Winter's slowly but surely slipping away

ebenz47037

Proverbs 31:10
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In southeastern Indiana, we're experiencing what they call the "roller coaster" days of late winter/early spring. By this term, they mean that one day it will be in the mid to high forties and then the next day will be in the twenties with snow. Right now, we have temperatures in the high twenties and low thirties with sunshine. The snow is melting slowly and the birds are singing again.

With the warmer temperatures comes bursting pipes. :) I've had the plumber out to my house twice in the last month. Last week we had temperatures in the single digits and lower. Plus we had about ten inches of snow between two snow storms (within three days of each other). So, I couldn't get out of my house to go to the store or anywhere else. I got out for the first time in almost two weeks last night. I went to pay my water bill and get a few groceries. It felt wonderful to have temperatures, after dark, over twenty degrees. Usually, I absolutely love the winter time. But, after being stuck in my house for almost two weeks, I'm ready for warmer weather. I know that, this summer, I'll be nostalgic for the colder temperatures. But, right now, I'm tired of it.

Now, I've got to decide whether I want to make tacos or soup for my dinner. Enjoy the coming spring, everyone!
 

The Berean

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Her is California winter has been mostly a dud. We've had two big storms (one in mid December and one in early February) but other than that nothing but sunny weather. This probably means another drought like dry summer. Not good for agriculture and this will put further pressure on the dwindling water supply. :sigh:
 
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Simon Baker

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Warmth Is Wonderful. Especially When It Is Below Freezing Temps. Snow. Ice. Cabin Fever Log Fires and Flannel Lose Their Sentimentality After a Long Time Indoors. The Great Midwest And Areas Near The Center Of The USA Get These Fluctuations, Slightly Different Every Year, I Hear. Thank God For "Modern Life". We Have NO IDEA What Suffering Is
 

resodko

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7f502db92d55cbc0eac0c7200be578e5.jpg
 

ebenz47037

Proverbs 31:10
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Warmth Is Wonderful. Especially When It Is Below Freezing Temps. Snow. Ice. Cabin Fever Log Fires and Flannel Lose Their Sentimentality After a Long Time Indoors. The Great Midwest And Areas Near The Center Of The USA Get These Fluctuations, Slightly Different Every Year, I Hear. Thank God For "Modern Life". We Have NO IDEA What Suffering Is

Even though I grew up (mostly) in central California, my grandmother made sure that I knew what hard work was. Thanks Nana! ;) I remember her telling me about the winters she went through as a child in the early 1900s. The only heat her family had was a wood stove and/or a fireplace. And, of course, they had no car. Only well-to-do people in cities had cars back then. Nana taught me how to cook on an open fire and on top of a wood stove. I love doing that, except in the middle of winter when the power goes out and I have no protection from the cold. :chuckle:

I'm starting to think about my garden. My local nursery has been advertising on Face book, showing the seedlings they are preparing in their greenhouse. I'm thinking about mostly doing my garden in containers. Then, I don't have to deal with weeds. And, my growing season can be longer if I bring the containers inside in the fall. I'm thinking about getting a couple of goats and seeing if one of my neighbors (with more land than I have) wants to split a beef cow and/or a couple of hogs. And, if my nephew comes back from Maryland, I'm thinking about seeing if he wants to raise meat rabbits. Personally, I would love to try my hand at beekeeping. I love raw honey and I really appreciate the fact that bees are the great pollinators of most of our produce. I'm thinking about offering my neighbors some honey after they start really producing to offset the fact that there will be more bees around. :)
 

ebenz47037

Proverbs 31:10
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Her is California winter has been mostly a dud. We've had two big storms (one in mid December and one in early February) but other than that nothing but sunny weather. This probably means another drought like dry summer. Not good for agriculture and the this will put further pressure on the dwindling water supply. :sigh:

I remember that problem when I was a kid. I lived in Stevinson (about 30 miles west of Merced), where all the farmers either grew grapes for Gallo or worked on dairies. I absolutely hated the summers where it tended to be 105 in the shade if you were lucky. That's one reason I prefer the cold winters to the weather I grew up knowing. I just don't like the plumbing problems I have at the end of winter/beginning of spring. :)
 

Ktoyou

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That February was lousy with cold, some nights below freezing!

I think it is global cooling?

Naw, the climate goes though big cycles.

Yes, music too, loved the 80s!
 

patrick jane

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Even though I grew up (mostly) in central California, my grandmother made sure that I knew what hard work was. Thanks Nana! ;) I remember her telling me about the winters she went through as a child in the early 1900s. The only heat her family had was a wood stove and/or a fireplace. And, of course, they had no car. Only well-to-do people in cities had cars back then. Nana taught me how to cook on an open fire and on top of a wood stove. I love doing that, except in the middle of winter when the power goes out and I have no protection from the cold. :chuckle:

