Monday, March 5, 2018

Winter Storm Riley

We had quite the Nor'easter this past weekend! Winter Storm Riley settled over the mountain top and dumped 3+ FEET of snow!

The entire mountain top as well as many neighboring villages were without power for 30+ hours, and some areas are still waiting for power to be restored. 

TV service still hasn't returned, but internet and cell service have. Go figure. 


Apparently Old Man Winter is not done with us yet....there's another Nor'easter making its way to us around the middle of the week, and we may get another foot of snow. 

Seriously? Where was this snow all winter when the ski resorts needed it? Why now when we are just about 2 weeks from the first day of spring?


So much for my thoughts in my last post, that we may have a nice day some weekend soon where I could get outside and start some spring cleanup. 


The snow melt will be great for the rivers and wells, that's for certain. Plus all that moisture will give all the spring plants the water they need to start growing. 


But clearing all that snow is certainly no fun!  I was lucky, my daughter and my sweetie both pitched in to clear the snow, leaving me in the warm house still nursing this darned cold. 

Yup, that's right.....still. I have never in my life had a cold that lingered for over a month. Ridiculous. 


Everything in the area sure does looks lovely though, truly a winter wonderland!


I bundled up really good and went out for a quick walk around the property with my camera to get some photos to share with you all. 

The creek at the edge of my property was singing its sweet tune, the perfect accompaniment to my winter stroll. 


I don't think it froze solid at all this winter, although perhaps it did and I just missed it. 


We are so very lucky to have a wood stove to keep the house toasty and warm during the long mountain winters. 


The swing next to the garden cottage won't be getting used any time soon, that's for sure. 


It's just as well I don't store anything in here I need at the moment, either! 


Fortunately I didn't lose any trees on my property during this storm, although a big one did come down on a power line down the road, making our road impassible for most of the day. 

Can you see Little Miss Molly scooting around out in the snow in the bottom right of that photo?


She's such a little crackpot - she loves to eat the snow and run around in it like a little nut! Wisely, she stuck mostly to the plowed and shoveled areas but you can see in this photo she had just eaten a mouthful of snow! What a goofball!!


Meanwhile, guess who I spotted from inside the house during the worst of the storm? The Red Winged Blackbirds sure picked the wrong time to come back! I don't think they timed their spring migration very well, do you?


Nor did the poor Robins....we spotted two in the Sumac tree in the front garden - they are going to have a tough time finding worms under three feet of snow!

How did you make out during Winter Storm Riley?

40 comments:

  1. Glad you faired the storm well. That is a lot of snow! But, it sure is beautiful.

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    1. It's lovely to look out at, no doubt! Shoveling is not so much fun....nor is losing power/cell service/internet/tv....but oh well, that's just part of country life! Thank God for good books!!

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  2. That is just an insane amount of snow! I guess I shouldn't complain about the 2-3" that we're supposed to get tonight. ;-)

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    1. Nope, I guess not, Melanie! We are due for another storm starting at midnight tonight....now they are saying possibly 18" oh noooooooo!!

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  3. Wow! That is sure a lot of snow! I got excited yesterday when we had nice weather but now today is cold and we are suppose to get snow. But not the amount you receive thankfully! Snow on the trees is truly beautiful! We shovel a little path for Coco in the snow to do her duties. I had a bad cold and cough this winter also and it really took me downhill. I hope you get to feeling better soon! Nancy

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    1. Hi Nancy, I don't know why I'm just seeing this comment, so sorry about that! We have to shovel a path for the babies to get out to do their business also, and my old girl often doesn't make it any further than the deck....at least it's better than in the house, right?

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  4. All I got to say is WOW!.
    I went on a walk today in a tanktop and shorts! Its in the 60’s tonight.
    Lisa

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    1. Wow, Lisa! Meanwhile I've been wearing my furry winter boots more days than not, since they keep me from falling on my head!! Enjoy your warm weather, my friend!

