Blizzard of Dec 2009

[fun2sew]

ok... I think I am ready, Last couple of days I stocked up on Embroidery Designs... Lots of GREAT SETs of DDD's.. Thanks Jami, Love them! And Fabric and Sewing Supplies will be here tomorrow morning (crossing my fingers) I am ready to be in my sewing room all day for a couple of days in a row!!! Who else is with me? Vicki it looks like you are just going to get rain???

[StitchinGrandma]

OH yea, you are correct! I FORGOT about the rain ~ errrr actually sleet and possible freezing rain they are now saying may reach us along with the rest of this mess. And NO, it's NOT JUST going to be rain! It's going to be anything and everything that can come from the skies other than bird c**p. LOL

Here's a copy of another post. :D
I'm NOT looking forward to this storm though. We have been under storm warning since last night and now they have us under a blizzard watch which expects to move to blizzard warning in the next few hours. We are forecast for about 12 inches with -20 degree temps, 20-30 mile per hour winds and between 2-3 feet tall snowdrifts with white out conditions on the roads. YUP! FUN TIMES!

I'm actually terrified over this storm because Curt's car is not driveable right now because the brake line broke under the car. Because of that he has my van which is our ONLY vehicle so if something were to happen while he's driving that hour to and from work I can't go help him and even worse, if taken to any hospital from injuries I have NO way to get to the hospital to be with him. So yea, I'm a bit freaked out because of those circumstances. :(

The snow has been off and on since last night but in the past 45 min it's REALLY picked up and is coming down really good and almost blowing sideways already. ACK.

This is going to be us http://terpstra.us/images/vickiljt/Gifs/Weather/SnowStorm.gif

[fun2sew]

You have to draw me a map on where you are.. I keep thinking you are in the middle of your state...

I think the kids will have 2 days of snow day... maybe just Thurs or could be 3... oh well.

We will be thinking of Curt.. Hope he stays safe! And hope he keeps you warm!

[StitchinGrandma]

Oh heck no. I'm in the center of the state, yes BUT not the middle of the state if that makes sense. We are right on the WI/IL state line dead center of the state. If you look where Chicago is, we are approx. 90 miles NW of there and an hour South of Madison, WI. Trust me, there ain't no rain near us. The snow is coming down really heavy right now. I was just out near the back door area talking to hubby where he was with an electrician who was here giving us a quote for some work we need to have done. It's N-A-S-T-Y out there! Weather guy just this second said we are looking at 1 inch an hour and about an hour from here is right now reporting in with thunder snow. I do NOT like thunder snow since that is a very powerful system. I HOPE that part of the storm heads way outside our area.

[lizanne]

It's so strage to an Aussie to think of the snow falling on the other side of the planet. It's over 100 ̊ F here already and it's not even midday. I live inland so the humidity is virtually zero as well!

This afternoon my husband and I are heading to Sydney (our State Capital) for a Christmas party. Sydney is about a five hour drive South East of us, but luckily we are flying today so we will be there in an hour.

The temperatures in Sydney are always a few degrees cooler than here and much more humid. We will try to do some Christmas shopping while we're in the city.

I'll be praying that you all come through the snow (blizzard) safely and that you aren't house-bound too long.

Good-luck,

Lizanne

[StitchinGrandma]

Lizanne please feel free to push some of that heat my way. It might melt this yucky snow.

[Emma]

It's so strage to an Aussie to think of the snow falling on the other side of the planet. It's over 100̊ F here already and it's not even midday. I live inland so the humidity is virtually zero as well!

This afternoon my husband and I are heading to Sydney (our State Capital) for a Christmas party. Sydney is about a five hour drive South East of us, but luckily we are flying today so we will be there in an hour.

The temperatures in Sydney are always a few degrees cooler than here and much more humid. We will try to do some Christmas shopping while we're in the city.

I'll be praying that you all come through the snow (blizzard) safely and that you aren't house-bound too long.

Good-luck,

Lizanne

Nawwwww you're going to Sydney? *sighs* I loved it there..

