Winter Blues

[Quail_Antwerp]

OK I just did some quick math, lol, not my best subject, because the most we had here a few winters ago was 6 ft of snow....in inches, 72 inches.

And where we are, it drifts! And the driveways, roads, etc get closed until someone plows us out LOL

 

[Beekissed]

Ahhh one day you will all have to see the Northern Lights...you can come sit on my porch and watch them fill the sky and dance:>)

Can you see them from Montana, I wonder? That is one thing I would like to see! For some reason, these last few years, I've really grown fascinated with watching the night sky. Makes me feel...I don't know....like I'm waiting for something and getting to see night diamonds during my waiting. Can't stop looking up!

 

[MorelCabin]

I don't know if you can see them from Montanna...I think you have to be in Northern Canada.

I used to love watching the sky. I'd get a blanket and just lay there for hours watching falling stars and stuff. Some nights there is alot going on up there:>)

 

[punkin]

All I want this winter is one good snow. Just about 5-7 inches, wet, power out a maximum of 5 hours, sticks around for 3 days. We haven't had a decent snow here in Athens, TN for 5 years. I think the most was 2 years ago and it was only a light dusting. Schools were out that day, tho'. Other than that, I want winter to start in December and end by mid February. Here, winter is grey, dull and boring.

 

[the simple life]

80" of snow is nothing, be thankful you don't live around the Tug Hill, New York area . The record there is 466.9" We've had winters recently where we were over 100". Around here, though, it usually doesn't last quite as long as Tug Hill, thankfully!

What year did we have a blizzard on April fools day? Wasn't it like 12 years ago or something?
No one predicted it, we just woke up in the morning and couldn't open the door. Being New Englanders we were like hmm oh snow again and went back to bed.

I mean usually we get alot of snow, but its done by april.
Around here you see people driving around with two feet of snow on the roofs of their cars, nothing stops and its business as usual.
Bummer for the kids who want snow days.
THe only time I remember it being real bad was the blizzard of 78.
People were stuck in their cars on the side of the road competely buried.
Red Cross took people from the roads and had them sleeping in movie theatres and any other place they could put them.
My brother was in a movie theatre for two days before he could get home.
Then one day he came down the street on the back of someone's snow mobile.
People were just riding around on them giving people lifts home.
I have a picture of my youger brother and me standing on a snowbank in front of our house and we were as tall as the roof of the house. That was some fun climbing and sliding down.
When the supermarket opened we walked up there with our sleds and one of the neighborhood moms with everyone's lists of necessities. We had to go around and knock on all the older neighbors doors to see if they were okay and needed anything and then we took their lists to the mom in charge of the shopping trip.
It was a two mile walk each way and we were dragging our sleds full of supplies and there wasn't even a flat place to walk. I think we were walking on top of like 2 feet of snow at least. The roads were closed for a while.
I think thats why I like to have even just the barest necessities.
I don't think there was school for weeks, at least two anyway.
What my kids wouldn't do for that now.
Oh my gosh, how did our parents stand that, I never thought of it until just now. We must have drove them crazy.
Now there would be some winter blues all over the place.

 

[Beekissed]

THe only time I remember it being real bad was the blizzard of 78.

I think that was the year our house was buried under the snow...the whole house! Just the roof showing a little. We had to dig a hole to climb out of the porch, then we would slide back down into the house. Our house made it into the county history books and you can still drive through that county and see pics of our house in the little stores and gas stations! Big snow that year and the school was closed for one day that time....now days they close the schools when they even THINK they will get snow! :/

 

[the simple life]

I know about the snow days huh? In my town its the norm that if sidewalks were not cleared then school would be canceled.
So the kids were getting the day off of school even if the streets were cleared.
I guess they were concerned about all the kids that have to walk to school.
Well, I don't know if they added extra money to the budget or what but I see that sidewalk guy come riding in his little sidewalk plow and I know there is going to be school.
Last few years there haven't been any snow days.
I think the last one the kids got off was 5 years ago.
Usually if anything they just have a school delay, where it starts two hours later to give them a chance to clear the roads.
Strange but when they do the school cancelations on tv I notice that every town around us will cancel school except for ours. Its up to the individual superintendant to call it off and ours just never did.
But, ya know where we live snow is not such a big deal, its a fact of life, so not too much ever gets called off.
In a way its too bad, because a snow day once or twice a year would be fun for the kids. Plus if you have less than 5 snow days you don't have to make up the days at the end of the year so one or two would be a fun surprise for the little ones.

 

[reinbeau]

Natalie, that April Fool's blizzard was 1996. I had four foot drifts across my driveway. As for the blizzard of '78, I was still at home then, in Norwell, and for some reason our little section of town never lost power. I've got a million stories about that storm! I love huge weather events like that, but not for the human tragedy that can come with it.

 

[unclejoe]

The sky in the winter is absolutely amazing. I can't see the Milky Way well from the Hanson house, but up at the Maine house I can see it all the time - the number of stars people see veiled in light pollution is so minuscule compared to the view of the Milky Way on a clear, dark night up there! My night time friend is Orion, standing up there in the sky holding his sword high, keeping us all safe. I'm an amateur astronomer and like to see the familiar stars and constellations come and go with the seasons.

Anyways, yes, you can go out in the sun in the winter, when it's clear and calm I love it - but it doesn't do much for vitamin D, it just lightens your mood.

Reinbeau, I couldn't agree more! The winter sky is mesmerizing. I also consider myself an amateur astronomer. My avatar is a photo I took through my telescope during the Feb. 08 eclipse. I belong to the Harrisburg (Pa) Astronomical Society. We have a small observatory (about 6 miles from my house) which houses a 14" reflector. When Orion is high in the sky, the Horsehead Nebula is a frequent target. It's really hard to make out unless you know what you're looking for but we can all see it. We have a dark sky location about 40 mi. north of here where the Milky Way is stunning! City folk just have no idea.
Beekissed, You should be able to see the Northern Lights in Montana. Helena is at 46 degrees north latitude. I grew up in Williamsport, Pa. ( the home of little league baseball) which is 41 degrees north. Back in the late 70's or early 80's there was a brilliant display of waving colors. I've seen them 3-4 times since then and always in Pa. but never with the same intensity as that first time.

 

[Beekissed]

GREAT! I would hate to move all that way for the light show and not get to see it!