The last day of February and for being a short month, it has been a long month, or seems that way to me. It has been an interesting month as well.
We started off with a Blizzard, and I mean Blizzard. A very unusual snow storm for my part of the country. We ended up with a foot of snow and drifts three to four feet high. The pre warnings said we might have ice, so we were ready. The generator was in place and we had my grandson come out to stay here in case of power loss. We parked the cars in areas away from the trees to prevent damage from falling branches and ice. But actually we only got a thin sheeting of ice and no power loss or damage, but it was under the snow and with the brutally cold temps, it just wouldn't go away.
We are used to getting 2" to 4", maybe even 6" of snow but then in a couple of days the sun comes out, the temps warm up and it all goes away. But not this one. We had snow for over a week and the cars were surrounded by drifts. My daughter had to shovel hers out and was able to get out but the roads were very slick so she missed work, as did my grandson who had to leave his car here but was able to go back to his little house in town.
My car stayed buried for almost two weeks because just a week after the blizzard, we ended up getting even more snow, reports were from 4" to 6" and I'm not sure exactly how much only that my car was a "snow mobile" as it was not only surrounded by snow drifts but covered up as well with snow.
Of course, living in a rural area, we are the last that roads are cleared but in this instance, even the major highway 1/4 mile from me took days for the crews to get out and really clear it. We are not prepared for the type of weather we had and cities and towns across the state were at a loss and again not much could be done until the storm had passed and then the highway and street departments worked around the clock to clear the roads. A huge thanks and hats off to those workers who put in the long hours in the freezing cold to make our roads safe so people could get back to work or get out to replenish the groceries.
It was so bad that we had no mail service for four days and of course, schools were closed all over. Now, I know some probably think we sound like wimps that got bogged down with a little snow. When areas across the country were getting 2 feet or more, here we are complaining about a foot and being shut down. The only difference is, that we ordinarily don't have weather like this so we don't have the manpower, the equipment or supplies to handle it and since it might be a once in a lifetime event, it really isn't high on the priority list of our cities and towns. And this year, we made history with the largest amount of snowfall plus the coldest temps ever recorded in the state. As far as that goes, one small town in the state actually made national news as being the coldest city in all the United States with a -31 degrees. That was actual temp, not wind chill.
Here where I live, we saw temps dip to -12 and -14 which were unheard of. I turned up the heat in the house, opened cabinet doors and still had to get out the hair dryer to thaw frozen pipes. Luckily no broken ones and they thawed quickly but gave me a few hours of concern.
But then, things turned and we began to get "normal" winter weather. We do have cold days and we get some snow but nothing like we experienced. But once the snow was gone, we looked forward to those warm days and sure enough, the thermometers began to climb and we've had several days in the 60's and even a couple making it to the 70's. The flowers are popping up and ready to bloom, the grass is showing color replacing the brown of winter and the sky seems bluer and much clearer than it did before.
The itch is on to get outside and enjoy the warmth and sunshine and piddle in the yard or flower beds. Although we still know that we can get hit again but are keeping fingers crossed the worst if behind us for this winter season and spring is really just around the corner.
But spring isn't without its quirks and problems too. With the changing temps and the warm gulf air pushing northward while the northern frigid air doesn't want to give up its domain and pushes southward, there is a clash and yesterday we saw that clash as thunderstorms popped up, some severe with the thunder, lightning and hail, high winds and even reports of tornadoes.
We enjoy this beautiful weather but we also have to be aware that Mother Nature gets cranky during the change of seasons and has to let us know that she still is in charge. We may worship the warmth and sunshine of a warm spring day but if she is out of sorts, she lets us know by hitting us with a dose of her reality to let us know it just isn't time yet and we must be patient.
So on this last day of February, we looked forward to tomorrow to see if March will be marching in like a lion or a lamb and then to wait all month to see how she will exit. And during that time, we will play the little games of warm and cold and maybe even another visit from old man winter but then again, we may enjoy warm days and beautiful flowers as we wait for the April showers.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Progress - Good or Bad
I've written about this before but have been watching my nephew's children as they post on Facebook and even him, as far as that goes and it has made me wonder if progress is really that good for our young people today.