Yesterday we had around 82̊ F(around 28c)and that was the perfect temp for me, it was lovely and warm, but it's a harsh sun. No muggy heat over here.. A lot of people comment that NZ and Aussie get such different heat. We get a very hot sun, thats extremely harsh on your skin. (I've got the color to prove it today, sat outside for 5mins yesterday and I'm a beetroot lol)

I still think I'd prefer the heat over the snow though haha

Hope you all survive the coooooooold ok :) I'm sure the wind we've got will be blowing the warmth your way lol

[Granny313]

Oh heck no. I'm in the center of the state, yes BUT not the middle of the state if that makes sense. We are right on the WI/IL state line dead center of the state. If you look where Chicago is, we are approx. 90 miles NW of there and an hour South of Madison, WI. Trust me, there ain't no rain near us. The snow is coming down really heavy right now. I was just out near the back door area talking to hubby where he was with an electrician who was here giving us a quote for some work we need to have done. It's N-A-S-T-Y out there! Weather guy just this second said we are looking at 1 inch an hour and about an hour from here is right now reporting in with thunder snow. I do NOT like thunder snow since that is a very powerful system. I HOPE that part of the storm heads way outside our area.

You can tell that I - being from GA - have not been around too much snow! We go crazy and get freaked out shutting businesses, etc, when we have 1-2inches! But I have never heard of Thunder Snow. :confused: What is this?

[StitchinGrandma]

Thundersnow is hard to describe since I'm not a meteorogist but the simplistic description is that it is basically thunder and sometimes lightening during an extremely heavy snowstorm. Usually when there is thundersnow it is only during a storm where we are getting lots and lots of snow and many time too it is followed not long after by the freezing rain and/or sleet. It can be pretty cool since it's not often you hear thunder or see lightening like that during the winter but on the other hand, it's only cool when you do NOT have to go out in that mess. LOL

My son got off work and waited until 10pm for a ride home tonight. He works only about a mile or two from our house and he doesn't own a car. The buddy from work and him took almost 25 minutes to get to our house from their work. The roads are not good. Then about 10 minutes ago our doorbell rang and it was the buddy again. He had dropped my son off drove around the corner and then the next corner and slid off the road and came to see if hubby and son would help get him back onto the road. The roads must be really bad if this happened near our house like that.

[fun2sew]

oh my.. I was laying in bed at 5:30 and I was hearing Rumble of THUNDER... schools are closed and I have to go to work.. yuk... wish me luck on the roads.. This is going to be a long week-weekend!!!
Blizzard Warnings at 1:00pm Yiks!!!

[SharonK]

How extreme everyones weather is...boiling hot or freezing cold. I too had never heard of thunder snow until I read this post. We have had 52 days of rain in the UK so far:eek: My fish pond has been filled right up to the top for ages now and under our apple tree has been like an enormous puddle for what seems forever. Luckily the chicken house doesn't flood at all as it is very close to the apple tree. We have a forecast for a frost by the end of the week LOL that's as bad as it gets for us!! To have snow here would be fantastic, we never get snow near Christmas:( For the past couple of years we have had snow in February though. As we are not equipped for heavy snow (heavy being 3 inches lol) the schools shut, the workers come home early and last year all the kids were out playing in the street as no vehicles could get up and down our road.

At this moment it is dull and grey here but not cold and not wet for a change!

Could we see some pictures of the snow please:D Stay safe and warm.

[janetlinda56]

The rain has been horrid hasn't it,Sharon, for once its not raining here to-day, its not cold either,

[StitchinGrandma]

oh my.. I was laying in bed at 5:30 and I was hearing Rumble of THUNDER... schools are closed and I have to go to work.. yuk... wish me luck on the roads.. This is going to be a long week-weekend!!!
Good luck today Dawn. I doubt you'll be too busy unless those die-hard sewing and quilting people REALLY feel the need to brave the roads to get more fabrics. LOL

EVERYTHING is closed here including the latest addition to the list of closings ~ the entire courthouse and county offices. :eek: When they close the courthouse you KNOW it's bad.


How extreme everyones weather is...boiling hot or freezing cold. I too had never heard of thunder snow until I read this post. We have had 52 days of rain in the UK so far:eek: My fish pond has been filled right up to the top for ages now and under our apple tree has been like an enormous puddle for what seems forever. Luckily the chicken house doesn't flood at all as it is very close to the apple tree. We have a forecast for a frost by the end of the week LOL that's as bad as it gets for us!! To have snow here would be fantastic, we never get snow near Christmas:( For the past couple of years we have had snow in February though. As we are not equipped for heavy snow (heavy being 3 inches lol) the schools shut, the workers come home early and last year all the kids were out playing in the street as no vehicles could get up and down our road.

