Tag Archives: weather

Slow Day Before The Snow Day

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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.

This Is Ohio

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I live in southern Ohio. That means it can literally snow on Monday and look like a winter wonderland only for all that pretty white stuff to disappear before lunch on Tuesday.

This literally happened this week.

On Wednesday, I was warm in a jacket as temperatures soared near sixty. By 9 pm I was shivering and reaching for warmth.

Living in Ohio also means that there is road construction everywhere and it seems to have no end. Concrete barriers and rows of orange barrels are lined up like toy soldiers for as far as the eye can see and for moths and years at a time.

I’m convinced there is no warehouse large enough to store all of the state’s orange barrels and cones so we just keep them out on the road.

But we are polite and we’ll wave to the construction workers as they flag us through a single lane. After all, they’ve had to work outside through this week’s moody weather.

This is Ohio. Look out for those orange barrels and enjoy the swing in weather. If you don’t like it today just sit tight. It will be different soon!

First Day Of Fall

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The first day of fall 2025 opened with fog and closed with a thunderstorm so severe it shook my ridgetop home.

We suffered through relentless rain for the first half of the year before everything dried up and drought took hold again. Last night, though, was wonderful. Relentless rain, thunder and bright streaks of lightning kept me looking out the window. It was a nice night to read a mystery and to drift off to sleep with the rhythm of the rain on the window.

There’s just something about fog and rain that make the world seem a little more mysterious and more enjoyable. I don’t know what it is but I’ll enjoy it all while it lasts!

I once read the line “some folks feel the rain and others just get wet.” Whatever you do, please try to enjoy it!

October’s Party

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The party’s over and October is nearly through. As we march bravely into November, it’s still a very moderate temperature here. Today will be near eighty degrees when it really ought to be much cooler here in Ohio and Halloween will feel more like Labor Day.

The colors are still pretty in places and there’s no shortage of leaves falling to the ground so that’s nice to see.

I play this game every year where I try holding out as long as possible before turning on the heat. The goal is always November 1 and I can honestly say there hasn’t been a single day I felt tempted to give in and embrace the heat. It has gotten down into the thirties at night a few times but my house stayed pretty comfortable.

Anyway, we say farewell to October today with lovely poem and this oldie but goodie photo of Scout in his bat wings. I would give you an updated photo of him in his Halloween costume but he wasn’t having it this year.

October’s Party by George Cooper

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came—
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.

The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.

Then, in the rustic hollow,
At hide-and-seek they played,
The party closed at sundown,
And everybody stayed.
Professor Wind played louder;
They flew along the ground;
And then the party ended
In jolly “hands around.”

Isn’t That How Life Goes?

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The weatherman swore that rain would reach southern Ohio yesterday. Depending on who you listened to, it was an eighty to ninety percent probability. I drifted off to sleep Saturday night, excited at the prospects that rain would wash away the pollen, dust and fatigue that had settled in with the 100 plus heat index.

It was still dry when I woke up but it felt like rain. A stiff breeze bent tree limbs, rustling the leaves hard enough to make us think it was just minutes away. And then the breeze moved on, the promise of rain passed, leaving us feeling teased and cheated by Mother Nature. 

I waited all day, reading social media accounts of rain in areas all around. Friends sat on their porches and watched a downpour while others sent their kids out to play in a light shower. Finally, nearing bedtime, I filled my watering cans and headed out to water container plants and some of the younger plants that were looking a little pekid. 

And then it happened. Just after I surrendered to the idea that at least the grass would die before it needs mowing, I heard the hard knocking of a downpour against the windows. It was sudden, overflowing my aging gutters and reminding me of how badly they need to be replaced. It also reminded me of childhood summers when my folks kept a rain barrel and of hot days when my mother would wash my hair in the rain.

Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. The experience is refreshing. 

Isn’t that how life goes? 

You wait for the thing you have no control over but want most. And you wait and wait and wait some more only to not see your wishes realized. And just when you give up, life gives you the thing you hoped for. 

At least the rain came, even if it was a few hours late. A small river flowed through my backyard, washing away the dust and pollen and perhaps even the extreme heat for a little while. All the flowers got a good soaking thanks to Mother Nature’s generosity. It did cool off some. 

For all of this I am grateful.

Winter Solstice

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The Winter Solstice is upon us and I say it didn’t arrive a moment too soon. No matter where I go in this world, I’m always in the minority when I say that winter is a special season and one to be savored. 

In my small corner of the world, winter is a quieter time when it comes to activities and events. My southern Ohio community has few events indoors or out. The only places to really congregate are high school basketball games, churches and restaurants. There’s some shopping to be done in neighboring towns but that’s about it. 

And you know something? I’m ok with that. 

Winter in Brandiland is marked by a desire to stay in and be cozy. I live for snowdays, especially when I get to be home and stare out the window. There is nothing better than bundling up to traipse around in the fresh fallen snow while looking for animal prints and things to photograph. Well, nothing better except going inside to warm up over a cup of hot chocolate! 

This year, I’m engaging in a fifty mile winter hike challenge with my fella and his dad who happens to be my very good friend. They’re both outdoorspeople and avid hikers so I will have great company along the trail. They understand what I mean when I just want to breathe in the cold air while touching the bark of a tree. 

The other thing about winter is that it’s the perfect time to stay in and work on hobbies, to catch up on your reading and to clean out that closet that’s been languishing all through the warm months. I call it feathering my nest and it’s the best thing ever. 

So, no. Winter isn’t great for flip flops or yard work but it’s the perfect time to relax and enjoy the coziness of life at home. 

Today is the shortest day of the year. After this, we will see a little more daylight every day as many of you begin to count the days till spring. Wherever you are on this solstice, stay warm, be happy and enjoy this beautiful day!