Snowstick Contest Winners 2018

We finally have a couple of winners!  diane in northern wisc guessed April 18 and The Wykeham Observer guessed April 29. Congratulations!! diane please email captainconnie2001atyahoodotcom  your address and I will get a carving in the mail this week. The Wykeham Observer your carving is going to the Post Office today.

 

The snowstick became free of snow and ice last night April 22.

June may be gone soon if the warm weather stays to melt her.

I picked up sticks in the yard and raked a bunch of acorns they were making for a bumpy walk in parts of the yard.  I am always thankful in the spring for the hours I spend in the yard in the fall.

Melting

We had some significant melting yesterday. 

After we recycled we went by the Millpond.

It still looks wintery there.

The snowstick made some real progress yesterday.  I think it is at about 3 inches.

We will most likely have a winner in a few days if the melt keeps up.  It felt good to sit outside, but the breeze off the snow is still a bit chilly.

We cleaned up some bird seed and some doggie do…Far Guy got out the patio table which needs a good cleaning and the birds are looking for water in the birdbath…both are on my list of things to do today.

176th Day of Snow

It warmed up and we are melting!! 

Spring may be here after all.

There is still seven inches of snow at the snow stick but it is melting around the trees.

It was a busy day yesterday, it was Infusion Day and we had a small problem but we were able to solve it…and the Drug Company has been notified ( a sterile water bottle would not transfer to the mixing bottle).  We went one direction for prescriptions and another direction for Doctor’s appointments…a quick supper at a favorite place and then I took off to Bingo with my Dad …neither of us got to shout Bingo.  Such is life in the elderly fast lane.

Spring Cleaning Update

Yeah me!!  The kitchen is all done…well except for the window, too cold to wash a window now.

No more dusting off dishes before you use them.

I am not sure which spring cleaning direction I will go next…laundry room or bathroom.  I may take a few days off…we have busy days coming up next week.

We still have enough snow, here is a view of some pretty “stuff” on the windowsill in the kitchen.  I have a hard time passing up paperweights and the pretty pink bird is one of my favorites and perfect for spring. The stained glass Lady Slipper was purchased at a garage sale.

11 inches of snow is at the snowstick.  The trees are starting to become little islands of no snow.  Spring progress is slow.

Chance : I like snow

Someone is too cranky to blog so I am taking over.

The snowstick stands at 13 inches there is little to no melting.

I like to lay in the fresh snow.  I can reach right over and get a snow snack.

perfect…I like snow

Even when it is on my face.

I hope if you have snow you are enjoying it as much as I am!

Good bye March

So long March.  Don’t let the door hit you in the butt.  Onward to the month that boasts Spring Showers that bring May Flowers.

We are in a different season up here in the snow fields of MInnesota.  Either is is muddy from snow melt or the snow covers up the ice. 

I gave Chance a foot trim…the hair between the pads of his feet was getting long…he was tracking his fair share of sand into the house.  I trimmed up the feathers along his legs also…they get muddy when he walks to get the mail.  It is funny when he was a pup he couldn’t pass up a mud puddle and he would bark at the water under the ice when it moved when he stepped on it…now he avoids all standing water and puddles especially ice covered puddles…he has become a Senior dog. Last night he was walking himself in the house round and round…I think he may have had enough winter too.

We got about an inch of snow Thursday night/Friday morning there is now 12 inches at the snowstick. We are in a winter blizzard warning Friday overnight into Saturday…no travel is advised. Now they say we may get a foot or more of snow and the wind will blow. March is most certainly going out like a lion.

We are home safe and sound for the duration of the storm.

Update:  There is only about 1 inch of snow at 6AM so maybe it missed us.  It is bitterly cold out there feels like  deep winter.

Winter Forcast for Spring

Winter has a real grip on us now. 

Here is the snowstick.  This is important because the snow at the snowstick will likely double in the next two days.  We have one snow event followed by another in our forecast.

Seriously.  I laugh…because April 1st is when many snowbirds come back after a long warm winter in the south…it is Minnesota nice to share.

Want a look at June?

Here she is…if the snow gets real bad I may have to change her name to July.

I suspect after this cold spell it will warm up and be summerlike…but we will have to see about that.

Spring Spits Snow

Ever since it became spring the weather has been cloudy gloomy and gray.  Snow is spit into the air, it melts on the walk but sticks on the snow covered areas. 

At least the bad looking snow is covered up…but so is the ice.  Now there are hidden dangers out there.

There is still 12 inches of snow at the snowstick.

Besides looking out the window and remarking “look at it snow…AGAIN” I worked on some carvings for the snowstick contest.  Far Guy is working on a gift for a friend.  We clean house and cook…it is almost a race to see who will say “What do you want for supper tonight?”  Far Guy likes salmon, I like steak so that is what we had last night. 

The Red Polls were gone but when it began to snow they came back again…or maybe it is a different group of the hungry little buggers.

It sounds like it will do more than spit snow for the next few days…Spring needs to send a memo to Winter telling him that his time is up!

March Snowstorm

We had a dilly of a snowstorm.  It began with rain then it turned to sleet and then snow.  The sleet made music on the windows.

We had 10 inches of snow at the snowstick before the storm, now we have 19 inches at the snowstick.  This was such a heavy snow I am sure it sunk sank decreased in measurement some…I will guess we had 12+ inches of snow.

Here Chance is walking in a tire track on the way to the mail box. (She who sees Robins first  went to work, or my other baby brother went out.)  Our drive way had no tire track and it was hard walking…just lifting our boots that high was an effort. We made a path and the return trip was easier.  The old Border Collie kept laying down to clean off the pads of his feet.

Toward evening my other baby brother and nephew came to plow us out.

