Mother Nature's Wrath

Dramatic weather is hitting the world all over.  Tornadoes in Kansas and the first Tropical Storm of the season (two weeks early...), wildfire season has hit in Arizona and strong earthquakes in Italy that took out old brick buildings as well as new steel factories.  According to the news, thankfully, only four deaths have been reported in ALL of these... though I'm sure the fatalities will increase in the Earthquake affected area.  Of course, this is giving me pause to be thankful of where I am, and also to gather my supplies for the crazy summer season... 

The snowfall of the 2010-2011 winter was record-breaking and the crazy storm of last Halloween certainly caught us off guard so you would think that I've gotten all my ducks in a row and am ready for the carnage Mother Nature will throw our way, but alas...I'm behind the eight ball.

Though it's summer, I am working on getting a wood-burning fireplace insert and the eco-biobricks (paper & wood pulp smashed into a cylindrical shape) ready for fall and prepping the garden soil for the tomatoes and all.  I hope to expand the canning to strawberry jelly and more pickled veggies... hopefully to even get the pressure cooker going for chili and stews.  We'll see how things go and if I can get the items ready before the power goes out or the tornado touches down or the snow falls...

Water, Water, Everywhere!

Mother Nature is laughing her ass off. I can't believe the amount of snow, water, snow, ice, snow, rain, ugh! I'm so sick of it. I almost am ready to welcome the mosquitoes...but then, with our luck from this bizarre weather forecast, we'll most likely have a drought!

The water table has risen and the sump pump is running, although now at a non-constant rate. The Worcester girls had a good 4 inches in the basement and a lot of crap that had to be hauled out. What a mess! At least now we know where NOT to store items. A very messy lesson learned.

I am looking forward to planning out the garden this spring - that is, if I can ever see the backyard again (it's currently still buried in snow and dog piles). Unfortunately, I forgot to till up the soil before it froze, so it's going to be a mess when the ground finally thaws. I'll have to haul in the compost.

As for the winter blahs - they definitely have hit. Enjoying driving to school in the light (barely) and coming home in the light (barely) rather than the darkness of the deep winter. Days are getting longer and the school year is on the downhill slide (although the kids have been sliding downhill since Christmas...)

Groundhog Day

The last three weeks have been like the movie Groundhog Day...I feel like I'm constantly snowblowing, shoveling, roof-raking, and trudging through the snowdrifts. My backyard now looks like a white wasteland...I think there was a swingset and a chimnea back there, but they are now covered...a 20 gallon Tupperware bin is completely covered.

Yet, the groundhog in Pennsylvania predicts an early spring. We'll see if it happens. I predict the weather may warm up, but the next prediction will be when the last of the snow pile out front will melt away and I'll get my front yard back. And if I can ever get to wear my flip-flops again. At this rate, I'll be wearing a hula skirt and flip-flops to teach class in July!