The November storm that has dumped enough snow to bury the
dog and then some---a total of 24.6 inches---is still going strong. Many schools are
still closed, my street is a mess with no cars in sight and already TV viewers
are being advised to shovel their flat roofs so they don’t cave in. Usually,
that comes much later in the season.
I'm so cut off from the world I
feel like Tom Hanks in the movie, Cast
Away, only my ‘Wilson’ is trapped in the nature strip behind the house,
covered with snow and probably as lonely as I am. Like Tom’s character in the
movie, before the storm I caught myself talking to that ball and I even thought
about drawing a face on him before I came to my sense. The powers of nature
always push stray balls up my street and around my house until they get caught
in the weeds or I pick them up and put them on the deck for Levi’s amusement. Over the years I’ve seen many beach and soccer balls
circle my house 5 or 6 times before they get trapped in the back. It’s fascinating
how the lay of the landscaping and the wind makes that happen. But I
swear if a tornado is ever in the area my house will go up and Levi and I would
be wandering around like Dorothy and Toto in the Wizard of Oz.
Old people seem to talk about their bird-feeders a lot so I
will follow suit and share the fact that my feeders need a traffic light to
keep the chickadees, finches, cardinals, titmouse, mourning doves, blue jays
and woodpeckers from fighting over the prime positions. I’ve even had a huge Northern Harrier sitting on my deck rail---probably hunting for
mice. What the heck is he still doing in town? He should be on his way to
Central America. I’ve gone through an alarming quantity of seed this week. My
feeders are just eight feet away from my door and very accessible from my deck
and I suspect my neighbors aren’t able to get out to their feeders to resupply
them which would explain why so many birds are dining at my house. The bummer
part, though, is with my arm sling I’ve had to resort to using smaller feeders
because I can’t lift my large feeders up to their hooks using just one arm. I’ve
had to refill the little ones twice a day since the storm began.
I made a decision this morning to spend the afternoon
reading The Hunger Games. I was
probably the last person in the world to see the movie so I figured I might as
well be the last person in the world to read the book. Amazon.com make
decisions like that too easy to follow through. A quick download and it’s
on your Kindle. I’m not a fan of doomsday
or dystopian themes in fiction where civilizations break down into factions of
dominate, decadent or exploitative people who rule over the have-nots but on
the other hand, I do like to understand pop culture and what makes people world-wide
like to read popular stuff like The Hunger
Games franchise. Snow days are good for reading if nothing else.
The snow is supposed to end during the coming night.
Hopefully that will give the road crews a chance to catch up so I can get out
tomorrow. If not, oh well. I won’t starve to death. Mostly what I need to do is replenish the protein mix for the diet I’ve been on. Speaking of which, I’ve
lost enough weight so that I’ve had to buy a smaller pair of pants for when I leave the house and this morning I
realized my pajamas are so big they are actually a trip hazard. I don’t need any
more falls so they will be the first of my clothing to get purged from the
closet. If I keep this up, it going to be fun in the spring when I can go
shopping for a whole new wardrobe. Just think, my goal was just to get into the smallest of the three sizes already in my closet. ©
I'm sorry you're snowed in. That's a lot of snow and it's not over yet. And those two gals you'll never see either right? Bless their hearts.
ReplyDeleteI've not seen or read Hunger Games...so you're not the last I am.
Way to go on losing weight. That rocks.
Have a fabulous day and stay warm and dry.
Nope, the teens have not shown up. I did see one from a distance this afternoon and I was hopeful, but that's all I got.Next I will try my hair dryer and a long extension cord. LOL
DeleteI got a laugh out of my elderly relative this morning, though. I called to check on her---she lives about two miles away. She says, "I have a mind to call the city and tell them they need to send a truck down my street." If only it were that easy.
I am so jealous about that last paragraph that I will not even mention what it's about. I am trying to maintain the status quo until Jan. and then get with the program.
ReplyDeleteYour birds are lucky that you can get to your feeders. They need your help with that huge storm raging and every morsel of natural food covered with snow. Last summer, we had a little bully humming bird. He didn't not want anyone to drink from HIS feeder. I'm sure it was a boy.
I saw on the news that people are being advised to rake their roofs. They said there's so much snow that it's the equivalent of a truck sitting on your roof. Egads.
I read Hunger Games. I do like doomsday scenarios, but this one didn't appeal to me. I did see the movie and wasn't crazy about that either. I hope you enjoy the book more than I did. It was good enough to finish, but not good enough to read the rest of the series.
I waited until the movie was on TV and the book was reduced to $4.99 because I was pretty sure I would be luke warm about them. I did think you would like them, though.
DeleteAfter the holidays I'll bet there will be a lot of us here in the blogging world talking about our diets. I'm just getting a jump start on the annual "sport."
