HAPPY NEW WEEK!I hope everyone has a peaceful, easy week.
Well, folks, winter made a hard landing on the Midwest today. On Wednesday, the temperature on my patch was 70 degrees F (that's 21 C) with sunshine and a breathtaking sapphire blue sky. The forecasters warned us that it would turn cold Saturday (today) with a light "dusting" of snow. I slept in this morning, and when I woke up, 4 inches of drifting snow covered the ground in a gale-force wind! The Northern Cardinal pair has been coming to my porch to eat the late-season wasps, and the red male landed on the window sill and looked at me with such a confused expression! LOL I was lucky. The winter storm hit further north with such ferocity that the interstate highways had to be closed!Hello to all!
Diane: Heard about 'lake effect snow' in the Chicago area on the news tonight. Isn't that awfully early?
Bought a new nice office chair for OH for Xmas today. I bought the floor model (got an even bigger discount and it was already assembled!); now I have to figure out where I'm going to hide it when I pick it up.... Hmmmm.
Good morning all from a drenched Suffolk. The last 2 days and nights have been almost non stop rain and wind. Also temeratures seems to be almost back to normal. I wonder what sort of winter we will have..
Thankfully I am off work today and tomorrow - just doing 3 days a week now Annette - not fully retired.
Its been great reading all your news and I can't reply to all but know that I am thinking of those with ailments and family issues.
Also those with extreme weather to contend with.
A few weekends ago my - now 40! Daughter came for a few days. The day after she got home she text me at 6.30am saying "you had better do a covid test before work" Yes she had somehow got it after all this time. She has been really unwell with it and as of yesterday was still testing positive. Her company says she has to have 2 days of negative test before she can return although she can do some work at home. Thankfully I am ok.
Clare - not sure if you are aware but there is a Seagull Trust that have a bookshop in Falkirk - it was mentioned on Radio 4 a few days ago.
I will be in and out today - dodging the rain as much as possible. Then tonight am going to see the new Bill Nighy film - Living - with a couple of friends. I am lucky to live in Leiston which has its own cinema - a 5 minute walk away - its is one of the oldest in Suffolk - it opened in 1914 and has been in continuous use. We get all the latest film plus the NT Live productions including Opera from The Met in New York. - we are very lucky to have it.
Well must get on - almost the weekend - so enjoy all.
Rusty: I was also so much more organized when I was working! What happened? Well I wasn't married, lived in a small house with a tiny garden that were both very easy to keep up. Now I fantasize about living in one large room with a kitchen and a bathroom rather than a 3-bedroom house, two other rooms (offices/4th bedroom/whatever) and a large living room and kitchen. At this point, I could write my name in the dust I'm so behind and I don't even have your social life! :-) I can't stand hearing people chomping on popcorn or rattling their icy drinks behind me at the movies though I remember, back in Watford in the 50s, my Mum smuggling rice pudding into the cinema! (What was she thinking!) We had five cinemas: The Odean, Gaumont, Regal, Empire and the Carlton. We preferred the Odeon and the Gaumont because they were closer and newer. I'd be so excited joining the line outside for the the1/3s (one shilling and three penny seats). Every now and then we'd splurge on the 1/9s if the line was shorter, but never the 2/3s. :-) Oh lord, the memories....
Harelady: Ah, now I remember your new work schedule. Hope it allows more time for fun things. I do like Bill Nighy.
Must get moving....
Annette: Well, it's not unusual to see a little lake effect snow in Chicago at this time of year. However, this snow is part of a massive winter storm that began with blizzard conditions in Oklahoma, came up through the plains, traveled through the Great Lakes and Midwest, dropped down into Appalachia, and is set to dump several feet of snow on parts of the Northeast. It's waaaay early for that. I've had snow and ice all week, but the ground was still warm so it didn't accumulate. I'm really dreading Saturday. The temperature will drop to 11F. That is -11.7C (minus 11.7C). It's definitely too early for that.
Finally managed to have the time to read all of the current week's posts and it is lovely to read all of your news. I love the quote, Annette--thanks. If the projections about Nevada are correct, then it is fabulous that the Democrats have managed to keep control of the Senate. Shame about the House of Representatives. Which State elected an election denier as Secretary of State, Annette? Diane, hope you are coping with the sudden change in the weather and are staying safe and warm. The storm there made me remember of a time in the dim and distant past (over 40 years ago) when I happened to be in Illinois for a time. I had been invited to a Thanksgiving dinner with a friend's family about an hour's drive from where I was. But during the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving Day 12 inches of snow fell in central Illinois and when I got up I began an attempt to dig out my car. After about an hour of work I realised there was no way I would manage it as well as clearing a path to the street about 40 yards away, so I rang my friend who kindly drove over to collect me. This was only possible because the motorway had been cleared and my friend's car had been in a garage with a short easily cleared drive while my car was in a large carpark next to the apartment complex and nothing had been done to remove any snow from anywhere in the car park.
Kind regards, Ann
Gardenbirder: It was Diego Morales in Indiana. We should pass the hat so Diane could move to California! :-)