But somewhere between the ham and bean soup and the tea and cookies, the skies opened up. The storm, predicted for later afternoon, just barged right in ahead of schedule.
And good grief did it snow. Radar showed the whole state was engulfed so I hustled Mom into the car and set off to her place just 5 miles away.
It was NOT a pleasant drive. Already the streets were covered and incredibly slippery. Cars were driving too fast for the conditions and in the nearly 20 minutes it took to get there, we saw a couple of spin outs off the road. I'm a good driver, but I did not enjoy this trip - not one bit.
But I got Mom home safe and sound (although both of us were a bit agitated). We got about 4-5 inches by the time I went to bed last night. This morning shows we got another 2-3 on top of that. I had to sweep a path out to the feeder to fill it this morning. The birds were sure happy to see me!
I'll let them feed for a while before disrupting their breakfast. The snow is getting deeper by the minute and my little snow blower can't handle much past 7 inches (and that has to be dry snow to boot!). So I can't let it go too long.
Weather forecasts show snow for the next 7 days. Good thing we bought groceries while we were out yesterday. Food in the fridge, soup on the stove, gosh I don't miss going to work! :-D
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Of course, there's work to do right here! After I finished my first (and only *gasp*) cup of coffee, I bundled up and got to work clearing my way out.Here' s the driveway all cleared.
So is the turnaround (which, honestly has more square footage than my entire last house!).
I didn't neglect the deck. It had 8" of snow on it. Honestly, it's a breeze to keep it clear this winter what with having sanded it down last summer and sealing it!
For those who wonder about today's soup creation - voila! Split pea & ham accompanied by a ham & kale sandwich. (Have I mentioned before how I'm having my first fling with kale? It's really turning into a serious relationship! :-D )
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(Use links on top of sidebar to view my other garden pages.)
(Use links on top of sidebar to view my other garden pages.)
Oh my God, look at all that snow in your garden! And you were driving on slippery roads! Not much fun.
ReplyDeleteGlad your Mom and you got home safe and sound.
I wonder why the birds don't feel cold, Kris?
Glad you're all set to stay home now!
ReplyDeleteHubs went to his workout center today, but we didn't get as much snow as you and so even though our numbskull drivers around here don't know how to drive on slippery weather, he got there, then ran his errands and came home without incident.
Hurry spring!
Hi Ha Xuan. Yeah, it's pretty snow out there. And birds DO feel temperatures just like other animals. They look for shade in heat and warmth in winter. Temps below zero and birds can freeze to death. Their feather are great insulation, but they can still suffer from heat and cold. That's why I feed them a lot to help them survive, especially in winter.
ReplyDeleteIlene - Actually, I'm still enjoying the winter so Spring can take it's time... ;-D
That soup looks really good!! Glad your mom made it home safe. :o)
ReplyDeleteKris, like you, I am not anxiously awaiting spring and gardening....I could get lazy without too much trouble!
ReplyDeleteLunch looks good. I am beginning to question this thing with kale! Was that cooked kale on the sandwich? You may be going a little overboard here............
I am so glad your Mom lives near you. It sure makes life easier for both of you.
DH reported slick roads when he went in to exercise....saw a truck in a ditch. He got back safely.
I did soup too yesterday but it was so filling, no sandwich was required.
TS - The soup was delish! :-D
ReplyDeleteGlenda - Yes, moving Mom down here 6 years ago has been beneficial, especially getting her out of the snow belt!
And you are right, that was raw kale on the sandwich. Raw kale has certain nutrients while cooked kale releases different ones so I eat it both raw and cooked. This time of year I really hanker after green vegetables and kale fills the bill! Yum. As for that 'lazy' thing - I'm still looking forward to that. LOL
I came over from Glenda's Gardening in the Ozarks, enjoy her journal type of blog and I am happy to find you now! What a winter wonderland up there in Ohio. We live in NW Arkansas and have had only a dusting of snow this winter...so far! Very interested in your gardening, we battle deer here on granny mountain and they eat everything. Will go back in your posts and see if you mention any solutions. Love watching them but they destroy our yard every year. I'm a soup lover too, make it often for the two of us. Will have to try kale in our next bean soup, sounds like a good way to get those extra antioxidants that are so good for us!Come visit me at Granny Mountain...
ReplyDeleteHello Joycee and thanks for popping in for a visit! Alas, you won't find any solution to deer here. For the 8 years I've been here they haven't been a chronic nuisance enough to deal with. 2 years ago they were into my veg garden, but I then just draped netting or floating row cover over the tempting cukes, beans and sweet pepper (the hot ones took care of themselves). (This main blog deals with bees/forage plants. Check my other page blogs on the sidebar - veg, flower, propagation, garden projects, etc.)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it took me all this time to find kale. Can't wait to grow my own this coming season.
Will come and visit you blog...:-D
You have serious work to do to keep the snow at bay. The problem in these conditions is usually other drivers, isn't it, rather than any spins you might have yourself.
ReplyDeleteAh, kale. I am missing my kale this winter, having got my plants in too late before our day length dwindled.
Hi Linda! Yes, snow does keep me busy, but between times I'm enjoying cozy fires and pots of soup. Can you believe I never ate kale before this New Year and now I'm adding it to most everything! I'll be growing blue curly, redbor and a pretty green/white variety too. It's never too late to find new faves. Hope you can find some kale in the shops to tide you over....
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