Hi Jean,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Loved the pic at the top. My squirrels and birds are well-fed and happy. But we have nothing like your weather here in Texas. I do worry about the 'critters' when the weather is so brutal. I read The Hunger Games....all of them...almost one right after the other. I kept thinking to myself...this is not what I normally read...what's going on here? But somehow, at that time, it was very intriguing. I finally saw the first movie...didn't care for it very much. Reading is my favorite thing to do and I always feel I learn something from every book. But as I have matured, I have also given myself permission to NOT finish a book...even if it's a bestseller...ha I lead a monthly bookclub and that has certainly brought me the opportunity to read varied genres over the past 10 years. Love your blog.
Alice
I like that photo too. I wish I had taken it but it's one of those things that circulates on Facebook.
DeleteI like the idea of giving yourself permission to not finish a book, if you don't want to. I will have to work on adapting that idea. So far, I'm getting drawn into The Hunger Games and like you, it's not my norm reading fare.
Sheesh! It's hard for me to imagine that much snow! I'm not sure I would choose your weather, but like you, I would just have to make the most of it. Now I remember why my parents had a pantry and a freezer ... just in case they couldn't get out for groceries.
ReplyDeleteCONGRATULATIONS of losing weight! And so much already. I've gained back my 15 lbs .... guess I'm just not there yet!
This storm is unusual both for the amount of snow we got and as early as we got it. Winters aren't all bad. When the storms are over and the sun is shining the landscape can be so beautiful and for anyone who loves winter sports, the snow brings a lot of fun. We do learn to stock up in the fall with food. I don't think I'd like your rainy season either. No place is perfect like your Maui place.
DeleteGreetings from the east coast of England where I have not had to wear my winter jacket since being here. I think I could get used to this weather even though I do like to ski. It is, alas, only temporary. Soon enough, back to the frozen north! Stay warm.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Leze
The ski resorts here have been able to open much earlier, this year, than they ever have in the past. There is always an upside to everything, isn't there. Enjoy England as long as you can. The snow will wait for your back home.
DeleteYAY on the weight loss--I loved when my jeans started falling off my hips! I may need to find a job some place to pay for the bird seed!! You are NOT the last person on earth to see the movie or read the Hunger Games. AND--I really have no desire too. I hear Stephen King has a new book out--unfortunately my allowance no longer allows me to leisurely peruse amazon.com and fill my cart. AND why don't they use Pay Pal?
ReplyDeletePal Pal would be nice at amazon.com, wouldn't it. I always have a balance there. You can borrow books for your Kindle but I'll bet the waiting list will be long for a new Stephen King book.
DeleteP.S. Me too on paying for bird seed. I thought I had huge supply on hand but it will not be enough. And once you start feeding in the winter, you can't quit half way through. I did buy come corn yesterday when I was running errands for the squirrel that is coming to my feeder. That should help keep him from eating all the good stuff.
DeleteCongratulations on shedding those inches! I couldn't help but notice the book you chose to read is "The HUNGER Games", Next, the SNOW Games?
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty funny, especially in light of the fact that last night I dreamed about food. I guess I'm hungry for fried chicken and malted milk shakes. The beginning of that book has so many descriptions of food, doesn't it, and I was reading just before I fell asleep.
DeleteJean, I've been thinking of you almost daily and wondering how you are fairing with the storm. It's rather amazing, isn't it? I've been watching Facebook posts and can hardly believe it. I remember my northern Illinois childhood and in high school the big blizzard of 1967 -- snow up to our living room windows and my dad out there shoveling our big driveway. Whew! My husband and I left Illinois after the big dump of 1979 when we lived in Chicago. Milder climates for us have prevailed and I don't miss the snow and ice.
ReplyDeleteFunny you mention bird feeders. I love my hummers and have decided to go all out and get some seed and suet feeders for the front of the house where I can sit in my living room and watch from my easy chair. Ha! Old people and birds!
I LOVED the Hunger Games books, which surprised me, because like you I only read them to see what the pop culture fuss was about. But a pretty discerning friend recommended them and she was right. I liked the movies too, but I'm not going to the one that is currently out -- it's the first part of two parts and I don't like when they separate the action by a year's time until the next one is released. I'll wait and see them both….but by then I'll probably have to marathon my way through all of them just to remind myself of the story details. Anyway, happy reading!
Thankfully, the worst is over. Now it's just a waiting game for the ice to melt. Flooding is predicted next...and I'm not kidding. I'm going to be optimist and hope this will be the worst storm of the season. Wouldn't that be nice. I remember that big dump of 1979. I wasn't plowing snow then but I did a lot of riding alongs with Don to keep him awake.
DeleteSo far I am enjoying The Hunger Games but I still haven't figured out why. LOL
Oh….and congrats on the weight loss. I'm back on the treadmill. Well, 3 days in a row after months and months (years?) of neglecting it. It's a start….
ReplyDeleteThanks. It's been rather easy---this time.
Delete