The shoveling began and will continue.  We are supposed to get more snow through Tuesday.  If one had energy after shoveling this would be snowball fight snow or maybe even a snowman.

Snowstick Contest 2018

It is about time to start the Snowstick Contest 2018.
Leave me a comment or send me an email with the date.
Here is the Snowstick History:
2011  April 8
2012  March 13
2013  April 30
2014  April 10
2015  March 11
2016  March 8
2017 March 20
2018 Your best guess
Here is the snowstick as of yesterday morning.

The snow is getting deeper…we shoveled…Chance nearly got stuck in the snow.  However it looks like we will be warming up a bit…if it rains the snow could be gone just like that.

We had a quiet snowy weekend.  Far Guy is woodcarving a little, I am working on various hobbies.  I seem to have a very short attention span lately so I work on one project and then go onto another.

Oh yes the winner will likely get a small woodcarving of some kind.  The Snowstick Contest 2018 will be open for guesses until Thursday March 1st at 9PM.  The winner will be declared when there is no snow or ice at the snowstick.


March 2   Kansas Kay
March 15  Shirley  Terry and Linda
March 16 Rita
March 17 Gemma's person
March 18 DJan    Cathrin
March 19 Wendy D   Phyllis P
March 20 Tired Teacher  silly girl
March 21  Bonnie     Red
March 22 Sonja
March 23 Diane
March 24 Troutbirder
March 27 Joyce F
March 28 Karen   KCD
March 29 Kathy    Mac n Janet
March 30 soulseekinggrace    mjs
March 31 Carol W Birthday!
April 1  Jess N   Jean T  Carol K  linda m
April 2 zooperson
April 4  thecrazysheeplady
April 5 Granny Marigold
April 7  Denise C
April 8 Alvina
April 9 Sandy B
April 11 Dianne's 67th birthday!
April 13 Leah
April 17 Linda R
April 18 Diane in Wisc
April 29 The Wykeham Observer

Snow again

Seems we are stuck in a snow pattern.  We got another four inches of snow.  The last snow was fluffy and settled…we had 11 inches at the stick before snow #3 

Now we are waiting for the next system to come through today which will be snow #4 this week.

We finally had to make a grocery/bank/post office run to town.  Far Guy went along…it was his first venture out in a long time.  His step count is improving everyday.

We are all set to stay home until it is time to go to town for a blood test sometime next week.

Our morning walk with Chance.

Snow

We got just about 5 1/2 inches of snow.  It made everything look all pretty again.

We need the moisture but this was a real dry fluffy snow…you couldn’t make a snowball to save your life.

We walked outside and shoveled some snow.  I made a path for Chance so he doesn’t have to drag his belly through the snow to do his duty.  My nephew Josh was by to plow us out twice…I just had to finish up in front of the garages.

We worked on taxes and they are ready to go to the accountant. 

I have been playing with beads and making more eyeglass holders.  I enjoy making them.

Far Guy is working on his steps and getting stronger.  Chance had a short bout of pancretitis again for about 24 hours…but he is all better now.  Old dogs…a real challenge to keep healthy.  This time it was a piece of chicken with breading that made him ill.

Brrrr

I suppose you have all heard about the cold wave. This was Wednesday morning.   

With the proper clothing it is possible to venture outside.  We are getting relief for one day and then back into the deep freeze.  It may get a few degrees above zero today!!  It is cause to celebrate.

Just another day in Minnefreezeyourbuttoffsota.

It was so cold our remote thermometer broke and we had to venture to town to buy a new one.  The new one is guaranteed to –40 F.  We will see.

Huge flocks of the little Redpolls are here and they are hungry! 

So is someone else in the neighborhood.

This Hawk scared all the Redpolls off and sat up in the tree for a long time.  He/she finally took off.  I have no idea what kind of Hawk this is other than a hungry one.

We have a couple of tree rats squirrels that make their way to our yard every day.  Far Guy had a weasel in his garage one night…so the mouse population should be dropping in numbers.

We have six inches of snow at the snowstick.  I am thankful that we got a good snow cover before it got so cold.

There was a big power outage in the Park Rapids area…for about eight hours many people were without electricity.  (We have a gas fireplace and will keep warm if we lose power.) I also heard that Park Rapids made the National News because it was the coldest spot in the Lower 48 the other day.

We have many projects to keep us busy…and we can always grab a long winters nap.

 

White Christmas

We got about 5 inches of new fluffy dry snow.  That makes the total at the snowstick 7 inches.

Far Guy shoveled some, I shoveled some…and my brother came along and cleared our driveway and yard.  There is still some shoveling to do.  I like to clear the patio of snow…right now it is covered.

I took this photo out of the kitchen window.

Sunset was really pretty on Dec 21 the shortest day of the year.

This is a sunset view I had as a child. The wind would rip through that field and the snow used to settle in our driveway.  This is where I would stand and wait for the bus. It is just two miles from where we live now. The view of the trees in the distance and the field have not changed in 64 years….I find it comforting that some things stay the same.

The downstairs tree is finished.  Jinx the Lumberjack is visiting there for a few days.

First Snow

Well we have our first snow.  It turned really cold.  I had to get out a heavy Fall coat, my snow boots, a hat and gloves.

I think the little pansies that have been so cheerful all week might have died.

I had a list of “stuff” I needed so we waited until afternoon to go to town, the roads were good by then.

No sitting in the chairs for a few days.

This snow will melt.

We made comfort food for supper…a pork roast with roasted carrots mashed potatoes and gravy.

Far Guy is still struggling with his bronchial infection, the Pulmonary Doctor has been advised and says if there is no improvement by Monday a different antibiotic will be started.