Thanks Punxsutawney Phil for prediction
Monday, Jan. 31 -- The media are in a rapturous frenzy shouting "WINTER STORM."
Tuesday, Feb. 7 -- I have one eye open, enjoying being otiose, peering out from under several quilts, curled in a fetal position and surveilling the ice and snow that have decorated the landscape like a wedding cake. Oh the joys of a hibernaculum -- a place where bears and humans hibernate, sleep, snooze away the day. Snow and ice have slathered Sunrise Drive and all of central Indiana and America. All we can do is sit here and wait.
Tuesday night, Feb. 1 -- As if to prove a point Mother Nature had many more tricks up her sleeve. She said, "If you thought Monday and Tuesday were bad just wait until tonight." She was right. Tuesday night was a nightmare except BW and I were not sleeping. At about 10 p.m. rain and sleet began to beat on the house as if it were mad at it and wanted in. This continued until well past 4 a.m. The windows chattered as if a snare drummer was outside using them for drums. As the night advanced the temperature rose about five or six degrees. The wind blew like it did in the Wizard of Oz -- maybe not that hard. Trees surrounding our house went into a thransonical dance waving their naked limbs in a provocative display of bravado. The ice that clung to the trees lost its grip and began to pound down on the roof like a huge front loader was dumping six tons of ice cubes and broken icebergs on the roof every other minute. Ice clanged against the windows. Tree branches cascaded down and thumped on the roof sounding as if the entire defensive line of the Colts were jumping up and down. I expected any moment that the roof would cave in and windows would shatter like fine crystal dropped on the sidewalk.
What could be worse? No electricity. All through the night we kept looking at the digital clock expecting it to go dark at any moment. Like the lighthouse at the harbor entrance it was our beacon of hope. The power stayed on. What a blessing.
Wednesday, Feb. 2 -- It is a glum, dark day and truthfully we napped a couple of times trying to catch up on sleep. There is no evident damage to the house or garage. The yard is a mat of small branches, sticks and twigs. If you need some kindling or just like to pick up sticks, come on over to Sunrise Drive. I backed the car out of the garage to the mailbox and got the paper and the mail.
Thursday, Feb. 3 -- The sun is shining and every tree has become a brilliant chandelier. The shimmering and shining trees have certainly lifted our spirits after three days of gloom. We gaze out the window glad that nothing requires our attention today or demands that we venture out in the winter wonderland. BW put her foot out on our front step and announced, "There is more ice on our front step than at Niagara Falls when it freezes." (Did you know that Niagara means crack in the earth?)
Thanks Punxsutawney Phil for the prediction of an early spring. I'm ready.
Larry grew up north of Calvertville on a farm and graduated from Worthington High School and Indiana State University. He can be reached at Goosecrick@aol.com or (317) 839-7656. Write him at 6860 Sunrise Drive, Plainfield, Ind., 46168. He has written five books.
Posting a comment requires free registration:
- If you already have an account, follow this link to login
- Otherwise, follow this link to register