With their little codes for texting, they have expanded to their posting on forums, Facebook, even in their emails. It is a code that takes some deciphering at times. And is it helpful or harmful?
I wonder how they are really doing in school, when they have to use proper English rules and the biggest subject of all - Spelling. Why don't our schools put this form of "new language" down. It really is showing the ignorance and dummy down of the young people today. You can hear it in their conversation and heaven forbid you have to read something they have written. It is next to impossible.
Sorry, but I just can't condone it and do not plan to incorporate it into my life in any means. I keep correcting them and asking if they know how to speak correctly or spell correctly. They laugh it off but it really does make me wonder.
And why do they think they have to have a hand held contraption in their hand to keep in touch with the rest of the world 24/7. But again, I've seen some adults who have to have their cells phones glued to their ears and even some who have to have the latest in inventions so they can "stay in touch". What happened to our socializing face to face?
My grandson has one and there is no way that I know an Ipod from a Blackberry and to be truthful, I really don't care and don't want to know. I will say the cell phone is a good thing as it gives you the capability of calling for help or assistance if you are stranded, but to use it for a constant source of information and to be so totally engrossed in it, that you don't see the rest of the world passing you by, then I say it is not a good thing.
Maybe I'm just in one of my moods today but I just feel that sometimes progress is not as good as some may think it is. Of course, many of you know that I am against the electronic readers. And to prove my point that they are only a passing fancy which will destroy the world of books, they have already started with book stores shutting down, scaling down and in general moving away from the bound books that we grew up with. One that you could curl up with and read on a winter's day or even in the shade on a summer day. One which could take you on an imaginary trip to a wonderful make believe world, or perhaps one to inform you on current events. Either way, it was a form of escape. But now that has been compromised with a piece of black plastic and a small screen, which by the way is very harmful to the eyesight and they are now realizing that.
Perhaps one day, when everyone needs glasses in order to see the fingers on their hands right in front of their faces, their eyesight ruined by all these electronic devices, they might see the light but I wonder what "Progress" will come up with next to compensate. The blind leading the blind?
Maybe it is time we all step back and take a good look at Progress and decide if it is really for the good of society or is it leading us down a path from which we might not ever return to normal life where we actually use our brains and our senses to experience the real world. Something to think about, isn't it?
With their little codes for texting, they have expanded to their posting on forums, Facebook, even in their emails. It is a code that takes some deciphering at times. And is it helpful or harmful?
I wonder how they are really doing in school, when they have to use proper English rules and the biggest subject of all - Spelling. Why don't our schools put this form of "new language" down. It really is showing the ignorance and dummy down of the young people today. You can hear it in their conversation and heaven forbid you have to read something they have written. It is next to impossible.
Sorry, but I just can't condone it and do not plan to incorporate it into my life in any means. I keep correcting them and asking if they know how to speak correctly or spell correctly. They laugh it off but it really does make me wonder.
And why do they think they have to have a hand held contraption in their hand to keep in touch with the rest of the world 24/7. But again, I've seen some adults who have to have their cells phones glued to their ears and even some who have to have the latest in inventions so they can "stay in touch". What happened to our socializing face to face?
My grandson has one and there is no way that I know an Ipod from a Blackberry and to be truthful, I really don't care and don't want to know. I will say the cell phone is a good thing as it gives you the capability of calling for help or assistance if you are stranded, but to use it for a constant source of information and to be so totally engrossed in it, that you don't see the rest of the world passing you by, then I say it is not a good thing.
Maybe I'm just in one of my moods today but I just feel that sometimes progress is not as good as some may think it is. Of course, many of you know that I am against the electronic readers. And to prove my point that they are only a passing fancy which will destroy the world of books, they have already started with book stores shutting down, scaling down and in general moving away from the bound books that we grew up with. One that you could curl up with and read on a winter's day or even in the shade on a summer day. One which could take you on an imaginary trip to a wonderful make believe world, or perhaps one to inform you on current events. Either way, it was a form of escape. But now that has been compromised with a piece of black plastic and a small screen, which by the way is very harmful to the eyesight and they are now realizing that.