At this moment it is dull and grey here but not cold and not wet for a change!

Could we see some pictures of the snow please:D Stay safe and warm.

Sharon we had some snow in October but then nothing at all in November that I can recall. This is truly our first snowfall of anything more than a dusting. It usually isn't THIS bad for our first storm but it sure it nasty out there. I was going to take some pictures or maybe send hubby out to do it :D but you'll have to check back because it's still somewhat dark outside. The good part of these big snowstorms like this one is that it really is beautiful to look at IF you do not have to go anywhere. Hubby stayed home from work today since the forecast is for heavy winds and temps dropping down to -20 to -30 below zero later today. The road he takes to work is not in good shape right now and they are now forecasting as much as TWENTY inches of snow to fall between here and where hubby works. :eek: That much snow along with temps above freezing the way they are right now and then strong winds means lots of ice will form on the roads too. Never a good combination to drive in that mess.

[janetlinda56]

Not sure how we would deal with the amount of snow you are talking about, as Sharon said, a couple of inches mean every thing goes into shut down.

[janetlinda56]

Not sure of the time differance its 1.13pm here, so I guess its still early morning where you are ?

[StitchinGrandma]

Not sure of the time differance its 1.13pm here, so I guess its still early morning where you are ?
Yep, it's currently 7:23am

[janetlinda56]

Hope that you all stay safe and warm, take care every one, I am sure you can all find plenty to do.

[StitchinGrandma]

I was working on the pics and resizing and my outlook crashed so now I have to deal with that ~ well hubby does ~ and it's a MAJOR thing since it means complete backup of the entire computer and then wiping off all the drives. The past 4-5 days all I've been working on was recreating all my outlook rules and reworking the folders which I have a ton of for filtering the emails as they come in because Outlook crashed a few days back. UGH I am SO not pleased right now. :mad: I just wasted all that time working on all that stuff and I swear that is ALL I've done for the past 4-5 days. ugh.

Anyway, I have to stop working on the pictures for now but I took a bunch. Sadly, all you get for now is a few of them because I need to get this other stuff done. Hubby will be wiping things out and putting Wndows7 onto my computer. Have I mentioned how I just hate change? :rolleyes:

Ok pictures ~
The view out my kitchen window across the front yard toward the street
1665

This is my lilac bushes which are normally standing approx. 10 feet high or more. As you can see this snowfall is VERY heavy and they are at most about 4 feet high from the weight of the snow. Overnight it rained and all the snow we got prior to that got compacted down with the rain and then a lot more snow came down on top of that.
1666

This is the view straight out my kitchen window toward the neighbors house. That huge tree is his. I HATE that tree because with the slightest wind huge branches fall all over our yard plus I'm so afraid it will fall and if/when it does that tree is tall enough that it will cause damage to my house depending on where it lands. It will either be in my living room on top of hubby's desk or in my kitchen sink. The old bat who owns that house seems to think it's our tree even though I've told her that I did a property survey and it is clearly all hers. :rolleyes: A very large branch fell with this storm though and it has damaged a large area of their gutter system and possibly even their roof. (yea, I'm snickering because instead of being so stubborn she could have dealt with that dead tree and saved herself the damage AND now probably tree removal too) It really is a huge tree and actually very pretty but.......it's also dead.
1667

This is right outside my sewing room window. I took a closeup shot of the tall pine-like trees because the snow has caked every single branch in our yard like that.
1668

[katiedoodles]

Vicki,

The pictures of the snow are beautiful...as long as you can stay warm indoors! One of the reasons I like living in San Antonio is that were rarely get any snow (I believe the last time it snowed here was nearly 20 years ago!) I lived in the Northeast for too many winters...and yes, thunder-snow is very disconcerting.

I hope your neighbor steps up and has that tree removed before it can do any further damage. We had a large oak tree that had died, it was a fortune to have taken down, but when you think of what could have happened it was well worth it.

Stay warm!

[susank]

So ladies your snow has moved up to us today. We are supposed to get about a foot of it. And .... wouldn't you know that this was the day for my husband's surgery. We went to the hospital at 5:30 this morning (just when it was starting) and got back about 3:00. The roads are terrible but at least we were not travelling in rush hour. It took us about 2 1/2 times as long as it normally would - thank God for 4 wheel drive and snow tires. I'm just happy to be home with a guy who so far seems OK. I think I'll be laying low for a few days - maybe I can get some embroidery done too!

