I Love To Go A Gardening
Growing Our Life in Northern Michigan
The Snow Storm
It started to snow last night. About 10:30 p.m., EJ and I got on our coats, hats, boots, and mittens and went out into the snow. I like taking pictures of the snow at night using the flash on my camera. The flash reflects on the snow and makes interesting pictures. I call it “snow art.”
We got about six inches of snow overnight.
EJ left about 9:30 a.m. this morning to drive to the next town to get JJ’s anti-nausea prescriptions filled. We have two different types of anti-nausea meds. One he has to take every eight hours, and the other he takes if there is “breakthrough” nausea–i.e., if he feels nauseous after taking the first med. I had quite a few of the breakthrough meds left, but had EJ fill that prescription as well so we don’t risk running out. I do not want a repeat of getting too low.
While EJ was gone, I walked to the gas station store to get some eggs because I only had one egg left. People were out plowing drives and shoveling sidewalks. The village guy was plowing the streets. I always think such activity is interesting. A neighbor used his little riding lawn mower to plow our sidewalks this morning. Another neighbor who was shoveling her sidewalk called out to me and asked about JJ, so I paused and filled her in. I don’t know this neighbor very well. A couple of years ago she moved next to her parents. She said they are all very concerned for JJ and asked if there was anything they could do to help. People are so good. I told her that JJ lost his hair on Christmas Day, but we had joked about it. I also said that JJ’s attitude is really remarkably good. He used to moan and groan about a tiny papercut, but he is handling cancer with great strength. She said she is glad we can laugh. Her elderly dad had cancer and he really struggled with depression through it. He was always so kind whenever we encountered him that I didn’t know that he struggled so much. People always say they are doing “fine” through cancer. They never talk about what they are suffering, which is why I never really knew before. Now I know firsthand what they do not say.
When I got home from the little store, I brought in firewood, took out the trash, swept the floors. Then I began lunch. I decided to make another pizza because it was SO GOOD, and I wanted to use up the rest of the sauce and toppings from yesterday’s pizza. I also made a chili for later. Chili on a cold day is yummy.
It didn’t really snow while EJ was gone. When he returned, he said he had no problem driving to the store and back. He grew up in the country and his family used to get snowed in by several feet of snow every winter. He learned how to drive in snow, and it doesn’t bother him. Me? I am white-knuckled and stressed if I have to drive in bad weather.
The meteorologists keep increasing the inches of snow we are expecting. The latest report is that we could get 15 inches of snow. It started snowing again at noon and then increasingly heavy after that. They say we could get up to 2 inches of snow an hour, and might even get thundersnow. Thundersnow is when it snows so heavily that it actually causes thunder. The temperature will also plummet this afternoon. Right now the temps are in the 20s, but the low tonight is 0 degrees and the low tomorrow will be -14 with wind chills much lower. The wind is supposed to pick up soon.
Now that EJ is home safely, I am enjoying the snow. I always get excited when a big storm approaches. I think I’ve never gotten over my childhood excitement at the approach of a big snow storm. My siblings and I always hoped for big storms so we could have a “snow day” and get out of school. We used to call a phone number the evening before to see if school was canceled the next day. This was back before the Internet. Often we got a busy signal because every other kid in the region was also trying to call the same number. We’d call, busy signal, hang up, and immediately dial again…and again…and again, until we finally got through. If our school was canceled, we’d whoop and dance in delight. If we had school, we’d groan in disappointment and stomp off to bed. We had snow all winter long, but sometimes we had HUGE storms. When I was very young, we had a big snowstorm with drifts piled high. My older siblings jumped off our front porch into huge drifts like they were jumping off a diving board. My Mom wouldn’t let me or my younger sister outside because she was afraid we’d get lost in the drifts. I remembering crying at the door as I watched the older ones having so much fun.
I have fed the birds three times today. They are really flocking to our birdfeeder. EJ says that just before a storm, birds often eat heavily. We have had so much delight in watching the sparrows, chickadees, tufted titmouses (titmice?), juncos, cardinals, blue jays and other birds visiting the feeder. Our cats are enjoying watching the birds too. Timmy, especially, is a birdwatcher.
The last time I went out to feed the birds, I noticed that our neighbors had gotten a bit stuck in a snow drift while turning onto our street. We live on a corner and the street where our driveways are isn’t plowed. I ran in and got EJ and he helped them get unstuck. The wife said that they went to the city where the Cancer Center is located. Visibility was bad and they drove home at 40 mph.
