The deer left tracks all over my driveway so I’m not sure if they wanted in the garage to stay warm over night or they wanted a handout but they would have had better luck getting something to eat from the corn shocks in the field.
Snow Covered Corn Shocks
With wind chills near -60ºF this morning and near -50ºF tonight, these horses might want to hide in the barn because I am definitely hiding indoors as much as I can today.
Out in the Frigid Winter
Winter activities like cross country skiing, snowshoeing or just walking in the snow is enjoyed by some and one can hear the birds singing in the winter sunshine except when I was outside this afternoon, the squeaky snow was scaring any birds away. You know it is cold when the snow squeaks when you step on it.
There are three physical factors which lead to one mechanism cause snow to “squeak” when it reaches a certain cold temperature; lubrication of snow. No lubrication, then squeaky snow and with lubrication, quiet snow. Temperature, pressure of stepping on the snow and the shape of the snow crystals play into whether the snow has lubrication.
If the snow was squeaking today, I wonder what it will do tomorrow when it is really, really cold. It probably will be screaming instead of squeaking; screaming it is too cold!
Squeaky Snow
Falling water, a babbling brook, and the gentle breeze on a warm summer day is more appealing than falling temperatures, frigid wind chills and blowing snow this winter day. Nature sounds of the glen erases all the modern world sounds and remote waterfall is a nice place to spend the afternoon.
Glorious Glen
With predicted wind chills of -40 to -60 later this weekend and early next week, I don’t think I will be staying in this building as it might be just a wee bit too drafty.
I wonder the history of the building as it looks like there was a stove pipe opening on the front which is now covered over with a piece of tin. Was it the original homestead of the settlers or a bunkhouse for the hired hands? Did it later become a chicken coop or storage shed? Has the old building seen the late 1800s and now the early 2000s? The answers are probably locked up in the timbers never to be revealed.
A Wee Bit Drafty
The sun is out bright this morning, but all it reveals is a very white, cold landscape and all one can do is dream of a warm, green summer day colored with yellow even if goldenrod is considered a weed, it is still nice to see instead of white.
Goldenrod is in the aster family and is often blamed for hay fever but since the pollen of goldenrod is too heavy to be blown far, the ragweed that blooms at the same time is the main culprit. Goldenrod is a good sources of nectar for bees, flies, wasps, and butterflies and Native Americans used the seeds of some species for food and leaves are edible from young plants and some herbal teas are sometimes made with goldenrod.
While the golden plant might provide food, like the amber honey, just seeing the golden color is food for the soul on a cold winter day.
Golden Delight
Happy New Year!
Some may have rang in the new year last night, but church bells that rang today may have been ringing for peace in the new year. Pope Francis spoke of peace today and said, “This brings a responsibility for each to work so that the world becomes a community of brothers who respect each other, accept each other in one’s diversity, and takes care of one another.”
I wish everyone a wonderful, healthy and peaceful new year!
Ringing in the New Year
The new year is just around the corner and the “old” year has just about completed its journey. For some, the past year was a difficult one with the forces of nature destroying homes and lives. This barn weathered nature for years but in the end, it lost the battle and will no longer be able to stand tall in the coming year and soon all its former existence will fade from the landscape.
The End
“Red sky at morning, sailors take warning; Red sky at night, sailors’ delight.” This rhyme is an ancient rule of thumb for for weather forecasting, dating back over 2,000 years, based on the reddish glow of the morning or evening sky, caused by haze or clouds related to storms in the region. My grandmother would substitute the word fisherman instead of sailors and shepherds was one of the earliest phases used.
Well the red sunrise may not have brought a storm but it sure brought some frigid temperatures so the shepherd had better found shelter for his flock!
Red Sky Warning
I don’t think I will be taking a Sunday afternoon drive to the lake to sit on the log and dangle my feet in the water, not when it is below zero this morning with -30 wind chills and floating ice chunks on the lake now.
Warmer Day at the Lake