Snow is beautiful - but on days like this - better viewed from inside!!

[Granny313]

The snow pictures are absolutely beautiful....BUT I understand how you could get tired of it really easy! I would difinitely get cabin fever after a couple of days! Well two nights ago, it was 27 degrees and today it was 77 degrees and tonight it is supposed to be freezing again! MORE RAIN on the way~~~ We will need an ark before it is over. The weather has really been crazy this year but I am not complaining because it looks like some of you have more to deal with other than a little rain! Thanks Vicki for the explaination of Thundersnow....Have never heard of it before but now I have learned something "new" today!

[SharonK]

Janet did you see the weather forecast?? Snow next week!!!! I will believe it when I see it but WOW can you imagine a white Christmas...sigh I know it won't happen but how amazing it would be if it did.

I would love to meet up with you so we could talk sewing machines all day. How far is Tunbridge Wells from Gillingham? How far is the distance between us in hours?

[SharonK]

WOW I missed these photos due to replying to this thread via email alert:rolleyes: That snow looks amazing, it also looks very wet and heavy which I can see why it concerns you so much with the weight of it hanging on that dead tree.

I couldn't help but laugh when i read about you sniggering because your neighbours guttering is damage:D That'll teach them:D

Doesn't everything look gorgeous when its covered in snow. I am envious of your view. In the UK 99% of the population look out onto their neighbours across the road! I suppose its because we are running out of space and have so many people crammed onto one little island! Unless you are lucky enough to be very well off financially the type of view you have is totally unreachable in this country.

The roads must be leathal with that amount of snow, rain, ice and more snow on top:eek:

We have forecasts for snow next week....but it won't happen!!!:rolleyes:

[janetlinda56]

Janet did you see the weather forecast?? Snow next week!!!! I will believe it when I see it but WOW can you imagine a white Christmas...sigh I know it won't happen but how amazing it would be if it did.

I would love to meet up with you so we could talk sewing machines all day. How far is Tunbridge Wells from Gillingham? How far is the distance between us in hours?

I missed the bit about the snow next week, I hope not.
Tunbridgewells is 42 miles away, about 1 hours drive, I thought you lived near Hastings which is 45 miles away about 1 1/2 HOURS drive, it would be great to meet up.

[StitchinGrandma]

Susan ~ Sorry. Have lots of 'fun' with the snow. :p

Thanks for the comments about the pics. Unfortunately, for now that's all you can have from me. Not long after that post I had problems and Outlook on my computer crashed as I said. Even worse, it again was not repairable just like it had happened last week. Because of that I am not using my new laptop which I had not touched since we bought the new ones about two weeks ago. Yes, I should be shot for not even touching a very nice, brand new laptop yet.

My desktop is not out of commission totally. Hubby ran out and bought an external hard drive and I backed up everything onto that yesterday. He then took over and ran a transfer program he had found a few weeks ago which worked wonderfully on his computer to get things such as all his personal settings etc onto his new laptop and then also back onto his desktop when he installed Windows7 on that which is what he was doing to my desktop now since Outlook has crashed twice hard in the past two weeks. He ran that program overnight and then this morning started putting stuff back where it belonged on my desktop. BUT, the minute he plugged in the new external hard drive the monitor went blank and the computer became unresponsive. ACK! And then he had to go to work so all is at a standstill until he arrives home tonight again. I am sitting here today now stressed that all my 'stuff' is locked up on the external drive now. The only computer left in our house that isn't upgraded to Windows7 is my old laptop which does not have a very large hard drive. :( We'll get it figured out, or rather HE will since that is what he does for a living but in the meantime I just sit and stress over losing all my designs, recipes(over 13G of those alone if I recall), pictures and tons of other documents. I KNOW they aren't lost. They just aren't accessible right now. If I have to do it then we can move stuff from that external onto the old laptop and then from there to the new one and delete them off the old one and just do the transfers in pieces.

