I VOWED THAT I would not write about the weather today.
High schoolers jog past my house this afternoon in temps hovering around freezing and with a fresh layer of snow on the ground.
But then runners jogged past my house around 3:30 p.m., which prompted me to grab my camera. One shot led to another and soon I was slipping on my shoes, treading across the icy patio with my camera tucked inside my sweatshirt (so as not to get rain on my camera) to stand under the roof overhang (so as not to get rain on my camera) to photograph my backyard.
Why?
Because my backyard landscape is white and I cannot stand this anymore, this undefeatable Winter who keeps sneaking through the door of Spring.
I awoke this morning to snow covering the landscape, as shown in this scene of my backyard and the woods adjoining it.
“Get Thee out of my yard, out of my city, out of my state!” I want to stomp and scream at Winter. I never use exclamation points, which emphasizes just how adamant I am.
I do not want to hear of sleet or freezing rain or snow accumulations. I want to slam the door on Winter.
I do not want to read another text message from my second-born who awakened to no power this morning due to a severe ice storm in northeastern Wisconsin which left 23,000 Appleton area customers without power.
I do not want to hear about air traffic issues like those experienced by my eldest and her fiancė whose flight from Denver to Minneapolis was delayed last night by snowy/icy weather and then rocked by severe turbulence over Nebraska and South Dakota.
And I do not want to read a “glad it’s you and not me” message tagged “Time for planting” and emailed this morning by reader Brad, who grew up in Minnesota and worked for the National Weather Service for 33 years.
Brad writes:
Don’t want to rub it in, BUT….
82 degrees today in Georgia and we are going out to buy a few tomatoes and pepper plants.
Be safe with your spring blizzard!
Uh, yeah, Brad, maybe I’ll plant snow peas and iceberg lettuce.
© Copyright 2013 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Ha! – snow peas and iceberg lettuce – stick it to the weather! 2 things I do not care for – cold and jogging. I am sick of spiders – having an explosion IN the house – creepy darn buggers. Mr. Craves likes to inspect, examine and identify as well as stick the glue trap right in my face.
He reminds me of a certain person in Georgia re. the weather.
You are a hoot:) There are days I wonder if I live with an adult or a man child!
I hear ya.
These are words that could have come from my mouth –er — computer. Tomorrow’s post has a similar venting air to it!
I just could not wait until tomorrow to post this. Will check yours out right away in the a.m. to see what you have to say.
I understand it’s 90 in DC – send it there..might calm feverish thinking.
(Where is that groundhog? In witness protection? It was 70 now another front and temps dropping to 40’s – low for here)
An excellent idea. Just excellent. Haven’t seen any groundhogs around here, so, yes, I would assume witness protection.
And it doesn’t quit….the fine rain is pouring down at this moment (is that really possible? “Fine” rain….meaning ultra tiny droplets coming down in ferocious numbers! Really, there is nothing ‘fine’/good about it!!!!!). Double ugh!!
“Ultra tiny droplets coming down in ferocious numbers” sounds completely poetic. Well written, Poet.
Oh, dear! Another direction for an already slightly fragmented (schizo?) blonde retiree!!!! DH is not going to survive this!!!! LOL!
I’ve always appreciated your way with words and was pleased, quite pleased, to read the poetry.
Thank you, my dear (bowing deeply….)
You are most deserving.
In my neck of the woods, the bears are out of hibernation and sh***ing in the woods and the pocket gophers are pushing dirt. Winter is a dead man walking.
How fortunate for you. No bears in my area of Minnesota upon which to judge the absence or presence of winter.
just stoppin’ in to say “hi”
You are hilarious, Jackie. Just stopping in to say “hi” when I know how you LOVE winter.
Seriously? Unbelievable. I can’t believe this is your backyard in the middle of Spring. Where is the warm weather. I do feel sorry for the school kids having to go jogging in that weather – over here they’d be cooped up inside huddled around the heater drinking hot chocolate xx
I woke up to even worse weather this a.m. with sleet and rain falling overnight. The roadways look like an icy mess. In Minneapolis, the light rail system is not operating due to the ice. Ice is worse than snow, in my opinion. In southwestern Minnesota, the community of Worthington suffered a severe storm on Wednesday with two inches of ice coating everything. Trees, branches and powerlines have fallen under the weight of the ice. A State of Emergency has been declared there and Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has activated the National Guard.
I have a friend in Portland, Oregon who said that she saw Worthington’s story on ABC news! we’re famous. In a bad way.
Could be a worse famous. An ice storm is not the “worst” I could imagine.
Sorry if you don’t want to hear it – I had to post about it on both my blogs today! (I almost called you on Thursday to tell you we were ok – and, as you know my dislike of phones, you know I was seriously worried that YOU were worried!) We’re ok. Chilly…but ok.
That is so you Gretchen, to think of calling me because you knew I would be worried. You are a dear. I’m checking out your blog posts shortly to hear how you are surviving.