The Last Gasp Of Winter... I hope!

I'm sorry old man, but I'm through shoveling. I simply refuse to pick up another snow shovel until next winter, say maybe December. I know, I know, that really sounds harsh. It is not, however, directed toward a person. The 'old man' I am referring to is Old Man Winter.

Yes, I am done. I simply refuse to shovel any more snow. Whatever comes, I'll drive through it, I'll walk through it, wade through it, or even swim through it, but I have shoveled enough.

Brent brought me some snowshoes yesterday that were owned by our Uncle Reed. They look like they might be World War II vintage. If I have to put them on and hike to town for food, I will. If I have to live off food storage oatmeal and powdered milk I will. I might even do bodily harm to the next person that says they are thankful for more snow(Watch out Deanna).

Actually, I can be a very patient person if I have to. How long can it take to melt seven inches of new snow. It had settled to about four inches before it started snowing again this afternoon. I just checked the weather radar and there is another green/blue blob headed our way and will surely dump some more on us tonight. Then there is more in the forecast about every other day all week. But I'm not going to shovel any of it. And don't ask for my help shoveling your place either.

Just how much is a person supposed to be able to take? I want to see green grass. I want to feel the sun on my bare arms. I want to romp and play in the flowery meadows... well maybe that's a little overdone. I want to go fishing. I want to hike Lawson Hill and find Snow Flowers. I want to golf with the prairie dogs in Cedar City. I want to ride the four wheeler and leave a trail of dust. I want to till the garden. I want to see leaves on the trees. I want to hear crickets, and frogs. I want to listen to the grass grow... could that be worse than listening to the snow melt?
Do you get what I'm trying to say here? I'm simply tired of winter. I guess I have Spring Fever. I have heard it is quite contagious, so you better not get too close. In fact it is so contagious you might catch it just from reading this blog.

Signs of Spring

I guess I am an optimist, but even though there is a foot of snow outside, and it is threatening to snow again, I see signs of Spring everywhere. First of all, look at the calendar. We are a week into February! Okay, so Spring doesn't officially come on the calendar in the northern hemisphere until March 21, but when the snow melts and the Snowflowers come out, its Spring to me. I have photos of Snowflowers taken the first week in March for the last two years. I don't care what that fat rodent in Pennsylvania says, Spring isn't six weeks away, maybe three.

I took this shot of icicles on Redd Creek yesterday about 9:00 am, then when I returned about noon they were melted.

One problem with Spring coming is that I want to be out hiking and riding in the hills, and I don't nearly have all my winter projects done. I really want to get the cabinet doors installed in my den. I've had them for almost a year and was saving that as a winter project. I wanted to get some more finished on the inside of my shop, and I haven't even looked at that, other than to make room to get all my equipment inside when it started snowing.

This photo taken yesterday shows new green growth from the roots of a burnt Quinine Bush.

Another problem with Spring is the mud. I really don't like mud, and it seems like there is a lot of it around in the Spring. However, we are not exempt from mud in the winter and we have had more than our share already this year. At least when Spring comes you know it will dry up eventually.


Birds at the feeder are another sign of spring. All winter the Pinion Jays are king of the hill, getting first choice of the seeds. The Spotted Towhees, Juncos and a variety of sparrows are plentiful. A couple of days ago I saw a Gold Finch and a House Finch. Definitely not winter birds around here. They would have made a good photo, but were quite timid and I couldn't get close enough.

Snow melt and a sunny southern exposure has some green grass showing.

I love green. I think it is my favorite color. Trees with new green leaves. A grove of quaking Aspen. Willows along the creek. A beautiful meadow. A field of waving grass or alfalfa. Freshly mowed grass, especially on a golf course. Money.

Newborn calves are a pretty good sign of Spring.

Spring means new life. Concealed in the ground all winter, it begins again. With the first warming days buds shape, then open. Blossoms and flowers explode, briefly flaunt their beauty, then generate seeds to perpetuate their vanity. Leaves appear and dress cold naked branches, enticing myriads of birds to make their summer homes. Everything seems energized in spring. Green begins its synthesis, replacing our exhaust with breathable air. Babies are born; animals, birds and fish reproduce their species. The poets say that even a young man's fancy turns to love in spring.

Spring also means new starts. It means that no matter what mistakes we made last year, we have the chance to start again. A chance to do better. I like that a lot.

A Walk In The Black Forest

Those of you younger than me may not remember this song. An instrumental composed by Horst Jankowski and released in 1965, it quickly became a million seller. One of the original artists was Herb Alpert and The Tiajuana Brass. Later Lyrics were added that kind of made it into a love song, though I doubt the lyrics are very familiar to anyone.

I went for a hike in the snow yesterday through some of the area that was burned in the fire last summer. The title and tune of this song kept coming into my mind. Watch this short video I made and see if you think it fits.

I am sure there are some of you that think of something entirely different when you think of Black Forest. Could it be Black Forest Cheese Cake? I'll have to admit that crossed my mind.

Winter and More Winter

Winter In New Harmony

After the second winter here in New Harmony, I made the mistake of bragging to my friends up north that I had only had to shovel snow twice in two years. Big Mistake! The next winter (2008-2009) we had over 70 inches of snow in December, and this winter it seems has been even worse. The only good thing is that I finally got disgusted enough that I went out and bought a snow thrower. In defense of my physical ability, we added another parking pad and some additional concrete to the existing driveway, so there was about twice as much area to shovel and I just couldn't face it.

Birds freeloading at the public trough

We have been living under the threat of flooding since the fire last August. We had some minor stuff late in September, it brought down a lot of ash and debris, but no damage at our place. Some of the area nearer the canyons got a layer of thick black mud. Seems to me that it would make pretty good fertilizer. We had a winter storm watch a couple of weeks ago. Seems they thought it would rain to about 7,000 feet and melt the snow. Instead we got more snow. I hope it melts slowly when spring comes. Sawmill Creek runs about a hundred feet behind our house. It is dry most of the year except for during the spring run-off. If the snow melts fast this year it could easily jump its banks and come through our yard. I am particularly worried that the ash and mud might fill the channel, turning the water loose to find its own path. I sandbagged the window wells on the back side of the house just in case.

Snow melting on Cedars

It seems that we have two types of weather this winter. Either it is storming and blowing, or it is calm, clear and cold. It was clear and cold and 10 degrees this morning. Although I'm getting a little tired of the cold, snow and mud, I love the beauty of winter and am glad we live in an area where we can experience the changing seasons. Once January is over, things should start to warm a little and we know that spring is just weeks away. I haven't spent nearly as much time as I wanted to on winter projects, but then there is always next winter.

A Snowy Day In The Kolobs

This is the view of Kolob we see every time we look east, though not quite as close. I shot this photo at 200 mm from the front porch. I never get enough. It seems that every time you look the scene changes and you want to grab the camera.

A Halo of Fog on Pine Valley Mountain

Though this photo was taken from about a mile away, Pine Valley Mountain is essentially our back yard. It makes a good neighbor, except when the 'controlled burn' gets out of control. It will be really interesting to watch the new growth come back over the coming years.

Foggy Day on the Farm

Watching the horses through the fog makes me glad I have a warm home to live in, even if propane is $3.69 a gallon! The windmill sleeps, waiting for a breeze to blow away the fog and energize its blades. The ducks have had to abandon the pond, and hopefully life goes on under the ice.

Pine Valley Mountain from the back yard

All the area you see in this photo, and more, will drain through the creek hidden just behind the trees when the snow melts. It is somewhat worrisome, so I took out flood insurance. It won't stop mother nature, but it will help with the clean-up.