Anyway, to stop the rambling ~ I do not have ANY of my software on this new laptop yet so I have a lot of work ahead of me right now and until I get that done I can't do anything with designs, pictures or anything else. AND even if I do get the picture software loaded I have no way of getting to the pictures I took yesterday since they are now stuck on the external drive. :( I had taken quite a few including some of hubby using the monster snowblower we got him a few years ago.

As far as the view, yes I know we are lucky to have such a large yard and not have houses really close. This is an older neighborhood that I live in with most houses built during WWII. Many of them were very small and were barricks homes as well. In the newer parts of town the houses are much closer together. In the one picture that I had said it was the view out my kitchen window toward my lilac bushes and the street I had not mentioned that in that picture WAS the street. To the right of the lilac bushes where you can see the neighbors mailbox, that mailbox is at the edge of the roads. There was so much snow that the street just blended into the yard and the field and woods across the street because the snowplows hadn't gone past yet.

If I am MIA for a few days more than usual, you will now understand why. I'm trying to get the new laptop up and running with all my software. WHY does that have to be such a huge job to get done? :rolleyes:

[StitchinGrandma]

OH! I forgot to say one thing, if you can believe that. LOL

NEENER NEENER NEENER to Dawn. It's YOUR turn today for all the snow and fun times. I sent it all your way special delivery overnight. Enjoy your day. :D :p

For those not near here ~ Dawn's area is under the target for the snowstorm we just had here yesterday. Her area is forecast to get as much ass 2-3 FEET of snow. OH the joys of living on the East side of a large lake where you get the lake effect snowfalls.

The final total for my town in snow was about 14 inches. Up in Madison, WI where hubby works they got 18 inches. He works at the National headquarters for a very large company and they have NEVER closed in the 9 years he has worked for them. Yesterday, they closed so that gives you an idea how big this storm was. I had seen one of the national news people giving a news report and she was actually sent to Madison, WI. There she reported that the Univeristy of Madison campus was also closed for the day. She then said that was the first time in over 50 years that campus actually closed because of the weather.

[Juli]

We got the blizzard this week too. Kids missed school Tues, Wed, and Thurs. We got about a foot of snow, but the wind created HUGE drifts! In the backyard we had a 5 foot drift, and in the front we couldn't even open the front door, we had about 8" piled up in front of the door!

http://i50.tinypic.com/2cp9stc.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/w9zdc0.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/jpjwn7.jpg

[StitchinGrandma]

Yep, you sure did get the snow like we had. It's a shame it is so hard to get out and drive anywhere because it really is pretty to see.

I'm not looking forward to this evening because they are now forecasting us for rain/freezing rain/sleet/and more snow later this afternoon and into late Sunday evening. I do NOT like the mix of that mess because travelling is so dangerous. I'd prefer all snow if we must have anything.

[susank]

Yes - you really did get it. I think we only got about 10 inches so a little less. We are in for a little more tomorrow as well. I'm not happy. Because my husband is out of commission I had to figure out the snow blower to clear our front walkway. Luckily the men who wear here cleaning out our flooded basement showed me how to start it. Yes I forgot that little detail. The day of the storm - while we were at the hospital - our sump pump failed. My daughter went to use the treadmill at about 10:00 and called me to come to the basement - about 80% of it was covered in 2 inch deep water. The basement is unfinished but there is a lot stored down there - i.e. it's about 3600 square feet!!! I was on the phone with insurance and service people until 1:00 a.m. and finally had someone coming to look at it the next morning. So my day that started at 4:00 a.m. to get my husband to the hospital for surgery in a snow storm really ended on a high note!

Yes - I'm blowing off a little steam but it has been a rough few days. At least we are covered by insurance but a lot of things were damaged that can't be replaced - like my children's early school artwork and awards and some things left to me by grandparents and parents.

After the lightning strike last year - I'm wondering what's next!?

[StitchinGrandma]

Oh how horrible Susan. I know that feeling of what's next. We have had a huge black cloud over our house all year long. I cannot WAIT to see next year begin.

Tonight we are now under the gun for really bad weather again as I said above. I had hoped that would miss us but nope, don't think it's going to now that they've put us under a freezing rain advisory and winter weather advisory. They think we'll see about 1/10th and inch thick of freezing rain which isn't much unless you have to go outside. I'm wondering how that ice coating all these trees so full of that heavy snow are going to handle it. We may see even more power outages and trees down. Did you want me to send this mess your way when we are done with it too Susan? :D

[susank]

PLEASE don't send it here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't think we have freezing rain for a few days but it's my least favourite. Here is my advice on your trees because this happens to us all the time. Go out with a big stick and get the snow off your trees. The freezing rain will be too much. We have learned that the hard way.