Perhaps one day, when everyone needs glasses in order to see the fingers on their hands right in front of their faces, their eyesight ruined by all these electronic devices, they might see the light but I wonder what "Progress" will come up with next to compensate. The blind leading the blind?
Maybe it is time we all step back and take a good look at Progress and decide if it is really for the good of society or is it leading us down a path from which we might not ever return to normal life where we actually use our brains and our senses to experience the real world. Something to think about, isn't it?
Saturday, February 5, 2011
A Tribute to Prissy
Prissy was a small tabby that came into my daughter's life in 2004. She wandered into their yard and after a while they were able to befriend her finding that she seemed to be in good health but had been declawed on all four paws.
Searching for her owners as she was sure she had escaped from a loving home, the weeks went by with no one answering the ads and no response from local veterinarians. So Prissy joined the family, which was three at the time plus one other cat, named Oliver. They named her Prissy because of her demeanor.
Prissy let it be known from day one that she was the dominant cat in the household and would let Oliver know that she was the reigning queen, however they also became close companions. She was bold and curious and there wasn't to much that upset her. Moving to a new home didn't bother her as she checked it out and made herself to home. Oliver on the other hand had more of a problem with change but Prissy seemed to be able to calm him and assure him that everything would be all right.
When my daughter had to give up her home and move into the trailer next to my house, again Prissy made herself to home immediately while Oliver hid for weeks and ran for cover at every little noise. But not Prissy. She was at the window looking out upon her new surroundings and settled right in.
I had been around Prissy and Oliver a few times but not enough that they knew me all that well but they were making up with me now that they were seeing more of me. But it was one weekend when my daughter was gone and I was going in to feed them and would take the time to talk to them and pet on them and after that I was their friend.
Sometimes Prissy would come down from her perch on the bed to greet me when I came visiting and then again if she was comfortable, she might raise her head and look my direction but that was it. She definitely had a mind of her own and acted when she wanted too. But she could be loving and sweet and very friendly.
And of course, she was loved by her family and they loved her. Our pets do become a part of our family and Prissy was a big part of her family and mine too as I came to know her better.
But tragedy struck this past Tuesday, February 1, 2011. As we were in the middle of a blizzard, I spoke with my daughter that morning as she said, "We've had a little accident out here and Prissy is dead." My heart leaped to my throat as the tears welled up and I couldn't speak. How could it be? Melanie began telling me how she had climbed up on a shelf unit but lost her balance and with no claws to grab and cling to anything, she fell, landing in a plastic tote and broke her neck. It was instant and sudden and a shock to all of us. My grandson was there as well and there was nothing that could have stopped it. It was a tragic accident but it took the life of Prissy, the lovable sweet tabby that filled their lives and Oliver's constant companion.
My tears flowed as I knew the pain of their loss and even a pain to me as I had come to love the cat too. She was so innocent and loving, depending on her humans to care for her and they did. She had a good life, a happy life and a lot of love but it ended all to soon.
We will always remember her as she made a mark on our hearts. My heart still aches for the loss and for the pain my daughter and grandson feel at the loss of one of their special family members. She will never be forgotten as the memories will live on.
NOTE: Years ago we had a cat that we had his front paws declawed and I swore I would never do that to a cat again. We don't know who the owners were of Prissy or why they had her declawed but it is wrong. The claws are the cats defenses and without them, they are totally dependent upon humans to see to their needs, but more importantly, they need their claws to help maintain their balance as well as defense. Had she had claws, she could have broken her fall but as it was, she had nothing and was defenseless. I've come to feel it is a crime to declaw a cat and it is only for the owner's benefit. It is time responsible pet owners take notice and not alter their pets so that tragedies like this one happen. So please, if you own a cat, do not declaw that cat. You can train them not to be destructive and it will make a happier cat/owner situation than to alter and make them defenseless.
