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Monday, March 10, 2008

I would do a Spring Photo Challenge... BUT...


It ain't spring here yet.

We got dumped with another gagigawillion cm of snow, which equals approximately four bazillion inches. We are exhausted. Those of you who don't get snow might not understand the sheer physical effort required to get through winter. Snow has to get moved. And driven through. And scraped off of windshields. If you live in town, like I do, there's a problem with where to pile it all when the snowbank gets to be about chest height, like ours are. On my sister's street, the houses are a little closer together and have smaller front yards, and the snowbank is taller than she is. Okay, at 5'1" I'm the tallest of the women in my family, but still. Her snowbanks are over 5 feet tall, people. Which might as well be a trillazillion feet when you're trying to heave another shovelful up there.

I have vague memories of playing in it ages ago...

Winter hit this year in early November and stuck around. It's normal to get a snowfall before Halloween here, but it always melts off right away. Normally we get the long lasting snow a week or two into December and right about now we'd be gleefully watching it melt away into little muddy rivers. Not this year. Other than a good January thaw, it's been unstoppable.

We've been spoiled by ten years of generally mild winters with a few severe cold snaps and a good flurry storm. Not hard core winter in March.

After the weekend, here's what our deck looks like. Keep in mind that the deck rafters are three feet off the ground and in some places, the snow covers the rafters. In case you're wondering, yes, Jethro did plan to finish it before winter. Ha.

The kids dug a path for the poor little dog to get out to pee.




We had to dig out the steps!



Don't you feel sorry for him? I mean, look at that sad little face!!!

Last weekend, I was at the farm. I took my camera out to the barn at 8 am because everything was covered in frost. It was so beautiful and soon the sun would melt off all the frost.







Despite all the hassles and difficulties of winter... it's worth it for moments like this.



I talked to my mom last night. She said there's so much snow in the corral they're afraid the horses will walk over the snowbank and right over the fence. They're only letting the horses outside now when the folks are home to keep an eye on them.

Yeah, it's pretty. But it's March. It's supposed to be mud season. I'd rather have snow than mud... but I am repeatedly telling myself that this is not permanent. Winter can't last forever and by July when I'm sweating buckets I won't believe that I ever complained about having a megajillion feet of snow.

13 comments:

.:.KC.:. the brown eyed girl said...

Ha! I get the first comment. I was listening to the radio this morning and the weather station at the University of Waterloo states..."This is has been the snowiest winter in 84 years." They also said that this year the province has been smacked with are you ready for this number...246cm of SNOW!!!!
I do feel sorry for the pug...he looks so cute down there in the snow though.Does he roll in the snow, lick it, rub his face in it or is it just my dog?

Heidi the Hick said...

No it's not just your dog! He loves to play in it... as long as we're out there with him. He's a total show off. Clown. Comedian.

So, 246 cm, huh. See, that's about a gamegazillion inches, right? Right?

Olly said...

Wow, it really has been a severe winter for you. I'll confess though...your winter pics are way more beautiful than here. OK, we have some flowers blooming already, but the rain and grey skies are in the forecast for the unforeseeable future. It really gets to me. That teaser of a bit of sun last week wasn't enough. Never have been able to adjust to the west coast.

Heidi the Hick said...

I have to admit, Olly, that a blast of sunshine on a cold day is alright. There've been a lot of grey days this winter but from what I hear/ read it's not like West Coast grey!

Look at us Canadians. We just loooove to discuss the weather, don't we?

Coffeypot said...

Aren't you glad we have global warming? Algore would say you doctored these photos.

Therese Fowler said...

I like one measurable snowfall per year (but maybe not a gamagazillion, er, I mean, gagigawillion cm snowfall).

I lived in Duluth, MN for a while (and then farther up the north shore of Superior for a longer while), and let me tell you, there is just no room for snow on Duluth's narrow streets...twelve-foot-tall (4-ish metres, eh?) snow banks that don't melt away 'til June. No thank you very much.

Pretty pictures, btw. I want to post some more spring pics here but I'm afraid of pissing off everyone who's still snowed in.

Therese Fowler said...

scratch "here." No idea how that snuck into the sentence...

Anonymous said...

You're right; it does look exhausting. But it also looks beautiful--especially in the pictures of the farm. I hope that spring comes soon for you.

Olly said...

I'm back. Been thinking about your extended winter and digging deep into the memory banks of life on the prairies. It wasn't until my husband turned on the hockey game that it struck me about being done with winter.

Once the white Christmas has passed and everyone has their fill of local cross country skiing, tobogganing, snowshoeing, skating in their own back yard, all in blinding whiteness under the mostly sunny skies, we all look forward to spring no matter what the temperature.

To watch a winter sport like hockey is just painful when you would rather chew your own hands off than put on mittens one more time. I can't believe hockey is going on until the end of June. Maybe July now - I don't follow it much anymore as I tend to lose interest past January. Maybe they should start it in July so the play-offs could be still in winter. Just a thought...

Another thought - maybe there should only be teams from cold weather places.

Michael Colvin said...

Snow is a novelty to us Brits but I can see from reading this post what a major pain it must be for you guys. I hope it melts soon!

Anita said...

Earlier in the season, I would have envied you that snow... but, like you said, this is March... Snow pictures just make me tired now... lol

Enough is enough, am I right?

We're actually getting some decent spring weather today, with a forecasted high of 71. :) About time!

.:.KC.:. the brown eyed girl said...

The weather people are saying that the province is supposed to get another snow storm by the end of March and it is predicted that we will get at anywhere from 10-40cm of snow. I really hope they are lying. Okay, I really like the weather network...

Heidi Willis said...

Gorgeous photography!

I admit I am a little jealous. I love snow (although not so much in March!) and we have had an almost snowless winter. It will be 17 degrees for days on end, and then warm up to 35 the day before the storms come in and we end up with rain. Then the temp drops again. We only got one measurable snow this year, and it disappeared in less than 24 hours. I haven't taken any photos this winter because it's all grey and brown and muddy. Yuck!

Yesterday three of our daffodils bloomed, though. And the lillies are poking through the ground. I'm ready for everything to bloom and put this winter behind us now!