I guess we should be hoping for rain/freezing rain to test the sump pump. Oddly enough the sump pump was replaced by the insurance company after the lightning strike - if the pump is defective we don't have to pay our $2000 deductible!! We'll see what happens - they are sending an engineer to look at it Monday. It's all so complicated. I just wanted to have a nice Christmas and now this. My basement is such a mess I can't even find my decorations for my staircases - and I spent an hour looking. This Christmas is not going well so far! I'm just hoping for one of those movie like Christmas miracles where everything turns out perfect in the end.

[StitchinGrandma]

PLEASE don't send it here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't think we have freezing rain for a few days but it's my least favourite. Here is my advice on your trees because this happens to us all the time. Go out with a big stick and get the snow off your trees. The freezing rain will be too much. We have learned that the hard way.

I guess we should be hoping for rain/freezing rain to test the sump pump. Oddly enough the sump pump was replaced by the insurance company after the lightning strike - if the pump is defective we don't have to pay our $2000 deductible!! We'll see what happens - they are sending an engineer to look at it Monday. It's all so complicated. I just wanted to have a nice Christmas and now this. My basement is such a mess I can't even find my decorations for my staircases - and I spent an hour looking. This Christmas is not going well so far! I'm just hoping for one of those movie like Christmas miracles where everything turns out perfect in the end.
I'd love to do that Susan but there is NO way to reach those branches. They are about 50 feet in the air or more. :( The one which concerns me the most is the one hanging over our power line that goes across our yard from the power pole in the corner of our lot by the neighbors.

OOOh I'm crossing my fingers for you and the deductible being waived. That would be awesome.

[idesign]

Susan, I read about the sump pump disaster on top of your husband's surgery, and felt really bad for you. I'm glad to hear that he is doing well, but you sure didn't need that extra work. I hope you get the insurance company to pay it all! It wasn't all that long ago that you had the lightening strike, and surely the pump should have worked longer than that!

Vicki and Julie, the pictures are great! We didn't get quite as much snow as you did, as we are right on the western edge of Lake Michigan, and the temps are a little higher this time of year. That means more of a wintery mix, which is much worse for driving, but not for snow accumulation, though it was bad enough. Had to help shovel after the plow went by and left huge chunks of ice in our driveway. Parts of my body have still not recovered!

Carol

[StitchinGrandma]

Vicki and Julie, the pictures are great! We didn't get quite as much snow as you did, as we are right on the western edge of Lake Michigan, and the temps are a little higher this time of year. That means more of a wintery mix, which is much worse for driving, but not for snow accumulation, though it was bad enough. Had to help shovel after the plow went by and left huge chunks of ice in our driveway. Parts of my body have still not recovered!

Carol

Carol ~ Snow and ice accumulation is terrible to get cleared off the drive. I'd much rather see all snow than that kind of mix because it's like trying to move an iceburg when you get the rain/sleet/freezing rain on top of or with snow. My poor hubby has trouble even with that huge snowblower we got a few years ago with that type of stuff, especially at the end of the drive after the city plows have gone through. I think we escaped the mess we were forecast to get last night although I haven't gone outside yet. All I know is that the side of the house outside my sewing room window isn't a glaze of ice the way it normally is after that type of winter storm so I'm crossing my fingers we missed it and it hasn't just slowed down in getting to us. Of course, we're supposed to get more of that mix tomorrow which isn't too exciting considering hubby will have to be out driving for that hour to and again from work. :(

[susank]

Carol and Vicki - thanks for your sympathies. I am crossing my fingers that the sump pump holds out until tomorrow when the insurance company sends an engineer to look at it. Today it was pumping when there was no water in it - something is definitely wrong (even though the idiot plumber who came out just jiggled it, said something was stuck but its OK now!). My husband was so worried about it that he got out of bed when I went to call the plumber and went down to the basement!! I was less than pleased but he got it working properly - at least for now.

It has been snowing here most of the day. I really hope we don't get the freezing rain some of you are getting.