Searching for her owners as she was sure she had escaped from a loving home, the weeks went by with no one answering the ads and no response from local veterinarians. So Prissy joined the family, which was three at the time plus one other cat, named Oliver. They named her Prissy because of her demeanor.
Prissy let it be known from day one that she was the dominant cat in the household and would let Oliver know that she was the reigning queen, however they also became close companions. She was bold and curious and there wasn't to much that upset her. Moving to a new home didn't bother her as she checked it out and made herself to home. Oliver on the other hand had more of a problem with change but Prissy seemed to be able to calm him and assure him that everything would be all right.
When my daughter had to give up her home and move into the trailer next to my house, again Prissy made herself to home immediately while Oliver hid for weeks and ran for cover at every little noise. But not Prissy. She was at the window looking out upon her new surroundings and settled right in.
I had been around Prissy and Oliver a few times but not enough that they knew me all that well but they were making up with me now that they were seeing more of me. But it was one weekend when my daughter was gone and I was going in to feed them and would take the time to talk to them and pet on them and after that I was their friend.
Sometimes Prissy would come down from her perch on the bed to greet me when I came visiting and then again if she was comfortable, she might raise her head and look my direction but that was it. She definitely had a mind of her own and acted when she wanted too. But she could be loving and sweet and very friendly.
And of course, she was loved by her family and they loved her. Our pets do become a part of our family and Prissy was a big part of her family and mine too as I came to know her better.
But tragedy struck this past Tuesday, February 1, 2011. As we were in the middle of a blizzard, I spoke with my daughter that morning as she said, "We've had a little accident out here and Prissy is dead." My heart leaped to my throat as the tears welled up and I couldn't speak. How could it be? Melanie began telling me how she had climbed up on a shelf unit but lost her balance and with no claws to grab and cling to anything, she fell, landing in a plastic tote and broke her neck. It was instant and sudden and a shock to all of us. My grandson was there as well and there was nothing that could have stopped it. It was a tragic accident but it took the life of Prissy, the lovable sweet tabby that filled their lives and Oliver's constant companion.
My tears flowed as I knew the pain of their loss and even a pain to me as I had come to love the cat too. She was so innocent and loving, depending on her humans to care for her and they did. She had a good life, a happy life and a lot of love but it ended all to soon.
We will always remember her as she made a mark on our hearts. My heart still aches for the loss and for the pain my daughter and grandson feel at the loss of one of their special family members. She will never be forgotten as the memories will live on.
PRISSY
NOTE: Years ago we had a cat that we had his front paws declawed and I swore I would never do that to a cat again. We don't know who the owners were of Prissy or why they had her declawed but it is wrong. The claws are the cats defenses and without them, they are totally dependent upon humans to see to their needs, but more importantly, they need their claws to help maintain their balance as well as defense. Had she had claws, she could have broken her fall but as it was, she had nothing and was defenseless. I've come to feel it is a crime to declaw a cat and it is only for the owner's benefit. It is time responsible pet owners take notice and not alter their pets so that tragedies like this one happen. So please, if you own a cat, do not declaw that cat. You can train them not to be destructive and it will make a happier cat/owner situation than to alter and make them defenseless.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Where did the sunshine go?
The last few weeks have been pretty dark for me. What with having to make the trip to help my mom and the problems I've experienced with my sister. The only good thing is that my mother has seen the light and does know that I am only acting on her behalf for her best interest and the fences are being mended but it is going to take some time.
However the fences will never be mended with my sister and myself and for that I am sorry. It didn't need to happen but it has and now we each will walk our own paths.
We were hit by a horrendous winter storm which dumped almost a foot of snow over ice and temperatures dropped to the single digits and zero with wind chills in the minus column. My daughter has been out twice and each time I worry as the roads are still ice and snow packed so are slick. She managed to get my grandson back to his house in town but his car is still here buried under a snow bank. She got out today to get a few more groceries as it looks as if we will be in hibernation for another week or more.
