Surviving an Ohio Valley Winter

photo by Geoff Heeter

It's been a winter. It didn't really get revved up until right before Christmas, but it's been going right along, and February's been no picnic, no picnic at all. Gray and snow and sleet and ice and rain day after day.

I have had to resort to coping mechanisms. One being basking in the greenhouse, which just got a whole huge post of its own. Vital. 

The Fastnacht Supper on Fat Tuesday at our Lutheran church helped. Crullers and bean soup and stewed prunes and milk. Mmmm. And Mardi Gras masks that make you look like a flounder or a mantis or Marty Feldman.

Little photobombers named Liam.

Luke the leucistic song sparrow helps when he sings under my bedroom window at first light, sitting on the post that song sparrows always choose. I must do a little trimming of the crape myrtle to make room for him. I cannot believe he is staying to set up a territory. It's too good to be true. He's been with us since right before the Big Sit in October. Just blew in like a snowflake and never left. Yay Luke! I'm glad he's a boy so I can locate him whenever he sings. I know his song now and can find him wherever he is. Our yard, for whatever reason, seems to support only one pair of song sparrows each year, and I'm delighted that Luke is the guy.

We have embraced the snow. We really have. The storm before last came down at the rate of 2" in an hour, and lasted only a day. It was so beautiful I went out just to photograph it all.

Germantown Road.

Pawpaw Creek, where Liam found his velociraptor claw. (I identify it as Duck Creek in the post linked here, but it's actually Pawpaw Creek).

We got a really big snow of about 7" and Phoebe and her friends got together, went sledding, and then built a giant igloo in the front yard. It was awesome and they about killed themselves building it. Every time they come over they do something wildly creative like build an igloo or make a video.

 We love having them here.

We built a snow ruddy duck. Chet sat on it but only for a moment. Too cold.

Baker much prefers baking his bacon in the SUN.

If you ever wanted to cuddle a puppeh, I'll bet you want to cuddle this one. He's delicious, especially when pre-heated. He's like a little corn muffin. And the sun brings out his seal brown so beautifully. Melty melty Snickers bar of a doggeh.

He likes to carb load in winter. Here, he is staring at a croissant just out of camera range.

Aren't we all. Hang in there. Spring is coming. The woodcock says so; the robins moping in the snow say so; the bluebirds peeking in the nest boxes say so. Whatever the thermometer says.