Pages for "Surprised?"

Surprised?

I am truly surprised, dismayed and shocked at how people have been 'surprised' by this lovely storm we've had.  We were warned about it on Sunday, when we had warm weather and clear skies, that it was coming. I watched the radar map from the US because that's where the storm was coming from.  This was a big storm from Texas/Colorado that came up and brought us rain and freezing rain and coated everything in ice.  

It may not be on the Canadian radar, but that doesn't mean it isn't coming people - if the storm is coming from the US it will be on the US radar for a person to track.  I was shocked that so many people said they didn't know it was coming - my goodness how can you have missed it?  It was a HUGE system...and what did they think rain in FEBRUARY would do?  Bring up flowers? Green up the grass? UH DUH!  

Now if you check the radar and the forecasts and road conditions you should have a pretty good picture of what is going on. And if you don't watch your feet when you are walking out of your house - our front door under the pergola is ice and you can skate down our driveway and down our municipal road.  Get a weather rock, look your windows, turn on a radio or a TV, check the weather online, watch the wild animals and birds.

Yeah that's right, watch the wild animals and birds - are they eating like crazy?  Are they in large groups? Eating when they normally wouldn't? Those are signs of a storm - the animals can sense the changes in barometric pressure and their instincts tell them to get ready with full tummies because they might be without for a while.

Speaking of full tummies - do you have your 72 hour kit?  Generator? Batteries? Radio? Flashlight?  I won't list it all here because there are many sites that do, but would you be able to take care of yourself for 72 hours without power and municipal services?  We'd be okay but we are prepared, as we have to be out in the country. Living in town or close to town is a false comfort because you can be without power and help for just as long as us country folks.

I usually don't rant like this but c'mon people pay attention!  This isn't a surprise, it's not falling from a clear blue sky...really...

Weather or not...

I like to think I'm pretty mellow about some things, not many according to my dear husband, but some. Especially those we can't do anything about, like the weather.  It's gonna be cold, windy, warm, wet, cloudy, clear or dry without our input or permission.  We do however have the right as farmers to complain, cajole and attempt to bribe said weather by virtue of our dependence upon it.  

I was thinking what would be the single most 'farmer' image I could photograph or paint - and it would be a farmer or a farm family looking at the sky.  So much of what we do is reliant on the weather - our eyes have forever been on the skies, forever wondering if they will favor us with what we need or laugh in our hopefull upturned faces with exactly the opposite.

Maybe it is Murphy's Law, but when I have to travel there is almost always weird, strange or just terrible weather.  Even when I think the forecast looks good, it will change from sun to rain to sleet to a road closing blizzard in less than 9 hours!  Wonder what my ancestors did to anger the powers that are weather? 

I'm pretty confident saying I'd rather deal with prairie weather than the coastal hurricanes or even earth quakes. Somehow a blizzard, frigid cold, massive rain or tornadoes don't seem so bad stacked up against that!

Back in the scrap...sort of!

Here I am again, writing on two blogs at once, thinking about redoing a website or two maybe three (aaaaahhhhh) watching the wind blow and seeing the inflatable snowman waving at the neighbors.  It is -4 (can you tell I'm happy about the warmer weather) and tonight is a late night for Earl at school, he is taking an evening class on Horse Production (don't tell the mares!).  I started his blog today, well did the header and name - posting is his job!  You can see it at http://smilincoyoteranch.blogspot.com if you are curious about my Coyote.

Luke cracked me up - he was searching around looking for his fuzzy yellow blanket (the blanket that cannot be out of hand for very long) and when he looked right where I suggested I heard him exclaim, "Well whaddya know here it is!"

I thought I'd post a couple of my new pages, done with some great elements and papers from Scrapbook Flair, Pillowgirl, Sara Marie and Nip's.

We did it...

Yep we did it!  We were outside, in shorts for a while but then pants, bbq'ing and laughing and taking pictures.  What a great way to end the day...we are doing that again today.  Have a roast and some ribs cooking low in the pellet bbq.  It's -4C here today and even a bit of wind cannot take away the great sense of 'nice' with the weather!  Promised pictures - and here they are!  

More later, gotta go check on my big boy and little boy!

Sun goes down, temperature goes up...

Just a little update, the sun went down with wind and drifts of snow blowing across our pastures, fields and roads but the temperature is creeping up towards nicer places...right now for the first time in a long time we are facing evening with a temperature that doesn't start at-30 something...I can go to sleep happy with -14!  :-)

Cold Snap

What a cold few weeks we've had - very chilly to danged down-right cold.  I'm not super happy with the cold weather - it is hard on people and animals let alone facilities and equipment.  Our power out plan got put into action the other day when the hydro lines went down and our area was without power for over an hour. That doesn't seem long until you consider that we had -34C weather and we heat with a pellet stove.  Our 'response plan' went into action smoothly and we were able to get the trucks started, the generator going and the stove continued to run heating the house.  Our son didn't really notice anything was wrong except the house was' really quiet' and his ceiling fan wasn't working (Mama did the hydro man break my fan?).  We have three generators and my super prepared husband wants another that will be bigger but easy to start for when he is at school.

The cold snap has had some benefits - for those who like home improvement projects, like my Earl.  He has done shelves, rearranging, and T&G pine on the walls.  He has more ideas and wants to do them all!   He does a great job and his creations always turn out so well.

I did some scrapbooking pages between workin, and did a presentation to a class of 2nd year students at the University.  We had a great time, even it was was still brutally cold out. 

Speaking of cold, I've heard a rumor that we are supposed to be getting warmer to warm weather this weekend - and of course my excitement led me to promise that if we had single digits or plus digits I'd be out on the deck in shorts bbq'ing.  Picking up a Traeger pellet bbq to try out tomorrow morning and yeah if it is nice enough I'll do the cooking in my shorts!  Steak, burgers and maybe some farmer sausages or hot dogs - c'mon over!  Not exactly a tail-gate party but close enough for us country folks.  Look for photos soon...sorry about not writing sooner but I got caught up in work, preschooler and school stuff along with chores and things.

Stay warm, and be well!