Snowstorm
My boyfriend and I drove late last night in the middle of a snowstorm. It had been snowing for 8 hours before we ever got on the road, and we had to go 25 mph and sometimes less because it was hard to see the road which was completely white and the snow was drifting from farm fields. Thanks to his careful driving we did not go into a ditch, but it did take 3 hours to get home when it would have normally taken us an hour.
It was something that brought us together. We worked as a team. I kept the heat at the right point so the windshield was unclouded and stuck my head out the window every now and then to make sure where the road was. Because of the blowing, the interstate signs were also covered so my job became to gauge our progress and look for our exit.
Although it was a kinda dumb thing to do, it was kinda fun to feel so alone in the white swirling world and struggling together to reach a goal. Sometimes when I imagine what the world in the next ice age due to climate change would be like, it seems much like what I experienced last night. What gives me a feeling of security and mild tenacity is that I know I would survive, and survive well.
Domestic Duties
Isn't it funny how as soon as one major time sucker is done (in my case, the end of fall semester at university), instead of finally getting to relax and do nothing for a while, you instead see everything that couldn't get done while you were busy but now needs to while you're less busy.
The laundry's been piling up in the basket. I doubt I'll even be able to carry it. Tomorrow is a holiday party (essentially Saturnalia) and I have to bake something for that, too.
Sigh.
I suppose I'll start once I get back from work.
A Moment of Instability
I fell today, entering the hotel we're staying in. There was still some ice on the sidewalk where most of the ice had melted from salt, and I had on simple flats with no traction. Before I even knew what happened, I has lying on the ground, my laptop next to me.
I will no longer wonder how falling becomes a danger when you get older. I'm 22, and when I fell on my hip, it smarted and probably will leave a bruise. If I had done the same at 70, it may have done significantly more damage.
Luckily my laptop survived as well.
Appreciating Winter in a Town of Complainers
Everyone around here describes winter as: nasty, terrible, ugly, disgusting, horrible, yucky, dreadful, dull, depressing, blah, dreary...
WHY?
Winter is a season. It is part of nature in most areas of the world and is incredibly important for the well being of the land. It kills germs that would otherwise live in warmth. It deposits snow that fills rivers in the spring. It allows the ground and plants to rest.
It is also beautiful.
Fat, fluffy flakes landing on your nose, the clean look to everything after a fresh snow, animal prints in the snow, the absolute stunning sight of a tree covered in ice when the sun hits it, snow ball fights, snowpeople, rosy cheeks and warm woolly scarves, hot cocoa and cozy cuddling under blankets...
Sure you have to brush off your car. Sure the corrosive chemical salt man puts down on the roads makes black slush. Sure you have to drive slower and pay attention.
Is it so very horrible? Just because your life is slowed down a bit it's not the end of the world. I personally believe people who only have negative things to say about winter are self centered, and they might not even know it. They put the hectic running of their lives (especially driving their gas sucking cars) over everything else, especially the environment and appreciating how a part of nature we really are, no matter how much we try to separate ourselves. They are slaves to convenience and getting what they want immediately.
And no, global warming is not a good thing.
So if you hate winter, go to Florida. Or California. Or Texas.
If you don't want to move, at least stop complaining and let the rest of us enjoy it.
I Love The Destructive Little Buggers
So I am a bird and squirrel feeding nut. I love having huge flocks of birds at my front window. I've trained the squirrels to eat out of my hand now, too.
The problem is the little rodents are wrecking every feeder I buy. (I'm a poor college kid, so this is quite the exasperation.)
My hanging options are limited. I have a shepherd's hook that stakes into the ground with two prongs, so a baffle is not an option. I hang feeders from my gutter with metal hooks I have at the store.
They climb on my roof and hang upside down like bats to eat the seed rather than finish the ear of corn I set out for them! They chew through the plastic. When the feeder falls, it cracks. Is expensive metal my only option? I love squirrels. They are adorable and I love having them around and feeding them. I'd also like to see some birds and not waste expensive seed.
Perhaps it is time to invest in a pole that permits a baffle. And cut some branches that lead to the roof.
Sigh.