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  5. Oh my word!!--just look at all that deep snow! It sure is pretty! How cold is it???! So glad you went out and made these pictures for us, I like the creek pictures the best!Can you get in and out your drive way and did you attempt to go to work or just give up on the idea during the worst of it? Stay safe and WARM!!!

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    1. It's actually sunny and warm today (44 degrees F) so we're getting a bit of snow melt, which of course is just a tease since there is another storm hitting tonight. No, I could not get out of my driveway - my plow guy couldn't get up my road due to the tree down on the power line so I did not go into work.....which is just fine since they shut everything down since we had no power anyway!! Let's just see what happens tomorrow....

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  6. The photos are beautiful, but glad you were inside toasty warm!

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    1. Me, too, Carole! I read three whole books this weekend, it was glorious!!

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  7. Soo that's an adorable little stream. But wow you guys really got dumped on! GAHHHHHHHH and you were sooo ready for spring :(

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    1. Well, I was smart enough to know that spring was not ready for me, Ellen! I can't get tooooo excited about spring this far out....I'd only be disappointed!

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  8. The pictures are gorgeous but you would have probably opted for warmer temps, not more snow. Miss Molly sure loves the snow. A few years ago, Riley, my smaller Chi, got stuck in the snow and couldn't get his little legs to go another step. The Urban Farmer rescued him and brought him in the house. Riley was getting a little panicky, poor baby. Hope your cold is gone by the time the weather breaks. xoxo

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    1. Oh, Donna, that poor sweet little baby Riley, he must have been so scared and cold!!!

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  9. Wow Deb you guys are really getting the snow. I am so glad that passed us. Little Molly loving the snow is sooooo cute. I hope you start to feel better. The virus's going around this winter have been pretty crazy.
    I am so happy "knock on wood" that I have not gotten any of this stuff going around. My theory is that I am so stressed all the time that nothing wants to live in my body lol! Stay inside by the fire and enjoy the view through the windows. Have a good week.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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    1. If that were the case nothing would live in my body either, Kris!! :) It's still lingering, I really cannot wait to be well again....I'll probably get rid of this cold just in time for allergy season to kick into high gear!!

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  10. That is a ton of snow Debbie! I'm glad that you had help getting dug out and that you did not have any trees come down. My son down in Virginia said that they had a huge branch come down out of the old tree in their yard and it just missed his motorcycle and boat and his roommate's truck. They did lose some bricks off their chimney, but that was the extent of the damage to the house. Some of the neighbors did not fare as well and had trees crashing through their homes.

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    1. Oh my gosh, Debbie, that's so frightening - I do worry about trees coming down on the house, for sure! In the rental I lived in right before I bought this house I told the landlord there were two dead trees that needed to come down. He ignored me (he was such a jerk!) and one of them fell on my car in the middle of the night, totaling it! He cost me so much money, that jerk, and didn't compensate me for any of my loss!!!! Not to mention, he tried to charge me for the firewood once we cut up the tree!!! Like I said, he was such a jerk. I am so glad not to have to deal with landlords any more!!

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  11. Oh my goodness. Glad you survived the storm. Hope it melts soon so that you will be able to get out to play in your gardens.

    Have a great week ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Round two is right outside my window right now, Lorraine - they are saying possibly 24 inches with this one. Spring is a LONG way off!

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  12. We had the same storm here, but it was all rain. Tide was crazy and washed out the roads and bridges, ducks were swimming in the road and trees fell. We were spared the loss of power, but tomorrow we are expecting 6-12 inches of snow. Grrr. And I hear you with that cold!!! I have had it. I am 14 days in and growing very weary of it. Please don't tell me it's been a month. Ahhh. Please feel better soon!

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    1. I hate to tell you this but it's now been more than a month, about 5 weeks possibly 6!!!! I'm so over it, Kim! Hope yours doesn't last that long - feel better soon, my friend!