I'm starting to think about my garden. My local nursery has been advertising on Face book, showing the seedlings they are preparing in their greenhouse. I'm thinking about mostly doing my garden in containers. Then, I don't have to deal with weeds. And, my growing season can be longer if I bring the containers inside in the fall. I'm thinking about getting a couple of goats and seeing if one of my neighbors (with more land than I have) wants to split a beef cow and/or a couple of hogs. And, if my nephew comes back from Maryland, I'm thinking about seeing if he wants to raise meat rabbits. Personally, I would love to try my hand at beekeeping. I love raw honey and I really appreciate the fact that bees are the great pollinators of most of our produce. I'm thinking about offering my neighbors some honey after they start really producing to offset the fact that there will be more bees around. :)

Amen to that. all of it. wow, the bees really caught my attention at the end there. they mean so much and many folks don't care. i harken back to the simpler times, yet we all enjoy running water and refrigeration etc. we may find out, that living simple is what we all should have been doing all along. too deep, but yes, weather and seasons. faster every year. are we ever really surprised ? well, this year perhaps - :patrol:
 

ebenz47037

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Amen to that. all of it. wow, the bees really caught my attention at the end there. they mean so much and many folks don't care. i harken back to the simpler times, yet we all enjoy running water and refrigeration etc. we may find out, that living simple is what we all should have been doing all along. too deep, but yes, weather and seasons. faster every year. are we ever really surprised ? well, this year perhaps - :patrol:

There are a few local apiaries here. The one I'm most interested in has blackberry honey. I'm wanting to try that a lot. I've had orange blossom honey and clover honey. I'm really wanting to grow my own blackberries this year. Last year's bush didn't make it.

I definitely want to grow my own tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash this year. That's why I'm thinking about containers. I don't know if I can handle a big garden by myself.
 

patrick jane

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There are a few local apiaries here. The one I'm most interested in has blackberry honey. I'm wanting to try that a lot. I've had orange blossom honey and clover honey. I'm really wanting to grow my own blackberries this year. Last year's bush didn't make it.

I definitely want to grow my own tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash this year. That's why I'm thinking about containers. I don't know if I can handle a big garden by myself.

Homegrown is the way to go, don't become a vegetarian though - JK - i have a green thumb, i like growing from seed. it can be very time consuming, but "good" time. then the constant worry of weather and pests and who knows what else. very rewarding and "grounding" (no pun intended) - not many folks have the time or wherewithal to tend a garden - :patrol:
 

keypurr

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Up here in New England we got over 100 inches of snow. And it has been well below zero just about everyday. We are ready for Spring to start.
 

ebenz47037

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Homegrown is the way to go, don't become a vegetarian though - JK - i have a green thumb, i like growing from seed. it can be very time consuming, but "good" time. then the constant worry of weather and pests and who knows what else. very rewarding and "grounding" (no pun intended) - not many folks have the time or wherewithal to tend a garden - :patrol:

There's no way I'll become a vegetarian. I like the taste of meat too much. :chuckle: So far, in my adult life, I have not inherited my mom's green thumb. That's why I'm going to try plants instead of seeds this year. Nana used to have a huge garden every year. Plus, she had a grape arbor and a pomegranite tree. And, she and Aunt Mary would go berry picking at the end of every summer so they could make blackberry jam. Both my sisters (at least the two that I grew up with) are good with plants. I don't know why I've never had much luck with them. Hopefully, this year, I'll be able to at least have a few of my favorite veggies. I'd love to have a few fruit trees too. But, I have to either hire someone to plant them for me or ask my neighbors to do it for me. I'd also love to have a couple of nut trees in my yard (walnuts and pecans) even though I know they would bring the pesky squirrels around too much. :chuckle:
 

ebenz47037

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Speaking of the end of winter, I just got woke up by the sound of water running hard. I went downstairs and felt water hitting me on my head. The pipe to my washer had burst. Now, I have to call the plumber back again because there's water all over my kitchen floor and I had to turn off the water valve to the entire house because I couldn't get to the shut-off valve for that pipe because of water hitting me in the face full force.
 

resodko

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aughhh!

what a crappy way to start the day


of course if you lived like i do you wouldn't have to worry about pipes freezing

nope, all i have to worry about is how long it's going to take me each time to chop the hole in the ice open when I want to haul buckets of water
 

bybee

New member
In southeastern Indiana, we're experiencing what they call the "roller coaster" days of late winter/early spring. By this term, they mean that one day it will be in the mid to high forties and then the next day will be in the twenties with snow. Right now, we have temperatures in the high twenties and low thirties with sunshine. The snow is melting slowly and the birds are singing again.

With the warmer temperatures comes bursting pipes. :) I've had the plumber out to my house twice in the last month. Last week we had temperatures in the single digits and lower. Plus we had about ten inches of snow between two snow storms (within three days of each other). So, I couldn't get out of my house to go to the store or anywhere else. I got out for the first time in almost two weeks last night. I went to pay my water bill and get a few groceries. It felt wonderful to have temperatures, after dark, over twenty degrees. Usually, I absolutely love the winter time. But, after being stuck in my house for almost two weeks, I'm ready for warmer weather. I know that, this summer, I'll be nostalgic for the colder temperatures. But, right now, I'm tired of it.

Now, I've got to decide whether I want to make tacos or soup for my dinner. Enjoy the coming spring, everyone!

It was -4F this morning as I prepared my coffee. Spring is elusive in Minnesota.
 
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