[SharonK]

What beautiful snow pictures, but that is where it ends!! I am so sorry to hear of your dilemma Susan. What alot of things to happen all in a row! Surely that must be your run of bad luck out of the way for life!!:rolleyes: We have never, ever had weather like that here in the UK in my lifetime. I think the worst winter was in 1962 when it started snowing Boxing Day and didn't thaw until March! I have seen the photos but I wasn't born until 64 so missed that one!!:rolleyes: Frosty and sunny here, but cold. No sign of that forecasted snow here:confused:

[Granny313]

Susan, I am so sorry that you have had more problems. I will send a prayer your way.....you need strength and fortitude to handle your problems. Take care and hope things will ease up for you!

[susank]

Thank you for your prayers. We really need something. I am taking my husband to the doctor this afternoon because he seems to have caught something in the hospital - seems like strep throat. The poor man - he feels awful. He has also stopped taking the pain killers and now has a massive headache - we are wondering if its some sort of withdrawal.

On a positive note the engineer said it looks like the pump is defective. We'll see what the insurance company says. I could live without paying the $2000 deductible!

Well I'm off to wrestle with the snowblower again - it's still snowing here!

[idesign]

Susan, I hope everything gets better for your husband soon. And I hope the rest of the family avoids getting whatever he has. Smart to go get tested right away. Take care!

Carol

[susank]

Thanks Carol. I hadn't thought of all of us getting sick. That would be all we would need.

[SharonK]

I may be able to add my own snow pictures to this thread in the morning...it is snowing here and laying:D :D The kids are going to be ecstatic in the morning, their last day at school before the Christmas holidays and for the first time ever we have snow. We are excited about it too:D

[janetlinda56]

Its snowing here as well, its now started to lay, the weather man said we could get 8- 10 inches, if we get that much it will nearly cover the dogs.

[janetlinda56]

It has started to snow really hard now, with thunder and lightening, heading off to bed, its 10.30pm here.

[SharonK]

We awoke to snow this morning with more on its way. It is not a huge amount so far but enough to shut Kellies' school today:mad: Bang goes finishing the doll...tut. My sons' school is open though and he has gone off to school maoaning and groaning about going in when the school is closing at 12pm anyway!

Did you get alot of snow Janet? Shame it wasn't this time next week, that would have been lovely to have snow on the ground on Xmas Day.

I took some photos of my garden and my hens in the scnow this morning, I will get them off the camera and put on this thread in a moment.

[janetlinda56]

Loads of snow, Sharon, our Alfie looks funny, you can't see his legs, but he is loving the snow, Rosies not keen, more on the way.

[SharonK]

Here are some photos I took this morning.
They are of my garden from my conservatory door, complete with frozen pond! The dark shed in the left hand corner is my hen house but it doesn't normally look dark like that! It's the snow on the roof blocking out the light.

The other picture is of my ex battery hens seeing snow for the first time and pecking at the small amount that went into their run.

The other picture is when I let them out briefly early this morning at day break.

[Stitchn-Jeans]

The storm is here. We are getting a lot of snow here in West Chester,Pa.
It could not have come at a worst time. With everybody still very busy. Good day to do some embroidery. I have not finished making cookies so I guess that is what i will do today since i can't go anywhere

Stitchn-Jeans

[SharonK]

Our snow has nearly all gone now, no forecast for any more, it is still very cold though and the pond it totally iced over apart from where the filter flow goes.

Is PA Pennslavania? I went there when I was 18 yrs old to Pittsburgh to visit relatives in 1982. It snowed the whole time I was there in the April.

[janetlinda56]

Our snow is still here, no sign of it going, the garden is like a shhet of ice where the dogs keep going in and out. Its been -3 c. all day.

[SharonK]

We went into St Leonards on the bus today and then walked along the sea front to Hastings town. It was lovely, icey cold but enjoyable. Well it was to me I had three layers on, two pairs of socks, a coat, hat and scarf, oh and gloves:D Got the yellow wool I needed to make the hair for the doll in progress:rolleyes:

There was no sign of snow in the town, but when we got back home, our garden is still full of frozen snow and ice but all the roads are clear. Pavements are very slippery!:mad:

[janetlinda56]

Sounds nice Sharon, I still haven't been out it the bad weather, staying safe in the warm, can't afford to fall over nd break an arm or leg on top of the problems I already have with my hands, they are bad enough just with the cold weather,

[SharonK]

Do you get ruemastism (sp?) or arthirits Janet? My husband has been wondering if he has arthiritis in his fingers coming as he struggles to straighten them out sometimes and in the cold weather he gets alot of join pains.