There again, that dark cloud is hanging over us as she has missed four days work this week and has no idea of what next week has in store. That and the discovery that the hot water tank in her trailer has developed a leak and she had to shut the water off. So she is carrying water and coming inside to use the facilities as she needs them. The cost factor to replace the unit is beyond what she can afford so our only hope is that they can reroute the water line to bypass the heater or maybe find a more reasonable solution to the hot water problem, such as a portable heater or inline, if such a thing is possible. If we can, we may even be able to hook up a small heater and build a special place for it since there is no room inside the trailer.
This was to be only a temporary living arrangement, but since she hadn't been able to find a job, it has become her home until such time she can afford to move out. So we have to keep things going so it does remain livable for her.
It just seems like every time we get things going on an even keel, something or someone comes along and kicks us down again. We've been knocked down so many times and keep getting right back up but it is beginning to show and it is harder each day to have the optimism we had before.
But as I told her, we are strong and we are not going to let this defeat us. We have overcome all the problems so far and we will overcome this one.
Today, we got an additional 3 to 4 inches of snow and they are saying we could see about that much again on Sunday and even a little more mid week. Enough is enough. I know winter has been bad all across the country and I'm not saying it is any worse for us but the difference is that we are not prepared for this kind of weather. We don't have the equipment to clear the roads as fast as they do in the parts of the country that have this kind of weather, nor is our homes as insulated or our pipes as deep so the cold really seeps in and frozen pipes are a problem.
I have had to go without use of my kitchen sink since Tuesday as the drain line goes into what is called a grease trap before it enters the septic and it froze up. It warmed just enough today so that it cleared and I was able to use the sinks again. I will remedy the problem before next winter as don't want a repeat if we happen to have this kind of weather again.
I've spent one night staying up all night to make sure the faucets didn't freeze up and the drains worked and other nights I've gone to bed early and got up early to make sure everything is operating as it should. My gas bill will be out of this world as I've turned up the heat to also help and it is normal now to walk into the kitchen or the bathroom and see the cabinet doors under the sinks open.
So it will be nice to see all this cold and snow and ice just go away and stay away so we can get back to normal living around here. The past years, since I've gotten older, I really detest the snow and I can live without it. I don't find anything pretty or beautiful with it. It is a ugly nuisance. As a kid, it was fun but I know now why my parents weren't happy about it.
I think I could stand the winter with the cold, even though I would complain as once I am cold, I just can't get warm, but when it comes with snow, then I really do hate it. I mean hate with a passion. I don't want to wish it on anyone else either but I just can't get excited over it or enjoy it as it is just trouble with a capital T.
So it is time for those dark clouds to move out and bring in the sunshine and give us a break.
However the fences will never be mended with my sister and myself and for that I am sorry. It didn't need to happen but it has and now we each will walk our own paths.
We were hit by a horrendous winter storm which dumped almost a foot of snow over ice and temperatures dropped to the single digits and zero with wind chills in the minus column. My daughter has been out twice and each time I worry as the roads are still ice and snow packed so are slick. She managed to get my grandson back to his house in town but his car is still here buried under a snow bank. She got out today to get a few more groceries as it looks as if we will be in hibernation for another week or more.
There again, that dark cloud is hanging over us as she has missed four days work this week and has no idea of what next week has in store. That and the discovery that the hot water tank in her trailer has developed a leak and she had to shut the water off. So she is carrying water and coming inside to use the facilities as she needs them. The cost factor to replace the unit is beyond what she can afford so our only hope is that they can reroute the water line to bypass the heater or maybe find a more reasonable solution to the hot water problem, such as a portable heater or inline, if such a thing is possible. If we can, we may even be able to hook up a small heater and build a special place for it since there is no room inside the trailer.
This was to be only a temporary living arrangement, but since she hadn't been able to find a job, it has become her home until such time she can afford to move out. So we have to keep things going so it does remain livable for her.
It just seems like every time we get things going on an even keel, something or someone comes along and kicks us down again. We've been knocked down so many times and keep getting right back up but it is beginning to show and it is harder each day to have the optimism we had before.
But as I told her, we are strong and we are not going to let this defeat us. We have overcome all the problems so far and we will overcome this one.
