It’s nine degrees here on the ridge this morning. I slept late because I was awake a few times in the night, running water to make sure it didn’t freeze.
The birds are now fed. The backyard is still snow covered in places and I was especially conscious of the sound my shoes made with each step. Crunch, crunch, crunch as I swung my metal pail full of seed.
There’s a pan on the stove, cooking up a modified concoction of something I saw on Instagram this morning. A guy I follow who has given me some good recipes in the past showed something that uses up a product from my freezer as well as a couple of pantry items that have been sitting here too long. If it works well, then I have a new recipe for the future. If it doesn’t, well, we have to learn somehow.
I like these mornings of gentle productivity. No rush or stress. No one making demands other than Scout wanted his breakfast. My phone hasn’t buzzed once this morning.
The last I checked, we are squarely in the ten to twelve inches range for snow plus some ice. Of course, that still depends on which meteorologist you listen to but that’s enough to keep me cozied up inside this weekend. Books and a puzzle await me.
For now, the sun shines but it feels like the calm before the storm.
Wherever you are today, I hope you are warm, fed, and safe from the very real dangers this world may throw your way.
The weatherman says that there’s a zero to 100 percent chance that some/most of the country will get zero to 20 inches of snow beginning and ending sometime between tomorrow and Monday.
And where I live, people are losing their minds.
Milk, bread and toilet paper are flying off the shelves and weekend plans are already cancelled in anticipation of this weather event. My parents waited in a tremendous line at Walmart Thursday night and had the war weary faces of people who had seen too much in their quest to pick up my hamburger buns and lettuce.
The forecast models aren’t especially helpful either. One meteorologist that serves southern Ohio has three models going and each one shows something drastically different. Winter storms are hard to predict and last year’s gutting of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) didn’t do us any favors in this department.
So, I am preparing as though we will get several inches and be placed under a Level Three Snow Emergency where driving is restricted. I’m also planning for ice and heavy snow that will snap trees and power lines. And I’m prepared to just be happy staying home with a stack of books this weekend.
I was already prepared for that last one. Heh!
Here’s what I’m doing to get ready for Snowpocalypse 2026:
Charging– Yesterday I rounded up all the flashlights and battery backups. I checked batteries and started charging everything so it’s ready to go.
Food Preparation – I plan to boil some eggs and make a small pot of soup and some corn muffins today. I have some things that could easily be made on the grill or eaten cold so I’ll gather up that stuff and keep it front and center. That way I don’t have to dig through the freezer in the dark.
Water – Now that I’m no longer reliant on a well that’s electric powered, I worry less about water. However, a water line break is always a threat so I still have on hand a few containers of water for flushing as well as some bottled water for drinking. If water were still more of an issue, I would have every pot and pan in the house filled with water by now.
Warmth – I do not have an alternate heating source but I do have a tent! I wrote about this before (here’s the link) but it is worth mentioning again. A tent you use for camping outside will keep you warm inside your home if you lose heat. My tent is the perfect size to fit on a queen sized bed and it keeps me nice and cozy. I pulled the tent, sleeping bag and nice Eddie Bauer insulated blanket out of the closet yesterday.
As an aside, If you have small kids and are worried about keeping them warm, consider building them a blanket fort with your kitchen table. I used to do that when I was a kid and it’s loads of fun. Their body heat will help to warm that small space and make it more comfy!
Gathering Other Supplies – I tried to think about what else I might need if the power goes out. Today I will empty a plastic tote for outside food storage in case I want it. The nice thing about a power outage in the snow is that you can pack food stuff in snow in coolers or totes. Store them in the trunk of your car to keep them cold and safe from animals. I also have a bag of ice in each of my freezers. If I don’t open the freezer doors, everything should stay frozen for a long time.
My snow shovel is handy as are my boots and cold weather gear. Today I’ll run outside at lunch time to feed the birds. I’ll repeat that process again tomorrow morning if the snow hasn’t set in yet. That way their little bird bellies will be nice and full until the snow moves through and I can feed again.
Entertainment – I have a puzzle at the ready as well a stack of books to keep me entertained regardless of what the weather does this weekend.
What’s missing? I think I have covered my own priorities but would love to hear about yours!
It’s January 20 so I’m about a third of the way through my January No Spend Challenge. After doing this for nine years, I’m surprised to still learn things about myself and still enjoy the creativity that the rules foster.
If you don’t know what my No Spend Challenge is all about, you can get the details here.
In case you’re following along, here are a few notes since my last post.
It’s hard to believe that we are already in the second half of January. At this time, I plan to keep the challenge rolling into February with a budget modification that includes a Valentine’s Day excursion with my fella and a birthday gift for my mother.
I’ll keep you posted!
In an age when immorality and all around bad behavior is being modeled by everyone from politicians and celebrities to our own neighbors, I want to remind us all of this quote by Dr. Martin Lutheran King Jr.
The time is always right to do what is right.
As everyday Americans, we may not have control over the big things or over what those around us do but we can control our own choices.
Be kind to someone who can offer nothing in return. Share the good stories. Compliment a stranger. Support the businesses and organizations that uphold values you can live with. Let others know they aren’t alone. Model the behavior you want to see in others.
Do the right thing even when no one is looking and even when there’s nothing in it for you.
If enough of us choose this path, maybe we can balance out the cruelty and apathy this world has become so accepting of lately.
Do what is right.