He has just taken Kellie to a carol service in a local church. Its a bit complicated really as she is christen Church of England like me and her brother but Clint (hubby) is catholic. He has taken her to the Catholic church, not sure what she wil make of it. I was going too, even though it is not my church (I'm not a regular church goer)I was going to go along too but changed my mind at the last minute and finished the dol instead....yay!!

[janetlinda56]

No, not yet, its the nerve damage caused by the surgery on both shouders at differant times, the cold causes them to close right up.

[SharonK]

Ohhh nasty. Are you back at work now after your op?

[janetlinda56]

No, I am still off sick, going back to the doctor in the new year.

[janetlinda56]

Just been watching the news, gosh, I am glad we don't get as much snow as you all do, its very bad for you all again, keep safe and warm.

[SharonK]

I saw that too on yesterday's news about the amount of snow the US was getting. They mentioned this was the heaviest snow fall ever for parts of the US. We are forecast for more snow tonight but it won't be much..if it arrives at all. More icey than snowy here.

[StitchinGrandma]

I am very thankful we missed that storm last week!!!!!! We are forecast to get another one like our last though this week on Christmas Eve depending on which weather person you listen to. Some say we may see 2-3 feet of snow by Christmas while others are saying we may get lots of rain right near the freezing temperatures so we'll end up with very unsafe driving but they say too we could see about 3 inches with the rain.

I guess we will have to see what happens since they all aren't agreeing on this storm chances.

[janetlinda56]

Sounds a bit like the weather forcasts we get here, we don't know which one to beleive, we still might get some more snow before Christmas.

[grannyfranny]

We just had a big one, about 20 inches, here is southeast Pennsylvania, but they say rain on Christmas so it will most likely end up being messy.

Fran

[SharonK]

Our snow has now melted but today I awoke to huge hail stones. They bombarded me all the way to the chicken house and back! What a picture that must have been...pyjamas, dressing gown, crocs and a thick padded jacket on the top:D Twice I nearly slipped up, it is like an ice rink down there:eek:

[janetlinda56]

The mains roads here ok, but inthe side streets where I live its still very icey, been out shopping today, so if we haven't got it now , we just won't have it.

[StitchinGrandma]

Janet that's my exact feelings. I am DONE and if it's not in my house yet, well too bad. We are not leaving our house or I should say that we aren't going to leave our house by choice. Sadly, hubby will need to take my son to work later this evening which scares me.

He left work early today to come home because the ice storm was headed our way and getting close to our town. He works an hour north of our home and this storm was approaching from the south so he was checking radar from work. It wasn't supposed to hit until later this evening but it sped up and arrived much earlier. He got home safely although there was an accident on the interstate right near our town that put him at a dead stop for awhile. He did a few things and then we went to the grocery store to finish getting food for the holiday meal. We got up near the cash registers at the store and the whole store went black. The lights went out and then a few seconds later came back on and then they went out again. Thankfully they came back on each of the three times they lost power. The store was packed and them having to add all the prices up by hand was impossible since nothing has prices on the packages any longer of course. We finally got throught the checkout and we pushed the carts out onto the sidewalk just outside the store. I stood there with them so I didn't fall in the parking lot and really mess up my knees and he went to get he car. I wasn't standing there more than 30 seconds and the skies opened up with pellets of sleet and those little buggers hurt too. He put the food into the van and we headed home where it started coming down much more heavily and every once in awhile there were these huge snowflakes mixed in with the ice pellets. FUN STUFF...........NOT!

They are forecasting this to continue and change over to freezing rain and then after midnight to all rain but it will depend on the temperatures so we'll see. I'm going to be freaking out when he takes my son to work about 10:30pm because it will still be freezing rain at that point if the forecasters are correct.

The weather guy was just saying that in the next town people are having problems getting their cars up small hills near their homes so they are abandoning their cars to go home. YUCK. Plus he said that a nearby highway about 20 minutes away from here has the power lines bowing down from all the ice coating them already. UGH. That is my biggest fear is that the power lines will snap from the ice coating and we'll be without power. It's way toooooo cold for a power outage.