Today, we got an additional 3 to 4 inches of snow and they are saying we could see about that much again on Sunday and even a little more mid week. Enough is enough. I know winter has been bad all across the country and I'm not saying it is any worse for us but the difference is that we are not prepared for this kind of weather. We don't have the equipment to clear the roads as fast as they do in the parts of the country that have this kind of weather, nor is our homes as insulated or our pipes as deep so the cold really seeps in and frozen pipes are a problem.
I have had to go without use of my kitchen sink since Tuesday as the drain line goes into what is called a grease trap before it enters the septic and it froze up. It warmed just enough today so that it cleared and I was able to use the sinks again. I will remedy the problem before next winter as don't want a repeat if we happen to have this kind of weather again.
I've spent one night staying up all night to make sure the faucets didn't freeze up and the drains worked and other nights I've gone to bed early and got up early to make sure everything is operating as it should. My gas bill will be out of this world as I've turned up the heat to also help and it is normal now to walk into the kitchen or the bathroom and see the cabinet doors under the sinks open.
So it will be nice to see all this cold and snow and ice just go away and stay away so we can get back to normal living around here. The past years, since I've gotten older, I really detest the snow and I can live without it. I don't find anything pretty or beautiful with it. It is a ugly nuisance. As a kid, it was fun but I know now why my parents weren't happy about it.
I think I could stand the winter with the cold, even though I would complain as once I am cold, I just can't get warm, but when it comes with snow, then I really do hate it. I mean hate with a passion. I don't want to wish it on anyone else either but I just can't get excited over it or enjoy it as it is just trouble with a capital T.
So it is time for those dark clouds to move out and bring in the sunshine and give us a break.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
FEBRUARY 2
Groundhog day! Yes we depend on a rodent to predict our winter/spring weather and sometimes I have to give him credit as his predictions are correct, but not always.
I certainly hope he is correct this year since we received the worst winter storm in over a decade for snowfall amounts and bone chilling weather. In fact, records have been broken for the cold as well as snowfall amounts.
At my house, we received about a foot but with the strong winds, it drifted so have high and low places all over the property. With daughter living here and having the grandson come stay in case there would have been a power outage, they parked their cars in the open area of the yard away from the trees in case of falling branches. So needless to say, we were rather blocked in.
Today my daughter shoveled a path from her car to the gate, only to find that it was stuck. The ice we received before the snow had sealed it to the ground, so more back breaking work to break it free. But at least the gates are working now and she was able to get out to take the grandson home and get a few grocery items she needed. The grandson's car will remain in its little snow bank until this weekend when temps will be above freezing and hopefully he can get it out.
Schools and many businesses are shut down. We are not prepared in this part of the country for weather that we experienced so it will take a few days to get things moving again. The U.S. Mail may say they deliver in all kinds of weather, but it has been two days since they have delivered or been anywhere near my home. Living in a rural area away from town, the roads are impassable and therefore unsafe for the mail carrier. It is why the school buses do not run and it causes a problem for emergency vehicles as well.
The sun shone today here all day but with the cold temps that never got above 16 degrees, there wasn't any thawing and won't be until this weekend when temps make it above the freezing mark.
In the meantime, I'm spending the night staying up to make sure faucets still work and keeping heat going on the plumbing. This morning when I awoke, I discovered the cold water faucet in the kitchen didn't want to work but it finally came on, then discovered the drain wouldn't drain. I worked most of the day with a small heater and a hair dryer trying to "thaw" out the drain pipe only to realize later in the day that I think the problem is where the drain empties into a grease trap before it goes into the septic. The bathroom drains are working fine and right now all the faucets work and I'll be spending my time all night to make sure they do since it is going to be colder tonight than last night.
Hopefully when the thaw does come, I won't have any broken pipes but still will need to call a plumber to have it checked out and will see if I can remedy the situation so won't be facing this problem again. Better still, I hope I never have this problem again.