Afterwards, EJ and I went for a snow walk. We walked to the little store I went to this morning. We love walking in snow storms and ice storms and wind. The snow is coming down fast and heavy. The sidewalk that our neighbor plowed a few hours ago already has four inches of snow on it. I took my camera with us and took pictures. The pictures don’t really show how hard it is snowing. We had lots of fun on our walk.
Later Danny wanted outside. When I went to get him a few minutes later, he didn’t come to the door. Since I didn’t have a coat or boots on, I went back in the house to look through the windows and try to locate what part of the yard he was in. I found him under the birdfeeders, already covered with snow. Probably he was sheltered from the rising wind in that spot. I got coat and boots on and went to the front gate to bring him in.
I might like the snow less tomorrow when we have to go out in the storm to drive to the Cancer Center for a 90 minute Chemo session. It should be interesting. I am very thankful I have EJ to drive us there.
Today, JJ is struggling some with nausea. TR, a guy who has the same cancer as JJ–he is the guy the oncologist connected JJ with–said that at each cycle of Chemo, JJ will likely feel worse and take longer to recover. But at least now we have plenty of meds.
I Love To Go A Gardening 
I love the cardinal photo. Your town looks almost deserted! And the snowy beard is awesome too!
LikeLike
It really is pretty deserted on the roads. A car was driving by as I snapped the picture of the town. The driver rolled down his window and waved, and I saw it was the owner of Chubby’s, our favorite local restaurant. He was probably out on a delivery. Ya gotta love our little village.
LikeLike
Wow what a day this has been and still much more to come, your pictures are delightful. We got an SOS call and went and plowed our friends out, so glad we didn’t wait, it was bad enough at 3pm. Then our neighbors daughter wanted to have dinner with mom and dad and we had to pull her out, she had dinner and is now trying to get home to Okemos, keeping her in our prayers.
So glad you have the drugs for our dear JJ,that is a must, we have you in our prayers for a safe trip tomorrow and as you do so well, keep enjoying the beauty our Lord is allowing us all to experience a winter from the ole days.
Love to all,
Linda
LikeLike
Thank you, Linda! I bet it is very beautifully snow covered out in the country where you live. LOVE you and Bob both!
LikeLike
I like the picture of the cat licking his chops for a bird dinner. ;). Darla also sent me snow pictures. I love your snow pictures. All we get is freezing cold weather. Very little snow. -51 windchill for tomorrow. 😦
LikeLike
Whenever I watch the wonderful birds at our feeders, I think of how sad it is that you do not like birds, Dorothy. They are such a delight. I have heard that our wind chill will be really know. Reports range from -30 and below. EJ said he heard it could reach to -70. Whatever it is….Brrrrr.
LikeLike
I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. 😉 I enjoy watching my parents squirrels race up and down the trees trying to figure out the best way to get in the bird feeder. 😀 I just don’t delight in the birds and I am sorry. :(. Ask Eric if he remembers the winter of 93 when the windchill dipped to -70 degrees. I was living in LaPorte IN at the time and my truck would not start. It was super cold that winter for like a week or so. I remember the schools being closed and since I was a school OT I had to work in the hospital until the schools were back in business). I keep forgetting to tell you that Dad wanted to share his suet recipe for your birds. Do you have your own special ingredients? Also Mom wanted to tell you that if you throw out peanuts in the shells the blue jays love them and will pick them up whole and fly away with them. It’s funny when mom forgot to flow them out the birds were waiting on the trees for her to remember! 😀 (I was supposed to remember all this during the ice storm and totally forgot. Sorry about that! 😉 )
LikeLike
Ok, I will try not to feel sorry for you, Dorothy. We remember the year when the temps got so very low. It was just before JJ was born. We just buy the bird seed and suet from the store. I will try to remember about the peanuts. 🙂
LikeLike
I’m reading this just on monday morning 7.00AM in a not so cold Holland, which some rain and temp. of 12*C. A very mild winter. And I really love you pictures and your story it feels like a place I would like to live. More quiet and peaceful than in my small and very crowded country. Love the birds too we don’t have cardinals and I love them so much. And I do hope that today it will be possible to drive to the cancer centre without to much bad weather. Thanks for EJ !!!! I’m just like you when I have to drive in bad weather we could be twins in that part:-) Love you all ❤
LikeLike
I didn’t know that your country didn’t have cardinals. That is very interesting. I love them too, Simone. They are very beautiful especially in the snow.
LikeLike