I fought the freezer and the freezer won

I decided 2 days ago to defrost the freezer in the basement.  Procrastinated for a whole 2 days and finally got to it today.
emptied the reefer next to it.  Took all the frozen stuff out and packed it into the reefer to keep it frozen and started the defrost.  Took 2+ hours and I want to tell you it beat me to a frazzle.  I was totally wrung out like I had done some really hard job.  Must not be as young as I used to be.  What I did find out was that we have altogether too much frozen mozzarella cheese.  Gonna look up some cheese recipes to use that stuff up.

Still Spring

I cannot believe it has been a month since my last post.  Easter has come and gone, Mothers day is over and Spring is 1/2 way through. Not much has changed but the temperature.  The last week has been near brutal.  Temps in the high 80's and high humidity.  Feels more like August than May.  Mom was right. We went from freezing to frying in a finger snap.

Not much else to say.  Still here.

Reinforcement of hope

Last year my lovely wife bought me an Amaryllis for Christmas.  It put up leaves but no flower.  It died back and in the Spring I put it outside where it regenerated another nice flock of leaves.  Then last Fall it died back and we brought it in.  In early Winter it produced a swelling bud.  That transformed into leaves, and now into 4 count them 4 beautiful flowers.  All while on top of the washing machine.  Fortunately there is a window there but what glorious flowers.

I guess patience is a virtue that can be rewarded, in this case with flowers of this magnitude.
They must be 5-6 inched across.
Nice Easter present.

Fuzzy trees

Yesterday I noticed that the trees are suddenly fuzzy.  I look for this every year as a sure harbinger of spring. I am so used to the naked branches that I cannot remember what a fully leafed tree looks like.  My street actually becomes a tunnel by Summer.
Yes I know the Crocci are up and the tulips and daffodils are leafing out but it is the fuzzy trees that for me actually heralds Spring.

Back to Winter

The other day I was shown 4 crocci in the front yard.  Nice day 70 degrees.  Really too nice for March, but after the last winter I figured we were due.  Now it is back to the COLD.
Had a fire going all day.

Just no end to WINTER.

We will see about April but I don't have much hope left.

surviving Winter

Looks like we survived another Winter.  Found 4 croccus up today.  Not big but the first flowers of the new season.

Good for us

False Spring

Today was false Spring.  Temperature 63, but very windy with strong thunderstorms.  A bunch went by last night but missed us to the north a little.  Today, right over the top.  Rained buckets and buckets.  The dog tried to get between the storm door and the inside door.  This resulted in her entrance to the kitchen.  Now a happy dog.
Sarah went out with us today.  We did some shopping, and went to the grocery.  Got home just before the storm hit.
I would work in the basement but since the ground is saturated I have 2-3 small rivulets of water wending their ways to the floor drain.  The muse wasn't upon me and I only worked for ~ an hour.  I am lazy.
I know it will get cold again. Winter isn't over.  I just hope that the -20 or -30 days are finally behind us.
I actually found out that the yard is not white but a really soggy brown.  Haven't seen the yard since New Years.

Still Cold but with hope

Well, It's still cold.  Brutal again tonight. Low about -2 with a high of 10 tomorrow.  After that 5-6 days of normal, then they promise that we will get some temperatures near 50.  I'll take it.  No matter what, in 29 days the time will change to daylight savings. I am looking forward to it.  I can get through another 29 days, just like doing time at the state of Illinois.  Just kept saying 29 more years to go and look, here I am.  This period should pass a little quicker.

Another @#$#$ cold day

Well, Last night it got down to -5 with a wind chill of -15 or so.  Once it gets below 0, who cares really.  It is just COLD. I am really sick of how long this misery has lasted.  I know that it is just as cold for everyone else around here, but I am COLD.  Mom is COLD.  The damned dog is COLD.  The furnace runs about 85% of the time and we are still COLD.  I have burned nearly 2 cords of wood and we are still COLD.  Reality gives me hope since the average temperature at the end of February is 45 degrees.  However, we have been running 15 to 20 degrees below the average for at least the last 6 weeks.  The last nice weekend was Colleen's wedding.  After that COLD. Miserable. COLD.
We are having a 1 day break today then more snow more cold, more cold.  Next time someone says global warming I will consider extreme disgust and may express the same verbally.
Possible by reference to bovine excrement. 
The only problem is that next summer will probably be a real flamer.
As my grandfather used to say "you can put on enough to keep warm, but you can't take off enough to keep cool".  A fine sentiment. But as for me I AM CCCCOLD.

Cold almost gone

The cold has almost left us.  Today high in mid 20's.  Might rain on Friday.  This has been most difficult for us.  Next week temps seem to be back to normal.  The highs don't change much this month but the days get 40 minutes longer. I am looking forward to Spring.  Might do some planting this year.  I am considering adding flower boxes inside the fence in the front.  Could give the place an interesting look. I will probably get over it when the weather warms up but it is like the seed catalogs which will start to arrive soon.  The fun is in the planning not the planting.

Brutal cold and wind

Last night it tried to get to the forecast of -17.  Didn't quite make it.  Lowest I saw on accuweather was -16.  I'll wait for the paper tomorrow for the "official" temp last night.  We have pulled in.  Blankets over the doors and windows in the kitchen and front door.  A fire going all day. Mom and Sarah slept in the TV room.  Seems to be the warmest in the house if you close the door.  I racked out in our bed with 3 blankets.  NOT too bad.  Reminded me of when I was a kid and slept in a room with 13 windows.  It used to be a sun porch. The wind is awful.  Everything is closed. Dave went in and was sent home after 1 hour.  Must be 8-10 inches of blowing powdery snow.
We had to take Sarah out yesterday for a shot and when I got there they said we are closed.  I remarked " not till after the shot as I had talked to them 1/2 hour earlier.  WE got the shot.
Not going out today but will try tomorrow.  We just aren't set up for this kind of cold.  The furnace ran all night.  Mom said to turn it up this morning and I said it can't reach the temperature I have it at, so turning it up really won't help.
Layers help.
Plenty of food.
It will be much better by Wednesday.