Winter

Wowsers!

-- Living on the square...Metro Detroit

Wow, that is something … guess I won’t be complaining about our snow accumulation … WOW …

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

hahaha looks familiar!
My photos are still on my camera. Maybe this afternoon I’ll post some.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

The Diary of a Snow Shoveler
December 8
6:00 PM. It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!

December 9
We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the Whole World? Moving here was the best idea I’ve ever had. Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life.

December 12
The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment. My neighbor tells me not to worry, we’ll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we’ll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I’ll never want to see snow again. I don’t think that’s possible. Bob is such a nice man, I’m glad he’s our neighbor.

December 14
Snow lovely snow! 8” last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life!

The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn’t realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I’ll certainly get back in shape this way.

December 15
20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4×4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife’s car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer.

The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that’s silly. We aren’t in Alaska, after all.

December 16
Ice storm this morning. Fell on my butt on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like heck. The wife laughed for one hour, which I think was very cruel.

December 17
Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere.

Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should’ve bought a wood stove, but won’t admit it to her. God I hate it when she’s right. I can’t believe I’m freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20
Electricity’s back on, but had another 14” of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. Darn snowplow came by twice.

Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they’re too busy playing hockey. I think they’re lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they’re out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they’re lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he’s lying.

December 22
Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white crap fell today, and it’s so cold it probably won’t melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to poop. By the time I got undressed, pooped and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter; but he says he’s too busy. I think the jerk is lying.

December 23
Only 2” of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she nuts!!! Why didn’t she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she’s lying.

December 24
6”. Snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the man who drives that snowplow I’ll drag him through the snow by his nose and beat him to death with my broken shovel. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I’ve just been!

Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was too busy watching for the snowplow.

December 25
Merry -bleeping- Christmas! 20 more inches of the slop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she’s a fricking idiot. If I have to watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” one more time, I’m going to stuff her into the microwave.

December 26
Still snowed in. Why the heck did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She’s really getting on my nerves.

December 27
Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze, plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him, he only charged me $1400 to replace all my pipes.

December 28
Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. THE WITCH is driving me crazy!!!

December 29
10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That’s the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?

December 30
Roof caved in. I beat up the snow plow driver he is now suing me for a million dollars not only the beating I gave him but also for trying to shove the broken snow shovel up where the sun don’t shine. The wife went home to her mother. 9” predicted.

December 31
I set fire to what’s left of the house. No more shoveling.

January 8
Feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?

-- Central northish Ontario

Thanks green thumb. That just about sums it up

-- horsetail, Fergus, Ontario

Horsetail

I live about 15 minutes north of Barrie Ontario which is about an hour north of Toronto. It could be raining in Barrie but snowing here. In fact, I dont think it ever stops snowing here. On Sunday last, I awoke to the snow piled 5’ up, on the front door…................&^%$@#^%$.

people say “How beautiful”............about this time of year I could slap them.

On the good side. Today I am going to tap the trees for sap and start making maple syrup…...........spring is on the way

-- Central northish Ontario

First thing I thought about when I saw the above was this..

You need more snow, though.. ;)

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Greenthumb, no words … just tears from laughter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scott … you didn’t help with the stomach hurting from laughter with this photo … hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

hahahahah I don’t know what is funnier.. the journal or the photo
lol

isn’t the snow beautiful!!!!! lol

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Greenthumb,is the sap running well? My husband and I use to do this and I loved sitting in the bush at night keeping the fire going.The one year we did it was when Haley’s Bop was visable.

-- horsetail, Fergus, Ontario

first year…............boiled off about 20 gallons of sap in the house resulting in extremly &^%$#@^ off wife due to sticky ceilings….........painted for the next 3 months

second year…...............boiled off even more gallons in the shop…..........bad idea as the doors closed and all projects under way turned into very expensive chunks of fly tape

3rd year (2008)..............plan on boiling it all off outside due to the fear of realizing exactly what 2% of my net worth really is when she boots me out. Finished thw syrupoff and the stuff that was left I boiled into maple taffy which I poured into the ice cube trays…........couldnt get the taffy out so I bought new ice cube trays

Yes….......the sap is running, or at least it was yesterday. I’m off again today to tap another 10/15 trees. Bought a gas powered drill at an auction last year. nearly dislocated my shoulder trying to start it yesterday. The wife still has no idea that a liter of syrup is approaching the 300 dollar mark.

-- Central northish Ontario