I am not a winter person. I was raised in Iowa where the winters were cold and snowy and I've had all the winter cold and snow that I want. I thought living in Oklahoma would be milder at least and not have to worry about it, but since I've been here, we've had 3 ice storms, two of which lasted a week and we've had extreme cold, nothing like what we are having now, but it has gotten cold and we've had snow. But it would usually disappear within a couple of days. Not this time. It may be a week before it all goes as it may warm up this weekend but will drop back down below freezing next week.
So I really do hope that little groundhog is right and we are going to have an early spring as I am done with winter.
But on another note, February 2 is my oldest grandson's birthday and this year he turned 20 years old. At least he was here with us so we got to give him wishes in person. We hope to get together on Saturday to really celebrate the day for him but still was nice seeing him today. He is back in his own little house in town now as he is unable to get to his work place, but he will be able to do some work from home which will be good.
My daughter isn't able to get to her work place either and will be hard on the paycheck when it comes out but if the roads are impassable, there is just no way she can get there.
So that is what was happening here on February 2. Do hope your Groundhog Day was a good one.
I certainly hope he is correct this year since we received the worst winter storm in over a decade for snowfall amounts and bone chilling weather. In fact, records have been broken for the cold as well as snowfall amounts.
At my house, we received about a foot but with the strong winds, it drifted so have high and low places all over the property. With daughter living here and having the grandson come stay in case there would have been a power outage, they parked their cars in the open area of the yard away from the trees in case of falling branches. So needless to say, we were rather blocked in.
Today my daughter shoveled a path from her car to the gate, only to find that it was stuck. The ice we received before the snow had sealed it to the ground, so more back breaking work to break it free. But at least the gates are working now and she was able to get out to take the grandson home and get a few grocery items she needed. The grandson's car will remain in its little snow bank until this weekend when temps will be above freezing and hopefully he can get it out.
Schools and many businesses are shut down. We are not prepared in this part of the country for weather that we experienced so it will take a few days to get things moving again. The U.S. Mail may say they deliver in all kinds of weather, but it has been two days since they have delivered or been anywhere near my home. Living in a rural area away from town, the roads are impassable and therefore unsafe for the mail carrier. It is why the school buses do not run and it causes a problem for emergency vehicles as well.
The sun shone today here all day but with the cold temps that never got above 16 degrees, there wasn't any thawing and won't be until this weekend when temps make it above the freezing mark.
In the meantime, I'm spending the night staying up to make sure faucets still work and keeping heat going on the plumbing. This morning when I awoke, I discovered the cold water faucet in the kitchen didn't want to work but it finally came on, then discovered the drain wouldn't drain. I worked most of the day with a small heater and a hair dryer trying to "thaw" out the drain pipe only to realize later in the day that I think the problem is where the drain empties into a grease trap before it goes into the septic. The bathroom drains are working fine and right now all the faucets work and I'll be spending my time all night to make sure they do since it is going to be colder tonight than last night.
Hopefully when the thaw does come, I won't have any broken pipes but still will need to call a plumber to have it checked out and will see if I can remedy the situation so won't be facing this problem again. Better still, I hope I never have this problem again.
I am not a winter person. I was raised in Iowa where the winters were cold and snowy and I've had all the winter cold and snow that I want. I thought living in Oklahoma would be milder at least and not have to worry about it, but since I've been here, we've had 3 ice storms, two of which lasted a week and we've had extreme cold, nothing like what we are having now, but it has gotten cold and we've had snow. But it would usually disappear within a couple of days. Not this time. It may be a week before it all goes as it may warm up this weekend but will drop back down below freezing next week.
So I really do hope that little groundhog is right and we are going to have an early spring as I am done with winter.
But on another note, February 2 is my oldest grandson's birthday and this year he turned 20 years old. At least he was here with us so we got to give him wishes in person. We hope to get together on Saturday to really celebrate the day for him but still was nice seeing him today. He is back in his own little house in town now as he is unable to get to his work place, but he will be able to do some work from home which will be good.
My daughter isn't able to get to her work place either and will be hard on the paycheck when it comes out but if the roads are impassable, there is just no way she can get there.
So that is what was happening here on February 2. Do hope your Groundhog Day was a good one.
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