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  13. Oh, Debbie, I've gotten really soft over the years. I don't think I could handle all that snow. I worry too much about house damages. Your photos, though, are so gorgeous, and could easily entice me to visit such natural beauty. That one robin in the tree looks mighty big - either a mama, or puffing to stay warm, not sure which. Your home looks like a retreat, no matter what season. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I think I could get soft at some point as well, Rita....but not yet! I still love my country life too much to trade it in. We have storm #2 pummeling us right now....let's see what happens with this one!

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  14. We had exceptionally warm weather in February, so a lot of our fruit trees started to bud and bloom, migrating birds returned, and I had to get out some of my warm weather clothes. Then, sadly, we have had almost two weeks of below average temperatures with about 2 feet of snow. Because of that, we have probably lost most of our almond, apricot and pluot crops, and some of the peaches what were in premature bloom. And those poor birds!!! What strange weather we have had these past few years. What's funny, though, is that your gorgeous photos almost make me love winter...almost. Right now I am staying with my grandson, who is sick with a bad cold, so I am sure I will be down and out in a few days myself. Springtime will be such a blessing when she finally arrives for good! Take care.

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    1. Oh Vickie, that's terrible - I hate when trees bud early and then the frost comes and ruins the crop for the season!!! Grrrr... hopefully the other peach trees will make up for the ones that were in premature bloom! Here's hoping you don't get sick - take tons of vitamin c!!

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  15. I wondered how you fared / glad that you had help! Lovely snow shots and I am sorry that you are to get more, ugh!

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    1. It's on us right now, Deb, coming down fast and furious. Pretty to look at, that's for sure, but we sure don't need another 2 feet of snow which is what they are predicting for this storm!

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  16. Mountain Sister, what a storm!!! We only had very high winds, which put us without power for about 18 hours on Friday into the early hours of Saturday morning. In all my life I don't remember a sunny beautiful day with winds that intense. Really scary weather! I hope and pray the storm today and this coming weekend aren't as bad as they appear. Hang in there Debbie, spring is out there somewhere! (I hope.)

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    1. High winds are scary, mountain sister! I have often lay in bed awake during a wind storm just waiting for a tree to land on top of me!

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  17. Our side effects of the storm were like yours.....gorgeous piles of white fluffy snow making everything look like winter again. The only thing it did was ruin my plans to do errands all day and I got to have my granddaughter for the day because school was closed. It was clear and better by the next day. I have learned not to get excited for Spring too soon.....once the first day of Spring comes and goes, it's usually another month before it arrives. Are you getting snow from the second round?

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    1. We got snow from the second round....third round....and every day, AnnMarie!!!

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  18. We ended up with three inches of snow and it didn't have a name when it was here, but it sure gave you folks a wallop! I'm sorry you're still sick. I had that flu for almost as long and it was a doozy. Get better soon, my friend!

    xoxo,
    rue

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    1. Thanks, Rue - every time I think this darned cold/whatever is gone it reappears. Today my sinuses are all inflamed, which makes me look super pretty with giant puffy bags under my eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  19. Getting a Nor'easter today. I feel exactly the same way, where was this huge snowfall in January! Nice pictures for sure, but not so great when you have to deal with it.
    Hope you get rid of that cold soon. Particular bad year for cold and flus it seems.
    I had to laugh when I saw Molly with a mouth full of snow! Our Gracie does the same thing....fresh snow always makes her a little nuts.
    Feel better
    Jeannette

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    1. Hi Jeanette - oh your little Gracie must be a goofball also!!! Molly is such a nut, she makes us laugh every single day! Imagine her out in a cage all by herself for THREE years? How is that even possible? She's the sweetest little thing, thank God her experience didn't ruin her!

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  20. I cannot imagine! I live in the South, southeast of Atlanta GA, so I rarely get more than 2" and then not every winter. But this storm has really knocked a lot of states, towns, people on their butts. Sorry you're sick and can't get out to enjoy in the fun of shoveling. lol

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    1. Shoveling is most definitely not one of my favorite things to do, Skaya, and yet I am doing it every single day now it seems - enough already! All this snow is great for the ski resorts but us residents are kind of tired of it, ha ha!!

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