Persimmon Prognostication

Read it and weep, Southern Illinoisans. That spoon in the persimmon seed says that we will have plenty of snow in the upcoming winter. Lay in some extra wood, because it is not fun picking up firewood from the snow!

 

Sub-Zero, Drastic Measures!

The snow is too much to scoop, and we can't get out of the driveway, so tomorrow morning we will be using a bucket of fire to warm up the oil in the Kubota. We did that in January of '09 with the old 2 wheel drive tractor and it worked just great. Keeping our fingers crossed. Back To The Old Grind!

 

Thanksgiving Weather, Stay Informed

 

Fall Has Fell!

 The fall colors ease us into the dark time of year, but the rain and cold remind us what comes next. The stoves offer necessary comfort. We fired up the basement stove yesterday.

Sixty Degrees Today, Turtles Catching Some Rays...

 ...Frost warning for tonight!

It's Not Raining Rain, You Know, It's Raining Violets! Yeah, Sure!

 April 29 we had some strong thunderstorms blow through. We had tree damage, and around us there were trees blocking roads, damage to outbuildings, and minor flash flooding. We just have a bit of chainsaw work to do, but no real emergencies. We are going to a neighbor this morning to clean up limbs in her yard. Our old owl tree really was taken down a notch, but it will survive, for a while anyway.

Oh Blow It Out Your Ear, Al!

 

White Knuckle Driving

 Our Schipperke friend, Mary, drove home across Missouri on Wednesday, and it was brutal with the wild south wind. She said it was really white knuckle driving all the way. We had storms that evening, but no damage. It seems that March is wanting to come and go like a lion.

The Stoves Are Cold Tonight!

Spring weather really has arrived. We are having good fire weather and have the dam burned off. Big winds are forecast for tomorrow, so we are making preps to carry dogs to the basement in case of tornado threats. The daffodils are popping!

We are always thrilled by the daffodils, and they never last long enough. It is a great show!

We have just been firing the basement stove this week, and today we let it go out. Maybe we will have to fire up again next Wednesday evening if the forecast is correct. Saves wood!

The Seasons Are...

...Progressing Nicely.

 

An Inch Of Snow Can Make A Messy Road

 

You don't need much snow to make our roads impassable. A couple inches of light, dry snow, a bit of a breeze, and you better know your drifting spots or you will be stuck. The good news on our light snowfalls is that they have protected the wheat from the bitter cold that will go on through Thursday night. The wheat would survive it naked, but it really sets it back. The weather will be better soon! We Hope!

Flash Flooding, Now Snow

 The Groundhog got us all! Yesterday we had heavy rain and flash flooding. The state highway down to the county seat was closed, and someone wrecked in the water, either not paying attention or pushing their luck. Our township gravel to the farm was running like a creek, but you can drive it if you go easy. There aren't any culvert crossings in that stretch, so it is safe for the locals who know it. About midnight the rain blew out and snow came in, a couple of inches. This morning the cold air is streaming in, and it will be cold for a week. We are going to the barn to bring up more wood...

Still Ganged Up

 They will scatter when the weather warms up a bit. Have not seen any antlers lately, so it is probably time to look for sheds.

Still Hard Ice!

 Walking our driveway is still a challenge. They are calling for 31 tomorrow, so maybe we will melt a bit.  A thaw is coming in Saturday. Maintain your verticality! Falls kill old people!

Home Is Where The Heat Is!

 The temp is up to 17 degrees F at mid-morning. Heat Wave!

Not My Victrola: Fight Those Winter Blahs!

We have posted this one before, and is a great song to lift your spirit on a cold and dreary winter day. It is one of my favorite records for Fox-Trotting, so push back the furniture and join in the fun.

No sun today, but the temp is now to 39 degrees F, and the snow is settling rapidly!

Best Seat In The House

 Goes great with a cup of coffee and a Schipperke for company.

Crusty, Hard Walking

Our precip came down in layers of ice and snow, and walking on it is hard. It will take most of your weight, then drop you. The deer have not been seen until Thursday night, when I saw some movement over in the pines. They normally walk across the dam every day, but the only tracks out there this week are from squirrels. More snow is supposed to ease in tonight, maybe up around four inches on top of our crustiness. Ice from Sunday is still sparkling up in the treetops. 

The county blacktop melted down enough that you can drive on it so long as you keep a light foot on the accelerator. Sunshine melted much of the ice, but it is re-freezing tonight. It is much better than it was Monday and Tuesday. I was able to go to the farm with the little Nissan two-wheel drive pickup today.

Here comes the next one! Update, 6:30 AM, very light snow, dry air is keeping the snow from making it to the ground. I give that a thumb up!

Snow 6:30 A, Jan 10, 2025

Snow 10:30 P Jan 9, 2025

 

Dashing Through The Snow

 I didn't make it over to the farm to check on my cats for a couple days because of the ice and snow storm. The county blacktop is a solid sheet of ice, so I did not want to take the family car, or the two-wheel drive pickup. The tractor was the solution. The gravel roads were impassable for two-wheel drive when I got off the blacktop, but the tractor handled it OK. The cats were fine. I had put out extra food and water before the storm. The road commissioner bladed my route a second time before I headed home, and it is passable now for a car. The blacktop is a mess, though. This morning I spent a few hours just down the road with a fellow who slid into the ditch. I had no traction and couldn't budge him. A bold co-worker showed up with a four-wheel drive work truck and yanked him out with a series of jerks, something that I was hesitant to do to a stranger's car. Nobody got hurt, and I doubt that the car is bent from the jerking. Nobody fell, or got hurt, and that is a blessing. Be careful out there, especially when the next blast of cold comes south!

Running into the Giraffe crew was a nice bonus of this cold ride. Those guys don't take snow days!

It's Crusty

Sleet and freezing rain on top of four inches of snow. Gonna be scraping a bit tomorrow. Back To The Old Grind!