It's that time of year again. I really don't mind having more daylight in the evenings but I kind of don't want to bother with the hassle of getting used to the change, ha! It's not like it really matters what time it is when everything is buried in snow. Lately, I'm finding it impossible to look out the window without mentally calculating how long all that pretty white stuff will be around. Will it be another month? Six weeks, or maybe . . . FOREVER????
It's safe to assume Spenser isn't doing any math in his head.
He was probably watching one of the herd of rabbits that inhabit our backyard, do a little happy dance in the middle of the path. They always seem to be having a pretty good time, no matter what the weather is like. As opposed to the rest of us who are feeling pretty sorry for ourselves for being trapped inside by the sub-zero temperatures.
It's during these times that I usually discover some new or odd behavior the kitties have adopted. Like most pets, they're either eating, sleeping and running around as if they were possessed. However, this winter they have this weird double deck thing happening.
It's good they have worked out how to be in the same place at the same time without fighting but this is just odd. Is Stewart maybe plotting a take-over or are they just hinting for kitty bunkbeds?
We are also starting to run out of ways to distract ourselves. HM and Stew are still keeping up with everybody's vacation photos on social media. A trip to the tropics sounds pretty good right about now.
Spenser has lost patience with the whole situation and prefers to stare (apparently totally oblivious to the sun shining directly in his eyes) accusingly at HM and I, as if the snow and cold was all our fault.
Speaking of staring, keeping an eye on the amaryllis that refused to bloom at Christmas, has been interesting but also like watching paint dry. In my last blog post I was impatiently waiting for all four of it's buds to open at the same time and this photo is of the final result! Unfortunately, after two months of constant vigilance the full display only lasted about a week. Still, it was fun to watch the story unfold and definitely worth the tiny effort it took to pot it up and give it an occasional drink.
After the first initial blooms died back there was one small bud left. Stragglers usually don't amount to anything, if they open at all, so getting one more flower was a bonus. In the end, it blossomed perfectly and even though it looked a little silly all alone on that thick stalk, it was still very pretty.
Meanwhile, a second flower stalk was starting to develop.
This stalk bloomed a lot faster than the first one but still put on a spectacular show! The massive amount of snow outside made for this blinding light effect. The next challenge is to figure out how to keep it alive so it will flower again, hopefully at Christmas next time.
Last Saturday the weather cleared up for almost 24 hours, so His Madness and I made a break for it and drove across the state to visit old friends. About half way there we drove past this "clean coal" power plant. According to the EPA, power plants are the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the US and make up about one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Currently, the Trump administration is working to dismantle Obama-era regulations that would limit them. In our state they account for a whopping 42%! It's a grim reminder of how important it is to educate ourselves on where candidates stand on climate change before we vote.
As you can see, our friends have even more snow! Yes, that black hole is their mailbox. What can I say, misery loves company, ha! Actually, the weather has been so crappy we had to reschedule this trip three times. This is the snowiest (is that really a word?) winter in our state in 120 years. We are all hoping for a nice, gradual thaw that isn't followed by a record breaking flood!
As pretty as it is, I'm really looking forward to it all going away! Oddly, since it has been snowing literally every day, it has stayed absolutely pristine. Sometimes, after dark it even sparkles like diamonds. This isn't the best photo of that phenomena but I will have plenty of opportunities to get a better one because there's more snow on the way and it will probably keep coming down all night!
Stay warm and thanks for stopping by!
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