 40:4:  Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.

Last night we hit -15* and the high for today was just -5*.  The sun was shining in all it's glory, the sky was cloudless, blue and clear but the temperature, along with the light wind of just 5 or 10 mph, made the wind chill a frigid -16 to -22*.  I just couldn't take my daily walk today.  All I could muster was a swift jaunt to the chicken coop to gather the eggs and then quickly home so they wouldn't freeze and crack.  After a bit of warming inside and fogging of glasses, I stepped back out the door to take the barn cats a bit of hot milk.  I had thoughts about a walk in My Woods with snowshoes on, but again, the wee bit of my face that peeped out from behind my hat and muffler just screamed with cold and sent me back inside.  It would be silly, after all, to get frostbite just for a few minutes of snowshoeing.  There will be nicer days, the weatherman promises.  For tonight, temps will hover around -15*.  Tomorrow will be a new day and perhaps we can get the mercury up above zero!  By week's end they say we'll be warming into the 40's which will feel balmy for January.  I'll be able to snowshoe in my sweatshirt by then!


There are just a few tracks in the snow now.  These are jackrabbit tracks.  Do you see the pattern?  Two front feet together followed by the back two feet in single file.  The dogs are in their glory chasing jack rabbits.

I'm into another wintry book, Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Long Winter.  I have realized now that the winter she describes in this book was called The Snow Winter by pioneers back in the winter of 1880-1881.  It began in October and continued  to snow and blizzard on and off through March.  Now that IS a long winter!  It's been years since I've read this book to my kids.  We enjoyed all of the Little House books together as read-alouds.  I appreciate the large print now more than ever!

11 comments:

  1. It is very cold here in Kansas also. My son and I spent they afternoon digging out the electric fence buried in the snow drifts. I received a phone call this morning, that two calves were out grazing beside the road. I knew it had to be fixed and I had to mentally prepare myself to go do it with the wind blowing as it was.
    Fence is hot again. We are thankful! You and I must of had the same thought on reading material. I went the bookshelf yesterday and got out "The Long Winter". We will be starting it tomorrow. We read it every winter and it seems to make winter here in Kansas not seem so bad. Blessings from Kansas! Gail

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  2. oh, oh, oh, that sounds so cold! It was too cold here to walk today, so I am thankful for the dreadmill/treadmill..it does the job. The books sound wonderful and I have been thinking about my pioneer ancestors that crossed the plains to come to Utah in the dead of winter..I don't know how they did it! Come say hi :D

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  3. I was just thinking about starting the Little House series today. I also found this quote on Susan Branch's website by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
    "The wind was blowing, but not too hard, and everyone was so happy for it was only twenty degrees below zero and the sun shone." - Laura Ingalls Wilder

    Perfect for today!

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  4. I have enjoyed The Long Winter so many times. It is a lovely story of ups and downs. I'm so glad you aren't going out in the cold for too long! My classroom is SO hot. When our temps dip way below freezing, the ancient heating system freaks out and I must swelter. It's awful! I'm so glad it's Friday. I'd like to join you for a nice long snow shoe jaunt!

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  5. I'm right this very minute trying to get motivated to walk. It's warmer here today than it's been all week--35 degrees (must sound balmy to you!)--but the wind is really, really blowing out there. Reading your post, I realize it could be a lot worse. I suppose I'll bundle up and see how it feels to go down the street. I can always turn around.

    Stay warm!

    frances

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  6. I live in a frosty winter wonderland myself, and just started re-reading The Long Winter last night! :) Those stories make me so thankful for the luxuries we often take for granted these days!

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  7. I read the Long Winter every winter...what an incredible story.
    You guys have had a real bout of weather....we've not had anywhere near as bad a winter up here in Canada...

    Have a great weekend
    Niki

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  8. We are about 10 degrees warmer here, but enjoying the same crystal clear skies and bright sunshine. Love those skies and sunshine. They lift my spirit.

    Stay warm~
    Cassie

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  9. Oh my that is cold! Love the photo and the verse to go with it. I've been getting an itch to re-read those books...
    I can still remember the thrill of reading them the first time way back in elementary school...

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  10. Wow it makes our high of so far 23 seem summer like. We have had more snow and cold weather this year then in the past....I can't remember...

    I love that book. We read it aloud one winter when my DH was working in a feed-lot in the panhandle of Texas..It was a harsh harsh winter as they can be in that area. He said reading that book just made him colder. Ha

    stay warm!

    ~M~

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  11. Oh no! I don't want a warm up. Well, I don't want -15 either, but how 'bout a nice comfy 30 to keep the snow frozen. I'm not ready for a sloppy mess. How fun to read the long winter -- that had to be some suffering to endure these temps without all of our modern conveniences!

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